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.

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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 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.

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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.

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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 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 17: "Honor What Each Moment Needs" with Lindsey Taylor of Taylor Made Doulas

This week I chat with Lindsey Taylor, the owner of the doula agency Taylor Made Doulas. Lindsey is a full spectrum birth and postpartum doula and mom of 4.  In this episode we talk about the mom/life balance, how she started a business during her 4th child's postpartum year and how that experience compared to that of her first child when she was just 18 years old.

We also talk about the importance of prenatal childbirth education and postpartum support and how we need to be real with one another about the whole picture when it comes to breastfeeding, not just the social media worthy moments. 

You can find out more about Lindsey and her doula agency here. 

The postpartum depression documentary we mentioned is Dark Side of the Full Moon. 

As always, you can download the episode on iTunes here and stream it directly here.

While you’re on iTunes, I hope you consider rating and reviewing the show so that we can reach more moms!

Don't forget - The Postpartum Year: Tales From the Trenches in the First Year of Motherhood anthology is accepting submissions now! More info at www.postpartumyear.com

Episode 14: Iliacus Muscles, Tongue Ties and PPD with Sara Hery

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This week I talk with Sara Hery. Sara is an internationally certified childbirth educator and has been a practicing birth doula since 2005. She is also working towards becoming a certified nurse midwife and is a mom of 2. Sara's story is such a wonderful example of pushing through the adversity that new moms often face.  We talk about her experience with a home birth transfer and tongue tie with her first, and a torn iliacus muscle that led to postpartum depression with her second and how Bowen therapy helped her recover. Her experience is inspiring and I hope it helps other moms realize that you can come out on the other side of these experiences, or similar ones, stronger.  Enjoy!

You can find out more about Sara, her classes and the BBB Cafe here.

Some other resources for postpartum support that we also mentioned include La Leche League, Postpartum Support International, Doula Match, DONA and CAPPA. 

As always, you can download the episode on iTunes here and stream it directly here.

While you’re on iTunes, I hope you consider rating and reviewing the show so that we can reach more moms!

Thank you!