Welcome to episode five of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to Beth Gibney-Boulden, RYT, M.Ed about spirituality and finding calm after a baby comes into your life.

Beth's study of yoga began in 1996, while completing her Masters degree in Counseling at Springfield College. In search of mental stillness and physical health, she found yoga to be a centering and inspiring refuge from the demands of daily life. She continued her personal exploration of yoga while working for 12 years as a college administrator in student leadership development. In 2005, Beth received her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and began to use yoga in her leadership development work with college students both in the U.S. and abroad. Teaching yoga is now her full time passion. Beth specializes in yoga for women, and has received certifications in Prenatal Yoga, Fertility Yoga, and Pelvic Yoga for Women.

Beth is committed to a daily practice of mantra, meditation and prayer. She enjoys helping others to create their own personalized practice of yoga. In addition to group classes, Beth offers private sessions to individuals, couples, and small groups in search of transformation.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How moms in Beth’s classes are progressing through the postpartum journey
• Normalizing the experience of giving birth to a child (however you gave birth)
• Understanding how every child / pregnancy will be different
• The healing experience of yoga
• Being present for yourself and your baby
• Learning to trust our intuition
• Ways in which younger women giving birth can be calm and less anxious
• The importance of community
• Finding your own place within a community
• Knowing you’re not alone and don’t need to be a “perfect mother”

Resources

http://www.creationyoga.net

Episode 04 Birth Trauma * Trigger Warning Sensitive Content with Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Welcome to episode four of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today Melissa and Sophie talk about Birth Trauma.

The term “birth trauma” specifically refers to adverse experiences one has during birth, but any traumatic events that take place between conception and about the age of three can have particular significance in shaping an individual’s life.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• What birth trauma is
• Melissa’s experience of giving birth to her first child
• How trauma effected Melissa’s first birth
• How trauma can also cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Ways in which women can have a more empowered birth
• The need to open up and talk about birth trauma and lead with vulnerability
• Empowering and owning your voice
• Seeking out the right support and being honest about the experience

Resources

https://honestmamas.com

Episode 3 Parternship Struggles After Baby with Sophie McEntee, LMFT & Claire Colaço, LMFT

Welcome to episode three of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today Claire and Sophie talk about the transition from being a couple to being a couple with a baby.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How the pressure of having a baby can affect a couple’s relationship
• The dynamic changes that can happen when you and your partner move at different paces
• Attachment: why it’s important
• Tools that couples can use to better navigate the challenges of having a baby
• Learning to make space for better communication without putting your ideas onto your partner
• The need to try and have more patience through this process
• The importance of forgiveness and knowing that none of us are perfect

Resources

https://honestmamas.com

Episode 2 Pregnancy & Self Care with Silvie Falschlunger, PhD, CCE, CD, CLC

Today we are joined by Silvie Falschlunger, who works with first-time parents, second- and multiple-time parents, VBAC parents, women with special medical and psychological needs, women whose husbands were unable to attend their birth, natural childbirth women, women who decided on a water birth, women choosing an epidural, and women who experienced Caesarean Birth.

She works with clients in Westchester, Southern Connecticut and New York City in a variety of settings: hospital, birthing center or home.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How women take care of themselves during pregnancy
• Concerns pregnant first-time moms have before they give birth
• The strain working moms go through in being expected to manage their career and give birth
• Ways in which women can focus purely on their pregnancy
• How to best connect with a growing baby during pregnancy
• The importance of having good nutrition
• How connecting with your baby can alleviate anxiety and fear
• Ways in which women who adopt or have a surrogate can bond
• The importance of good physical health throughout pregnancy

Resources

http://birth-in-motion.com

Welcome to the first episode of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today Melissa talks to Sophie about how longing along the path of infertility has affected Sophie’s life, the role that shame can play on this journey and the need to shine a light on the stories of women going through this experience.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How Sophie’s struggle with infertility began when she was in her mid-thirties
• The overwhelming and upsetting feelings that can come up with infertility
• How longing on the fertility journey can normalize the experience and make women feel less isolated
• The role that shame and self-criticism can play on this journey
• Ways in which to lovingly stay with the longing as opposed to turning or running away from it
• Overcoming the loss of control infertility can bring
• Learning to stay present and the key to tolerating your feelings
• The need to shine a light on the stories of women going through this experience
• Why it’s ok to rely on love and support from someone in your life or a community
• The importance of learning to love yourself through this process

Resources

https://honestmamas.com

Honest Mama Founders, Sophie, Melissa and Claire are psychotherapists, moms, and friends. They share the inspiration behind creating this podcast and a bit about the pregnancy, fertility, parenting and motherhood themes you can expect to hear about along the way.

Find out more about Honest Mamas  - https://honestmamas.com