The Yoga, Bellies & Babies Podcast

Sophie came to the Calm and Confident Mama hypnobirthing course after two months of bed rest, having consumed birth horror story after horror story on her phone. She was terrified. She had a firm plan for an epidural. She is based in Japan, a country where hypnobirthing is virtually unknown and where a calm, physiological birth is not the default. In only six weeks, everything changed. In this epi...

If you're planning a caesarean birth, or if there's a chance you may end up having one, you might have assumed hypnobirthing isn't for you. This episode is here to change that. Krish (prenatal yoga teacher, hypnobirthing instructor, and mum of four including twins) explains exactly how hypnobirthing applies to caesarean births planned or unplanned — and why the principles of calm, informed prepara...

If the word "hypnobirthing" makes you, or your partner, want to scroll straight past, this episode is for you. In this episode, Krish (prenatal yoga teacher, hypnobirthing instructor, and mum of four, including twins) shares why she was sceptical about hypnobirthing before her first pregnancy, what finally changed her mind, and what the method actually is, backed by science, not mysticism. She als...

Have you suddenly felt more flexible during pregnancy? Can you finally touch your toes or sink deeper into stretches than ever before? That's not real flexibility. That's relaxin. Relaxin is a pregnancy hormone that softens and loosens your ligaments throughout your entire body, not just your pelvis. And while it's essential for birth, it can also put you at risk for joint injuries if you're not c...

If you're active during pregnancy, whether that's CrossFit, yoga, running, or just getting out of bed in the morning, you need to know about doming. One of my students told me she was getting out of bed and her belly was making a weird shape. Like a dome or cone sticking up down the middle. She asked me: "Is this normal?" No. It's not. And here's why it matters: That dome is your body telling you...

"I just want to feel like myself again." If you've said these words after having a baby, this episode is for you. Today's guest is Bekah Kraakman, a personal stylist and confidence coach with a psychology degree from Stanford University. Bekah started her company as a postnatal mom herself, which is why she has such a deep understanding of what new mothers go through. When my twins turned two, I v...

This episode is a special, interactive coaching workshop. We recommend grabbing a pen and paper before you press play. Do you feel like you've lost your sense of self since becoming a mother? This is your opportunity to find it again. Join host Krish and special guest Tessa, a professional coach for mothers, for a real-time guided session designed to help you navigate your identity shift. In this...

As a mother, do you feel guilty for resting? Do you use every quiet moment to be productive instead of still? You're not alone. In this episode, host Krish is joined by holistic women's health specialist Tess to discuss why modern motherhood keeps us in a state of constant high alert and how we can reclaim our right to rest. Discover the difference between the "activation" and "rest and repair" mo...

"I feel like if I only listen to positive birth stories, it's setting me up for failure. At least with negative ones, I can prepare for what might go wrong." Sound familiar? This question came up in my prenatal yoga class recently. It sounds logical, but that's not how your brain works. And it's definitely not how birth works. In this episode, I'm explaining why people say to only listen to positi...

Last week, I shared why you have permission to protect your baby bubble during pregnancy and postpartum. This week, we're getting practical. I'm sharing 5 specific hypnobirthing and yoga techniques that will help you actually protect your peace and stay grounded during pregnancy. These aren't just nice ideas, they're proven tools I used during my own pregnancies (including my twin pregnancy) and t...

How Do I Stay in My Baby Bubble With Everything Going On in the World? If you're pregnant or postpartum and struggling to protect your baby bubble while the world feels heavy, this episode is for you. In last week's prenatal yoga class, one of my students asked a question that resonated with everyone in the room: "How do I stay in my baby bubble with everything that's going on in the world?" This...

One afternoon in October, my body stopped working. I couldn't move my legs. I couldn't stand. Three months later, I'm sharing what I've learned about chronic cortisol elevation, why pregnant and postpartum mothers are particularly vulnerable, and what's actually helping me recover - not generic stress advice, but specific practices from my training as a prenatal yoga teacher and hypnobirthing inst...

If you're pregnant, recently given birth, or raising small children, the traditional "New Year, New You" narrative doesn't fit your life right now. In this episode, I'm talking about why goal-setting looks different during this phase of life, where the pressure actually comes from, and what I'm doing differently this year. I share real stories from my holidays with four kids (including twin toddle...

In this episode, I explore the rise of Pilates and ask: Is it replacing yoga? And if so, what does that mean for women navigating pregnancy, birth, and motherhood? I share my personal experience with both Pilates and yoga (I go to Pilates once a week and used to teach Yogalates!), acknowledge the huge overlap between the two practices, and explain why yoga's deeper dimensions (breathwork, philosop...

In this honest and practical conversation, I sit down with Tessa Johnson-Jones – postnatal yoga teacher, hypnobirthing instructor, and certified coach – to explore the support mothers desperately need but rarely receive when navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and the return to work. If you've ever felt like you've had this completely transformative experience of becoming a mother while everyone els...

In this honest and empowering conversation, I sit down with Nicola Moburg, founder of Puna Yoga in Helsinki and certified yoga teacher trainer, to discuss perimenopause – the transition that so many of us fear but few truly understand. Nicola shares her personal journey through perimenopause, including the symptoms that started at 45 (hint: they weren't what she expected), how her decades of yoga...

Carrying twins changes everything about your yoga practice. In this episode, I'm sharing the exact modifications that got me through my twin pregnancy, and they work for anyone dealing with a large belly, extreme exhaustion, or a high-risk label while feeling quite healthy. In This Episode You'll Discover: Why the "high-risk" label doesn't always mean something is wrong The essential props that tr...

In this episode of the Yoga Bellies and Babies Podcast, host Krishna Hassomal opens up about her personal journey with hypnobirthing, sharing the five biggest mistakes she made during her first birth and how she overcame them in subsequent pregnancies. Aimed at expectant and new mothers, as well as anyone interested in mindful birth preparation, Krishna discusses the realities of hypnobirthing bey...

Feeling like you're constantly juggling a million things but never getting ahead? You're not alone, mama. In this game-changing episode, I sit down with time and energy management coach Alice Dartnell to explore why traditional time management fails busy parents and what actually works instead. Alice flips everything we think we know about productivity on its head, revealing that time management i...

In this episode of the Yoga Bellies and Babies Podcast, host Krishna Hassomal delves into the often misunderstood topic of pelvic floor health. This episode is for professional women who are pregnant, recently given birth, or balancing motherhood with their careers, Krishna shares personal stories and addresses common myths. She discusses the importance of understanding and properly managing pelvi...

Join Krishna Hassomal as she sits down with Tess Jewell-Larsen, certified yoga therapist, mindfulness coach, and somatic healer, for an honest conversation about managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelm during pregnancy and motherhood. In this episode, Tess shares her personal journey with anxiety from childhood and offers practical, gentle tools for finding balance in the midst of life's challenge...

Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed by the beautiful chaos of your children? In this honest conversation, I share the reality of parental overstimulation - from morning meltdowns over the wrong bowl colour to feeling "touched out" at the end of the day. We dive into the science behind why loving parents feel overwhelmed by their own kids, and I share 7 practical daily strategies that actually...

In this episode of the Yoga Bellies and Babies Podcast, host Krishna Hassomal converses with Katie Mellor, a prenatal and postnatal yoga instructor at Krish Yoga Studio. Katie shares her deeply personal story of preparing for a home birth only to find that her newborn would need immediate surgery, leading to an unexpected three-month NICU journey. This conversation touches on the transformative po...

In this powerful episode Uma Dinsmore-Tuli shares why rest isn't just nice, it's necessary, especially for mothers. Learn about yoga nidra as a revolutionary practice, the natural cycles our bodies crave, and why "rest is resistance" against a culture that values productivity above all else. Uma challenges conventional yoga approaches that weren't designed for women's bodies and explains why postn...

In this heartfelt episode, yoga teacher, author and mother of two Sarah Ezrin shares her transformative journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. From practicing intense Ashtanga yoga six days a week to discovering the power of "yoga snacks" after becoming a mother, Sarah offers honest insights about adapting to the physical and emotional changes of motherhood. Learn how birth experiences...