Food Freedom and Fertility Podcast

In this episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility Sophia Pavia interviews Robyn Birkin, who is a fertility wellness expert who provides clients with evidence-based strategies for emotional wellness and mind body health that support your fertility (so you can reclaim your life and step off the fertility hamster wheel of burnout). This episode helps deliver a few tools to help women reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed while trying to conceive. Robyn talks about ways to simplify your life and help you not to sacrifice your emotional wellbeing. If after listening to this podcast and you would like to get more information on Robyn’s services please see the links below.     The Fertility Warriors Podcast Instagram: robynbirkin The Mind Body Fertility Reset Membership Platform    

In this week’s episode of Food Freedom and Fertility your hosts Caitlin Johnson and Sophia Pavia move on to the second part of registry needs. They want to remind all listeners that this is an opinion based episode and to always do what works for you and your baby. During this episode they are going to shake up myths and debunk rumors about certain baby products.   Caitlin and Sophia discuss a variety of sleep products like sound machines, clocks, fans, swaddles, location for sleep, lighting and other items. They also break down moving around with your baby including strollers and baby wraps/carriers. The podcast wraps up with your hosts discussing some items that your little baby would enjoy such as rattles, high contrast toys and activity mats.   At the end of the day the most important thing to remember is do what works for your baby and your family. Not all baby products and utilities’ work for every baby or momma. Be sure to test out the products if at all possible, even if you decide to purchase 2nd hand.

This week on Food, Freedom and Fertility Caitlin and Sophia bring you the 3rd part to You are Pregnant, Now What focusing on the baby registry. This episode is opinion based and the most important thing to remember is that you are preparing for your baby so be sure to do what works best for you and your family. Caitlin and Sophia recorded this episode as a jumping off point to help get you started on items for your registry. This episode covers items that are important for mother and baby from body creams and ointments to supplements that are safe for expecting and nursing mothers. They also discuss books that are helpful, equipment for sleep and nursing, diapering systems, and other helpful tips for the new parents. Be sure to take notes during this episode as it is a wealth of knowledge. Sophia and Caitlin have also shared their Amazon Favorites List below.   Caitlin's Amazon List

In this week’s episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility Sophia and Caitlin are back at with You are Pregnant, Now What: Birth Education Courses. Last week they guided you through the first steps of pregnancy and what things you should focus on but this week they break down the different types of birthing classes. Most people are familiar with or have seen in movies Lamaze classes… but in this podcast episode you will learn what to consider when considering what style of birth, you want. By knowing what kind of birth, you would like will help you choose your birthing classes. Hospitals all provide a basic class but those are designed to help you have a hospital birth and teaches you to be a good patient and explains hospital procedure. In addition to the hospital classes Sophia and Caitlin suggest looking into different midwife groups, doula collectives or birth centers for additional classes. They don’t suggest skipping the hospital class if you plan on having a hospital birth but additional classes will gift you with more knowledge for your labor and delivery. Sophia and Caitlin will also break down the different methods of birthing such as the Bradley Method, Hypno Birthing, Gentle Birthing, Christian Hypno Birthing, Birthing from Within, Pain Free Birth with Karen Welton (use code TTC for 10% off). Also, if you are 100% planning on a hosptial birth, Mommy Labor Nurse is a wonderful resource, you can find her on Instagram at mommy.labornurse. We hope this episode helps you choose a birthing class that is best suited for you, your partner and your new baby.   Pain Free Birth 10% off with code TTC Mommy Labor Nurse  

In this episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility your hosts Caitlin Johnson and Sophia Pavia focus their attention to what to do after you have conceived.  This is an important discussion after so much time dedicated to the conception of your baby.  Caitlin and Sophia discuss what supplements are the most important to start and also which ones to stop upon finding out you are pregnant they also chat about what lab testing and other important questions to discuss with your provider and why it is important to advocate for yourself. One way to ensure the best care possible is to create a roster of care providers that fit your needs. Caitlin and Sophia help you determine exactly what type of services should be on that roster. This is a wonderful episode for so many women that have been trying to conceive and have achieved the positive test result or those that just want to prepare for the future.   Book: Real Food for Pregnancy

On this week’s episode of Food Freedom and Fertility Sophia Pavia and Caitlin Johnson have on guest Sheila Wray Gregoire Sheila is the face behind ToLoveHonorandVacuum.com, the largest single-blogger marriage blog. A sought-after speaker, she’s also an award-winning author of nine books, including The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex. Sheila has a Master’s in Public Administration and Master of Arts in Sociology both from Queen’s University. Sheila built the successful blog, To Love, Honor, and Vacuum, with traffic of one million page views a month. Her email list is 45,000 strong and her social media reach is over 100,000. Her podcast, Bare Marriage, has more than 5,000 downloads each week. She is an award-winning author with seven royalty published books. A sought-after speaker, Sheila has spoken at churches and conferences around the globe. She is a frequent contributor at Family Life Canada events. Her latest book, “The Great Sex Rescue” was featured in the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, and the Washington Post. She has bylines at Religion News Service, Relevant Magazine, and other news sources. This episode is a very honest conversation around the unique struggles facing a couple ttc. Sheila is the first guest on the podcast to discuss sex issues. Some of the topics discussed on this episode are the pressures around sex, not wanting to have sex, sex feeling different when the romance is removed and the point is procreation, physical pain for women, husbands’ sexual struggles and so much more. If you like what you heard this week and want to learn more please be sure to check out Sheila's links below.  https://tolovehonorandvacuum.com https://instagram.com/sheilagregoire https://facebook.com/sheila.gregoire.books https://twitter.com/sheilagregoire  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdO1v4LdyqZV-m_VMlH5VGg https://greatsexrescue.com/

On this week’s episode of Food Freedom and Fertility Caitlin Johnson is guest expert is Mark Breedon.  Mark is an Online Strength Coach for Women who uses strength training to build their confidence and make them feel like a Badass Lifter. Mark uses what is known as a weight-neutral approach to training. He wants to change the focus on why we exercise, move away from training for the weight on the scale and instead of using exercise for health, self-confidence, and feeling strong!   Mark and Caitlin discuss how a lot of women train for a specific physique and can over train and under eat lose their cycles. Which can lead to infertility Mark explains how he is trying to shift the mentality of women and their approach to training and how he applies that to his clients.   They also discuss where the happy place is that supports improved fertility … not too much but not too little and how to achieve this. In a recent study in Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded that women who exercised 30 minutes or more daily had a reduced risk of infertility due to ovulation disorders, yet in 2009 a study in Human Reproduction found that too much vigorous exercise lowered fertility. Mark explains how he and other trainers could help optimize a fitness routine for your fertility journey.   This episode is focused on understanding how exercise and strength training come into play with women who are TTC. If you would like more information on Mark and his services you can find him at the links below.   IG: @breedonmark Web: https://badasslifter.com

On this week’s episode of Food Freedom and Fertility we have a very special guest. We welcome to the show Dr. Natasha Stamper.  Dr. Natasha Stamper is a clinical pharmacist and online fertility coach. She found her love for all things fertility while living in a remote Alaska village navigating her own IVF journey alone. After many miscarriages, two ectopic pregnancies, and one cervical ectopic she had her two miracle babies. Now with over 12 years of clinical pharmacy experience and her own experiences she is so excited to be helping families all over the globe fulfill the dream of making their family complete. You can find her on Instagram at fertility_pharmacist or www.fertilitypharmacist.com Today’s episode is we will learn more about Dr. Stamper’s background and what led her to become a fertility pharmacist. Dr. Stamper will review some basic fertility medications, their uses, side effects and who would benefit most from them. Femara/Letrozole, Clomid, Gonadotropins, Dopamine agonists, metformin and Progesterone are a few of the medications that will be discussed in detail. Dr. Stamper shares her personal experience with IVF and also the typical plan for IVF in terms of medications. She also shares the types of supplements that she feels are important and also those that should be strictly avoid while TTC. You can find her on Instagram at fertility_pharmacist or www.fertilitypharmacist.com

Welcome to the Food Freedom and Fertility podcast. On this week’s episode Caitlin Johnson has special guest, Stephanie Greunke. Stephanie is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition who specializes in prenatal/postnatal health. Stephanie holds additional certifications in perinatal mental health and fitness and is passionate about helping moms navigate the transition to motherhood.  She’s the co-host of the "Doctor Mom" podcast and Senior Education Manager for Whole30. Through her Postpartum Reset nutrition program, pregnancy program, podcast and her private practice, Stephanie has helped thousands of women optimize their diet during and after pregnancy to support their physical and mental health. She's an internationally-recognized speaker who blends the latest research with practical advice. She also trains healthcare providers about perinatal mental health and nutrition so they can optimize outcomes for their clients.    Steph and Caitlin discuss perinatal mental health today and if you enjoy what you hear on today’s episode you can learn more about Steph’s program Postpartum Reset which is an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood. Caitlin and Steph normalize the feelings of postpartum and let listeners know that it is okay to feel like you are struggling and having a difficult time.  Steph describes what exactly perinatal or postpartum mood disorders are and how and when they can present. She sheds light on the vast spectrum that these disorders can range. The other thing to keep in mind about these disorders is that fathers can also have similar experiences and should realize that so that they can seek the help they need to navigate these uncharted waters. Men typically present much differently than women when experience a postpartum mood disorder. Steph also gives detailed explanations of the different types of disorders and what they look like and she also suggests listeners to ask themselves if they are experiencing any of the symptoms that come along with perinatal or postpartum mood disorders. To help prepare yourself for the 3rd trimester and postpartum, Steph and Caitlin share a variety of ideas and tips to help expecting mothers. Including meal prep ideas, tasks that new mothers greatly appreciate and additional tips. The podcast wraps up with the dream team for the postpartum period, which most women who have never delivered a child would expect. The key player on this team is a provider that will genuinely listen to you and your concerns. There are a lot of things that can pop up and having a provider that truly listens to you will help alleviate unnecessary worry. If you would like more information on Stephanie’s course: Postpartum Reset Course you can find her at https://www.postpartumreset.com or on Instagram: @stephgreunke

Welcome to the Food Freedom and Fertility podcast. On this week’s episode Sophia Pavia has Kalea Wattles, ND on to discuss functional medicine for fertility. Dr. Kalea Wattles is a Naturopathic Physician specializing in fertility and Functional Medicine. She earned her doctorate from Bastyr University and is certified as a Functional Medicine Practitioner by the Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Wattles combines her Naturopathic and Functional Medicine training to treat patients with a “Functional Fertility” perspective, using a root-cause, science-based, body-systems approach to cultivating a fertile body. She is dedicated to using this patient centered method to support patients anywhere on their fertility journey – whether they are thinking about getting pregnant for the first time or exploring advanced fertility treatments. Sophia and Kalea use this episode to dive into to functional medicine and how it can affect your fertility. A big topic they discuss is mitochondria and how to support it and why it is helpful to your fertility journey.  Mitochondria has a huge role in hormone production so they talk through ways to kick start your mitochondria. Psychologically it isn’t easy but it is important. A few quick take aways is to turn off your phone 2 hours before bedtime and take a cold shower. There are a few supplements discussed as well.   In addition to mitochondria care, mental health should be considered during your fertility journey. Data proves year in and year out that people who work on stress management and have support tend to experience better fertility outcomes. The best approach is a whole-body whole life idea. Dr. Kalea wants to leave everyone with hope. Be sure to advocate for yourself and your family. There is info you can collect that can change our trajectory, do not be afraid to get a 2nd opinion, have a functional work up completed. You have the right to that info. To learn more about Dr. Kalea Wattles you can find her online at  https://thinkvida.com/dr-kalea-wattles/ or on Instagram at Functional Fertility