Episode 80: Babies with Food Intolerances and Allergies with Michelle Beckner

Today it was so fun talking to Michelle Beckner! Michelle is a mom of two who is passionate about real food and educating new and expecting moms on how to stay happy and healthy so that they can raise happy and healthy babies. She was working as a chemical engineer and pregnant with my second child when she decided to go back to school to become a certified nutrition coach in 2016. Since then, she's taught courses on starting solids and how to be a Calm Mom. Now, she mainly work with breastfeeding moms with babies who have food allergies and intolerances. She has breastfed both of my babies through food allergies. With everything she's learned, she's made it her mission to educate new and expecting moms of the signs of allergies as well as educate and support moms who need to eliminate dairy and other foods from their diet.

In her episode we chat about:

• Birthing a business and a baby all in the same year!
• Balancing a business, another part time job and a move all in the postpartum year
• Her experience with food allergies and intolerances with her own children
• The complications of so many different opinions on how to manage allergies with babies
• How she can help breastfeeding moms with with allergies
• Her experience switching to midwifery care mid-pregnancy
• The importance of educating ourselves about our birthing options and care providers
• The challenges of having the second child and the work multiplying
• Disposable plates and utensils for your friends who are newly postpartum!

You can find Michelle on Facebook @mlbfamilywellness or on her website here. If you are a dairy free mama then check out her Facebook group Dairy Free Breastfeeding: Surviving & Thriving! 

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!

You can find Michelle on Facebook @mlbfamilywellness. If you are a dairy free mama then check out her Facebook group Dairy Free Breastfeeding: Surviving & Thriving!

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 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 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 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 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 55: "There Should Be Gold Stars in Parenting" with Karen Johnson

Today I enjoyed chatting with Karen Johnson about her birth and postpartum stories.  Karen is a work-at-home mom freelancer. She blogs at The 21st Century SAHM. She has also been featured on some larger sites such as Scary Mommy & Huffington Post, and is a contributing writer in two other anthologies: Lose the Cape: Never Will I Ever (and then I had kids!) and What Does It Mean to be White in America? as well as The Postpartum Year.

In her episode we talk about: 

• The switch she felt when she decided to leave teaching to be a stay-at-home mom after her first baby was 9 months old. 
• Figuring out how Stay-at-Home moms make friends
• Transitioning to being a Work-at-Home Mom as a writer
• The importance of remembering our partner's struggles too
• The pride of making it happen every single day
• The struggle of a lack of praise and evaluation for being a mom
• The importance of finding something that is just for you outside of motherhood

Check out Karen's blog! And don't forget to use Meetup.com to find your own village. 

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 52: “Just Because it’s hard, doesn’t mean you are doing it wrong”: Working Motherhood with Kelsey Wharton and Sarah Bagley

Kelsey and her boys, Cedric and Dashiell

Today was such a fun episode. Kelsey and Sarah are two of my most favorite ‘internet friends.’ We are such kindred spirits, and I always find myself turning to them for Working Mama Advice so I wanted to have an episode solely dedicated to talking about being a working mom during postpartum and beyond. 

A little bit more about Sarah: Sarah is a wife, mother of three, and writer, blogger at sarahrosemary.com, and podcaster living outside DC. She also teaches group exercise classes and provides social media, marketing, web design, and communications work.

A little bit more about Kelsey: Kelsey is a writer, podcaster and full time working mom. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her husband and two young boys. She works full time as a science writer for Arizona State University and pursues other creative projects outside of work including two podcasts (The Girl Next Door Podcast and Matrimoney) and writing her personal blog at risingshining.com

In the episode we talk about:

·      How Sarah has made part-time working work for her family

·      How Kelsey decided to stay in the work force full time when she had her kids because she had just started an awesome new job that she loved

·      How our parental leave policies are ridiculously short

·      Part of making creative work possible is prioritizing and what we “don’t do”

·      Ways to fit in Self Care – (Hint, we are all 3 early birds)

·      The danger of comparison or “grass is always greener” in the social media age

·      That we need to talk more about the positives of working motherhood, not just the downsides

·      How being a mother makes you an asset in the workforce

·      The importance of remembering Nothing is Permanent

Don't forget to check out their podcasts! 

Matrimoney

Girl Next Door Podcast

Sarah R Bagley Podcast

25% Friends Podcast

Also, check out the two articles Kelsey sent me about working motherhood here and here.

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!

Sarah and her kids, Kate, Michael and Thomas

Episode 49: An Unplanned Caesarean and Parenting a Child with Hearing Loss with Tina Donvito

Today I so enjoyed chatting with Tina Donvito. Her tenacity and heart is contagious.  Professionally she is a freelance writer and is also mom to a two-year-old son. She has written about pregnancy and parenting online for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping and Scary Mommy, just to name a few. Her work was also recently published in the anthology Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by the Bestselling Memoir. She also has a parenting blog, Foggy Mommy and is a contributor for The Postpartum Year Anthology.  

In Tina's episode we talk about:

• The challenge of parenting a child with hearing loss - see her NYTimes article here.
• How she got laid off from work during maternity leave
• Her struggle with the reality of facing a necessary Caesarean Birth
• How we need to stop saying "all that matters is a healthy baby"
• Her son's 4 day NICU stay
• Breastfeeding challenges and unsupportive providers
• Nursing with a dairy allergy
• The importance of finding a network or support group of other moms
• Why we have to sometimes shop around for pediatricians
• And more!

You can check out the NY Times Article Tina wrote about parenting a child with hearing loss here.

Don't forget to also check out her blog!

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 48: "The Postpartum Body and The Difficulty of Not Knowing" with Jenna Hollenstein

Jenna is so lovely. I loved getting to chat with her about meditation and motherhood and so many other things!  Jenna is the founder and nutrition therapist at the private practice Eat to Love where she works with people with disordered eating. She also leads a weekly meditation group for moms called the Open Heart Project Mommy Sangha. She lives with her partner Andrea and their one year old son Domenico Peter, aka Mimmo, in New York City.

In her episode we talk about:

• The struggle of being a full time mom and entrepreneur
• The beauty of having grandparents to help out with childrearing
• The importance of vulnerability to give others permission to be vulnerable
• The way time changes when you become a parent
• Her work leading the Open Heart Project Mommy Sangha
• Changes in partner relationships when a baby enters the picture
• The difficulty of not knowing
• And more!

Don't forget to check out Jenna's website and meditation group. 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!