Lessons Learned About Identity, Ableism, and Systemic Health Disparities When It Comes to Birth
On this episode of the Learn With Less® podcast, we sat down with Val Pitaluga, of JoyCo Therapy, and Accessible Vacations. Val is a multi-passionate mom, wife, speech-language pathologist, and business owner. Her personal experiences as an immigrant and English language learner fuel both her professional work and personal advocacy efforts. Val has a background in Early Childhood Education and extensive experience working with children of all ages. Val’s husband is a quadriplegic after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a car accident over a decade ago. They met post-injury and bonded over their many shared interests, chief among them travel. They now share about parenting and traveling with a disability via their non-profit, Accessible Vacations.
We discussed:
* Val’s various social identities, and the privileges she holds leading up to the birth of her second son* What can happen in a hospital when the system does not prioritize birthing people and their families* Definitions of ableism, the ABC’s of Safe Sleep, and evidence-based practices around birth* Val’s top tips for advocating for what you need before, during, and after your birth* Why Val advocates for community-based support and leaning on practices of gratitude
Helpful Resources to Acknowledge For This Episode:
Accessible Vacations
American Academy of Pediatrics ABC’s of Sleep
JoyCo Therapy
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy Related Deaths (CDC)
Evidence Based Birth
Learn With Less® Bundle: get our favorite infant and toddler development resources (and save 70%)! Discover how to support and connect with your tiny human, without having to buy a single toy.
Connect With Us:
Val Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube
Ayelet: Facebook / Instagram / Pinterest
Text Transcript for This Episode
Ayelet: Welcome back to Learn With Less®! Today, I have Val Pitaluga joining me. Val is a multi passionate mom, wife, speech-language pathologist,
