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Join host Kristin Revere for a special solo episode celebrating 350 published episodes of Ask the Doulas!

Since launching the podcast in 2017 around a conference table at the Gold Coast Doulas office in Grand Rapids, Ask the Doulas has grown into a trusted resource for expecting families, new parents, and birth and baby professionals around the world. In this milestone episode, Kristin reflects on the journey from recording local interviews to hosting nationally recognized experts, the lessons she's learned from hundreds of conversations, and the incredible community that has made it all possible.

Kristin also shares how the podcast evolved during the pandemic, how it inspired new educational offerings and her book Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby, and why the mission has always remained the same: providing judgment-free, evidence-based education and support for families.

As a bit of behind-the-scenes transparency, you'll hear why this is Episode 350 even though 353 episodes were originally published. Earlier this year, three episodes were removed from the catalog at a former client's request. Respecting that request was an easy decision because protecting the trust of the families we serve has always been more important than any milestone.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to the hundreds of expert guests who have shared their knowledge, our amazing listeners, my co-host Alyssa Veneklase, the entire Gold Coast Doulas team, our podcast sponsors, and everyone who has been part of this incredible journey.

Whether you've been listening since 2017 or this is your very first episode, thank you for celebrating with us.

Here's to the next 350 conversations!

Thank you to Cozy Earth for supporting Ask the Doulas and helping us continue bringing evidence-based education to families everywhere. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

Ask the Doulas is a pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting podcast for expecting families, new parents, and birth and baby professionals. Hosted by Kristin Revere and Alyssa Veneklase of Gold Coast Doulas, the podcast features conversations with doulas, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, sleep consultants, newborn care specialists, fertility experts, and perinatal mental health professionals. Ask the Doulas is designed for both parents and professionals looking for trusted guidance, continuing education, and real-world strategies.

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How much do you really know about the Vitamin K shot for newborns? What does the evidence say, why is the Vitamin K injection recommended shortly after birth, and what should parents consider when making an informed decision?

In this episode of the Ask the Doulas Podcast, Kristin Revere sits down with board-certified OB-GYN, educator, and bestselling author Dr. Jennifer Lincoln to explore the evidence, common myths, and informed decision-making surrounding Vitamin K. Dr. Lincoln is known for making complex medical topics approachable through evidence-based education, and her newest book, The Birth Book: An OB-GYN's Guide to Demystifying Labor and Delivery, empowers families to navigate pregnancy and birth with confidence.

Together, Kristin and Dr. Lincoln discuss:

• What Vitamin K is and why newborns naturally have low levels at birth
• Why the Vitamin K injection is recommended shortly after delivery
• Common Vitamin K myths and misinformation parents may encounter online
• The risks associated with Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB)
• How parents can ask informed questions about newborn care and discuss their options with their healthcare team
• Highlights from Dr. Lincoln's new book, The Birth Book

Whether you're expecting your first baby or adding to your family, this conversation offers balanced, evidence-based information to help you feel confident advocating for yourself and your newborn.

About Dr. Jennifer Lincoln

Dr. Jennifer Lincoln is a board-certified OB-GYN, hospitalist, educator, and author based in Portland, Oregon. She is passionate about helping families cut through misinformation with compassionate, evidence-based education. Her latest book, The Birth Book: An OB-GYN's Guide to Demystifying Labor and Delivery, is a comprehensive guide to preparing for birth, understanding your options, and navigating the labor and delivery experience with confidence.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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How can you reduce the mental load of motherhood and feel less overwhelmed by everything you have to remember, plan, and manage?

In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin Revere sits down with Christy Shannon, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Ollie AI, to explore the invisible mental load of motherhood and how technology can help lighten it. From managing family schedules and meal planning to keeping track of appointments and the never-ending to-do list, mothers often carry an overwhelming cognitive burden that goes unnoticed.

Christy shares her own motherhood journey, the inspiration behind creating Ollie AI, and how artificial intelligence can become a practical tool for reducing stress rather than adding to it. Together, Kristin and Christy discuss the realities of modern parenting, the importance of asking for help, and why simplifying everyday tasks can create more space for connection and joy.

Whether you're expecting your first baby, navigating the toddler years, or juggling a busy household, this conversation offers practical insights and encouragement for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the mental load of parenting.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the "mental load" of motherhood means and why so much invisible labor falls on mothers

• How decision fatigue can contribute to feelings of stress and overwhelm

• How AI tools can help busy parents organize schedules, appointments, meals, and everyday tasks

• Practical ways to reduce the cognitive load of parenting and simplify household responsibilities

• Why asking for help matters and how partners can better share the mental load

• How technology can support parents without adding another source of stress

• Ways to create more time and mental space for connection, family, and what matters most

If you've ever felt like you're carrying the weight of your family's endless to-do list, this episode is for you.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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How can you increase milk supply with pumping, build an effective pumping routine, and continue breastfeeding when life gets busy? Whether you're exclusively pumping, building a freezer stash, returning to work, or trying to increase your milk production, knowing how to pump effectively can make feeding feel more manageable.

In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin Revere talks with Chelsea Anderson, CLC from BabyBuddha, about pumping, milk supply, and combining breastfeeding with pumping. Chelsea shares practical guidance on establishing and maintaining milk supply, creating a pumping schedule, making pumping more comfortable, and avoiding common mistakes that may affect milk production.

They also discuss relactation, wearable and portable breast pumps, balancing nursing and pumping, returning to work while protecting milk supply, and when to seek additional support from a lactation professional.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to create an effective pumping routine to support milk supply

• Relactation tips for parents who want to restart or increase milk production

• How to balance breastfeeding and pumping while meeting your feeding goals

• Tips for returning to work while continuing to pump and protect milk supply

• Common pumping myths and misconceptions about breast milk production

• How wearable and portable breast pumps can fit into your breastfeeding routine

• When to seek professional lactation support for pumping or milk supply concerns

Whether you're exclusively pumping, nursing and pumping, preparing to return to work, or looking for ways to support your milk supply, this conversation offers practical guidance for navigating breast pumping with greater confidence.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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How can busy parents find time to prepare for childbirth? With packed schedules and endless pregnancy information online, many expecting parents struggle to fit childbirth classes and birth preparation into their lives. The challenge is not always finding the right class. It is finding an approach to childbirth education that fits the realities of modern family life.

In this episode of the Ask the Doulas Podcast, Kristin Revere talks with Ashley Brichter, founder and CEO of Birthsmarter, about how childbirth education can better serve today's expecting parents. They explore why time is such a significant barrier to birth classes, how parents are consuming pregnancy and birth information differently, and what effective childbirth education should provide to help families feel informed and confident before labor and birth.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why finding time is one of the biggest barriers to childbirth education for expecting parents

• How busy parents are changing the way they look for pregnancy and birth information

• What essential topics expecting parents should look for in a childbirth class

• Practical ways to fit birth preparation into a busy pregnancy schedule

• How accessible and engaging childbirth education can help parents feel more confident preparing for labor and birth

• What modern birth education can do to support families without adding to information overload

Whether you're expecting your first baby or supporting families as a doula, childbirth educator, or other birth professional, this conversation offers a fresh look at what parents need from childbirth education today. You'll hear practical ideas for making birth preparation more accessible, realistic, and useful for busy families.

Connect with Ashley Brichter and learn more about Birthsmarter.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Ask the Doulas Podcast, leave a review, and share it with an expecting parent who could benefit from evidence-based birth education.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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How do you prepare for postpartum before your baby arrives? Planning for recovery, sleep, meals, feeding support, mental health, household help, and visitors can make the transition into the fourth trimester feel more manageable. A postpartum support plan gives expecting parents a chance to think through what they will need, who can help, and how responsibilities will be handled once the baby comes home.

In this solo episode of the Ask the Doulas Podcast, Kristin Revere shares practical guidance on creating a postpartum plan before birth. She explains how to build your support team, set realistic expectations, talk with your partner about responsibilities, and prepare for the physical, emotional, and practical demands of life with a newborn.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why creating a postpartum plan is an important part of preparing for life after birth

• How to identify your postpartum support team before your baby arrives

• What to discuss with your partner about responsibilities, expectations, and household tasks

• How to plan ahead for meals, household help, visitors, and boundaries during the fourth trimester

• Ways to prepare for feeding support and newborn sleep challenges

• When a postpartum doula or newborn care specialist may be helpful

• How to create a flexible postpartum support plan that can adapt to your family's needs

Preparing for postpartum is about more than getting the nursery ready or buying baby gear. This conversation helps expecting parents think ahead about the support, practical help, and resources they may need during the first weeks with a newborn. By creating a postpartum plan before birth, families can enter the fourth trimester with clearer expectations and a stronger support system.

🎧 Perfect for expecting parents, first-time parents, growing families, partners, doulas, and anyone preparing for the postpartum period and fourth trimester.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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How can you get support for your mental health during pregnancy and after having a baby? Perinatal mental health challenges, including depression and anxiety, can affect parents during pregnancy and postpartum, yet stigma and lack of awareness can make it difficult to know when to seek help or where to turn. 

In this episode of the Ask the Doulas Podcast, Kristin Revere sits down with Katie Crenshaw, Brand and Integrated Marketing Manager at Postpartum Support International and Social Media Manager for The Blue Dot Project.

Katie shares how The Blue Dot Project has become a powerful symbol of awareness, advocacy, and hope for families navigating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. She discusses the importance of storytelling in reducing stigma, how communities can better support parents during pregnancy and postpartum, and the role birth workers play in recognizing, validating, and connecting families with resources.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What The Blue Dot Project is and how the maternal mental health movement began

• Why perinatal mental health awareness is important during pregnancy and postpartum

• How stigma can prevent parents from seeking support for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders

• How sharing personal stories can help families feel seen, understood, and less alone

• Ways doulas and birth workers can support clients experiencing mental health challenges

• Mental health resources available through Postpartum Support International

• How parents, professionals, and advocates can get involved in raising awareness about perinatal mental health

Whether you're a parent, doula, childbirth educator, healthcare professional, or advocate, this conversation highlights actionable ways to support maternal mental health and become part of a movement that reminds families they are never alone.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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What makes birth safer, and what role does healthcare infrastructure play in maternal and newborn health? Safe birth depends on more than medical care alone. Reliable transportation, hospitals and clinics, electricity, medication storage, emergency services, and trained healthcare providers all play an important role in improving maternal health and birth outcomes.

In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin Revere speaks with Dr. Vandana Arcot, MD, a philanthropist and global health leader with more than 17 years of experience in maternal and reproductive healthcare across 13 countries. Dr. Arcot shares what she has learned about improving maternal and infant health and why strong healthcare systems are essential for safer births.

We dive into:

• What maternal health infrastructure includes and why it matters for safe birth

• How healthcare systems and access to emergency care can affect maternal and newborn outcomes

• What countries including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, and Thailand have done to improve maternal health

• Why maternal healthcare remains underfunded in many communities and how this affects families and healthcare providers

• How transportation, electricity, medication storage, clinics, and trained providers support safer maternity care

• What communities and policymakers can learn from successful global maternal health systems

• Strategies for strengthening healthcare infrastructure and improving birth outcomes

Whether you're preparing for birth, supporting new parents, working in maternal healthcare, or interested in reducing maternal and infant health disparities, this conversation offers a broader look at what it takes to create safer births and stronger maternal health systems.

🎧 Perfect for expecting parents, doulas, birth professionals, healthcare providers, maternal health advocates, and anyone interested in improving maternal and newborn health.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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What should you pack in your hospital bag for labor, delivery, postpartum recovery, and your baby? If you are searching for a hospital bag checklist, it can be difficult to know which essentials you really need and what you can leave at home.

In this solo episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin Revere shares her guidance on what to pack in a hospital bag for birth and postpartum recovery. She covers hospital bag essentials for birthing parents, partners, and newborns, including labor comfort items, postpartum supplies, baby necessities, and common items that may not be worth packing.

You'll learn:

• When to start packing your hospital bag and how to prepare before your due date

• What to pack for labor, including useful comfort items for the hospital

• Postpartum recovery essentials to bring for your hospital stay

• What partners should pack and bring to the hospital

• Newborn hospital bag essentials and which baby items you may not need

• Common hospital bag packing mistakes and how to avoid overpacking

• Practical hospital bag tips from experienced doulas who have supported hundreds of births

Whether you're preparing for a hospital birth, induction, or scheduled cesarean, this episode will help you create a practical hospital bag checklist for labor, postpartum recovery, and your newborn.

🎧 Perfect for expecting parents, first-time parents, partners, doulas, and anyone preparing for labor, birth, a hospital stay, and postpartum recovery.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas

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Measles outbreaks and vaccine protection are becoming a growing concern for parents as cases rise again across the U.S. What do families actually need to know, and what steps are recommended if exposure happens?

In this episode of Ask the Doulas, Kristin sits down with Dr. Michael T. Myers Jr., a pediatrician with more than 35 years of experience in pediatrics, public health, and healthcare consulting, and former Chief of Primary Care, Pediatrics, and Practice Transformation at Summit Health New Jersey, to break down what parents need to know about current measles outbreaks, vaccine protection, and practical steps for protecting children.

We dive into:
 • What parents should know about current measles outbreaks in the U.S.
 • How measles vaccine protection works and what it means for children
 • What's recommended if your child is exposed to measles
 • How misinformation affects family health decisions
 • Why conversations with your pediatric provider are especially important right now

This conversation helps parents cut through fear and confusion so they can focus on clear, practical information about measles risk and child health.

🎧 Perfect for expecting parents, families with young children, and anyone wanting to stay informed about current pediatric health concerns.

This episode is sponsored by Cozy Earth. Use the code GOLDCOAST to receive a discount of up to 20 percent off.

Subscribe to our newsletter, check out Kristin Revere’s birth and baby book, and see more about our doula services & online courses below:

https://linktr.ee/goldcoastdoulas