Let’s face it - kids can be expensive, and having a family brings on a whole new set of financial obligations that can catch some of us off guard. But taking a few simple steps early on can really help put your family on the right track in the long run, even without a lot of capital up front. This is why we are excited to have Aimee Burton on today’s episode! She is a licensed financial broker and agency owner, based on Vancouver Island. Her and her team of licensed advisors focus on providing f...
Jan 24, 2024•37 min•Ep. 160
On today’s episode, Dr. Alicia Power speaks to Kristen Yarker, a registered dietician in Victoria, BC and founder of The Kristen Yarker Nutrition Agency, with a combined 30 years of training and experience guiding people through the perimenopause and menopause period. While this time of transition presents certain challenges, not unlike puberty it should be considered in a comprehensive way from how our diet, exercise, sleep, stress and mental health can impact the transition - and vice versa. W...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 159
On today’s episode, Drs. Sarah and Alicia break down varicose veins in pregnancy - what they are, why they occur, common symptoms, the importance of monitoring them, treatments, and why they can appear in unexpected places during pregnancy! Tune in for their expert insights and practical tips on navigating this common yet often unexpected aspect of pregnancy. With the holidays coming up, we have the perfect gift for you or the pregnant person in your life! The Nesting Box is a trimester specific...
Dec 27, 2023•11 min•Ep. 158
You probably know about postpartum depression, but did you know that postpartum anxiety and postpartum rage are just as common - and much less talked about? Sadly, many mothers struggling with mental health issues don’t reach out for help with the fear that medication (in conjunction with very costly therapy) is the only solution. But this is not the only solution, nor necessarily the most effective one. Andrea Niles, founder of Prospera Mental Health and Wellness , is a clinical psychologist wh...
Dec 20, 2023•26 min•Ep. 157
On today’s episode, Drs. Sarah and Alicia get down to brass-tacks on one topic you may not know is a routine part of newborn care - the Vitamin K shot. What is Vitamin K and why do newborn babies need it? Drs. Sarah and Alicia address this and so much more in this quick yet informative episode, including dispelling common myths that you’ll want to know more about. If you’d like to learn more about this and many other essential parts of routine pregnancy, postpartum and newborn care, be sure to c...
Nov 15, 2023•18 min•Ep. 156
“It’s mommy’s turn to wine! It’s cheaper than therapy!” Why is alcohol the only drug we need to explain not using? It's the cheapest, most popular, and widely available drug for adults in North America, and moreover using it is normalized over declining it, and is often wrapped up in a culture of necessity and as a healthy coping m echanism for moms. But what if we have more to gain than to lose by numbing out the hard parts of parenting? Celeste Yvonne, Recovery Coach, author, mom, and advocate...
Nov 01, 2023•41 min•Ep. 155
This episode is a re-release which first aired on April 14, 2022. We welcome our new listeners and hope you find it informative! We are huge proponents of empowerment through education, and often advise our patients and listeners to take a prenatal course to help them along their pregnancy to parenthood journey. But how do you even begin to find a course that’s right for you!? We’ve put together this quick guide with our top three things to think about when you're choosing your childbirth educat...
Oct 18, 2023•11 min•Ep. 154
This episode is a re-release which first aired on March 30, 2022. We welcome our new listeners and hope you find it informative! Today we are providing you with an overview of what routine pregnancy care looks like, after the first prenatal visit we discussed last week! After the initial visit where we do a deep dive into your and your family’s medical history and a long survey of health related questions, we'll ask you to come back in about two to three weeks later for a complete physical exam....
Oct 04, 2023•14 min•Ep. 153
This episode is a re-release which first aired on March 16, 2022. We welcome our new listeners and hope you find it informative! On today’s episode, Drs. Alicia and Sarah address a question they get asked a lot: how to choose a pregnancy care provider! It’s one of the first major decisions you make in pregnancy, and often an overwhelming one as you try to navigate the different options and which one is best for you. Join Drs. Alicia and Sarah as they review the different options and how to choos...
Sep 20, 2023•17 min•Ep. 152
“Omg! I think I might be pregnant!?” This is often the first thought that crosses our mind in early pregnancy, before we have the chance to take a test or see our provider! So what are some early pregnancy symptoms to look out for? Drs. Sarah and Alicia outline them all for you in this quick and handy episode! But moreover, here are links to episodes on each of the symptoms, discussed in greater detail: Morning Sickness: The low down on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy Constipation & Hemorrh...
Sep 06, 2023•17 min•Ep. 151
This just in! The guidelines around the treatment of mastitis, a common complication of breastfeeding, have largely changed! On today’s episode, Drs. Sarah and Alicia provide an overview of the updated clinical protocol from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine - and let us (possibly) be the first to tell you that the new guidelines are almost the exact opposite of what was previously recommended. A must listen! For clarification, the probiotics we were referring to are called limosilactobacill...
Aug 24, 2023•19 min•Ep. 150
Did you know that men experience hormonal shifts during their partner’s pregnancy and into the postpartum period? While this biological change likely occurs to stimulate child / parent bonding, it can also cause postpartum depression in partners and is experienced by about 8%-10% of them - and is all too rarely talked about. But Drs. Sarah and Alicia are here to spark the conversation! And encourage both partners and birthing people to talk about it with each other, with your greater community, ...
Aug 09, 2023•16 min•Ep. 149
Should I be getting dental work while pregnant? Is it okay to get x-rays? What about filling cavities? Today’s episode is a must listen, as Dr. Sarah Lea interviews dentists Dr. Brin MacMillan and Dr. Sabrina Ma, co-owners of South Island Dental, on the do's and don'ts of dental work in pregnancy! They discuss if and when to get dental care, which procedures you might want to avoid, how the changes brought on by pregnancy may affect your dental health, and share some facts about radiation that m...
Jul 26, 2023•30 min•Ep. 149
Movement is medicine! What do we mean? Tune in to today’s episode featuring Nikki Johnson, mom, certified personal trainer, and pregnancy to postpartum fitness coach, where she discusses her thought out approach to pre and post natal fitness. For more info on Nikki, check out her website at www.nikkijfit.com and give her a follow on Instagram @nikkijfitness and tune into the upcoming Nikki J Fitness Podcast! Taking you from anxious and overwhelmed to confident during your childbirth experience: ...
Jul 12, 2023•26 min•Ep. 148
Nicole’s birth story is chock full of experiences, from pre-fertility and an unexpected diagnosis, IVF, gestational diabetes in pregnancy, and a labour and delivery with unforeseen complications. But she managed to navigate it all successfully in large part due to the education she underwent in the process, allowing her to make informed decisions and take efforts to prepare herself for delivery and postpartum - such as regularly performing perineal massage. But don’t take our word for it - liste...
Jun 28, 2023•32 min•Ep. 148
Birth is a complex event - both physically and emotionally for us and our partners. A good way to navigate those complexities is to discuss and note down your birth preferences to help manage expectations and create informed decisions, but what happens when birth goes differently than planned? Dr. Pip Houghton, family doctor with a passion for supporting new mamas and a special interest in perinatal mental health care, shares with us her personal and professional experiences in dealing with the ...
Jun 14, 2023•38 min•Ep. 147
Today we are talking about all things fetal movement! What does fetal movement feel like? When should you begin counting it? Is there such a thing as too much movement? And what about hiccups!? In addition to today’s episode, be sure to download our Fetal Movement Hand-Out and Tracker , describing all you need to know about how to monitor your baby's health through fetal movement counting, including a handy tracking sheet you can print and use at home! Taking you from anxious and overwhelmed to ...
May 31, 2023•18 min•Ep. 147
On today’s episode, Drs. Sarah and Alicia looked back and compiled the most frequent questions they get about the first trimester of pregnancy and answered them all for you conveniently in this one podcast episode and blog post! Be sure to follow along to the extra resources and links for a deeper dive into each topic. For more info on skincare in pregnancy, check out our podcast on Skincare in Pregnancy with Dr. Bri ! For more tips on managing nausea in pregnancy, check out Morning Sickness: Th...
May 17, 2023•22 min•Ep. 146
Does pregnancy affect the voice? Today’s special episode was produced by Jillian Mitchell, recording artist, vocal coach, author, mom, and founder of Voxana, a platform celebrating the interconnectivity of our human instrument in singing, speaking, and writing. She interviewed our own Dr. Alicia Power about the role pregnancy plays on our human instrument as it changes and grows, especially how it affects our energy, movement, and voice! To learn more about Voxana , visit their website and check...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 146
The experience of pain in labor can be influenced by a variety of factors such as previous experiences, and individual emotional, physical, motivational, cognitive, social, and cultural circumstances. Strategies for dealing with the pain can be medicinal and non-medicinal, both of which Drs. Alicia and Sarah outline today, with a particular emphasis on epidurals as we get frequent questions about them! As always, having a good understanding of your options is crucial in making decisions that fee...
Apr 19, 2023•20 min•Ep. 145
Many of us spend a lot of time preparing for pregnancy, labour, and birth but we tend to neglect putting equal care into preparing for the postpartum period. This creates certain challenges, especially considering the postpartum period is relatively much longer and requires taking care of your newborn and yourself! This is where a postpartum doula can help. Join Dr. Alicia and Brittany Porter, Postpartum Doula and founder of Birth & Beyond, as they discuss the different roles of postpartum d...
Apr 05, 2023•26 min•Ep. 144
Have you ever seen those photos of a pregnant friend walking in a field, their two toddlers happily in tow, or a newborn baby wrapped up in a blanket sleeping like a sweet cherub? You may have had several thoughts, such as that your young children would never stay still long enough for a photo where all of you look good! Or you think, ‘I’d love to get shots with my newborn but I can barely get out of the house to see the doctor, let alone a photographer’! Today, Amanda from Island Roots Photogra...
Mar 22, 2023•28 min•Ep. 143
You’ve probably had lots of people recommend what to pack in your hospital bag. Or perhaps you haven’t thought about it at all yet! Either way, this episode is for you. Drs. Sarah and Alicia have supported thousands of pregnant people through labor and delivery and have had five hospital births of their own, so they’re sharing today their Top 10 Things You Didn't Know You Needed in your Hospital Bag based on their vast, first-hand experiences. Take a listen to today’s episode and download our FR...
Mar 08, 2023•13 min•Ep. 142
About one in three births are delivered by Cesarean Section, though this varies by province, country, and even community. About half of those are planned, also called “elective,” while the other half are emergency, or unplanned. Keep in mind that the term “emergency cesarean” is used to mean that delivery via cesarean section was not a birth preference, but does not always mean a true medical emergency which has to be performed as quickly as humanly possible. Join Drs. Sarah and Alicia as they s...
Feb 22, 2023•25 min•Ep. 141
On today’s episode, you will learn how to become your own massage therapist! Joining Dr. Alicia is athletic and registered massage therapist Janette Yee from Ask Janette, who talks to us passionately about the exciting benefits of scar tissue massage after a c-section (or any other injury)! Whether you’re feeling numbness or hyper-sensitivity, Janette and Dr. Alicia describe how and why massage helps, and how to go about performing it on yourself, as always starting small but steady. We know tha...
Feb 08, 2023•41 min•Ep. 140
Today we are very lucky to have Sarah sharing with us her story of becoming a surrogate. Well - surrogate-ish . Tune in to learn what we mean by that, as she shares with us her unique path to becoming a surrogate, and her pregnancy and postpartum journeys. As always, thank you to Sarah and all our birth story contributors for generously sharing their experiences that we hope speak to our listeners and affirm that we are not alone, no matter how varied our journeys. To learn more about home birth...
Jan 25, 2023•50 min•Ep. 139
If you’ve just come from a pediatric check-up and you’re worried your baby is small and needs to gain weight, please don’t panic! It’s important to consider that if your baby falls into a low percentile, is this a new occurrence, or have they always been on the smaller side? Are they not meeting other developmental milestones, or are they following along their own growth curve? It is only natural that some babies will land in a lower percentile, and that is not a cause for concern. However, once...
Jan 11, 2023•32 min•Ep. 138
Today we are helping you plan your ultimate baby shower! But spoiler alert, we offer no advice on picking balloons, what finger foods to serve, or the best party games. The concept of a baby shower has existed in some form for centuries, shifting in purpose and presentation over the years. Today, we encourage you to think of two main things when planning yours: what is your purpose for having one? And what is the ideal outcome? Dr. Alicia and Dr. Pip Houghton, family doctor with a special intere...
Dec 28, 2022•37 min•Ep. 137
Karlie is the co-founder of Jen & Keri , a former collegiate athlete, and a long-time wellness professional. With over 20 years of experience in fitness she is on a mission to empower postpartum athletes to reclaim their identity beyond motherhood! One of the most important things to remember is not to jump back into strenuous exercising too quickly as it can cause injury and provide more setbacks than advances, but when you are ready to start, consider working with a pelvic physiotherapist ...
Dec 14, 2022•28 min•Ep. 136
This is the final part of a three part mini-series on the top five gifts to give the pregnant, postpartum, and newborn people in your life! Yes, babies don’t need gifts themselves, but their parents sure could use a helping hand! We hope you find this list useful - and remember to follow these links for special discounts! Infant First Aid and Car Seat Safety from Safe Beginnings Course : Infant/Child CPR, Choking, Car Seat Safety, and Injury Prevention Course. Learn the essential life saving ski...
Dec 07, 2022•8 min•Ep. 135
