Motherhood Meets Medicine

EPISODE 32 Melissa Perry is back on the show again! In episode 12, she gave all kinds of tips on baby sleep training. Today we’re diving into all things toddler sleep related. Toddler sleep comes with a whole new set of challenges, as they have developed strong personalities and often become fearful of sleeping in their own room. Melissa is sharing incredibly helpful advice on how we can help our...

EPISODE 31 There is growing awareness around signs of postpartum depression. However, there is a condition that isn’t talked about nearly as much, and that is perinatal rage. This anger often comes out of nowhere, and is not consistent with your normal personality. Many people who experience this feel shame, and it can impact your relationships and the way that you’re functioning day to day. Howev...

EPISODE 30 Today’s topic is one that I did not know much about before walking into this interview with Rachel Harrington. Rachel is breaking down what sensory processing is and why it’s so important to understand as parents. She shares how sensory challenges show up with our children and what we can do to best support their needs. Some children will only wear certain fabrics or eat certain foods....

I am going screen-free for the entire month of August and I encourage you to join me! In this quick announcement episode, I'm sharing why I'm ditching the screens. Motherhood Meets Medicine will be back with new episodes every Wednesday beginning September 1st, 2021. Until then, enjoy your solitude and extra time with loved ones!   Resources Mentioned: -Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life...

EPISODE 27 I’ll be taking a break from our “Mothers Around the World” series for the time being. To close things out,  we’re joined by a mom living in Turkey. Sarah shares what it’s like to live and parent in the Middle East and how it compares to experiences in the States.    Sarah Bahiraei is a writer, teacher, wife, and mom. Once upon a time, she hopped a plane to the Middle East with a one-way...

Has your child ever been bullied? Perhaps your child has even been the one bullying someone else. Either scenario is not easy to handle as a parent. With social media and other technology, bullying is more present than ever before and shows up differently depending on the stage of life your child is in. Jessica Vanderwier is on the show today to talk us through how to best support our children whe...

If you aren’t familiar with polyvagal theory, Michelle Gaines is breaking it down for you in today’s episode. Polyvagal theory is not evidence based, but a set of theoretical principles. It relates to our emotional regulation, social connection, and fear response. In this discussion, we dive into what polyvagal theory is and how it can be applied to everyday interactions with ourselves, our childr...

On today’s episode of “Mothers Around the World” we hear from a mother living in Guatemala. Michelle tells us what she loves about the culture and pace of life in Guatemala. She speaks to her prenatal and postnatal experience as an Expat, and how it compares to what the majority of Guatemalan women experience.    Michelle is originally from California and a former high school teacher. In 2010, she...

We’ve all heard how great it is for our kids to engage in free play, especially while spending time outside. But what are the real benefits? Furthermore, how in the world do we even get our kids to play independently for more than five minutes at a time? Why is it so difficult for some children to be interested in playing alone?  Our guest today, Allana Robinson, is an expert on this topic and she...

Have you ever found yourself in the baby food aisle feeling lost as you try to decide which baby food to buy? You want the best for your child, but there are so many options! Unfortunately the pictures of nutritious vegetables on the front are often misleading. Dr. Teresa Purzner found herself in this same situation and was shocked at what she found when she read the nutritional information on the...

If you follow along on Instagram, you may know that limiting screen time is a huge passion of mine. We are living in a technology-driven world, and while there are many great things that come from it, there are also so many dangers - specifically when it comes to how it affects our relationships with ourselves and others. There are simple things that you can change to decrease screen time and incr...

I hope you have been enjoying hearing from mothers around the world! Today we hear from a woman who was born and raised in Germany. Julika is a wife, mom of three children, and has been a midwife for the past 14 years. At the time of this interview, she is on maternity leave with her seven month old baby.    Julika is sharing all about prenatal and postnatal maternal care that is given in Germany....

When you are expecting a baby, there are so many decisions to make before, during, and after labor. Having a midwife can be a true source of comfort throughout this time. What exactly is a midwife though? How does it differ from an OB or doula? My friend Ailsa is on the show to shed some light on what exactly a midwife does. I know you will feel Ailsa’s passion for helping women feel comfortable a...

Essential oils, household cleaners, medications, and lawn care chemicals. We have so many things around our homes that could be dangerous if ingested by children. What should we and should not be worried about? Today Dr. Daria Falkowitz and I are reviewing the most common household substances that children are exposed to, what to do if your child eats or drinks a medication or household product, a...

Today we’re continuing my “mothers from around the world” series! In this episode, I’m chatting with Jessica Matson. Jessica lives just outside of Toronto, Ontario. She talks about her incredible experience using midwife care, which included several in-home visits from them postpartum. Sounds amazing, right? Wait until you hear about her maternity leave! We also dive into the details of universal...

Have you ever researched the differences in postpartum care around the world? It is fascinating to see how different things are, such as paid maternity/paternity leave and expectations of a mom after birth. Today I’ll be chatting with Tracey Agnese on this topic. We’ll look at postpartum care globally, how certain cultures differ from one another, and what we can learn from that information. Stay...

Have you ever had a gut feeling that something was concerning about your child’s development, behavior, or health? This is what Melissa Hammerle experienced when she knew something was going on with her son and suspected he had autism. Melissa is on the podcast to share her story of all the heartbreaking challenges her family went through to get an official diagnosis for her son, Parker. She remin...

Welcome to the first episode of a new interview series I’ll be holding two times per month. In these interviews, I’ll have a casual conversation with mothers who are living in countries around the world. We’ll discuss topics like prenatal care, pregnancy, postnatal care, delivery, schooling, and parenting in other countries.    Today we are joined by Jenna. She is a wife and mom of four girls. She...

One in four. This is the well-known statistic of women who experience miscarriage. Regardless of how common miscarriage is, that doesn’t make it any easier to go through. Dr. Michelle Rockwell is sharing her story of miscarriage with us on the podcast and how her experience was affected by COVID. Our hope is that this episode will make you feel less alone if you have gone through a miscarriage, or...

Sleep is so incredibly important. When your baby is not sleeping well, it affects everyone in your home. If your baby isn’t sleeping at night or only taking short cat naps, sleep training may be the next step. But how do you know if sleep training is right for you? Our guest today, Melissa Perry, is breaking it all down so that you can make the best decisions for you and your family. She is answer...

As your baby reaches the age of 4-6 months, one of the hottest topics is how to best introduce solids. Should you stick with purees or go straight to baby led weaning? Today, Abbie Gacke is here to discuss all the topics around solid foods. We’ll look at when to start them and how to start them. Which foods do you start with? Do we need to give wait time each time a new food is introduced? When is...

How do we better control misinformation floating around social media? Which news sources should you trust? How do you find middle ground with someone on a topic that you do not agree on? What are the driving forces behind conspiracy theories? We are answering all of these questions and more in today’s interview with Sharon McMahon.    Sharon is the mastermind behind the Instagram account @sharonsa...

One in five moms experience postpartum depression and/or postpartum anxiety. Recent research shows that half of moms experience intrusive thoughts during their motherhood journey. Do these statistics surprise you? If you are experiencing any of these mood disorders, you’re most definitely not alone. Today, Dr. Catherine Schmidt is answering all our questions on these topics.   Dr. Catherine Schmid...

Our guest expert today is Megan Tantillo. Megan is a nurse health coach and founder of Holistic Health Code, an online health coaching practice for women and families. Megan helps women set and achieve health goals, navigate the health system, and get the most out of their health care. She believes that health care should be holistic and rooted in science. Megan is also finishing up her final seme...

EPISODE 7 Tantrums. They are one of the greatest challenges that come with motherhood and they always seem to occur in the most inconvenient of times. So what in the world do you do to get your child and you through them without escalating the issue even more? We’ll be talking all about this topic and more in today’s episode.    I’m joined by Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist specializing...