The Be Well Baby Podcast

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!