Episode 37: "Accepting Changing Priorities, Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness" with Sara Haley

Today I chat with LA-based fitness expert Sara Haley! pre/postnatal exercise specialist, and mom of two boys. Her best-selling fitness programs are for moms: the award-winning prenatal workout DVD, Expecting MORE and follow-up Expecting MORE: The 4th Trimester Workout, for after baby and beyond. She also has a highly acclaimed excuse-proof workout program, Sweat UNLIMITED which offers quick workout solutions for busy people. With over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry and 7 years as a Reebok Master Trainer, Sara has a passion for giving women tools to stay fit, healthy and happy before, during and after pregnancy in the safest and most effective ways possible.

In this episode we talk about:

• Her postpartum stories and how she fell into working in the prenatal and postpartum fitness realm
• What diastasis recti is
• Her advice for fitness when it comes to pregnancy and postpartum: Listen to Your Body!
• The importance of getting into good physical shape pre-pregnancy if you can
• Check out two of her youtube videos that were mentioned: 3 Things to Know Before Baby and Top 5 Biggest Postpartum Exercise Mistakes
• The importance of accepting our changing priorities as new moms.

Sara has also generously offered 30% off her DVDs with the code PP30! You can learn more about Sara by visiting her website.

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 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. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 36: The Power of Podcast and Social Media and New Motherhood with Bryn Huntpalmer of The Birth Hour Podcast

Today I am excited to welcome blogger and fellow podcaster Bryn Huntpalmer.  She is mom to two kiddos, blogs at With Her Own Wings, is a senior content manager for Modernize.com AND is the creator and host of the Birth Hour Podcast. I enjoyed sharing my daughter’s birth story on her podcast at the end of 2015.  In her episode we talk about:

·      Her first postpartum year while her and her husband were in grad and law school

·      Interviewing for a job at 3 weeks postpartum

·      How the strength from her birth allowed her to have a kickass interview

·      Breastfeeding challenges

·      How she got started with the Birth Hour Podcast

·      Hormones!

·      Reaching out to your friends who are new moms, even if they aren’t close friends

·      #TakeBackPostpartum, #VariationsofNormal, #StopCensoringMotherhood on Instagram

You can learn more about her podcast at The Birth Hour.  To hear the episodes where she talks about her kids/ birth stories, go here and here.   If you want to hear me talk about my daughter's birth story on her show, go here. 

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 35: “Lessons of Labor, how birth translates into life lessons.” With Julia Aziz

Today I got to chat with Julia Aziz. Julia is the mother of three children and author of Lessons of Labor: One Woman's Self-Discovery Through Birth and Motherhood. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a hospice spiritual counselor, Julia leads private classes and silent retreats exploring the bigger questions of self and purpose. Before having children, Julia worked as a counselor for youth, adults, couples, and families. She has facilitated a personal growth group for teens, silent retreats for midwives and doulas, and a mindfulness group for new mothers. 

I so enjoyed chatting with her in depth about her birth and postpartum stories!

Just a few of the things we chat about: 
-    How birth is a metaphor for what we need to learn as parents
-    Her vivid descriptions of her kids’ birth stories
-    How a 30 day challenge ted talk inspired her to start her book
-    How she learned to let go of control when it comes to parenting, and how labor taught her that. 
-    Looking for the spaces in between the pain – in labor and in life
-    The best advice is to not take any advice too seriously
-    Love is expansive, not exclusive

Here is some praise from the one and only Penny Simkin about Julia’s Book:

“From her own unique and varied childbearing experiences, Julia Aziz learned much beyond what labor and birth can be like; she guides us through her musings on the lessons gained from her labors–about life as a woman, life partner, mother, and human being. This engaging book, told in her personable style and warm voice, relates how she was transformed, and her pithy wisdom helps us see how we also may be transformed by life’s unpredictable adventures.”
–Penny Simkin, author of The Birth Partner, co-founder of DONA International

Be sure to check it out here AND enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway to be entered to win a copy of her book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 34: “Touch is our first sense developed and the last sense to leave us” – Infant Massage and Watsu® Massage with Jillian Van Ness

Today is a special episode where I talk with Jillian Van Ness who is a certified Infant Massage Practitioner and Watsu® Massage Practitioner.  I am so excited to share these two lesser known modalities with you all today!

Working on a pregnant client in the Loving Aquatic Pool

In the episode we talk about:

·      The benefits of infant massage for both babies and their caregivers

·      What an infant massage class looks like

·      The absolute importance of touch in our lives

·      How she got into infant massage

·      What is Watsu Massage?

·      What a Watsu Massage session looks like

·      How Watsu can be particularly helpful for pregnant women

·      Her dream to build an aquatic center here in Sacramento

To learn more about Jillian please visit her website.  

Free Swim Lessons at Swim America in Davis, CA

To find an infant massage practitioner in your area go here.

To find a Watsu® Massage practitioner in your area go here.

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 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. 

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 32: “Trust in yourself and find YOUR tribe with Nathalie Saenz of Dearest Doula

Today I’m really excited to chat with Nathalie Saenz of the Dearest Doula Podcast.   Nathalie is a Birth Doula and mom of one with another on the way.  I had the pleasure of being on her Dearest Doula podcast last year, twice! – you can listen to those episodes here. In this episode we talk about:

·      How she healed from her C-section from her first birth

·      And found her passion in birth work after seeing a play about birth and The Business of Being Born

·      How she is planning for a VBAC homebirth with her second child

·      Undergoing a mastotomy from mastitis during her first breastfeeding experience

·      The importance of not projecting our own expectations on new mom friends, supporting the fact that being a new mom is hard.

To find out more about Nathalie and find her podcast, visit her website here.

She also mentioned the Birth Without Fear Blog.

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

***

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

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

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

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

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 31: "Is your placenta in your birth plan?" with Tamara Morales of Placentamom.com

Today I chat with Tamara Morales of Placentamom.com. Tamara is a mom of 2 "middles" and a placenta encapsulator in the Sacramento area.  She started her placenta business 7 years ago and is also the one who encapsulated my placenta with my daughter's birth. I so enjoyed chatting with her about her postpartum experiences and about the benefits of placenta encapsulation. 

In her episode, we talk about:

• Postpartum Depression and how placenta capsules can help
• How postpartum depression manifested for her with her first, and how much better it was with her second baby and the lifestyle changes her family made when prepping for the second baby
• H.A.L.T. - the idea that you shouldn't ever let yourself get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired
• The importance of asking moms if you can do something specific to help after the baby is born rather than asking a blanket question about what they need
• Importance of embracing all of the moments, even the bad ones and sharing with other moms that it IS hard in these early days. 

Tamara also generously offered to help anyone looking for a placenta encapsulator in other parts of the country to contact her and she will help find you one!

You can learn more about her services here.

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 30: "It's never going to turn out the way you expect it to" with Tiffany Han of the Raise Your Hand Say Yes Podcast

I love love love Tiffany's Podcast, Raise Your Hand Say Yes and I was thrilled that she agreed to come on the podcast.  In addition to the podcast, Tiffany is a branding coach for the highly creative woman and general kick-ass woman, lives in the bay area of California with her husband and is mom to twin girls.  She is one of the most inspiring and creative women I know online and I know you will all draw inspiration from her story, her humor and her ability to let go of some difficult experiences during her postpartum year.  

In this episode we chat about:

• How her mom went to multiple psychics that predicted that she would have twins
• Managing motherhood as a work-at-home mom
• Using humor to cope with the chaos of postpartum, especially with twins
• Starting her podcast when the girls were only 4 months old
• Showing her girls that it's great to be ambitious, particularly as a woman
• Staying flexible and open to all experiences in birth, postpartum and parenthood
• Processing her traumatic birth, "forgiving" her body and being grateful for two big healthy babies. Over 7lbs each for Twins! 
• Letting ourselves off the hook when things don't go as planned
• And SO much more.  

Books Mentioned:

• Baby 411
• Baby Bargains
• Bringing up Bebe
• French Kids Eat Everything

This is a great one, guys, enjoy!

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 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. 

Thank you SO much for your support!

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.

***

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. 

Mini Episode: Wink Fertility Thermometer Giveaway!

Today the podcast has teamed up with Appleseed Fertility to giveaway TWO Wink Thermometers!

About Wink:

"Whether you want to get pregnant faster, avoid pregnancy naturally and effectively, or better understand your cycles, Wink is here to help. Wink will accurately record your BBT up to 4x faster and sync automatically with the Kindara app. Better data means you can take better ownership of your reproductive health and achieve your fertility goal with more ease"

It also includes NO beeping!  

Wink is currently in the preorder stage of development.  If you don't win the giveaway, you can also get $10 off your pre-order price by clicking

How do I win?

You must be following Postpartum Podcast and Appleseed Fertility on both Facebook and Instagram. You can get extra entries for becoming a Patron on Patreon and subscribing to the blog.  See the rafflecopter app below for details.  Giveaway ends February 1st! 

Listen to the mini episode 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 28: "This Won't Last Forever" and Fertility Awareness with Danielle Stratford of Appleseed Fertility

I first learned about Danielle when Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein were running their Kickstarter to make the documentary "Sweetening the Pill" about hormonal birth control.  Danielle is a major fertility awareness advocate, the creator of Appleseed Fertility and a new mom!

In this episode we chat about:

• Fertility Awareness Method (of course!) and knowing all of your choices when it comes to birth control
• Her Birth Center Birth Turned Hospital Birth
• Restructuring our ideas of what productivity looks like with a small baby
• How important it is to ask a new mom what THEY need or want in postpartum. 
• The return to fertility while breastfeeding
• The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding

To learn more about Danielle and Appleseed Fertility visit her website here. 

To learn more about the Sweetening the Pill Documentary, go here.

To see the HelloFlo video check it out, here. 

You can find today's episode wherever you get your podcasts and you can also 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 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!

Mini Episode: Book Reminder, Support the Show & New Feature Next Year

Hi all - today's episode is a short quick reminder episode:

First - the deadline for the postpartum year anthology is quick approaching!  Please get your stories in by December 1st.  More information and guidelines here. 

Second - don't forget you can support the show by shopping with us on Amazon. Just bookmark the link and do your shopping as usual.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate this!

Finally - in 2016 I will be introducing mini episodes called "Ask the Childbirth Educator"  so please send any and all questions you have about pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum to postpartumpodcast@gmail.com.

Here is the link for today's short episode and thank you ALL for listening! 

Episode 23: From Lawyer to SAHM - how choosing our path in birth & work can help us feel like "real" adults with Monica Denniston

Today is a very special episode, I talk with one of my best mama friends, Monica Denniston.  Monica and I met when our daughters were just 5 and 8 weeks old in a mommy baby yoga class.  Our girls are nearly two now and have literally ‘grown up’ together.  Monica is due with baby number 2, a boy, in January.  We’ve been talking about having her on the podcast since I began recording them, and I’m so glad to be able to share her story.

In this episode we talk about:

• Monica’s unique vaginal breech birth story. Monica delivered at the same hospital I did here locally. If you check out the Mama Sherpas documentary, Sutter Davis is featured and includes her OB delivering another vaginal breech birth.  (Shout out Annette Fineberg!)
• How Monica made the decision to go from being a corporate lawyer to staying at home with her daughter and the ever-present pressure society puts on women to stay in the workforce.
• How to deal with “helpful” advice from friends, family and even strangers
• The importance of mom friends, hiring a doula and reaching out to a lactation consultant.
• How being able to make the choice to stay at home was the first time she really felt like a “real” adult because she was doing something for herself and not just because society said she “should.”

I know you will love this episode and our conversation! Love you, M.

You can find Monica’s blog “Cest’ Law Vie” here.

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

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Don’t forget! You still have a couple weeks to submit your stories for The Postpartum Year anthology.  More information at www.kelliejoy.com/book

Thank you again for listening, supporting the show, and supporting moms!

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 20: Breech Caesarean to 10lb Home Birth VBAC with Samantha Broyles

Today I was SO inspired by Samantha Broyles Birth and Postpartum stories.  Samantha is the blogger behind All About Baby's World and a mom of two girls.  In her episode, we talk about how she went from having a breech caesarean in the hospital to delivering her second daughter as a VBAC at home and what went into making that happen. We discuss the challenges of tandem nursing and how she's making that work with her 2 1/2 year old and 3 month old. I love what she said about breastfeeding being natural but not always easy.  This is so true and a reason to always ask for help. Seeing a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader can make all the difference.  Samantha's strength in truly advocating for herself and her maternal healthcare is inspiring. 

You can find out more about her blog and the types of baby products she reviews, check out All About Baby's World.

You can also find her on Facebook & Twitter

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. Plus, if you do so between now and November 1st, you'll be entered the win this New Mama Care Package.

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

Mini Episode: Fall Rating & Review Drive and Giveaway!

Today on the show, some exciting news! 

Between now – (the first day of Fall!) and November 1st, I am holding an iTunes Rating & Review Drive & giveaway! 

To enter, simply leave a rating/review on iTunes for the show.  On November 1st I will pick one reviewer at random and send them a new mama fall favorite things care package!

If chosen, your package will include:

·      My favorite adult coloring book & colored pencils (For relaxing during naptime)

·      “Be Brave” Gadanke journal (To record your new mama thoughts)

·      Sweater Weather Bath & Body Works Candle (The best fall sent!)

·     Sunlight & Apple Trees Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer (because come on... diapers!)

·      Thank You Cards (because you ALWAYS need more)

·      Relaxing essential oil roller (Also for nap time relaxing :) )

·      My favorite French milled soap from a local boutique (sometimes showers are our only alone time, am I right?)

·      And more!

Thank you again for your continued support and for helping more moms find the show through your ratings and reviews!

You can listen to today's mini episode about the giveaway here.