What if pregnancy didn’t have to feel like survival mode? In this episode, we’re joined by Alexandra Radway —MIT-trained engineer turned functional nutritionist—who is on a mission to help modern women feel strong, supported, and biohacked through pregnancy and postpartum. We explore: Why symptoms like exhaustion and morning sickness aren’t "just part of pregnancy" The most overlooked organ impacting pregnancy (hint: it’s not your uterus) What’s really wrong with most prenatals—and what to look ...
Jun 18, 2025•55 min•Season 2Ep. 47
In this conversation, registered dietician Leslie Flannery discusses gestational diabetes, its prevalence, hormonal influences, and the importance of managing blood sugar levels during pregnancy. She emphasizes that gestational diabetes is not a woman's fault and provides practical tips for maintaining a balanced diet without falling into restrictive eating patterns. The discussion also covers the risks associated with high blood sugar, the role of glucose monitors, and how busy moms can manage ...
Jun 02, 2025•39 min•Season 2Ep. 46
In this conversation, C-section recovery coach Nicole Alfred discusses the often misunderstood aspects of C-section recovery, emphasizing that healing is a process that extends beyond the commonly assumed six-week timeline. She highlights the physical and emotional challenges faced by C-section mothers, including body image issues and pelvic floor dysfunction. Nicole Alfred advocates for intentional movement and rehabilitation, stressing the importance of scar care and self-compassion during rec...
Apr 26, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 45
In this conversation, Megan Stander and Jessica Irwin discuss the importance of establishing routines for new parents and their babies. Jessica, a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, shares insights on the misconceptions surrounding baby routines, the difference between schedules and routines, and introduces her five non-negotiables for creating a successful daily structure. The discussion emphasizes the need for flexibility and understanding in parenting, as well as practical tips for integrating...
Apr 16, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 44
In this episode, Zara Arshad discusses the four main attachment styles—anxious, avoidant, anxious-avoidant, and secure—and how they manifest in relationships, particularly during the transformative period of new parenthood. The conversation delves into how postpartum challenges can amplify attachment tendencies, leading to increased stress and insecurity in relationships. Zara offers insights on how to promote healthy attachment styles for both parents and their children, highlighting the import...
Mar 21, 2025•51 min•Season 2Ep. 43
In this episode, Chelsea and Megan discuss the complexities of navigating California maternity leave, particularly through Kaiser Insurance. Chelsea shares her personal experiences and insights on the challenges faced by expectant mothers, especially regarding mental health support and the bureaucratic hurdles within the healthcare system. They emphasize the importance of early advocacy and being honest about one's mental health needs to ensure proper support during and after pregnancy. Previous...
Mar 04, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 42
In this conversation, Sabia Wade shares her unique journey from the BDSM world to becoming a doula, emphasizing the importance of consent, communication, and care in both realms. She discusses how her experiences in kink inform her approach to supporting new parents, particularly in navigating the complexities of postpartum life. Sabia highlights the need for open dialogue about intimacy, boundaries, and individual needs, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of relationships and care work...
Feb 13, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 41
In this episode, Chelsea and Megan discuss the significant changes to California's maternity leave policies effective January 2025. They highlight the new payment structures that provide higher benefits for new mothers, the elimination of employer requirements to use vacation time before accessing paid family leave, and the implications for health insurance during maternity leave. The hosts also emphasize the importance of understanding these changes and provide resources to help navigate the co...
Jan 31, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 40
In this episode, Gina Trimmer, founder of the Revitalized Womanhood Movement, shares her journey of intentional living and the importance of pursuing personal purpose. She discusses the challenges women face in defining their identities, especially in motherhood, and the impact of societal conditioning on their desires. Gina emphasizes the necessity of supportive networks and the transformative power of asking oneself what they truly want out of life. In the conversation, Gina shares insights on...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 39
This episode is a must-listen for: new moms navigating gender roles in parenting, working mothers struggling with domestic labor inequities, and women questioning societal norms around marriage and motherhood. In today’s episode, we sit down with the bold and unapologetic Abby Eckel, a feminist advocate with 600K+ TikTok followers, known for her viral and controversial videos exposing the hidden costs of marriage and motherhood. Abby shares her journey of challenging the unfair division of domes...
Dec 27, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this conversation, licensed psychotherapist Christina Furnival discusses the complexities of division of labor among new parents, emphasizing the mental load and emotional labor that often disproportionately falls on mothers. The discussion explores societal norms, gender roles, and the challenges couples face in balancing responsibilities, especially after a baby. Christina offers insights into how to navigate these conflicts, the importance of communication, and the need for equitable shari...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 37
In this conversation, Julie Ouye shares her deeply personal journey through infertility, detailing her experiences with IUI and IVF treatments. The conversation touches on the isolating experience of infertility and the encouragement for women to understand their own body and cycle from a young age. Julie discusses the financial challenges she faced due to the significant expense of IVF and IUI treatments. She emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy in the healthcare system, and the impact of...
Nov 21, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 36
In this conversation, Elena Bridgers discusses the evolution of motherhood, contrasting modern practices with those of hunter-gatherer societies. She emphasizes the importance of understanding our evolutionary past to address the challenges faced by contemporary mothers, including feelings of isolation and systemic pressures. Bridgers advocates for communal parenting and highlights the need for societal changes to support mothers better. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexi...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 35
In this episode, Jordan Lull discusses the metabolic changes that occur during pregnancy and motherhood. He explains the concept of metabolism and how it relates to calories in and calories out. Jordan also highlights the importance of nutrition and supplements, particularly folate, during pregnancy. He shares fascinating facts about the brain shrinking during pregnancy and the impact of a father's health on the baby's genes. In this conversation, Jordan Lull discusses the impact of pregnancy on...
Oct 04, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In this episode, Chelsea and Megan discuss the challenges of balancing motherhood and work-life. They emphasize the importance of letting go of expectations and accepting that work-life balance may not be achievable. They also discuss the emotional challenges of juggling work and motherhood, such as guilt, stress, and grief. Chelsea shares her struggle with maintaining patience and connection with her child when she's been working for a while. She highlights that quality time with multiple careg...
Sep 23, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 33
In this episode, Chelsea and Megan interview Kristen Finnell, a neonatal nurse practitioner and mom of three. They discuss the common concerns and anxieties of new parents, focusing on the importance of postpartum education and preparation. Kristen emphasizes the need for parents to educate themselves on how to create a safe and healthy home environment for their newborns, including using non-toxic products. She also highlights the importance of self-care and preparing for postpartum recovery. T...
Sep 09, 2024•38 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this conversation, Chelsea and Megan discuss their personal experiences and struggles with motherhood. Chelsea shares her challenges with bedtime and her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter's resistance to going to sleep. The two hosts discuss possible solutions, including extending bedtime, incorporating special mommy-daughter time before bed, and setting boundaries during the bedtime routine. The two best friends also dive into Megan’s challenges as she expresses her sadness about her children...
Aug 28, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 31
DISCLAIMER: In this episode, we discuss a range of topics related to formula feeding. We want to make it clear that Raising Mama fully supports every mother's choice in how she feeds her baby. Whether you choose to formula feed, breastfeed, or use a combination of both, we believe that every mom knows what is best for her and her baby. Our aim is to provide information and foster thoughtful conversation, not to advocate against any feeding method. Your journey is your own, and we're here to supp...
Aug 09, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In this conversation, toddler expert Layne Deyling Cherland discusses the challenges and common themes of parenting toddlers. She explains the differences between the infant brain and the toddler brain, emphasizing the importance of understanding toddler brain development. Layne also discusses the need for clear boundaries and firm edges in the parent-child relationship during the toddler years. She provides insights on how to navigate situations where toddlers push boundaries and manipulate the...
Jul 26, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In this episode, the hosts interview Kelly Conroy, a matrescence educator, about the science and sociology behind the difficulties of new motherhood in the US. They discuss the concept of matrescence, the process of becoming a mother, and how it involves significant changes in various aspects of a woman's life. They also explore the evolutionary perspective on childbirth and how the female human body is not necessarily designed for easy childbirth, due to the evolutionary changes in the human bo...
Jul 12, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Dr. Christine Pieton, a pelvic floor specialist, discusses the importance of pelvic floor health and the need for education and awareness. She explains that the pelvic floor is a group of muscles that support the internal organs and play a role in bowel and bladder control, sexual function, and core stability. Dr. Pieton also addresses how pelvic health is an important aspect of overall well-being, yet it is often overlooked and not given enough attention. Pieton illuminates that pain and discom...
Jun 30, 2024•48 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Certified infant sleep specialist, Brittany Chambers, discusses the dark side of sleep training and offers an alternative approach. Sleep training is a relatively new phenomenon that mostly occurs in Western society. Infants are naturally geared to sleep in close proximity to their caregivers and the neuroscience of infant sleep shows that babies need co-regulation and responsive care to develop resilience and emotional balance. In this conversation, Brittany Chambers also discusses the importan...
Jun 14, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Jenny Tucker shares her personal experience with postpartum depression, including the challenges, realizations, and the journey to seeking help and healing. She discusses the impact of postpartum depression on her early motherhood experience and the resistance she faced in accepting medication in her healing journey. Jenny's story touches on her experience with mastitis and D-MER (Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex) and highlights the importance of seeking help, the stigma around mental health, and ...
Jun 04, 2024•51 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In this episode of Raising Mama, Chelsea and Megan discuss the impact of postpartum anger on relationships and share techniques from John Gottman's research to alleviate relationship issues. They explore the four common factors that deteriorate relationships (criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling) and provide the antidotes to each. They emphasize the importance of gentle startups, taking responsibility, describing feelings and needs, and creating constructive plans. They also disc...
May 20, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 24
In this conversation, Jenny Tucker, the leader and founder of Centerline Community , a virtual postpartum support community, discusses the common struggles that new moms face when entering motherhood and the lack of support and information available to them. She emphasizes the importance of sharing experiences and knowledge among mothers. Jenny also highlights the lack of support for modern women and the need for new models of care including better medical care for postpartum women, therapy appo...
May 06, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 23
In this conversation, Megan and Chelsea discuss sex after giving birth. They share their personal experiences and provide insights into the physical and emotional aspects of postpartum sex. They emphasize the importance of partner support, communication, and understanding in maintaining intimacy. The conversation also touches on societal expectations and the need for women to assert their needs during this time. Key Takeaways: Sex after giving birth is different for everyone and depends on vario...
Apr 13, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In this episode, Megan and Chelsea discuss how to maximize maternity leave in California and provide tips for getting the most time off. They cover topics such as disability extensions, changing doctors for approval, staying ahead of the game, choosing the right healthcare provider, and understanding workplace hazards. They emphasize the importance of advocating for yourself and being knowledgeable about the qualifications for six months of paid maternity leave. The hosts also mention their expl...
Mar 29, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In today’s must-listen episode, we are thrilled to have Francie Webb , the founder of Go Milk Yourself and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Francie enlightens us on the nuanced challenges of breastfeeding, especially as new mothers navigate the transition back to work. Why You Should Listen: Empowerment Through Knowledge: Learn practical breastfeeding strategies and insights for the return-to-work transition, including hand expression techniques and how to set realistic exp...
Mar 22, 2024•59 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Why You Should Listen: This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the journey of parenthood, especially expectant mothers and their partners seeking a deeper, more empowered approach to childbirth. Ivy Joeva , a seasoned doula and fertility coach, shares invaluable insights into preparing for birth beyond conventional methods. From understanding the spectrum of undisturbed births to the significance of informed consent and the critical role of partners in the birthing process, Ivy offer...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 19
In this episode, we shine a spotlight on the dads and non-birthing partners! This time, it's all about paternity leave and why it's not just a benefit for moms. From bonding with the newborn to supporting their partner and establishing a strong family foundation, this episode dives into the myriad benefits of paternity leave. Join us as we debunk myths, share personal stories, and offer practical advice on how to navigate leave policies, ensuring you're fully prepared for this incredible journey...
Mar 15, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 18
