The Be Well Baby Podcast

Sometimes parents want to know what to do to help their baby develop. I get it — I've wondered the same thing. And although there are so many ways we can help, sometimes the answer is to do less, observe more, and enjoy more.Dairian is a dear friend of mine, and she'll forever go down in history as my inspiration and bravery booster to start Be Well Baby®.Dr. Dairian Roberts is a licensed occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She's the owner of Humbled by Motherhood (I know I was), where her approach blends OT, lactation support, and manual therapy into holistic, evidence-based care for families. She also founded The Lactation OT Platform where OTs, PTs, and SLPs learn about breastfeeding and chestfeeding, and where I am honored to have my continuing education courses living! In this conversation, we talk about:Learning your baby's cues, from cries to yawns to the "humming" sound that signals it's time to sleepWhy doing less can be more: how overstimulation affects a baby's developing brain, and what a quiet, unstructured morning actually gives themThe difference between an overstimulated baby who cries and one who shuts down and looks like they're sleepingBottle aversion: what's really going on when a baby refuses, and how it differs from a baby who simply doesn't know how yetDairian's work in USC's Lifestyle Redesign doctorate program and how it's shaping the way she thinks about habit change for postpartum familiesWhat it means to be an adult learner as a new parent, and why care plans need to meet families where they areThe reminder that struggling with something new is a sign you're learning, not failingFind Dr. Dairian RobertsWork with Dairian: www.humbledbymotherhood.comLearn more about Dairian's continuing education platform for clinicians www.LactationOT.comMore About Your HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint (http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. We close the doors at the end of September. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍

You're cleared at your six week checkup, but your body doesn't necessarily get that memo. If you're missing closeness with your partner, can't locate an ounce of desire, or wonder if something is wrong with you, this episode is for you.In this solo episode, Dr. Emily Spaeth breaks down the physiology and psychology of postpartum desire, why low libido after baby is not a personal failure, and what you can actually do about it.What we coverThe hormone crash. Why the drop in estrogen and progesterone right after birth (and the effects of prolactin, oxytocin, and testosterone while chestfeeding) directly suppress desire and arousal, and why that's chemistry, not a reflection of your relationshipThe dual control model. Introducing the "accelerator and brakes" framework for the nervous system, and why low desire is usually a brakes problem (stress, sleep deprivation, feeling touched out) rather than an accelerator problemResponsive vs. spontaneous desire. Dr. Rosemary Basson's circular model of sexual response, where willingness and closeness come first and desire shows up after arousal has already started, not beforeArousal nonconcordance. Why your body's physical response and your felt desire don't always match, and why that's normal, not dysfunctionTouch saturation. Why being "touched out" by the end of a day with a baby is real and valid, and doesn't mean you don't love your partnerPractical tools. Talking to your partner before baby arrives, building a "secret language" or signal system for initiating intimacy, and why lube and time (and possibly a vaginal estrogen cream) matter for the first postpartum penetrative experiencesThe big reframe. Postpartum intimacy isn't about finding your way back to how things used to be, it's about building something newFree workshop: Sex After BirthWant more support with this topic? Join the free Sex After Birth workshop.When: Thursday, August 20th, 12–1pm (and check for future dates!)Who: Open to birthing bodies pregnant or postpartum, and partners, too!Details and future session dates: bewellbaby.org/sex-after-birth-classRelated episodesSex After Baby, with Crystal GuardLoved this episode?If it helped you, send it to a friend who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is. And if you have a minute, leaving a review helps other families find the show.Connect with Be Well BabyInstagram: @BeWellBabyPDXWebsite: bewellbaby.org

Heidi Long is a birth doula, postpartum doula, and birth photographer based in Portland, Oregon, and the owner of Grounded Hearts Doula. With a decade of experience supporting families through birth, Heidi pairs her doula work with professional photography, capturing births, newborn sessions, and family milestones for the same families she supports.In this episode, Emily and Heidi break down:What a postpartum doula does and how postpartum doula support is different from hiring a nannyWhy you need a birth doula, even if you already have a supportive OB or midwife in the roomHow to know a birth doula or postpartum doula is the right fit for your family, and why intuition matters as much as the interviewHow Heidi combines doula support and birth photography to capture authentic, unposed moments during labor and deliveryWhat it's like to work with the same birth photographer across your maternity, newborn, and family milestone sessionsHeidi's advice for anyone considering hiring a birth doula, postpartum doula, or birth photographer for the first timeReady to learn more about birth doula support, postpartum doula care, or birth photography? Find Heidi's links below to connect with Grounded Hearts Doula.https://www.groundedheartsdoula.comhttps://www.groundedheartsphotography.comHeidi has generously offered folks who mention this podcast will receive a 15 minute fall mini session in October of 2026 out in nature among the autumn foliage!  More About Your HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint (http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.We have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. We close the doors at the end of September. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! Our mission is to fundamentally shift what healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍

Emily sits down with Belinda Tung, founder of Perfect Child, to unpack what it really means to parent from a place of steadiness instead of fear. They dig into the "lighthouse" metaphor — staying present and connected without chasing, fixing, or controlling — and why Belinda deliberately uses the word perceive rather than believe or know when it comes to seeing a child as perfect. The conversation moves through unmet needs hiding behind everyday behaviors (bus-window pouting, hide-and-seek transitions, meltdowns), journaling as a tool for self-reflection and co-regulation, and how parents' own upbringing and a rushed healthcare system can pull them away from trusting their instincts. They close with an invite to Belinda's in-person community event on August 8th.No need to sign up. If you want wholesome family fun, just show up! https://www.perfectchild.org/wholesomefamilyfestivalIn This Episode:Why Belinda named her practice "Perfect Child" and the two very different reactions she gets to itThe lighthouse metaphor: steady and present vs. reactive and fear-drivenWhy "perceive" is the intentional word choice over "believe" or "know"How to stay the lighthouse even during mundane moments like brushing teethReading subtler, quieter unmet needs (not just meltdowns) — boredom, disconnection, need for playJournaling as a self-reflection and nervous-system tool for parentsHow our own childhood conditioning and a rushed medical system pull parents away from trusting themselvesBelinda's community event on August 8thConnect with Belinda Tung:https://www.perfectchild.org/The Perfect Child Podcast: https://www.perfectchild.org/podcasts/the-perfect-child-podcasthttps://www.perfectchild.org/wholesomefamilyfestivalMore About Your HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, (www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth) an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here.

What if the key to healing your pelvic floor, calming your nervous system, and reconnecting with your body was already inside you — and you just needed someone to help you access it?In this episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Valerie Brown, PT — a pelvic floor physical therapist, embodiment educator, and creator of the Vital Access Program — for a conversation that goes far beyond kegels. Val blends pelvic floor awareness, nervous system regulation, somatic movement, and trauma-informed care into a holistic approach that meets women exactly where they are.In this episode, we cover:What "embodiment" actually means — and why it's a felt experience, not a conceptWhy telling someone to "just relax" almost always backfires, and what to do insteadThe overlooked connection between hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and pelvic floor dysfunctionWhy a hypermobile body can still have a hypertonic (overly gripped) pelvic floorHow pregnancy's relaxin hormone can unmask hypermobility that's been hiding in plain sightThe often-missed role of the feet in pelvic floor healthWhy generic "strengthen your core" advice can backfire for hypermobile bodiesSimple, accessible nervous system tools you can use in the car, in two minutes, or while brushing your teethHow imagination and visualization support better birth and recovery outcomesAbout Dr. Valerie Brown: Dr. Valerie Brown is a pelvic floor physical therapist and embodiment educator based in Troutdale, Oregon, serving clients locally, online, and through workshops across California, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest. Learn more about the Vital Axis Method.Connect with Val and learn about her program! Website: www.vitalaxispt.comInstagram: @vital.axis.methodVal now offers home visits through Be Well Baby! Book a session with her at 971-351-2714.

Baby registry must haves are everywhere, but most lists are written by influencers, not clinicians. In this solo episode, Dr. Emily, a NICU physical therapist and board certified lactation consultant, walks through what she actually recommends for your baby registry: the feeding supplies worth buying before birth, the baby gear that supports development (and the popular items that work against it), what NICU professionals know about safe sleep products, and the stuff you can absolutely skip.Whether you're building your Babylist registry or just wondering what you really need for a newborn, this is the registry episode your pregnant friends will thank you for.Check out everything I mention in this episode!https://www.bewellbaby.org/blog/registrySUPPORT: Put Be Well Baby on your registry! When you gift Be Well Baby, you are giving the gift of options. We have virtual lactation support, and a birth education platform called the Beyond Birth Blueprint that can answer all of your questions in real time. https://www.bewellbaby.org/gift-cards-beyond-birthMore About Your Hostess: Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy and trauma informed care, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the world—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Dr. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families transition from surviving to thriving.Be Well Baby Podcast Episodes about topics I touch on here!Flange Sizes: We Are Not Cows https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-are-not-cows-why-flange-size-matters-with-faith-samaan/id1851076558?i=1000739494852Nervous System Episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-is-nervous-system-regulation-ill-tell-you-with-dr/id1851076558?i=1000746998854Containers! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tummy-time-containers-and-functional-frustration-its/id1851076558?i=1000747993058Postpartum Support https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/twins-birth-trauma-and-the-fourth-trimester-with/id1851076558?i=1000755928920

What if the surgeon you finally found actually saw you as a whole, complex human and not just a line item on a sleep study? In this episode, Dr. Emily welcomes oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Prashant Charugundla for a conversation that bridges Western surgical precision with a genuinely holistic, systems-level lens on care.Prashant opens up about his own long journey before a myofunctional therapist and an osteopathic doctor finally pointed him toward what was really going on. That personal experience now fuels his deep compassion for the patients who arrive having already seen a dozen providers without answers.Together, Emily and Prashant unpack the structural and nervous-system ripple effects of unaddressed tongue ties, why a "normal" sleep study doesn't mean nothing is wrong, and what's really happening to the airway during pregnancy and postpartum. It's a wide-ranging, validating conversation for anyone who has ever been dismissed and told they're "just tired."In this episode, we cover:Prashant's personal health journey and how being a dismissed patient shaped his philosophyWhat myofunctional therapy actually isThe tongue as a "relay station": how the genioglossus, hyoid, and the tent-pole effect connect the tongue to the whole bodyDownstream consequences of unreleased tongue ties in both a 3-year-old and a 30-year-old (airway resistance, postural compensation, voice tightness, gait changes)Upper airway resistance syndrome and why a clear sleep study can still miss real symptomsNasal breathing, nitric oxide, and the cortisol/norepinephrine cascade of mouth breathing at nightPhrenectomy vs. functional frenuloplasty vs. Z-plasty — and the windows of opportunity for interventionThe "room before furniture" philosophy: expanding structure before removing tissueWhy tongue ties remain controversial, and how to ask the right questions when choosing a providerWhat's happening to the airway during pregnancy Bridging Eastern and Western perspectives toward whole-human, collaborative careMore About Our GuestDr. Prashant Charugundla ("Dr. C") is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon and the founder of Summit Oral Surgery in Portland, Oregon. Bridging Western surgical precision with Eastern holistic philosophy, he treats the face/mouth not as an isolated tool, but as the gateway to the body’s overall health—linking structure to airway, sleep, and nervous system regulation.With a background as a pediatric trauma surgeon and OHSU professor, Dr. C brings a gentle, safety-first approach to every case. However, his clinical focus is deeply rooted in adult skeletal and functional health. He specializes in helping adults who have lived with chronic airway obstruction, TMJ dysfunction, or sleep issues finally achieve true physiological release. Through nasomaxillary expansion and reconstructive surgery, he empowers patients to breathe better, sleep deeper, and thrive.Off the clock, he explores the Pacific Northwest, embodying the active, vital lifestyle he helps his patients restore.Learn more: portlandoralsurgeon.comMore About Your Host Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. www.bewellbaby.orgOur mission is to fundamentally shift what healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

Nobody prepares you for how much intimacy and connection can shift after you have a baby — and yet it's one of the most common struggles new parents face. In this episode, Emily sits down with Krystle Gard, postpartum doula and Intimacy & Connection Coach, for an honest, shame-free conversation about what actually happens to your sex life after birth and what you can do about it.Krystle's journey into this work is deeply personal. From a supported home birth in Alaska to having twins without a local support system, to serving as a surrogate three times — she has lived the full spectrum of postpartum experiences. That, combined with her work supporting families as a postpartum doula, showed her just how little guidance new parents receive about intimacy after birth.In this episode, we cover:Why libido and desire commonly shift postpartum (and why that's not a failure)The role of sleep deprivation, hormones, and nervous system dysregulation in sexual desireWhy self-pleasure is often the most overlooked tool in postpartum recoveryThe "three-minute game" from The Art of Giving and Receiving — and why it's a game changer for rebuilding connectionThe intimacy candle practice for keeping the simmer going without pressureLove languages, the red/yellow/green communication system, and the "favorite things list"Why lube is non-negotiable postpartumHow birth trauma affects touch tolerance — and gentle ways to rebuild safetyThe importance of humor, playfulness, and letting go of how things used to beResources mentioned:The Art of Giving and Receiving by Harry FaddisLove Languages (Gary Chapman)Sex After Birth Workshops: www.bewellbaby.org/sex-after-birth-classFind Krystle: https://wholefamilydoulacare.com/ [email protected] More about our guest:With a background in engineering, Krystle brings organization, intuition, and problem-solving to help families find systems and flow that make life easier. She loves teaching and educating new parents, offering hands-on newborn care guidance, household support, and a listening ear. She also provides Intimacy & Connection Coaching to help couples nurture their relationships after birth.More about your host:Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.

What if your baby has been communicating with you all along — and you just needed the tools to hear them?In this episode, Dr. Emily sits down with Belinda on the Perfect Child Podcast to talk about one of her favorite (and most misunderstood) topics: consent with babies. From the NICU to the changing table, Dr. Emily breaks down what infant communication actually looks like, why slowing down transforms your caregiving, and how small everyday rituals build the foundation for a deeply connected relationship with your child.In this episode you'll learn:Why babies are whole, fully-present humans from the very beginning — and what Dr. Emily witnessed working with 23-weekers in the NICU that solidified this for herHow to read your baby's body language: the cues that say this is too much vs. I'm readyWhat a finger splay, an arched back, and a full-body wiggle are actually communicatingWhy "gaining consent" from a newborn looks different than it does from a 6-month-old — and how to approach bothThe surprising benefits of infant massage (digestion, weight gain, brain development, bonding — and one story about a tumor caught early because of a daily massage routine)How to use deep pressure touch, slow movement, and oil to make massage more effectiveWhy babies cannot self-soothe — and what co-regulation actually requires of youDr. Emily's approach to the dreaded diaper change wrestling match (hint: you don't have to hold them down)How sign language gives babies a voice before they have words — and what Dr. Emily's 7-year-old still communicates across a crowded gymWhat it really means to advocate for your baby in the hospital, at family gatherings, and with well-meaning grandparents who want to hold your newbornResources mentioned:Beyond Birth Blueprint https://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birthBirth Partner Course (inside Beyond Birth)Infant massage mini course + video library (also inside Beyond Birth!)ASL classes (also inside Beyond Birth) The Perfect Child Podcast! https://www.perfectchild.org/aboutWe have restructured Beyond Birth so that you can access it so easily. I can’t wait to meet you on the inside! Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!If this episode helped you, please send it to someone who's pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone through birth. Thank you for being here. 🤍

Colic isn't real! I will die on that hill.This week Dr. Emily Spaeth brings you Dr. Kirin Palmer, a pediatrician, functional medicine practitioner, and founder of Pure Joy Pediatrics in the Portland metro area in Oregon. Through her work in clinic and through her digital class, she helps expectant parents understand how maternal health during pregnancy can influence their baby’s digestion, immune system, and long-term wellness.They talk about the one thing most pediatricians aren't yet doing: putting the gut microbiome at the center of newborn care.If your baby has struggled with reflux, colic, eczema, gassy uncomfortable feeds, weird-colored poops, or just a general sense that something is off with no answers… this episode is for you.We use the terms mother, mom & birthing person interchangeably in this episode. 🌈In this episode, we cover:Why your microbiome as a pregnant person is your baby's literal starting pointWhat actually happens in a newborn's gut in the first hours of life (hint: it's a clean canvas, and what you paint on it matters)The real reason so many babies are diagnosed with "colic" and "reflux"Why vaginal delivery and breastfeeding matter for gut health, and what to do if neither was possible for youHow antibiotics during pregnancy (for UTIs, GBS, and more) affect your baby's microbiome — and how to recoverWhat microbiome testing looks like, and when Dr. Palmer recommends itThe cascade of interventions: swallow studies, MRIs, NG tubes, hospital admissions… that all could be prevented with early gut supportWhy not all probiotics are created equal, and why single-strain OTC probiotics often don't workWhat healthy newborn poop looks like and why poop color and consistency absolutely matter, no matter what social media saysDr. Palmer's Tiny Tummies program and how microbiome support is changing outcomes for familiesResources mentioned:Pure Joy Pediatrics: www.purejoypediatrics.comDr. Kirin Palmer on Instagram: @purejoypediatrics and @kirinpalmermdNinni Co Pacifier — code BEWELLBABY for 10% off Beyond Birth Blueprint membership (Nest, Bloom, Thrive): [bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth]Book a consult with the Be Well Baby team: [bewellbaby.org/book-now]Everything on this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.More About Your HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.If you’ve read this far… please leave us a review :) It helps spread the word more thank you could ever know. Love, Em

One in three births in the US starts with an induction. Another one in three is a cesarean. And yet most people walk into those experiences confused, scared, or feeling like the decision just happened to them. This episode is here to change that.Dr. Jennifer Lincoln is a board-certified OBGYN, OB hospitalist in Portland, Oregon, and one of the most trusted voices in evidence-based birth education online. She's the author of the brand-new The Birth Book: An OBGYN's Guide to Demystifying Labor and Delivery (out March 2026) and has spent her career making sure people walk into birth feeling informed — not afraid.Emily and Jennifer have the honest, warm, non-judgmental conversation that so many people wish they could have with their own provider. Nothing is sugarcoated, and nothing is left out.In this episode:Why social media birth content is often the worst-case scenarioWhat an induction actually looks like, step by step (hint: it can take days, and that's normal)The ARRIVE Trial:  what it actually showed, what it didn't, and the critical caveat almost nobody mentionsHow to know when to trust a provider's recommendation vs. when to ask more questions (and the magic questions to ask)The truth about Pitocin, hemorrhage risk, and why the uterus gets tiredAdvanced maternal age: what the data actually says and when age alone is a reason for inductionA walk through what happens in the OR from the moment the C-section decision is made to when you're sewn back upWhy cesarean recovery is a full year, not six weeks, and what to do differentlyThe fundal massage nobody warns you aboutPostpartum mental health after an unexpected cesarean — what to watch for and why Jennifer brings it up in the discharge conversationResources mentioned:📖 The Birth Book by Dr. Jennifer Lincoln — available wherever books are sold (audiobook available, read by Dr. Lincoln herself)Dr. Jennifer Lincoln online: drjenniferlincoln.comFollow Dr. Lincoln: @drjenniferlincoln on Instagram and TikTok📍 Live event: Dr. Lincoln's book signing, June 14th, 4:15 PM at Vancouver Community Library, hosted by Childbirth Allies! Click the link or search "Childbirth Allies Jennifer Lincoln" on Eventbrite to register!The Ninni pacifier — use code BEWELLBABY for 10% off Helpful framework from this episode:The BRAIN acronym for decision-making in labor: B — Benefits R — Risks A — Alternatives I — Intuition N — Nothing (what if we wait?) Connect with Be Well Baby:📲 Instagram: @BeWellBabyPDX 🌐 bewellbaby.orgMore About Your HostDr. Emily Spaeth, PT, DPT, IBCLC, is the founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. She leads a team specializing in home visits for the trickiest perinatal cases. She also mentors perinatal providers navigating complex clinical work. Mom of 3, passionate about helping families and clinicians move from surviving to thriving.

This week, we're flipping the script. My doula, Alison Akan of the BirthLinked YouTube channel, sits down with me to talk through all three of my birth experiences, and nothing is off limits.I went into each birth with more knowledge than the last, and somehow that made things both easier and harder. We talk about what it's like to plan for a home birth and end up in the hospital, what it means to truly surrender in labor, and why knowing too much can sometimes work against you.Alison's passion for birth began in her teens in Sweden, where she went on to study medical assisting with a goal of midwifery. She supported her first birth at 22 in a high-risk labor and delivery unit in Lund, and brings experience from over 300 births to every family she serves.After returning to the USA in 2017, she became a certified birth doula and hasn't looked back. Alison is deeply committed to evidence-based education, helping expectant parents understand their options and move from fear to excitement. Her goal is for every client to look back on their birth as empowering, even when it doesn't go as planned.Alison always says that it's a true honor to be invited into such a sacred space, and that reverence is at the heart of everything she does.BIRTH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwSlgH3B1Do&list=PLbvrHEJRpfbj4TdUGNNcGPYJ6Dr67KTW8In this episode we cover:How my first birth started with a yoga class in San Francisco — in DependsUndiagnosed bacterial vaginosis, prelabor rupture of membranes, and a four-day labor that ended in a hospital transferWhat actually happens to your psoas muscles in labor — and why an epidural was the best clinical decision I madeMy second birth: swift, an uneventful nuchal cord with baby still en caulDeciding to have a third child on a hard parenting day — and what my partner said that made the decision for usAsynclitism, cervical lips, a birth tub filled with buckets, and a placenta that went rogueWhat my husband was most afraid of — and it wasn't pushing the baby out!People + Events Mentioned:Alison Akan: [BirthLinked YouTube Channel]Angela Truby: Glow Midwifery [midwife]Tami Lynn Kent / Holistic Pelvic Care™Katie Kanda Beyond Birth Community Calls Birth Prep. But Better. (https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better)Want to keep the conversation going? Join me most Tuesdays at 10am PST/1pm EST/7pm in Sweden! Beyond Birth

Have you ever fallen into bed completely exhausted — only to lie there wide awake, running through everything you forgot to do, respond to, or organize? That bone-tired exhaustion that doesn't let you rest? There's actually a name for what's happening, and this week's guest coined it.Stassi Chaillé, LPC is a therapist, educator, and founder of System-Keeping™ — the first framework to name the root cause of women's self-abandonment.With dual master's degrees from Columbia University in Culturally Oppressive Systems and Psychological Counseling, Stassi coined System-Keeping™ to describe the invisible, anticipatory labor women perform to keep families, workplaces, marriages, and entire economies functioning — labor that was never consented to, never credited, and designed to be impossible to stop.Through her monthly masterclass, private liberation container, and writing, Stassi works with high-functioning women who can't understand why burnout interventions keep failing — until they see that the system requiring their self-abandonment is still intact. System-Keeping™ is why.Once a woman understands she was conditioned into this, the question stops being what's wrong with me and becomes what was I trained to carry.By the end of our conversation, you'll see your life differently. We promise.We cover: What System-Keeping™ is — and why "mental load" doesn't tell the whole story The three-part triangle: conditioning, invisible contracts, and the nervous system loopHow System-Keeping™ shows up physically in your body — and what the research says The self-abandonment at the center of it all What one realistic first shift looks like when you're ready to start putting something downEvents mentioned:Stassi's System Keeping™ Masterclass on the last Thursday of every month → Sign Up HereBook a 1:1 30 minute consult with Stassi here!🪺Birth Prep. But Better. with Dr. Emily May 30th at New Mom School® → https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better🎼 A Notion, A Scream! Choir Concert - May 31st in Portland! About Dr. Emily: Emily is on a mission to change the way we prepare for the chapter of welcoming a baby into our homes. Emily is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and the founder of Be Well Baby® — a multidisciplinary in-home practice in Portland, Oregon serving families from pregnancy through the early years with baby. She's also a mom of three, and creator of the online educational community the Beyond Birth Blueprint.

Bringing a new baby home is one of the biggest transitions your family will ever navigate — and that includes every member of your household, including your four-legged ones. In this episode, Emily sits down with McKenna Neale, certified veterinary technician, behavioral specialist, and fellow new mom, to talk about everything you need to know about preparing your pets for a new baby.Mckenna shares her own experience as a pit bull mom who delivered her daughter a month early and had to scramble to find care for her dog — and how that shaped the advice she now gives families every day through her work at Dove Lewis Emergency Medicine and the Oregon Humane Society.In this episode, we cover:Whether animals can actually sense pregnancy (and what the science says about their incredible sense of smell)Simple, low-effort ways to begin preparing your pet during pregnancy — starting as early as you wantWhy playing YouTube baby sounds might be the most underrated thing you can do right nowThe "place" command and other foundational training tips that will save your sanity postpartumHow to think about your home environment before baby arrives — baby gates, playpens, sleeping arrangements, and moreWhat a safe, low-stress baby introduction looks like for dogs (including McKenna's own story)Cat-specific guidance for a species that plays by entirely different rulesThe body language cues most pet owners completely miss — licking, whale eye, whisker position, tail tension, and moreThe emotional reality of postpartum pet relationships, including the grief of feeling disconnected from an animal you loveHow babies raised around pets benefit developmentally and immunologicallyThe beauty of watching your child and your pet grow up togetherResources mentioned:Oregon Humane Society community classes: oregonhumane.orgRover gift cards (registry idea!)Frozen Kongs and licky mats for enrichmentYouTube baby sounds for desensitization trainingConnect with Mckenna: Mckenna generously said you are welcome to email her any questions and she will try to send you in the right direction! Email her here: [email protected] HostEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your new baby had nothing to do with a product, a schedule, or anything you saw on TikTok,  and everything to do with a room full of other moms who just get it?Today I'm sitting down with Liberty Planck, owner of New Mom School® in Lake Oswego, Oregon and mom of three, who channeled her background in experience design and her own deeply isolating postpartum season into building something truly special for families. New Mom School® is a franchise with locations all over the country. We cover a lot of ground in this one — and honestly, it went places I didn't expect. Liberty is thoughtful, funny, and refreshingly honest about the gap between the village we think we're building and the one we actually have to show up for.We use "mom" and “mother” throughout this conversation because it reflects the language of our guest and her community, but we see and welcome every birthing person, non-binary parent, and family structure here, and so does New Mom School® Lake Oswego! In this episode, we talk about:Why isolation is one of the biggest risk factors for new moms and babies — and how New Mom School® was born out of Liberty's own pandemic postpartum experienceThe "education meets support meets community" model that makes New Mom School® different from just a mom groupHow to give parents real clinical information without undermining their confidence as caregiversWhat actually happens in a room full of postpartum women when a pelvic floor PT, lactation consultant, or infant development specialist walks inWhy the floor is the cheapest baby toy you own (and how Liberty's third baby became her most capable gross motor kid because of it)The hidden gift of the New Mom School® model — and why showing up to class doesn't automatically mean you have a villageWhat it really takes to build friendships as a new mom, and why the pandemic made all of this harderBirth as a great equalizer, and why age, background, and parenting philosophy don't matter as much as being in the same seasonThe beauty of alloparenting — and why your baby doesn't just need you, they need a whole cast of safe, loving adultsThis conversation is for you whether you're currently pregnant, postpartum, a provider who works with families, or just someone who cares deeply about how we support mothers in this culture.Resources mentioned:Find a New Mom School® near you: newmomschool.comLocal to Portland? New Mom School® Lake Oswego is right off the freeway and draws families from Vancouver, Happy Valley, Bethany, and beyond💸 Use code BEWELL50 for $50 off your first cohort🍼 Providers: reach out to Liberty directly to get pamphlets and referral cards for your patientsFollow New Mom School® Lake Oswego on InstagramYour Host: Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. bewellbaby.org

Movement during pregnancy isn't just safe — it's one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself, your baby, and yes, even your grandchildren. In this episode, Dr. Emily dives deep into the science of exercise during pregnancy, habit formation, and the fascinating brain changes that make pregnancy one of the most important windows for building the identity you want to carry into parenthood.In this episode:The evidence-backed benefits of exercise during pregnancy, from reduced gestational diabetes risk to shorter active labor and faster postpartum recoveryHow your baby's cardiovascular development is influenced by your movementIntergenerational epigenetics — why the choices you make right now are part of your grandchildren's biological storyThe landmark 2016 Nature Neuroscience study on gray matter changes in pregnancy and what it actually means for your brainThe neuroscience of mental rehearsal and why visualizing your habit in vivid detail is not manifesting — it's motor learningImplementation intentions: why "I am someone who moves their body during pregnancy" outperforms "I want to exercise more" every timeAction step from this episode: Pick one movement. Make it small and doable. Put it on your calendar. Name yourself as someone who does it. That's the whole assignment.Resources mentioned:Episode 2 with Barb Buckner Suarez on mommy brain and gray matter changesEpisode 20 with Emily Sferra on matrescenceBeyond Birth Blueprint — bewellbaby.orgFlourish Center Friday sessions (Portland locals!)Ninni pacifier — use code BEWELLBABY for 10% offConnect with Be Well Baby: bewellbaby.org@bewellbabypdx on InstagramEmily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum. She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint, an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving.Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!