You didn't try to make your baby to grow, you simply trusted that all of their organs would develop week by week. While there's much we can do to prepare, we discuss whether it's necessary to banish all fear in regard to birth.
Jen & Alise are back to being your friends again and giving you all the information you need to know to give birth. You can’t will your cervix into a juicy pear or into a dilated cervix and they will tell you why. This week they are giving you tons of information on how to navigate labor and how to remember how amazing you are no matter how you give birth. Figure out what birth options are the right options for you and how to own your badassary with birth.
How to survive the holidays while pregnant Find comfortable clothes for holiday parties. - can rewear in labor! Fun mocktails (especially if you aren’t sharing your pregnancy yet) https://coleycooks.com/cran-clem/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/152066924904030011/feedback/?invite_code=93125df76bc445d0bfe9291eecfef857&sender_id=2880898448 Comfortable shoes Call it an early night Pick and choose your events Skip soft cheeses and deli meats especially when eating out Have some great excuses on h...
In a world full of "Breast is Best" we are constantly surrounded by stories of breastfeeding struggles and challenges. Candice of Goldilacts joins Jen and Alise this week to bring balance and inspiration to those feeling defeated before even starting. She's full of great ideas on ways to prepare before baby arrives and on ways to navigate breastfeeding through the ups and downs. Be sure to listen in and to check out Goldilacts at www.goldilacts.com.
This week we're talking about: That car ride could be pretty challenging. If it’s not, you’re probably going to soon Drop and roll or park and waddle? We're discussing the benefits of walking together into the hospital or dropping the laboring person at the front door and parking the car. If you brought a weekend worth of luggage, leave some of it in the car and come back later. You can strategically pack a bag with snacks, water bottle, clothes for birth, comfort items. Leave carseat and baby s...
Unapologetically unedited musings from the minivan. This week: expectations.
Make new friends but keep the old
Wondering how you’ll ever survive adding a second? This week Jen and Alise are covering everything from common worries to life hacks to get you through. We’ve packed this episode full of confidence building and tried and true tips to help you not just survive, but thrive when your second (or third, or fourth...) arrives.
We are talking about sex in pregnancy in the minivan today. We promise to not get too graphic but enough to make us blush.
On television, the baby comes up to mom, the soft sounds of the harp comes from the background and mom expresses how her life is now complete. This week Jen and Alise discuss what those moments after birth really look like. Sometimes they are filled with tears, sometimes with exhaustion, laughter or a mix of many emotions. Like all things birth, it rarely looks like television. They are normalizing the variety of feelings and experiences you might have after birth and explaining what to expect a...
This week we are discussing the secret trimester. The first trimester might be a little secret that you are keeping to yourself or sharing with only a few people. It may be a time of exhaustion or nausea. We are covering all of the possibilities and some of our own experiences. Don't miss Jen's not-so-pregnant brain moment. Don't miss this week's minivan mini as we take a drive and give you all of our thoughts.
Jessica, of Lovevery is our guest this week and talking about baby development. We are covering everything from what toys are helpful in the early days and months, to the importance of playing with pots and pans. We love her judgment-free approach to parenting and choosing what works for you. You'll be sure to love the way she takes the pressure off of feeling like there's only one way to help your baby's brain develop. Check out Jessica and Lovevery at lovevery.com or follow on Instagram....
No show notes, but great content!
It’s okay to listen too but this week we are talking to the sweetie in your life. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s helpful and how to prepare. We’ve got a solid list of things that will make your honey feel more prepared to support you and support themselves physically and emotionally through this big processes. Want to take this to a whole new level, listen in separately and then discuss your plans for supporting each other at your favorite ice cream shop.
Jen’s got issues with “natural” birth.
Karen is a teacher by day and finding the funny in infertility by night. This week she tells Jen and Alise how she finds humor where so many find heartbreak, as well as wisdom for getting through the journey. Everyone will certainly relate to awkward stories of doctor's visits but what happens when Karen finds out that her husband's sperm are about to get a spa day? Through humor and honesty, Karen tells us what it's like to be pregnant after infertility and even postpartum. You will not want to...
We're trying something out- musing about life.... from the minivan. Unscripted, unedited, just as we are!
Pick your birth team. Seriously, not the team your mother in law wants. The one you want! Do you want a doula? Get one. Finalize your provider (Midwife or OB). It’s not too late to switch if you feel like it's not the best fit (until the final weeks). You don’t owe it to your provider to see birth through with them. Choose self-care. Practice napping. Go to bed early. Surrender to the sleepies. It's hard work growing a human. Figure out how you are a badass! Glowing vagina not necessary. Are you...
We know that you can always count on your girlfriends for a good cry. So here we are this week, ready to shed a few tears, complain a little, swear a lot and commiserate about how rough it is to create human life. We can also promise you a few good laughs and to change your grocery shopping experiences for life. Whether it's the cramping and nausea of the first trimester or the waddle and maternity clothes that no longer fit of the third, we've been there. Maybe you're looking for tips to get th...
When it comes to hearing the juicy details, we can rely on our friends for a lot of things, but the truth about pregnancy isn’t one of them. Sure, your friends told you about swollen ankles and morning sickness but they probably never told you about finding foods that really worked with morning sickness. You know, the foods that taste the same coming up as they do going down. Body changes, pregnancy clothes, pregnancy sex? Don't worry, Jen & Alise have your back. This week, find out the hone...
You've got the power! In fact, it's been there all along my dear, and we will help you find it. Maybe you need a cape, some red lipstick or a really solid birth plan. No matter what calls to you or what type of birth you want, you can always find your power. Jen and Alise offer useful tips for finding your power and helping you prepare for feeling powerful in labor, way before labor ever begins. It's never to earl to begin. From educating yourself to preparing yourself, you will find several way...
The "birth" version of porn is only showing the world large breasts with large nipples and “perfect” bodies. This is a realistic view but only a snapshot. This isn’t a big picture view. This is another form of mom guilt. How do you live in the moment and stay authentic to who you are and what you want? This doesn’t only apply to birth. This also applies to pregnancy. In early pregnancy when you are feeling sluggish and it feels hard to get out of bed, t can be so hard to see #nurserygoals or ela...
Alise and Jen are soaking up the final weeks of summer here in Seattle so we are revisiting their favorite past episodes. 10 things that will come out of your body during labor and birth that will make you say, "whoa, did that just come out of me". Birth, like parenthood, can be messy. Don't get caught by surprise. Everyone knows there's a little blood sweat and tears in birth but what about all the other things that come out of your body? And it's not all lists, Jen and Alise have a messy paren...
The words "bounce back" are like nails down a chalkboard to Jen and Alise. It took a lot of time, restless legs, pickles and ice cream and big changes to grow a baby. You can't expect to bounce back to where you started overnight. You're best shot at healing is front loading your rest and recovery with laying low with Alise's rule of 3. If taking it easy makes you panic, don't worry Jen has your hall pass. Don't miss out on Jen giving Alise some rules as well. Alise isn't recovering from giving ...
We all have that friend who has a cousin who had a pain-free birth and the baby just "fell out". But is that how it really works? Why does it have to hurt? Jen and Alise have the answers this week. They are discussing the variations in pain and your options for managing pain. They are talking about how labor pain is different from any other pain that you have ever experienced. This means that you get to learn new ways to get through it and what you thought you knew about your pain tolerance migh...
What other people give a f*ck about doesn’t matter! Your birth doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s birth. Hear about Alise’s mind altering experience - She felt equal amounts of internal pressure to look a certain way. You may not feel connected to your body all through birth, you can rock your birth even if you’ve never done a squat in your life! You don’t need to want or feel called to a “natural” birth, a medicated birth, you can feel afraid of birth and still have an amazing birth. In fa...
Alise sits down for a very important interview with a cranky uterus. If you think your job is hard, wait until you hear what she's expected to do- grow, share space with several neighbors, contract at appropriate times, behave, shrink... The expectations are high! This week, Jen is out and Alise spends some quality time with a very special guest so we can all learn how to better give our own uteruses some hard earned r-e-s-p-e-c-t! She's offering up real tips on how to give her rest and hydratio...
Get a water bottle! Save the earth and save your uterus from non-progressing contractions in the 3rd trimester! You need some thick skin otherwise known as resilience.- folks are gonna have opinions but actually they may just wanna engage. Compassion.... Self-compassion. Your lifestyle is gonna be altered and rather than viewing it as "I should be able to do this", how do you give yourself compassion for this stage of life. Snacks everywhere! Keep the energy up and nausea away Naps! There's rese...
Ahh, the sounds of summer. The clink of the ice in the endless glasses of water that you're drinking,
Warning: No children were permanently harmed in the making of this episode. No harm was done but Jen and Alise have been part of some poison control calls, fire pit vomit, bumps to the head, water to the face and a whole lot of tears for all. In spite of it all, they are here and mostly okay with sharing their parenting confessions. Find out how these moms managed to navigate the silly, scary and tricky moments of parenthood.
