Yoga | Birth | Babies

Approximately 1 in 4 pregnant people will be induced. With rates this high, understanding induction and all it entails can help demystify the induction process and reduce fear, which can make your whole birth more satisfying.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with Labor and Delivery nurse, childbirth educator and mother of 7, Trish Ware. Trish shares everything you need to know about being induced, from having a “favorable cervix” to medically indicated reasons for induction. Trish’s down to earth tone makes this sometimes overwhelming topic, easy to digest and hear.  Support Our Sponsors  Lovevery: Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your Play Kits at LoveEvery.com/YBB Greenchef: Go to GreenChef.com/ybb90 and use code ybb90 to get $90 off your first month including free shipping! Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a ra

Do you remember the Saturday Night Live skit about “Mom Jeans”? It pokes fun at “moms” and emphasizes that once someone becomes a mother they trade in the sexy body, cute clothes, and sense of self for a frumpy bodied person with poor fashion sense who is fully family focused. Why does society accept the deeply embedded belief that mothers can’t be sexy?  This is one of my favorite episodes of Yoga | Birth | Babies which is why we are revisiting this important topic! I speak with award winning documentarian, author, world renowned speaker and acclaimed doula, Debra Pascali-Bonaro.  Debra and I have a fun and lively conversation about her book, The Ultimate Guide to Sex After Baby: Secrets to Love and Intimacy. Debra explains why so many people put sexuality and motherhood into two very different realms and how mother figures can reclaim their sexy wild woman. Debra offers amazing insight and advice for maintaining your connection to your partner and honoring your own personal needs.  Support Our Sponsors  Lo

J came back to postnatal yoga and shared that she faced two monumentous moments of struggle and surrender during her birth. Having had the chance to get to know J through out her pregnancy, I was deeply curious about her birth story. J, was a regular in prenatal yoga and the topic of fear and control was often something she often expressed. How do you enter a situation that is out of your control when you have a deep desire to control the process?  In our conversation, J vulnerably shared about the anxiety and depression she faced during pregnancy, the obstacles of her birth, and how she had to surrender control to allow her labor to progress. After a long birth, she was able to look back at the experience with pride and deep admiration for her personal journey. She told her husband, "Don’t ever let me forget how strong I am."  Please enjoy this week’s episode of Yoga| Birth |Babies with J Stewart as she shares her birth story.  Support Our Sponsors: Lovevery: Get free shipping when you sign up to receive

You may have seen the February 2021 Congressional Report stating there are toxic metals in commercial baby. It definitely made me stop in my tracks when I first learned about this. Interestingly enough, toxic heavy metals in baby food in not new news. (Yes, even the organic baby foods!) So what does all this even mean? Are you now making all your own baby food? Before you toss all your jarred baby food and start on your home garden, take a listen to today’s podcast.  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with Malina Linkas Malkani, MS, RDN, CDN, Registered Dietitian. Malina breaks down the recent report, explains side effects to this exposure, and practical ways to reduce baby’s exposure to contaminants. She also shares ideas for baby’s first foods, there are so many more options than rice cereal!  (ps… If you stay until the very end of the podcast, you can hear about what happens when you put dish soap in a dishwasher! Fun tales from Malina and Deb’s past!) Support Our Sponsors: Lovevery: Get free

When working to heal diastasis recti, most people think of physical exercises to repair the damage. However, nutrition can also play a role in this recovery.  In this episode of Yoga|Birth |Babies, I speak with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and founder of Thrive and Bloom Nutrition, Alexandra Paetow. Alexandra explains how food and nutrition can support the healing of weak connective tissue. She also provides specific foods that are high in collagen, a building block to help repair diastasis recti. For those looking for a well rounded approach to postpartum healing, this is the perfect conversation for you. Support Our Sponsors: Lovevery: Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your Play Kits at LoveEvery.com/YBB Osea: Try OSEA risk-free for 30 days and get free shipping on orders over $50. They even send free samples with every order! Get 10% off your first order with my promo code YBB at OSEAmalibu.com OUAI:  Go to THEOUAI.com and use code YBB to get 15% off your entire purchase. Greenc

What do you do when your birth is going well then very suddenly isn’t? That's the path Cindy's birth took.  To give you some peace of mind, Cindy and her son are healthy and well, but they had a very unusual turn of events in their birth journey. In my 20 years working with pregnant folks, this one made my jaw drop. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies I speak with new mother, Cindy Walters. Cindy graciously and openly shares her unique birth story. She also discusses how she has processed her experience and grieved for the birth she didn’t have. This conversation highlights the importance of having the mental flexibility to adjust and surrender expectations and how vital it is to have a supportive team who will unwaveringly rally around you.  Support Our Sponsors: Lovevery: Get free shipping when you sign up to receive your Play Kits at LoveEvery.com/YBB Osea: Try OSEA risk-free for 30 days and get free shipping on orders over $50. They even send free samples with every order! Get 10% off your fi

Failure to progress in labor. Can we all agree this is a horrible name and can impact someone’s view of their ability to give birth! For years, birthing people have been expected to follow “Freidman’s Curve” a standard set by a trial of only 500 participants conducted nearly 50 years ago. Recently, ACOG has set new standards. Unfortunately many hospitals and practices have been slow to put these new standards into practice.  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I am thrilled to bring back board-certified, practicing OB/GYN and mom of 2, Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins to discuss the parameters of “Failure to progress” and it’s impact unplanned cesareans. Nicole lays out what is considered “normal labor” and why it’s important not jump to declaring arrested labor before active labor starts at 6cm. She also shares factors that may be influencing longer labors and strategies care providers, nurses, and doulas have to help labor progress.  Support Our Sponsors: Lovevery: Get free shipping when you sign up to rece

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the first 40 days after birth is honored by “sitting the month.” It’s a time of confinement and healing believed to be crucial to the future health of the new parent and newborn. I first heard about this tradition from one of my students and was immediately intrigued. As a person who barely waited 10 days to resume life, the idea of hunkering down, resting, being cared for by family or other support people sounded foreign and inviting. I wanted to learn more about this ancient custom.  In this episode of Yoga| Birth|Babies, I speak with Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, licensed and board-certified acupuncturist and clinical herbalist, Dr. Lily Yu Gillespie. Lily shares her own hesitation to “sit the month” after her first birth and how some of the methods like binding helped repair her pelvic organ prolapse. Lily also explains the value of warmth, steam, and herbal food or medicinal food can play in healing from the ordeal of birth. This conversation offers a differ

We all have certain character traits that define our nature and help us predict how we will respond in different situations. When it comes to birth, understanding these characteristics can allow us to foresee how we may respond to the flow and turns of labor. These insights can help in preparing the kind of support you desire in labor.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with certified childbirth educators, doulas and Enneagram enthusiast, Cortney Clegg and Stephanie King. Cortney and Stephanie break down the 9 different personality Enneagram types. We discuss how each of the different types require different considerations and support when it comes to birth. Some Enneagram types are more introverted and may require a quieter, more guarded space while others lean towards being an achiever and may be best served from helping them stay more grounded in the moment. With this information, you can communicate your needs with your care provider and birth team. Get the most out of each episode by ch

For the majority of people, pregnancy won't cause your career to come to a screeching halt. Now imagine that your body is the instrument your career centers around. That's exactly what happened for Megan Fairchild, principal dancer with New York City Ballet. For her pregnancy meant a quick pivot and stepping back from her career for at least a year.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, Megan openly shares a feeling many people encounter when having an unplanned cesarean; feeling like a failure. After all, as a masterful technician of her own body, why couldn't she get it to do what she wanted? Megan talks about how she got to the other side of those feelings, returned to appreciating her body, and how she felt even stronger and more centered returning to the stage after her birth. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga|

During pregnancy and birth a certain level of anxiety is to be expected as much is unknown and many things change. However it's important to note ways depression and anxiety can manifest. A common way for it to appear during this time of life is a lack of trust in one’s self, one's body, ability to birth and parent, and a desire to take control of all aspects of the experiences. For many this gets coupled with years of fertility issues and loss leading a lot of expectant parents to find themselves overwhelmed.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with Reproductive and Perinatal Psychiatrist, Carly Snyder, M.D. She addresses these concerns and offers pregnant people tools they can use to trust the pregnancy process and soften the need to control pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Carly also addresses the usage of anxiety and depression medication during pregnancy and postpartum.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: p

“Beautiful things may be on the other side of fear and discomfort.” This is Mirror trainer, birth doula and prenatal yoga teacher Rachel Nicks' life philosophy. And it certainly served her well as she quickly had to rework her whole birth team and plans as she recently became a second time mother.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies I speak with Rachel Nicks about her work, pregnancies and birth. (Full disclosure, Rachel is a Prenatal Yoga Center teacher trainee alum! It was so fun to reconnect with her several years after her start into perinatal work.) Rachel shares how she unapologetically prioritizes family and self care in order for her to show up more balanced for her birth work and as a trainer for Mirror.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram

Parenting has been a very humbling experience. My children are incredible teachers showing me where I lack patience and need to adjust my behavior in order to help them self regulate and defuse tense moments. I’ve found myself being more REactive to their behavior rather than PROactive which often elevates tantrums, defiance, and frustration. If you can relate to any of this, today’s podcast episode will be a game changer for you! In this episode of Yoga| Birth|Babies, I speak with Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, Dr. Heather Maguire. Heather breaks down why certain behavior patterns happen and offers tools and strategies to help you effectively deal with common parenting challenges. She also talks about finding the balance between a reward system and consequences. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies

There are so many resources to gather information about pregnancy, labor and birth. How do you know what's accurate and what's misleading? In this episode of Yoga| Birth|Babies, I speak with double board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist, Shannon M. Clark, MD, MMS, FACOG about the myths and realities of many pregnancy and birth debated topics. Shannon covers a range of topics from epidurals (does the epidural medication pass through the placenta?) to the efficacy of putting garlic in your vagina to prevent Group B Strep. Enjoy Dr. Clark’s no nonsense, evidence based answers to questions gathered from the Prenatal Yoga Center community.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtub

Sixty percent of new parents don't breastfeed for as long as they intended, according to the CDC. The top reason being issues with lactation or latch. It's easy to understand why people would discontinue without support or solutions for breastfeeding issues. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and a Certified Specialist in Orofacial Myology (CSOM) Kelly Euperio. Kelly discusses common breastfeeding challenges that many new parents encounter and solutions to resolve these issues. She also talks about milk supply, what is considered normal, and how much control we have to increase supply if we suspect it's dropping.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instag

The birth of a child not only represents the start of a new life for the baby, but a new life for the parent as well. While this “birth” may not be recognizable to others and on the surface the new parent looks the same, they emerge a different person on the inside. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with new parent and actor, Melissa Macleod about her transformation as a new mother. Melissa shares her internal shift from embracing her new life and learning to trust her instincts as a parent. She also opens up about mistakes she made in early parenthood and what she learned from them.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi

It was a year ago this week, that the US shuttered by the force of COVID-19, leaving in it’s wake thousands of mothers who feel crushed by an unequal share of the pandemic burden. However, many mothers already felt massive burn out from daily life, the pandemic just highlighted the unrealistic expectations and pressures put on mothers. “I’ll go to my grave fighting for mothers.” are the words of Motherly’s Director of Health and Wellness, author and certified nurse midwife, Diana Spalding. In this week’s episode of Yoga |Birth | Babies, Diana and I talk about what sparked her passion to make changes on behalf of mothers and their overburdens. Diana shares her thoughts on how we can heal and elevate modern motherhood through individual, family and societal changes. Support Our Sponsors: About 1 in 8 mothers have PPD and it can affect not only the mother but also the whole family. The Skylark Clinical trial is studying a potential medicine for women with PPD. For more information about the study and to see i

Watching one’s body change dramatically over a matter of months can feel disconcerting. Combine that with a history of disordered eating and body image challenges, and navigating pregnancy and postpartum may feel overwhelming and out of control. In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with licensed social worker, Catie Lynch, who specializes in eating disorders, body image, and the postpartum period. She has made it her mission to help women stop dieting and find food freedom for themselves and their children. Catie shares tactics to find freedom from disordered eating and body image issues and discover ways to accept, embrace and trust your body during pregnancy and postpartum. She also discusses factors that contribute to the unrealistic expectations for pregnant and postpartum people’s body image. Support Our Sponsors: About 1 in 8 mothers have PPD and it can affect not only the mother but also the whole family. The Skylark Clinical trial is studying a potential medicine for women with PPD. For more

Sharing community birth stories offers an intimate connection between one parent and another. Sharing birth stories can be a form of childbirth education, as it helps to remove fear of the unknown and bring confidence, power and courage to those awaiting the transition from pregnancy to parenthood.  In this episode of Yoga| Birth |Babies, we hear the birth story of community member, yoga teacher, and founder of The Abbey, Caroline Williams. Caroline shares the challenges of early pregnancy, the life changing events she experienced while pregnant, and why she needed to adapt her birth plans during labor. Caroline beautifully explains the flexibility and resilience needed not just for birth but for the role as a parent.  Support Our Sponsors: About 1 in 8 mothers have PPD and it can affect not only the mother but also the whole family. The Skylark Clinical trial is studying a potential medicine for women with PPD. For more information about the study and to see if you or a loved one might be eligible visit ww

As parents, we aim to raise our children to be good people. Inclusive, respectful people that help move humanity forward. To do this, we have to have open, honest and sometimes difficult conversations about issues that our country and society faces. Simply stating “Do onto others as you would have them do onto you” is not enough. In this episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies, I speak with clinical psychologist, author of the book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria and former president of Spelman College, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum. In this important conversation Dr. Tatum helps define anti-racism, prejudice, and white privilege. She offers insight into ways people may be complacent, unknowingly moving towards racism, and how “well meaning” parents contribute to systemic racism.  Children are not inherently born racist and Dr. Tatum gives solid starting points to talk to kids of all ages about racism.  Support Our Sponsors: About 1 in 8 mothers have PPD and it can affect not only the mother