THE EXPECTING AND EMPOWERED PODCAST
We built this business because we saw a HUGE gap between the information that women were given during pregnancy and postpartum AND the information that they NEED. We’re committed to helping close that gap so that women are better equipped to navigate these demanding and challenging years.
As moms of 3 ourselves, we know firsthand how many changes women go through- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Because women aren’t getting enough information to make informed decisions about their own health- it leaves mothers to pick up the pieces afterward. We need that to change.
With our professional backgrounds, we’re going to pull the curtain back on this season and give you the information you need to thrive. We’re on a mission to change women’s health, and we hope you’ll listen along on our new podcast!
LISTEN ON
Episode 1: Welcome to the Expecting and Empowered Podcast!
For our first episode, we thought we’d jump right in and talk about how we envision this podcast being different from all the other podcasts that are available, and the ways that we would like to make it fun and user friendly.
EPISODE 4: OLENA GUDZ DANKO OF C-SECTION STRONG ON WHY C-SECTION EMPOWERMENT MATTERS
Olena Gudz Danko of C-Section Strong™️ empowers mothers to OWN their cesarean birth and she is shifting the C-section conversation! In this episode, she reveals what C-section experiences can look like, along with the common myths that exist and the kind of support that these moms really need during this time.
EPISODE 7: DR. WHITNEY CASARES OF MODERN MOMMY DOC ON HOW TO MAKE WORKING MOTHERHOOD WORK
Dr. Whitney Casares of Modern Mommy Doc is a pediatrician who helps moms thrive in their roles as mothers, while also finding joy in the process. If you are a working mom who is trying to juggle it all during the busy days of motherhood, and you want to discover how to do it without losing sight of making time for yourself, then this episode is for you!
EPISODE 10: KRYSTLE HOWALD’S FIRST C-SECTION WITH BREECH BABY BROOKE
In this episode, Krystle shares all about her first c-section birth with her beautiful baby, Brooke. This is a very personal account of the way she processed the emotions that came up for her immediately after having her C-section birth, and she also reveals how she prepared for it, the physical and emotional impact that accompanied the birth, and much more.
EPISODE 13: JACQUELYN BRENNAN ON EMPOWERING YOUR CORE AFTER BABY
Jacquelyn, the owner of Pilates + Coffee in Chicago, IL, is a certified personal trainer and perinatal corrective exercise specialist. In this episode, she shares the ways that the body changes when you’re pregnant and how that can affect your core, the importance of breath work during pregnancy, what to know about your core training during the postpartum period, and why you shouldn’t skip the beginning stages of strengthening your core.
EPISODE 16: PREPARING YOUR MIND AND BODY FOR LABOR + DELIVERY
We get asked often in our community about preparing for labor and delivery, which is why we are focusing on this topic today. We want to provide moms listening with tangible tips, so that you can set yourself up for success. We hear from people that are really excited about the labor and delivery experience, others that are terrified, and everything in-between, and no matter which describes you, it is our hope that you find this episode really helpful!
Episode 19: Lacey Yasick’s Positive Pitocin Free Induction
In this episode you’ll get to hear the birth story of one of our employees at Expecting and Empowered, Lacey Yasick who shares how her third child recently came into the world! I [Amy] had the honor of being there as Lacey’s doula for that magical moment where she met her third baby for the very first time, and I can’t wait for you to hear all about it in this episode.
Episode 22: 4 Tips for getting your workouts in during the busy little people years
In this mini episode, we put together our tangible, best tips for getting your workouts in because we know it’s incredibly hard to do when you have a bunch of little people that depend on you. We've been in the trenches of motherhood where you don’t feel like you have a spare moment let alone 45 minutes for a workout. And we know that prioritizing working out can be so important to our lives so throughout our journeys we've always figured out a way that's worked for us.
episode 25: Dr. Alice on Healing Your Birth Trauma
Today we sit down with Dr. Alice Pickering who is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified clinical trauma specialist. She owns her own private practice and has an incredible Instagram account where she shares resources for women and mothers that are going through different phases of their lives. Dr. Alice explains how she got started in psychology and how her own mothering experiences have impacted her practice. She breaks down what birth trauma is and what occurrences put some women at a higher risk for it than others. Dr. Alice gives tips on how someone who is feeling grief from their own birth experience can work through it.
episode 28: what actually happens after a hospital birth with postpartum nurse @Mackenzie.on.motherhood
This is part two of our series with Postpartum and Labor + Delivery nurse, Mackenzie from @mackenzie.on.motherhood. Today we are talking all about your hospital day after birth - what you can expect, things people don’t always talk about and things that might surprise you. As a labor & delivery and postpartum nurse, Mackenzie doesn’t shy away from the things people don’t always talk about in postpartum. She shares what women can expect immediately after you birth your baby, advice on what to do with those first few hours immediately after birth, and what things a partner can do to help the birthing person out.
Episode 31: maintaining your sense of self in motherhood with @drmorgancutlip
Today we are talking to Dr. Morgan Cutlip who is a wife, mom of two, has a phD in psychology, and is passionate about helping moms understand their relationships with themselves and their partners.
We all know that once we become moms our identities shift both personally and professionally. Dr. Morgan shares what that transition has been like for her and discusses the importance of eventually getting that identity back. She gives us prompts we can ask ourselves that help us reframe whether or not we’ve actually lost ourselves or if it is just a phase that will eventually pass.
Episode 2: Brooke Miller, Registered Dietitian On Fueling Your Body Postpartum
Childbirth, and the time immediately following it, can be a difficult journey for new mothers, so we sit down with Brooke Miller to give you really understandable and accessible information about nutrition, breastfeeding, and exercise during this time.
EPISODE 5: MOLLY CHESTERSON’S POSITIVE PLANNED INDUCTION FOR BABY #3
Molly shares her third birth story and why she chose to do a planned induction, her experience with doulas, and why this birth was different than her other two. She talks us through her journey, how she was able to prepare herself mentally and how important it was to have a trusted source advocating for her during the birth of her third daughter.
EPISODE 8: KAYLEIGH MEDEIROS PRECIPITOUS LABOR ENDS IN A CAR BIRTH
Kayleigh is the mom of two and owner of Heritage Baby Designs, a company she created to design babywearing ring slings for the everyday mom. She has a pretty wild birth story about her second child that just might involve giving birth in a car. This is a story that you’re going to want to hear, and we are so happy that we had Kayleigh on to tell her story in her own words!
EPISODE 11: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW THE FIRST TWO WEEKS AFTER A VAGINAL BIRTH
With recovery from a vaginal birth, there is a lot going on that is often unspoken, a taboo topic, or considered as just “normal”. Today we are here to give you some proper recovery tips from a mom who has had three vaginal births and pelvic floor physical therapist, and you’ll want to tune in for our next episode where we talk about what you need to know the first two weeks after a C-section!
Episode 14: dr. cassidy on navigating your mental health from trying to conceive through the postpartum period
In this episode, you’ll hear Dr. Cassidy’s fertility journey advice, the way to set boundaries, and how to mentally prepare for becoming a mom in a world where information can seem so intimidating. She also covers the topics of restorative rest, child rearing and roles and responsibilities in the household, and what to do when worry turns to anxiety.
Episode 17: Urinary Incontinence Doesn’t Have to be a “Normal” part of motherhood
In this episode, we’re diving into a topic that we know more women need to hear about, and that is urinary incontinence. Even today, we hear a lot of different comments, thoughts, and experiences on this topic. No matter what you’ve heard, you may be surprised at how quickly urinary incontinence can improve!
Episode 20: Dr. Angel Montfort on Perinatal Mental Health + Anxiety
In this episode we speak with Dr. Angel Montfort who is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified in perinatal mental health. Dr. Angel shares the things she had anxiety about when she first became a mama and how being a high achieving perfectionist caused motherhood to be even harder for her. She shares that she wishes she could go back and tell herself that yes, this is hard. And that’s okay.
Episode 23: Larissa from @steadyparents on Managing Overstimulation During the Little People Years
In this episode, we sit down with Larissa Geleris from @steadyparents. She is an occupational therapist who specializes in helping parents to regulate their senses and emotions to nourish their relationships with their children. Larissa shares how she focuses on getting parents what they need so that they can show up in a way that they are proud of for their kids. She also shares why she is so passionate about helping parents find their steadiness.
episode 26: how to build healthy, sustainable habits as a busy mom
One thing that we are really passionate about here at Expecting and Empowered are daily habits. We just finished our first accountability challenge of 2023 and we got so much positive feedback from our community that we had to make this idea of healthy, sustainable habits into a podcast episode. Krystle and I both love the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. If you haven’t read it, he gives so much scientific evidence on the power of forming habits. We know that when you go to make a lifestyle change it can be intimidating and overwhelming. We want to help you understand how you can implement some new habits into your life and actually make them stick.
Episode 29: Must Know Skin + Hair Care For Pregnancy And Postpartum With Dr. Fatima From @dermy_doctor
With so many skin and hair products on the market it is hard to determine which ones are best, and safest, during pregnancy and postpartum. Today we have the lovely Dr. Fatima Fahs who is a board certified dermatologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology on the show to help us demystify all of the misinformation out there on all things skin and hair. Dr. Fatima is so knowledgeable and explains things to us in an easy to understand way. She answers questions on why some women experience pregnancy glow while others do not.
Episode 3: Amy Kiefer's Empowering Unmedicated Hospital Birth (Baby #1)
Amy reveals all the details of the beautiful experience of giving birth to her first son, Maxwell Todd! You’ll hear her mindset during all the stages, what helped her so much in this process, her biggest surprises, the fears she had, and so much more.
EPISODE 6: HEY SHAYLA ON HYPNOBIRTH AND PREPARING FOR BABY #2
Shayla from Hey Shayla is a content creator who has gained a loyal following on Instagram and YouTube for her relatable, honest, and hilarious motherhood content. In this episode she shares her experience with Hypnobirth and how she is preparing for baby #2.
EPISODE 9: RACHEL & STACEY OF DECODING COUPLES ON NAVIGATING PARENTHOOD WITH YOUR PARTNER
If you feel your relationship has unhealthy patterns and you need some tangible relationship support, you’re not alone. Today’s expert guests are Rachel Facio and Stacey Sherrell, the duo behind Decoding Couples. They are both licensed marriage and family therapists with a combined 20 years of experience in the field of relationships and marriage, and they are here to help provide you strategies and tools to support your relationship.
EPISODE 12: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW THE FIRST TWO WEEKS AFTER A C-SECTION
In this episode we’re sharing what you need to know the first two weeks after a C-Section. One-third of babies in the United States are delivered via c-section, yet by hearing from you, we feel that there is still a gap in the information that women need for recovery versus the information they are getting, and this is why we wanted to share openly with you on this topic.
episode 15: Trey’s Birth Story: A Swift Bedside Delivery
In this episode, Amy shares the birth story for her second son, Trey. She reveals some of the important discussions that she knew she had to have with her OBGYN, the way that she prepared herself for this birth, and how it differed from her first. She also gives a complete breakdown of what that day was like for me, from the first contraction until at the hospital where Trey entered this world!
EPISODE 18: AMBER LATSCH, CNM ON WHY YOU MIGHT WANT A MIDWIFE
Amber Latsch is a member of the American College of Nurse-Midwives and certified by the American Midwifery Certification Board. In this episode, Amber shares how she got interested in becoming a midwife, and what the process to become one looked like for her. She talks about who would be a good candidate for midwife services, things women can do in pregnancy to set themselves up to be successful, and a whole lot more.
Episode 21: Abby Green’s Experience with Prolapse
This week’s guest might sound familiar to you if you’ve taken any of our runs inside our app. We have Abby Green with us today to talk about her experience with prolapse. We know it can be really hard for women, when they go through something like this and it isn’t talked about often. Abby experienced it and now she's open and willing to share her story so that we can hopefully provide some solidarity and solutions if you're experiencing prolapse as well.
Episode 24: Empowering Your Labor + Delivery
This episode focuses on what actually happens during labor and delivery. We cover everything from the different stages of labor and what to expect in each one, to optimal laboring positions whether you choose to get an epidural or not. We touch on the emotional side of things, including who is going to provide you with support during the duration of your labor and delivery and how you want them to talk to you throughout. Finally we cover the different pain management options and how people with rituals tend to cope a lot better than those without.
Episode 27: what a labor + delivery nurse wants you to know about labor with @Mackenzie.on.motherhood
In today’s episode, we are sitting down with Mackenzie from @mackenzie.on.motherhood. She is a labor and delivery nurse and postpartum nurse from our home state of Wisconsin. In this episode we are talking all about labor and delivery. Mackenzie answers our questions on what the role of a labor and delivery nurse is, the sometimes controversial subject of Pitocin, and what cervical checks are and why they’re performed.
Episode 30: Strength Training Or Cardio - What’s Right For Me?
It’s Amy here this week and I’m educating you on one of my favorite topics which is the difference between lifting weights and cardio. They both have their place but today we are diving into what the science says is best for us.
The reason we are really passionate about this subject is that there are a lot of misconceptions about lifting weights. Today I'm hoping to put people's fears at bay. Some women get nervous that they are going to get bulky from lifting and that’s just not true.
I explain the reasons behind why lifting won’t make you bulky, how the word toning is a marketing scheme, what happens to the body when cardio is the primary mode of exercise and so much more.