I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who has been a part of this podcast community. Your support, your engagement, and your willingness to listen and learn have meant the world to me. It's been an honor to have your ears and your hearts alongside me on this adventure.

You can continue to support and stay connected to the Well Worth Watering community through wellworthwatering.com.

Myth: Birth is loud and filled with screaming and sounds of agony. Truth: We moan, grunt, cry, and sometimes scream yes but we also laugh, sing, or talk. Or go silent. Have you considered what untouched, physiologically typical labor & childbirth sounds like? I explore all of this and more on Episode 34: The Sound of Expansion in Birth.

If you're pregnant and in your last trimester, now is the perfect time to take a birth class. Get ready for labor by learning comfort and coping techniques, understanding the stages of labor & birth and discussions that go deeper, penetrating the shallow layers of preparation. Check out wellworthwatering.com/birthclass for information about my month-long or weekend class sessions.

On this month's episode I'm sharing a rich conversation with Dr. Tiffany M. Smith, a trailblazing functional psychiatric nurse practitioner, founder of Aroma Functional Nutrition Psychiatry and a visionary who sees a world where mental health care is more than just a pill. Dr. Smith aims to help her patients live better lives by identifying the root cause of their conditions and creating a customized treatment plan that incorporates lifestyle changes, counseling, coaching, and natural supplements. She believes that medication should be a last resort and that empowering her clients to take control of their health is the key to lifelong wellness. Her ultimate goal is to help people across the world understand that their lifestyle choices have a significant impact on their health and well-being.

Have you given birth recently and are struggling to feel like yourself again? Visit www.afnpsych.com/PPD to gain clarity on the difference between postpartum depression and baby blues. Looking for more support? Download Dr. Smith's app called Mental Wellness Unlocked at the Apple and Google Play Store. Text "SELFLOVE" to 702-919-4249 and join the FREE 21-day Love Thyself Journey. You can also follow Dr. Smith on Instagram @DrTiffanyMSmith.

This episode features a great conversation I had with Jasmine Mobley of Beauty Of The Nile, which makes science-based skin care & skin care infused makeup for skin-of-color. From stretch marks to pregnancy mask, we talked all things pregnancy.

Beauty Of The Nile’s mission is to provide effective skin care products to people-of-color so that all know to “Love Your Brown Skin”, to affirm & amplify that all skin tones are beautiful, and to reject colorism. You can get more information at BeautyOfTheNile.com.

Emelda De Coteau—affectionately known as E—is a creative, writer, podcaster and a woman of deep faith. Emelda channels her passions and experiences into deeply meaningful work. When Motherhood Looks Different offers community for mothers raising children with special needs and learning differences as well as mothers facing physical and mental health challenges of their own. The Pray With Our Feet podcast which E co-hosts with her mother, centers progressive Christian faith and social justice. You can follow her work on praywithourfeet.org as well as on Instagram @praywithourfeet. Get the latest news on the When Motherhood Looks Different launch here and join the Instagram community @whenmotherhoodlooksdifferent. Emelda alongside her husband Keston raise their beautiful daughter Naima in the spirit of compassion and gratitude in the Baltimore area.

Dominique Quarles is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Postpartum/Prenatal Fitness Coach, Certified Pain Free Performance Specialist, and Certified Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist. An athlete all throughout her teen years and college life, Dominique first experienced a change in her body after the birth of her first child. But after her 2nd and challenges with "mommy belly"—also known as diastasis recti— and pelvic prolapse, she decided to take charge of her healing. This discovery was the start of helping over 400+ women return to a pain-free post-baby life with overall increased function.

Dominique helps new mothers achieve pain free living and regain control of their bodies with Alphababe Fitness, which specializes in strength and pain free fitness, pelvic rehabilitation, core muscle strengthening, and prenatal fitness/birth preparation via breathwork coaching. For more information, visit alphababe-fitness.com and be sure to follow Dominique for great tips and exercises on Instagram @alphababefitness.

In part 2 of Cutting the Cord, we pick up where we left off with Seiea Britt—singer/songwriter and mother of 3 beautiful girls. Seiea first joined us on Episode 8 to talk about her second pregnancy and birth, one where she navigated the challenges of new motherhood at the height of the pandemic as well as a cholestasis diagnosis. This time, we take a detailed look back on the relationship challenges she faced during her third pregnancy and the inner light that led her to the decisions she ultimately needed to make for herself and her girls. If you are navigating what you believe to be an unhealthy relationship dynamic, please consider this resource.

While the mental and physical well-being of pregnant parents tends to focus on the maternal health care we receive, how do we take a look at the quality of our relationships? Should our intimate relationship reflect back the love growing inside of us? What does it look like to realize while pregnant that a relationship no longer serves you or your highest good? Seiea Britt—singer/songwriter and mother of 3 beautiful girls—graces the podcast once again. Seiea first joined us on Episode 8 to talk about her second pregnancy and birth, one where she navigated the challenges of new motherhood at the height of the pandemic as well as a cholestasis diagnosis. But for this episode, we take a detailed look back on the relationship challenges she faced during her third pregnancy. If you are navigating what you believe to be an unhealthy relationship dynamic, please consider this resource.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the beautiful Rondette Amoy Smith for this first episode of the year. We dove into her experience of high risk pregnancy, having a baby abroad, how she prepared for birth—which involved both practical preparation and rallying the love, advice and help of her family—and how she chose to witness, honor and take time to shift into this amazing version of herself.

Picking up where we left off in episode 25 with Dr. Amber Thornton of Balanced Working Mama, this episode comes to a grounding, comforting close with a reminder to hold onto what lights us up. Dr. Amber is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Motherhood Wellness Consultant and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to completely change the narrative of what is possible for working mothers by helping them to better balance work, motherhood, and wellness. Dr. Thornton resides in Washington, DC with her husband and 2 children. She is deeply passionate about helping other working mothers fulfill their goals, passions, and find more joy throughout their motherhood experiences. Get more information about the Balanced Working Mama community at www.balancedworkingmama.com and be sure to follow Dr. Amber's work at @balancedworkingmama and @dramberthornton on Instagram.

Also, visit www.wellworthwatering.com for information about childbirth classes or postpartum support.