To Birth and Beyond

In today’s episode, Anita and Jessie discuss C-Section Shelves. Jessie has been getting so many posts shared with her about it, and folks reaching out scared about the look and functionality of the area where it is. We are going over what they are, why they exist, and some tips if you are concerned about yours! - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends!...

In today’s episode, Jessie invites special guest, friend, and colleague Lauren Smiley to the show!  We chat about her experience with fitness coaching for clients in pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic health clients, and the unique and impactful way she goes about her coaching in a body neutral, fat-positive, and anti-diet culture way (while living a full life that includes homeschooling 3 chi...

Today’s bonus episode is the audio of Jessie’s recent Beyond the Kegel - core and pelvic floor coaching workshop! In this workshop, Jessie is speaking to fitness and health professionals, but the information can be used by those who are thinking of making a career change, considering pregnancy, and/or are passionate about supporting someone through pregnancy or postpartum. Stick around as Jessie s...

In today’s replay of episode 314, Anita welcomes special guest, Samantha Garcia Gagnon, who will be chatting all about the role of a birth doula and postpartum doula. Since having her own kids, Anita uses and shares doula information in combination with physiotherapy expertise in her physical practice and Bump to Birth Method, while encouraging folks to have the support of a doula as part of their...

In today’s episode, Jessie sits down with Registered Dietician Megan Wallace to talk anti-diet culture nutrition and eating in pregnancy. Eating for pregnancy can be difficult enough with all of the changes to our bodies and lives that come with pregnancy - add on top of it the pervasive layers of body image issues, poor relationship to eating, disordered eating behaviors, and more. How can we eat...

In today’s replay of episode 243, Anita talks with Kristin Brown about everything from prenatal vitamins, to protein, vitamin D, and meal trains - all in support of YOU in pregnancy and postpartum! - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. Want more? Visit www. ToBirthAndBeyond.com and...

In today’s episode, Anita and Jessie get into the nitty gritty of initial healing for a cesarean scar, post-birth. This can be helpful if you are planning a cesarean, as well as if you aren’t (some considerations can be made for the unplanned). They cover Anita’s experience as a physiotherapist, as well as Jessie’s experience with both planned and unplanned cesareans. - - - - - - - - - If you like...

In today’s episode, Jessie and Anita are answering a very specific question from a client of Jessie’s that came in recently, regarding how to reduce prolapse symptoms when you don’t have much downtime. Anita and Jessie will share their top 5 suggestions that can be implemented immediately, can take you 5 minutes or less, and will hopefully have a big impact on the reduction of those prolapse sympt...

In today’s episode, Jessie talks with Elsa Isaac, personal wardrobe stylist for ambitious women, all about styling our changing bodies! We discuss everything from Elsa’s journey into wardrobe styling, her methodology to take the guesswork out of styling, and how to style for an ever-changing body (immediate postpartum and beyond). Elsa even shares what has changed in her personal style as a postpa...

In today’s episode, Jessie talks with Jenna - dance teacher, personal trainer, and previous participant of To Pregnancy and Beyond - about her experience rebuilding her strength, postpartum. - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. Want more? Visit www. ToBirthAndBeyond.com , join our...

In today’s replay of Episode 281, Anita invites special guest Mandy Irby on to talk all about informed consent when it comes to birth. - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. Want more? Visit www. ToBirthAndBeyond.com and follow us on Instagram @tobirthandbeyondpodcast ! Thanks for li...

In today’s episode, Jessie and Anita talk about what to expect post-vaginal birth when it comes to your vulva. As people with vulvas, we have been conditioned to understand what a “good” vulva or vagina looks like, and things may seem a different - visually and in how it feels - post-vaginal birth. Today’s topic is brought to you by a recent conversation Jessie had with a friend and fellow fitness...

In today’s episode, Anita welcomes special guest and close friend (and fellow Pelvic Health Physiotherapist), Robyn Synnott, back to the show! And, today, we are going to be talking all about partner labour prep sessions. We reveal what they are about, why they are important, what we find missing from most labour prep classes, and feedback we get from clients! We hope this helps practitioners lead...

In today’s episode, Anita and Jessie sit down to talk with the professionals who tune into the podcast. We are discussing why you may want to pursue a mentor as a health or fitness professional, and share our own experiences being mentored: what we received, support-wise, vs. what we wished we had received in those experiences. - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, te...

In today’s episode, Jessie reflects on her 4-year journey (so far) into alcohol sobriety - what led her to the decision, mindset shifts, and her plans for the future. If this is something you have been thinking about, or have more questions around - this episode is for you!  - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to...

In today’s episode, Anita sits down with Amanda Banks and Eleanor Currie, both multi-hyphenates, and the documentary filmmakers behind “Born at Home”. We will be chatting all about home birth, including misconceptions and why our special guests have taken on home birth advocacy and education in their first film. If you are thinking about having a home birth, supporting someone in their homebirth,...

In today’s episode, Jessie sits down with friend and colleague, Carrie Moxley, to talk all things fitness and body image with the added layer of Carrie being a fitness and strength coach, like Jessie! Carrie discusses her journey through body awareness, disordered eating and exercise, to neutrality, and how body things can get complicated, even for fitness professionals! - - - - - - - - - If you l...

In today’s replay of episode 345, Anita talks with Rachel, who went through the Bump to Birth program when preparing for her first birth. We’ll discuss Rachel’s pregnancy journey, birth experience, and where she is today! - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show. Want more? Visit www. T...

In today’s episode, Jessie and Anita are covering something they’ve not covered on the podcast: PAP EXAMS! We will cover tips for patients and care providers regarding this not oft talked about subject to minimize pain, negative experiences and trauma from PAP exams. We are aiming for consent, understanding, and less discomfort around the procedure, so the patient feels more in control over what i...

In today’s episode, Anita and Jessie answer the VERY popular client question: can you prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy? They discuss why someone might want to prevent diastasis, what additional issues diastasis might set off, and just how important the way we talk about peoples’ bodies is. - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTu...

In today’s episode, Jessie talks with Naush Ansari - fitness and nutrition coach, pregnancy and postpartum fitness specialist, engineer, wife, and mother of 3 - about how we, as humans, run our businesses while the world is a very difficult place to exist in. When there are events happening in the world that are so horrific: what are we to do? How do we exist as fitness and health professionals, b...

In today’s episode, Anita talks with Rachel Ollivier, PhD NP(F) all about sexual health after birth. We cover why Rachel chose this area of research and what is being found, as well as tips to navigate pain, intimacy, and body image postpartum. - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to the show....

In today’s replay of episode 287, Jessie and Anita talk about running and pelvic floor symptoms! We’ve spoken about this in past episodes, but want to revisit and really zoom in on: is your pelvic floor the main reason for leaking when you are running? - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review/subscribe to th...

In today’s episode, Jessie talks with Amanda Fisher all about C-Section scare mobilization: what it is, how to do it (as a patient OR practitioner), and when! This is the audio of a special webinar, that until today, was only available to Jessie’s PFSA clients. Enjoy! - - - - - - - - - If you liked this episode of To Birth and Beyond, tell your friends! Find us on iTunes and Spotify to rate/review...

In today’s episode, we are busting a myth you may have heard if you have been pregnant: your pelvic floor needs to be strong in order to push your baby out! While it’s not a bad thing to have a strong pelvic floor, we discuss why it’s unnecessary for the birthing process, and go through the benefits of a strong pelvic floor - in postpartum and pregnancy! Consider this a little sneak preview to Ani...