Sometimes parents want to know what to do to help their baby develop. I get it — I've wondered the same thing. And although there are so many ways we can help, sometimes the answer is to do less, observe more, and enjoy more.

Dairian is a dear friend of mine, and she'll forever go down in history as my inspiration and bravery booster to start Be Well Baby®.

Dr. Dairian Roberts is a licensed occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She's the owner of Humbled by Motherhood (I know I was), where her approach blends OT, lactation support, and manual therapy into holistic, evidence-based care for families. She also founded The Lactation OT Platform where OTs, PTs, and SLPs learn about breastfeeding and chestfeeding, and where I am honored to have my continuing education courses living! 

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Learning your baby's cues, from cries to yawns to the "humming" sound that signals it's time to sleep
• Why doing less can be more: how overstimulation affects a baby's developing brain, and what a quiet, unstructured morning actually gives them
• The difference between an overstimulated baby who cries and one who shuts down and looks like they're sleeping
• Bottle aversion: what's really going on when a baby refuses, and how it differs from a baby who simply doesn't know how yet
• Dairian's work in USC's Lifestyle Redesign doctorate program and how it's shaping the way she thinks about habit change for postpartum families
• What it means to be an adult learner as a new parent, and why care plans need to meet families where they are
• The reminder that struggling with something new is a sign you're learning, not failing

Find Dr. Dairian Roberts

• Work with Dairian: www.humbledbymotherhood.com
• Learn more about Dairian's continuing education platform for clinicians www.LactationOT.com

More About Your Host

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint (http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. We close the doors at the end of September. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! 

Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍

You're cleared at your six week checkup, but your body doesn't necessarily get that memo. If you're missing closeness with your partner, can't locate an ounce of desire, or wonder if something is wrong with you, this episode is for you.

In this solo episode, Dr. Emily Spaeth breaks down the physiology and psychology of postpartum desire, why low libido after baby is not a personal failure, and what you can actually do about it.

• The hormone crash. Why the drop in estrogen and progesterone right after birth (and the effects of prolactin, oxytocin, and testosterone while chestfeeding) directly suppress desire and arousal, and why that's chemistry, not a reflection of your relationship
• The dual control model. Introducing the "accelerator and brakes" framework for the nervous system, and why low desire is usually a brakes problem (stress, sleep deprivation, feeling touched out) rather than an accelerator problem
• Responsive vs. spontaneous desire. Dr. Rosemary Basson's circular model of sexual response, where willingness and closeness come first and desire shows up after arousal has already started, not before
• Arousal nonconcordance. Why your body's physical response and your felt desire don't always match, and why that's normal, not dysfunction
• Touch saturation. Why being "touched out" by the end of a day with a baby is real and valid, and doesn't mean you don't love your partner
• Practical tools. Talking to your partner before baby arrives, building a "secret language" or signal system for initiating intimacy, and why lube and time (and possibly a vaginal estrogen cream) matter for the first postpartum penetrative experiences
• The big reframe. Postpartum intimacy isn't about finding your way back to how things used to be, it's about building something new

Want more support with this topic? Join the free Sex After Birth workshop.

• When: Thursday, August 20th, 12–1pm (and check for future dates!)
• Who: Open to birthing bodies pregnant or postpartum, and partners, too!
• Details and future session dates: bewellbaby.org/sex-after-birth-class

• Sex After Baby, with Crystal Guard

If it helped you, send it to a friend who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is. And if you have a minute, leaving a review helps other families find the show.

• Instagram: @BeWellBabyPDX
• Website: bewellbaby.org

Heidi Long is a birth doula, postpartum doula, and birth photographer based in Portland, Oregon, and the owner of Grounded Hearts Doula. With a decade of experience supporting families through birth, Heidi pairs her doula work with professional photography, capturing births, newborn sessions, and family milestones for the same families she supports.

In this episode, Emily and Heidi break down:

• What a postpartum doula does and how postpartum doula support is different from hiring a nanny
• Why you need a birth doula, even if you already have a supportive OB or midwife in the room
• How to know a birth doula or postpartum doula is the right fit for your family, and why intuition matters as much as the interview
• How Heidi combines doula support and birth photography to capture authentic, unposed moments during labor and delivery
• What it's like to work with the same birth photographer across your maternity, newborn, and family milestone sessions
• Heidi's advice for anyone considering hiring a birth doula, postpartum doula, or birth photographer for the first time

Ready to learn more about birth doula support, postpartum doula care, or birth photography? Find Heidi's links below to connect with Grounded Hearts Doula.

• https://www.groundedheartsdoula.com
• https://www.groundedheartsphotography.com

Heidi has generously offered folks who mention this podcast will receive a 15 minute fall mini session in October of 2026 out in nature among the autumn foliage!  

More About Your Host

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint (http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. We close the doors at the end of September. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! 

Our mission is to fundamentally shift what healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍

Emily sits down with Belinda Tung, founder of Perfect Child, to unpack what it really means to parent from a place of steadiness instead of fear. They dig into the "lighthouse" metaphor — staying present and connected without chasing, fixing, or controlling — and why Belinda deliberately uses the word perceive rather than believe or know when it comes to seeing a child as perfect.

The conversation moves through unmet needs hiding behind everyday behaviors (bus-window pouting, hide-and-seek transitions, meltdowns), journaling as a tool for self-reflection and co-regulation, and how parents' own upbringing and a rushed healthcare system can pull them away from trusting their instincts. They close with an invite to Belinda's in-person community event on August 8th.

No need to sign up. If you want wholesome family fun, just show up! 

https://www.perfectchild.org/wholesomefamilyfestival

In This Episode:

• Why Belinda named her practice "Perfect Child" and the two very different reactions she gets to it
• The lighthouse metaphor: steady and present vs. reactive and fear-driven
• Why "perceive" is the intentional word choice over "believe" or "know"
• How to stay the lighthouse even during mundane moments like brushing teeth
• Reading subtler, quieter unmet needs (not just meltdowns) — boredom, disconnection, need for play
• Journaling as a self-reflection and nervous-system tool for parents
• How our own childhood conditioning and a rushed medical system pull parents away from trusting themselves
• Belinda's community event on August 8th

Connect with Belinda Tung:

1. https://www.perfectchild.org/
2. The Perfect Child Podcast: https://www.perfectchild.org/podcasts/the-perfect-child-podcast
3. https://www.perfectchild.org/wholesomefamilyfestival

More About Your Host

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, (www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here.

What if the key to healing your pelvic floor, calming your nervous system, and reconnecting with your body was already inside you — and you just needed someone to help you access it?

In this episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Valerie Brown, PT — a pelvic floor physical therapist, embodiment educator, and creator of the Vital Access Program — for a conversation that goes far beyond kegels. Val blends pelvic floor awareness, nervous system regulation, somatic movement, and trauma-informed care into a holistic approach that meets women exactly where they are.

In this episode, we cover:

• What "embodiment" actually means — and why it's a felt experience, not a concept
• Why telling someone to "just relax" almost always backfires, and what to do instead
• The overlooked connection between hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and pelvic floor dysfunction
• Why a hypermobile body can still have a hypertonic (overly gripped) pelvic floor
• How pregnancy's relaxin hormone can unmask hypermobility that's been hiding in plain sight
• The often-missed role of the feet in pelvic floor health
• Why generic "strengthen your core" advice can backfire for hypermobile bodies
• Simple, accessible nervous system tools you can use in the car, in two minutes, or while brushing your teeth
• How imagination and visualization support better birth and recovery outcomes

About Dr. Valerie Brown:
Dr. Valerie Brown is a pelvic floor physical therapist and embodiment educator based in Troutdale, Oregon, serving clients locally, online, and through workshops across California, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the Vital Axis Method.

Connect with Val and learn about her program!
Website: www.vitalaxispt.com

Instagram: @vital.axis.method

Val now offers home visits through Be Well Baby! Book a session with her at 971-351-2714.

Baby registry must haves are everywhere, but most lists are written by influencers, not clinicians. In this solo episode, Dr. Emily, a NICU physical therapist and board certified lactation consultant, walks through what she actually recommends for your baby registry: the feeding supplies worth buying before birth, the baby gear that supports development (and the popular items that work against it), what NICU professionals know about safe sleep products, and the stuff you can absolutely skip.

Whether you're building your Babylist registry or just wondering what you really need for a newborn, this is the registry episode your pregnant friends will thank you for.

Check out everything I mention in this episode!

https://www.bewellbaby.org/blog/registry

SUPPORT: Put Be Well Baby on your registry! When you gift Be Well Baby, you are giving the gift of options. We have virtual lactation support, and a birth education platform called the Beyond Birth Blueprint that can answer all of your questions in real time. 

https://www.bewellbaby.org/gift-cards-beyond-birth

More About Your Hostess: 

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy and trauma informed care, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the world—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Dr. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families transition from surviving to thriving.

Be Well Baby Podcast Episodes about topics I touch on here!

• Flange Sizes: We Are Not Cows https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-not-cows-why-flange-size-matters-with-faith-samaan/id1851076558?i=1000739494852

• Nervous System Episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-is-nervous-system-regulation-ill-tell-you-with-dr/id1851076558?i=1000746998854
  
• Containers! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tummy-time-containers-and-functional-frustration-its/id1851076558?i=1000747993058
  
• Postpartum Support https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/twins-birth-trauma-and-the-fourth-trimester-with/id1851076558?i=1000755928920

What if the surgeon you finally found actually saw you as a whole, complex human and not just a line item on a sleep study? In this episode, Dr. Emily welcomes oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Prashant Charugundla for a conversation that bridges Western surgical precision with a genuinely holistic, systems-level lens on care.

Prashant opens up about his own long journey before a myofunctional therapist and an osteopathic doctor finally pointed him toward what was really going on. That personal experience now fuels his deep compassion for the patients who arrive having already seen a dozen providers without answers.

Together, Emily and Prashant unpack the structural and nervous-system ripple effects of unaddressed tongue ties, why a "normal" sleep study doesn't mean nothing is wrong, and what's really happening to the airway during pregnancy and postpartum. It's a wide-ranging, validating conversation for anyone who has ever been dismissed and told they're "just tired."

• Prashant's personal health journey and how being a dismissed patient shaped his philosophy
• What myofunctional therapy actually is
• The tongue as a "relay station": how the genioglossus, hyoid, and the tent-pole effect connect the tongue to the whole body
• Downstream consequences of unreleased tongue ties in both a 3-year-old and a 30-year-old (airway resistance, postural compensation, voice tightness, gait changes)
• Upper airway resistance syndrome and why a clear sleep study can still miss real symptoms
• Nasal breathing, nitric oxide, and the cortisol/norepinephrine cascade of mouth breathing at night
• Phrenectomy vs. functional frenuloplasty vs. Z-plasty — and the windows of opportunity for intervention
• The "room before furniture" philosophy: expanding structure before removing tissue
• Why tongue ties remain controversial, and how to ask the right questions when choosing a provider
• What's happening to the airway during pregnancy 
• Bridging Eastern and Western perspectives toward whole-human, collaborative care

More About Our Guest

Dr. Prashant Charugundla ("Dr. C") is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon and the founder of Summit Oral Surgery in Portland, Oregon. Bridging Western surgical precision with Eastern holistic philosophy, he treats the face/mouth not as an isolated tool, but as the gateway to the body’s overall health—linking structure to airway, sleep, and nervous system regulation.

With a background as a pediatric trauma surgeon and OHSU professor, Dr. C brings a gentle, safety-first approach to every case. However, his clinical focus is deeply rooted in adult skeletal and functional health. He specializes in helping adults who have lived with chronic airway obstruction, TMJ dysfunction, or sleep issues finally achieve true physiological release. Through nasomaxillary expansion and reconstructive surgery, he empowers patients to breathe better, sleep deeper, and thrive.

Off the clock, he explores the Pacific Northwest, embodying the active, vital lifestyle he helps his patients restore.

Learn more: portlandoralsurgeon.com

More About Your Host 

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. www.bewellbaby.org

Our mission is to fundamentally shift what healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

Nobody prepares you for how much intimacy and connection can shift after you have a baby — and yet it's one of the most common struggles new parents face. In this episode, Emily sits down with Krystle Gard, postpartum doula and Intimacy & Connection Coach, for an honest, shame-free conversation about what actually happens to your sex life after birth and what you can do about it.

Krystle's journey into this work is deeply personal. From a supported home birth in Alaska to having twins without a local support system, to serving as a surrogate three times — she has lived the full spectrum of postpartum experiences. That, combined with her work supporting families as a postpartum doula, showed her just how little guidance new parents receive about intimacy after birth.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why libido and desire commonly shift postpartum (and why that's not a failure)
• The role of sleep deprivation, hormones, and nervous system dysregulation in sexual desire
• Why self-pleasure is often the most overlooked tool in postpartum recovery
• The "three-minute game" from The Art of Giving and Receiving — and why it's a game changer for rebuilding connection
• The intimacy candle practice for keeping the simmer going without pressure
• Love languages, the red/yellow/green communication system, and the "favorite things list"
• Why lube is non-negotiable postpartum
• How birth trauma affects touch tolerance — and gentle ways to rebuild safety
• The importance of humor, playfulness, and letting go of how things used to be

Resources mentioned:

• The Art of Giving and Receiving by Harry Faddis
• Love Languages (Gary Chapman)
• Sex After Birth Workshops: www.bewellbaby.org/sex-after-birth-class

Find Krystle: 

• https://wholefamilydoulacare.com/ 
• [email protected] 
  

More about our guest:

With a background in engineering, Krystle brings organization, intuition, and problem-solving to help families find systems and flow that make life easier. She loves teaching and educating new parents, offering hands-on newborn care guidance, household support, and a listening ear. She also provides Intimacy & Connection Coaching to help couples nurture their relationships after birth.

More about your host:

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

What if your baby has been communicating with you all along — and you just needed the tools to hear them?

In this episode, Dr. Emily sits down with Belinda on the Perfect Child Podcast to talk about one of her favorite (and most misunderstood) topics: consent with babies. From the NICU to the changing table, Dr. Emily breaks down what infant communication actually looks like, why slowing down transforms your caregiving, and how small everyday rituals build the foundation for a deeply connected relationship with your child.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why babies are whole, fully-present humans from the very beginning — and what Dr. Emily witnessed working with 23-weekers in the NICU that solidified this for her
• How to read your baby's body language: the cues that say this is too much vs. I'm ready
• What a finger splay, an arched back, and a full-body wiggle are actually communicating
• Why "gaining consent" from a newborn looks different than it does from a 6-month-old — and how to approach both
• The surprising benefits of infant massage (digestion, weight gain, brain development, bonding — and one story about a tumor caught early because of a daily massage routine)
• How to use deep pressure touch, slow movement, and oil to make massage more effective
• Why babies cannot self-soothe — and what co-regulation actually requires of you
• Dr. Emily's approach to the dreaded diaper change wrestling match (hint: you don't have to hold them down)
• How sign language gives babies a voice before they have words — and what Dr. Emily's 7-year-old still communicates across a crowded gym
• What it really means to advocate for your baby in the hospital, at family gatherings, and with well-meaning grandparents who want to hold your newborn

Resources mentioned:

• Beyond Birth Blueprint https://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth
• Birth Partner Course (inside Beyond Birth)
• Infant massage mini course + video library (also inside Beyond Birth!)
• ASL classes (also inside Beyond Birth) 
• The Perfect Child Podcast! https://www.perfectchild.org/about

We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. 

I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! 

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍

Colic isn't real! I will die on that hill.

This week Dr. Emily Spaeth brings you Dr. Kirin Palmer, a pediatrician, functional medicine practitioner, and founder of Pure Joy Pediatrics in the Portland metro area in Oregon. Through her work in clinic and through her digital class, she helps expectant parents understand how maternal health during pregnancy can influence their baby’s digestion, immune system, and long-term wellness.

They talk about the one thing most pediatricians aren't yet doing: putting the gut microbiome at the center of newborn care.

If your baby has struggled with reflux, colic, eczema, gassy uncomfortable feeds, weird-colored poops, or just a general sense that something is off with no answers… this episode is for you.

We use the terms mother, mom & birthing person interchangeably in this episode. 🌈

In this episode, we cover:

• Why your microbiome as a pregnant person is your baby's literal starting point
• What actually happens in a newborn's gut in the first hours of life (hint: it's a clean canvas, and what you paint on it matters)
• The real reason so many babies are diagnosed with "colic" and "reflux"
• Why vaginal delivery and breastfeeding matter for gut health, and what to do if neither was possible for you
• How antibiotics during pregnancy (for UTIs, GBS, and more) affect your baby's microbiome — and how to recover
• What microbiome testing looks like, and when Dr. Palmer recommends it
• The cascade of interventions: swallow studies, MRIs, NG tubes, hospital admissions… that all could be prevented with early gut support
• Why not all probiotics are created equal, and why single-strain OTC probiotics often don't work
• What healthy newborn poop looks like and why poop color and consistency absolutely matter, no matter what social media says
• Dr. Palmer's Tiny Tummies program and how microbiome support is changing outcomes for families

Resources mentioned:

• Pure Joy Pediatrics: www.purejoypediatrics.com
• Dr. Kirin Palmer on Instagram: @purejoypediatrics and @kirinpalmermd
• Ninni Co Pacifier — code BEWELLBABY for 10% off 
• Beyond Birth Blueprint membership (Nest, Bloom, Thrive): [bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth]
• Book a consult with the Be Well Baby team: [bewellbaby.org/book-now]

Everything on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

More About Your Host

Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. 

She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

If you’ve read this far… please leave us a review :) It helps spread the word more thank you could ever know. Love, Em