Not Your Mama Podcast

You just had a body part go from zero to 10 centimeters in a matter of hours. So are you just supposed to sit back, wait 6 weeks and then go back to everything as if it’s completely normal? No! Like any other recovery, you need to ramp back up to what you were doing before.

If you know me, you know I don’t believe that there’s some magic number where everything is magically good to go and you can exercise again. That time can be different for everyone, but I believe even from the moment of birth you can be doing things to positively affect your outcomes. 

This episode is about those little routines between giving birth and getting back to exercise. Today I talk about:

• The value of early skin-to-skin contact
• How breastfeeding often can help your healing process
• How to introduce the first foray back into exercise
• Why you shouldn’t check or freak out about a diastasis recti super early in the process
• Areas to focus on when you do start exercising again
• and more!

If you’re interested in learning more about the diaphragmatic breath, check out this video I did a couple years ago now. WARNING: If you are a few days postpartum, the video does get into moves that you cannot or should not be accomplishing quite yet, so listen to your body. The breathing is at the beginning and something you can do a few days postpartum.

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

I’ve casually mentioned before the importance of childbirth education, and touched on some of the childbirth education I’ve done in both of my pregnancies. Usually people are coming to me while pregnant to find out how to have the easiest birth and recovery experience possible, and the answer is always education. Having a plan is key - even if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned - so you can understand the potential side effects of the various choices you’ll be presented with before, during and after birth.

In this episode, I discuss:

• How various interventions may change your recovery path
• The value of a doula in the decision-making process
• What’s included in a good childbirth education class
• When to take a childbirth education class during your pregnancy
• What to do before you decide on a childbirth course
• How many birth classes you should take
• and more!

Find a Lamaze Class

Find a Hypnobabies Class

Find a Bradley Method Class

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

It’s been a minute since I posted a new episode for you guys, and part of the reason has been pregnancy which is now over! So, to get back in the groove, I wanted to bring you guys my second birth story. We all have this perfect idea of how our birth is going to go, and it never quite goes to plan, so I brought my husband, Alex, back on the podcast so we could not only talk about how everything went down, but share some of our insights on what we knew would be different, how we planned a little differently for our second time around and how this birth couldn’t have been any more different from our first birth experience.

In addition to just the details we talk about:

• Why we chose to add a doula to our birth team
• Induction techniques we tried, with a bit of data on what can help (spoiler: nothing will absolutely guarantee labor)
• How we incorporated our daughter into the birth plan
• How we managed a birth that went faster than we could have expected
• Techniques we used that helped improve our chances at a good birth outcome
• and more!

If you’d like to go back and listen to my first birth story, it’s Episode 25 in your feeds, or at https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/podcasts/ep-25-my-story/

To check out our amazing doula, Bonnie Kelly, her practice is Coastal Doulas (for those local to the Palm Beach area) https://www.coastaldoulas.com/ 

For those local to the Treasure Coast who are curious about home birth or birth-center birth, check out Abundant Life Birth Center at https://www.thealbc.com/ 

For the massage class we love, check out https://couplesmassagecourses.com/

And to be first to know about the next Strong As A Mother opening (I’ll be teach AND participating), join my email list: https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/email/

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

This was an amazing episode to do. So often when talking with my clients, and even here on the podcast, I reference partners, and how we can lean on co-parenting, which is why I was so excited to talk with Jacqueline Joy about her choice to get pregnant and become a mother while single. This is such an important conversation to have, letting people of any age know that being a parent doesn’t have to depend on having the right partner in your life, and I hope you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it. Jacqueline and I discussed:

• What her journey was like knowing that she wanted to be a mom, but not finding the right partner
• What the decision to have a child without of partner does for her mentally
• How this decision doesn’t always have to be based on the proverbial ticking clock
• How she navigated the decision on how to go about conception
• How Jacqueline has built out her support system through this process
• The stigmas and difficulties of choosing to be a single parent
• and more!

If you want to follow more on Jacqueline’s journey, you can visit her Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacquelinejoy, or visit her website, https://jacquelinejoy.com 

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

We’re getting everything delivered at home these days, why not our babies? I’ve been a fan of home birth since my first pregnancy, and am planning my second in a few months. That’s why I was so excited to talk with Sarah and Matthew Bivens, hosts of the Doing it At Home podcast and home birth advocates. In this episode, we discuss:

• Their journey from feeling like the had to have a hospital birth to realizing they were much more comfortable birthing at home.
• How the experience of both of them being involved in birth created a lasting experience for their relationship.
• Some common misconceptions about home birth, and how not every non-hospital birth is the same.
• Things to consider when evaluating home birth options.
• And more!

If you'd like to connect with Matthew and Sarah, you can find links to all of their great content at https://diahpodcast.com, including their podcast, social media channels, books and more!

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

When you’re pregnant and postpartum, it’s a major life change and there are a lot of things you have to figure out for yourself. One thing we can sometimes try and manage (and stress over, let’s be honest) is nutrition. That’s why I’m so excited to talk to The Nutrion Doula, Alasen Zarndt. When you’re going through this life change, nutrition can make a huge impact on your health and well being to allow you focus on the things you can’t necessarily control as well. Today, we discuss:

• Diving past the surface level and how different foods integrate into your life and body.
• What foods are actually risky for pregnant people?
• Some of the most common deficiencies Alasen sees in her clients
• And more!

Alasen has great materials on how to stop breastfeeding cravings at https://thenutritiondoula.com/stop-breastfeeding-cravings/. If you’d like to connect with or work with Alasen, you can find her at https://thenutritiondoula.com or on Instagram at @thenutritiondoula

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

Everyone in life goes through some form of trauma, even as a child, whether big or small, and as parents we often strive to not pass these experiences on to our kids. That’s usually easier said than done, which is why I’m so excited to have Riana Milne on today’s show. Riana is a certified global life and love trauma recovery coach, a certified clinical trauma and addictions professional, a certified mindfulness coach and the bestselling author of “Love Beyond Your Dreams, and Live Beyond Your Dreams”. In this episode, we discuss:

• Defining the difference between “big T” Trauma and “little T” trauma
• Parental addictions & verbal messaging issues that can cause trauma for kids
• How not fitting into the mainstream and lacking peer acceptance can cause trauma
• How these traumas show up as adults
• How to help our kids process trauma
• How to reduce trauma during parenting where possible
• and more!

You can find Riana at rianamilne.com, where she has all the freebies! You can get the 4 free love tests, a free e-book “How to Have The Love You Deserve”, free book chapter downloads from her bestselling book, her podcast, and more!

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

During pregnancy, there are obviously some big changes to your body in many areas, but one place that experiences a ton of change is your feet. Today for the podcast, I wanted to bring you a talk I gave to my Strong As A Mother Group. In this episode, I’ll discuss:

• What happens to your feet during pregnancy
• Some pros and cons to common methods of addressing these issues
• What you can do about your changing feet (and no, it’s not just new shoes).

If you’d like to dive in deeper on reversing the effects of pregnancy and postpartum on your feet, I’d love for you to check out my Fix Your Feet Workshop. You do need to have an active studio or Strong As A Mother Membership to view the class.

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

So glad to be back with your guys after an extended break! Pregnancy has been kicking my butt a little, but I'm excited to share this episode with you guys that explores something I see with a lot of my clients, urinary urgency. 

Frequent and sudden need to urinate is often one of those issues that gets accepted as a fact of life postpartum, but there are several ways you can absolutely address it, including:

• Focusing on both the mental & psychological sides of the issue
• Working on loosening and/or strengthening your pelvic floor
• Doing general strength training to feel more confident in your body.
• and more.

If you've struggled with urinary urgency, I think you'll be able to find tons of useful tips and tricks that can make a big difference in your daily life!

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness

If you follow me on social media or are on my email list, then you’ve probably heard that I’m pregnant with our second child, so I thought for this week it would be a great opportunity to have my husband, Alex, a.k.a. “Mr. Bryant Wellness” on the podcast. As I mentioned in my email/social announcement, this was not a pregnancy that we were planning on at this moment, and so we wanted to talk in more detail about what that means, and have some honest conversations including:

• What it’s been like going through the early stages of a “happy little accident” as we’re calling it
• Issues we faced last time around revealing the sex of our first child, and how we want to handle it this time.
• How we’re handling the emotions
• And more

You can find Alex @bastrategies on Instagram and at bastrategies.com 

If you're loving my podcast content, but are looking for something more to support your wellness journey, here are my programs currently available:

Strong As A Mother: Postpartum (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother/)
Strong As A Mother: Live (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-live/)
Strong As A Mother: Prenatal (https://www.kellybryantwellness.com/strong-as-a-mother-prenatal/)

As always, you can find me on Instagram @kellybryantwellness