Today is a special episode because I got to talk with another one of my dear friends here in Sacramento. Stephanie Dullanty is a birth doula, postpartum doula and birth photographer and mom to Rio. Stephanie and I met through Capital City Doulas and she is such a sweet and wonderful person. I am so happy to share her and her wife Martha's story of how they experienced conception, pregnancy, birth and postpartum.   In this episode we talk about:  How she and Martha chose their sperm donor (They used Pacific Reproductive Services) and how complicated the process can be to conception How she came to birth work Ways that we can be more inclusive to queer families in birth education and parenting Her beautiful birth story with Rio The importance of finding community Struggling with Rio's colic Balancing going back to work when your baby or toddler has only had one primary caregiver  You can find out more about Stephanie at her website Rio City Birthworks If you are local to Sacramento, please check out our calendar at Capital City Doulas to see when the next Mama Talks event is. Also, check out  Capital City Music Together if you're local, or check out Music Together in your area if you're elsewhere.  *** As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.  Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.  The podcast is also sponsored by Audible.com.  To get your FREE audiobook and 30-day trial, please go to http://www.audibletrial.com/postpartum    You can also support the show by becoming a patron on Patreon.  No donation is too small, for as little as $1 per episode, you can make a huge difference for the show.  Click here to learn more.  Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 41: "It's about Positive not Perfect" with Stephanie Dullanty

In this biweekly podcast, Kellie Edson, childbirth educator-in-training chats with both birth professionals and regular moms about all aspects of the transition to parenthood.

Whether this is your first child or your tenth, I hope that you gain new knowledge, insights or just plain old comfort from this twice per month show.

This podcast was born out of the belief that with each child born, a mother is born (or reborn) and that transition in all of its messy, beautiful chaos deserves to be honored, supported, and celebrated.

Kids & Family

Health & Fitness

Dear Listeners, I have some both exciting and a little bit sad news to share with you in today's episode.  First, the exciting news is that we are expecting our second child due in April.  We are both excited and nervous to be taking this journey all over again.  My daughter will be 4 in February, and I started this podcast over 3 ½ years ago when she was just a couple months old.  It’s truly been a labor of love. Now, for the a little bit sadder news. In an effort to practice what I preach and really slow down during these last months of pregnancy and the newborn phase, I have decided to take a 6 month break from the podcast.  This is the last episode that will be in your feed for a while.  I hope to come back with renewed vigor next summer, and with more stories to share from my own second newborn phase! Until then, there are 80 episodes in the archive - all still available on iTunes - of wonderful stories of all the good and hard things about the postpartum period. I would love if you share them with your friends and family.  Wishing you all the best for the holiday season and the early part of 2018 – and please remember to take the time for yourself, even in the smallest of ways.  Thank you, as always for listening. So much Love, Kellie  

Episode 80: An Announcement, A Break and Happy Holidays!

Today it was so fun talking to Michelle Beckner! Michelle is a mom of two who is passionate about real food and educating new and expecting moms on how to stay happy and healthy so that they can raise happy and healthy babies. She was working as a chemical engineer and pregnant with my second child when she decided to go back to school to become a certified nutrition coach in 2016. Since then, she's taught courses on starting solids and how to be a Calm Mom. Now, she mainly work with breastfeeding moms with babies who have food allergies and intolerances. She has breastfed both of my babies through food allergies. With everything she's learned, she's made it her mission to educate new and expecting moms of the signs of allergies as well as educate and support moms who need to eliminate dairy and other foods from their diet. In her episode we chat about:  Birthing a business and a baby all in the same year! Balancing a business, another part time job and a move all in the postpartum year Her experience with food allergies and intolerances with her own children The complications of so many different opinions on how to manage allergies with babies How she can help breastfeeding moms with with allergies Her experience switching to midwifery care mid-pregnancy The importance of educating ourselves about our birthing options and care providers The challenges of having the second child and the work multiplying Disposable plates and utensils for your friends who are newly postpartum!  You can find Michelle on Facebook @mlbfamilywellness or on her website here. If you are a dairy free mama then check out her Facebook group Dairy Free Breastfeeding: Surviving & Thriving!  This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by  Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to  aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more. *** As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.  Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.  Thank you SO much for your support! You can find Michelle on Facebook @mlbfamilywellness. If you are a dairy free mama then check out her Facebook group Dairy Free Breastfeeding: Surviving & Thriving!

Episode 80: Babies with Food Intolerances and Allergies with Michelle Beckner

Today I SO enjoyed chatting with Rebecca Egbert. Rebecca was a practicing midwife for nearly 10 years and is now the Founder and CEO of The Mother Love, a company building inclusive technology and connected communities to improve women’s health. Often told she has the energy of 7 people, hard work is part of her cellular body. After starting many businesses, she committed deeply to her entrepreneurial and innovative spirit deciding to take a giant leap away from clinical care, into the health education and tech world. With a hint of intuition and playful communication, Rebecca and her team create fun, accessible and actionable self-care tools that are designed to be used, most importantly, and shared to grow healthy women, strong families, and create connected communities. She loves her people and places deeply, and does a lot of things that might make you think she’s nuts in her little spare time. I so appreciated her real and honest approach and I know you will love this episode!  In her episode, we chat about:  Her interest in healthcare at a young age How she saw a hole in the postpartum care arena from her experience as a midwife How she chose to become a CPM instead of a CNM How she transitioned from a practicing midwife to an entrepreneur  Her research into what postpartum women most need How Little Mother's Helper came to be The importance of women supporting other women The importance of nurturing your relationship with your partner before birth The break and space needed after the baby is born - limit your visitors! How this year was the year of "slowing down" for a lot of people What's next for The Mother Love...venture capitalists and more! And SO many other wonderful things!  Be sure to check out Little Mother's Helper here! This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by  Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to  aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more. *** As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.  Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.  Thank you SO much for your support!  

Episode 79: "Making it through the 'ring of fire,' going light, and being generous with ourselves." with Rebecca Egbert of The Mother Love

 Today I so enjoyed chatting with Bianca Sprague and Natasha Marchand of bebo mia inc. Bianca is a birth doula and lactation educator and has supported hundreds of families through their pregnancy, birth and postpartum periods. She feels particularly passionate around maintaining the family's relationships and mental wellness. As a queer woman she advocates for inclusive language in the birthing space. She lives in Toronto with her spouse, Alana, and their daughter, Gray. Natasha is a pre & postnatal fitness professional and birth doula. After a long fertility journey with her first daughter, Natasha has positioned herself as a fertility expert. She specializes in working with families with a history of try to conceive through their pregnancy and postpartum period. Natasha lives in Toronto with her husband, Chris, their 6 year old daughter, Sadie, and just gave birth to her second daughter in September. bebo mia inc is a training & mentorship organization for women in the maternal health field, including pregnancy/birth professionals, childbirth educators & parenting specialists. They offer comprehensive skills, business support & community care through an innovative online structure that spans a global market.  In their episode we chat about:  bebo mia's origin story Why they have some focus on fertility in their business Inclusive gender language when it comes to birth work How they feel like they did the opposite with their postpartum experiences that they tell their clients to do and what they would've done differently The challenge of working in this field and people "expecting us to be really good at this" Postpartum planning and asking for what you want Their birth stories and Natasha's thoughts about her upcoming C-Section The importance of setting yourself up for a positive postpartum experience Their differing experiences with postpartum as Natasha is more social and Bianca more introverted Postpartum struggles with a spirited high needs baby Letting moms experience whatever they experience postpartum Don't do it on your own!! And more!   This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by  Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to  aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more. *** As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.  Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.  Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 78: Don't Do It On Your Own with Bianca and Natasha of bebo mia

 Today I enjoyed chatting with Carole Kramer Arsenault, RN, IBCLC. Carole has devoted her career to infant and pregnancy care, and worked for many years as a delivery nurse, including at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She founded and runs Boston Baby Nurse, a home health agency offering specialized support to families with babies. She lives outside Boston. In her episode we chat about: ·      Her work as a labor and delivery nurse and how that played a role in her birth and postpartum stories ·      How she came to start Boston Baby Nurse and what services they offer ·      Why she decided to write Newborn 101 and what readers can expect to get out of it – it’s like a pocket Postpartum nurse for you to take home! ·      The importance of trusting your instincts during the postpartum period and avoiding getting too caught up in the fear-based perspective of Google searching ·      Slowing down during the early postpartum weeks ·      Lowering our expectations of our postpartum bodies. ·      And so much more!  Be sure to check out Boston Baby Nurse and get yourself a copy of Newborn 101  This episode of the postpartum podcast is sponsored by  Aeroflow Breastpumps.  Aeroflow helps you navigate qualifying for a breast pump through your insurance. Just because its covered, doesn’t mean it’s easy. Let Aeroflow handle the bureaucracy so that you can enjoy your baby. Go to  aeroflowbreastpumps.com/postpartum to learn more. *** As always, please consider subscribing and leaving a review on iTunes here. Your reviews really help the show out because they allow it to be more visible so that we can reach more moms.  Do you shop on Amazon?  Use this link and do your shopping as you always would and the show will get a teeny tiny kickback.  Thank you SO much for your support!

Episode 41: "It's about Positive not Perfect" with Stephanie Dullanty

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