InCast

Teen parents are often navigating pregnancy and birth while carrying layers of stigma, judgment, and unmet educational needs. This episode shines a compassionate light on why teens deserve the same evidence-based, respectful childbirth education as any adult—delivered in ways that truly meet them where they are. With honesty, heart, and deep practical experience, this conversation explores how education can shift teen parents from fear and shame toward confidence, agency, and long-term resilience. If you care about equity, dignity, and real-world impact in perinatal education, this episode is essential listening.

Julie Ruckstuhl Thompson, ICCE is a certified childbirth educator, doula, and longtime special education professional with a passion for supporting adolescent parents. With 27 years of experience working with middle and high school students, Julie brings a developmentally informed, trauma-aware lens to childbirth education for teens. She teaches childbirth, baby care, and breastfeeding classes through the Colorado Adolescent Maternal Program (CAMP) and works closely with teen families in both hospital and community settings. Julie is a strong advocate for respectful care and believes deeply in helping young parents understand their choices, find their voice, and step into parenthood with confidence and dignity.

• Why childbirth education for teens requires a different approach than adult-focused classes
• How stigma and judgment impact teen parents' birth experiences—and what educators can do to change that
• Why developmentally appropriate teaching builds confidence and advocacy skills, not just knowledge
• How respectful education during pregnancy can strengthen long-term parenting outcomes
• Why teen parents deserve choice, voice, and agency in birth just like any other family
• How educators and doulas can support teens without "promoting" teen pregnancy, while fostering resilience and healthy futures

• CAMP – Colorado Adolescent Maternity Parenting & Family Program
• Contact Julie Thompson: [email protected]

• Teen On-Demand Video Library
• Stages of Labor: A Visual Guide for Teens 3rd Edition video program
• Healthy Steps for Teen Parents 2nd Edition video program
• Understanding Birth book + web app

• Season 3, Episode 8: Intimate Partner Violence in Teens with Mary Jo Podgurski of The Academy for Adolescent Health

In today's fast-paced and often disconnected world, many new parents find themselves navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with far less support than previous generations. In this episode, we explore the powerful role of community in maternal and family well-being and why rebuilding a modern-day "village" may be one of the most important ways to improve postpartum outcomes. Drawing from her experience supporting more than 100,000 families, Gabriela Gerhart shares practical insights on creating meaningful connections, strengthening support systems, and helping parents thrive during one of life's most transformative seasons.

Gabriela Gerhart is the founder of the Motherhood Center, a Houston-based pregnancy, birth, and postpartum wellness center and professional childcare agency she established in 2000. Originally from a small village in the Czech Republic, Gabriela's background in pediatric nursing and physical therapy, combined with her passion for community-centered care, inspired her to create a comprehensive support system for growing families. Today, the Motherhood Center offers childbirth education, doula services, breastfeeding support, perinatal mental health resources, fitness programs, childcare services, and more. At the heart of her work is a simple belief: no mother should feel alone, and with the right support, every family can thrive.

• Why postpartum was never meant to be an isolated experience and how strong support systems help families build a healthier foundation during the transition to parenthood.
• How modern parents are often overwhelmed by information, competing responsibilities, and the pressure to "get it right," making community support more important than ever.
• What Gabriella learned growing up in a small Czech village, where neighbors, healthcare providers, and extended family naturally stepped in to help new parents.
• Why creating opportunities for parents to connect—through childbirth classes, support groups, yoga classes, and social gatherings—can lead to lifelong friendships and lasting support networks.
• Why every birth professional can help families build their own village by encouraging conversations about meals, practical help, check-ins, childcare support, and community resources before the baby arrives.
• The importance of creating accessible postpartum gathering spaces, including mother meetups, new dad groups, and other low-barrier opportunities for connection and support.
• How postpartum care is evolving beyond the idea of "bouncing back" and toward a more holistic focus on recovery, pelvic floor health, emotional well-being, and family adjustment.

• Motherhood Center

• Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care Book + Guided Learning Web App
• Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care eClass
• Understanding Fatherhood: PowerPoint Class

• Season 10 Episode 2: Increasing Stability in a Transition to Parenthood
• Season 9 Episode 4: Insights on Perinatal Mental Health from PROSPER Leaders: Practical Tips for Educators and Doulas
• Providing Social Support for Postpartum Women Through a 4th Trimester Group

In a world that feels increasingly uncertain—from global conflict and community tension to lingering stress carried forward from the pandemic—expecting and new parents are holding more emotional weight than ever before. This episode explores how stress shows up during the childbearing years and, more importantly, how perinatal professionals can help parents feel grounded, supported, and capable even when the world around them feels unsteady. With warmth, insight, and decades of clinical experience, Gabrielle Kaufman offers practical, compassionate tools for navigating uncertainty without minimizing fear, fixing what can't be fixed, or leaving parents to manage it alone.

Gabrielle Kaufman, MA, LPCC, BC-DMT, NCC, PMH-C is a dance/movement therapist and licensed professional clinical counselor with more than 30 years of experience in perinatal mental health. She previously served for over a decade as Clinical Director of Maternal Mental Health NOW and as Director of the New Moms Connect Program at Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles, supporting parents experiencing postpartum mood and anxiety disorders. Gabrielle has taught internationally for Postpartum Support International, Drexel University's Arts and Healing Initiative, and other professional programs, bringing a deeply integrative mind–body approach to maternal mental health care. She is bilingual in Spanish and a long-time advocate for accessible, compassionate support for families. At the heart of her work is one guiding belief: no mother should feel alone, and with the right support, every family can thrive.

• Why uncertainty and global stress disproportionately affect pregnant and new parents, even when danger feels abstract or distant
• How naming stress helps "tame" it, reducing overwhelm without asking professionals to fix what's out of their control
• Why changing perspective—literally and emotionally—can restore a sense of agency when worries begin to snowball
• How grounding techniques and mindful practices help parents move out of their heads and back into their bodies
• Why receiving help is a strength, not a failure, and how modeling that truth supports both parents and providers
• How perinatal professionals can create stability through presence, predictability, and compassionate referral, even when answers are unclear

• Gabrielle Kaufman's Website(opens in a new tab)
• Postpartum Support International (opens in a new tab)
• Emotional Wellness Self-Help Tool (Maternal Mental Health NOW)
• Postpartum Support International(opens in a new tab)
• MotherRisk is no longer available – Instead try:
  • LactMed(opens in a new tab) at NIH
  • MotherToBaby(opens in a new tab)
  • Infant Risk Center(opens in a new tab)

• Understanding Pregnancy
• Understanding Birth
• Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care

• Season 9 Episode 4: Insights on Perinatal Mental Health from PROSPER Leaders: Practical Tips for Educators and Doulas
• Bringing Awareness to Perinatal Mood & Anxiety Disorders by Gabrielle Kaufman

Induction has quietly become one of the most common interventions in childbirth—so common that many parents assume it's inevitable or automatically safer. In this episode, we slow the conversation way down and take a careful, evidence-based look at how induction became routine, what the research actually shows, and why so many families are encouraged to induce without hearing the full story. With clarity, depth, and decades of expertise, Henci Goer helps listeners untangle fear from fact and reclaim informed choice in one of the most consequential decisions of the childbearing year.

Henci Goer is an award-winning author, medical research analyst, and longtime advocate for maternity care reform. Known for making complex research accessible and usable, Henci has spent decades reviewing, synthesizing, and translating evidence so pregnant people and birth workers can make truly informed decisions. She is the author of multiple books, including Labor Induction: Why, When, and How and the Take Charge of Your Birth series, and the creator of a widely used online resource library for evidence-based maternity care. At the heart of her work is one guiding belief: every parent deserves accurate information, meaningful choice, and agency in their birth experience.

• Why induction rates have climbed to nearly half of all labors, driven not only by medical need but by a growing category of "precautionary" inductions
• How induction shifted from convenience to perceived necessity, reframing healthy pregnancies as problems to be managed or prevented
• Why suspected big babies, overdue dates, and ruptured membranes are often misused as reasons for induction, despite research showing limited benefit and increased risk
• What the ARRIVE trial really found—and what it didn't, including how study conditions differ from everyday hospital practice
• How induction can disrupt the natural hormonal processes of labor, affecting pain tolerance, bonding, breastfeeding, and postpartum recovery
• Why informed consent, agency, and good questions matter more than ever, and how parents can use tools like BRAIN to make decisions aligned with their values

• Henci Goer's website, including the Research Library referenced in the podcast

• Understanding Birth Curriculum
• Natural Birth & Beyond: Teaching Essentials for Independent Educators Video Library
• Understanding Natural Childbirth Techniques eClass

• Season 9 Episode 1: Preparing for Low-Intervention Birth with Sarah, the "Labor Junkie RN"
• Season 9 Episode 6: When Pregnancy Becomes "High-Risk": An Educator's Guide to Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) Care
• Season 6, Episode 7: Safely Preventing Primary (NTSV) Cesarean Delivery—A Conversation with David C. Lagrew Jr. M.D.

In this rich and reassuring conversation, Debbie sits down once again with Dr. Lexi Hill, a Maternal–Fetal Medicine specialist, to unpack what advanced maternal age really means today.

Together, they demystify the risks, clarify what's truly important in prenatal care, and offer practical guidance for parents, educators, and birth professionals alike. From essential screenings and advocacy tips to emotional wellness and preparing for birth, this episode blends evidence-based insight with compassion and clarity.

Whether you work with expectant families or are navigating pregnancy yourself, you'll walk away feeling informed, empowered, and ready to support safer, more confident journeys into parenthood.

Dr. Lexi is a board-certified Maternal–Fetal Medicine specialist dedicated to supporting people through high-risk and medically complex pregnancies with clarity, compassion, and evidence-based care. With extensive experience in fetal imaging, prenatal diagnostics, and managing conditions such as advanced maternal age, hypertension, diabetes, and IVF-related risks, she is known for her ability to translate complex medical information into practical guidance for patients and professionals alike.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Lexi creates educational resources—including courses, videos, and advocacy tools—that empower families to ask informed questions and navigate pregnancy with confidence.

• Why "advanced maternal age" begins at 35, and why that number isn't magical but part of a gradual risk continuum.
• That flexible, well-communicated birth plans are still absolutely possible, and valuable, for AMA pregnancies.
• How to recognize red flags in prenatal care and advocate for clear communication and shared decision-making.
• Which screenings and scans are essential during AMA pregnancies, especially the importance of a detailed anatomy ultrasound.
• The key maternal risks that rise with age, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm birth.
• The fetal risks associated with AMA, from chromosomal differences to growth concerns and stillbirth risk.
• How AMA care typically includes early screening, mid-pregnancy anatomy scans, third trimester growth checks, and late-pregnancy monitoring pregnancy anatomy scans, third trimester growth checks, and late pregnancy monitoring.
• Why combining IVF with AMA adds layers of risk, making early ultrasound, anatomy scans, and fetal echocardiograms even more important.
• How a preconception consultation can help you understand risks, optimize health, and prepare for pregnancy with confidence.

• Dr. Lexi's website (free resources for students and clients)
• FREE Hypertensive High Risk Pregnancy Module
• Dr. Lexi's YouTube channel(opens in a new tab)

• Understanding Pregnancy Book + Web App
• Understanding Birth Book + Web App

• Expert Insights: Latest Updates on Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols, RDN
• 1 Kick, 2 Kicks, 7 Kicks More! A Stillbirth Prevention Program With Megan Aucutt of Healthy Birth Day, Inc
• Preeclampsia: What Every Educator Should Know with Adriane Burgess

When a pregnancy is labeled "high-risk" and families are transferred from standard pregnancy care to a Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist, it can feel overwhelming, disorienting, and even like a personal setback. Emotions like fear, confusion, and self-doubt are common for parents, but finding balance during this transition is essential. Staying engaged and empowered isn't just good for emotional well-being; it's critical for making informed decisions throughout their pregnancy journey.

In today's episode, we'll explore practical and compassionate strategies to help educators support parents as they shift into MFM care —and how to help families maintain a sense of balance, clarity, and hope when pregnancy plans change.

Our guest, Dr. Lexi Hill, is a respected Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist who works closely with families and healthcare professionals to ensure parents receive the best possible care during their high-risk pregnancy.

Dr. Hill is passionate about bridging gaps in the patient–physician relationship through education and empowerment. She believes that when parents understand their care and feel confident advocating for themselves, both outcomes and experiences improve.

• Why parents are referred to maternal fetal medicine and what "high-risk" really means
• The most common conditions MFM specialists manage, from diabetes to placenta previa
• What it takes to become an MFM specialist and why that expertise matters
• How MFMs collaborate with OBs and midwives to support safe deliveries
• Ways MFMs help parents cope emotionally when birth plans change
• Practical tips for advocacy and shared decision-making during pregnancy
• Creative strategies to maintain joy and build support during high-risk pregnancies

• Dr. Lexi's website (free resources for students and clients)
• FREE Hypertensive High Risk Pregnancy Module
• Dr. Lexi's YouTube channel

• Understanding Pregnancy Book + Web App
• Understanding Birth Book + Web App

• Expert Insights: Latest Updates on Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols, RDN

Pregnancy often begins with joy and anticipation—but for some, it ends in unimaginable heartbreak. In this powerful episode, we explore what happens when pregnancy ends in loss, and how doulas, birth workers, and loved ones can offer meaningful support.

This episode offers insight into the complexity of perinatal grief, the power of presence, and practical strategies for compassionate care. Learn how to support families through the emotional, physical, and spiritual aftermath of loss—and why grief education and specialized training should be a standard part of all birth work.

About Ashley

Ashley Rose Salvitti is a certified full-spectrum doula and pregnancy and infant loss coach who specializes in supporting families through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and bereavement, offering compassionate care rooted in her own lived experiences. After the stillbirth of her second daughter, Lena, at 29 weeks, and a subsequent miscarriage, Ashley recognized the critical need for continuous, empathetic support for families navigating loss.

Drawing from her background in art and psychology and extensive training, she has served numerous families as both a birth and postpartum doula. Ashley is the founder of Doula Synergy, where she offers coaching, doula services, and bereavement training for birth professionals. Her mission is to ensure that no family walks the path of pregnancy or infant loss alone, and she actively advocates for expanded access to doula care at the state level.

What You'll Learn:

• How the emotional complexity of perinatal loss affects families
• What the role of doulas in grief and bereavement care can look like
• How to use language that validates grief
• What practical and emotional support strategies birth workers can use with grieving families
• Why all birth workers need grief education

Resources & Mentions:

More Info on Ashley:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.doulasynergy.com/ (Ashley Rose's website regarding loss – for families and birth workers)

Related Product from InJoy:

• A Guide to Grief & Healing After the Loss of Your Baby Book + Web App

Related Blogs and Podcasts from InJoy:

• Podcast: Comforting Mothers Who Have Experienced Infant Loss with Elizabeth O'Donnell of Aaliyah in Action
• Blog: Guiding with Compassion: How to Support Families Through Pregnancy and Infant Loss by Julianne Curtis

We're diving into a vital topic that touches the heart of our work as birth professionals: supporting mental health during the perinatal period. Whether you're a childbirth educator, a doula, or another type of birth professional, your role is uniquely positioned to offer meaningful support during one of the most emotionally complex times in a person's life.

Perinatal Mental Health Disorders (PMHDs) affect 1 in 5 individuals during pregnancy and postpartum—yet they often go undiscussed or unnoticed. In this episode, we'll explore how educators, doulas, and other birth professionals can create safe spaces for open conversations, recognize the signs of PMHDs, and offer compassionate, informed guidance to students and clients alike.

About Our Guests

Together, Dr. Celeste St. John-Larkin, Dr. Sarah Nagle-Yang, and Dr. Laurel Hicks, help lead the PROSPER program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine—a free, statewide perinatal psychiatric phone and e-consultation service that supports front-line healthcare providers in screening, assessing, and treating mental health and substance use conditions in pregnant and postpartum patients. PROSPER, which stands for Perinatal Resource Supporting Obstetric Screening, Psychiatric Education, Equity, and Referral, aims to expand access to mental health expertise, especially in rural and underserved areas of Colorado.

Dr. Celeste St. John-Larkins is the PROSPER Project Director and Lead Psychiatrist. She supports providers statewide through expanded access to perinatal mental health and substance use care.

Dr. Sarah Nagle-Yang is the PROSPER Education and Training Lead. She has been a specialist in reproductive psychiatry for over a decade and is a co-editor of the first comprehensive textbook on Women's Reproductive Mental Health.

Dr. Laurel Hicks is the PROSPER Evaluation Lead and a Research Scientist. She holds a dual-title PhD in Social Work and Infant Mental Health, and her work focuses on improving outcomes for families through evidence-based mental health support

Listen and Learn:

• What PMHDs include
• What the most common complication of childbirth is
• How many mothers are facing mental health concerns
• When PMHDs may start in a woman's life
• Who should be paying attention to watch for these issues
• How the baby is affected if the mother is struggling with mental health issues
• How a new mother can give her family or support person permission to speak up if they notice she's acting differently than usual
• What educators and doulas can do for parents to see them as a safe space for referral
• Why breastfeeding can continue even if medication is needed
• How to help mothers build confidence to seek help

Recommended Resources:

• The PROSPER Program – University of Colorado School of Medicine

Related Products from InJoy:

• Understanding Postpartum Health & Baby Care Book + Web App
• Complete Postpartum Teaching Solution

Related Free Resources from InJoy:

• Blog: Providing Social Support for Postpartum Women Through a 4th Trimester Group
• Webinar: Exploring the Unmet Needs of Postpartum Women

Contact the PROSPER Team:

For more information or inquiries, reach out to the PROSPER program at [email protected]

Hillary helps us learn how newborns experience their brand-new world —and how we as educators and doulas can help families understand them in ways they may have never been taught. Rather than seeing babies as a blob to be shaped, we can recognize them as fully formed people with unique needs. Transitioning from an internal dark, warm, water-filled home to the bright, ever-changing world can be quite an undertaking— but with our love and guidance, we can help them grow to their full potential, starting from the very first breath. Learning more about how we can teach this in a wonderfully sensitive way can change families' lives.

About Hillary

Hillary Menke, ICCE, is a childbirth and newborn care instructor with The Women's Clinic of Northern Colorado whose passion lies in the respectful, intentional care of very young children. She earned her BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Colorado and began her career working with infants through kindergarteners in the classroom. To deepen her understanding of whole-child development, she pursued Waldorf Teacher Training at Sound Circle Center, focusing on supporting children's growth beyond academics—nurturing what it means to be deeply, joyfully human.

It was with the birth of her own little one and coming to grips with the awe-filled, wild ride of motherhood that this passion extended to the care of new parents in their journeys through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She earned her childbirth educator certification through ICEA and now helps families navigate this transformative time with evidence-based education and compassionate guidance. Her goal is to build confidence in parents as they care for their babies in ways that reflect their values, wisdom, and dreams.

• What current neuroscience reveals about how babies actually perceive the world
• Why educators need to role model respectful interaction with their "babies" in the classroom
• What the differences are between infant and adult brain waves
• How we can demonstrate ways for parents to empathize with their babies
• Why a parent's calm demeanor can change the interaction with baby
• How to teach ways to decode infant cues
• Why free movement is part of respectful infant care

• Baby Bare by Stephanie Johnson
• The Nurture Revolution by Greer Kirshenbaum
• Unruffled with Janet Lansbury (Podcast)
• Anything from Magda Gerber or Dr. Emi Pikler

• Understanding Your Newborn Curriculum
• Understanding Birth Curriculum
• Understanding Breastfeeding Curriculum
• Educator Media Library

• Podcast: Season 9 Episode 2: Gentle Sleep Support with Sierra Brooks

Contact Hillary at [email protected].

Join us as we explore gentle sleep support—for both parents and babies—with Sierra Brooks, CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula, Gentle Sleep Coach, and Certified Lactation Counselor.

In this episode, Sierra shares insights into how helping parents understand the biological needs of their babies, and how to accommodate those needs while getting enough rest themselves, can reduce maternal mental health struggles. After years of "cry it out" being the norm, Sierra offers a fresh perspective on emerging, more compassionate, and evidence-based sleep strategies.

By understanding these evolving approaches, we can better support the families we teach, treat, and care for.

About Sierra

Sierra Brooks is the owner and founder of Bud to Blossom, a Salt Lake City-based company dedicated to supporting the postpartum needs of new and growing families. As a CAPPA Certified Postpartum Doula, Gentle Sleep Coach, and Certified Lactation Counselor, Sierra helps families understand the cycles, rhythms, and cues of babies and guides parents as they implement sleep strategies tailored to their needs.

She has expanded Bud to Blossom to offer services such as birth doula support, infant feeding guidance, photography, and more—with the ultimate goal of helping families feel supported, confident, and prepared on their parenting journey.

• How new families can maximize their sleep and rest
• How better sleep can help reduce mental health difficulties
• What families should look for when interviewing sleep counselors, coaches, or trainers
• How to teach parents about the baby's biological needs for sleeping and eating
• The roles and philosophies of different sleep support professionals
• When it's the right time to seek professional sleep help
• How to help families choose the practitioner that is right for them
• Why bringing the baby outside the house daily supports sleep cycles
• How "noticing" is different from "tracking" to reduce anxiety
• What the difference is between active sleep and deep sleep in babies

More Info on Sierra: Email: [email protected] Website: Bud to Blossom Instagram: @bud2blossomgram

Sleep Counseling Institute: Website: sleepcounselinginstitute.com/sci-certification *Use code injoy for a discount Instagram: @thesleepwich

Sierra's Favorite Baby Sleep Expert: Dr. Lyndsey Hookway Instagram: @lyndsey_hookway Website: lyndseyhookway.com

Recommended Books: Let's Talk About Your Family Sleep (for parents) Holistic Sleep Coaching (for professionals)

Related Products from InJoy:

Understanding Your Newborn Curriculum Understanding Postpartum Health & Your Baby Curriculum Understanding Infant & Child Safety Curriculum

Related Blogs and Podcasts from InJoy: Podcast: Making Safe Sleep Possible for all Families with Devon George of Cribs for Kids