Self-Advocacy in Birth: One Mother’s Birth Story and Shared Lessons, with Val Pitaluga

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,