The questions you're asking—answered.
These are the things nobody tells you about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum...
Treat your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum like grad school—because you deserve to be completely prepared.
On The Be Well Baby Podcast, we ask all the hard questions of your providers so you don't have to figure this out alone. Hosted by Dr. Emily Spaeth: a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and certified trauma-informed professional who trains other providers, this isn't your typical pregnancy podcast.
From posture in pregnancy to feeding your baby to baby development to postpartum recovery, pelvic floor health, sex after birth, and navigating your career and identity; we dive deep into the topics nobody talks about openly—until now.
You'll discover what high-achieving women actually need to know about pregnancy, birth, and the fourth trimester. No fluff. No surprises. Just the evidence-based information, honest conversations, and real preparation that helps you feel confident, capable, and genuinely ready for this pivotal season of your life.
Whether you just found out you're pregnant, you're planning to return to work, navigating matrescence, or managing the incredible changes ahead, this is your space to get prepared, feel supported, and maybe even know more than your doctor does.
Ready to approach this season with intention?
The questions you're asking—answered.
These are the things nobody tells you about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum...
Treat your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum like grad school—because you deserve to be completely prepared.
On The Be Well Baby Podcast, we ask all the hard questions of your providers so you don't have to figure this out alone. Hosted by Dr. Emily Spaeth: a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and certified trauma-informed professional who trains other providers, this isn't your typical pregnancy podcast.
From posture in pregnancy to feeding your baby to baby development to postpartum recovery, pelvic floor health, sex after birth, and navigating your career and identity; we dive deep into the topics nobody talks about openly—until now.
You'll discover what high-achieving women actually need to know about pregnancy, birth, and the fourth trimester. No fluff. No surprises. Just the evidence-based information, honest conversations, and real preparation that helps you feel confident, capable, and genuinely ready for this pivotal season of your life.
Whether you just found out you're pregnant, you're planning to return to work, navigating matrescence, or managing the incredible changes ahead, this is your space to get prepared, feel supported, and maybe even know more than your doctor does.
Ready to approach this season with intention?
In this episode, Dr. Emily sits down with Dr. Katie Kanda, a Portland-based chiropractor specializing in prenatal and postpartum care, to explore why so many parents feel like they’re failing—and why it’s not their fault. With a powerful blend of science, honesty, and heart, Katie shares how a recent postpartum autoimmune diagnosis shifted her relationship to rest, identity, and advocacy. Together, they unpack the cultural and systemic forces making modern parenthood feel impossible—and why community matters more than ever.
postpartum healing, community support, modern motherhood, postpartum recovery, women's health, mental health for mothers, postpartum care, fourth trimester, postpartum rest, maternal advocacy
Dr. Katie Kanda is a chiropractor at Jewel Chiropractic in Portland, Oregon. With a background in professional dance, she brings deep respect for the body to her specialized work with pregnant and postpartum clients. She also hosts monthly Birth Workers Circles and Tired Hot Moms retreats.
Connect with Dr. Katie:
Website: katiekanda.com
Instagram: @DrKatieKanda
Book links support small businesses through Bookshop.org.
Dr. Emily Spaeth is a NICU physical therapist, lactation consultant, prenatal yoga teacher, and massage therapist based in Portland, OR. After witnessing the gaps in birth and postpartum education, she founded Be Well Baby™ to bridge that divide. Her team of experts offers home visits for feeding support and bodywork for birthing bodies and babies. Dr. Emily's Beyond Birth Blueprint provides comprehensive education on childbirth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and early parenting—along with ongoing coaching and support.
Note: This conversation was recorded inside Beyond Birth. To protect the privacy of our members, their personal check-ins have been edited out—you may notice a few references to parts of the conversation that aren’t included here.
In this episode, Barb Buckner-Suarez—a childbirth educator and parent coach with 25 years of experience—breaks down why postpartum conflict happens and how to navigate it with more connection and less blame. From the neurobiology of why your brain is wired differently than your partner's to how you can actually heal generational trauma, this episode will change how you see it all.
Your Brain Changed — Your Partner's Didn't (Until They Met Your Baby)
Eight to nine brain structures shift in you when you think about becoming a mom. Your partner's brain only changes through active caregiving. Get them skin-to-skin immediately and involved in diapering, bathing, and feeding. This oxytocin boost creates the same wiring in their brain.
Postpartum Conflict Is 100% Normal
Hormonal crashes, sleep deprivation, learning hundreds of skills, and feeling like you're the only one who can do this—all collide in the first weeks. Normalize conflict. Get curious about your own triggers, not your partner's behavior. Slow down. Create an 8 p.m.–8 a.m. truce zone.
You Can Heal Generational Trauma—And It Ripples Outward
Two times in your adult life you can develop earned secure attachment: in a healthy partnership and through parenting. Your healing shifts your partner's brain, your kids' regulation, and everyone around you.
✨ Weekly Check-In — Sunday afternoons: "How you showed up for me" + "Where I needed support"
✨ Apology Language — Ask what a real apology actually feels like to your partner
✨ The 30% Rule — 30% attunement creates secure attachment. Repair is what matters.
✨ Know Your Triggers — What happens in your body? Know your physical signals so you can pause.
Cerise Chill (super slick breastmilk cooler)
Ninni Co Pacifier — Code: BEWELLBABY for 10% off
postpartum conflict, maternal brain changes, couples communication, conflict resolution, secure attachment, generational trauma, cycle breaking, partner involvement, newborn, relationship advice, emotional regulation, family systems, microchimerism, oxytocin, parenting tips, conscious parenting, trauma healing, repair, caregiving
Barb Buckner-Suarez is a Health Educator and Couples Coach with 25+ years of experience supporting families through parenthood. She considers herself a "Parenthood Guide," offering classes to prepare families for the normal challenges of pregnancy, birth, and beyond, as well as private 1:1 coaching for couples navigating birth trauma, identity shifts, and relationship reprioritization.
Her podcast "Birth Happens" explores vulnerability, connection, and intimacy in parenthood. When not working, she's hanging out with her husband Roberto of 29 years and their four kids—and their dog, Chico "The Wonder Dog"!
Barb’s Website: https://bbsuarez.com/
Barb’s Podcast: Birth Happens
Barb’s Course: I’m Pregnant, Now What?
Subscribe & leave a review! Your support helps more new parents find the conversations they need to hear. 🎙️
It's presented as protection. Hospital policy. Standard of care. But decades of research shows it doesn't prevent the outcomes it claims to prevent—and it frequently causes harm. In this episode, we break down what the latest New York Times investigation revealed about continuous fetal monitoring, what the research actually shows, and why your hospital is still doing this anyway.
MY 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Continuous Monitoring Doesn't Do What It Promises—But It Increases C-Section Rates by 63%. Research since 1976 shows continuous fetal monitoring does NOT reduce stillbirths, newborn deaths, cerebral palsy, or improve outcomes for healthy babies. The only clear finding? Women who are continuously monitored have significantly more cesarean sections.
The System Persists Because of Legal Liability and Business, Not Science. Obstetricians fear lawsuits more than they trust research. The system incentivizes more monitoring and more surgery, not better outcomes.
You Have Rights and Options—Even If It Feels Like You Don't. Intermittent monitoring (checking baby's heart rate every 20 minutes) gives you the same information without being tied to a machine. You can ask questions, request alternatives, and change your mind. Just because something is hospital policy doesn't mean you have to do it without informed consent.
KEYWORDS:
continuous fetal monitoring, fetal heart rate, birth intervention, cesarean section, informed consent, evidence-based birth, hospital policy, fetal distress, labor and delivery, pregnancy, birth choices, maternal rights, evidence-based medicine, birth trauma, ACOG guidelines
ABOUT DR. EMILY SPAETH:
Dr. Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with extensive NICU experience. She's the founder and CEO of Be Well Baby, a comprehensive perinatal healthcare practice offering physical therapy, lactation consulting, and birth education through home visits and online education. Emily is a mother of three, teaches prenatal and postpartum yoga, and is passionate about giving families honest, evidence-based information so they can make choices that truly serve them.
RESOURCES
Subscribe & share with someone who's pregnant or planning pregnancy… It is never to early to start preparing. 🎙️
In this episode, pelvic health specialist Dr. Laura Luitje breaks down why your pelvic floor problem might not actually be a pelvic floor problem. We explore how your feet, hips, rib cage, jaw, and nervous system all influence pelvic function—and why treating the pelvic floor in isolation often misses the real issue. Plus, a realization about how we teach our kids to ignore their bodies from a young age.
MY 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Your pelvic floor responds to everything above and below it. The pelvic floor isn't isolated—it's part of your whole body system. Your feet, ankles, hips, rib cage, and even your jaw directly influence pelvic tone and function. If your ankle doesn't move well, your glutes can't function fully. If your deep abdominals aren't stable, your pelvic floor overcompensates. Look at the whole body first.
Common patterns have common drivers—and they're rarely where you feel the pain! Knee, low back, and neck pain are usually responding to something else—often the foot, hip, or mid-back. Your body is brilliantly trying to help you by compensating, but the price is often high. Find what's actually driving the pattern and work there first.
We learn to ignore our bodies from childhood-and it shows up everywhere. Growing up means learning to sit still, eat what others tell you to, and ignore your body's signals. This disconnection from our intuition and bodily needs is pervasive. As parents, we can do something different: help our kids stay connected to what their bodies need.
PRACTICAL TOOLS:
✨ The Whole Body Approach — When something hurts, get curious about what might be driving it from above or below rather than just treating the painful area.
✨ Diversity of Movement — Use your feet, hips, and body in varied ways throughout your day. Squatting, sitting on the floor, climbing, balancing—it all matters.
✨ Tactile Awareness — If you can't feel your pelvic floor, try contracting different parts (the "anal claw" to grab a blueberry), touching your tailbone, or getting professional tactile feedback.
✨ Curiosity Over Fear — Approach dysfunction as a point of curiosity, not a sign that something is broken. Your body wants to work—it might just be missing the right inputs.
RESOURCES:
Cerise Chill (breast milk cooler)
Ninni Co Pacifier — Code: BEWELLBABY for 10% off
KEYWORDS:
pelvic floor health, pelvic floor dysfunction, whole body movement, nervous system, ankle mobility, hip function, posture, women's health, postpartum recovery, diastasis, pelvic pain, incontinence, body awareness, movement diversity, feet and ankle, jaw tension
MORE ABOUT LAURA:
Dr. Laura Luitje is a pelvic health physical therapist specializing in whole-body integration. A former dancer and yoga instructor, she's fluent in French and Spanish and brings deep empathy for busy parents navigating wellness. She has twins, personal experience with severe diastasis, and a gift for demystifying how bodies work—from pain and elimination to reproduction, movement, and joy. Dr. Laura and Dr. Abigail Richards founded Mount Tabor Pelvic Health in Portland, Oregon.
Mount Tabor Pelvic Health (Portland, Oregon) — Dr. Laura Luitje & Dr. Abigail Richards
Subscribe & share with someone who needs to remember their body is trying to help them! 🎙️
In this episode, Jonny Long, photographer and founder of Flyview Productions, opens up about being a partner through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and grief. From navigating two unexpected births in Canada to supporting his wife through a recent miscarriage and preparing for their third baby, Jonny shares raw, honest insights about partnership, communication, and what it actually takes to show up for someone you love.
MY 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Schedule Check-Ins, Don't Fight at 2 a.m. The worst arguments happen postpartum when you're both sleep-deprived. Schedule 10-minute conversations on your calendar to talk about how you're feeling and what you need.
Use the 20% Rule—Stop Performing Partnership. Say "I'm at 20% today" instead of letting resentment build. If you're both running on fumes, ask for help from your community instead of drowning together.
Grief Looks Different for Each of You. Your experience of miscarriage or loss is different from your partner's. Give each other space to process without judgment.
PRACTICAL TOOLS:
✨ Schedule Check-Ins — Put it on your calendar: "Tuesday, 10 minutes, we talk about how we're feeling."
✨ Use the 20% Rule — "I'm at 20% today. Can you take the 80%?" Communication prevents resentment.
✨ Rest Before Labor — As the support person, prioritize sleep and rest beforehand so you show up with energy and a clear head.
✨ Take Help from Your Community — Don't be afraid to ask for meals, help with household tasks, or childcare so you can both be at full capacity.
KEYWORDS:
partner, partnership, birth support, postpartum, communication, miscarriage, grief, father, parenting, relationships, labor support, vulnerable, family dynamics, postpartum recovery
MORE ABOUT JONNY:
Jonny Long is a photographer and cinematographer with over 8,000 licensable assets on Getty Images and iStock. He's the founder of Flyview Productions and has been collaborating with Dr. Emily to reimagine how perinatal and postpartum care is visually represented. He's a husband, father of two, and believes in the power of intentional communication, vulnerability, and showing up for the people you love.
Subscribe & send this to a partner who needs to hear it. New episodes drop every Wednesday. 🎙️
Welcome to the very first episode of the Be Well Baby Podcast.
If you're here, you're probably either pregnant, preparing to become pregnant, or supporting someone through that journey. And I want to start by being really honest with you: most of what we're taught about birth and postpartum isn't preparing us for what actually comes.
We talk a lot about contractions and hospital bags and breathing techniques. Important stuff, yes. But we barely whisper about the five-year identity-shifting season that follows.
We don't prepare you for the way your brain literally rewires itself, the way your body needs way more healing than six weeks allows, or the way partnerships totally recalibrate in the early months.
In this inaugural episode, I'm diving straight into the thing I'm most afraid to talk about—and the thing I believe you most need to hear. Because you deserve more than just surviving the postpartum years. You deserve to understand what's coming so you can actually thrive.
postpartum, birth preparation, Emily Spaeth, Be Well Baby, transformation, mental health, physical recovery, birth misconceptions, birth education, prenatal education, pregnancy prep, early support, continuous learning, birth education, postpartum identity shift, pelvic floor, newborn support
Birth Prep Is Actually Postpartum Prep
Start learning about what postpartum looks like before you're even pregnant. Understand your body's healing timeline, how your brain rewires, how partnerships shift. The earlier you begin, the less blindsided you'll be.
Postpartum Is 5 Years, Not 6 Weeks
Your six-week checkup isn't the finish line. Your body, brain, relationships, and sense of self are still shifting years later. You're not broken—you're becoming a different person.
Knowledge & A Guide Is Your Strongest Protective Factor
Knowledge reduces fear. The more you understand about your body, the medical system that currently exists, your options, your baby’s development, breastfeeding, brain rewiring, partnership shifts, and identity changes, the less alone you'll feel when you go through this.
RESOURCES
MORE ABOUT YOUR HOSTESS
As a NICU physical therapist and lactation consultant, Dr. Emily Spaeth was deeply moved by the lack of education surrounding birth, postpartum care, and infant needs. With years of experience as a prenatal yoga teacher and massage therapist, she saw firsthand how essential the right movement during pregnancy is for an optimal birth and smooth recovery. Birth impacts both mother and baby, and she is fortunate to work with both.
She founded Be Well Baby™ to bridge this gap. What started as a home visit practice in Portland, OR quickly grew into something much larger, as the demand for her approach became clear. Today, her online Beyond Birth Blueprint offers a transformative journey toward an empowered birth and a connected postpartum. The program integrates the Body Ready Method® and provides everything you need to know about childbirth, breastfeeding, postpartum recovery, and babies—along with ongoing coaching and accountability to help you achieve all your goals.
Birth isn’t the finish line—it’s just the beginning.
Join me, Dr. Emily Spaeth, on the Be Well Baby Podcast for deep, human, clinically grounded conversations about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and thriving as a new parent.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!
Can't wait to get to know you.
Love,
Emily