Yoga | Birth | Babies

Did you know that a reported 1 out of 5 people who give birth experience PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders)? However, the professionals I have spoken to believe the number is closer to 1 in 3. Today we explore the world of PMADs- how to recognize the line between baby blues and PMADs, when it might be time to seek support, and where to find the help you need. Joining me today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I have Sydney Pollack-Tobert. Sydney is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), certified perinatal mental health therapist (PMH-C), and a child therapist located on the Upper West Side. Sydney is a mom to one human baby and two dogs- and is a a proud alumn of Prenatal Yoga Center! Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and re

Even if a medical intervention isn’t in your birth plan, you should still be educated on it; because, at the end of the day, no one can predict their birth!  Today is all about: epidurals. Joining me today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I have Erin Capnerhurst. Erin is a wife, mother of three, and a Registered Nurse who has been supporting families through pregnancy and childbirth for 15 years in the hospital, clinic, and birth education settings. Most recently, Erin earned her Prenatal Yoga Teacher certification with the Prenatal Yoga Center!  Are there different types of epidurals? How should you push with an epidural? Is there only one position to push in when you get the epidural? Let’s dive in. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com (*hyperlink episode link from Wordpress!) Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’

Joining me today to share her birth story on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I have Agathe. Originally from Paris, Agathe moved to New York City nine years ago, where she met her husband and, in November 2024, welcomed their baby girl. In this episode, Agathe opens up about the mindfulness practices she created throughout pregnancy in order to help navigate the anxiety she was experiencing during this time. Her embracing of these practices only extended into her birth and postpartum journeys. Agathe’s story is heartfelt, relatable and deeply inspiring, and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com (*hyperlink episode link from Wordpress!) Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with De

Today we’re diving into a topic I’ve wanted to explore for quite some time now: External Fetal Monitoring (EFM). I held off, however, because I wanted to ensure we had the right medical professional to guide us through this important conversation- and I’m thrilled to say that we do. To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Caroline Jones. Caroline is a certified nurse midwife practicing in New York City and a childbirth educator with The Parent Collective. She particularly enjoys supporting parents throughout postpartum, and she created the Postpartum Prep Workshop to proactively address common postpartum experiences and concerns.  Caroline lives in Westchester with her husband, toddler, and dog.  In this episode, Caroline draws from her extensive experience as a midwife to shed light on all things EFM. We discuss what it is, the pros and cons, the differences between intermittent and continuous monitoring, and more. We also delve into evidence-based research and explore whi

Newborn babies have some peculiar quirks, habits, and bodily functions. If you’re entering parenthood unfamiliar with what’s normal and what isn’t you might be scared or deeply concerned by things that are pretty routine for new babies.  To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Dr. Tracey Agnese. Tracey received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware.  She graduated from SUNY Downstate medical school and completed her pediatrics residency at NYU. As a Pediatrician and a mom, Dr. Agnese knows how difficult it is to have and care for a newborn baby. She also knows that new moms often neglect taking care of themselves and wants to help change that. Dr. Agnese sees patients in her private practice on the UWS and is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).  In this episode, Dr. Agnese goes over many things from oddly colored baby poop, to irregular breathing patterns, to signs that something is really wrong and you should consult your

In today’s episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, we’re diving into some of the common—yet often overlooked—stressors of pregnancy. We explore everything from hormonal changes and PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders) to the profound life shifts that come with this transition. We also take a closer look at trauma-informed care: what it really means, how trauma is defined, and how to effectively communicate your needs to your care provider when it comes to support during birth. To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have maternal health specialist Ja’Neen Jenkins. With a deep passion for supporting mothers through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, Ja’Neen integrates her expertise as a licensed mental health therapist, doula, and perinatal coach to provide compassionate, trauma-informed care. Ja’Neen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a Master’s in Teaching from Louisiana College in Pineville, and a Master of Science in Counselin

Today’s episode features one of my favorite kinds of conversations- a community birth story. It’s always such a joy to hear and share the birth stories of students I’ve had the honor of working with in class, throughout their pregnancies, and today’s story is no exception. To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Mia DiBiase. Mia is 33 years old and lives in Jersey City, NJ with her husband, their dog, and now their new baby. She works at Meta in advertising sales and enjoys staying physically active. Mia is also a PYC alum! What makes Mia’s story especially powerful is her experience with a rare and serious pregnancy complication called vasa previa, diagnosed early on. She opens up about the anxiety that came with this diagnosis, its toll on her mental health, and the steps she took to advocate for herself during pregnancy to gain clarity about what was happening in her body. This advocacy became a foundation of self-trust that supported her throughout her birth, through bo

What do you do when motherhood feels challenging—when it doesn’t come as naturally as you expected? This episode was inspired by honest conversations in my prenatal yoga classes, where some students shared fears about entering parenthood. One even admitted, “I don’t know if I’m very maternal.” That vulnerability struck a chord, and I knew we needed to explore it further. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I sit down again with Paige Bellenbaum, LCSW of The Motherhood Center, for a deep and heartfelt conversation. We talk about the emotional complexities of becoming a parent, especially when expectations and reality don’t align. We dive into the guilt, shame, and comparison that can arise during this transition—and how examining your own values can help shape a more authentic and supported experience of parenthood. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating, supporting, or anticipating the emotional journey into motherhood. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes

Today we are talking about stalling versus flow, in birth, and how your body’s balance, and alignment can play a major role in that process. What does it even mean to be balanced and aligned? To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Lindsay McCoy.  Lindsay McCoy is an exercise physiologist, an experienced birth doula, and a childbirth educator of 12 years. She combines her knowledge of biomechanics and functional movement with her knowledge of the childbirth process to help prepare the body for birth. She has worked in a clinical setting as an Exercise Physiologist and now works exclusively with the prenatal/postnatal population in private practice. She is the co-founder of the Body Ready Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum, a biomechanics based exercise program. She is also the co-founder of Body Ready Method®, a training for birth professionals. She has trained over 1200 birth professionals and supported 10K+ pregnant families. Her specialty is pelvic biomechanics for pregnancy a

Taking medication while breastfeeding, even taking something as common as Tylenol can be controversial. So what about parents on or who need to start taking medicine like Zoloft, Prozac or other psychotropic medications? Is it safe for both parent and new baby? Today we’re going to talk all about postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression medication and breastfeeding. There are lots of thoughts, stigmas, and fears about this, so I wanted to get to the bottom of breastfeeding your child while taking any sort of mood stabilizing medication. In today’s episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies I invited Heather ONeal and Maureen Farrel both midwives, lactation professionals, and hosts of an amazing podcast called The Milk Minute (which I am so excited that I got to be on, so make sure you listen to that)! These ladies have so much amazing information and we get into the nitty gritty. They talk about different types of medication, more popular brands for perinatal folks, how these medicines come into breastmilk, and all

Today, we’re diving into one of my favorite types of conversations- a community birth story. What makes this episode extra special is that it actually includes two birth stories. My guest reflects on both her first and second births, sharing how the challenges she faced during her initial pregnancy and postpartum experience shaped the decisions she made the second time around. To have this conversation with me today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Laura Moore. Laura is an Assistant Principal and former math teacher in the NYC department of Education. Even though she grew up in Texas, she feels more at home in NYC, having lived here for 14 years. She has been practicing yoga since 2018. She lives in Harlem with her husband Hal, 3.5 year old daughter Lucy and newborn son Hunter. In this episode, Laura opens up about the intentional changes she made going into her second birth- from choosing a different care provider to prioritizing her mental health and working through the trauma of her first pregnancy. Spoiler a

Many times, I hear my prenatal students express feeling disconnected from their care provider or uneasy about hospital policies. However, they’ve hired a doula in hopes that that will help them navigate and achieve the birth experience they want. Today, we’re diving into how and why birth preparation goes beyond simply hiring a doula. To have this conversation with me today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Bec Conant. Bec is a respected figure in Boston and New England for her expertise in prenatal care and yoga instruction spanning over two decades. Through her Om Births program, she empowers expecting individuals, guiding them through childbirth and easing their transition into parenthood. Bec is also the author of The Om Births Approach, which explores using yoga to prepare the body, mind, and spirit for birth. In this episode, Bec and I discuss the importance of investigation and education in childbirth. We both believe that true childbirth education and preparation starts with understanding your own birth d

Today, we’re diving into the relationship between birth and the pelvic floor. First, we’ll cover the basics: What is the pelvic floor? What is its function? How does one even connect with their pelvic floor? We usually aren’t taught about the pelvic floor growing up, and lack an awareness of it, in part because it’s a group of muscles we do not see. However this mysterious group of muscles doesn’t have to be so mysterious… So let’s talk about it! To have this conversation with me today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Millie Schweky DPT, CPT. Millie is a pelvic floor PT on a mission to help folks feel safe & empowered in their bodies. Located in Ra'anana Israel, she works out of her private practice and sees patients virtually around the world. She is also mom of 2 toddlers. Millie and I discuss the role of the pelvic floor in birth, and how tension or disfunction can disrupt the flow of your birth. Additionally, we debunk some myths about the pelvic floor because- let’s face it- there’s some really incorrect in

Today, we’re diving into our current parenting culture- does it support or hinder parents and kids? To have this conversation with me today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Emily Edlynn, PhD. Emily is a licensed clinical psychologist, international speaker, co-host of the Psychologists Off the Clock podcast, and award-winning author of Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout and Raise Competent, Confident Children. Emily’s writing has appeared in outlets such as the Washington Post, Parents, Scary Mommy, Good Housekeeping, Motherly, and Psychology Today and she writes regularly for her Substack, Parent Smarter, Not Harder. Emily and I take a deep dive into modern parenting culture, examining its impact on both parents and children. We get honest about where there might be some downfalls, and how those downfalls especially affect mothers. Lastly, we explore the topics of intensive-parenting or over-parenting, vs. “Autonomy-Supportive Parenting.” Any parent of a child, no matter how old, can learn f

Having a baby is expensive! So, how can we prepare for the expected and unexpected costs that come with having a child? In this episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies I speak with financial educator and founder of Smart Money Mamas Chelsea Brennan. From getting a clear picture of your current financial state, to understanding how to prioritize and prepare for baby expenses, Chelsea gives simple exercises that will help you understand your family money values, how to choose a money mantra, and how to prepare for the many expenses that come along with parenthood. I suggest you grab something to take notes with when you listen to this episode, I know I did! Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify!

Today, we have a very special community birth story. I love when I get to hear the birth stories of not only our student community, but also of our teaching community. Today, we have a story of the latter! Today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Meredith Witte. Meredith Witte is a functional strength coach and a yoga instructor with a Master’s in Exercise Physiology. She is the founder and owner of The Playground. She got her start in the world of prenatal movement back in 2018 when she took the PYC teacher training, and had the pleasure of teaching a weekly class at PYC for 2 years. She now lives with her husband Carson and her 7 month old daughter Murphy in Nyack, New York where they love spending time outdoors, hiking, and cooking meals together as a family of 3. It’s so evident by the way Meredith tells her story that she has an incredible bond with her partner, and how that assisted her in birth. The story that unfolds is one of trust, believing in the body’s ability, mental preparation, and partnership in b

Today, we're diving into the topic of VBACs—Vaginal Birth After Cesareans. We'll explore the most common reasons for cesarean births, as well as the risks and benefits of choosing a VBAC. Additionally, we'll discuss factors that might make someone risk out of a VBAC, and compare those risks to those of a repeat cesarean. To have this conversation today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Meagan Heaton. Meagan co-founded the VBAC Link in 2018. Although she always felt called to the baby world, she really found her love for birth in 2014 after her second C-Section. Through these two birth experiences, her love and passion grew around VBAC. She wanted to help people feel supported and loved. She had two C-sections and then went on to have a VBA2C, and has now supported over 350 families through their birthing journeys as a birth doula. In addition to sharing her personal VBAC experiences, Meagan and I discuss key questions to ask a care provider to determine if they are truly VBAC-supportive. This is such an important

The other day I overheard some students discussing whether to hire a doula for their birth, or rely on the support of labor and delivery staff. As L&D nurse experiences vary from hospital to hospital, I felt this was an important topic to explore. In this episode, we’ll dive into the role of a labor and delivery nurse, what to expect, and some insider tips—straight from an L&D nurse herself! Today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Caitlin Jeanmougin. Caitlin is a registered nurse with 21 years of experience caring for childbearing families. She has a master's degree in Nursing Education as well as a Doctorate in Nursing Practice. She spent 17 years providing inpatient care in Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, High-Risk Antepartum, and the Special Care Nursery and currently is employed as a full-time professor in an undergraduate nursing program teaching Maternal/Newborn Nursing. Caitlin is an E-RYT200 with over 14 years of experience, an RPYT with 6 years of experience, and a Certified Spinning Babies Parent Educator.

If you could choose between a functional efficient labor or a dysfunctional and inefficient labor, I’m guessing you would choose functional and efficient labor. I have been to many births as a doula and I’ve had 2 kids of my own. While the body may need time to open to let the baby descend and rotate, it can be a lot on the parents and support team to go through the experience of a long labor! Today on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have midwife Gail Tully of Spinning Babies back on the podcast. This is her 3rd episode with us and I have to say I absolutely adore speaking with Gail. Today, we talk about how to use Spinning Babies for a smoother, more balanced, more efficient birth. Gail offers us techniques and methodologies to help babies navigate more seamlessly through the pelvis. She talks a lot about the different parts of the pelvis and different techniques to utilize to help the baby through, depending on where the baby is in the pelvis.  You’re going to get so much out of this conversation, Gail’s a delight

Today we have a remarkable and empowering community birth story. Today on Yoga|Birth|Babies I have Amber Hogue. Amber is a proud mom of two boys, Finn and Wally, and lives in the Bay Area with her family. She works in clinical research with a focus on patient engagement, leveraging her expertise to create meaningful connections and improve healthcare outcomes. A yoga teacher for over 10 years, Amber has spent the last 3 years specializing in prenatal yoga, blending childbirth education with mindful movement, and is a graduate of the PYC teacher training! As you listen to this episode, it will become clear how Amber took ownership of her birth and advocated for herself, her wants, and her needs. I hope you enjoy listening to her story as much as I did. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what