Delivering Miracles®

When you lose your temper on your child, it doesn't make you a bad mother. Every single mother on this planet has done it. But it is an opportunity for growth and self-reflection so you can continue to be the best mother and raise the best version of your child. On this episode, we talk about those rage-filled moments, what they are, what they mean and how to make them stop.    

With increased attention on postpartum depression in the media and in research, more and more women (and their loved ones) are becoming sensitive to recognizing the signs and symptoms early. However, sometimes the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression, like crying, are not necessarily pointing to depression. Sometimes, crying is not a sign of a mental health condition at all but a sign of healing. On this episode, I share with you how to tell the difference.    

Experiencing a loss is heartshattering for any parent. Whether it's a chemical pregnancy, miscarriage, due to prematurity, a stillbirth or any other reason, it is the hardest thing for a parent to survive. Getting pregnant again after a loss can bring up concerns about the health of the baby, fears of another loss and a tremendous distrust of your body. On this episode, Christine shares her personal experiences of pregnancy after loss, how she coped and how she turned her tragedy into personal and professional triumph.

The term "mind-body connection" can mean a variety of things to so many people. Some take it to mean mental health, others take it to mean nutrition therapy, others take it to mean something about the stars or hanging crystals by your bed. But most of us can agree that it relates somehow to stress. But does it have any impact on the health of your pregnancy? Absolutely. On this episode I share with you how.

When you're a Type-A, go-getter person who loves to be busy, it hard to accept when your body needs you to go slow. You feel unproductive, helpless and useless, none of which are good for your mental or physical health. On this episode, we talk about how to listen to your body when you need to go slow and how to slow down without feeling like you're stopping your life.    

When it's easy to have your first child, it's a pretty safe assumption that having subsequent children will be easy too. You start planning out how to space them apart, when to start trying and believe everything will go according to plan, just like it did the first time. When that isn't the case, and it takes much longer to have the second (or third or fourth)...or you have to rely on fertility treatment to continue building your family, it's heartbreaking and life-shattering. On this episode, Sarah Argenal and delve into the realities of secondary infertility, what it means and how to cope when having more children ends up being so much harder than you originally thought it would.  

The words and labels that you use during your family-building challenges matter. They inform what important anchor points define your story and they validate your experiences. The more you use them, the more others will follow. On this episode, I share with you why we should stop hiding from the terminology that makes us feel seen and heard so we can create a community of support around us as we go through the challenges and then heal after they're all over.

Financial stress is a tremendous source of stress for women with a high-risk pregnancy. Whether it's because you spent much of your savings trying to get pregnant or you ended up on bed rest and can no longer work, financial stress is very real and can leave women feeling even more helpless and anxious about their future than they already feel because of their pregnancy complications.   On this episode, I speak with financial expert, Aisha Taylor, on how she empowered herself to take charge of her finances when she found herself pregnant with twins.

Environmental toxins are all around us in our day to day lives. From what we eat to what we breathe to what we put on our skin and hair, all of these chemicals impact reproductive health and fertility. On this episode, I speak with Dr. Lora Shahine on how to reduce environmental toxins from your life without feeling like you have to burn down your house to do it. If you are trying to conceive, this episode is a must listen.   

The NICU is an overwhelming, scary place that feels like a world away from the rest of the world. Whether you're expecting to spend time in the NICU or it came as a surprise, it takes time to adjust to the pace and the life of the parenting in the NICU. On this episode, I share some of the items that were essential for me to keep my sanity and help me through our 109 day NICU stay. Plus, I share with you ideas for gifts to give loved ones who have a baby in the NICU.

When you have challenges creating the family of your dreams, whether it's experiencing loss or infertility, a high-risk pregnancy or prematurity, it wreaks havoc on all aspects of your life. You feel alone and can have a million questions swirling in your mind that you don't know where to find the answers to.  On this episode, I answer 4 of my listeners' questions as they navigate their journey to building the family of their dreams.  

When I first started watching This is Us, the very first episode reminded me of a good friend I'd met during my high-risk pregnancy. Not long before I was pregnant, she had been pregnant after fertility treatment. Not with one. Not with twins. But with triplets.    On this episode, she shares her experience of finding out she was pregnant with triplets, how she coped with her high-risk pregnancy and what her NICU journey was like trying to juggle three babies in the hospital. 

For many couples who experience fertility challenges, adoption is often an option that's considered the next step. But is it right for everyone? And is it only an option if you fail to get pregnant with fertility treatment? The answer to both is no. On this episode, I speak with Emylee Williams who shares her journey to motherhood through adoption, how they chose the route they did and whether they would do it again.

Ever feel angry to the point when you get a baby shower invitation or hear about a birth announcement? Feel that anger bubbling up when you see perfect families with their perfect babies. Ever feel ridiculous that you still feel that way even though you're pregnant or have babies of your own? On this episode, I share with you why getting rid of that anger isn't the answer and what to do instead.

There are far too many misconceptions and incorrect stereotypes about maternal mental health. From believing a woman is crazy to labeling her as ungrateful, these judgments prevent women from receiving the help and support that they and deserve to be happy, healthy moms. OBs, pediatricians and other medical providers play a key role in helping women receive the appropriate care as quickly as possible to help them manage postpartum mental health challenges. On this episode, I speak with perinatal mental health specialist Dr. Kat Kaeni about what physicians need to know and do to help more women access mental health support postpartum. Plus we discuss what women can do to advocate for themselves if their OB or pediatrician is not supportive.

No matter the circumstances, when you feel like all options are gone and your back is to the wall, we feel extremely frustrated. That frustration can lead to making poor choices, lashing out at loved ones and/or feeling hopeless or worse, falling into a depression. On this episode, I share with you how to take back control during some of the most helpless times of your life. Episode Highlights: What is frustration and how does it build up in our bodies How the stress from frustration impacts us physically Client story of helplessness and hopelessness when she felt like all the doors around her were shut and she'd never have a baby How to know when you're pushed up against a wall and it's time to take back control What to do when the one thing you want is out of a situation you cannot get out of How to pinpoint exactly what is in our control that will actually make a difference The #1 question you have to ask yourself every single day - ideally in the morning - to get back in control of a situat

My postpartum looked NOTHING like what I had thought it would, due to the timing of my son’s early birth and the following 109 days spent in NICU. Life was crazy and unpredictable during that time, and my own nutrition was the LAST thing on my mind. I craved the wrong things, didn’t even remember to eat sometimes, and certainly didn’t realize the importance of nutrition in the healing my body was going through after giving birth. I wish I had known THEN what I know NOW! My friend and colleague, Lily Nichols, is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator, researcher, and author. She has a passion for evidence-based prenatal nutrition and exercise, and her unique approach has helped thousands and influenced nutritional policies around the globe. Lily has researched and written about traditional diets recommended for pregnancy in different cultures. She shares with us the long-term effects of poorly-managed gestational diabetes, how “warming” foods help with postpartum healing, and the nut

Even though pain and I are complete enemies, I feel like we are best friends in a way, simply because we know each other so well and I don’t live a day without it. When pain becomes a normal part of your life, then you can’t imagine a day without it and you “just get used to it.” Some people choose to deal with pain with pills, but many of us are forced to consider other options. Are there other options? My guest today is here to share interesting techniques and perspectives that can help us manage pain without medications. Dr. Beth Darnall is THE specialist on pain management from Stanford University. As the author of three books, she is “dedicated to empowering life beyond pain.” Beth shares her practical tips to help you get control of your chronic pain and gives words of hope for anyone who longs to live life to the fullest without being a slave to pain. Learn to tap into the control of your mind and your body and break the power of pain!

Bringing your baby home from the NICU sounds like its the end of the hard part. But sometimes its even harder to deal with the feelings of loneliness and anxiety. You need t build a postpartum team, just like you need a prenatal team and a NICU team. I'm very excited to introduce this weeks guest, Hannah Chelsey. Hannah is the founder of "The Baby Maven" She helps first time mothers gain the confidence and control they need to feel supported and successful as a parent. She will walk us through the support you need once baby comes home.

Trust. I want to talk to you today about what it means to trust. Webster defines it as “assured reliance on the character ability strength or truth of someone or something.” Quite a heavy load, but we do it all the time. We trust that the builders made our homes sound. We trust our cars will turn on when we go to work in the morning. We see trust the most when we look at children. Something happens along the way as we get older, we think more critically about what we are putting our trust in.