Thankfully pelvic health is something that has really increased in awareness over the last five years but we still have a long way to go. So many women are needlessly suffering. We are so lucky to have pelvic floor physiotherapist Surabhi Veitch on the show today to share her knowledge on this issue.

Surabhi’s areas of expertise include pelvic floor pain, incontinence, diastasis recti and prolapse. If you are pregnant or have ever had a baby, then this episode is going to be a great one for you! Surabhi is a mom of two littles herself so she’s been there, both personally and professionally.

We discuss how women can look “better” postpartum but there are often unseen issues going on. Some of the most common include pain, prolapse, urinary leakage, constipation, scared to have sex, and diastasis recti. Surabhi shares what can be done to help pelvic floor issues and why tight pelvic floor muscles are often causing more of your issues than the weak or loose muscles.

If you’ve seen a physiotherapist before but aren’t seeing the results you want, we want you to not get defeated. There are other options out there. Surabhi explains what else can be done and shares how virtual care might be an even better option for you than in-person care!

Follow Surabhi on Instagram

www.thepassionatephysio.ca

Listen to the Mom Strength Podcast

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Mom fatigue is something I see in my patients and practice all the time. In this episode I discuss the top three things you can do if you feel endlessly exhausted. The first thing I do when I see a patient who is lacking energy is an energy assessment. Tune in to hear the actual questions I ask my patients and the most common responses I get.

Distinguishing the difference between fatigue and tiredness is important. I discuss how to tell the difference and recommend some questions to ask yourself if you are struggling to determine where you’re at. I discuss the biggest cause of fatigue in women that is often not talked about and that is sleep apnea. I explain who is at higher risk for this and what to do if you think you might be suffering.

Iron deficiency is a major cause of fatigue in women. I discuss what the common symptoms are of iron deficiency and the proper way to supplement iron in order to get the results that you want. Thyroid dysfunction is another reason you may be feeling tired. I share what I recommend getting tested to see if your thyroid is functioning properly.

Mom fatigue is something that we will be covering in depth in our new Mama Doctor Membership program because it is such a prevalent problem I see in my patients. This episode is jam packed with helpful information so if you know someone who could benefit from listening, please share it with them!

Sponsor: Eco Chic Movement - Enter code ‘PODCAST’ at checkout for 25% off your first purchase.

Links & Resources:

When Your Iron Levels Are Good But Still Feel Bad Blog Post

Are You a New Mom Who is Exhausted, Anxious, Depressed, Struggling with Low Milk Supply and Losing Your Hair? It Could Be Your Thyroid Blog Post

5 Sneaky Signs That You May Be Suffering From Mom Burnout

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My number one goal with Eco Chic Movement is to help as many mamas as possible. I keep this episode short because it’s the start of Black Friday week and I know you’re being bombarded by every company out there. I am letting you know about something that I’m finally bringing to fruition - The Mama Doctor Membership.

In this episode I answer any questions you might have around the membership including what it is, when it starts, what all is included, and how the accessible payment works. I am thinking of this membership as a way for you to get a base knowledge of natural options for yourself and your baby and to really help set that foundation for health. 

Tune in to hear more about The Mama Doctor Membership!

Episode 6

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After listening to this episode you will have a blueprint on how to keep your baby’s skin soft and moisturized. Today I am talking with you about one of my favorite subjects - baby skincare! I am answering some of your most frequently asked questions on what products to use, how frequent to bathe, how & when to apply creams, and more. 

I dive into why I make a zinc free diaper cream, what makes the Eco Chic diaper cream different and why I’m so happy with it. I cover baby acne; what it is, if you should be concerned and whether or not it goes away on its own. I cover cradle cap and what you should do instead of picking at it. And I go into what products to use when baby gets that dreaded first cold.

This episode is full of my favorite tips for developing baby’s skin care routine. Pick and choose the parts that work best for you!

Sponsor: Eco Chic Movement Kids Sickness Workshop - Enter code ‘PODCAST’ at checkout for 25% off your first purchase.

Links & Resources:

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

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If you’re anything like me, milestones have caused you anxiety over the years. Especially the early days of being a mom and people are continually asking you questions like, “is he crawling yet?” We are lucky to have Dr. Jena Schultz join us on the podcast today. She is a pediatric physical therapist and owner of Driving Development. Jena is also a mom and her areas of interest in her practice include tongue ties, torticollis, flat head, and gross motor delay. 

In our conversation with Dr. Jena she explains what milestones are and why they are so important. Ever feel like you don’t know how to play with your baby? Dr. Jena walks us through some examples of play we can be doing with our baby in order to still be helping them developmentally. Baby containers are a hot topic. Dr. Jena describes her recommendation for using these and an alternative option that provides multiple benefits.

If you are a mom that is suffering from milestone anxiety we want you to tune in to this episode. Just know that you can still help your baby with their developmental milestones even if it may seem like they are behind the status quo. Don’t let comparison steal your joy!

Sponsor: Eco Chic Movement - Enter code ‘PODCAST’ at checkout for 25% off your first purchase.

Links & Resources:

Follow Eco Chic Movement on Instagram

www.ecochicmovement.com

Follow Dr. Jena on Instagram

Dr. Jena’s Website

Do you know what a mineral mocktail is?! Tune in this week to hear our guest, Allegra Gast from Aloha Nutrition, explain what these are and why they are so beneficial. Allegra is a lactation consultant and a registered dietitian. She’s also a super mom; raising two littles and pregnant with twins! Today we are talking about something that impacts all parents - energy. Allegra lets us know how to get more of it from the food and drinks we’re having on a daily basis and we take a deep dive into the impact of minerals. 

There are some common symptoms that might be an indicator that you are low in minerals. If you’re hesitant to add more salt into your diet because of the no salt messaging that we were bombarded with in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, let this conversation debunk those myths. The key to adding more sodium to your diet is to make sure that you have enough potassium with it.

Allegra covers why so many moms struggle with low minerals and explains how breastfeeding affects the usage of minerals. She covers whether or not minerals are safe in higher doses and educates us on why a hair tissue mineral assessment is going to give you a better read on your mineral status than a blood test.

If you want to start incorporating more minerals into your diet, listen in because Allegra shares her top food recommendations and shares her secret mocktail recipe!

Sponsor: Eco Chic Movement - Enter code ‘PODCAST’ at checkout for 25% off your first purchase.

Links & Resources:

Follow Eco Chic Movement on Instagram

www.ecochicmovement.com

Follow Allegra on Instagram

www.aloha-nutrition.com

Free Mineral Guide

We have one half of @mamapsychologists with us today, Chelsea Bodie. She is a registered psychologist in Alberta, Canada. Together, with her business partner Caitlin Slavens, they have a wealth of information on all things maternal mental health, birth trauma, and parenting support. You may recognize them from their Instagram account which has over 500,000 followers!

Chelsea herself is a NICU parent and as a psychologist herself she shares what was surprising for her in this situation that no parent ever imagines they’ll be in. Chelsea also explains what signs we should look out for in our new mama friends to recognize when they might be experiencing postpartum anxiety or depression.

Have you experienced mom rage? Many of my clients come to me with this concern. Chelsea hashes out what the big contributors are to why we can feel this way in motherhood and what causes us to feel so irritable at times. She also dives into the topic of infertility & pregnancy loss and shares how trying to find the silver lining in those situations isn’t always helpful.

We also cover screen time and how to set boundaries around that, the most important boundaries in general to teach your children, maternal mental load, and suggestions for parents who think, or know, they have a highly sensitive child.

Follow @mamapsychologists on Instagram

www.mamapsychologists.ca

Not Your Mother’s Postpartum Book

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Episode 6: How to Help Your Kids Not Get Sick All the Time

Screen Time Workshop

We all know that sick days for you and your family can be a huge stressor and lead to burnt out parents. The goal of this episode is to help you reduce the number of sick days for both you and your child as we approach sick season.

Do you know why turning on the furnace can lead to more illnesses? Or why viral illnesses have been rising in frequency and severity since the pandemic? I explain both of these things in this episode. I also share what is considered a “normal” amount of sickness per child per year and give my top housekeeping recommendations to keep these illnesses at bay.

I cover fevers and explain what is happening inside the body when someone has a fever. I share my favorite natural remedies including a honey and onion concoction - don’t knock it until you try it! I also share what my favorite herb is and the benefits of it. Finally, I cover ear infections and a home remedy that works for these as well.

Sponsor: Kids Sickness Workshop - Enter code ‘PODCAST’ for 25% off.

Links & Resources:

Eco Chic Movement Podcast - Episode 5

Blog Post on Cold, Wet Socks

Kids Sickness Workshop

Free Immune Support Checklist

Book Your 30-Minute Consult (Ontario Only)

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www.ecochicmovement.com

Cheryl Sew Hoy is our guest today and she is the founder of Tiny Health; a company that specializes in at-home gut health tests for moms and babies. I use this company with my own son and with my patients. My only regret is that Tiny Health wasn’t around sooner!

In our conversation, Cheryl explains what the word microbiome even means. Some of you may be very familiar with that term, but for those of you who are not, she has a great way of explaining the importance of the makeup of microbiome and the role it plays in preconception, pregnancy, baby and childhood years.

If you are a parent worried about your baby’s start - maybe they spent some time in the NICU, were on antibiotics, or had an inability to breastfeed - Cheryl shares her top recommendations on what you can do to optimize their first 1000 days in order for them to develop the healthiest gut health.

Cheryl also shares how the Tiny Health tests can help those of you whose first child was at a high risk for atopic diseases like eczema, allergies, or asthma in subsequent pregnancies. You also might be wondering if there are benefits to testing moms vaginal microbiome in pregnancy and if that is something that can affect her Group B Strep status? Well, Cheryl gives us an answer to that question as well.

The future of microbiome in medicine is an exciting one. Tune in to this episode to learn about all things gut health!

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Links & Resources:

20% Off Tiny Health with code ‘ECOCHICMOVEMENT’

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www.ecochicmovement.com

Toxins in skin care products, and the deceptions in the industry, are one of the things I enjoy talking about most. In this episode I share my personal story of how and why my interest in this topic came about long before I had my son and he developed eczema.

Women and babies are at the greatest risk to toxins in skin care products and I explain why.  I walk you through what skin care products I would recommend switching out first while still getting the most bang for your buck! I also educate you on the top ingredients to look out for and walk you through how to go about replacing toxic products in your home.

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend or tag it in your Instagram stories; @ecochicmovement.

Sponsor: Eco Chic Movement - Enter code ‘PODCAST’ at checkout for 25% off your first purchase.

Links & Resources:

Five Easy Ways to Reduce Toxins in Your House

How to Detoxify Your Baby’s Nursery

What Ingredients to Avoid in Your Skincare Products

Making the Switch to Natural Skincare Products

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www.ecochicmovement.com