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

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

In her episode, we chat about:

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 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 65: "Temper Your Expectations and Voice Your Needs" with Jolie Ankrom of Brim Papery

I so enjoyed chatting with Jolie Ankrom, aka @becomingjolie, on today's episode! Jolie is a small business owner of Brim Papery, an online stationery shop that specializes in hand lettered products. She works out of home in Columbus Ohio with her husband and two children. When she's not working, she loves to go out on walks, cook, and thrift. You can follow along with her life on Instagram at @becomingjolie where she discusses food, feminism, family, and feelings. Lots of feelings.

In her episode we talk about: 

• Her transition from teaching to owning a small business
• Struggling with the decision to put her second child in daycare sooner than her first 
• Expectations when it comes to birth  - there's no one right way!
• Both of her birth stories & her experience with prodromal labor
• The importance of voicing your needs after having a baby
• The importance of communication with your partner as parenting continues to evolve
• How babies force you to slow down
• The season you are in now is now the same as the one you are coming out of or going into - SO true!
• And 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. 

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

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

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

In her episode we chat about:

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

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

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

In her episode we talk about:

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 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 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!

Episode 46: "You aren't going to be a perfect mother, but you are going to be THEIR perfect mother" with Colleen Lutz Clemens

Pregnancy Photo taken By Colleen's friend as mentioned in episode

Today it was so great to talk with Colleen Lutz Clemens. Colleen is the editor of several books of non-fiction including Philadelphia Reflections: Stories from the Delaware to the Schuylkill and has published short essays in various collections including Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists.  Her work on miscarriage and infertility has been published in many outlets including here at TRIVIA and in the collection Three Minus One. On the web, she is a staff writer for bitchflicks where she writes about issues of gender in popular films.  She has published pieces on Scary Mommy, Literary Mama, and feministing. She is also a contributor for The Postpartum Year.

In her episode we talk about:

• Having a baby while in a tenure track position at a university
• The hard part of being half in the work world and half in the SAHM world
• Why you should take photos while you're pregnant
• Managing the identity shift, especially having kids after being established in your career
• Bring food you can eat with one hand!
• Don't go on the internet!
• We know our babies better than anyone else.

Be sure to check out Colleen's other writing as linked above as well as her blog, here.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

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

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

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

Learn more about Music Therapy for Childbirth and Kate here. 

The article I mentioned about Empathy Burn Out.

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 25: "You Know Your Baby Better Than Anyone Else" with Me, Kellie Edson, interviewed by Kelsey Wharton

Today is a special episode where I invited Kelsey Wharton from episode 4 back to both give us an update on her life with two children and to have her interview ME.  

Kelsey with her second born, Cedric.

I wanted to turn the tables and be able to share my own birth and postpartum stories with my listeners  without having me just talk at you. And Kelsey's podcast, The Girl Next Door Podcast with her neighbor Erica is one of my favorites and her and I really connected so I thought she would be a wonderful person to have on to interview me!

Me and Clare - She isn't much of a baby anymore at almost 2 years old!

In this episode we talk about:

• Kelsey's advice & experience on life with two kiddos
• About my daughter Clare's birth story (which you can also read here) & both Kelsey and I's coping methods for labor
• My ICEA certification and how I decided to enter birth work
• Nipple Shields & Tailbone Pain
• Accepting the changes in our bodies Postpartum
• Focusing on non-comparison, and doing what's right for our babies and families
• And so much more.

Thank you SO much Kelsey for coming on and taking over the show for an episode!  :) 

Check out Kelsey's Blog, Rising Shining.

Also the Girls Next Door Podcast and her other podcast with her husband, Matrimoney where they discuss marriage and money. You won't be disappointed!

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. 

You can also stream this episode directly here. 

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An update on The Postpartum Year Anthology: Thank you all SO much for your submissions! I have received over 50. Yay!  Due to the insanity of the holidays, I will likely not get into reading through them until the new year. (An email will go out to those who submitted shortly, so hang tight.)

And again - THANK YOU!

Episode 18: The Importance of Owning and Sharing our Stories with Katie Clemons of Gadanke

Today I got to interview Katie Clemons, creator of Gadanke and blogger at Making This Home. In this episode we talked about how Katie was inspired by her 90-year-old grandma and Story Corps to start her journaling and writing prompt business Gadanke.  She has a fantastic pregnancy journaling course and she explains how that came to be. 

We also talk about how even though storytelling is her business, she struggled with sharing her own positive birth story for fear of what others with difficult births would think.  She shares her experience of giving birth around the same time that she lost both of her grandmothers and how that affected postpartum for her, and finally how it was to give a TedX talk at 7 months pregnant.

Katie is such a wonderful soul, I am sure you will be encouraged by her stories!

You can find Katie’s TedX Talk here.  

You can learn more about Katie's journal company Gadanke here. 

Be sure to check out her pregnancy journaling course, also!

You can find Katie's blog Making This Home here.

You can find here on Twitter and Instagram.

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! It only takes a couple minutes and it really helps out the show.

Ready to share YOUR story? The Postpartum Year: Tales From the Trenches in the First Year of Motherhood anthology is accepting submissions now!