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 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 71: "Whatever you're feeling, it's OK and it's normal" with Emma Shaffer

Today was a special day because I got to chat with my best friend from childhood, Emma Shaffer. Emma is a part time marketing consultant as she makes a career change into teaching Elementary School and is a single mom of 1. She, like myself, grew up in Truckee, CA and now lives and works just across the state line in Reno, Nevada. Emma is one of the strongest mothers I know, and I am so fortunate to be able to do this whole parenting thing with her, so I’m so excited to share her story with all of you!

In her episode we chat about:

• Being a single mom juggling school and work during postpartum
• Being induced just a day or two before her school semester started
• Juggling staying in college when she was postpartum with Otto
• The challenges of exclusively pumping
• The benefits of a flexible school schedule with little babies
• Her experience with Postpartum Anxiety around 9 months
• Struggling to connect with her baby for the first couple months and the feelings of not being able to share this with other people
• Grandma El's Diaper Cream
• 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. 

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 70: The importance of Birthing Choices and Community with Lori O'Donley

Today it was such a joy to talk to my dear friend Lori O'Donley! Lori is a public affairs specialist for the US Air Force, has a master's degree in communications, served in the Air Force herself for 4 years and is mom to two kids. Lori and I met when we were both starting that master's degree program when she had just had her second baby.  She is someone I will always have to thank for the career path I ended up on because of her encouragement to look into my birthing options when I was pregnant with my daughter. Lori is such a light, enjoy!

In her episode we chat about:

• The importance of knowing your birth options
• Her difficult postpartum period with her first child
• The unkind care she received in the hospital during her first birth
• The amazing difference when she had a midwife for her second
• The importance of knowing what to expect from your body during birth
• How much she loved Birthing From Within for Birth Preparation
• Starting a grad school program when her daughter was 3 weeks old
• The importance of giving new parents space and time to bond
• Scary Mommy for your sanity!
• 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!

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***

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 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 68: "Once You've Had a Baby, You're Always Postpartum" with Samantha Montpetit-Huynh of Bellies Inc.

Today I had a wonderful conversation with Samantha Montpetit-Huynh. She is the mother of two beautiful girls, a certified pre and postnatal exercise specialist with over 15 years experience and the co-founder of Bellies Inc., the creators of the AB Tank Complete System, the most comprehensive, holistic system that combines restorative exercises and abdominal wrapping to help women build core confidence from pregnancy through motherhood.

In her episode we chat about:

• The myomectomy she had in her 20s and how that affected her births
• Learning that she could have had a VBAC with her second if she'd know and how she processed that experience
• Her work with diastases recti and pelvic flood disfunction
• How we force moms back into regular life and exercise RIGHT after birth
• The need for a pelvic floor physical therapist
• How our bodies will never be the same as they were pre-baby
• What services Bellies Inc offers both for prenatal and postpartum
• How France does postpartum pelvic floor therapy differently
• Painful Sex after birth is common but not normal
• The increase in prolapse in younger women because they are rushing back into fitness without restorative exercise
• Tips for supporting your body both during pregnancy and postpartum, including their Core Confidence Program.
• Her own hysterectomy and how she rehabbed her core after that
• 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 67: "There is no Always or Never - Listen to Your Baby" with Batya Sherizen, AKA Batya the Baby Coach

Today I enjoyed chatting with Batya Sherizen, AKA Batya the Baby Coach.  Batya is mom to 5 kids, and a child sleep expert.  She has been helping parents help their babies sleep for over a decade.  She offers one-on-one coaching - no matter where you are in the world! - free trainings and has even created a free gentle guide to baby sleep that you can find here: http://batyathebabycoach.com/postpartumpodcast

In her episode we chat about:

• Parenting 5 children!
• Living in Israel for most of her postpartum periods
• How she became a Child Sleep Coach
• The midwifery model of care in Jerusalem 
• The importance of listening to your own body during pregnancy
• How her fourth baby turned footling breech during labor and ended in C-Section
• Her top tips for infant sleep issues and parents facing sleep deprivation
• 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 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 58: Vaginal Breech Birth, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Doing the Best We Can with Lisa Chin of The Fourth Trimester Summit

Today I chatted with Lisa Chin. Lisa is a holistic mama to a happy two year old girl. Motherhood has profoundly changed who she is, how she sees the world and the mark she wants to leave. She seeks to live an inspired life of mothering, writing, and pursuing what calls to be created. When she's not wrangling spreadsheets or her toddler, she can be found writing for her blog, Lisa for Real, where she share her thoughts on fierce femininity, eureka moments and lessons in self-awareness. Her latest project is the Fourth Trimester Summit where Lisa interviews over 40 experts in women's health, infant development and mental health who share their knowledge so new moms can create their ideal postpartum experience. 

In her episode we talk about:

• How motherhood is the best therapy
• Changing careers mid-pregnancy
• How she decided to create the Fourth Trimester Summit
• How her water broke just after the only time she meditated her whole pregnancy
• Her surprise Breech Vaginal Birth!
• The Importance of having a Birth Plan but also being flexible. It's all about knowledge.
• Developing a new partner dynamic after baby arrives
• Therapy as a preventative measure
• How Traditional Chinese Medicine sees the postpartum period
• Focus on the Mom, Not the Baby!
• We are all doing the best what we can with the knowledge that we have!

Be sure to sign up for The Fourth Trimester Summit which is happening NEXT week! The Fourth Trimester Summit features 40+ interviews with experts in infant development, health, breastfeeding and more. It is free to view all of the video interviews from November 9-18, 2016. Be sure to sign up through the link below to get email reminders for each of the days' speakers so you don't miss out!

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 57: "Healing Your Perspective of Your Body Through Motherhood" with Judy Tsuei

Today I had so much fun talking with Judy Tsuei! Judy is a 4th Trimester Body & Mind Coach and author of Meditations for Mamas: You Deserve to Feel Good. She empowers new mamas to thrive in the postpartum phase, especially in finding their identities again, creating time for self-care, and alleviating the pressure to have it all together. Most importantly, she helps women struggling to get their bodies back to feel more beautiful than ever before — as a mama.

In her episode we talk about:

• Her fairytale whirlwind Hawaiian romance
• Getting to the other side of the first year of motherhood
• Struggling through hyperemesis gravidarum during her pregnancy and how that connected to her earlier bullimia issues
• The "creative burn" during postpartum, without the wherewithal to act on these ideas
• Being patient when you want to jump right back into your career after birth
• A powerful Hawaiian forgiveness practice
• Sometimes you do whatever you need to do to survive something like hyperemesis gravidarum, including watching porn
• The importance of building your relationship with your child in your own way
• Having realistic expectations for what postpartum will look like
• The importance of grieving your previous life
• No request is too big or too small during the postpartum period

Be sure to check out Judy's website, blog and of course, book! If you purchase her book directly through her website you will receive a complimentary 45-min Feel Good Coaching assessment with me to find more time in their day for themselves, discover how to feel good in their bodies again, and learn how to reclaim their identities. Sign up for that here. She also has a supportive facebook community group: Hot Mamas and Babes.

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 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 50: "It's all just flying by the seat of your pants" with Rosemary Fernandez

Today I loved chatting with Rosemary Fernandez.  Rosemary is a mom of two kids, a boy and a girl born just 13 months apart.  On top of being a full time mama, she also a freelancer.  She blogs at Miss Rosemary's Novel Ideas where she reviews popular fiction.  Her work has also appeared on HowtobeaRedhead.com, in Catholic New York and Yankees Magazine, and on NYT Best Selling Author Lauren Willig's website as a guest blogger.  In a previous life she was an editor at Hudson Valley Magazine.  Rosemary is also a contributor for The Postpartum Year Anthology.

In her episode we talk about: 

• Coming down with the stomach flu during the labor of her second child
• Going right into the Prenatal Period again when she got pregnant with her second child
• How fun it is to see how good her two kids are for each other
• Adjusting to our children's schedules instead of doing things for ourselves
• The importance of giving thoughtful mom-centered gifts during postpartum
• How one child instead of few can sometimes actually feel like a break
• And more!

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 44: "This is impossibly hard, and you actually ARE doing a really good job" with Biz Ellis of One Bad Mother

Today I was SO excited to chat with Biz Ellis, one half of the comedy parenting podcast One Bad Mother.  I've mentioned on the show many times how OBM was my "gateway" podcast that really helped me get through my daughter's first year and part of what led me to start this podcast as another way to help and support new moms.  So naturally, I was thrilled when Biz (and Theresa who will be on next week) agreed to come on as guests!  *Apologies for the strange clicking sound my microphone was making for part of the interview!

We talked about so many things in this episode, and I could barely stop laughing through most of it, but here are some highlights. Biz and I talk about:

• How our birth experiences really do matter
• How she went from a 60 hour work week to being a stay-at-home mom
• How our kids are not the same, as much as we would like them to be
• We need doulas for everything!
• We are doing moms a disservice if we don't tell them breastfeeding can often be challenging in the beginning
• If you're bringing a new mom food - put the food close to her! So that she can actually reach it!

You can find One Bad Mother online here, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

You can find One Bad Mother on Facebook here.

You can also find the One Bad Mother private Facebook group - as mentioned in the episode - here.

The one song that would soothe baby Ellis was The Fall of Charleston

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 15: “Community, Not Comparison” with Anne Dimond of Bella Materna Designer Maternity

Today's episode was an incredibly informative and helpful episode! I chat with Anne Dimond who is a co-creator of Bella Materna. Whoever said there was no such thing as a pretty nursing bra never has bought from Bella Materna. Their maternity wear and bras are beautiful and very well made. (I think I need to buy several more of their anytime tanks - they are SO comfy.)  

We chat about so many different things, her experience with pre-term bedrest, MRSA on her breasts, the importance of wearing comfortable clothes during labor and negotiating parenting roles with your partner ahead of time. 

And especially important since it's Anne's expertise, we talk about nursing bras, bra sizing during your pregnancy, postpartum and later breastfeeding periods. Important stuff! 

I learned so much during this episode and I know you will too. Anne has also graciously offered podcast listeners 20% your purchase at Bella Materna now until September 1st with the code PostpartumPodcast.

You can find Bella Materna online here.

You can also find and follow them on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

As always, you can subscribe to the podcast, download the episode on iTunes here. You can 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!

Episode 13: The importance of thinking ahead to postpartum with Heather Ash of Happiness Mama

Today I chat with Heather Ash of the blog Happiness Mama.  Heather is mom to two little girls and step mom to one boy.  In this episode we chat about the importance of remembering to think about postpartum while you are pregnant, postpartum depression and anxiety awareness, and the beauty of lactation consultant home visits. 

Heather was also generous enough to offer podcast listeners her postpartum bliss list - which is 10 conversations to have before (or after) baby comes and her favorite baby and toddler sleep tools and resources. Make sure you go here to get yours! 

You can find Heather at her blog Happiness Mama

And on Twitter here. 

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!

Thanks for listening!