Motherhood Meets Medicine

I’ve had four children, and my journey back into exercise during the postpartum period had looked different each time. This can depend on how what kind of exercise you did prior to pregnancy, what you were doing during pregnancy, and how you’re feeling after giving birth. Pelvic floor exercises can be a great way to ease yourself back into exercise, and Joy Black is telling us how in today’s episo...

As moms, one of the many things we worry about is whether or not our children are hitting developmental milestones, what to do if they aren’t, and what could be causing any delays. This is especially true when our kids are learning how to talk. We wonder if their language is developing at a rate that’s considered “normal”. We might compare their language development to other children their age, an...

Have you ever heard of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)? PCOS is a complex endocrine condition that affects about 15% of women of reproductive age. With PCOS impacting such a large population, chances are high that you may know someone who is affected by it, or even have it yourself. So, what should you be looking out for if you suspect that you may have PCOS and what are your treatment options?...

Chronic pain, stress, and tension is something many people struggle with every day, especially when they work from home. Sometimes the pain can be so intense that it feels almost impossible to get relief. Luckily, there are strategies that you can incorporate into your daily routines to decrease stress and tension within your body. On the podcast today, I chatted with Dr. Jen Fraboni about this to...

There are lots of myths about exercising while pregnant that are not supported by evidence. Today, Dr. Mae Hughes is on the podcast to help debunk some of those myths. We also discuss the benefits of exercising while pregnant, along with what type of exercises are safe for pregnant and postpartum women. Dr. Mae Hughes is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a mama to a new little girl, and a fitness fien...

Being a new parent has a lot of unknowns and a lot of misinformation, especially in this era of social media. We all want the best for our children, and all of this information we receive and decisions we have to make can be very overwhelming and even evoke a lot of fear. It’s so important to ask the hard questions, and find medical professionals that you trust and who are reputable. An example of...

Ready for a spicy episode? I recommend listening to this episode when there are no children around because today’s episode is a topic all about sex. Katie Roberts from the Pleasure Positive Podcast is on the show to have a fun conversation all about pleasuring yourself, how to stay connected to your pleasure, and the best tips to try with your partner for a sexual experience.  Katie Roberts is the...

‘Momfluencers’ can be great to connect with online and help you feel like you’re not alone. However, there comes a point in an influencer’s journey when oversharing can be detrimental to one’s safety and privacy - especially to a child’s. Exploiting their children on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, for content can cause problems for the child later in life. These problems includ...

We wanted to share the 3 in 30 podcast with you! This show is a 30-minute podcast with 3 doable takeaways to help moms love motherhood as much as they love their children. Listen in for practical ideas to make your family life a little better each week. Hosted by Rachel Nielson, a mother, teacher, and writer. Link to the show: apple.co/3in30 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adc...

I love sharing personal stories from women in the Motherhood Meets Medicine community, and this episode is no exception. Since I have never had a c-section birth, I thought it would be helpful to get a perspective from one of our listeners, Whitney Sallee Pfister.  Whitney and I have a conversation about C-section preparedness and recovery. Whether you’re preparing for a c-section, or have experie...

Pregnancy is a medical condition. Complications can occur, and there are both physical and mental health risks. Yet, oftentimes, the law makers in positions of power over women’s health care aren’t educated on this topic. In today's episode, I’m joined by Sarah Little who will discuss her experience providing women's health care in Texas, where some of the strictest abortion laws are currently in...

Do you have a child who is having difficulty learning to read? If so, you’re not alone. It turns out that many of our children are not learning to read because of a curriculum that’s recently been under significant scrutiny.  One of my own children is struggling with reading, which sparked my passion in learning more about this topic of why so many children can’t read. I have the perfect guest on...

Becoming a mother comes with so many changes. After having kids, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of self and find purpose (or a moment to yourself!) outside of motherhood. Specifically, after the last few years of the pandemic, the challenges that mothers are faced with have only increased, and are leaving long-lasting impacts. To talk more about this topic, I have guest Catherine O’Brien...

Today’s episode is part three in our series about how America is failing mothers. Be sure to tune in to part one and part two if you haven’t already. All three episodes of this series feature real stories from mothers in America. These stories are deeply personal, and show how many things need to change in order to support mothers and their families. The stories that you’ll hear in part three incl...

Today’s episode is part two in our series about how America is failing mothers. If you missed part one, you can tune in here. In this series I’m airing real stories that mothers in America have sent in, sharing about their experiences during pregnancy and postpartum. Part two highlights parenting during COVID, lack of maternity leave and health insurance, unfair pumping environments at work, postp...

There is no way around it - America is failing mothers. We are in a crisis of burn out, physical and mental health challenges, financial obstacles, lack of support at work postpartum, and more. Today you’ll hear first hand stories from American women who have, or are currently facing, all too common issues that come with being a mother in this country. They share about the lack of maternity leave,...

Have you ever heard of reactive parenting? ​​Reacting parenting is the negative behavior that parents show when they are frustrated with their child. It can show up as yelling, threatening, bribing, or even hitting.  I think this is something that most of us have experienced in one form or another. Some of us may not even know we are doing it. So how can we avoid having these types of reactions wh...

This podcast episode is a little different today as I want to share a story from someone in our community who has faced challenges that I know many of you are also experiencing. I have Lindsey Horning on the podcast to share her personal experiences with infertility and her story of how she was able to give birth to twins through IVF. Lindsey is a self employed hair stylist and new mom to twins. S...

Are you a fan of personality tests? These types of tests can help you learn more about yourself, and in turn, support how you navigate your relationship with yourself and others. The Enneagram is a deep dive personality test that helps you do just that by offering nine different perspectives of the world. Today, I am chatting with Amy Wicks who works with Enneagram tests to help mothers. Amy Wicks...

Being a new mom can be extremely challenging with lots of “firsts” and things to learn. Breastfeeding is definitely one of the things that many new moms aren’t prepared for. Sometimes breast feeding can be a joyful bond between baby and mom, or it can be a painful experience depending on many different factors. I sat down with Beth Iovinelli today to discuss all things about breastfeeding, what to...

When you start a new relationship, it’s logistics 5% of the time and fun the other 95% of the time. However, when you bring kids into the mix, that ratio tends to flip and now you’re struggling to find the balance of taking care of your kids' while still having fun for yourselves. Far too often, the relationship is challenged due to lost connection, communication issues, and lots of blaming. Wheth...

Since the overturn of Roe V. Wade, there have been many concerns about women’s reproductive rights and if they can provide safe abortions to those in need. This is a very serious conversation that needs to be have as it can be harmful to women and people of all kinds, especially marginalized people, who need an abortion or any other pregnancy help. Dr. Erica Montes is a board-certified Obstetricia...

Did you know that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury in women in the United States? You may not have experienced this yourself, or think that you don’t have anyone in your life who is a victim of domestic violence, but it is a lot more common than you think. Domestic violence can show up in many different ways, and it often begins as verbal abuse. Nikki Ticknor joins me today to disc...

Growing up in an anti-vaccine household can give you some very interesting outlooks in life. Dr. Elisabeth Marnik was one of those children whose mother didn’t believe in vaccines. However, Liz went to school and received her Ph. D in Biochem genetics and Immunology which changed her viewpoint on vaccines and why they are important. Liz shares with the world her knowledge and her opinions on Insta...

Disclaimer: This episode talks about infant loss. Please be aware of that before continuing on with this episode.  Today's episode will feature women from the Motherhood Meets Medicine community that have experienced abortions. Each and every one of these stories is unique and I encourage everyone listening to try to place yourself into the shoes of these women. I think that some of these stories...