The POPPED Podcast with Dr. Emily Muery

In this episode of The Popped Podcast, I sit down with someone very special—my mom. We talk about what pregnancy, labor, birth, and raising two kids as a single mom looked like in the 90s. Her story is honest, funny, emotional, and a powerful reminder of just how much birth, parenting, and women's healthcare have changed over the last few decades. We also reflect on the things that haven't changed—like the importance of community, resilience, and trusting yourself as a parent.

In this episode, we cover:

• What pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care looked like in the 1990s
• Being induced and navigating the hospital birth experience
• The role (and limitations) of prenatal education at the time
• Why moms need a village—and what happens when they don't have one
• How chiropractic became part of our family's story
• The realities of single motherhood and raising resilient kids
• Looking back on parenting with perspective, grace, and a little humor

Whether you're pregnant, already a parent, or simply curious about how birth culture has evolved, this conversation offers a heartfelt look at where we've been, how far we've come, and why sharing stories across generations matters.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor 

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily explores a question that most pregnant women have never been asked:How did we know where babies were before ultrasound?From traditional birth cultures to Leopold's Maneuvers, this episode dives into the lost art of assessing pregnancy through touch, observation, and clinical skill. Dr. Emily unpacks how ultrasound transformed modern prenatal care, why many providers have become increasingly dependent on imaging, and what may have been lost along the way.This conversation isn't about fear or being anti-ultrasound. It's about understanding the purpose of technology, asking thoughtful questions, and recognizing the value of hands-on assessment in pregnancy.In this episode, you'll learn:• How providers determined baby's position before ultrasound existed• What Leopold's Maneuvers are and why they still matter today• Why technology can sometimes replace important clinical skills• What traditional and indigenous birth cultures taught us about pregnancy assessment• How ultrasound works and why it is more than "just a picture"• Why more scans don't always mean better outcomes• Questions to ask before agreeing to additional ultrasoundsThis episode invites you to think differently about pregnancy, technology, and the skills that helped generations of women navigate birth long before a screen was involved.#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor

In this episode of The Popped Podcast, Dr. Emily breaks down one of the most common questions in pregnancy: Is my baby moving enough? She explains why fetal movement can look and feel dramatically different from one pregnancy to another and why those differences are often completely normal. From placenta placement and baby position to nervous system development and maternal awareness, this episode helps moms understand what actually influences movement and how to recognize their own baby’s unique pattern.

Dr. Emily also explores the limitations of kick counts, when changes in movement truly matter, and how to shift from comparison and anxiety to confidence and connection.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why some babies move more than others
• How placenta placement and baby position affect what you feel
• What influences fetal movement throughout pregnancy
• Why kick counts are meant to identify change—not create stress
• When to seek care if your baby’s movement pattern changes

This episode will help you stop comparing your pregnancy to everyone else’s and start trusting the unique rhythm and communication pattern of your baby.

Sponsored by The Final Punctuation.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor  #kickcount #babymovement

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily challenges one of the most common narratives in pregnancy: the “big baby.” Instead of focusing on fear or worst-case scenarios, this episode breaks down how the label “big baby” is often based on estimates—not certainty—and how it can shift the entire trajectory of a birth before labor even begins.

Dr. Emily walks through what actually matters in birth, including baby’s position, pelvic mobility, and the nervous system, helping moms move away from fear-based thinking and toward understanding how their body and baby are designed to work together. This episode reframes the conversation from size to support—giving moms a more accurate and empowering perspective on their birth.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the term “big baby” is often based on inaccurate estimates
• How ultrasound measurements can influence decisions more than reality
• What actually determines how a baby moves through the pelvis
• Why positioning, movement, and nervous system state matter more than size
• How the “big baby” label can lead to unnecessary interventions
• Why your body is not growing a baby it can’t birth

This episode helps you shift from fear about baby size to confidence in how your body and baby work together.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor  

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily breaks down one of the most common — and most frustrating — labels given to babies: colic. Instead of accepting colic as a diagnosis, this episode reframes it as a clue. Dr. Emily walks through what’s actually happening in a baby’s body and nervous system, why crying isn’t random, and how different underlying patterns like tension, digestion, feeding mechanics, and overstimulation can all show up as “colic.” Most importantly, this episode gives parents direction — helping them understand what to look for and where to go for real support.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why colic isn’t actually a diagnosis
• What your baby’s nervous system is trying to communicate
• The most common patterns behind “colicky” behavior
• How body tension, feeding issues, and digestion all play a role
• Signs to look for that point to specific underlying causes
• Where to go for support based on what you’re seeing
• When symptoms may need further medical evaluation

This episode helps parents move from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to understanding what their baby is communicating — and knowing what to do next.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor #colic #colicky #colicsupport

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of pregnancy: “morning sickness” — that for many women feels more like all-day, lingering nausea. She explains the real physiology behind why nausea happens, including the role of hormones, the brain, and the gut, and why some women experience it far more intensely or for much longer than others. This episode also explores when nausea may need more support, and offers practical, realistic tools to help make this phase of pregnancy more manageable. Most importantly, this conversation validates the emotional experience of feeling sick for weeks or months — reminding moms that they are not alone, and that this is real physiology, not something they’re doing wrong.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “morning sickness” often lasts all day
• The real causes of pregnancy nausea (not just hormones)
• What GDF15 is and how it triggers nausea
• Why some women feel sicker than others
• When nausea becomes hyperemesis gravidarum (HG)
• Practical tools to reduce nausea and support your body
• How acupuncture and nervous system support can help
• Why it’s okay if pregnancy doesn’t feel enjoyable

This episode helps you understand what’s happening in your body, feel validated in your experience, and walk away with tools to support yourself through one of the hardest parts of pregnancy.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor #hyperemesis #morningsickness #alldaysickness #prenatalsickness #prenatalacupuncture

In this episode of The Popped Podcast, Dr. Emily explores feeding beyond methods—shifting the focus away from breast vs. bottle and into what feeding actually creates between a parent and baby.

Dr. Emily explains how feeding is one of the most repeated relational experiences in early life, shaping the nervous system through touch, presence, and response. She breaks down how repetition turns feeding into a ritual, why bonding is built over time (not instant), and how a parent’s state can influence the entire feeding experience.

She also explores how modern feeding environments—distraction, isolation, and pressure—have shifted the experience of feeding, and how small, realistic changes can bring connection and intention back into everyday feeds.

Most importantly, this episode reframes feeding as more than nourishment—helping parents see it as an opportunity for regulation, connection, and relationship, without adding pressure or perfection.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why feeding is a neurological and relational experience
• How repetition creates safety and predictability for babies
• Why bonding is built over time—not automatic
• How your presence shapes the feeding experience
• What’s changed about feeding in the modern world
• Simple ways to bring ritual back into feeding

This episode helps parents shift from seeing feeding as a task to experiencing it as connection.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor #breastfeeding #bottlefeeding #posture #nervoussystem #bonding #bondingritual #motherhoodrituals 

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily continues the Feeding Series and breaks down one of the most talked-about topics in infant feeding: tongue ties, lip ties, and cheek ties. Instead of focusing on fear, this episode focuses on understanding feeding function.

Dr. Emily explains how the tongue develops during pregnancy, how the tongue actually works during feeding, and why oral ties sometimes affect breastfeeding or bottle feeding mechanics. She also explores the signs parents may notice during feeds and how body tension, latch, and positioning can influence feeding success.

Most importantly, this episode takes a solution-oriented approach to oral ties — helping parents understand when support, bodywork, or feeding adjustments may help, and when a release procedure might be considered.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What tongue ties, lip ties, and cheek ties actually are
• Why tongue mobility matters for feeding
• Signs oral restrictions may be affecting feeds
• How body tension can influence tongue function
• What options exist for supporting babies with ties

This episode helps parents move from fear about ties to confidence in supporting feeding.

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor #breastfeeding #bottlefeeding #posture #nervoussystem #tonguetie #liptie #cheektie #frenulum #tonguetiesolutions

In this episode of The POPPED Podcast, Dr. Emily continues the Feeding Series by exploring why posture may be the most overlooked piece of infant feeding. Whether you’re breastfeeding or bottle feeding, the way both mom and baby are positioned can influence latch mechanics, nervous system regulation, milk transfer, and the overall feeding experience.

Dr. Emily walks through how posture affects feeding physiology, why alignment matters for both baby and mom, and how simple adjustments in positioning can dramatically improve feeding ease.

In this episode, we cover:

• The difference between sympathetic vs. parasympathetic posture during feeding
• Why body alignment affects latch mechanics and milk transfer
• How posture influences oxytocin, letdown, and feeding regulation
• Common feeding positions and when to use them
• Signs posture struggles may actually be structural tension patterns
• When to seek additional support for feeding challenges

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor #breastfeeding #bottlefeeding #posture #nervoussystem

In this one-year anniversary episode of The Popped Podcast, Dr. Emily continues the Feeding Series talking practical feeding tools — for breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and the struggles that show up no matter how you feed your baby. Because most feeding stress isn’t about failure. It’s about regulation, positioning, and knowing what to adjust.

In this episode:

• Breastfeeding tools for latch pain, oversupply, low supply anxiety & engorgement
• Bottle-feeding tools for flow preference, gassiness & combo transitions
• What to do when baby falls asleep every feed or wants to eat constantly
• The posture layer most people miss — ribcage position, chin tuck, midline & maternal jaw tension
• Why feeding is often a nervous system conversation

#ThePoppedPodcast #BirthEducation #BabyLedBirth #LaborAndDelivery #ChiropracticForPregnancy #PregnancyPodcast #DoulaSupport #BirthWorkerLife #ExpectingMoms #BirthPrep #prenatalchiropractor #breastfeeding #bottlefeeding