The Postpartum Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 51: "Say Thank You and Eat the Weird Food (AKA Accept Help!) " with Angelina Valentin Aug 23, 2016

Show notes

Today was such a fun episode full of so much heart and helpful information! I loved chatting with Angie Valentin. Angie is a certified doula and has supported 350+ growing families since 2004 as a Birth Doula and Postpartum Doula, as a Birth & Baby Educator leading childbirth education classes and newborn baby care classes, and as a Placenta Encapsulation Specialist in the greater Sacramento area. Angie is the founder and director of Doulaville Birth Services, (in Seattle, Philadelphia, and San Francisco), a doula collective intended to prepare, support, and nourish the women who so passionately support this labor of love. In Angie's episode, we chat about so many different things, but here are the highlights:

Parenting 3 children with a large age gap - 13 is similar to 2!
Managing pre-existing OCD during postpartum
Dealing with a challenging surrogacy pregnancy and birth
Having her daughter diagnosed with autism and how that challenged her postpartum period
Dealing with long term Postpartum Depression
How short labors can actually be traumatizing in their own right
Self Care with a Type A personality
Such a beautiful way of helping us remember we need to accept help
The importance of those close to you knowing the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression
How we have to speak the same "language" in our relationships
And so much more!

Don't forget to check out Doulaville if you are in Seattle, Philadelphia or San Francisco and Angie's regular website if you are in Sacramento.

This episode of the Postpartum Podcast is sponsored by Earth Mama Angel Baby. Earth Mama Angel Baby has been safely nurturing pregnant women and babies for over a decade with trusted, certified organic and natural herbal products formulated to support the entire journey of childbirth, from pregnancy through postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and baby care, and even baby loss. Listeners can get 20% off your order with the code "Postpartum20" at checkout.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 50: "It's all just flying by the seat of your pants" with Rosemary Fernandez Aug 16, 2016

Show notes

Today I loved chatting with Rosemary Fernandez. Rosemary is a mom of two kids, a boy and a girl born just 13 months apart. On top of being a full time mama, she also a freelancer. She blogs at Miss Rosemary's Novel Ideas where she reviews popular fiction. Her work has also appeared on HowtobeaRedhead.com, in Catholic New York and Yankees Magazine, and on NYT Best Selling Author Lauren Willig's website as a guest blogger. In a previous life she was an editor at Hudson Valley Magazine. Rosemary is also a contributor for The Postpartum Year Anthology.

In her episode we talk about:

Coming down with the stomach flu during the labor of her second child
Going right into the Prenatal Period again when she got pregnant with her second child
How fun it is to see how good her two kids are for each other
Adjusting to our children's schedules instead of doing things for ourselves
The importance of giving thoughtful mom-centered gifts during postpartum
How one child instead of few can sometimes actually feel like a break
And more!

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 49: An Unplanned Caesarean and Parenting a Child with Hearing Loss with Tina Donvito Aug 09, 2016

Show notes

Today I so enjoyed chatting with Tina Donvito. Her tenacity and heart is contagious. Professionally she is a freelance writer and is also mom to a two-year-old son. She has written about pregnancy and parenting online for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping and Scary Mommy, just to name a few. Her work was also recently published in the anthology Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by the Bestselling Memoir. She also has a parenting blog, Foggy Mommy and is a contributor for The Postpartum Year Anthology.

In Tina's episode we talk about:

The challenge of parenting a child with hearing loss - see her NYTimes article here.
How she got laid off from work during maternity leave
Her struggle with the reality of facing a necessary Caesarean Birth
How we need to stop saying "all that matters is a healthy baby"
Her son's 4 day NICU stay
Breastfeeding challenges and unsupportive providers
Nursing with a dairy allergy
The importance of finding a network or support group of other moms
Why we have to sometimes shop around for pediatricians
And more!

You can check out the NY Times Article Tina wrote about parenting a child with hearing loss here.

Don't forget to also check out her blog!

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 48: "The Postpartum Body and The Difficulty of Not Knowing" with Jenna Hollenstein Jul 26, 2016

Show notes

Jenna is so lovely. I loved getting to chat with her about meditation and motherhood and so many other things! Jenna is the founder and nutrition therapist at the private practice Eat to Love where she works with people with disordered eating. She also leads a weekly meditation group for moms called the Open Heart Project Mommy Sangha. She lives with her partner Andrea and their one year old son Domenico Peter, aka Mimmo, in New York City.

In her episode we talk about:

The struggle of being a full time mom and entrepreneur
The beauty of having grandparents to help out with childrearing
The importance of vulnerability to give others permission to be vulnerable
The way time changes when you become a parent
Her work leading the Open Heart Project Mommy Sangha
Changes in partner relationships when a baby enters the picture
The difficulty of not knowing
And more!

Don't forget to check out Jenna's website and meditation group!

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 47: "You are gonna get through it! Postpartum Depression, PUPPs and More" with Alaura Weaver Jul 19, 2016

Show notes

I loved chatting with Alaura Weaver! Alaura is a freelance copywriter, blogger, word-geek, mom, and "Bad-ass Motherblogger" who writes web content for small businesses and digital marketing professionals. She specializes in parenting, health, and wellness topics. You can read her blog about the history of motherhood here. Alaura is also a contributor for The Postpartum Year Anthology. I'm so glad to be able to talk about her experiences, which are rare, but I think it's important to share so that other moms who have experienced it feel less alone.

In her episode we talk about:

Her traumatic first birth experience
Leaving her sales job during her baby's first year
Dealing with a PUPP rash at the end of pregnancy
Her struggle with Postpartum Depression
How her second c-section with a midwife's guidance was healing
The importance of not being dogmatic with parenting
Do practical things after the baby is born!
The reality of Baby Blues not being a "just" but something to acknowledge and respect
The importance of being with our feelings
And more!

Please don't forget to check out Alaura's websites and freelance services here and here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 46: "You aren't going to be a perfect mother, but you are going to be THEIR perfect mother" with Colleen Lutz Clemens Jul 12, 2016

Show notes

Today it was so great to talk with Colleen Lutz Clemens. Colleen is the editor of several books of non-fiction including Philadelphia Reflections: Stories from the Delaware to the Schuylkill and has published short essays in various collections including Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists. Her work on miscarriage and infertility has been published in many outlets including here at TRIVIA and in the collection Three Minus One. On the web, she is a staff writer for bitchflicks where she writes about issues of gender in popular films. She has published pieces on Scary Mommy, Literary Mama, and feministing. She is also a contributor for The Postpartum Year.

In her episode we talk about:

Having a baby while in a tenure track position at a university
The hard part of being half in the work world and half in the SAHM world
Why you should take photos while you're pregnant
Managing the identity shift, especially having kids after being established in your career
Bring food you can eat with one hand!
Don't go on the internet!
We know our babies better than anyone else.

Be sure to check out Colleen's other writing as linked above as well as her blog, here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 45: "You ARE the mom. And it is up to YOU" With Theresa Thorn of One Bad Mother Jun 28, 2016

Show notes

This week I'm back with the other half of the One Bad Mother Podcast duo, Theresa Thorn, chatting about her postpartum and birth stories with her two sons. Theresa is so warm and funny and insightful, I know you will love her and this episode!

In the episode we talk about:

Attempting to work from home with a newborn when you own a business
Dealing with the separation of the pubic symphysis
Her positive labor and birth experiences with both boys
How One Bad Mother got started, from her perspective
How we don't need to be the same as our mom friends!
How sometimes having kids can actually make us feel MORE like ourselves
Relationship struggles when a baby arrives
The importance of therapy and help and how we need to talk more about mental health
The importance of supporting new parents after birth
There's no right way through the Postpartum Year

Thank you Theresa!!

You can find One Bad Mother online here, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

You can find One Bad Mother on Facebook here.

You can also find the One Bad Mother private Facebook group - as mentioned in the episode - here.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 44: "This is impossibly hard, and you actually ARE doing a really good job" with Biz Ellis of One Bad Mother Jun 21, 2016

Show notes

Today I was SO excited to chat with Biz Ellis, one half of the comedy parenting podcast One Bad Mother. I've mentioned on the show many times how OBM was my "gateway" podcast that really helped me get through my daughter's first year and part of what led me to start this podcast as another way to help and support new moms. So naturally, I was thrilled when Biz (and Theresa who will be on next week) agreed to come on as guests! *Apologies for the strange clicking sound my microphone was making for part of the interview!

We talked about so many things in this episode, and I could barely stop laughing through most of it, but here are some highlights. Biz and I talk about:

How our birth experiences really do matter
How she went from a 60 hour work week to being a stay-at-home mom
How our kids are not the same, as much as we would like them to be
We need doulas for everything!
We are doing moms a disservice if we don't tell them breastfeeding can often be challenging in the beginning
If you're bringing a new mom food - put the food close to her! So that she can actually reach it!

You can find One Bad Mother online here, or anywhere you get your podcasts.

You can find One Bad Mother on Facebook here.

You can also find the One Bad Mother private Facebook group - as mentioned in the episode - here.

The one song that would soothe baby Ellis was The Fall of Charleston

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 43: "You Can Take The Cape Off" with Ron Malott of Design Daddy and The Baby Team Jun 07, 2016

Show notes

Today was a really fun show! I got to chat with Ron Malott of Design Daddy and part of "The Baby Team" with Brian Salmon and Kirsten Brunner.

Ron and his partner Mike ended up adopting two infants, a girl and a boy, who were 6 months apart and we chat about how difficult that transition was for them as a couple, and how they decided to sell their LA home within a month and move back to Austin to simplify their lives. We also chat about how they took care of his mom during her last few years of life while raising their newborns.

We talked about so many different things but some of the highlights were:

The importance of keeping your relationship strong through these early years
Being near supportive family and friends when raising your kids
A common theme for the show - finding community
The adoption agency they used: "The Independent Adoption Agency" and why they chose to do open adoption
The importance of finding 'me' time
How you get the kids you are meant to parent
The universality of parenthood

Thank you again, Ron! It was so wonderful to talk with you. You can learn more about Ron on his website at The Design Daddy on Facebook.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 42: "Not every day is going to be your best day." Music Therapy for Childbirth and Postpartum with Kate Taylor May 31, 2016

Show notes

Today it was so fun to chat with Kate Taylor, music therapist and birth doula and owner of Creative Childbirth Concepts. I was fascinated with how Kate used her music therapy background to provide support for family's in her work as a doula, and I think you will find this information so interesting and helpful. We talked about so many different things but here are some highlights:

How music can be incorporated into not only your birth but your postpartum experiences as well
How music is used during a birth
Helpful tips for choosing your birth playlist
How to find a music therapist for your birth
How she incorporated music into both of her birth experiences and how it also helped her deal with jaundice and her daughter having to stay at the hospital after she was discharged
How to choose the best lullaby based on baby's brain development (so many things I hadn't thought of!)
The importance of doulas! (a common topic on this show)
Love Languages for helping out in postpartum

Learn more about Music Therapy for Childbirth and Kate here.

The article I mentioned about Empathy Burn Out.

***

As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.

Do you shop on Amazon? Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.

The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com. To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go tohttp://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum

You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon. No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show. Click here to learn more.

Thank you SO much for your support!

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