The Dr. Nurture Podcast

SHOW NOTES Episode Summary: In this episode of The Dr. Nurture Podcast , we cover effective physical therapy techniques that can help relieve colic in newborns. Colic is a common, challenging condition, but with the right approaches, you can create comfort for your baby and reduce colic crying. Discover how to soothe a colicky infant using evidence-based strategies like tummy time, infant massage,...

Episode Summary:  In this episode we dive deep into self-care routines that genuinely transform your health and well-being. Self-care goes beyond the quick fixes and spa days – it’s about building routines that make a long-term impact. Today, I’m sharing a physical therapist’s perspective on three key self-care strategies that will make you feel more connected, balanced, and resilient: Pelvic Floo...

Let’s explore one of the most transformative moments after birth: The Golden Hour . This precious period, the first 60 minutes after birth, is vital for bonding, breastfeeding, and the emotional well-being of both mother and baby. Join us as we break down the science and emotions behind skin-to-skin contact, how it helps regulate baby’s heart rate, temperature, and breathing, and why it plays such...

Unsure if your baby’s developmental progress is typical? Learn about the top factors influencing motor milestones, including environment, personality, muscle tone, and reflex integration. Get expert insights to decide if therapy might be needed and what to consider for your baby’s growth. Empower yourself with knowledge and make confident choices for your little one’s well-being. For more resource...

Does your child STRUGGLE when it comes to tummy time? Maybe you’re an expecting mama and have heard how this struggle can be so real and want to start off on the right foot. And therapists, if you have those kids who just have no tolerance for prone play—tummy time help is here!   Why is tummy time important? Learn the foundations of tummy time—the science behind why it’s so hyped and most importa...

This episode explores the different styles of attachment and how we can be mindful of the ways that we influence how our children relate to us as they grow and develop. We talk about the four major types of attachment which are anxious, avoidant, disorganized, secure. Join us as we explore an overview of each. Also, we touch on attachment repair, or the ways that we can learn to be conscious of ou...

This episode dives into 3 simple objects that you probably already have in your home and how they can be leveraged as tools for supporting the development of motor skills. We talk about how couch cushions can be used to milestones such as transitions in/out of sitting, crawling, weight bearing through arms, knees, or feet, and more! Water bottles can also be used as means of developing fine motor...

In this episode we explore things that we can do in the early days postpartum to best set ourselves up for a successful breastfeeding journey. Part of this is making sure you get a solid milk supply, most of which is driven by supply and demand. I talk about crucial strategies to help make this happen, including initiating breastfeeding within an hour postpartum, protecting your golden hour, skin...

We all know that reading books to our kids is one of the best things we can do to help them in their literacy and language development. But what else can we do as parents in our everyday routines to set our little ones up for the greatest chance of success when it comes to speech outcomes? This episode explores the impact that we can have as parents on these skills, and how simple, conversational...

This week's episode is Macy's personal account of working through postpartum depression. She shares what life was like at the time with three kids: having another child with special needs, her husband's job demands, being distanced from lots of their support system, and the insanity that life brought in this season. Macy also goes into the symptoms that clued her in to something being...

This episode explores ways to tangibly help moms going through transitions into motherhood, whether that's in the early postpartum phase or beyond. As friends and family of new moms in our circles, we can sometimes have a hard time knowing how to step in and help in ways that are truly helpful, without feeling like we are invading boundaries. Open lines of communication and helping to hash out cle...

In this episode we continue our conversation from last week and talk about postpartum depression through a functional medicine lens. While medication and other highly medicalized treatments can be beneficial, they are definitely not the only means of making a big impact on depression. Through lifestyle factors such as nutrition, social health, movement, and sleep, we can make a huge impact on ment...

This episode explores the realities of postpartum depression and anxiety (PPD & PPA) and what you might be experiencing if you are suffering from this condition. From environmental factors to biochemistry, there can be a host of causes that may contribute to the symptoms that accompany PPD: insomnia/hypersomnia, flat affect and loss of ability and desire to connect with others, intrusive thoug...

As a little one transitions from toddlerhood to this 3-5 year old age range, there are some important play skills that they ideally will develop during this time as a way that they can exercise the parts of their brain that get them more ready for the school setting. The key thing with school and readiness for starting school has very little to do with learning numbers and letters and far more wit...

Toddlerhood is an intimidating phase of development for so many parents. What we usually think of when we hear the word "toddler" is tantrums and meltdowns galore. This can be so frustrating as parents and can honestly really get our blood boiling when our child is being beyond unreasonable and has seemed to have checked out completely. But as we talk about today, simply managing our exp...

This episode dives into Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory as it relates to early childhood development. This theory outlines the concept of safety in infancy/toddlerhood as being the foundation for healthy social development. As discussed in this episode, looking at the nervous system through this social lens enhances our ability and need as human beings to connect with others in order to achieve o...

This episode explores emotional regulation and coregulation, the effect of parent stress on an infant’s physiology, the qualities of warmth and responsiveness and their role in development, and how parents are the experts and change-makers when it comes to providing the supports that a child needs in order to grow and flourish. We talk about developmental windows in the growing nervous system, rec...

Dr. Bassler (pediatric physical therapist/certified breastfeeding specialist) and Dr. Archey (licensed clinical social worker and mental health professional) discuss all things child development. We empower parents and professionals to nurture life by diving into strategies to optimize development within the context of home (motor, language/breastfeeding, social/attachment, sensory, sleep, and mor...