Dear Doula

For many of us, feeding babies and toddlers can be overwhelming, especially when you're faced with food rejection and other issues at the table. Helene Skantzikas is the creator of the French Foodie Baby, a blog which chronicles her journey in the nurturing and expanding of her son Pablo's tastebuds and love of life through good food.   Helene joins me today to share her secrets to fostering healt...

As a new parent, you deserve to have the opportunity to welcome your new family member and transition into this new chapter, without stressing about work. But the lack of comprehensive federal policies for paid parental leave in the U.S. places a significant burden on new parents who are faced with the impossible choice between caring for their children and maintaining their careers.   In today's...

Endless Google searches, relentless posting in Facebook groups, asking other parents for advice…. It's no wonder most first time parents feel overwhelmed shopping for products for their little ones. But does it really have to be so confusing, exhausting, and depersonalized?!   To help us sift through the vast array of baby products on the market, I invited a very special guest and THE ultimate bab...

In today's fast-paced world, "pause, rest, be" are three simple words that many of us (especially parents!) often overlook. Society doesn't give us any accolades for taking time out to rest, but as people's schedules get busier, our presence and connectedness as humans gets weaker.   Joining me today to normalize and demystify the practice of rest, is Octavia Raheem, an award-winning author, rest...

When you've been a doula for as long as I have, you start to get a lot of the same questions—which comes as no surprise for the absolute  flood of information, products and advice new parents are given.  That's why, to kick off season 3 of Dear Doula, I'm doing a quick overview of my top 15 most-asked questions. Wondering what diapers, bottles, or blankets are best? Not sure if those sleepy "dream...

Podcast Description Working with families for the past 20 years I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to relationship issues. There has been no shortage of relationship stories from life in the trenches, including a dad leaving in the middle of the night to go to Vegas just 3 days into postpartum! Despite its prevalence in society, divorce remains such a taboo topic. People can f...

Podcast Description As a board certified lactation consultant, I have seen just how disheartening it can be for new mothers facing breastfeeding challenges. I also know how much more difficult this is made by the amount of myths and misinformation floating around on this topic. One of the most common hurdles I have seen in recent times is low milk supply, which can lead to concerns about providing...

Podcast Description Unrealistic expectations can often overshadow the immense achievements of working parents. Working moms in particular can get so wrapped up in all the fires they have to put out, that they end up at the very bottom of their to-do list. In my work, I've seen first hand how that can lead to feelings of resentment, overwhelm, and failure. Today's special guest Lindsay Dreyer was a...

As new parents or parents-to-be, we can spend hours going down rabbit holes trying to find the best information to support our birthing and parenting decisions. In a lot of instances, the articles people see online talking about controversial issues are heavily slanted towards the author's own views and not necessarily backed by evidence. While most of what I talk about is related to what I've see...

Are you a parent who's gearing up to start the potty training journey with your child? Potty training is a significant milestone in a child's development and can be an exciting yet challenging time for both parents and children.  Parents often feel the pressure to meet societal expectations when it comes to potty training. Whether it's comparing your child's progress to that of other children, fee...

The lights go out after another busy day of parenting but for many, the dread of bedtime with a toddler begins…   Whilst battling with any of these sleep problems can feel extremely isolating, I can tell you after working with infant and toddler sleep for 20 years, most of the issues parents experience are incredibly similar.    Toddler sleep challenges often come in the form of struggling to go d...

Trans people's lives are an almost constant part of our media narrative, yet the decontextualization of trans issues can often distort our view of the trans experience. While we're seeing an increasing desire for people to be inclusive, not enough action is being taken to support marginalized families.    I invited Nat Vikitsreth, a trans rights activist and founder of Come back to Care, a company...

As parents, we are called to value the challenging moments just as much as we value the inspiring moments. Both are extraordinary opportunities for growth. How you parent today has an incredible long-term impact on the teenagers and adults you create for the future.   Whilst we tend to be intentional about many aspects of our life like what we eat, where we live, and where we work, we're not alway...

Podcast Description   So much of what we believe to be true about how we parent our children is skewed by Western, dominant culture. A perfect example of this is potty training, where we're told the day a child turns two years old is when you throw the diapers out. I even did this with my own son! But is this really developmentally appropriate for all children? After working with families for the...

This week we're talking about what I probably get asked about the most in the doula world: sleep.  But what I think about newborn sleep might be quite surprising to you… There's this long standing myth that you have to accept the cards you've been dealt and just go along with however your newborn sleeps. You're told not to worry about it and to embrace it as your time to bond. But should we really...

Having been a doula for over 20 years now, I've seen the impact of the 'mommy wars' worsen significantly. How you deliver your baby, how you feed them, how they sleep…mom-shaming is everywhere. While social media has many positives, it hasn't always helped people share their values in a supportive way. This made me think about how our children are being affected by this too. Our kids are exposed t...

For the first time Brandi shares the Dear Doula podcast with her husband Michael Chapuis. On this heartwarming episode Michael and Brandi share the secret to staying connected during the thick of young parenting and Michael shares his perspective on why everyone should stop saying marriage is "hard". Get some practical tips for staying connected, centered, and how to create better lines of communi...

In this lighthearted episode Brandi shares some of her favorite products and gifts such as lotions and potions, fancy pajamas, hidden treasures for the art lovers in your lives, and so much more. If you want to have fun going down a pinterest rabbit hole inside Brandi's brain with luxe products, don't miss this outfit. Better yet make sure you send it to all the gift givers in your life.   As prom...

Kathleen Healy is a Health Coach Specializing in family nutriton. Brandi and Kathlen discuss tips to help making healthier choices for the family easier. Kathleen also shares her go-to health recipes and tips for busy moms. Kathleen also shares how we manage body positivity and making feel good decisions for your body that make you feel good from the inside out.     You can follow Brandi and her w...

Brandi sits with guest Jordan Younger, host of the hit podcast and blog The Balanced Blonde, to talk spirituality and parenthood. After dealing with a health crisis, Jordan was able to go back to basics and practice radical self-care that led to healing her condition and being able to start a family. If you are looking for more ways to add calm and purpose to your parenting journey don't miss this...

Brandi sits with award winning Journalist Jo Ling Kent to discuss how good parents raise good humans in an internet driven world. From cancel culture, to racism, and learning to keep connections with people who have differences, this feel good conversation is a reminder of what our job as parents really is. If you are looking for a little compassion, truth telling, and learning to lead with love,...

One of the most exciting things about becoming a new parent is exploring all of the new gadgets and gear that is available. Brandi sits with guest and gear expert Eli Gurock who is the owner of Magic Beans, a baby and kids boutique based in Boston. Not sure which car seat to buy? Trying to figure out the best stroller for a family that travels a lot? We cover questions like this and more. Check ou...

Brandi sits with author and postpartum expert Heng Ou as she shares insights to her best selling book The First 40 days, and her current book Nine Golden Months . We learn about how her Chinese heritage and lineage of healers helped her to define a new fervor for nurturing ourselves in all phases of motherhood. Don't miss this episode.   Guest Links: www. MotherBees.com https://www.instagram.com/m...

Brandi sits with pediatrician Dr. Anastasia Williams to have a balanced conversation about vaccines. Dr. Williams shares lots of information that might surprise even the most knowledgeable parents. Do our kids really need all of the current vaccinations? Is it safe to give a small infant so many vaccinations at once? Our expert guest answers so many questions like this and more. This is an episode...

If you have had a child within the last five years you undoubtedly have heard about tongue ties. In this episode Brandi sits with Drs Jessica Choi and Christine Nguyen to go on a deep dive into all things tongue ties. When you should be assessed? What to do if your tongue tie re-attaches, and who to consult with if you think your baby or toddler needs an assessment. We answer questions like all of...