The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
Amy Kiefer + Krystle Howald
All episodes
Best episodes
Top 10 The Expecting and Empowered Podcast Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Expecting and Empowered Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Expecting and Empowered Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Expecting and Empowered Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
60. Feeding Your Baby With Confidence With @goodbabylactation
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
05/29/24 • 36 min
Having a baby is one of the most exciting times of our lives. We prepare months in advance for the baby's arrival. We take labor and delivery classes, parenting classes, and read all the books...but do we prepare enough for how we are going to feed our baby? Jessica McKee, a seasoned NICU RN, mom, and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), is on the podcast today to discuss everything breastfeeding and pumping.
From our own experiences with breastfeeding, it isn’t always easy. Taking the time during your pregnancy to study up on what “normal” looks like can help you know if there is an issue to address. And while in-person appointments with an IBCLC are great, online services from someone like Jess can be exceptionally helpful too! Jess has a number of tips for us today including proper body mechanics while breastfeeding, things the non-feeding parent can do to bond with baby, and how to utilize the InfantRisk Center Hotline and MommyMeds App if you have questions about medications or supplements you want to take while breastfeeding.
If you are going back to work and will need to pump, you’ll want to listen to this episode. Jess talks with us about when the right time to order your pump is, knowing your rights as a pumping mama, and what to keep with you to have a successful pumping session at work. We also run through some popular baby products and Jess gives us her opinion on if they’re worth using or not! We know being a new mom is hard, but feeding your baby shouldn’t have to be. By preparing before birth, you too can enjoy the newborn stage!
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @goodbabylactation and @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their childbirth and parenting journey!
Follow Jessica on Instagram
Jessica’s Website
Links & Resources
MommyMeds App on Apple Store and Google Play
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'PODCAST25' at checkout
80. Running with Prolapse: How to do it Safely
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
02/19/25 • 34 min
As avid lifelong runners, we, Amy and Krystle, know that when you’re a runner, you want to keep running through all phases of life! And sometimes, pelvic organ prolapse can feel like it’s keeping you from doing the thing you love. One of our most popular blog posts was about running with prolapse. So, today we thought we’d expand on that post and bring you more of the education we think you need to know to feel empowered about your own health. Addressing prolapse sooner after it happens is key, versus waiting until older age, as Krystle as seen first hand in her physical therapy practice. In this episode, we will go over what exactly is prolapse, how prevalent it is in postpartum women, what Krystle’s ground rules are for running with prolapse, and many tips on managing prolapse symptoms with the goal of being able to run again! Our goal for this episode is to help bring awareness to this common issue that happens to postpartum women and bring you tangible tips to help you get back in the game and safely out for a run again!
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their motherhood journey!
Links & Resources
Tips For Running With Prolapse Blog Post
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'PODCAST25' at checkout
Expecting and Empowered Website
Expecting and Empowered Instagram
This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.
56. The Power Your Breath Has to Heal Your Body
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
04/03/24 • 45 min
What if someone told you they have one thing that can reduce your stress, increase your energy, and enhance your mental clarity? You would do it, right?! Well, what if we told you it’s something you do everyday and don’t even realize - but you might not be doing it correctly.? It’s breath.
In today’s episode I, Krystle, walk you through all of the benefits that our breath has. Our bodies have so much power to restore and help themselves however, during pregnancy and postpartum, our breathing patterns change so much. If we take a little bit of time and focus our energy back on our breath, it can have huge benefits.
We cover everything from breaking down the basics of how breathing works, to how to know if you have dysfunctional breathing patterns, and finally offer five tips you can try if you are a dysfunctional breather. If you focus on breathing correctly, before you know it you’ll be feeling and living better. It takes time and practice but the benefits are amazing!
If you have an anxious friend or know a mama whose bra line is too tight, we would love it if you shared this episode with her. There is so much we are not taught about the power of our breath and we want to help expand this knowledge to as many mamas as possible!
Links & Resources
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'BREATHE' at checkout
Breathing FreebieMouth Breathing TapeExpecting and Empowered WebsiteExpecting and Empowered Instagram
73. 5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Ask For During a C-section
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
11/13/24 • 27 min
Krystle and Amy are back together to bring you today’s episode, 5 things you didn’t know you could ask for during a c-section! Krystle is not only our Expecting and Empowered in-house Physical Therapy expert, but is a three-time cesarean birth mama, making her a wealth of knowledge about the c-sections. Krystle is going to walk us through today’s 5 things to help you feel more prepared and feel empowered to collaborate with your care team to create a positive c-section birthing experience. Whether you have a planned c-section or unplanned, educating yourself about the options can help select what things you’d like to include to make your c-section birth special to you and your baby. The 5 things we will cover today walk you through the whole experience: things you can ask for before your c-section, things you can ask for during , as well as something to ask for to help with after your c-section while you are healing.
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their childbirth journey!
Links & Resources
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'PODCAST25' at checkout
Expecting and Empowered Website
Expecting and Empowered Instagram
This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.
9. Rachel & Stacey of Decoding Couples on Navigating Parenthood with Your Partner
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
06/29/22 • 47 min
If you feel your relationship has unhealthy patterns and you need some tangible relationship support, you’re not alone. Today’s expert guests are Rachel Facio and Stacey Sherrell, the duo behind Decoding Couples. They are both licensed marriage and family therapists with a combined 20 years of experience in the field of relationships and marriage, and they are here to help provide you strategies and tools to support your relationship.
Rachel and Stacey’s mission is to take the complications out of communication, help you break unhealthy patterns, and connect in a way that “makes your grandma blush” as they say!
They are known for ditching the fluff and giving you no-BS tools that allow you to see and FEEL tangible change, and we are so excited to have them on the podcast to share their wisdom. We just know that there will be something they reveal today that you can use to help finally break the unhealthy patterns that may exist!
If you’ve enjoyed this episode with Rachel and Stacey, we would be so honored if you shared it and tagged us, @expectingandempowered and @decoding_couples on Instagram so that we can see it! We’d also be so grateful if you would rate and review our podcast in your favorite podcast app, because that’s the best way for a newer podcast to get more people to listen.
MEET Rachel & Stacey: https://www.instagram.com/decoding_couples/
Links & Resources:
Rachel & Stacey’s Website & Instagram
What No One Tells You: A Guide to Your Emotions from Pregnancy to Motherhood by Dr. Alexandra Sacks
Expecting and Empowered Prepping for Labor + Deliver Course - https://www.expectingandempowered.com/fitness-guides/labor-and-delivery-course
Expecting and Empowered on App: Apple Store - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/expecting-and-empowered/id1594936110
Expecting and Empowered App: Google Play Store - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.expectingandempowered.expectingandempowered
Expecting and Empowered Website: www.expectingandempowered.com
Expecting and Empowered Instagram: http://instagram.com/expectingandempowered
84. Postpartum Issues They Don't Tell You About with Stacia Scott
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
04/16/25 • 49 min
Transitioning from pregnancy to postpartum can sometimes leave new moms feeling confused, tired, and depleted. Here at Expecting and Empowered, we feel passionately that every mama should get the care, education, and support they deserve and love sharing the microphone with other women who feel the same. That's where Stacia Scott and her company Postpartum Care USA come in! Stacia is a mother of 3, CEO of Postpartum Care USA, and nurse practitioner. With her root-cause approach using in-depth lab testing, tailored nutrition, and natural treatments at her revolutionary postpartum and postnatal care company, she helps women with things like gut health, cortisol levels, and thyroid imbalances. We will be breaking down some of these common postpartum frustrations on today’s episode and hopefully leave you with an empowered mindset that there are people to help you through your 4th trimester and beyond, and that there is something you can do to improve your mind and body to start feeling better!
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @PostpartumCare_USA and @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their childbirth journey!
Follow Stacia Scott on Instagram
Stacia’s Website
Links & Resources
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'PODCAST25' at checkout
Expecting and Empowered Website
Expecting and Empowered Instagram
This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.
67. Prepping Your Mind For Labor and Delivery
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
08/28/24 • 23 min
Today is a solo episode from one of your hosts, me, Amy! As a trained doula, Registered Nurse, and mom of three, I feel confident we can provide you with some strategies in today’s episode to help you create a positive mindset around your upcoming labor and delivery. Mindset is aways trainable!
Something we encourage you to do is to learn about the birthing process. We’ve linked some of our previous episodes for you below about the different stages of labor and women’s birth stories. I also share my favorite book and documentaries to watch if that interests you more! By doing this research, you’ll know what is normal and expected during labor but also be prepared to know what options you have as the laboring mama.
The second tip I wanted to cover with you today is about yourSELF. How do YOU like to be encouraged during times of stress? I share with you some positive feedback quotes I learned in my doula training that you can share with your birthing support person if you feel they resonated with you and can help you during your birth. And also choose a couple key phrases to encourage yourself during the labor process.
My third tip to help you work on your birthing mindset is to write a letter to yourself. As if you were writing this to your best friend, detail what your birth plan is and fill it with loving, positive affirmations to yourself. Encouraging your future self that you can do it and meet your baby! Finally, my last tip is to protect this new positive birth mindset you have created. Everyone will have an opinion about your birth plan, and it may not always be encouraging. Step away from conversations or online content if you feel it isn’t beneficial to your mindset.
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their childbirth journey!
Links & Resources
Expecting and Empowered Episode 24 - Empowering Your Labor and Delivery
Expecting and Empowered birth story episodes: Episode 3, episode 5, episode 10, episode 15, episode 19, and episode 32
The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
Expecting and Empowered App - Check out our Labor Day Sale and enter code ‘LABORPOD25’ at checkout!
71. Labor From a Partner's Perspective with Amy + Drew
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
10/16/24 • 28 min
Amy’s husband, Drew, hops on the podcast today to talk about what labor and delivery is like from a partner’s perspective. Having been through three labor and deliveries together, Drew has some solid advice on how to be a supportive partner during an L&D experience. We also had a lot of really great questions come in from our IG followers that Drew and Amy discuss with raw and honest answers. If you are a partner listening to today’s episode, know that you are such an important part of the birthing process and we appreciate you!
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their childbirth journey!
Links & Resources
“The Birth Partner” by Penny Simkin
Amy Kiefer’s Unmedicated Birth of Baby #3 - Episode 32
Expecting and Empowered Labor and Delivery Course - Enter code ‘PODCAST25’ at checkout
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code ‘PODCAST25’ at checkout (subscription link)
Expecting and Empowered Website
Expecting and Empowered Instagram
This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.
64. Helping Moms Sleep One Feeding At A Time With @babysettler
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
07/24/24 • 43 min
The creator behind the Instagram account @babysettler, Hillary Sadler is a labor and delivery nurse, feeding specialist, and mom of 4. She also is the author of the book “Babies Made Simple”, a roadmap to the baby stage! Hillary fills the information gap between your OB’s office and baby’s pediatrician. She gives evidence-based guidance to new moms, as she would to any friend, without the high cost burden you’d incur in a traditional healthcare setting.
Well fed babies sleep better, so Hillary is on a mission to make sure all new mamas understand the connection between feedings and sleep. There is evidence showing that if mom can get at least one REM cycle of sleep during the night, it can positively impact maternal mental health. In order to get that sleep, Hillary tells us how we can identify if our babies are getting an effective and full feeding.
Following a routine can help babies and parents. Every baby is different though, so Hillary emphasizes the difference between a strict schedule versus a routine. She dives into example routines, ways to set the environment up for quality sleep, and a new perspective of splitting your 24 hour day into different time chunks. If your baby goes to daycare, sometimes your child’s daytime routine is out of your control, which can lead to an overtired baby in the evening. Hillary explains how to use the “5 S’s” to console that sweet little one. Lots of families are using the Snoo bassinet because of its built-in soothing capabilities, but does Hillary approve of this coveted baby item? Listen and find out her opinion!
If you enjoyed listening to this episode, we would love it if you could share it to your Instagram stories and tag us, @babysettler and @expectingandempowered. As we like to say, knowledge is power, and we just really want to give more people the information that they may need on their postpartum journey!
Follow Hillary on Instagram
Hillary’s Website
Hillary’s New App, coming soon!
Order Hillary’s book, “Babies Made Simple”
Links & Resources
Expecting and Empowered App - Enter code 'PODCAST25' at checkout
24. Understanding the Stages of Labor and How to Work With Our Bodies
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast
01/25/23 • 45 min
Today we are talking to you about how you can prepare for your upcoming labor and delivery. We cover everything from the different stages of labor and what to expect in each one, to optimal laboring positions whether you choose to get an epidural or not. We touch on the emotional side of things including who is going to provide you with support during the duration of your labor and delivery and how you want them to talk to you throughout. Finally we cover the different pain management options and how people with rituals tend to cope a lot better than those without.
Birth is really unique to each person and each birth journey can be so different. The one thing that we try to emphasize in this episode is that labor really is intuitive. We are just trying to give you tools so that your toolbox is full. When you get into labor we want you to remember these things and recognize them as normal. We want you to know that you are okay during labor and make sure you have plenty of options so that you are able to find what works best for you.
If you know other women that are going to be birthing a child soon, put this in your Instagram story and tag them and @expectingandempowered so they can feel empowered during their delivery. This episode has more information than we ever got in preparation for our births and this info is for free. If you could help us out by texting it to a new mama we would really appreciate that!
Prepping for Labor + Delivery Online Course - for 25% off, enter PODCAST25 at checkout
Links & Resources
Expecting and Empowered YouTube Channel
Show more best episodes
Show more best episodes
FAQ
How many episodes does The Expecting and Empowered Podcast have?
The Expecting and Empowered Podcast currently has 86 episodes available.
What topics does The Expecting and Empowered Podcast cover?
The podcast is about Health & Fitness, Motherhood, Pregnancy, Women'S Health, Fitness and Podcasts.
What is the most popular episode on The Expecting and Empowered Podcast?
The episode title '54. You're Not an Angry Mom, You Just Need Support with @psychedmommy' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on The Expecting and Empowered Podcast?
The average episode length on The Expecting and Empowered Podcast is 38 minutes.
How often are episodes of The Expecting and Empowered Podcast released?
Episodes of The Expecting and Empowered Podcast are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of The Expecting and Empowered Podcast?
The first episode of The Expecting and Empowered Podcast was released on Mar 29, 2022.
Show more FAQ
Show more FAQ