Today’s special episode examines the often undiscussed topic of birth trauma. Our guest Teela Tomassetti, a therapist for over 15 years specializing in trauma, had decided to pursue a PhD in birth trauma in dedication to a close friend’s traumatic experience. She did not know at the time that she would be facing a birth trauma of her own. Teela generously shares her personal story with us, discusses with Dr. Sarah how birth trauma can be defined, and how you might reach out for help if you feel you may have experienced it.

What is Birth Trauma?

While there is not one specific way to define birth trauma, one prevalent characteristic is that at its root it is a form of loss. That is not to say birth trauma is only defined as a literal loss of life, but a monumental experience where a part of your life or body has been profoundly altered. We often detach from the experience out of the need to lessen the pain of that loss, and to conform with societal pressure to move on...

We’ll reveal the biggest secret discussed on today’s podcast right at the top: each baby is different. When it comes to sleep, what may work for one might not work for another, even for babies within the same family! That is what our guest today, Valerie Groysman, discovered with her own two babies as well as by counselling hundreds of families.

Valerie is a Registered Social Worker, M.S.W, R.S.W and Infant + Child Mental Health Specialist whose own journey with infant and toddler sleep led her to build her own business, Talkin’ Sleep. She seeks to find sleep solutions for families based on science, connection and intuition, offering alternatives to more traditional sleep training and crying methods. Keep reading to learn her Top 5 Newborn Sleep Tips and be sure to tune in to the podcast for a lot more great advice around newborn sleep!

Tip #1: Get to Know Your Baby

Not all cries are the same. Listening and watching your baby, you will learn that while they may...

Dr. Sarah and our special guest this week - Robyn Rayner, Registered Massage Therapist, Crossfit Level 2 coach, and Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism coach - both realized while they were pregnant that there wasn't a lot of guidance easily available with regards to what type of exercise is okay to do when pregnant. Is it good for you? What kind of exercise should I do? Can I keep doing what I was doing before pregnancy? What about after birth?

Guidelines Around Exercise in Pregnancy

Physical activity is recommended for pregnant people just as it is for everyone, and evidence suggests that it can help in labor. It can reduce the length of labor and also prepare your body for the physical demands of giving birth. Like Dr. Sarah always says, labour is like a marathon and childbirth is like having to do a high intensity crossfit workout at the end! Keeping in shape helps! People that continue exercising during pregnancy have also reported decreased lower back or hip pain, and even...

Regardless of whether you had a vaginal delivery or a cesarean section, you need to know how to care for your postpartum perineum. 

Avoid Irritants: 

Bleeding postpartum is inevitable, and it's already in a sensitive way after delivery, so do your best to avoid irritating products on your perineum.  Keep it clean and dry, and try to not use any unnecessary products on it. 

Try to find sanitary napkins that do not have irritating linings on them, try incontinence underwear such as Depends or Always. 

You can also use period underwear, once your bleeding has settled down nicely. 

Keep it Clean: 

Have a bath or shower daily, and there is no need to use anything other than water to clean your vulvo vaginal area.  If you do choose to use a soap, be very gentle and choose something like CeraVe, Dove unscented or another mild cleanser.  But again...no need to! 

Some people find it stings while they pee in those first few...

Diastasis Recti:

Diastasis Recti is a separation of the rectus abdominus muscles, that run up and down in our abdomen, known as the “six-pack” muscles.  It occurs during pregnancy due to stretching from a growing uterus and baby and a weakening of the connective tissue that holds them together.

Did you know that all women at term have a Diastasis recti??? Does that mean it is going to continue postpartum?…no…

Kim Vopni, The Vagina Coach, joins me on our podcast to discuss the importance of training for birth, just like any major life event, such as a marathon, and how this can improve our outcome when it comes to Diastasis.

We discuss the risk factors, how to diagnosis diastasis,  and what we can do postpartum to help improve it!

We also discuss her amazing course, Prepare to Push, and how she educates pregnant women about their anatomy, and gives exercises to help strengthen their core, pelvic floor...

Krstya, from Cairn Physiotherapy, joins us to discuss the benefits of Pelvic Physiotherapy during pregnancy! 

We discuss the benefits of pelvic physio when it comes to training your pelvic floor for delivery.  Krysta also reviews many of the other topics she talks about with clients including setting up your environment, learning different positions to labour and push in, and how to train for those positions.  

We also discuss pelvic dysfunction and what this can look like in pregnancy, including constipation, urinary leakage and painful sex, and the role pelvic physio has in helping these conditions. 

We briefly touch on the role of pelvic physio in postpartum recovery, and when you should book your appointment to see them after delivery!

We hope you will listen to this week's podcast in full, subscribe and leave a great review! 

Also...don't forget to call your favourite Pelvic Physio!!!

 What happens when your baby ends up in the NICU after delivery, and you don't expect it?  So many questions come to mind!  Will my baby be okay?  How often should I visit my baby in the NICU? Will I be able to breastfeed my baby in the NICU?  How do I know my baby is okay? 

Dr. Jasmina and I both had babies that ended up being in the NICU after our labour and delivery experience, and neither of us expected it! In this podcast we discuss our birth story, and why our babies ended up spending time in the NICU. 

We review our top tips about how to improve communication with your child's care team including nurses, physicians and social workers, and how to ensure you can be involved in your baby's care as much as you are comfortable with. 

We discuss our top tips on how to make sure your milk supply is adequate and so you can supply your baby with their nutritional needs, even if you can't breastfeed your...

Whether you are struggling with mental health concerns, wanting to avoid them or just a normal human being this blog post is for you!

We are reviewing self-care...what that is...why WE ALL NEED TO DO IT! And how do we put that into practice in our lives!

What is Self Care?

Self Care is the act of making positive changes in your life that will help you cope with stressful periods, and help to treat or prevent depression and anxiety. 

Self Care is often neglected or not prioritized during the pregnant and postpartum period! 

Here is the podcast that accompanies this blog!! 

NESTS Program:

This is a simple acronym that details all the steps to start with your self care routine! 

N - Nutrition

Food is medicine….we all know this...but having healthy meals and snacks ready is a challenge at times, especially when you are adjusting to a time of caring for a newborn and adjusting to your new life as a family! 

Tips to improve your...

Constipation in pregnancy:

As anyone who has been pregnant can tell you..your body changes so much with pregnancy and your bowels are no exception!

We estimate that at least 1/3 of women suffer from constipation during each trimester and in the fourth trimester, which is the 12 weeks post partum…that are a lot of women! This is compared to about 7% of women of the same age who are not pregnant.

So what is constipation?

Constipation is generally described as the infrequent (less than 3 times per week) passage of hard stool that is challenging to pass.  We often describe this based on what is known as the Bristol Stool Chart!  If you look at the chart below we are talking about 1 and 2 type poos!

If you get chronically backed up….the watery stool and the end of the line will start to seep around the hard-packed stools and you can get what we call overflow diarrhea….which then makes the whole problem more...

Dyspareunia is incredibly common and has several reasons behind it.  Many women, at some point in their life, will suffer from painful intercourse.

Because there are so many things that can cause dyspareunia, it is very important to see your doctor about it so that they can work with you to uncover the cause and help guide you through treatment!

What does it feel like?

The pain can be before, during or after intercourse.  It can be burning, dull, aching or sharp.  It can happen with penetration or only with deep thrusting.  It can happen with a light touch or with any penetration including digital (fingers) or tampons. 

Causes: 

Let’s review some of the reasons women can experience dyspareunia (men can also experience).

• Skin: Certain skin conditions can cause pain with penetration.  These involve eczema, psoriasis or lichen sclerosis.  These skin conditions can be managed to help decrease...