Food Freedom and Fertility Podcast

Happy New Year! Your hosts Caitlin Johnson and Sophia Pavia are back after a holiday hiatus. The first episode of 2022 is thoughtful, heartwarming and educational. Caitlin shares her pregnancy and birth story with Sophia and all of you listeners as always Caitlin and Sophia give you a plethora of great tips and advice. Trigger Warning: This episode discusses positive pregnancy results, a birth story and breastfeeding content. Welcome back to Food Freedom and Fertility!

In this episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility Caitlin and Sophia help you find a way through the holiday season while trying to conceive. Caitlin Johnson is back from her maternity leave and ready to give you tons of tips and pointers to not only get you through this holiday season but make it enjoyable while TTC. One of the biggest reminders is to be mindful of your choices. One quick way to ensure you are going to have some sort of healthy food at parties or dinners is offer to bring a salad or dish that fits your nutritional goals. Caitlin and Sophia remind you to think of the holidays as a day and not the next 6 weeks. The best goal for the holiday season while TTC is BE FLEXIBLE of your definition of healthy during this time, give yourself some grace. If you would like specific list of "eat this not that" foods, there is an episode from November/December 2020 that can help you when it comes to specific food choices.

On this week's episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility Sophia Pavia interviews Dr. Merhi about IVF and the variety of work his center is currently working on. Dr. Merhi is the founder and the medical director of Rejuvenating Fertility Center (RFC). He is an internationally recognized fertility doctor, lecturer, editor, and grant reviewer. His training and faculty appointments included Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine, and University of Vermont. He is currently a Professor at SUNY Downstate University. He has three American Board certifications in OB/GYN, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and High-Complexity Laboratory Director (HCLD). Dr. Merhi is an active researcher with an interest in women with Low Ovarian Reserve (low AMH or high FSH), PRP ovarian rejuvenation, gentle stimulation IVF, natural IVF, and IVF without injectables. His research also focuses on technologies, such as Ozone Sauna, that could improve egg quality. Tune in this week as Sophia and Dr. Merhi have a candid conversation about IVF in the past, present and more importantly where it is going in the future!

On this week's episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility. Sophia Pavia is a solo host as her co-host Caitlin Johnson has given birth to a baby boy! Stay tuned for Caitlin's birth story in a future episode. This week's guest is Rachel Mast who is an Idaho Licensed Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife. She graduated from Birthwise Midwifery School in 2012 after completing her clinical training at New Beginnings Birth Center. Today Sophia and Rachel discuss the Transitioning from Fertility to Maternity Care. They also discuss exactly what a midwife brings to the table for maternity care. They discuss the differences between traditional hospital care vs homebirths or births with a midwife. Rachel and Sophia also discuss how to make the most informed decision regarding your maternity care, the importance of weighing your personal pros and cons. They also give excellent advice on how to find the right midwife for you and important questions to ask to ensure they are a good fit for you and your partner.

On this week's episode of Food, Freedom and Fertility. Sophia Pavia is the solo host because Caitlin Johnson is on maternity leave. Trigger warning this episode discusses pregnancy loss. This week's guest is Julie Sawaya is the co-founder of Needed, a nutrition platform dedicated to optimally nourishing women before, during, and after pregnancy. Needed is backed by the latest clinical research and a collective of perinatal nutrition practitioners that regularly test women's nutrient and hormone levels to know exactly what's needed. Their Complete Plan for Women offers optimal micronutrient, protein, and microbiome support for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. Julie and Sophia discuss common deficiencies and the best supplements and real foods to help with your pregnancy for you and your baby. If you would like to learn more about Needed and their products you can find them online at the following links: www.thisisneeded.com IG: @needed FFP50 for $50 off The Complete Plan FFPPODCAST for 20% off the first order or first 3mo of subscription (any products)

In this episode of Food Freedom and Fertility Sophia Pavia is solo hosting as Caitlin Johnson is on maternity leave. This week Sophia interviews Coach Kela Smith who is the CEO and program director of a company she created called the Hormone Puzzle Society, which is a women's health hub for fertility, hormones and pregnancy. Kela shares her personal story of conception by implementing her Hormone P.U.Z.Z.L.E method (plus cycle optimizing) that takes a holistic approach to readying the body for pregnancy from the inside out. Since then it has been her mission to help other women who are struggling with infertility and hormone imbalance to get pregnant and eliminate hormonal symptoms. If you are trying to get pregnant after age 35 what are some big pointers from Coach Kela. First is to test don't guess! Look at hormones, see what your levels are doing. Second you should look at your diet and lifestyle. There is a difference between healthy living and healthy fertility living. Third is to evaluate what toxins are you exposing yourself to. The fourth big pointer is to ensure you are on the appropriate supplements to support your journey. Sopha and Kela also discuss why 35 is considered the advanced maternal age and how that number was created and is it still valid. They also discuss a big item that helps decrease your systemic inflammation which helps your overall health. If you would like more information about Coach Kela and her services you can book a discovery call through her website or connect via a direct message on Instagram. You can also find her at the links below. Website: https://coachkela.com/media-page/ Instagram: Kela_Coach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelahealthcoach Facebook Group: The Hormone Puzzle

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