Today We Tried

What is a doula? Should I work with a doula? How do I find a doula? Christy is joined by celebrity doula Lori Bregman to answer these questions and more. Lori has attended more than 1200 births so she knows what she’s talking about when she shares advice on finding the right care provider, engaging partners during birth, setting a birth intention, and processing your birth. Lori also talks about what led her to start Seedlyfe, an innovative powder supplement company, and why she’s leaning into building community and educational resources to support people at all stages of their fertility and pregnancy journeys.

And, more exciting news: use code seedlyfe15 for 15% off your order on seedlyfe.com!   

This week, Christy is joined by Brooke Cates, founder of The Bloom Method to talk about tapping into your intuition, reclaiming your power, and healing postpartum. It’s a must-listen if you want to learn how to heal through functional movement, the facts about diastasis recti, and why you should ignore anyone who tries to tell you what your body can and cannot do. Brooke also shares why self-care is a “non-negotiable” for her and how she finds time to fill her own cup – you’ll want to take notes, especially as we head into a busy holiday season.

Today, we’re talking about perinatal mental health with Alison Workman, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at The Motherhood Center, and here’s the key takeaway: “When in doubt, reach out!” If you’re feeling overwhelmed or like something isn’t right, it’s always a good time to ask for help.

In this episode, Alison lays out the different types of perinatal mood disorders and shares what symptoms to look out for and go-to resources to find a provider. She also talks about services offered by The Motherhood Center. Christy and Alison both talk about their own postpartum experiences as well, sharing things they wish they’d known the first time around. Listen for commiseration, connection, and easy ways to feel more confident as a new or more experienced parent.

This week’s episode is a deep dive into surrogacy. Christy’s guests are Agata Wisniowska, who grew her family through surrogacy after years of infertility and is now an intended parent coach, and Angela Pickering, a former surrogate and current owner of a surrogacy agency. Agata and Angela share their own stories and give advice for anyone considering a surrogacy journey. They also talk about how to prepare for the 4th trimester as an intended parent and as a surrogate. Their insights around the importance of healing your own trauma before becoming a parent, drawing boundaries, and embracing your unique path will resonate whether or not you are familiar with the world of surrogacy.

Christy is joined by Blessing Adesiyan, founder of MotherHonestly, fellow mom of 4 and inspiration to moms everywhere. This episode is full of real talk about the state of motherhood today – it can all feel a little dire with rising prices, lack of support and paid leave, and the feeling that we should be “doing it all.” But, Blessing and Christy also share solutions, like how to approach conversations with your partner about rebalancing the load at home and what employers can do to step up to help. They also chat about what works in their own homes, including Blessing’s story about how she discovered her husband is way better at bathtime and what they outsource. Listen for a chance to feel seen, celebrated, and ready to take action to find more equality at home and equity in the workforce..

This one is big: Christy is joined by Mallory Whitmore aka The Formula Mom to talk about how to have an empowered feeding journey with your baby, and why opting for formula instead of nursing can be the best choice for parents and for baby. Mallory shares how her own experience with postpartum depression and attempt to breastfeed her first baby led her to launch The Formula Mom, and gives her top tips for successful formula feeding.

Christy and Mallory also discuss the upsides to bottle feeding, like getting your partners involved, and the potential downsides of “baby friendly hospitals.” Christy shares why combo-feeding (nursing + formula) her babies has helped her to feel more confident in the 4th trimester and beyond. Plus, Mallory chats about why her planned c-sections were super positive experiences.

Christy and Cameron Rodgers had their babies just weeks apart - Christy’s 4th and Cameron’s 1st - and Christy was so inspired by Cameron’s honesty and vulnerability as Cameron shared her 4th trimester experience in real time. This week, Christy and Cameron talk about Cameron’s mental health journey postpartum, including why weaning was critical to her mental health, why her depression hit 3-4 months into parenthood, and the power of focusing on one small win a day when you’re working to find happiness in your life. 

They also chat about what surprised them most about the 4th trimester and the late-night impulse buys that helped them to survive the “fever dream” of those early days of new parenthood, including this miracle baby shusher.

Programming note: Christy and Cameron share their real-time reactions to the Ulvade shooting at the beginning of this episode.

Christy is joined by Danielle Jackson, friendship expert and mom of 2, to talk all about female friendships, why they’re worth prioritizing even in the busy days of new parenthood and how to make and maintain friendships at times of transition. They also chat about how to approach having an awkward conversation to save a friendship, and share ideas on how to stay connected with friends when you don’t have time for a night out (paddle tennis, anyone?).

You can find more from Danielle Jackson at her website and on TikTok.

Christy is joined by Alexis Kristiana, content creator and mom of 2 who keeps it real while inspiring her community by documenting her motherhood journey. Alexis shares tips on how to do “self-care on the go” and how to set boundaries (you’ll love her auto-response hack!). They also do a deep dive into Alexis’s tandem breastfeeding journey, including how her toddler son reacted when his baby sister arrived and how Alexis deals with internet trolls.

This week, Christy is joined by Drs. Morgan Clark and Amanda Fisher of Empower Your Pelvis to talk all things pelvic floor. Listen to have the questions you were afraid to ask about the pelvic floor answered and learn why it’s so important to get all 28 muscles (!!) in the pelvic floor working together – everything from sex to posture to babywearing. By the end of this episode, you’ll be ready to empower yourself by empowering your pelvis!

We excerpted this conversation in episode 3 of this season and we’re so excited to bring you the full chat now! Follow Empower Your Pelvis on Instagram for more fun and educational pelvic floor content.