Motherbirth

Episode Archive

Episode Archive

86 episodes of Motherbirth since the first episode, which aired on March 20th, 2017.

  • Embodiment in the Time of Covid -- 086

    May 7th, 2020  |  59 mins 7 secs

    Usha Anandi's journey into feminine spirituality and embodiment began with her own story of trauma and numbness. In this episode we explore the issues related to privilege and healing work, the impact of stress and isolation on our nervous systems, and some powerful embodiment practices to assist us during this time.

  • Healing After Infant Loss & Marriage Breakdown — 085

    September 2nd, 2019  |  1 hr 10 mins

    Returning guest Christa Gifford shares honestly about the challenges and healing she has experienced since the death of her daughter Goldie (story shared in EP 030). After the unexpected breakdown of her marriage, Christa had no choice but to confront her own demons and look within to discover what really needed to be healed so that she could move forward as a whole woman. Her powerful story will surprise you!

  • Cyclical Living & Intentional Motherhood - 084

    August 19th, 2019  |  1 hr 10 mins

    April McMurtry, creator of The Moon Is My Calendar, goes deep on how the moon serves as a guide to us on the journey of cyclical living and awareness, and how we can bring this awareness into our relationship with our daughters. April shares from her heart about the awakening she experienced in early motherhood, the deep peace she has discovered in living rhythmically, and what raising daughters intentionally has looked like for her.

  • How to Raise Empowered Daughters - 083

    August 5th, 2019  |  1 hr 7 mins

    Special guest Jessica Connolly shares her inspiring story of raising 4 daughters to be connected to their feminine power and potential, and how that is possible to cultivate at any age. Mellisa & Jessica describe a one-of-a-kind new project designed for mothers who want to empower their daughters to form a vital, healthy connection to the sacred power of the feminine cycle.

  • Healing from Birth Trauma & Pregnancy Complications - 082

    July 22nd, 2019  |  58 mins 52 secs

    Best-selling author of Pregnancy Brain, Parijat Deshpande's world changed when her complicated, high risk pregnancy ended with the birth of her son at 25 weeks. In this episode, we explore trauma, the nervous system and how to use the mind body connection to not just manage a high risk pregnancy but actually thrive.

  • Conscious Parenting and Healing Ourselves - 081

    July 8th, 2019  |  1 hr 10 mins

    Host Mellisa Reeves and guest Tamara Iglesias of Welly Nest, a conscious parenting coach, explore how motherhood brings up all of the unresolved issues in our lives and how conscious parenting serves as an invitation to heal our own selves.

  • The Eating Instinct - Motherhood and Diet Culture — 080

    November 12th, 2018  |  1 hr 4 mins

    As a journalist, Virginia Sole-Smith frequently wrote diet articles for women’s magazines but much of what she wrote never rang true for her. Then, when her first child was born with a rare congenital heart condition and wouldn’t eat on her own, she began to connect the dots of how outside influences can alter our bodies’ natural instincts to nourish and satiate ourselves.

  • Breaking Down Barriers to Equal Access to Reproductive Health Care — 079

    October 29th, 2018  |  56 mins 43 secs

    Few people have the tenacity and the resolve to recognize a gap in women’s health care services and then break down the barriers to fill the gap and find a place for themselves amid the new design. But, that is exactly what today’s guest, Director of Midwifery Care, Nikia Grayson, CNM, DNP, MPH did at CHOICES — Memphis Center for Reproductive Health in Memphis, Tennessee.

  • Miscarriage & Complicated Pregnancy and Birth — 078

    October 15th, 2018  |  1 hr 14 mins

    Kate Woolley and her husband didn’t anticipate all the bumps and struggles they would face when they made the decision to become parents. When their first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, a fracture was created in their communications due to the different manner in which they dealt with grief. But when Kate faced rare and challenging conditions during their second pregnancy, their bond grew stronger than ever.

  • I Had a Miscarriage — 077

    October 1st, 2018  |  51 mins 53 secs

    Dr. Jessica Zucker is a well-known psychologist who specializes in women’s reproductive and maternal mental health, the founder of the ‘I Had a Miscarriage’ campaign, and a writer. She practiced clinically for years before her own 16-week miscarriage offered her a new perspective on the many aspects of loss and how it touches every part of a woman’s life.

  • How Becoming a Mother Can Transform a Career — 076

    September 24th, 2018  |  1 hr 16 mins

    Sarah Peck was the first employee to get pregnant at the Silicon Valley startup she worked for. And while her boss affirmed things would work out, she could feel unconscious competition and misogyny in the air. Inside she was feeling lonely and wondering if she was sacrificing the career she had built. In addition to her other duties, she was tasked with helping to write the ‘maternity employee handbook’ for the entire organization.

  • Why A Postpartum Doula Could Change Your Life — 075

    September 17th, 2018  |  57 mins 21 secs

    A lack of support during her postpartum transition inspired today’s guest, Kate Turza, to become a certified postpartum doula. Feelings of frustration and loneliness crept over her after the birth of her third child. Her searches for support in her rural Long Island community came up empty. She decided to offer women the support she wished she’d had by becoming a doula and by joining the board of a non-profit that facilitates a monthly birth circle.

  • Empowering VBAC, Recurrent Loss & Being a Foster Family — 074

    September 10th, 2018  |  59 mins 56 secs

    Today’s guest, Evan Manskey, always wanted a family but doubted her body’s ability to have children. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, her monthly menstruation didn’t come until after she started driving. When she experienced excessive bleeding during her first two pregnancies, both of which ended as miscarriages, she was overcome with anxiety and fell into depression. She and her husband decided to take a break from trying to conceive.

  • Unexpected Down Syndrome Diagnosis at Birth — 073

    September 3rd, 2018  |  55 mins 28 secs

    In today’s episode, Amanda Cunningham shares the moving story of her two very distinct birth experiences. During her first pregnancy, she was euphoric and felt a profound spiritual connection to her son but after he was born, the separation triggered a severe postpartum loneliness which lasted for eighteen months. And after struggling with the decision of her readiness to have another child, her daughter was born with an undetected, random form of Down Syndrome.

  • Maternal Mental Health, Postpartum Anxiety and OCD — 072

    August 27th, 2018  |  48 mins 24 secs

    In today’s episode, we discuss the spiritual, mental, and emotional transitions women go through on their motherhood journey. Dr. Katayune Kaeni — aka Dr. Kat — joins us to share the traumatic personal experience that led her to specialize in maternal mental health and how she helps women to prepare for and heal from the under-discussed challenges mothers face.

  • Motherhood, Body Image and Diet Culture — 071

    August 20th, 2018  |  1 hr 8 mins

    Today’s episode inspires women to shed the programming and ideals society has fed us about how we feel about our bodies and what we should look like. Licensed Psychotherapist Ellen Boeder shares insights on how to be empowered during motherhood and beyond and how we can profoundly respect the value of our nurturing, feminine, magnificent selves.