Today's podcast guest had an induction without an epidural. She also used a hospital midwife and an OB needed to come help.

Today's guest is Crystal T. She was a student in The Online Prenatal Class for Couples and had an excellent epidural-free birth.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples I love how Crystal was prepared with her partner in the class. Come join us and use the coupon code mentioned in the episode! Here's what she had to tell us about herself:

I'm a first time mom of baby Alec! My husband and I have been married just over 2 years after meeting a bit later in life, so we're older parenting novices. We live on our little country homestead in rural Vermont, and I work full time in management in the food manufacturing industry. Our journey to pregnancy and parenthood was impacted by chronic illness as well.

Why Crystal needed to be induced

How she managed without an epidural

What happened when she had an unexpected need for an OB to help out (and a bit more about the midwife model of care)

Getting educated on what your hospital's "normal" is (we talk about that a bit more in this episode too)

Preparing for a planned C-section with Amber

Induction Questions Answered

Getting Your Confident Birth with StormyFires

Producer: Drew Erickson

It is easy to have your summer revolve around your kids, but what can we do to make summer more fun for us as moms?

Today's guest is Lara Neves from Overstuffed Life. Lara is the mom to three girls. She writes about parenting tweens & teens (even though two of her children have now graduated to adulthood), homemaking for busy moms, and how to find joy and balance in the overstuffed life mothers have to juggle.

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines -- summer time is a GREAT time to get into a fun routine, so you get work out of the way and can enjoy time together as a family.

How summers can go awry.

How to find the balance between structure and fun.

Good ideas for summer fun

Lara's other episode on kids and summer

Fun activities for teens and tweens in the summer

Teen summer reading bingo

Camping Tips from Hilary

Camping tips from Lara

Producer: Drew Erickson

Can or should you refuse cervical exams in labor. What can you do to communicate your needs, but also do the things your body needs to have your baby.

Today's guest is my friend Chantel. She's been an OB nurse for 5 years, and is one of the kindest nurses I know. :)

This episode was inspired by my post on refusing exams.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples -- if you're looking for someone to help you simplify labor, this is the class for you, and it can be done in just three hours!

Why you might want to refuse exams.

Why we need to check your cervix

Things that influence how often we check

What to do when you're not wanting exams

Times you really need to be checked.

Understanding exams in labor

True Labor Contractions

Painful Cervical Exams

Producer: Drew Erickson

Today I want to answer some of YOUR Organization questions that are stopping you from having the home you love!

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home where you can ask questions about organizing YOUR house, as well as getting ideas and doing the things to organize your home.

Where to take things you don't need (and you don't want it to go to the dump)

How to move into a new home and be organized

How to get your family to help organize

Our episode on going to couples therapy.

How to decide where things go and help others put it away.

Cricut Joy Labels

Using masking tape to put labels on bins

Remembering there are no rules

The Economy Of Your Home

Medicine Storage Ideas

How to Clean Your Kitchen

Producer: Drew Erickson

What things end up surprising people after baby is born. Today, two nurses are going to dive into the surprises you might see (and now, you won't be surprised by them!).

Today's guest is Mother Baby Nurse Jessica She is a mama herself and she's been a mother baby nurse for over 6 years. She love helping postpartum mamas and their newborn babies. She has a passion for educating and empowering women. She says -- "You don't know what you don't know. But wouldn't it be amazing to easily find out?" Find her on Tiktok.

This episode was inspired by my postpartum recovery posts.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. STOP THE SURPRISES And get a class that shares just what you'll need to know in just a few hours (and is meant to have your partner watch it with you).

Things that surprise people after they have a baby:

Postpartum bleeding after a cesarean

Swelling after baby

How some prenatal classes don't prepare you for life after baby.

What can be helpful after baby.

My breastfeeding myths posts

Postpartum Trouble Zones episode

Postpartum Depression Warning Signs

Producer: Drew Erickson

How do you navigate the tricky path of kids and cell phones. I'm grateful to have parenting expert Katherin Sellery with me today to talk about what to consider as you decide if a cell phone is right for YOUR child/teen.

Today's guest is

Katherine Sellery, CEO and Founder of Conscious Parenting Revolution, helps individuals minimize misunderstandings and melt-downs in order to communicate with more collaboration, cooperation, and consideration.

A creator of the Guidance Approach to Parenting, a program that applies conflict resolution skills to communicating more effectively with children, Katherine has positively influenced relationships for generations and brought about healing and reconciliation in families that were suffering from disconnection. For over 20 years, she has taught and coached thousands of parents, educators, social workers, and medical professionals in half a dozen countries through her popular workshops, coaching programs, TEDx talks, and her books. Katherine is also a trained mediator, attended Law School, has certifications in different trauma models, teaches a breathing meditation modality with the Art of Living Foundation, and ran her own commodities-trading business in Hong Kong for 30 years.

Katherine is a 3x TEDx Speaker and has released a FREE ebook "7 Strategies to Keep Your Relationship With Your Kids from Hitting the Boiling Point." For her expertise she has been featured on Good Morning Texas, Atlanta & Co, Fox31 Denver, 4CBS Denver, CBS8 San Diego, The Donny Walker Morning Show and has been a guest on over 20 podcasts.

Find her free e-book here.

This episode was inspired by my post on kids and cell phones.

Big thanks to our sponsor Family Routines -- I actually have a whole section on making a routine around cell phones.

What to consider before giving your child a cell phone.

What age is appropriate for a cell phone.

What needs a cell phone meets

What your options are

Teaching your kids to learn to "be" with it.

What the REAL issues with cell phones are (for you and your family).

Consequences for Teens

Preventing porn addiction in teens

Getting teens to read

Producer: Drew Erickson

What are the boundaries that a doula should abide by. How can you find a doula that fits in their scope of practice?

Today's guest is Heidi Mills. Heidi is a certified birth doula and owner of Bloc Births. After a few years of experience working in newborn care and she started doing advocacy work with low-income pregnant families in her community. These experiences combined made her realize the gap of care in the American healthcare system that often does not fulfill the emotional and physical support families need during the pregnancy and childbirth experience. She became a doula because it was an evidence-based way to better maternal and fetal health outcomes and provide this type of support in her community. Her goal as a doula is to provide inclusive support among a variety of birth experiences that families can use to flourish during this big life event.

blocbirths.com/shopclasses instagram.com/blocbirths https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdYxPTRB/

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples -- if you're looking to get prepared for for your upcoming birth, it's the class for you!

How to pick a doula

What red flags you might find in a doula while picking one.

How to know when a doula is speaking beyond what they are knowledgeable on (or is beyond their scope of practice).

How much a doula will cost

Another episode on picking your doula.

Doula pro's and con's

Producer: Drew Erickson

Wondering how your house could be cleaner, and you could also teach your kids valuable life skills that really make a difference as they grow up? There's an answer, but you might not like it.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Organized Home -- the organizing class for FAMILIES. You CAN help your family be more organized, and make life easier on you!

Why I started the family clean

How it transformed off my 10 minute tidy.

Why I started the family clean

The Family Routines course has a whole chapter on The Saturday Clean

Producer: Drew Erickson

While there are routine ultrasounds that almost every pregnant person gets. There are specific ultrasound that are ordered if there is an issue seen. Today we're going to go through those issues and what they might be interested in.

Today's guest is Marybeth. She picked up an ultrasound probe for the first time in 1998 and has really enjoyed every minute of it. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree from Southern Illinois University, and has worked in Hospitals, Outpatient imaging centers, OBGYN offices, and now in a private Perinatology office. She started in general ultrasound and slowly found her way into high-risk OB. Marybeth is certified in Ob/GYN, Fetal Echocardiography, Nuchal translucency screening, Nasal bone, Uterine artery Doppler, and CLEAR. She is a huge advocate for patient education and teaching new sonographers tips and tricks of optimizing their scanning.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples — if you're looking understand more about pregnancy and labor, this is the class for you. I'll take you and your partner through each step, both explaining and simplifying it — so you can have the confident birth you're hoping for!

Don't miss out on my Free Birth Prep Kit that gives you a FREE lesson on this testing and what to expect during it.

What type of testing we are talking about, and what they are for.

• BPP
• NST
• AFI
• Fetal Size

My other episode on routine ultrasounds.

While there are routine ultrasounds that almost every pregnant person gets. There are specific ultrasound that are ordered if there is an issue seen. Today we're going to go through those issues and what they might be interested in.

Today's guest is Marybeth. She picked up an ultrasound probe for the first time in 1998 and has really enjoyed every minute of it. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree from Southern Illinois University, and has worked in Hospitals, Outpatient imaging centers, OBGYN offices, and now in a private Perinatology office. She started in general ultrasound and slowly found her way into high-risk OB. Marybeth is certified in Ob/GYN, Fetal Echocardiography, Nuchal translucency screening, Nasal bone, Uterine artery Doppler, and CLEAR. She is a huge advocate for patient education and teaching new sonographers tips and tricks of optimizing their scanning.

Big thanks to our sponsor The Online Prenatal Class for Couples — if you're looking understand more about pregnancy and labor, this is the class for you. I'll take you and your partner through each step, both explaining and simplifying it — so you can have the confident birth you're hoping for!

Don't miss out on my Free Birth Prep Kit that gives you a FREE lesson on this testing and what to expect during it.

What type of testing we are talking about, and what they are for.

• BPP
• NST
• AFI
• Fetal Size

My other episode on routine ultrasounds.