Today we have Sarah Rubatt, a women’s health physical therapist at the Empower Movement clinic, on the show. Sarah has been a physical therapist for nine years and she specializes in the rehabilitation of orthopedic conditions of the spine and upper & lower extremities as well as pelvic floor rehabilitation in prenatal and postnatal moms. Sarah is a mom of two and helps us at Expecting and Empowered with responding to more of your physical therapy related questions.

In this episode both Krystle Howald, co-founder of Expecting and Empowered, and Sarah talk to us about who should see a women’s health physical therapist, what a women’s health PT does, and they go into details on what your first appointment with a women’s health PT will look like. If you’ve been hesitant to see a women’s health PT, this episode helps explain who can benefit from this type of treatment and help you overcome some barriers if that is what is holding you back.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @expectingandempowered. All three of us feel that every woman deserves to see a women’s health physical therapist and by sharing episodes like this one you can help us spread the word!

Empower Movement Physical Therapy

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If you’ve ever thought to yourself that feeling sluggish is just how it is now, then this episode is for you. Dr. Corina Dunlap, licensed naturopathic doctor and medicinal researcher, talks with us today about how regulating your hormonal health can pay off in dividends.

Dr. Corina is a mom of two and she is on a mission to help women live their healthiest, most abundant life by working to understand their body and how they can heal it. She explains her top recommendations for those women who are trying to conceive, how you can jump start your period if you’re trying to conceive your second or third child, and how to tell if that feeling of tiredness is from parenting or if something more is going on.

Do you wonder if some of your lifestyle habits are hurting your hormones? Dr. Corina explains how what we eat affects our gut health and metabolism. Overall, she wants you to know that if you are feeling off you can feel better. If you don’t feel good it is so worth working on your health. Your efforts will pay off!

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I have the pleasure of talking with Katy Joy Wells on the podcast today. She is a declutter expert and is all about giving sustainable tips to live clutter free, even with kids.

Katy explains how she got coined with the nickname “Your Declutter Bestie”, whether or not her clients tend to say the clutter gets worse once they become moms, and what the difference between clutter and the expected mess really is.

Are you at a point where you feel so overwhelmed that you don’t even know where to start when it comes to organizing your house? Katy shares some really easy to follow suggestions on where to begin, how to decide which art projects to keep and which ones to toss, and how putting your kiddo’s toys into a rotation can be the best thing you can do.

If this episode has inspired you to start decluttering we want to see it! Tag both of us on your Instagram stories; @expectingandempowered and @katyjoywells. 

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Katy’s Podcast; The Maximized Minimalist

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If you’re heading into labor for the first time, you are heading into the unknown. With this experience we can feel a wide range of emotions including everything from fear to excitement. As a mom of three, nurse, doula, and co-founder of Expecting and Empowered, it is my goal to help you move toward acceptance and preparation versus avoidance when it comes to labor and delivery.

We know that our mindset plays a pivotal role in birth. Have you heard of the fear/pain cycle? I  explain what this is and how it can result in more pain. I go through what the most common fears are that women have when it comes to labor and ways to work through them. I remind you that every birth story is meant to be different and to try not to compare yours to others.

Making sure your mind is ready for labor and delivery will help to set you up for the birth you’re envisioning and desiring. We hope you find this episode so helpful. We would love it if you shared it on your Instagram tagging @expectingandempowered. Remember, you can do this. Your body can do amazing things!

Sponsor: The Expecting and Empowered Prepping For Labor + Delivery Course - Enter promo code ‘PODCAST25’ at checkout for 25% off

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Episode 38: Pain Management Strategies for Labor with Birth Doula Elizabeth Joy

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Liz Sandoz, a practicing doula, is on the podcast this week! She is a mom of two with a third on the way and has her own podcast; Morning Chava. Liz talks with us about why she loves births so much and why she is passionate about being a part of the birthing experience.

The role of a doula can be confusing to some. Liz explains what a doula does in the delivery room and what the difference between a midwife and a doula is. She also talks about how her perspective as a doula has changed since she herself has become a mom.

Pain management is something we all have questions around. We often think the only option we have is an epidural. Liz shares other pain management options and talks about her favorite strategies when one of her clients is going into labor.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag both @expectingandempowered and @esandoz. Our goal is to give you free education on all the options you have during childbirth so the more people that can be exposed to this episode, the better! 

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Birth Doula Interview Worksheet

The Expecting and Empowered Podcast Episode 18: Amber Latsch, CNM, On Why You Might Want a Midwife

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Exercise in pregnancy - let’s talk about it! It can be confusing. What is okay to do and what shouldn’t I do? This is the whole reason why we started Expecting and Empowered in the first place. The goal of today’s episode is to take the guesswork out of pregnancy exercise.

I’m here with my sister, and co-founder, Krystle. She’s a physical therapist who also has a pregnancy and postpartum corrective exercise specialist certification. I’m asking her all of the burning questions that you guys submitted about exercising during pregnancy.

We cover whether or not it’s okay to exercise in the first trimester and what women should know specifically about that time. Asymmetrical movements are a topic that comes up and we discuss whether or not those are safe. Ever wondered how to tell if you’re doing too much? We go over the signs to look for to make sure you aren’t over doing it.

We hope this episode is helpful if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive. Don’t forget to check out the Expecting and Empowered App which is your complete roadmap for pregnancy workouts. And remember to use the podcast discount code ‘PODCAST25’ at checkout.

Sponsor: The Expecting and Empowered App - Enter discount code ‘PODCAST25’ at checkout

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We have Sammie Gollup of @anti.diet.mama on the podcast today. She is a mom of two, a registered dietitian, and her mission is to help people have a better quality of life by improving their nutrition and their relationship with food.

A lot of women are actually undereating and might not even know it. Sammie explains why this is hard on our bodies and shares the first step we can take if our body doesn’t seem to be sending us proper hunger cues. She shares what she wants moms to focus on in their postpartum journeys and, spoiler alert, it’s not weight loss.

In today’s online world, we see what someone else is doing for their own diet and exercise and might have the urge to implement their strategies into our own lives. Sammie explains why this isn’t going to have the same result on every individual and the importance of listening to your own body. 

Our generation grew up with moms who were always on diets and that had a major impact on our relationship with food. Sammie explains how her course, The Anti-Diet Mama Course, helps women create a better relationship with food, how it enables women to have a more neutral relationship with their bodies, and how it helps moms raise kids who will have a positive relationship with food & exercise.

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Krystle is back on the podcast today and we are covering her experience with her second and third C-sections. Krystle shares how her goal with her second birth was to have a VBAC and gets honest about how she felt pressured into having a C-section instead. She shares what tools have helped her the most in dealing with this birth trauma.

We ask Krystle questions around how you can set your house up for success prior to having a C-section, what it was like to come home to little ones and not be able pick them up and play with them, and what kinds of things your toddlers can do to help you recover.

For Krystle, her third C-section was the best both mentally and physically. She shares what she prioritized in order to make this true. Krystle also explains ways women can help themselves during their healing process, especially if they have diastasis recti or that C-section shelf appearance.

Our mission here at Expecting and Empowered has always been to serve C-section mamas as they recover and give them the tools that they need to feel confident in their recovery. That is why we are so proud of our two new C-section products that are out into the world; the Empowering Your C-section Birth + Recovery Course and the Empower Your C-section part inside of our app.

You can get 30% off the Expecting and Empowered App or the Empowering Your C-Section Birth + Recovery Course for this entire month by using the code ‘CSECTIONPOD30’. We hope to see you inside the app!

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This week’s guest is Kate Eskuri; a mom, fellow Midwesterner, and registered nurse with her doctorate in integrative and holistic health. Kate has a really approachable way of talking about health and wellness including inside motherhood. She speaks on how to slow down and how we can implement a more clean lifestyle into our homes.

You might be wondering what the term integrative health even means. Kate explains how the definition is going to be different for every individual. She shares her top three tips for us busy moms on how to incorporate wellness into our lives, her favorite hacks on how to fit movement in, and her realistic ways to slowly decrease the number of toxins in our lives.

Implementing an integrative healthy lifestyle can seem overwhelming. If you don’t even know where to start, tune in! We love Kate’s approach to this topic and know that after listening you will walk away with snackable tricks that you can start today!

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Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'PODCAST25' at checkout

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We are bringing you the non-birth partner’s perspective today. Eli Weinstein is a licensed clinical social worker therapist of The Dude Therapist podcast. He works with couples and specializes in anxiety, relationships and parenting. He’s a husband and a father of two and is really open on Instagram about the mental struggles that Dad faces.

Eli covers topics including how bringing their first child home affected his relationship with his partner. He talks about what the bonding experience felt like with his child as the non-birthing partner. We chat about how common postpartum depression is in men and what symptoms we can look for. It can also be tricky to talk to your partner about seeking help if they are experiencing these symptoms. Eli gives some good tips on how to approach this sensitive subject.

Mom guilt is such a common topic these days. What about Dad's guilt? Is that a thing? Eli shares his take on why it might seem easier for Dad’s to carry on with their lives after bringing a baby into the relationship.

We loved our conversation with Eli and know that you will find his take on things insightful and eye opening. This is an episode that you’re not only going to get a lot out of but you’ll be sharing it with your partner as well.

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