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?
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. 🎙️