Episode 29: Preparing for Postpartum and Letting Go of Perfectionism with Kirsten Brunner

Today I chat with Kirsten Brunner of Baby Proofed Parents. On top of running this awesome and helpful blog for new parents, Kirsten is an actively practicing licensed professional counselor and mom of two rambunctious boys. In her episode we chat about:

• How she came to create Baby Proofed Parents
• Early breastfeeding troubles
• A huge plug for Brian the Birth Guy who will be another guest on the show this spring
• The importance of taking a "self inventory" of yourself for postpartum BEFORE birth
• Letting go of perfectionism in motherhood
• The importance of taking care of yourself and your relationship with your partner

As was mentioned in the episode, Kirsten also offers skype consultations for those who aren't in Austin, Texas, so feel free to reach out to her!  Enjoy!

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 to www.audibletrial.com/posptartum  

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!

** More info about the Mama Talks happening here in Sacramento can be found here. 

Episode 27: Postpartum Thyroiditis, Health and Healing with Naturopathic Doctor Jolene Brighten

I learned SO much from this episode with Dr. Jolene Brighten.  I definitely want to have her on the show again in the future to talk more about postpartum health. Jolene is a naturopathic doctor, a practicing Holistic Pelvic Care provider, Hashimoto's disease advocate and expert in postpartum thyroiditis. She also the author of the book "Healing Yourself Naturally After Childbirth - The New Mom's Guide to Navigating the Fourth Trimester" which is coming out in hard cover this week!  Jolene has generously offered to giveaway one copy of the book to a listener!  Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We covered SO much in this episode, but here were some highlights:

• Thyroid Health during the Postpartum Period
• Hashimoto's Disease (Postpartum Thyroiditis), which can affect up to 17% of women. We talk about what it is, the symptoms and treatments and how it can affect future fertility.
• Realistic Self Care Practices
• The importance of taking enough time off of work during your postpartum period
• Hilarious thoughts she had towards the end of her home birth labor. 
• How our emotions SHOULD go up and down and we should explore that
• How we need to treat miscarriage with more reverence

Thank you so much for sharing your insights and knowledge, Jolene!!

To learn more about Jolene, you can check out here website here.

Don't forget to purchase her new book that is sure to be an amazing resource for new moms 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 to http://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum  

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

I thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 26: "Healing from Birth Trauma with Hypnotherapy" with Michelle Lockett, Hypnotherapist & Doula

Today I chat with doula, certified hypnotherapist, hypnodoula, and hypnobabies instructor Michelle Lockett. Michelle is also a mom to two and part of our local doula collective Capital City Doulas as well.  Her energy is so calming and supportive, I think you will really enjoy this one!

In the episode we chat about:

• How her healing second birth led her into birth work.
• The dire importance of rallying support after you have a baby.
• Processing our fear surrounding birth and parenthood.
• What a hypnotherapy session looks like
• Having a fund at your baby shower for a postpartum doula or birth doula instead of getting more baby stuff.
• How the whole first year of your baby's life is when you are giving birth to yourself as a mother.

The blog post I mentioned about a moms group for moms who don't want to talk about being moms can be found here.

Locally, I mentioned Midtown Lactation Consultants and you can find them here. 

You can find out more about Michelle's Doula and Hypnotherapy Services and classes 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.

I 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 24: “Being a Careful Observer: Listen More & Talk Less” with Carmen Oates, Doula

Today’s episode is with Carmen Oates.  Carmen is a DONA, Rebozo and Hypnobabies certified birth doula and mom to 3 living children and one angel baby. When Carmen was featured in this issue of Kidaround Magazine I knew I wanted to share her story with you all.  

Carmen tells the story of how she lost her first baby during labor.  Her first child had a chromosome disorder – trisomy 18.  Her perspective of this experience is so heartbreaking and beautiful and she gives some great advice about how to deal with pregnancy and infant loss and to support someone who may be going through it.  A great local organization she mentioned for support is Sharing Parents. 

We also talked about:

·      The transition of meeting the needs of two little ones when the second baby came around, including tandem nursing.

·      The benefits of having a large age gap between her two oldest and her youngest baby

·      Trusting yourself when it comes to parenting, birth and everything in between

·      The Nicaraguan tradition of “Cuarentena” or 40 days rest after a new baby is born.

·      How “shoulds” are evil.

·      How to manage our lives less and really live them more.

·      The importance of listening to all new moms, including those who have had losses.

You can find out more about Carmen at her website here. 

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

You can also stream this episode directly here. 

The Postpartum Year Anthology deadline is approaching, get your story in here!

And a very Happy Thanksgiving to my listeners in the United States!

Episode 21: "It's Gonna Be Fine" with Author, Nurse, and Maternal Healthcare Advocate Jeanne Faulkner

I am so excited to share this episode with you all!  When I heard Jeanne Faulkner speak on One Bad Mother a few months ago, I knew right away that I wanted to have her on the show.  Jeanne is a writer, registered nurse and strong maternal health care improvement advocate.  She works with the Every Mother Counts non-profit which is dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for all mothers around the world.  She is also the author of the book Common Sense Pregnancy: Navigating a Healthy Birth for Mother and Baby which came out earlier this year. 

In this episode we talk about how Jeanne came to change paths from a career as a labor and delivery nurse to that of a writer. We also talk about how her "Ask the Labor Nurse" column for Fit Pregnancy led to her writing her Common Sense Pregnancy book.  

We talk about her very differing birth and postpartum stories with each of her children.  She's given birth with all kinds of practitioners and both in and out of hospitals.  She talks about pregnancy, birth and postpartum during nursing school, and as she took the nursing boards, and even during cancer treatments after her 4th child. 

I loved being able to share Jeanne's knowledge and expertise with you all. We talked about the state of maternal healthcare today and about how she hopes we are going into seeing a shift in the way things happen, and how we as women and moms, as well as practitioners can help make this happen.  

I really think it's good for us to hear moms who have been there already, perhaps have grown kids,  and are able to tell us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel getting through these hard early years of raising kids.  Thank you so much again, Jeanne for coming on and sharing with us!

You can find Jeanne's book here.

You can find her website here. 

Here is more about the  Every Mother Counts nonprofit.

As always, you can find the podcast on iTunes or stream it directly here.

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Have you reviewed us on iTunes?  You still have time to enter this giveaway by leaving us a review. 

Don't forget to get your submissions in for The Postpartum Year anthology! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you!