Introducing Alexis Appleton, our newest chapter leader!

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ICAN is excited to announce Alexis Appleton as our newest chapter leader! She has completed training and will be with ICAN of Northwest Louisiana!
 
How did you find out about ICAN? What drew you to our organization?
After my first baby was born by Cesarean in 2002, I had a pretty good recovery, but sadly, I was devastated by the feeling that my body was broken. A few weeks later, I called my friend to congratulate her on the birth of her second baby. During our chat, she mentioned she had a VBAC! I can’t really put into words the sense of relief and hope I felt when she told me that. At that point, I knew it was definitely something I wanted to look into, so I began to search the Internet for information not long afterwards. Back in the “early days” of the net, ICAN was probably one of the first resources I came across. The site was definitely a goldmine of information. Fast forward 17 months later, and I had my first (of five!) very healing VBAC! I am so thankful that ICAN and the website were there to provide the information I needed to educate myself!

 

Alexis, her husband, and five beautiful children!
Alexis, her husband, and six beautiful children!
What part of being an ICAN Chapter Leader are you most excited about and why?
I am most excited about being able to support and educate moms who are recovering physically and emotionally from a section. I don’t want anyone to feel like I did! I also want to continue to get the word out in my community that VBAC is a viable option. Anyone who knows me well knows this is something I’ve been passionate about for over thirteen years!
 
What do you wish other people knew about ICAN?
I wish people knew that ICAN does promote VBAC and discourage unnecessary Cesareans, but that does not mean that ICAN wants to minimize the occasional necessity of a Cesarean delivery or dismiss it as an inferior way to give birth. ICAN just wants women to be educated on their options and empowered with the knowledge to be able to make the informed choice that is best for them!
 
What would you say are some of your strongest beliefs about cesarean/VBAC awareness?
Cesarean delivery is MAJOR abdominal surgery and is not to be taken lightly! ACOG clearly states that VBAC is a reasonable and safe option for most women. The risk for uterine rupture in a low risk mom attempting a trial of labor is about the same as the risk for other emergent complications that can suddenly occur during any labor and delivery and that is not a reason for a hospital or physician to deny access to VBAC. Also, two of my favorite rules of thumb are that a) your EDD is NOT an expiration date and b) your cervix is NOT a crystal ball….just be patient and let baby cook as long as s/he wants.
 
Alexis Appleton, MidSouth's newest ICAN Chapter Leader!
Alexis Appleton, MidSouth’s newest ICAN Chapter Leader!

How would someone describe you?

Passionate, practical, knowledgeable, quirky, and BUSY! I have been referred to many times as “the short hyper one” and maybe even a non-conformist, go against the flow type a time or two. 

 

Please share a little about yourself.

I am a mom of six married 17 years to my college sweetheart. My BS is in Clinical Laboratory Science because I love all things science, but I went on to get a Masters in Education so I could teach elementary school because I love kids. I taught for a few years until I “retired” to have my kids and be a stay at home mom, although I did get my real estate license and work from home for several years to help out with extra expenses. I have four sons and two daughters. I have an amazingly supportive and patient husband who is an engineer.  I love to read just about anything. Currently, I am taking a few courses to meet prerequisite requirements for applying to PA school. I hope to eventually be a PA in pediatrics or family medicine. I can’t wait to get to know and work more with our growing local birth community!

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