Postpartum University® Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/breastfeeding-trauma-and-planning-for-postpartum-with-jessi-sletten-podcast-ep21/

Jessi Sletten is joining us today on the podcast. She is a trauma-informed Postpartum Empowerment Coach, a Certified Lactation Counselor, and a Certified Postpartum Nutrition Coach. She helps moms exchange surviving for thriving through creating holistic postpartum recovery plans focused on healing, nourishing, and bonding.

The story that Jessi is sharing today is eye-opening to the trauma you can have during postpartum breastfeeding. She has so much to share about her journey on healing in postpartum after her first baby, all the way to her journey of having baby number two. Come listen in and make sure you don’t miss the free resource that she has for moms-to-be. Be sure to share any thoughts you have on this episode in a review and follow so you don’t miss the weekly release of episodes!

Find Jessi on Instagram

>>>>here<<<<

Find Jessi on Facebook

>>>>here<<<<

Find Jessi’s Free resource

>>>>here<<<<

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Introducing Jessi
• Sharing her story 
• Focusing so much on the birth plan and nothing after that
• Struggling with breastfeeding
• Helping moms feel empowered before they feel like they’re drowning
• Too much focus is on the birth & not enough on the healing after
• Wanting to breastfeed & how it goes sets the stage for postpartum
• Not being able to breastfeed made her feel like a failure
• Breastfeeding trauma
• Trauma is in the eye of the beholder
• When what you had envisioned falls apart
• I cannot let my past dictate my future
• Work with a lactation professional 
• You can't move on until you've healed yourself
• Nutrition healed me from the inside out
• The shame attached to postpartum trauma
• Prepare the tools and the support systems beforehand
• Check out Jessi’s class called Surviving to Thriving: Creating Your Postpartum Plan Masterclass

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/part-2-balancing-hormones-podcast-ep20/ 

This is going to be Part 2 of a 3 part series in the podcast on Balancing Hormones, Part 4 is shared in my Facebook group The Postpartum Circle, so be sure to go join!

These episodes will be spaced out and released through the month of July and August so make sure you are following the podcast so you don’t miss out! 

Why are so many women experiencing imbalances during postpartum? Your hormones are responsible for everything. Healing from the inside out will help you regulate your hormones and allow you to heal faster and fully after having a baby.

There are four key components to hormone imbalances. Nutrients, sleep, support, and stress. Each one affects the next and when you are not taking care of yourself these can be exacerbated. Come listen to part 2 of balancing your hormones where I dive in a little bit deeper on this journey inward to healing your body and your hormones no matter where you are in your postpartum journey.

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Inward to healing your body and your hormones 
• Hormones are greatly responsible for how we live our life
• How you healed and what balances or imbalances you had in postpartum will affect the experiences you have during menopause
• Depression, anxiety, feeling constantly overwhelmed is not a place to live
• You should be thriving, not drowning
• Hormone imbalance is a symptom, not a problem
• The four main reasons why your hormones are out of balance
• Nutrients, sleep, support, and stress/trauma
• Lack of nutrients, lack of sleep, this lack is causing the imbalance
• In postpartum your brain changes immensely
• The postpartum hormone cycle
• Investigate how you are feeling
• Assess where you are

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/overwhelmed-and-depleted-to-thriving-podcast-ep19/

From completely depleted and overwhelmed to thriving and pregnant! My guest, Danielle is going to be sharing her story of this journey going from being overwhelmed and depleted in postpartum to finally thriving and pregnant. She owns her own business and has two kids with baby number three on the way.

Danielle was having issues with feeling tired, overwhelmed, lack of nutrition, and the stress of running a business with not having daycare for her kids anymore due to COVID. She came to me looking for support and guidance to feel better. Her biggest takeaway from the experience is to make it a priority to take better care of yourself. Come listen to Danielle’s testimony of working with me in this episode, and be sure to share it with all your friends and family. 

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Introducing Danielle
• The overwhelm of life prior to working with Maranda
• Not feeling well physically
• Exhausted all the time
• Not being in the best physical shape
• Not eating the right foods for my body
• Periods being much more painful and uncomfortable than previously
• Having the six-week meal plan was hugely beneficial
• Conversations with someone who understands and gets it
• What feels good for you and your life
• There needs to be so much more attention on postpartum 
• Taking better care of yourself & making it a priority

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/part-1-balancing-hormones-podcast-ep18/

This is going to be Part 1 of a 3 part series in the podcast on Balancing Hormones, Part 4 is shared in my Facebook group The Postpartum Circle, so be sure to go join!

These episodes will be spaced out and released through the month of July so make sure you are following the podcast so you don’t miss out! 

Why are so many women experiencing imbalances during postpartum? Your hormones are responsible for everything. When you have a baby and you are not getting the proper care to heal your body you will experience hormonal imbalances. 

Your postpartum hormones are not naturally out of control, however, they are in a biologically normal shift that comes along with these major changes. That shift is a state of fluctuation that is normal as you are going from pregnancy to postpartum. The change is definitely big, but it is not the cause of hormonal issues. Come listen to part 1 of balancing your hormones where I share why we need to look at our bodies as a whole and not try to compartmentalize. 

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Your hormones are responsible for everything
• Knowing how your hormones function within your body is extremely helpful
• I am here to help you focus on how to balance your hormones
• Why are so many women experiencing imbalances during postpartum?
• 1 in 4 experience depression and anxiety
• There are misunderstandings about how our hormones function
• A massive hormone imbalance 
• Postpartum lasts up to 6 years
• Most remedies tend to mask the issue
• When using remedies you are never addressing the root issue
• You control a lot of your hormones
• Your body is not operating in different pieces
• Addressing the root of the issue
• Addressing the whole body
• You cannot take and break a woman into smaller pieces or compartments
• Your hormones in relation to everything else
• Your mental health, your nutrition, your sleep, your support system is so deeply related

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/exercising-in-postpartum-what-you-need-to-know-from-bethany-gerry-podcast-ep17/

We have a very special guest, Bethany Gerry, on the podcast today! Bethany is going to be sharing her expertise on exercising during postpartum. Bethany is a fitness and wellness coach, and she specializes in the postpartum years. She's also a retired Olympian.

The information that Bethany has is slightly different from what you hear in the mainstream postpartum wellness industry. I've actually had the privilege of working with Bethany over the course of a few years now. She's also someone who's taken the postpartum nutrition certification, she makes it a priority for fitness and overall wellness with her clients because she knows better than most that they go hand in hand. Be sure to share any thoughts you have on this episode in a review and follow so you don’t miss the weekly release of episodes!

In this episode, we share with you:

• Sharing Bethany’s story
• How she became an Olympian
• Going from an Olympian to where she is now
• Being a personal trainer while being an Olympic athlete
• I didn’t feel right after weaning my daughter
• My doctor said it was depression
• Working with a functional medicine doctor
• I had to heal my body 
• Knowing where to start to heal your body after having a baby
• Working out after a baby can be an added stressor
• If our body is saying this is not right, you need to listen to it
• If you need rest and nutrition then do that
• We underestimate the impact growing a person in our body
• Have more respect for your body
• Allow yourself time to heal
• Being cleared by a doctor at six weeks, then go back to normal life
• This initial period of healing is so essential
• Rebuilding your foundation from the ground up
• Retraining breathing patterns
• Start that routine of self-care
• Floor based exercises
• Creating a foundation in which your body is going to operate from not just physically but hormonally and emotionally

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/hormone-and-nutrition-testing-what-you-need-to-know-podcast-ep16/

Does hormone and nutrition testing really help you get a better idea of your health and needs? A colleague of mine asked about my thoughts on these two very particular tests regarding hormone and nutrition testing. I wanted to share with all of you the answer I gave and why I feel the way I do on this particular topic.

I will be explaining why these tests can be helpful, and why I also think you should do other things before getting these tests done depending on where you are in your journey. These tests only tell you that something is wrong but they don’t tell you what is causing the problem.

Come listen so you can learn about the things you can do prior to going to get these tests run and where you should be focusing your effort initially. 

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Does hormone and nutrition testing help?
• Why might someone want these tests done?
• What happens after the results come in?
• Supplements aren't helpful if your body is having trouble absorbing them
• Your body slows dramatically after giving birth
• Your body is in this survival state
• Prolong healing time with foods you are eating
• Inability to get the nutrients you need
• Not being able to absorb the nutrients
• Don’t invest in a bunch of tests as your first step
• Your first priority is to address your gut health
• Deficiency levels are different based on where you live
• Some tests won't give you the correct information
• After addressing your gut health, you need to address your sleep
• If you’re not getting enough sleep you can’t regulate your nutrient levels 
• Then you need to address stress, negative self-talk, and trauma
• These three things dictate hormone balance
• These components are so essential to addressing the woman’s whole body
• Test the digestive health and toxicity levels first before addressing hormones and getting those hormone tests
• First address the absorption
• Next sleep and the other components to hormone balance
• If none of these work then go get testing

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/johannas-story-of-recovery-podcast-ep15/

In this episode my guest, Johanna is going to be sharing the very personal story of her own postpartum battle. She just graduated from my one on one program and was in a very dark place before she met me.

Johanna’s here to share her experience with everyone. She will tell us what brought her to the point of feeling as awful as she did to the courage to reach out for help and move forward to work with me. As well as where she is now and how my one on one program has gotten her to be able to do what she truly feels is her life's purpose.

Come listen to Johanna’s postpartum story in this episode, and be sure to share it with friends and family. 

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Introducing Johanna
• The weight of postpartum issues prior to working with Maranda
• Depressed and anxious
• Who were your support teams?
• Getting support from all of the doctors but they didn’t understand her postpartum body
• End results after working 1:1 with Maranda
• The eating plan that Maranda helped her find has been the biggest piece for her
• Becoming more in-tune with your body
• Mindset shifts
• Starting her own business to be able to help others 
• She feels like helping others is her life purpose
• Maranda’s one on one program can help anyone at any point in their postpartum journey
• It is okay to spend money on yourself and to work on yourself

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/the-effects-of-inflammation-in-postpartum-podcast-ep14/

The topic of inflammation is one that I am incredibly passionate about. It is a work of science that is continually growing at really fast rates. What I'm going to be sharing with you about inflammation is very applicable not just to postpartum, but to women and men and people everywhere. 

Inflammation is the cause of disease, dysfunction, and so many other critical body function mishaps, both minute and ginormous. That being said, not all inflammation is bad! There are two main types of inflammation, acute inflammation, and chronic inflammation. Both serve important purposes in our bodies that are very different and we are about to deep dive into all of this information and the effects of different inflammation in your bodies, especially during postpartum, in this episode!

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• Inflammation
• Acute inflammation vs. chronic inflammation
• Acute Inflammation is meant to protect us
• Chronic Inflammation can become toxic to our bodies
• Why Chronic Inflammation occurs
• Ways chronic inflammation presents itself in postpartum frequently
• Without proper support in postpartum, natural acute inflammation can quickly turn chronic
• Gut Health & Inflammation - Back to some anatomy basics
• The food we are using to fuel our bodies contributes to our gut health
• Gut-Inflammation Connection is KEY 
• Without gut inflammation, most would NOT have brain inflammation
• The relationship between gut health, inflammation, & mental health
• Postpartum depression, and why therapy only seems to do so much
• Another side to depression that isn’t being addressed
• The need for a whole-body approach to wellness and healing
• Inflammation in infants brain development due to Mother’s inflammation
• The myth of your baby not being affected by inflammation & depression
• The potential link between ADHD in children and depression during pregnancy
• Caring for the mother is also impacting their children and their children
• This is a generational problem
• Carbs, the difference between empty carbs and good carbs
• The body needs & loves carbs

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/postpartum-dads-interview-with-joshua-maze-podcast-ep13/

While Mothers go through so much in postpartum, it’s important not to forget about the family unit and fathers during this huge change in everyone's life. 

In this episode, I chat with Joshua Maze about his personal journey through postpartum with his wife after they had their daughter & the different struggles he faced with his mental health prior to her birth, and how it continued to get increasingly worse after the baby arrived with depression and anxiety. 

We get into conversations that are so often not discussed, how postpartum affects Dad’s as well as Mom’s, and the importance of getting all important parties involved and offering support and guidance to them all. 

If you are struggling, and in need of some answers, especially immediately and you're not able to get in to see a provider, reach out to PSI (Postpartum Support International).

This is a wonderful place to receive education and get the support that you need!

PSI Phone number: 1-800-944-4773

PSI Website  >>>>here<<<<

In this episode, we share with you:

• Introducing Joshua Maze
• His postpartum journey
• Finding Postpartum Support International 
• How depression can present itself differently, especially between males and females
• A huge transition for both parents, not just moms
• How can we do better to support the entire family, not just the mom?
• Including the spouse
• Oftentimes healthcare professionals neglect to support the whole family
• Screening both parents for depression
• Men generally do not get any parental leave & the issue with it
• Starting to see change
• The biggest piece of advice from Joshua for Mom listeners
• The importance of communication
• Offering support to your spouse
• If you are struggling with your postpartum journey or know someone who is and need some answers, I encourage you to reach out to PSI for more education, support, and answers.

PSI Phone number - 1-800-944-4773

PSI Website 

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals 

Send us Fan Mail

For full show notes go to https://marandabower.com/neurological-feedback-loop-of-your-postpartum-body-podcast-ep12/

I am sharing this training that is going to be a deep dive into neurology. We all have a neurological feedback system in our bodies.  I am going to get a little “sciencey” on you but I promise it will be all worth it. 

The neurological feedback loop goes like this, if you think a thought, as your mind is registering that thought your body has already sent a corresponding emotion from the thought to your body. That emotion is essentially a bunch of hormones that are released into the bloodstream. This means that your body is not to be blamed for falling apart or causing you pain. It's simply the communication system that is happening within you based on the thoughts that are going on in your brain. The thoughts sent out, create emotions, which are hormones that are running through your body and affect every cell of your being. Your emotions are showing you where your awareness is, and where to focus to bring about change. So many of us spend a great deal of time focusing on the wrong area.

This is POWERFUL stuff, if you’re intrigued, come listen in on the rest of the episode to see what tips I give on this neurological feedback loop during postpartum.

In this episode, I’m sharing with you:

• The neurological feedback loop
• Are you just reacting to your emotions?
• Hormones are controlled by the nutrients in our body
• Balancing your thoughts 
• How food plays a part in this
• Sleep, are you getting enough?
• What part sleep plays in all of this
• Are you listening to your body?
• Time spent focusing on all the wrong things
• Addressing the main issues simultaneously to promote healing
• Our thoughts
• The food we are consuming
• Sleep

NEXT STEPS:

• 🎒Download the Postpartum Restoration Method™ Assessment Tool 
• 🧠Perinatal Mental Health Certificate Training
• 🔔Sign up for the Postpartum Nutrition Certification Waitlist
• 👍Rate, REVIEW & share the podcast
• 📱Connect on Instagram!
• 📚Get a Copy of the BOOK: Reclaiming Postpartum Wellness
•  Additional Courses for Providers & Postpartum Professionals