ICAN is excited to announce Gladys Lasley as our newest Chapter Leader!
“I want to see more VBAC and VBA2C options being offered in our community. Many mothers still do not know their options or have been misinformed and it is my responsibility to keep on sharing the mission of ICAN.” ~ Gladys Lasley, ICAN of Louisville
Please introduce yourself to ICAN:
I graduated from college with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. I have been married to my college sweetheart since 2000 and I have given birth to 5 babies. In the past, I have worked with youth and families for over 9 years, served with ICAN of Louisville as a volunteer for about 8 years, and currently, I have been working as a childbirth doula in my community since 2013. I have a lot of background in working with difficult and traumatic birth experiences, some counseling, and moms that need extra emotional support in pregnancy, labor, and postpartum to women that have had difficult/ traumatic birth experiences (PTSD after childbirth, cesareans, vaginal), including past birth loss (stillbirth, miscarriages, child loss ~as subsequent pregnancies and labor can be very overwhelming). I have been surrounded by the “VBAC world” since 2006 when I started planning a VBAC with my second son. In addition, I have also trained with Dona International, VBAC Facts, and Evidence Based Birth. In my free time, I enjoy reading books related to childbirth, camping, and outdoor activities with my family. My husband and I are musicians at heart and we enjoy cooking homemade foods.
What led you to join ICAN?
Back in 2006, I found a small VBAC group on Yahoo during my second pregnancy. Within a few months, the leaders of the group decided to start an ICAN chapter 2 months after I had attempted to VBAC but ended with a CBAC. I came to the first meeting and never stopped coming! I was drawn to ICAN’s support meetings and found so much help processing my two cesareans and finding help toward healing. I suffered from PTSD after my second cesarean birth and ICAN played a major role in helping me through those tough times. The community of women gave me hope, strength, and healing in my recovery journey. In 2008, I was asked to lead support meetings for women with difficult births and I continued to run those meetings for many years. I have also served by running monthly meetings, helping plan our year-in-advance schedule for meetings, going to community events with our ICAN booth, etc. It has been very healing for me to walk alongside women that were navigating a very familiar path to me. Through the years, it has been very rewarding to see women come to the meetings looking for hope and answers and with time, see them be able to have a more satisfying birth the way they wanted. It has been such a joy to see so many women give birth and have their VBACs in our monthly meeting group, to see women have more positive experiences, and be able to feel more in control of their health care.
How do you share ICAN as an organization with others?
ICAN is a place for processing a cesarean birth with people that get it and understand a mom’s point of view. A place where moms feel validated, a safe place to share, gather info and have supportive people walk with you through this process. ICAN is a community, an opportunity to build strong connections with others where encouragement, strength, and healing can take place. ICAN helps moms who have had cesareans and can only have cesareans gather info and options to help make their births more fitting to their personal family needs.
A family-centered cesarean should be an option offered to all that desire it and not just a select few. Vaginal birth is not a good option for all, and when a cesarean is needed, moms should have more options that allow and support bonding, that help decrease trauma, and help her feel safe. VBA2Cs are a valid safe option for many moms, yet many are still not given the option or support to VBAC by providers. Vaginal birth can happen for many moms, yet it is a strong matter of finding a provider that truly respects a mom’s desires and gives her options that are evidence-based to increase her chances instead of limiting her options. It is unethical to push women to have more unnecessary cesareans instead of setting evidence-based protocols and giving her body the opportunity to labor and possibly birth vaginally.
Where will you be serving families through ICAN?
Greater Louisville, Kentucky area, and Southern Indiana.
Please share your upcoming Chapter meeting:
Our meetings are at Louisville Family Chiropractic on the first Thursdays of the month.
Congratulations, Gladys!