Pure Nurture Pregnancy and Birth

Latest Episodes:

Hypnobirthing was the Most Empowering Thing I Did for Myself with Shveta Sontakey Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

Learn all about why Hypnobirthing was the most empowering thing Shveta Sontakey did for herself and her family, and how a business grew out of her experience.

"After taking hypnobirthing classes, I went from terrified to give birth to looking forward to it." - Shveta Sontakey, Hypnobirthing mama and small business owner.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

Shveta's passion for birth, postpartum, and being mindful (1:37)
How hypnobirthing changed Shveta's life (2:20)
How to know if hypnobirthing was the right birthing class for you (4:57)
Women's mental health (6:30)
The power of affirmations (8:20)
Oath Bracelets by Sontakey (11:17)
Instagram.com/Sontakey
Cut out the start/stop here → (17:37 - 17:54)

Now that you've heard how hypnobirthing can help you look forward to giving birth, marvel at these beautiful Oath Bracelets at Sontakey.com and on Instagram. I mean, who couldn't use this reminder: Every wave brings me closer to the shore. Learn about Shveta and see her beautiful family photo shoots at Shveta.com.

Thai Massage During Pregnancy with Beth Howarth Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

Beth is a yoga instructor and Thai Yoga practitioner. She's been practicing yoga since 2002 and teaching since 2006. Through the years she has drawn inspiration from a variety of styles and teachers, including Ashtanga, Iyengar, Dharma Mittra, and Anusara. Beth encourages her students to take chances in their practice so that they may develop the same courage off their mats. Beth is the owner of Get Bent Yoga. She is also a freelance writer/editor. She has a Master's in Clinical Social Work and previously counseled survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Beth lives in Arlington and is the mother of two precocious and funny girls. In this episode, you'll learn:

Beth didn't have plans to become a stay-at-home Mom (2:40)
Basics of Thai massage (9:50)
Benefits of Thai massage on fertility (13:50)
What women want to receive from a Thai massage (17:44)
How to do yoga and Thai massage if you're pregnant (18:48)
Make quality time for yourself (21:00)
How to contact Beth and find a Thai massage therapist near you (25:17)

If your body can use some relaxation, reach out to Beth at Get Bent Yoga, Instagram, and where she works, Fall Church Wellness Center in the DC area.

Movement and mindset during pregnancy and postpartum Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

Maria Alcoke is the host of the Engine Mom Podcast, a CrossFit-L1 trainer, a Certified Pre&Postnatal Coach and runs her own graphic & web design studio, MariaVida Creative. In this episode, you'll learn:

What mama Maria is up to (0:15)
Maria's CrossFit routine and how she supports Moms-to-be (1:30)
The best type of movement for pregnancy (4:25)
The right amount of exercise while pregnant and as a new Mom (5:59)
The importance of working with a fitness coach (11:00)
What exercises Maria's going to stop doing during her second pregnancy (13:57)
How new Moms can expect to exercise with a pregnant belly -- Moving with Intention & Intensity (16:50)
Find a fitness coach you can trust online or in your area (18:44)
The mindset to stay fit during pregnancy through postpartum (19:50)
How Maria works with women in person and online (22:48)

After a hard workout, your muscles are crying out for rest. There's regular massage and then there's Thai massage. In the next episode, Beth Howarth explains how pregnant women can receive massage and do yoga.

How Support Can Change Your Birth Experience with Mari Smith, Birth Doula and Co-Founder of Arrow Birth Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

My doula, Mari Smith is joining me on the Pure Nurture Podcast. Mari supported me through both of my birth experiences and she is an absolute gem! I can honestly say that I wouldn't have had the intervention-free birth experience that I had hoped for without the support of my doula. At our very first prenatal visit, Mari opened my eyes to all the choices I could make about my birth and how to have an empowered experience. If you'd like to have an intervention-free, empowered, calm, and supported birth experience, you'll gain so much from our conversation. In this episode, you'll learn:

Mom & Mind Podcast
About Mari Smith (3:33)
Mari first introduced the idea of empowered birth options to Kristy (5:00)
A team can support you and your birth (7:44)
What's a Doula? (10:28)
The transition from birth to parenting can be challenging (15:13)
Birth taboos -- what's not talked about and how it impacts birth experiences (17:13)
The future of Arrow Birth (21:08)
How to connect with Mari at CelebratedBirth.com (23:28)

If you're looking for more than meditation and yoga to keep your mind and body healthy and fit, join us next week when we talk to Maria Alcoke, mama, new mama to be, trainer, podcast host, and coach.

The Wisdom of Homeopathy with Cilla Whatcott Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

Our natural response to heal has been suppressed for a variety of reasons. Homeopathy offers a supportive environment that allows the body to heal on its own. Cilla Whatcott guides us through the wonderful world of homeopathy. With a Ph.D. and a Board Certification in Homeopathy, she eloquently explains this beautiful science. If you wondered what those blue vials are in the health food shop, this conversation fills you in. In this episode, you'll learn:

She found a calling in homeopathy by curing her son's asthma (3:47)
What homeopathy is and how it works (5:44)
Every cell has intelligence and is designed to heal itself (9:22)
The explosion of chronic illness and the beauty of emergency medicine (12:43)
Building immunity naturally (14:10)
Miller's Review of Critical Vaccine Studies book (16:50)
Your voice echoes here - I'd cut this part out (19:15 - 19:24)
What you can do at home to support your immunity (19:49)
12 Cell Salts (20:26)
Elderberry Syrup (22:26)
Influenzinum (22:40)
What is homeoprophylaxis or HP? (24:10)
The difference between homeoprophylaxis and homeopathy (27:18)
How often to take homeopathic medicine during flu season (29:28)
How to handle bad vaccine injuries with a homeopath (30:12)
How Willa educates and empowers parents to develop healthy immune systems for these kids (32:05)
The inspiration behind Cilla's film, Real Immunity (32:50)
Passage to Real Immunity, Cilla's next film (34:14)
Learn more about immunity support and Cilla's work (35:32)
Best advice Cilla received about raising children (36:22)

Dive into the homeopathy world of CillaWhatcott.com, FamilyHomeopathyCare.com, WorldwideChoice.org, and RealImmunity.org. Next time on the Pure Nurture Podcast, tune into an intimate chat with Mari Smith, my Doula.

Birth, the microbiome, and your baby's lifelong immunity with Toni Harman Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

When Toni Harmon launched her award-winning documentary, MICROBIRTH, she wanted to shout from the rooftops about the critical microscopic events happening during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. She believes that this is critical knowledge that every healthcare professional should know about and should care about to help empower parents with full informed choice. After all, the infant microbiome is a field of science that strongly supports vaginal birth (when possible), immediate skin-to-skin contact, and exclusive breastfeeding. This enables the optimal training of the infant immune system to benefit a child's lifelong health. That's why she created the Microbirth School, an online course offering continuing education for healthcare professionals. In this episode, you'll learn:

How Toni went from filming horror films to filming childbirth (0:35)
What is the microbiome (4:46)
Supporting a healthy pregnancy (12:43)
Being obsessed with cleanliness isn't always good (17:13)
Benefits of living on a farm (19:20)
How to support your baby's microbiome if you have a c-section (25:15)
Can a Mom request Swab Seeding? (31:07)
Do your own research and raise your kids in the best way you can (32:25)
Be excited about the microbiome and open your mind to new possibilities (34:49)
Where to study the microbiome (35:55)

Dig around to learn more at Microbirth.com, Microbirth School, Twitter, and Facebook. If you've been curious about what those blue vials are at the health food store, tune into episode 15. Cilla Whatcott, PHD and Certified Homeopath reminds us that cells are designed to heal. Vaccines and antibiotics suppress immunity. With a supportive, loving environment, the body will thrive.

Functional Nutrition for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Motherhood with Andrea White Nov 06, 2018

Show notes

Andrea Laine White is a Functional Nutrition Therapist practicing at Colorado Natural Medicine and the Chief Marketing Officer and Nutritionist for Baby Fresh Organics (Fresh Start). In her clinical practice, Andrea has developed therapeutic nutritional protocols for a variety of different conditions including, but not limited to: hormonal weight gain related to menopause, acne, endometriosis, infertility and conception, disorders of the thyroid including Hashimoto's, autoimmune disorders including Celiac / Rheumatoid Arthritis / Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), sleep disorders, migraine headaches, digestive disorders, HPA axis maladaptation/adrenal fatigue, hypertension, food sensitivities/ intolerances, depression/anxiety, gaining weight/increasing lean muscle mass, and cardiovascular disease/elevated cholesterol levels. Andrea attained her certification as a Master Nutrition Therapist from the Nutrition Therapy Institute in Denver, Colorado. Her education was primarily administered by practitioners of functional medicine. Functional medicine addresses the underlying or root causes of dysfunction in the body and seeks to restore balance from within. Andrea shares the number one gift a mom can give to her baby is a healthy gut. 75% of the immune system is housed in the gut (microbiome). Join us next week for episode 14 and learn even more about the microbiome and how it impacts overall health. I'll be talking with Toni Harman, producer of the documentary Microbirth. Toni will share more about the microbiome and the impact on your baby and ways that you can create a healthy foundation that can impact your child's health for the rest of his or her life! In this episode, you'll learn:

Andrea's story (0:45)
Your Next Big Thing Book helped her find her purpose(1:25)
Andrea's approach to nutrition (3:29)
Two factors that determine a healthy gut (4:55)
What glyphosate is and how it affects the digestive system (10:16)
Fun fact: learn about microbiome and epigenetics in episode 14 with Toni Harmon (11:10)
Solocast: About Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's) (12:30)
Read the Dirty Dozen List and Clean 15 List from Environmental Working Group (EWG) (12:45)
The first steps to feeding our little ones (13:12)
Forming your child's taste buds in utero (21:10)
Andrea's philosophy on supplements (22:29)
Functional lab testing for micronutrients (24:05)
Difference between folate and folic acid (31:26)
Andrea sees clients all over the world (32:22)

You can connect with Andrea at ColoradoNaturalMed.com, Instagram, or info@coloradonaturalmed.com. Join us for episode 14 of The Pure Nurture Podcast when we talk all about the microbiome and the impact on your baby's health with Toni Harman, producer of the documentary Microbirth.

The Environment and Your Baby's Health with Dr. Aly Cohen Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Aly Cohen is a practicing rheumatologist and integrative medicine physician in Princeton, New Jersey. She has been actively involved in the area of environmental health over the past decade. Her work has led to education collaborations with Environmental Working Group and several medical schools and physician training programs. She recently co-edited the text, "Integrative Environmental Medicine, through Oxford University Press/ Weil Academic Series. In 2016, she founded "The Smart Human" social media platform, in order to better educate the general public on topics in environmental health and prevention, and she is currently working to create curriculum on environmental health to be available to high school students nationally. She posts practical health and prevention tips and recommendations on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She is also a mother of two crazy young boys and several adorable animals. In this episode, you'll learn:

How her dog's death opened her eyes to Environmental Health (2:10)
What Environmental Health is and why you should care (4:58)
Environmental Health is important during pregnancy (8:23)
Things to do if you want to have a healthy child (11:12)
If you can't buy all organic food, follow the Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 (18:15)
Soak conventional produce in warm water and white vinegar (20:48)
How to be sure that you're drinking clean water (22:15)
How to Make Our Drinking Water Safer Video by Dr. Cohen
Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Guide to Buying a Water Filter(26:50)
Water delivery (27:17)
Plastics to avoid in baby bottles, sippy cups, and water bottles (30:00)
Integrative Environmental Medicine Book (31:54)
Life Factory glass water bottles, Kleen Kanteen stainless steel cups, glass baby bottles, glass sippy cups, silicone nipples (32:33)
Top five changes to create a healthy home (34:55)
Environmental Trust - EHTrust.org (39:30)

You can find Dr. Aly Cohen and her amazing resources at TheSmartHuman.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn. If you're near Princeton, New Jersey, visit her private practice.

Creating a Healthier Next Generation with Beth Lambert Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

Author, educator and former healthcare consultant, Beth Lambert has monitored and documented the escalating rates of childhood chronic conditions for nearly a decade. Her book, A Compromised Generation, provides a thorough analysis of the origins of this modern health crisis and documents how modifications to environmental and lifestyle factors can profoundly influence health outcomes, including full disease reversal. Beth is the founder and Executive Director of Epidemic Answers, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to reestablishing vibrant health in our children. She is also the creator and Executive Producer of The Documenting Hope Project, a multi-year prospective research study and media project that examines the cumulative impact of environmental stressors on health and their mitigation through personalized and systems-based treatment approaches. Beth is the mother of three children and is passionate about raising awareness about the connection between daily choices, human health, and planetary health. In this episode, you'll learn:

How Beth got into her work at Epidemic Answers (2:29)
How to talk to practitioners when you disagree with the diagnosis (10:14)
How to support your kids who have health issues (16:09)
How to work with your doctor and create a wellness team (21:33)
What's contributing to childhood chronic conditions and how we can turn it around (25:20)
Total Load Theory (28:30)
Living in sync with nature (32:44)
Healing can take time (34:00)
Three steps towards a healthy family (35:15)
Documenting Hope Project (37:30)
Chirp Survey: Child Health Inventory for Resilience and Prevention(37:50)
Using the Chirp Survey Report to clean up your home (38:36)
Take the Chirp Survey Report and see a Health Coach (39:38)
Find a health-conscious friend to stay on track (40:30)
Practitioner Directory (43:40)
Health Coach Directory (43:50)
Health Coaching Training Program (44:00)

If you'd like to connect with Beth, learn more at EpidemicAnswers.org. Follow her on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Join us next week as we continue our conversation about creating a healthier next generation with Dr. Aly Cohen, MD, FACR, FABOIM, practicing rheumatologist and integrative medicine physician. She is the founder of The Smart Human, a social media platform that educates the general public on topics in environmental health and prevention. Next week, Dr. Cohen will be sharing simple ways that you can improve your family's health and the health of your home, and much more!

The Mommy Lifecycle™ with Dr. Cleopatra Oct 16, 2018

Show notes

The Mommy Lifecycle™ was developed by Dr. Cleopatra Abdou Kamperveen, a mom, a psychologist, author, and professor. She is best known for her innovative research and work on reproductive health, human flourishing, and the intergenerational transmission of health. Her multi-million-dollar research program has been funded by multiple arms of the National Institutes of Health and numerous other funding agencies. After losing her Mother at birth, it became her life's work to walk beside women through some of the hardest, most important and beautiful parts of their lives—their baby and Motherhood journeys. She has formally studied and supported thousands of women over the past 21 years. She is also a head-over-heels in love Wifey and Mommy of 3 and has personally used the system that she developed for her Clients. She gave birth to her children just before her 35th, 37th, and 40th birthdays. All three children were conceived on the first try! Dr. Cleopatra is the author of Get Pregnant in No Time!, The Mommy Success Toolkit, and For Every Body: The 5 Essential Fertility, Pregnancy, & Postpartum Supplements. She teaches women all over the world how to create the families and the lives of their dreams. She provides a science-based + big-hearted space for fertility, pregnancy, and Motherhood support and education for women in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. In this episode, you'll learn:

How Dr. Cleopatra found her purpose through losing her Mom (3:16)
What the Mommy Life Cycle is (10:58)
Do you ever feel ready to have a baby? (17:19)
Motherhood is a sacrifice vs joyful (24:15)
Preparing for postpartum (33:10)
How Dr. Cleopatra supports Moms with the In Bloom program (34:40)

If you have any questions or would like to connect with Cleopatra, you can email her at info@drcleopatra.com and learn more at DrCleopatra.com.

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