Chick Chat

We've all heard stories about birth. Maybe you've heard your own birth story from your parents. And if you are pregnant or have children of your own, you have definitely heard several birth stories, even from strangers! Some of those stories are good, and some are not so good. Unfortunately, it seems like the not-so-great and even scary birth stories are the ones that are told the most. As a doula...

Many women experience it during their pregnancies . . . it's pregnancy cravings. Over the years, I've heard from hundreds of my clients about their pregnancy cravings. I've had women tell me they craved fruit, a particular flavor of ice cream, cheese, protein, french fries, and even some strange pregnancy cravings. We wanted to learn more about what causes these pregnancy cravings and why they can...

While being a parent is one of the greatest joys in life, it can also be overwhelming and exhausting. There is so much to keep up with that parents can often identify as chaos coordinators. From scheduling doctor appointments, play dates, extracurricular practices, preparing meals, cleaning the house, managing all of the big emotions from our little ones, and much more, it can feel like our lists...

The anticipation of having a baby is often regarded as a joyous event in the life of a couple, and yet the transition to parenthood usually involves profound transitions and challenges in the couples' intimate relationship. Further complicating things, the perinatal period is when women are most vulnerable to mood and anxiety disorders, with perinatal depression being the number one medical compli...

Our bodies go through so much during pregnancy and postpartum. Our hormones fluctuate like no other time in our lives, which can all take a significant toll on mothers. Actress and entrepreneur Ashley Greene Khoury knows this firsthand as a new mother to her daughter, Kingsley. Even before becoming a mother, Ashley became highly passionate about being a reproductive health advocate after her own p...

Returning to school can be a lot for the whole family — not just for the kids but also for parents. You have to adapt to a new schedule; your kids get new teachers, they may have to make new friends and more. It can be a lot. And while change can be good, it can also be challenging. Our podcast guest, Kelly Smith, is an expert in her field, and she is sharing some helpful tips and mindfulness acti...

When you have a child, you realize that you'll be preparing three meals a day, seven days a week, for the next 18 years for each of your kids. That can be a bit overwhelming to think about for any parent. Thankfully, our guest today, Chef Catherine McCord, knows this all too well as a mother of three. We are excited to have her as our guest on this episode because she is sharing her experience, ti...

About to have a baby? Expecting moms often think about everything the baby will need, but what about you — the mother you are becoming? Preparing for motherhood and your postpartum time is imperative. It's a transformative time — mind, body, and soul. And there is a lot to think about and consider when preparing for your new life with your baby. This is why we are grateful to chat with Anne Wanlun...

During pregnancy, we wait nine long months (some more, some less) to meet our precious babies. Then, once our babies enter the world, our world is truly never the same. Everything is about the baby. And everyone begins asking about the baby. Yes, the baby is extremely important, but what about the mom? Our guest today, Becky Vieira, is saying, "Enough about the baby!" She wants to bring more atten...

The pelvic floor is usually not something a person regularly thinks about. Unfortunately, it's not something someone necessarily pays attention to until they experience a problem. When a woman becomes pregnant and has a baby, many women start to recognize just how important their pelvic floor is and that they may need to seek help. Pelvic floor health is not the sexiest topic, but it's a vital one...

As someone with a twin brother who has autism, this topic is very near and dear to my heart. It's important to me to have this discussion with a professional so that more people can understand autism, what it means, the signs and symptoms, and how families can get help. The CDC recently released data showing 1 in 36 children is now affected by ASD. Now more than ever, we all need to understand aut...

It's so exciting once your child hits the babbling and talking milestone! Their first words are precious and parents try to do everything they can to help their child learn how to better express themselves and their needs through language. But if you notice that your child isn't saying as many words as his peers, you may be concerned that your child might have a speech or language delay. I know I...

Did you know that our past experiences can affect how we parent in the present? It seems quite obvious, but there are so many layers to this. I've learned a lot about this from Dr. Shefali Tsabary and today, we have the privilege of having her with us on our show. Who is Dr. Shefali? Dr. Shefali received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University. Specializing in the integration...

We have Dr. Mona Amin back on our podcast! If you didn't hear our last episode with Dr. Mona Amin, she is a practicing pediatrician who sees babies and moms of every ethnicity and social circumstance. She created Peds Doc Talk and shares smart, helpful advice to make the motherhood journey a little easier for her community. Dr. Mona has built an inclusive community of over 280,000 fans and followe...

Parenthood is a crazy beautiful ride. There are ups and downs that so many of us experience. Josh and Paige Peck can relate! I had the privilege of having a quick sit-down chat with them the other day about their parenthood journey thus far — what they've experienced as parents and what has helped them along the way. Listening to their stories and advice was refreshing to hear because even as cele...

Not everyone's journey to parenthood looks the same. Some families experience infertility struggles and take fertility treatments like IVF or choose a surrogate. Other families decide that fostering or adoption is the right course for them. There are many ways to become a parent, and we recognize and value each one. To us, as soon as a person welcomes a child into their heart and supports and care...

Postpartum. For most, it's a vulnerable and challenging time in motherhood. We are healing, learning, and evolving into the mothers our babies need us to be. It can be a lot, but thankfully there are things that we can do to prepare for the postpartum period, and there is support to help us through it. We have the Mama Psychologists with us today, and they are sharing their top postpartum tips, as...

Bringing home your new baby is a time you've looked forward to all pregnancy and a moment you will never forget. Getting home and figuring out your new routine as you heal and bond with your baby is a whole other adventure. This is especially true if your baby has colic. This fussiness and what feels like constant crying can be tough on anyone. All you want to do as a parent is calm your baby and...

Our babies learn so much from us as their parents, but we can learn a lot from our babies too. They are natural movers—curious about everything and always ready to explore the world. We see that all babies are already little athletes. They run, jump, squat, plank, and learn through movement and play. As we explore the world and play with our babies, we both become stronger and grow stronger togeth...

As parents, we know that each child is different, including how they learn. Because we all learn differently, how can parents set their children up for success? A great place to start is to learn more about the brain and how it works. This can help better understand how your child learns. We're excited about today's podcast guest because she gives us a deeper look into the brain and how we learn....

Every parent hopes and prays for their child to grow healthy and happy. We also hope that with our guidance, they will be respectful and loving to themselves and others. Everything we do as parents influences our children, and there's a lot that we can do to set them up for success. Today's guest has given us helpful tips and insight on what works! Jess VanderWier is a Registered Psychotherapist,...

Today, we are honored to have pre and postnatal fitness expert Brooke Cates with us on our podcast. Brooke is the Founder and CEO of The Bloom Method, a Certified Personal Trainer, Pre & Postnatal Corrective Exercise Specialist, Diastasis Recti & Core Rehabilitation Specialist, and Pre & Postnatal Holistic Health Specialist. Her knowledge and experience are truly impressive. Brooke created The Blo...

Giving birth is a powerful moment in a woman's life. As a birth doula for over a decade, I've witnessed hundreds of women walk into their new role as mothers as they welcome their children into the world. The biggest goal of a doula is for the expecting woman to feel fully supported, informed, heard, and respected during her pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We want her to have the birth experienc...

Sleep is something that many new parents obsess over. Is their baby getting enough sleep? Too much sleep? Not enough consolidated sleep? It can be overwhelming and exhausting. One of the biggest fears about sleep that many parents with a new baby have is SIDS. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. About 2,300 babies die per year...

Childhood. It can be one of the best times of your life. No real responsibilities. You are just learning, growing, and becoming the person you were meant to be. While some of us wish we could have stayed little forever and avoided adulting and big responsibilities, others couldn't wait to grow up. They couldn't wait to be able to go out on their own, provide for themselves, make their own decision...