Pure Nurture Pregnancy and Birth

Latest Episodes:

Best of Season One! (and a sneak peek of season two) Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

We are 2 episodes away from the end of Season 1 of the Pure Nurture Podcast! We'll celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the podcast in September 2019 with the kick-off to season 2. As we head toward the finish line, I thought it'd be fun to go through a TOP 10 recap of the ten most downloaded episodes of the podcast.

The most downloaded episode of season 1 is Episode 33, Conscious Conception and Pregnancy with Kiersten Markham
Episode 23, The Importance of Prenatal Bonding with Kate White
Episode 32, Birth Without Fear with January Harshe
Episode 34, Using Your Intuition to Improve your Pregnancy and Birth Experience with Adriana Lozada
Episode 01, Preparing for Birth and Breastfeeding with Molly Mills
Episode 39, Five Questions You Must Ask Your Care Provider Before Birth with Deb Flashenberg
Episode 13, Functional Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Motherhood with Andrea White
Episode 35, Say Yes to Birth with Rachel Yellin
Episode 41, Orgasmic Birth with Debra Pascali-Bonoro
Episode 25, Prenatal Nutrition with Melissa Mor

Browse the archives and find more informative and inspiring conversations with incredible guests.

Healing Your Core & Pelvic Floor After Birth with Jessica Pumple Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

Jessica is a pre and postnatal fitness instructor (as well as a dietitian, diabetes & bariatric educator). She healed her 4-finger diastasis recti gap after her pregnancy and now helps moms heal and restore their core in 30 days. You'll learn so much from our conversation and the bonus material included below in the show notes. In this episode, you'll hear about:

Jessica Pumple, Host of Pregnancy and Postpartum TV (2:20)
Diastasis recti (2:30)
At-home diastasis recti test (4:39)
Does everyone have diastasis recti? (6:04)
Treatment for diastasis recti (6:37)
Diastasis Recti Healing Core Workouts Playlists
How you can prevent diastasis recti during pregnancy (9:17)
Belly Bandit Bamboo Wrap
How to improve your posture to heal diastasis recti (10:43)
Core healing exercises for diastasis recti (11:36)
How the muscles of the core and pelvic floor are connected (13:18)
Diet recommendations to repair your muscles (people usually get this wrong) (14:00)
Other methods to consider for healing your pelvic floor and core after birth (17:13)
Jessica's program to heal diastasis recti (19:06)

Roll out your yoga mat, then play Jessica's videos and try to healing exercises. Stop by her site for more info on protecting your pelvic floor. Jessica made a special guide for Pure Nurture on healing your core and pelvic floor after birth.

Preparing your pelvic floor and core for birth with Anita Lambert Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

Anita Lambert is the owner of Holistic Health Physiotherapy and a Registered Pelvic Health and Orthopaedic Physiotherapist with a focus on women's health, specifically prenatal and postpartum care. She's one of the select few physiotherapists in Canada to receive advanced training in labor support, which blends orthopedic physiotherapy expertise with birth doula support. Anita is always looking to share and learn up-to-date information about pregnancy, birth and beyond which led her to co-host the To Birth & Beyond Podcast. You can usually find Anita on the move - whether playing with her kids or exercising with strength training, spin, yoga or Pilates. Anita lives in Peterborough, Ontario with her husband Andy, daughter Pippa and the newest addition to the family - baby Jack. In this episode, you'll hear about:

Anita's work with prenatal and postpartum care (1:27)
To Birth and Beyond Podcast
Where your Pelvic Floor is (5:53)
Preparing Your Pelvic Floor for Birth Podcast
Kegel exercises (8:27)
Best time to do Kegel exercises (most women do it wrong) (9:00)
In-Depth Birth Prep Podcast
Flower Bloom Breathe to expedite labor — How to video (10:40)
Perineal Massage — How to video (12:30)
Massage oil recommendations (15:50)
Exercises to prepare for birth (16:30)
Spinning Babies Daily Essentials Video
Ways to ease your birth (17:50)

If you feel drawn to Anita, you can find her on Instagram here, Facebook, her site HolisticHealthPhysio.com, and her amazing podcast To Birth and Beyond. If thinking about birth gives you the jitters, Anita's shares solid advice to help you prepare here. If I was pregnant, I would've downloaded this.

Using your intuition to make parenting less stressful with Katie Beecher Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

Easily tap into your intuition! Think of intuition differently than you ever have before. Katie uses Carl Jung's definition of God within which to me means an all-knowing force that loves you unconditionally and completely. It is always available for guidance and support and is always protecting you, like a perfect parent, which so many of us never had. The directions are to write (not type) out a question, thought or feeling to your intuition. Wait to see what you hear and feel in response and write that down. Then write back. Wait for a response again and write back. You can continue for as long as you would like. I use this technique to talk with my guides, my body and also loved ones on the other side when I want more intensity than just doing it in my head. The writing provides focus, connection to the body, mindfulness meditation, and grounding. My only rule: don't overthink. Just put down whatever you get. It's life-changing and it saved my life. If anyone would like to write to Katie and ask her any questions, she'd love to hear from you. Katie shares other ideas on her Facebook page and was featured in Goop.com. In this episode, you'll hear about:

Childbirth Education Personality Quiz
Katie's work as a Medical & Spiritual Intuitive (2:54)
How Katie knew that she could help people intuitively (3:58)
How you can use intuition to be a better parent (6:07)
Taking care of yourself to avoid anxiety (9:27)
How to tap into your intuition exercise (11:19)
Do you need to recharge exercise for kids (15:50)
Allowing your kids to do nothing and why it's important (17:44)

Learn more about Katie on her website. If you're fascinated about the idea of intuitive pregnancy and parenting, listen to my conversation with birth doula and host of the Birthful podcast, Adriana Lozada on episode 34 of the Pure Nurture podcast.

Planning for a Positive Postpartum Phase with Sarah Blunkosky Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

Sarah Blunkosky, M.A., R-PYT, R-CYT is an integrative education consultant, certified peer-breastfeeding counselor, and registered Accessible yoga instructor specializing in family, children's, special needs, and prenatal/postpartum movement/embodiment. She serves clients in Northern Virginia and travels for service appointments, conferences, and workshops with local studios and her company, Learning Heroine LLC. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook sharing her mission: Set learning free. When she isn't homeschooling her kids or teaching yoga, you can find her writing articles and working on a book to assist people in freeing obstacles in learning during their prenatal/postpartum, parenting, and life journeys.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Sarah Blunkowskyi's story (1:50)
Flexi-Schooling (2:50)
Integrative Education Consultant (4:45)
How you can PLAN to have a more positive postpartum experience (9:00)
Healthy boundaries for visitors who are meeting your newborn (14:44)
Yoga and self-care to promote healing after your baby arrives (24:22)

Check out Sarah's guest blog post on Pure Nurture, POSTPARTUM MINIMALISM, AND RECOVERY Connect with Sarah here: Learning Heroine LLC Facebook, Linked In, Instagram, Yoga

A Minimalist Approach to Pregnancy + Postpartum with Diane Boden Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

Diane Boden is the host of the Minimalist Moms Podcast. In this episode, Diane shares how we can take a more simplified and minimalist approach to pregnancy and postpartum. A minimalistic lifestyle means different things to different people. When you have a family and children, it changes the definition even more. Diane shares how to prepare for your baby's arrival. Set up your baby registry with only the essentials and maybe add in the "next up" items and "take it or leave it" items. You'll learn how to be more mindful as you prepare for your baby's arrival and how to clear out all the "noise" when you're pregnant. In this episode, you'll hear about:

Meet Diane Boden and how the Minimalist Mom's Podcast was born over drinks (2:39)
What minimalism means for Moms (5:00)
You really don't need a lot on your baby registry (8:56)
Take it or leave it baby gifts (14:02)
Great ways to save money while raising your kids (16:32)
Good things to invest in for your kids (18:28)
Leveraging your community to save money

Connect with Diane: http://www.minimalistmomspodcast.com Instagram: @MinimalistMomsPodcast Facebook: @TheMinimalistMoms

6 Keys to Feeling Like Yourself Again with Shannon Shearn Jun 11, 2019

Show notes

Retired Circus Acrobat turned health coach for moms, Shannon Shearn helps moms learn how to prioritize their health and happiness in a way that feels sustainable and gets them to their healthy living goals! Grab several incredible resources related to this episode here. In this episode, you'll hear about:

Shannon and her two boys (3:55)
Shannon's life as a circus acrobat (6:47)
From performing in a circus to running a family circus (8:52)
Shifting from intense fitness to inner calm (12:39)
How Shannon helps women put themselves first (18:30)
The Savage Six (20:50)

Shannon Shearn is the owner and founder of Savage Wellness, connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

Orgasmic Birth with Debra Pascali-Bonaro Jun 04, 2019

Show notes

Founder & President of Pain to Power Childbirth online classes, Director of the award-winning documentary Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret and co-writer of "Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth" Debra Pascali-Bonaro talks about: What is Orgasmic Birth? Birth and Sex? How are they connected? How does fear cause pain in childbirth? Debra is an inspirational international speaker, Chair of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization, and Co-Chair executive committee of the International Childbirth Initiative. Debra's passion comes from her years as a Lamaze International childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula trainer with DONA International as well as acclaimed international speaker, teaching parents, midwives, nurses, doulas, and physicians in over 40 countries. Featured on ABC 20/20, NBC Today Show, New York Times, LA times and in media and parenting magazines around the world. In this episode, you'll hear about:

How Debra became a Doula and Childbirth Educator (3:28)
What led Debra to create the Orgasmic Birth concept (5:17)
The percentage of women who've had an orgasm during birth (11:15)
How sex and birth are related (17:23)
Healing from trauma (20:57)

Orgasmicbirth.com

Your Body During Breastfeeding with Courtney Hasseman, CNM May 28, 2019

Show notes

Courtney Hasseman is a Certified Nurse-Midwife, Nurse Practitioner, and Functional Nutritionist who provides integrative healthcare and uses nutrition to support women's hormonal and menstrual health. She sees women for care in her Leesburg office and offers online nutritional therapy for women everywhere.

In this episode, Courtney shares all about the best nutrition during breastfeeding, how your periods change during the season of breastfeeding, choices for contraception while breastfeeding, and more!

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Courtney & Kristy reconnecting after high school 25 years later (2:00)
Courtney's in-person and online Midwifery and Integrative Nutrition practice (2:58)
Nutritional Therapy online course
Try eating these foods while you breastfeed (5:40)
Getting back to pre-pregnancy weight won't happen overnight (7:43)
Best foods to eat while breastfeeding (9:17)
Foods to avoid while you're breastfeeding (10:56)
Best fish to eat a few times a week while breastfeeding (11:40)
Hormonal changes while breastfeeding your baby (12:28)
Sexual changes while breastfeeding (15:25)
How to ease back into spending time with your partner (16:20)
Normal changes in your breasts while breastfeeding (17:50)

You can learn more about Courtney's services in the D.C. Metro area or online at CourtneyHasseman.com. If you believe women deserve unhurried and personalized healthcare, follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

5 Questions You MUST Ask Before Birth with Deb Flashenberg May 21, 2019

Show notes

Deb Flashenberg is the founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC. She is a yoga teacher, labor support doula, Lamaze childbirth educator and has completed a midwifery assistant program at The Farm in Tennessee with Ina May Gaskin and The Farm midwives. On this episode of the Pure Nurture Podcast, Deb is sharing all about five essential questions to ask your care provider before birth. When you're in labor, it's not a good time to start negotiating your delivery wishes. You need to feel heard, respected, and supported BEFORE your big day and be sure you and your support team are all on the same page. In this episode, you'll hear about:

Who is Deb Flashenberg & how she got into supporting pregnant women before she became a Mom (2:35)
Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC
Yoga | Birth | Babies Podcast
Who's Afraid of the Pregnant Yogi? online program
When you meet your doctor for the first time, ask these 5 key questions to make sure you're on the same page (5:36)
Is it too late to switch care providers in your 3rd trimester? (25:00)

"As a doula, Deb has heard this lament time and time again: "I received the name of my doctor from a friend, and if I had known what to ask, I probably would have switched doctors a long time ago. Now I feel it's too late to change!" Ideally, it's best to have a very important conversation with your doctor at the beginning of your pregnancy to make sure that the way he or she practices medicine matches up with the way you want to birth. If you're already into your pregnancy and a relationship with your doctor, be sure to ask these key questions at your next appointment! When you're in labor, it isn't a good time to start negotiating your labor and delivery wishes. It's essential that you feel heard, supported and respected long before the big day!" - Via www.prenatalyogacenter.com Click here to read more about the 5 questions Deb recommends you ask your doctor. If you found this podcast helpful and want more, visit Deb at her Prenatal Yoga Center, on Instagram, and Facebook. Check out her prenatal yoga teacher training (if you're ready to dive deeper) and when you're in New York City, pop in for a yoga class! Best part? You can practice yoga wherever you are with Deb's free yoga videos.

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