the birthwell podcast

In this episode, Laura and Nadia discuss perineal stretching, its importance, and the controversy surrounding it. They explain the anatomy of the perineum and the potential injuries that can occur during birth. They also highlight the benefits of perineal massage, including reducing the risk of tearing, improving proprioception, and increasing comfort during pelvic exams and delivery. Perineal mas...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia welcome Dr. Tara, a family chiropractor, specializes in pre and postnatal as well as pediatric care.  Dr. Tara discusses the importance of chiropractic care during pregnancy, the benefits of treating babies, and the identification and treatment of tongue ties.  She also discusses the importance of tongue tie releases and the potential need for multiple releases if...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia announce the launch of their course, Prepare Your Pelvic Floor for Birth . They discuss the journey of creating the course and the importance of teaching it live to gather feedback. They explain why they chose to make the course evergreen and the benefits of online learning. They also provide an overview of the course modules, including pelvic floor and core connec...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia discuss five ways that partners can support the laboring person during childbirth. The techniques they cover include low back massage, peanut ball rocks, hip compressions, rebozo techniques, and advocating for the laboring person. They provide detailed instructions and tips for each technique, emphasizing the importance of communication and being familiar with the...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia discuss the transverse abdominis (TA) muscle and its importance in core engagement. They build off their previous episode, your pelvic floor 101, by explaining the important of your transverse abdominus in the inner core.  They discuss the impact of pregnancy and postpartum on the TA, including stretching and weakness, and some common ways to identify TA weakness p...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia discuss the benefits of exercise during pregnancy and how to modify exercise routines. They highlight the importance of maintaining strength and flexibility in the pelvic floor, diaphragm, and transverse abdominis and  address common concerns about running and playing sports during pregnancy.  They provide recommendations for each trimester, including adjusting int...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia discuss the topic of returning to intimacy and sex postpartum. They cover various physical changes that occur after childbirth, such as muscle guarding, perineal trauma, and hormonal changes. They also touch on the emotional and psychological aspects that can influence postpartum sex, including body image issues, feeling touched out, and the impact of sleep depriva...

In this episode, Laura and Nadia are celebrating 10 episodes of the birthwell podcast by answering listener questions and discussing various topics! Laura and Nadia share the story of how they met and became friends. They address a listener's concern about being nervous about giving birth a second time and provide reassurance and advice.  The conversation covers various topics related to preg...

In this episode, Dr. Charlotte Roy, an OB-GYN resident sits down with Laura and Nadia to answer all your questions about pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum.  She emphasizes the importance of collaborative, evidence-based, and patient-centered care. Dr. Roy explains that the position for pushing depends on the individual and the specific situation. She discusses the benefits of different pos...

so you're pregnant.. now what?! This episode breaks down everything you need to do when you find out you're pregnant.   Nadia and Laura will discuss some first steps, how to choose between a midwife and an OB, some exercise modifications to make and how you can start proactively working on your core and pelvic floor.  Disclaimer: Discussion about healthcare teams is based on our experien...

In this episode Nadia and Laura share all their top tips for trying to conceive with you! If you're starting to think about growing your family and not sure where to start this episode is for you! This episode covers everything about TTC from how to map out your cycle, how to check for ovulation, some supplements to consider and how you can start working on your pelvic floor even before you&a...

In this episode Laura and Nadia discuss everything you need to know about c-sections.  They talk about the anatomy of a c-section, the different types of c-sections, how you can prepare for your up coming c-section and how you can rehab postpartum.  C-section's often get a bad rap so they also break down some common myths about c-section recovery! If you're planning to have a c-section o...

In this episode, Nadia and Laura discuss the main difference between labor and delivery.  They believe that understanding how to support yourself through labor and then during delivery is key to having a great birth, and to do that, you have to know what to expect in labor and what to expect during delivery.  They break down labor into early labor, active labor and transition and discuss what to e...

In this episode Laura and Nadia break down everything you need to know about diastasis recti.  They discuss how you can check yourself for ab separation, some preventative things you can do during your pregnancy and early postpartum, how to rehab diastasis recti postpartum and some things to consider when you're working with a pelvic floor physiotherapist.  This episode is jam packed with kno...

welcome to the birthwell podcast with Laura and Nadia! We're pelvic floor physiotherapists with over 12 years of experience in pelvic health and the co-founders of birthwell inc.  We founded birthwell as a space to bring women accessible birth education, and in this episode we're sharing all about what encouraged us to start birthwell, why we thought it was important for women to be able...

In this episode Nadia and Laura discuss what the heck your pelvic floor even is.  Then they dive deeper into how to do a kegel,   what other muscle groups to consider to train your pelvic floor,  how your pelvic floor changes postpartum, how your pelvic floor is affected by your hormones.. and much more!  Make sure to follow and rate our podcast so we can reach more women along their pregnancy, co...

In this episode Nadia and Laura break down how to return to exercise postpartum.  They discuss where to start when you've had your six week clearance appointment, how to safely return to running, some exercises to avoid postpartum and how to rebuild your pelvic floor and core function!  Make sure to follow and rate our podcast so we can reach more women along their pregnancy, conception and p...

welcome to the birthwell podcast with Laura and Nadia! We're pelvic floor physiotherapists with over 13 years of experience in pelvic health and the co-founders of birthwell inc.  We founded birthwell as a space to bring women accessible birth education, and in this episode we're sharing all about what encouraged us to start birthwell, why we thought it was important for women to be able...