GLAMoms 💚 Mondays! We get to spotlight a mom, her story, her kids, her family – and share with you! And this week we have a local momma who has so much to share and we are honored to tell a bit of Beth Douglas’ story today! Beth is a #boymom of two, wife, business owner, nurse and so much more!
Beth has had to navigate unknown territories the past few years – an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, suicide, postpartum depression – all while working, going to nursing school, advocating for her kids, starting up a new business and all of the other things! We are grateful for the honesty and openness Beth offered GLAMoms and we hope it helps others while bringing awareness to difficult realities.
Beth is an excellent resource, the mother of all cheerleaders her tribe and very involved in the Greater Lansing area community. She gives much of herself to others, is wise and kind and hilarious and Beth, we are so glad you are here!
Welcome to Greater Lansing Area Moms, or welcome back, Beth also joined us earlier this year in the GLAMoms Fitness and Wellness Guide with her business, RevIVe Mobile IV Hydration and Vitamin Administration Bar.
Please introduce yourself!
I am Beth, I am a married momma to two boys Preston who is 13 and Bentley who is 3. We live in Bath but I grew up primarily in Eaton Rapids. I recently graduated from the Paramedic to RN program at Lansing Community College! I also own RevIVe Mobile IV hydration and vitamin administration bar.
Where do you work?
I work as an RN in the ICU at Memorial healthcare, I also work as a paramedic for Laingsburg Fire Department.
Recently graduated and licensed, Beth, RN.
YAY on graduating from nursing school, now what is your dream job?
My dream job would be a Flight Nurse.
We know you are a #boymom of two, how old are your boys?
Preston is 13 and Bentley is 3!
What do you think is one of the best parts about being a mom?
I LOVE watching my kids feel joy. I think it is crazy that when your child experiences something it feels like it is happening to you. Having children has forced me to embrace my playful side, they have caused me to slow down and really appreciate things I would usually just ignore. Right now my little guy is obsessed with looking up and describing the sky, it is something I usually don’t pay attention to because we are constantly on the go, but it is oddly relaxing.
How did you meet your husband? Do you have a date night favorite?
Kevin and I met in a class at LCC and I honestly could not stand him, luckily he wore me down.
We love to go to the Weather Vane, it isn’t close by but it is so nice to get away for a night in such a beautiful place.
Bentley
Your youngest was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder – would you mind sharing the process and how he is going with the available resources?
I noticed at 10 months that he wasn’t doing the things my older son did at that age, and he would frequently tug at his ears but never had an ear infection. As he got older (around one) he was saying a few words and then all of the sudden stopped saying them.
Everyone told me I was crazy and that there was nothing wrong “he’s a covid baby”, “it’s because you guys talk for him”, the list goes on and on. When I raised concern about autism to his pediatrician even he said, “he has some minor delays but nothing that is screaming Autism, he has great eye contact and social interaction.”
At my insistence he referred us to an ENT for a hearing evaluation to ensure his delays were not medical. He also referred us to Early On. We also got on the schedule for a medical diagnosis of Autism, there were 3 places in the state that accepted our insurance and they all had a wait of a year or more. I called numerous places hoping to self pay so that we could start therapy and could not find a place that would accept self pay.
We ended up going to U of M but had to wait a year for our appointment, he ultimately got a medical diagnosis of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) in October of 2022. In the meantime we began working with Early On.
II can not say enough good things about the Early On program! It is a free program and the providers come to your home to work with your child. This could include OT, PT and Speech therapy. The women who helped with Bentley were AMAZING! They not only treated Bentley as if he was their own child but they also helped guide us through everything that goes into being a parent of a developmentally delayed child.
I am going to be honest even though I knew Bentley had autism from the time he was 10 months old, it was still a punch to the gut when we got the official diagnosis, I was heartbroken.
Let me explain, I would not change Bentley for the world, he is perfect.
However I never wanted my child’s life to be harder than it had to be, and this is going to make his life harder. While I was dealing with the grief of a “normal childhood” these women from Early On were there to build me up and help me to feel comfortable in my new role as an autism momma. He now attends preschool at Clinton County RESA and is THRIVING! He will also be starting ABA therapy but there of course is a wait list.
Your first baby, Preston is one of the coolest kids ever and he is resilient and kind and we know he follows GLAMoms (Hi Preston!). Do you want to share more about what he has worked through the past couple of years?
Sure. Preston’s biological Father suffered from addiction, which ultimately led to suicide in 2018. Preston had just turned 9 years old when he lost his father. This is without a doubt the very hardest thing we as a family have ever been through.
There is no instruction manual on how to help your child through the loss of a parent especially when they die by suicide. The last 3 ½ years have been filled with ups, downs and everything in between.
The day I learned of Mike’s death I called Ele’s Place and asked them for guidance on how to talk with Preston about the death. They were AMAZING and helped me create a script that was age appropriate. Ele’s Place made a huge difference in Preston’s grief. Ele’s Place is a free service in Lansing that helps children cope with the loss of a loved one, they have group meetings once a week, and numerous events throughout the year. This was huge for Preston as it helped him feel like he wasn’t alone, he was surrounded by kids his age who lost a parent or a sibling, some to suicide.
They also hold meetings for the caregivers of these grieving children, which was so beneficial for me. I was able to get ideas on how to help Preston through all the challenges that come with losing a parent. It was also so important for me to allow Preston to talk about his dad and his feelings surrounding his dad regardless of how uncomfortable it was.
He would tell everyone “my dad killed himself”, and it made most people uncomfortable, because as adults we are taught that it isn’t appropriate to talk about things like that, or it is shameful. However I allowed him to be open and honest because that is what he needed.
He had/has no reason to feel anything other than grief about his dad, it does not matter the way he died. There is such a stigma surrounding suicide and I am trying to change that narrative for Preston.
Bentley, left seemingly helping his brother, Preston, right.
What is a piece of advice for new moms you wish you would have known when you were a new mom?
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to do EVERYTHING on your own. If you ask for help it does not mean you are a failure. Postpartum Depression and anxiety are not your fault and it does not make you a bad mom, it is a legitimate chemical imbalance that you have no control over. You are the very best momma for your babies, no one could love them the way you do. It will get better!
Please tell us more about RevIVe and the services that you offer.
Revive is a female first responder owned mobile IV Hydration and Vitamin administration bar.
I am a licensed critical care paramedic and nurse. I work directly under a physician to ensure our clients are healthy enough to receive an IV with vitamins. We are mobile meaning we come to wherever is convenient for you.
We start our visit going over medical history and allergies, we then get a basic set of vitals (blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation), we then discuss how you want to feel and tailor a hydration cocktail to best suit your needs! We have vitamins that can aid in anything from weight loss, depression, COVID, or even just an energy boost! We have a vitamin for everything!
You mentioned you work under the direction of a physician, how does it work with medical control?
I work directly under a physician who has set up a list of protocols and procedures to ensure the utmost safety for our clients. I am able to reach this physician anytime if any questions or issues arise. We also carry an “emergency kit” in case there is any sort of emergency, we have not had to use it but it is nice to know it is there!
How do you prefer readers to connect with you if they would like more information about RevIVe and the services you offer?
I am reachable by phone 517-648-8623 or by [email protected]
Beth with Bentley and Preston
What are you looking forward to this summer?
Slowing down and really enjoying my family.
Here are a couple questions to get to know you better ☺️
What gets you up in the morning?
Usually my feral toddler wakes up at 6am and immediately begins terrorizing our house. 🤣
And how do you take your coffee?
I survive on very strong, very sweet coffee! My favorite is Dunkin by far!
If you watch television, what is your favorite show?
I don’t have much time for TV but after our youngest goes to bed the three of us pile in our bed and watch Ted Lasso, which is truly an amazing show balancing humor and seriousness. My husband and I also watch SuperStore If we don’t fall asleep.
What do you take to baseball games to keep your youngest busy?
His iPad, a huge bag of toys and when those don’t work suckers!
Strangest item in your trunk right now?
Probably a sharps container that has Thomas the train stuffed in it.
The children’s book you most enjoy reading?
Pout Pout Fish
Where are some of your favorite places locally to spend time with your family?
Castaway Cafe in Howell, The Ledges in Grand Ledge and just about any park.
Mind sharing a mom trick another mom will be happy to learn?
When Preston was little and I was single momming it, he always wanted me to play with him, and I always had a million things to do. I would set a timer and tell him that we could play whatever he wanted however he wanted to play it until the timer went off. Once the timer went off I had to go do “mommy stuff” and would usually have him help me.
Beth, it has been a pleasure. Thank you for speaking with GLAMoms and for sharing so much of your experiences with us to share with those reading. And if Preston is still reading – you’re pretty awesome and keep being you! And have fun in high school!
If you would like to learn more about RevIVe IV Hydration and other services they provide, phone 517-648-8623 or by [email protected]
And just for GLAMoms, Beth is offering 20% off any service. Simply mention GLAM when you schedule your RevIVe appointment.
