Episode 79: "Making it through the 'ring of fire,' going light, and being generous with ourselves." with Rebecca Egbert of The Mother Love

Today I SO enjoyed chatting with Rebecca Egbert. Rebecca was a practicing midwife for nearly 10 years and is now the Founder and CEO of The Mother Love, a company building inclusive technology and connected communities to improve women’s health. Often told she has the energy of 7 people, hard work is part of her cellular body. After starting many businesses, she committed deeply to her entrepreneurial and innovative spirit deciding to take a giant leap away from clinical care, into the health education and tech world. With a hint of intuition and playful communication, Rebecca and her team create fun, accessible and actionable self-care tools that are designed to be used, most importantly, and shared to grow healthy women, strong families, and create connected communities. She loves her people and places deeply, and does a lot of things that might make you think she’s nuts in her little spare time. I so appreciated her real and honest approach and I know you will love this episode!

In her episode, we chat about:

• Her interest in healthcare at a young age
• How she saw a hole in the postpartum care arena from her experience as a midwife
• How she chose to become a CPM instead of a CNM
• How she transitioned from a practicing midwife to an entrepreneur 
• Her research into what postpartum women most need
• How Little Mother's Helper came to be
• The importance of women supporting other women
• The importance of nurturing your relationship with your partner before birth
• The break and space needed after the baby is born - limit your visitors!
• How this year was the year of "slowing down" for a lot of people
• What's next for The Mother Love...venture capitalists and more!
• And SO many other wonderful things!

Be sure to check out Little Mother's Helper here!

You can find this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or you can stream it here.

This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 78: Don't Do It On Your Own with Bianca and Natasha of bebo mia

Today I so enjoyed chatting with Bianca Sprague and Natasha Marchand of bebo mia inc. Bianca is a birth doula and lactation educator and has supported hundreds of families through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods. She feels particularly passionate around maintaining the family's relationships and mental wellness. As a queer woman she advocates for inclusive language in the birthing space. She lives in Toronto with her spouse, Alana, and their daughter, Gray. Natasha is a pre & postnatal fitness professional and birth doula. After a long fertility journey with her first daughter, Natasha has positioned herself as a fertility expert. She specializes in working with families with a history of try to conceive through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Natasha lives in Toronto with her husband, Chris, their 6 year old daughter, Sadie, and just gave birth to her second daughter in September. bebo mia inc is a training & mentorship organization for women in the maternal health field, including pregnancy/birth professionals, childbirth educators & parenting specialists. They offer comprehensive skills, business support & community care through an innovative online structure that spans a global market. 

In their episode we chat about:

• bebo mia's origin story
• Why they have some focus on fertility in their business
• Inclusive gender language when it comes to birth work
• How they feel like they did the opposite with their postpartum experiences that they tell their clients to do and what they would've done differently
• The challenge of working in this field and people "expecting us to be really good at this"
• Postpartum planning and asking for what you want
• Their birth stories and Natasha's thoughts about her upcoming C-Section
• The importance of setting yourself up for a positive postpartum experience
• Their differing experiences with postpartum as Natasha is more social and Bianca more introverted
• Postpartum struggles with a spirited high needs baby
• Letting moms experience whatever they experience postpartum
• Don't do it on your own!!
• And more!

You can find this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or you can stream it here.

This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 77: "Stay off of Google, Trust your Instincts and more helpful tips" with Carole Kramer Arsenault, author of Newborn 101

Today I enjoyed chatting with Carole Kramer Arsenault, RN, IBCLC. Carole has devoted her career to infant and pregnancy care, and worked for many years as a delivery nurse, including at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She founded and runs Boston Baby Nurse, a home health agency offering specialized support to families with babies. She lives outside Boston.

In her episode we chat about:

·      Her work as a labor and delivery nurse and how that played a role in her birth and postpartum stories

·      How she came to start Boston Baby Nurse and what services they offer

·      Why she decided to write Newborn 101 and what readers can expect to get out of it – it’s like a pocket Postpartum nurse for you to take home!

·      The importance of trusting your instincts during the postpartum period and avoiding getting too caught up in the fear-based perspective of Google searching

·      Slowing down during the early postpartum weeks

·      Lowering our expectations of our postpartum bodies.

·      And so much more!

Be sure to check out Boston Baby Nurse and get yourself a copy of Newborn 101

You can find this episode wherever you listen to podcasts or you can stream it here. 

This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 76: "Support is Key" with Betsy Schwartz of Birth in the Know

Today I so enjoyed chatting with Betsy Schwartz. She is a pioneer and a visionary. She began her career in 1991, working for one of the oldest postpartum doula services in the country. In 1994 she established Tenth Month Doula Services, the first of its kind in South Florida. Betsy is a founding member of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, where she served on the Board for two years. Her most recent accomplishment is the creation and publication of Down the Canal – The Game of Birth. She also offers online courses for birth workers. Betsy continues to pioneer in Citrus County Florida where she is actively involved in community collaboration as part of the Citrus Committee of the Florida Healthy Babies Initiative. Betsy holds a master’s degree in management of human services. She was a DONA postpartum doula trainer for fourteen years, and before that a CAPPA trainer. Betsy is a certified postpartum doula, a Reiki Master and a yoga enthusiast, and is active in transformational work through Gratitude Training.

In her episode we chat about:

• Why she was called to be a Postpartum Doula after her first birth
• How she came to create "Down the Canal: The Game of Birth"
• The best way for parents to be informed and take responsibility for their choices
• Her two very different birth experiences
• Her goal of sharing and teaching Reiki to Birth Workers and Pregnant Couples
• How lovely the postpartum period is for forcing us to slow down
• Navigating her second postpartum during the grief of losing her father
• Sleep challenges
• Our soap box about maternity leave in this country not being long enough
• The disservice we do moms by telling them they should be "doing it all"
• Redefining self care
• And more!

Be sure to check out Betsy's work and the "Down the Canal Game of Birth" here. 

You can find the episode wherever you find your podcasts or you can stream it here.

This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 75: "Change is the only Constant" with maternal health consultant, Arianna Taboada

I so enjoyed chatting with Arianna Taboada. Arianna is a maternal health consultant who works with experienced entrepreneurs who are becoming first time mothers, helping them customize their maternity leave plan and return to work. She is deeply committed to providing on-going, multi-faceted support that meets the professional, physical, mental, social, and emotional needs of entrepreneurs as they babyproof their business and navigate new motherhood.

Prior to her consulting practice, Arianna worked on maternal health issues for over a decade as a health educator, a social worker in a mental health clinic, a reproductive health researcher, and a yoga therapist. She draws from her expertise as a maternal health professional, combined with her experience as a business owner and mother, to provide highly personalized services so expecting entrepreneurs have the tools and information they need to make decisions and take action when it comes to balancing their business with a new baby.  In her episode we covered so many topics but they included:

• How she got into the work that she does
• How she saw the need for helping entrepreneurs navigate maternity leave
• Midwifery care having a re-birth in Mexico
• The amazing difference between postpartum care in midwifery versus obstetric care
• The WHO recommendations for postpartum visits
• Tools to use for planning out your postpartum period and filling in gaps that may be missing in your support system and care.
• Building the muscle of asking for help and how her postpartum period looked
• The reality and perhaps taboo topic of it not being all happy sunshine and rainbows in both pregnancy and postpartum
• The benefit of not building back up to her same workload after baby
• The importance of social support during postpartum
• How her maternal health coaching works - spoiler - it's all online and you can access her from anywhere! :)
• Learn more about her services at http://www.ariannataboada.com/ 

You can find the episode wherever you find your podcasts or you can stream it here.

This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 73: "You Can Do Anything, But You Can't Do Everything" with Dr. Erica Zelfand

Today I so enjoyed chatting with Dr. Erica Zelfand. She is a family physician specializing in integrative and functional medicine. After graduating from medical school, completing a midwifery apprenticeship, and finishing a family practice residency, she then completed four additional years of post-doctoral training in pediatrics under the tutelage of Paul Thomas, MD, the author of the acclaimed book The Vaccine-Friendly Plan. She sees patients of all ages in her family practice in Portland, Oregon, and is deeply committed to a patient-centered, root-cause-oriented, nature-honoring approach to healing. 

In her episode we talk about:

• The benefits of having a family physician
•  Postpartum Fatigue, why, how and what to do
• How the plethora of options makes it harder for new moms
• The benefit of starting pregnancy in a non-depleted state
• Anemia is common after childbirth
• Ferritin Test, CBCs and other important postpartum testing
• How to best get your iron levels up
• Our constant state of stress and how social media affects it
• Emphasis on Blood Sugar Levels
• Herbs for the 4th Trimester and adrenal fatigue: rhodiola, ashwaganda, schizandra, licorice and B Vitamins
• Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos
• The importance of a mindfulness practice
• Explanations of thyroid testing and what you need to check for imbalances
• Simplicity Parenting
• And More!

Learn more about Erica's work and practice here.

You can find the episode wherever you find your podcasts or you can stream it here.

This episode is sponsored by audible.com.  Audible makes it easy to listen to all of your favorite books.  They are offering listeners of this podcast a FREE audiobook and 30 day trial.  Go to audibletrial.com/PostpartumPodcast to get your free book now. 

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 72: "Right now, you are in the season of needing help, but eventually you'll be the one giving it. It's all a circle." with Kate Turza, Postpartum Doula

Today I so enjoyed chatting with Kate Turza. Kate is a mom of 3 and postpartum doula. After navigating difficult postpartum periods with each of her children, she realized that there needs to be better support for new moms. She began her postpartum doula training when her youngest was 3 months old, and has been practicing for over 2.5 years now. She moderates an in-person new mom support group in her area, as well as a Facebook group for new moms, she's also created a directory of professionals in her area (East End Parent Support).  She's also on the board of a non-profit, Long Island Birth Network, which provides education, support, and resources for expecting and new families in her area. 

In her episode we chat about:

• The challenge of having 3 kids under 4 when she had her 3rd
• How you're always tired once you have kids
• Consider negotiating bring baby with you back to work if you can
• How we don't have enough maternity leave
• How she decided to become a postpartum doula
• Breastfeeding challenges from a retained placenta
• An overview of what Postpartum Doulas do
• How a Postpartum Doula should be called a "Fourth Trimester" Doula
• The challenge of not dwelling on our decisions
• The importance of knowing where your postpartum support is in your area
• The importance of non-judgmental support just for you
• The importance of checking in
• And so much more!

Enjoy!

This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

Today’s episode is also sponsored by Ecocentric Mom. Pregnancy & new motherhood are the most thrilling times in any woman's life. - but they can also be the scariest. We're overwhelmed with information about what products are safe & effective for ourselves and our babies. Ecocentric Mom helps you navigate those choices by delivering monthly discovery boxes of products to help you care for yourself and your growing family.  Each month subscribers receive organic, natural or handmade products and lifestyle accessories chosen just for your stage of motherhood - from pregnancy to postpartum and beyond. Podcast listeners are invited to use code POSTPARTUM10 to receive a 10% lifetime discount on your subscription.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 69: "It's a Sign of Strength to Ask For Help" With Lori J. Isenstadt of the All About Breastfeeding Podcast

Today I had so much fun chatting with Lori Jill Isenstadt of the All About Breastfeeding Podcast.  Lori is an internationally board certified lactation consultant and has spent much of her adult life working in the maternal health field. Once she became turned on to birth and became a childbirth educator, there was no stopping her love of working with families during their childbearing years.  Lori became a Birth doula and a Postpartum doula and soon became a lactation consultant.   Lori founded her private practice, All About Breastfeeding where she meets with moms one on one to help solve their breastfeeding challenges.  Her membership site, All About Mothering, which just launched on April 1st, 2017, helps moms navigate their journey from pregnancy through their postpartum days. She is an international speaker, book author and podcast host. Not to mention, she is mom to 3 grown children.  

In the episode we talk about:

• The challenges of being a childbirth educator already when birthing her second child
• How her career in birth work evolved over the years
• Why she decided to start the All About Breastfeeding Podcast
• The importance of educating society about breastfeeding
• How important it is to talk about the things no one else does when it comes to birth and breastfeeding
• Her new educational membership website, All About Mothering
• The importance of not comparing birth and postpartum stories
• Her experience with polyhydramnios with her third baby
• Her incredibly quick labor with her third
• The intense details that we remember about our birth stories, even decades later!
• The sweet moments throughout the first year
• and More!

This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

ICON is also giving away THREE pairs of Icon Undies to one lucky winner this month for Mother's Day! Enter to win at the Rafflecopter Giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 66: "Nice Doesn't Mean Competent" - Choosing Your Care Providers Wisely With Brooke Lonergan

Today I had so much fun chatting with another one of our local Sacramento doulas, and friendBrooke Lonergan of Birthlight Doula . Brooke is a birth and postpartum doula trained through DONA and certified by Heart and Hands. She is also Rebozo certified, a Lactation Consultant Assistant and has doula support training with Hypnobabies. She fell in love with birth and the prospect of being a doula through supporting women in my life who courageously ventured into parenthood. Watching them develop, transform and stand in the uncertain world of child bearing and rearing has inspired and shaped my experience of our culture and life. She is also a devoted woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother and ultimate birth nerd who embraces, explores and loves life. As a doula, she partner with parents to listen, educate and empower them to make the necessary decisions and create experiences that serve their unique needs & desires throughout their pregnancy, birth and postpartum times. In her episode we chatted about many things, including:

• How an unexpected heart surgery caused her to turn her life and career upside down
• The realities of doula work - it's not as glamorous as we think!
• How having her own baby changed and enhanced her doula work
• The importance of choosing your maternal healthcare providers wisely
• How just "seeing what happens" during birth is really a false statement
• The beauty of knowing that sometimes there is more to learn from our kids than to teach them
• The importance of remembering this is a season
• The importance of following your own instincts
• Find YOUR people
• And so much more!

This episode of the postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 64: Midwifery Care, Sleep & The Little Things with Chelsea Fredlund of Placerville Midwifery

Today I so enjoyed chatting with local midwife, Chelsea Fredlund.  Chelsea is a Licensed Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife at Placerville Midwifery. Her practice offers full-scale midwifery care for women who choose to birth at home, including prenatal visits, home birth, and postpartum visits. She also offers Birthing from Within childbirth education classes for clients and other families planning a natural childbirth in or out of the hospital.  She is mom to one 4 ½ year old girl named Mariah and currently lives in Placerville, CA with her daughter and husband.

In her episode we chat about:

• How nice it can be to come in and out of birth work while parenting young kids
• Having her partner home for 3 months after birth
• Her process of going from being a doula to a midwife in recent years
• The importance of nutrition and exercise during pregnancy
• Nursing challenging
• Shifting your lifestyle around sleep
• A "good" baby is not a sleepy baby
• The difference between midwifery (particularly home birth midwifery) care and hospital care
• Ways that you can use a midwife both for prenatal and postpartum, even if you plan to birth in a hospital
• The importance of emotional support around your own parenting decisions during postpartum
• Be ready to shift expectations!

This episode of the postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 62: "Don't put timeframes on your OWN Postpartum healing" with Kimberly Johnson of Magamama

Today was such a great conversation with Kimberly Johnson of Magamama.  I had heard Kimberly speak on another podcast and I loved her shared passion for helping and supporting new moms, so I knew I had to have her on!  Kimberly is a yogini nomad, bodyworker, doula, postpartum women’s health specialist, and single mom to 8 year old, Cecilia. She is the creator of Magamama. Magamama is a community and resource hub for new moms who want natural, empowering solutions to the physical pain and emotional madness that can accompany childbirth.  In her episode we chat about:

• Her experience giving birth to her daughter in Rio de janeiro
• Her experience with a severe birth injury and how hard it was to find the help she needed
• How she traveled the world to find out how other cultures approached postpartum
• The meaning of "Magamama"
• How we need to flip the script on the idea of women having "low libido" 
• How we as women never seem to put ourselves first
• How trauma is "too big of an experience for your nervous system to digest"
• The importance of a Postpartum Plan
• How to find practitioners that specialize in this sort of postpartum recovery help. Check out Bellies Inc, Wild Feminine.
• The Closing of the Bones ceremony within Mexican culture
• And more!

This episode of the postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 61: Birth Worker Mini: Massage, Doulas, Lactation & More with Kaelyn Burleigh Crenshaw

Today I had so much fun chatting with one of our local birth workers, Kaelyn.  Kaelyn owns Serene Relaxation and is a birth doula, postpartum doula, lactation educator, massage therapist and more!

In her episode we talk about:

• The benefits of having a birth plan in place - shooting for the stars!
• The benefits of massage both prenatal and postpartum
• What does a postpartum doula do?
• The benefits of massage during labor
• When infant massage can be done
• How belly binding can be helpful postpartum and the process of how it's done
• Taking everything day by day
• And more!

This episode of the postpartum Podcast is sponsored by ICON UNDIES. Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience little bladder leaks when they run, jump, sneeze, or laugh? This is especially true for new moms. But because of Icon, You don’t have to worry!  Their undies feel like a regular, beautiful pair of underwear, but can hold up to 6 teaspoons of liquid without the bulky, bunchy plasticy feel of a pantyliner.  Icon is also offering listeners of the podcast $5 off your order with code postpartum at checkout. 

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 56: "No one is making choices AT you" & The Importance of Self Care with Amy & Dawn Moy

Today I had so much fun chatting with my friend Amy Moy and her wife Dawn.  Amy and Dawn have known each other for 14 years, been together for 10, were first married in 2010, not recognized then by the state, and then again legally in 2013.  They welcomed their daughter in 2012.  Amy, is a birth doula, childbirth educator and placenta specialist here in the Sacramento area. Check out River Bend Birth Services! After the birth of their daughter with a doula by their side, she realized her passion and dove into birth work, believing that every family deserves to experience the kind of compassionate and continuous care that a doula provides. This year, Amy also created Q-Village Birth Associates, a skilled and dedicated group of LGBTQ-identified birth professionals serving families here in Sacramento. Dawn, grew up in San Diego, graduated with a criminal justice degree from Cal State Hayward, and has worked in the field of loss prevention since 2008. She has played semi-professional women's baseball over the years and her biggest claim to fame was playing in the first 24-hour baseball game in history - it was an AIDS fundraiser. 

In their episode we talk about:

• How Dawn carried their baby, Veronica, while Amy was a Stay-at-Home mom
• The challenges of conceiving and being able to switch which partner they tried with
• As a butch, how Dawn struggled with maternity clothes
• The inappropriate questions people ask surrounding pregnancy and concieving
• Their Home Birth experience
• The importance of well-rounded childbirth education with realistic expectations
• Doulas, Placenta Capsules and more!
• Finding - or building - your own community
• Deciding to use a known donor when conceiving their daughter
• Amy's challenge of being the stay-at-home parent while the nursing parent was at work
• The importance of taking some time away when you need it
• Dawn talks about nursing in a loss prevention job where finding time to pump was hard
• Push back from family on birth, postpartum and parenting
• Trusting your instincts

This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by Earth Mama Angel Baby. Earth Mama Angel Baby has been safely nurturing pregnant women and babies for over a decade with trusted, certified organic and natural herbal products formulated to support the entire journey of childbirth, from pregnancy through postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and baby care, and even baby loss. Listeners can get 20% off your order with the code"Postpartum20" at checkout.  

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 51: "Say Thank You and Eat the Weird Food (AKA Accept Help!) " with Angelina Valentin

Today was such a fun episode full of so much heart and helpful information! I loved chatting with Angie Valentin. Angie is a certified doula and has supported 350+ growing families since 2004 as a Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula, as a Birth & Baby Educator leading childbirth education classes and newborn baby care classes, and as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist in the greater Sacramento area. Angie is the founder and director of Doulaville Birth Services, (in Seattle, Philadelphia, and San Francisco), a doula collective intended to prepare, support, and nourish the women who so passionately support this labor of love.  In Angie's episode, we chat about so many different things, but here are the highlights:

• Parenting 3 children with a large age gap - 13 is similar to 2!
• Managing pre-existing OCD during postpartum
• Dealing with a challenging surrogacy pregnancy and birth
• Having her daughter diagnosed with autism and how that challenged her postpartum period
• Dealing with long term Postpartum Depression
• How short labors can actually be traumatizing in their own right
• Self Care with a Type A personality
• Such a beautiful way of helping us remember we need to accept help
• The importance of those close to you knowing the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression
• How we have to speak the same "language" in our relationships
• And so much more!

Don't forget to check out Doulaville if you are in Seattle, Philadelphia or San Francisco and Angie's regular website if you are in Sacramento. 

This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by Earth Mama Angel Baby. Earth Mama Angel Baby has been safely nurturing pregnant women and babies for over a decade with trusted, certified organic and natural herbal products formulated to support the entire journey of childbirth, from pregnancy through postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and baby care, and even baby loss. Listeners can get 20% off your order with the code "Postpartum20" at checkout.  

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 42: "Not every day is going to be your best day." Music Therapy for Childbirth and Postpartum with Kate Taylor

Today it was so fun to chat with Kate Taylor, music therapist and birth doula and owner of Creative Childbirth Concepts. I was fascinated with how Kate used her music therapy background to provide support for family's in her work as a doula, and I think you will find this information so interesting and helpful.  We talked about so many different things but here are some highlights:

• How music can be incorporated into not only your birth but your postpartum experiences as well
• How music is used during a birth
• Helpful tips for choosing your birth playlist
• How to find a music therapist for your birth
• How she incorporated music into both of her birth experiences and how it also helped her deal with jaundice and her daughter having to stay at the hospital after she was discharged
• How to choose the best lullaby based on baby's brain development (so many things I hadn't thought of!)
• The importance of doulas! (a common topic on this show)
• Love Languages for helping out in postpartum

Learn more about Music Therapy for Childbirth and Kate here. 

The article I mentioned about Empathy Burn Out.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 41: "It's about Positive not Perfect" with Stephanie Dullanty

Today is a special episode because I got to talk with another one of my dear friends here in Sacramento. Stephanie Dullanty is a birth doula, postpartum doula and birth photographer and mom to Rio. Stephanie and I met through Capital City Doulas and she is such a sweet and wonderful person. I am so happy to share her and her wife Martha's story of how they experienced conception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum.  

In this episode we talk about:

• How she and Martha chose their sperm donor (They used Pacific Reproductive Services) and how complicated the process can be to conception
• How she came to birth work
• Ways that we can be more inclusive to queer families in birth education and parenting
• Her beautiful birth story with Rio
• The importance of finding community
• Struggling with Rio's colic
• Balancing going back to work when your baby or toddler has only had one primary caregiver

You can find out more about Stephanie at her website Rio City Birthworks

If you are local to Sacramento, please check out our calendar at Capital City Doulas to see when the next Mama Talks event is.

Also, check out  Capital City Music Together if you're local, or check out Music Together in your area if you're elsewhere. 

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go to http://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum   

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 34: “Touch is our first sense developed and the last sense to leave us” – Infant Massage and Watsu® Massage with Jillian Van Ness

Today is a special episode where I talk with Jillian Van Ness who is a certified Infant Massage Practitioner and Watsu® Massage Practitioner.  I am so excited to share these two lesser known modalities with you all today!

Working on a pregnant client in the Loving Aquatic Pool

In the episode we talk about:

·      The benefits of infant massage for both babies and their caregivers

·      What an infant massage class looks like

·      The absolute importance of touch in our lives

·      How she got into infant massage

·      What is Watsu Massage?

·      What a Watsu Massage session looks like

·      How Watsu can be particularly helpful for pregnant women

·      Her dream to build an aquatic center here in Sacramento

To learn more about Jillian please visit her website.  

Free Swim Lessons at Swim America in Davis, CA

To find an infant massage practitioner in your area go here.

To find a Watsu® Massage practitioner in your area go here.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go to http://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum  

 You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 33: "Parenting is like Super Mario and Rolling with the Punches" with Brian Salmon, aka Brian the Birth Guy

Today I had a blast chatting with Brian Salmon, also known as Brian the Birth Guy. Brian is a childbirth educator, lactation counselor and San Antonio’s only practicing male birth doula.  I so enjoyed hearing his perspective as a dad, doula and birth enthusiast!

Brian is hilarious, passionate and kind. We talked about so many different things, but here are the highlights:

• Compassionate use of pain meds, pain versus suffering
• His “Rocking Dads” Birth Education Program and how dads go from “Dude to Dad”
• What brought him to birth work
• How it was being a single dad during the postpartum period with his second daughter
• The importance of a solid foundation in your relationship before baby comes
• His candid thoughts about the struggle of a breakup while having young kids
• The movie that I couldn’t think of during the show was called Friends With Kids from 2011
• Real talk about anxiety and mental health
• Kristen Brunner of Baby Proofed Parents who was my Episode 29 guest
• The Sutter Davis Volunteer Doula Program (which just opened applications for Spring!)
• Mama Sherpas Documentary
• The Heads Up Vaginal Breech Birth Documentary
• Family Centered Caesareans
• And More!

You can find more information about Brian on his website, you can follow him on Facebook and on Periscope.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum  

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 32: “Trust in yourself and find YOUR tribe with Nathalie Saenz of Dearest Doula

Today I’m really excited to chat with Nathalie Saenz of the Dearest Doula Podcast.   Nathalie is a Birth Doula and mom of one with another on the way.  I had the pleasure of being on her Dearest Doula podcast last year, twice! – you can listen to those episodes here. In this episode we talk about:

·      How she healed from her C-section from her first birth

·      And found her passion in birth work after seeing a play about birth and The Business of Being Born

·      How she is planning for a VBAC homebirth with her second child

·      Undergoing a mastotomy from mastitis during her first breastfeeding experience

·      The importance of not projecting our own expectations on new mom friends, supporting the fact that being a new mom is hard.

To find out more about Nathalie and find her podcast, visit her website here.

She also mentioned the Birth Without Fear Blog.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum  

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 31: "Is your placenta in your birth plan?" with Tamara Morales of Placentamom.com

Today I chat with Tamara Morales of Placentamom.com. Tamara is a mom of 2 "middles" and a placenta encapsulator in the Sacramento area.  She started her placenta business 7 years ago and is also the one who encapsulated my placenta with my daughter's birth. I so enjoyed chatting with her about her postpartum experiences and about the benefits of placenta encapsulation. 

In her episode, we talk about:

• Postpartum Depression and how placenta capsules can help
• How postpartum depression manifested for her with her first, and how much better it was with her second baby and the lifestyle changes her family made when prepping for the second baby
• H.A.L.T. - the idea that you shouldn't ever let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired
• The importance of asking moms if you can do something specific to help after the baby is born rather than asking a blanket question about what they need
• Importance of embracing all of the moments, even the bad ones and sharing with other moms that it IS hard in these early days. 

Tamara also generously offered to help anyone looking for a placenta encapsulator in other parts of the country to contact her and she will help find you one!

You can learn more about her services here.

You can find the show wherever you find your podcasts, or stream it directly here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms. 

Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback. 

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum  

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more. 

Thank you SO much for your support!