Entering Motherhood: Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Support

14. Using Mindfulness and Yoga in Motherhood with Angela Mattingly

In this episode we speak with Angela, creator and yoga teacher behind Feel at Om, about mindfulness and yoga specifically focused around motherhood. We discuss how taking time for yourself and prioritizing you is important in being able to be ALL there and present with our family. Sometimes all we need is just another mom to be there to support us and guide us along and let us know how to potentially navigate this journey.

It’s so often heard that when mom in a good mood, the whole family is in a good mood. Yoga is not only an amazing workout but also an amazing way to recenter and allow yourself to be more in-tune with yourself and be present with others. We embrace the process of letting go and learning to cope with this transition of motherhood.

The program with Angela is starting May 3rd 2021. It is designed to occur over 6 weeks but is able to be taken at your own pace. Be sure to head on over to her website and get to know more information about her program and preregister. She acknowledges that it doesn’t always have to be that serious and you can be present with your kids even just by dancing in the kitchen or simply reading a book.

Catch the guided meditation at the end of the episode for a little extra added bonus. Let us know what shape you envisioned and be sure to join us in the Entering Motherhood Facebook Group and share your thoughts on this episode.

Contact Angela Mattingly:

Website: https://feelatomyoga.com

Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/feelatomyoga

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/feelatomyoga

13. On The Hard Days with Megan Champion

Megan Champion, the host of On The Hard Days, and I talk about the challenging moments of motherhood and what her journey has been like having a child who may be tough to handle. She is an elementary school teacher, wife, and a mom of three (7 year old twins, and a 4 year old).

Over the years she has found ways to navigate this journey into motherhood and ways to accept her children for who they are help see them where they’re at and support them to the best of her ability. She admits that she does not have it all together, no-one does, but she has found that accepting herself and taking moments to recognize what she brings to the table has helped tremendously. Remember you are not alone and there are more moms out there that are going through exactly what you are going through.

The first step she suggests on being able to do this yourself is to take a piece of paper and think of just one small moment and jot down all the positive strengths that you brought to that situation to support your children. She gives an example of how she did this as she was cooking dinner with her children.

Megan’s main mission is to support mothers who specifically are raising those tough kids, the ones who say “I didn't see this coming when I started parenting”, “this child is really different from me”, or “this child is struggling”. If you feel like there’s a mismatch and you’re feeling shame or guilt going on as a mother, she says these are her people and if this sounds like you please reach out to her.

 

Contact Megan Champion:

Website: https://www.ontheharddays.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/432579651389988

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/on.the.hard.days/

12. Music Therapy in the NICU and Beyond with Megan Danelz

In this episode we talk with Megan Danelz, owner of Heart Strings Music Therapy Services located in Greenville, SC. We discuss how music can be used to help children develop speech and motor skills to be able to communicate more efficiently and improve social skills in everyday activities.

Specifically we dive deep into two major interventions used in the NICU that can be used to prepare baby to be ready to come home sooner. Those two things worked on are non-nutritive sucking and multimodal stimulation. For non-nutritive sucking the goal is to have the baby being able to feed on their own by a using a PAL (pacifier-activated-lullaby) system. She also walks us through the steps used for the multimodal stimulation process that helps newborns be used to being over stimulation in a positive way.

Megan’s favorite thing about what she does is being able to help any person at any walk of life reach their fullest potential through the use of music. This work not only benefits our children but directly helps us mamas to be closer with our children in a fun and interactive way. It also can help our children grow and progress. What mother doesn't want for her children? This can be such a calming stress relieving experience for all involved.

 

Contact Megan Danelz:

Website: https://heartstringsmts.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/HeartStringsMTS

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartstringsmts/

Music Lessons: https://goldenstripmusicschool.com

 

To find a music therapist in your area go to: https://www.musictherapy.org

11. Healing Your Postpartum Body with Food

In this episode I explain how you can begin to heal your postpartum body simply by being more aware of the type of food you fuel your body with during this time. The main components to consider when choosing meals in the postpartum period would be to have them be fully cooked, warm, contain as few ingredients as possible, and be high in protein and fats.

With more and more research being done about women in the postpartum period it makes me so eager to be on the front line of this and share all the information I'm discovering and learning about everyday. I seriously geek out about this stuff and love sharing it with y’all.

It’s important to understand that we are all different and all require a deeper understanding of how our own individual bodies are functioning and reacting to the food we consume in order to properly heal.

Listen in on this episode to learn how to get started on healing your postpartum body.

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entering_motherhood/ 

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/enteringmotherhood/

1:1 Coaching: https://www.enteringmotherhood.com/1on1coaching

Postpartum Nutrition Course: https://www.enteringmotherhood.com/group-course

If you’re looking to become a certified postpartum nutritional coach email me at enteringmotherhood@gmail.com

10. Traumatic Birth and Surrogacy with Jo Ingram

In this episode we speak with Jo Ingram about the birth of her first daughter and the traumatic experience she had during this time. She experienced postpartum hemorrhaging and ultimately ended up having to receive a subtotal hysterectomy. 

She shares her story of finding support during this time for other PPH mothers and how she modeled others journey through surrogacy to take the same route for her life. Taking one step at a time she successfully completed her family with a set of twin girls years after her daughter with the help of a surrogate. 

We discuss how it’s important to find a place to share our disappointments and worries as well as our joy. There is such a need to share that early motherhood phase together with other moms who are in the same stage of motherhood. Finding a postpartum support group before the birth of your child can be helpful so that you have that support set in place before the baby comes. 

Her own personal mantra in her life and in her business is “I can make the impossible, possible”.

 

How to contact Jo Ingram:

Instagram: @iamjo.ingram

www.iamjoingram.com 

Podcast: Action Taker Tribe

9. Faith in Motherhood with Leah Kilmer

This episode is full of so many authentic moments Leah and I have experienced throughout motherhood so far. As a mother of 3 she has had years of transitioning into motherhood and shares what she has found to be most meaningful as she travels along this journey with faith and love by her side. 

To best enjoy this episode I strongly encourage you to take a moment to yourself and enjoy listening in on our conversation over your favorite cup of coffee or warm drink of choice. Sharing a conversation and a cup of coffee is one of Leahs favorite things to do and also how we met. 

She is a doula in the Greenville area and loves serving women and being there for them during their transition into motherhood.

How to contact Leah Kilmer:

Loving Birth Doula Services on Facebook

@doulaleahdawn

8. Pelvic Floor Therapy During Pregnancy and Postpartum with Dr. Ashlee De Nooy

We explored the benefits of having a pelvic floor therapist during pregnancy and postpartum with Dr. Ashlee De Nooy, owner of Body Works Women's Health and Wellness. Her knowledge on women’s health is so comforting and it was interesting to hear her discuss what we can notice in our own bodies to better improve our health.

Ashlee also explains to us what a first visit looks like at a pelvic floor therapy appointment. She talks about how something as simple as breathing is a core concept that is able to allow us to have better pelvic floor health.

The individualized care is ultimately what makes the difference when going to a specialist and allows for a deeper understanding of what each client is experiencing in their own unique body.

 

How to contact Dr. Ashlee De Nooy:

Body Works Women’s Health and Wellness

Located in Greer, SC

https://www.bodyworks-physicaltherapy.com/

7. Clearing the Mental Noise in Motherhood with Toby Pollack

In this episode we talk with Toby Pollack and discuss what you can do to help clear the mental noise associated with motherhood and focus on what matters most in being a mom. She believes that the quality of life is related to mental wellness and is working so passionately to help moms achieve a life that they love and are proud of.

We talk about creating mantras to use in our everyday life that can help us feel safe and heard. One of my favorites were “I am safe and my baby is safe”. This quick and effective tips can make all the difference when we’re struggling and simply need to be reminded how well we’re doing as a mom.

Remember you are not broken, this is normal, and it’s okay to ask for help. You can always ask for help and we strongly encourage you to seek the help you need if something feels off because motherhood does not have to look like how others tell you it is, you have the power to let those opinions all go, and life is what you say it is.

 

How to contact Toby Pollack:

Instagram: @TobyPollack_

Voxer: @TobyPollack

6. A Personal Journey From Hospital Birth to Home Birth with Audra Caldwell

In this episode we talk with Audra Caldwell, a mom to three wonderful kiddos and grateful to be here. We discuss her personal journey during all three births of her children and what it was like during the postpartum period with each of them. Her first being a fully medicated hospital birth, her second was an unmedicated hospital birth, and then her last was a home birth.

Audra is currently in the process of starting her own business and is on a journey that I am so excited to see her pursue. Her insights as a mother and the knowledge she has gained in motherhood are so amazing to listen to and learn from.

5. Infant and Pregnancy Loss with Justine Wan

In this episode we talk with Justine, host of the podcast Expecting Rainbow, and we learn what it was like for her to become a first time mom. We hear about her son Steven, who lost his life while in the womb at 22 weeks and the ways Justine still honors her son even though he is no longer physically here. I hope you enjoy this episode and it shows you that we are not alone and even though we all have our own unique stories we are certainly all still mothers and entering motherhood in our own special ways.

 

Contact Justine:

Instagram @expectingrainbow

hello@expectingrainbow.com

www.expectingrainbow.com