Birth With Power

We talk a lot on the podcast about preparing for your birth, and usually that revolves around preparing mentally. We're diving into another aspect of birth preparation today though, and we're focusing on how you can prepare both physically and mentally for your birth and for the postpartum healing process. Brooke Cates is the founder of the Bloom Method, which empowers expecting and postna...

I get a lot of questions about gestational diabetes (also known as gestational diabetes mellitus or GDM). I think it scares a lot of women to know that their blood sugar could affect their pregnancy, baby, and delivery, so I wanted to share everything I know about GDM in today’s episode.  We’re talking about what exactly gestational diabetes is, how common it is, how it's diagnosed, and how it...

We have an exciting episode today: this is the first time I've ever had a guest on the podcast who is currently pregnant! I thought it would be wonderful to have someone on who is on the same journey as a lot of my listeners, so today we have the honor of hosting Amber Manning. Amber is an Occupational Therapist based in Dallas, Texas. She and her husband recently got married and are expecting...

Today's topic is an incredibly important one: obstetric violence. I know it sounds a bit heavy, but it's something that all of us - expecting families, doctors, midwives, doulas, and people in society - should know more about.  I'm excited to be joined on this episode by Cristen Pascucci, an incredibly dedicated advocate and activist for human rights during childbirth. She has a number...

A lot of soon-to-be moms aren't sure what vaccinations they should (or shouldn't) get during pregnancy, if any. I know there are a lot of questions and misconceptions about immunization generally, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to do a deep dive into vaccines and pregnancy. There is a key difference between inactive and live vaccines, and the live kind are never recommended...

We're back with another birth story for you today! This is an extra special one because this is the first time I'm having someone on who used my Birth Preparation Course as part of their childbirth education.  Miranda is an emergency veterinarian and self-described data-driven person. She learned as much as she could before giving birth to her daughter, who was only 11 weeks old when we di...

So many parents prepare a lot for their pregnancy and birth, but don't think much about how they are going to handle the postpartum transition period. Health professionals are guilty of this, too. We don't do enough to prepare parents for all the changes they are going to experience after their baby arrives: mentally, emotionally, physically, and in their relationships. Here to talk with u...

Happy New Year everyone, and thank you so much for sticking with me through 50 episodes! It's been such a rewarding journey, and I love being of service to you all.  I thought I would kick off this year with ten pieces of advice that I hope will help you in pregnancy, birth, and life beyond. I want to share ten of the things I think are most important for not only having a healthy and happy pr...

I think it's really important for women to share their birth stories with one another. It gives us not only a chance to learn from other people's experiences, but the opportunity to connect over a life-changing, sometimes scary event.  I've been looking back on the past year of the podcast, and I think the birth stories have been one of the most wonderful aspects of the show. December...

Dr. Sarina Pasricha is an adult gastroenterologist and an expert on our human gut microbiome. This is still an emerging area of study, and we learn more about our gut microbiomes all the time. There is some especially interesting research on the microbiomes of pregnant women, and that's what we focus on in this episode. Dr. Pasricha and I start off talking about what exactly the gut microbiome...

There's a lot of confusion out there around genetic testing during pregnancy. Who should get tested? When? Is it a cause for concern, or a harmless preventative measure? I wanted to clear up any confusion or misconceptions about genetic testing in today's episode of the podcast, so I invited Dr. Keisha Reddick back on the show to help me do so. Dr. Reddick is a Maternal Fetal Medicine doct...

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are a common part of life, though many of us are afraid or ashamed to talk about them. In reality, 50% of adults will have an STI at some point in our lives. This includes pregnant women, and there shouldn't be any stigma associated with having an STI. Having or contracting an STI during pregnancy happens to many people and it's important to know how...

I'm so excited to have today's guest on the show to talk about a topic I know many of my listeners are really interested in: fertility. Whether you're actively trying for a baby or are only just starting to consider getting pregnant, it's good to know what to expect with your fertility and when to seek help. To talk all about fertility today we're joined by the amazing Dr. Cind...

I'm spending time with family this week for Thanksgiving, so this week's episode is a rebroadcast of one of my favorite episodes. Enjoy! Do you know what a doula is, what they do, and how they can help you during your pregnancy & labor? There are a lot of misconceptions out there about doulas, so I thought it would be helpful to chat to a doula and get an inside look at their work and...

Have you ever felt confused about prenatal testing and why your doctor is running so many tests on you during your pregnancy? I realized that a lot of OBGYNs don't do a great job of explaining all of the tests we do during pregnancy, so I thought I'd walk you through the recommended ones. Thank you to Julie, who suggested this topic in the All About Pregnancy & Birth Facebook Group ! Y...

Lynn Turcotte-Schuh was a marine mammal trainer before she gave birth to her daughter, which inspired her to become a Certified Childbirth Educator, Toddler Trainer, and coach of other moms through her practice Happy Mama Wellness. Lynn originally wanted to have a home birth, but after discussing it with her wife, they decided that giving birth in the hospital while creating a relaxing, supportive...

Pregnancy can be a notoriously uncomfortable time for expecting mothers. While some pain throughout pregnancy is common – and many obstetricians will tell moms that they need to just hang in there – you don’t have to accept pain as “normal”. On this episode of the podcast, we’re joined by prenatal chiropractor and doula Dr. Elliot Berlin to talk about how chiropractic and massage therapy can help...

I wasn’t originally planning to do an episode about the flu and pregnancy, but I saw an article recently that claimed only 50% of pregnant women get a flu shot. So, I thought I should talk about what all expecting parents need to know about the flu and why it’s so important to protect your baby (and yourself!) from the flu. The flu is never fun, but it can be especially tough on pregnant mothers a...

For this 3rd part series related to weight during pregnancy, I’m going to talk about nutrition during pregnancy. You’re going to learn practical information and advice on how you can best optimize your health during pregnancy with proper nutrition. In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: Nutrition during pregnancy What foods you need to avoid when pregnant Knowing your macro & micronutrients Comm...

In Episode #40: The Truth About Obesity And Pregnancy , we talked about how obesity affects pregnancy and now, we’re going to talk about weight gain during pregnancy. Listen in to see how weight gain affects pregnancy outcomes and the recommended weight gain targets. In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: How weight gain affects pregnancy What the recommended weight gain target is for good pregnancy...

Join me in this episode as I talk about obesity and how it affects your pregnancy. I’m going to help you understand the risk of obesity and how your weight is affecting your fertility. Find out what defines an “obese pregnant woman” and what you can do to have a healthy pregnancy and childbirth. In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: What exactly is considered obese How obesity negatively affects pr...

In today’s episode, we’re going to focus on the changes that happen in the ear, nose, and throat region. Dr. Bradley Block, ENT-Otolaryngologist, joins us to talk about the diseases and disorders that are associated with pregnancy. Otolaryngologists are physicians who take care of diseases and disorders relating to the ear, nose, throat (ENT), and related structures of the head and neck. They are...

In today’s birth story episode, find out how one mom managed to get through labor and delivery without any pain medication as Rachael joins us to share her amazing unmedicated hospital birth story.     In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: Rachael’s prenatal care Why IV fluids aren’t necessary when you opt for an unmedicated birth Intermittent monitoring What Rachael did to prepare for her birth Hy...

Amniotic fluid is the liquid that surrounds your baby and it appears after the first few weeks of pregnancy. This fluid is really important for your baby and your baby's health. In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: What’s in amniotic fluid The antibacterial properties of amniotic fluid How this fluid protects your baby from any trauma Qualitatively and Quantitatively measuring the amniotic flu...

Being informed about what pre-eclampsia is - how to spot it, and how to avoid it - gives you the power to help ensure you and your baby are healthy and well.  Dr. Cecily Anne Clark-Ganheart, MD, FACOG joins me on this episode of the podcast to educate us about pre-eclampsia so that you can better advocate for yourself during your pregnancy. In this episode you’ll learn about: How important it is t...