Two Weird Diseases in Pregnancy: When to Worry

Today’s birth story comes from Heather in Victoria, British Columbia and long-time She Found Motherhood Podcast listener! Heather’s birth story starts off with a bit of a rocky pregnancy which lead to the preterm birth of her daughter and a rather long stay in the NICU. She describes the many challenges, and the small pieces of joy, she discovered on that journey.  Part of the challenges she experienced included a significant amount of nausea in pregnancy. If you or anyone you know is suffering from nausea, DM us on Instagram or shoot us an email asking for our free Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy download! And just as a reminder, if you love listening to these birth stories, share the link or screenshot the episode and spread the word! We’d so appreciate it.

Today’s topic might be something that many of us haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about - what kind of changes can occur within our eyes during pregnancy? If you have a pre-existing condition, either physical or specifically ocular, are the eyes particularly susceptible to damage during pregnancy and should specific precautions be taken? Could your eyesight worsen? Or can it improve? What effects does breastfeeding have? Ophthalmologist Dr. Amaka Eneh joins Dr. Alicia to answer the above questions and much more on today’s episode! Today’s episode may also encourage you to optimize your preconception health. Luckily, we've put together a clear, easy to read guide to help ensure your physical and mental health as you begin your journey through motherhood. Download our Preparing for Pregnancy guide here! Looking for more? Check out our Pregnancy to Parenthood Online Prenatal Masterclass, taking you from anxious and overwhelmed to confident during your childbirth experience!  

Sometimes it might seem like restricting certain foods in pregnancy is overkill, but once you listen to this episode, you’ll understand why! Keep in mind these two diseases are quite rare in pregnancy, but if you do contract them and pass them onto your baby, they can have dire consequences. There is no need to overly worry, but we think it’s important to be aware and just exercise a little bit more caution - as always, knowledge is power! As always, we’d love to hear from you if you have any thoughts on this episode or suggestions for future topics. Just shoot us an email or DM! Looking for more? Check out our Pregnancy to Parenthood Online Prenatal Masterclass, taking you from anxious and overwhelmed to confident during your childbirth experience. Let’s dive in!

Today Kelsey shares with us her birth story with an admirable openness and generosity of spirit, despite having to navigate a pregnancy and birth with more than one unexpected twist and turn. She speaks to Dr. Sarah about how her Birth Plan and birth education equipped her to anticipate various decisions she might encounter - and how she also had to embrace the unpredictable nature of childbirth when the “right” path became unclear.  Tune in to hear her full story, including how therapy aided her in processing her experience in pregnancy and postpartum, and navigating any undue feelings of guilt when things didn’t go as planned. We must acknowledge that birth is unpredictable, but having a plan can help. Drs. Sarah and Alicia have created a free mini Birth Plan course for you to work through with your partner and care provider! Sign up here to receive it and keep an eye out for our 4-part video series in your email on how to fill out your Birth Plan Template!

In this episode of the She Found Motherhood podcast, Drs. Sarah and Alicia dive into a topic that resonates with up to 80% of pregnant individuals – nausea and vomiting! Between simple lifestyle adjustments and lesser-known tricks, our top 10 tips to help manage these challenging symptoms cover everything from staying hydrated, to how modifying your vitamin intake, and even your dental routine, might help! Don't let nausea overshadow your pregnancy journey – empower yourself with these practical tips! And for a deeper dive, check out these helpful links: Check out our companion episode on ​​Nutrition and Preparing for Pregnancy! Pick up a Sea-Band Anti-Nausea Acupressure Wristband for Motion or Morning Sickness Download our free Sleep Tips Guide for more tips on how to optimise sleep in pregnancy Download our free guide to Managing Nausea and Vomiting in your Pregnancy! Subscribe to The Pregnancy to Parenthood Podcast Series! For the low, one-time cost of $47, get full access to over 40 informative episodes supporting you week by week, focused on the trimester and stage of pregnancy you are in. Tune in every week, or binge listen all at once and come back to the episodes you found most helpful as you move through pregnancy to parenthood!

Jen shares with us her two birth stories, the first a planned Cesarean section and the second, a very empowering Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). Though Jen is a labor and delivery nurse professionally, going through childbirth herself has given her a multitude of valuable insights on both the process and the systems in place that support birthing people. Despite being intimately familiar with labor and delivery, she was surprised about what worked and what didn’t for her, and we’re so grateful she is sharing that empowering insight with us today and you, our listeners! “If there's one family that listens and takes away something that maybe resonates with them, or even one maternity care provider that listens and thinks, ‘I never thought about it that way that,’ I'll feel it was worth it.” - Jen

Let’s face it - kids can be expensive, and having a family brings on a whole new set of financial obligations that can catch some of us off guard. But taking a few simple steps early on can really help put your family on the right track in the long run, even without a lot of capital up front. This is why we are excited to have Aimee Burton on today’s episode! She is a licensed financial broker and agency owner,  based on Vancouver Island. Her and her team of licensed advisors focus on providing free financial education to individuals, families and business owners and helping people create actionable financial plans to grow & protect their wealth, plan for retirement, and feel great about their money. She loves helping new parents especially, since becoming a mama propelled her into this new career! Tune in to today’s episode for her top 5 financial planning tips for new families, and be sure to download her FREE 5 Step Financial Checklist for Parents!

On today’s episode, Dr. Alicia Power speaks to Kristen Yarker, a registered dietician in Victoria, BC and founder of The Kristen Yarker Nutrition Agency, with a combined 30 years of training and experience guiding people through the perimenopause and menopause period. While this time of transition presents certain challenges, not unlike puberty it should be considered in a comprehensive way from how our diet, exercise, sleep, stress and mental health can impact the transition - and vice versa.  With a focus on nutrition, this episode dives deep into how we can make sure through food, a form of medicine, we are doing the best we can for our body supporting bone health, brain health, heart health, and mental health to ease the menopause transition. Be sure to tune in to the full episode for lots of perimenopause nutrition tips, and check out these resources for more! HealthLinkBC: provides non-emergency health information to the residents of British Columbia Menaupause.org: promoting women's health at midlife and beyond MenopauseandU.ca: the facts on menopause from Canada’s experts Taking you from anxious and overwhelmed to confident during your childbirth experience: Pregnancy to Parenthood Online Prenatal Masterclass

On today’s episode, Drs. Sarah and Alicia break down varicose veins in pregnancy - what they are, why they occur, common symptoms, the importance of monitoring them, treatments, and why they can appear in unexpected places during pregnancy! Tune in for their expert insights and practical tips on navigating this common yet often unexpected aspect of pregnancy. With the holidays coming up, we have the perfect gift for you or the pregnant person in your life! The Nesting Box is a trimester specific subscription box filled with our favourite pregnancy, postpartum, and newborn items!

You probably know about postpartum depression, but did you know that postpartum anxiety and postpartum rage are just as common - and much less talked about? Sadly, many mothers struggling with mental health issues don’t reach out for help with the fear that medication (in conjunction with very costly therapy) is the only solution. But this is not the only solution, nor necessarily the most effective one. Andrea Niles, founder of Prospera Mental Health and Wellness, is a clinical psychologist who dedicated her career to studying treatments for anxiety and depression. She stepped outside academia into the world of digital mental health wanting to make a more direct impact. Being a mom herself going through her own challenges, she realized there was a marked lack of resources out there for mom with effective treatments and interventions for anxiety and depression - and let’s not forget rage - and thus a company was born! On today’s episode we break-down the differences between PPA/PPD and postpartum rage, outline symptoms, and offer very real, effective solutions. Be sure to download this Free Postpartum Mental Health Guide, providing strategies and exercises to avoid common pitfalls and preserve your mental health. If you are a new or expectant parent, or relate to any of these feelings, today’s episode is not to be missed!