Birth, Baby! | Empowering Families. Inspiring Birth Workers.

What does egg freezing actually look like, and who should consider it?

In this episode, Valerie Landis joins me to discuss the emotional, financial, and medical side of freezing your eggs, including what happens during stimulation and retrieval, why every cycle can produce very different results, and why the number of eggs retrieved does not guarantee a future baby.

We also get into egg freezing versus embryo freezing, the pressure of the biological clock, fertility injections, storage costs, and how preserving eggs can change the way someone thinks about dating and future parenthood. If you have ever wondered whether egg freezing is worth considering, what questions to ask, or what people often do not realize before they begin, this episode is a good place to start.

Valerie Landis is a women’s health executive, fertility advocate, doula, and one of the early voices helping bring egg freezing into the mainstream conversation. With more than two decades of experience in medical and healthcare sales, Valerie has worked across women’s health, fertility, reproductive medicine, maternity, pediatrics, oncology, and medical technology.

What makes Valerie’s perspective unique is the intersection of industry experience and lived experience. She has spent decades inside healthcare and she has personally gone through the fertility preservation process three times. Her mission is simple: to make fertility information less intimidating, more transparent, and easier for women to understand so they can make informed decisions about their reproductive futures. Valerie believes women deserve to know their options before they need them and to feel informed, empowered, and brave enough to take action on their own timeline.

Website: https://shor.by/valeriedlandis

Eggsperience  – Fertility and egg freezing educational website/blog

Eggology Club Podcast  – podcast and educational experiences

This Is Egg Freezing – TIEF video docu-series and film is about egg freezing, fertility, path to parenthood and the different journey women can take

{her}strategies  – Doula, Fertility, Birth, Postpartum, counseling

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

This episode explores the intersection of trauma, childbirth, and mental health, focusing on how sexual trauma can impact birthing experiences and postpartum care. Guest expert Lacey Castilleja Fisher shares insights on trauma-informed practices, birth planning, and therapeutic techniques to support trauma survivors.

If you have a history of sexual trauma and are planning a pregnancy, pregnant, preparing for birth, or navigating postpartum, this conversation is meant to help you understand what may come up and remind you that you can build a support team and plan that prioritizes consent, communication, and autonomy.

Lacey Castilleja Fisher is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Clinician and founded Open Heart Counseling of Austin PLLC, a small group practice in Austin, Texas. Lacey became passionate about working with parents that struggle with PMAD’s, specifically PTSD, after her own experience of becoming a mother and experiencing trauma after her newborn was unexpectedly admitted to the NICU. This led to Lacey learning as much as she could about perinatal trauma, pregnancy and infant loss, NICU trauma and fertility struggles. Lacey served as the Clinical Director for The Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Alliance of Texas, now Nurtured Tx, from 2018-2023 and loves teaching other clinicians about reproductive mental health.

Website: 

https://openheartwebinars.podia.com/perinatal-mental-health-series

http://www.openheartcounselingatx.com/lacey-reproductive-mental-health-sandtray.html

FB and IG: @‌openheartcounselingofaustin

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

You’ve been having contractions for hours. You’re convinced this is it. Then you finally fall asleep, wake up the next morning, and they’re gone. A few nights later, it happens again.

Welcome to the confusing and sometimes incredibly frustrating world of prodromal labor.

In this episode, I’m joined by Angela Horn, a doula with 27 years of experience and host of the Doulas of the Roundtable podcast, to talk about what prodromal labor actually is and why we may need to stop treating it like something has gone wrong.

Angela explains why start-and-stop contractions can be a normal part of the body preparing for labor, what may be happening to the cervix even when you cannot see measurable progress, why contractions often pick up during the evening, and why the answer isn’t necessarily to find the right position or exercise to “kick” your body into labor.

Then, in true birth-worker fashion, we follow the physiology down a rabbit hole. We get into oxytocin receptors, melatonin, prostaglandins, cervical ripening, Pitocin, induction, pain perception, and what happens in the brain when someone feels safe and supported during labor. We also talk about why doulas need to be careful about the way we discuss interventions. If we have spent an entire pregnancy teaching a client that Pitocin, epidurals, or inductions are bad, what happens when that client ultimately needs or chooses one of those tools? Does our bias make her feel as though she failed?

Angela and I discuss why interventions are better understood as tools, how informed consent changes the conversation, and why a doula’s role is to support the birth the client wants rather than the birth the doula personally prefers.

We also get into the power of the doula-client relationship and why trust matters so much during labor. Sometimes the person giving birth is so focused inward that their doula becomes the voice they can actually hear and respond to. That creates an incredible opportunity to support someone, but it also comes with responsibility.

Angela has been a doula for 27 years, with credentials as a childbirth educator, breastfeeding counselor, and infant feeding specialist alongside her labor and postpartum doula work. 

She's the founder of Tucson Doulas, a full service doula agency, and she hosts the podcast Doulas of the Roundtable, now in its eighth season. 

For the past decade she's written curriculum and trained doulas and doula trainers through an international doula certification organization, and she's now branching out to build her own professional development platform for birth workers, including a communication-based training program called the CARE Framework, plus mentorship and business consulting for doulas building their own practices. 

Angela lives in Tucson with her husband Gil, she is the mother to three grown kids, Nana to one granddaughter and one grand puppy, and surrounds herself with 2 dogs, four cats and two rabbits. 

Website: www.tucsondoulas.com

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

Addiction doesn’t magically disappear when someone becomes pregnant. Yet pregnant women struggling with substance use disorder can face enormous judgment, including the assumption that continuing to struggle means they don’t love or want their baby.

In this episode, substance use disorder counselor and recovery advocate Christina Garafalo joins me to talk about what addiction during pregnancy actually looks like and why reducing stigma is so important if we want women to feel safe asking for help. We discuss physical dependence, shame and judgment in healthcare settings, trauma-informed care, and medication-assisted treatment, also known as MAT.

This conversation is about addiction in pregnancy, but it is also about compassion, recovery, advocacy, and treating people like people.

Christina Garofalo is a substance use disorder counselor, recovery advocate, and speaker with nearly five years of continuous sobriety. After overcoming her own struggles with addiction, Christina dedicated her life to helping others find hope, healing, and long-term recovery. She currently works as a counselor in a residential perinatal treatment program serving pregnant and parenting women and is passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding addiction, mental health, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

Christina graduated from Palomar College with a 4.0 GPA in Drug and Alcohol Counseling and is pursuing a degree in Social Work. She has been featured on multiple recovery and mental health podcasts, where she openly shares her journey from active addiction to a life rooted in purpose, service, and recovery. Today, Christina is active in the recovery community, advocates for evidence-based treatment, and uses her voice to help others understand that recovery is possible for anyone willing to seek help.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/majorchristina89

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

Dr. Michelle El Khouri’s three births could not have been more different.

In this episode, we talk about how Michelle progressed from feeling unprepared for birth to developing a deep connection with her body, the importance of childbirth education and informed consent, yoga and breathwork for birth, hypnobirthing, birth advocacy, building a trusted support circle, and why sharing positive birth stories matters.

In this episode, we talk about how Michelle progressed from feeling unprepared for birth to developing a deep connection with her body, the importance of childbirth education and informed consent, yoga and breathwork for birth, hypnobirthing, birth advocacy, building a trusted support circle, and why sharing positive birth stories matters.

Michelle’s story is a powerful reminder that birth preparation isn’t about guaranteeing one specific outcome. It’s about understanding your body, building your support system, learning to advocate for yourself, and developing tools that can help you stay present when birth unfolds in a way you never expected.

Dr. Michelle El Khoury is a yoga and mindfulness-based perinatal educator with 20+ years of clinical and executive experience. She is the founder of Yogamazia®, a virtual hub for maternal and parenting education that has provided strategic preparation and evidence-based support to over 700 women, children, families, and organizations. A published author, speaker, and birth and postpartum doula, she has been featured in local, regional, and national media including the New York Post. She speaks and consults for corporate teams, healthcare organizations, and professional communities on mindfulness, leadership, and maternal health. Through her signature framework, The S.M.A.R.T. Journey to Parenting®, she gives women a strategic method for leading through pregnancy, motherhood, and the identity shifts during seasons of personal change.

Website: http://yogamazia.com

Access free mindfulness resources for your perinatal journey at http://yogamazia.com/resources

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

One of the most common questions new and growing doulas have is: How do doulas schedule multiple clients without everything overlapping at once?

In this episode, I’m joined by a postpartum doula agency owner and postpartum doula trainer, Allison Coleman, to talk about the real logistics behind scheduling birth and postpartum doula clients in a way that supports families and protects doulas from burnout.

We break down how experienced doulas manage due date calendars, postpartum availability, on-call windows, backup systems, client expectations, and boundaries so they can serve families well without constantly overcommitting themselves.

Whether you’re a new doula wondering how to book confidently, an experienced doula trying to refine your systems, or a parent curious how doula scheduling works behind the scenes, this conversation offers practical insight into one of the most important parts of running a sustainable doula business.

Allison Coleman is “mom” to four fabulous, now-grown people. She runs an active Postpartum Doula agency in Austin, Texas, works as an independent birth and postpartum doula in Asheville, NC, and runs a well-respected postpartum doula certification program called ABG Postpartum Doula Certification program  

Would you like to train to be a postpartum doula? Use code CIARRA5OFF at checkout for a 5% discount!

https://www.instagram.com/abg_pp_doula_training/

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

For years, we've known this condition as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), but our understanding has evolved. Many experts now believe the name doesn't accurately describe what's happening in the body. That's why you'll increasingly hear the term PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovary Syndrome), reflecting that this condition affects far more than just the ovaries.

In this episode, Dr. Sierra Dee, an experienced acupuncturist, joins host Ciarra Morgan to discuss why this shift in terminology matters, what PMOS really is, how it affects fertility and overall health, and the lifestyle and treatment approaches that can help women feel their best.

In this episode we discuss:

Why some experts are transitioning from PCOS to PMOS

The role of insulin resistance and metabolism

Why many women don't actually have ovarian cysts

Fertility and pregnancy considerations

Nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management

How acupuncture may support hormone balance and ovulation

Common myths surrounding PMOS

Practical first steps after diagnosis

Whether you've recently been diagnosed, have been living with PCOS for years, or simply want to better understand women's hormonal health, this episode is packed with practical, evidence-informed information.

If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from this conversation.

Dr. Dee is a board-certified Chinese herbalist, and acupuncturist. Sierra is a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Texas as well as a toddler mom. Seeking a more individualized approach to healing, Sierra made the decision to move to Austin, Texas and enrolled in the Masters program at AOMA, specializing in Chinese herbal medicine. This marked a significant shift in Sierra’s career path, as their previous background was in sociology, psychology, and fitness. Sierra also completed doctoral work at Pacific College of Health and Sciences for a doctorate degree in acupuncture with Chinese medicine specialization. Sierra also holds a certificate in functional medicine to better serve patients. 

While Chinese medicine encompasses a wide range of conditions, Sierra’s focus includes prenatal, fertility, autoimmune disorders, emotional stress, and sports injuries. 

Website: http://Deeacupuncture.com

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

Postpartum recovery is about so much more than the six-week checkup.

In this episode of the Birth, Baby! Podcast, host Ciarra Morgan sits down with pelvic floor physical therapist Jensine Chavez to discuss postpartum healing, pelvic floor health, painful sex after baby, body connection, and rebuilding intimacy after childbirth.

We talk about the physical and emotional changes many women experience postpartum, why intimacy can feel different after having a baby, and how women can begin feeling strong, confident, and connected in their bodies again.

Whether you are newly postpartum or years into motherhood, this episode offers compassionate, evidence-based education about healing after birth and support for women navigating pelvic floor symptoms, body image struggles, and intimacy changes.

Dr. Jensine Chavez is the founder of Shine Through Strength Physical Therapy, a pelvic floor and orthopedic practice in Georgetown, Texas. She helps women Move With Confidence through every stage of life from pregnancy and postpartum to perimenopause and beyond.

Dr. Jensine specializes in treating pelvic floor concerns such as leakage, pain with intimacy, constipation, and pelvic heaviness, as well as orthopedic conditions including back, hip, knee, and shoulder pain. Through her signature method, The Confidence Pathway, she addresses the root cause by treating the whole body, not just symptoms, helping women build strength, restore confidence, and return to exercise, daily activities, and the things they love without pain, leakage, or fear.

Pelvic floor recovery after pregnancy and birth

Why intimacy changes postpartum

Painful sex after baby

Emotional healing and body connection

Rebuilding confidence postpartum

Supporting postpartum relationships and communication

How women can feel strong and connected in their bodies again

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

In this episode, Carly Pearson shares her deeply personal second birth story, highlighting the emotional and physical challenges she faced, from battling severe hyperemesis to navigating labor that was much longer than she anticipated. Her journey offers insight into the realities of pregnancy and birth, especially as an experienced doula and mother.

Carly discusses her pregnancy with PCOS and the unexpected severe nausea that lasted all pregnancy

The impact of political climate and insurance changes on her birth choices

Her decision to proceed with unmedicated, low-intervention birth at a hospital instead of a birth center

The emotional roller coaster of labor, including early prep, false alarms, and rapid progress

Unique challenges faced during her labor, from high blood pressure to breaking her waters

The surprise breech presentation and rotating back to head down

Postpartum recovery, mood changes, and postpartum health issues

The importance of adjusting birth expectations based on previous experiences

Carley Pearson is a DONA-certified birth doula, lifestyle photographer, and newborn care educator based in Austin, Texas. She holds a BFA in Studio Art from The University of Texas at Austin and a Graduate Certificate in Maternal and Child Health from The University of Texas' School of Public Health. Carley is passionate about educating and empowering families from preconception through postpartum while documenting the beauty, connection, and beautifully chaotic moments of early parenthood through photography. She believes every family deserves compassionate support and meaningful images that preserve this fleeting season of life.

When she's not attending births, teaching newborn care, or behind the camera, you'll likely find her chasing her two kids, laughing with her sweet husband, swimming at Deep Eddy, fueling up at Juiceland, or slowly convincing herself that renovating their North Shoal Creek fixer-upper is a reasonable pastime.

Website: www.carleyephotography.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleyephotography/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carleyephotography/

Offer for listeners: 10% off a single photography package for listening to this episode; mention promo code BirthBaby!

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly:

Perimenopause can begin years before menopause, yet many women are never taught what to expect. From anxiety and sleep struggles to weight changes, brain fog, fatigue, and mood swings, hormonal shifts during this stage can impact nearly every part of daily life.

In this episode, host Ciarra Morgan sits down with Amber Frauenholtz, a functional nutritionist, to discuss perimenopause hormones, common symptoms women experience, and the functional testing options that may help uncover root causes behind feeling “off.”

We discuss hormone testing, thyroid health, cortisol and stress, nutrition support, and practical ways women can support their bodies naturally during midlife.

If you’ve been wondering whether your symptoms are “just stress” or “just aging,” this conversation is packed with helpful information and validation.

What perimenopause actually is

Early signs of hormone shifts

Functional hormone testing options

DUTCH testing and thyroid panels

Cortisol and stress in midlife women

Sleep struggles and anxiety

Weight changes and metabolism

Blood sugar balance and nutrition support

How women can advocate for their health

Website: https://amberdawnwellness.com/

Get access to discount codes for our favorite products and check out our Amazon Storefront lists for "Must Haves" during the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Newborn phases HERE.

Are you a parent interested in learning more from Ciarra? You can check out her class offerings HERE.

Are you interested in training to become a birth doula? Check out Ciarra’s Birth, Baby! Academy Birth Doula Training and Certification HERE. 

This podcast episode is also on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with close captions, you can find the channel HERE.

Thank you for all of your support and don't forget to follow and leave a review on your favorite place to listen to podcasts. www.BirthBabyPodcast.com

Send an email if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, you'd like to be a guest, or you have a recommendation for an episode idea! Email: [email protected]

Follow on Facebook

The information provided on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk.

Birth, Baby! Podcast was originally produced by Ciarra Morgan and Samantha Kelly.

Ciarra Morgan:

Samantha Kelly: