Usha Anandi's journey into feminine spirituality and embodiment began with her own story of trauma and numbness. Determined to heal the root of her disconnection and pain, she traveled all around the world, devoting her life to studying ancien

Healing After Infant Loss & Marriage Breakdown — 085

Sep 2nd, 2019 1h 10m

Returning guest Christa Gifford shares honestly about the challenges and healing she has experienced since the death of her daughter Goldie (story shared in EP 030). After the unexpected breakdown of her marriage, Christa had no choice but to

Cyclical Living & Intentional Motherhood - 084

Aug 19th, 2019 1h 10m

April McMurtry, creator of The Moon Is My Calendar, goes deep on how the moon serves as a guide to us on the journey of cyclical living and awareness, and how we can bring this awareness into our relationship with our daughters. April shares f

How to Raise Empowered Daughters - 083

Aug 5th, 2019 1h 7m

Special guest Jessica Connolly shares her inspiring story of raising 4 daughters to be connected to their feminine power and potential, and how that is possible to cultivate at any age. Mellisa & Jessica describe a one-of-a-kind new project de

Healing from Birth Trauma & Pregnancy Complications - 082

Jul 22nd, 2019 58m 52s

Best-selling author of Pregnancy Brain, Parijat Deshpande's world changed when her complicated, high risk pregnancy ended with the birth of her son at 25 weeks. In this episode, we explore trauma, the nervous system and how to use the mind bod

Conscious Parenting and Healing Ourselves - 081

Jul 8th, 2019 1h 10m

Host Mellisa Reeves and guest Tamara Iglesias of Welly Nest, a conscious parenting coach, explore how motherhood brings up all of the unresolved issues in our lives and how conscious parenting serves as an invitation to heal our own selves.Ta

The Eating Instinct - Motherhood and Diet Culture — 080

Nov 12th, 2018 1h 4m

As a journalist, Virginia Sole-Smith frequently wrote diet articles for women’s magazines but much of what she wrote never rang true for her. Then, when her first child was born with a rare congenital heart condition and wouldn’t eat on her own

Breaking Down Barriers to Equal Access to Reproductive Health Care — 079

Oct 29th, 2018 56m 43s

Few people have the tenacity and the resolve to recognize a gap in women’s health care services and then break down the barriers to fill the gap and find a place for themselves amid the new design. But, that is exactly what today’s guest, Direc

Miscarriage & Complicated Pregnancy and Birth — 078

Oct 15th, 2018 1h 14m

Kate Woolley and her husband didn’t anticipate all the bumps and struggles they would face when they made the decision to become parents. When their first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, a fracture was created in their communications due to t

I Had a Miscarriage — 077

Oct 1st, 2018 51m 53s

Dr. Jessica Zucker is a well-known psychologist who specializes in women’s reproductive and maternal mental health, the founder of the ‘I Had a Miscarriage’ campaign, and a writer. She practiced clinically for years before her own 16-week misca

How Becoming a Mother Can Transform a Career — 076

Sep 24th, 2018 1h 16m

Sarah Peck was the first employee to get pregnant at the Silicon Valley startup she worked for. And while her boss affirmed things would work out, she could feel unconscious competition and misogyny in the air. Inside she was feeling lonely and

Why A Postpartum Doula Could Change Your Life — 075

Sep 17th, 2018 57m 21s

A lack of support during her postpartum transition inspired today’s guest, Kate Turza, to become a certified postpartum doula. Feelings of frustration and loneliness crept over her after the birth of her third child. Her searches for support in

Empowering VBAC, Recurrent Loss & Being a Foster Family — 074

Sep 10th, 2018 59m 56s

Today’s guest, Evan Manskey, always wanted a family but doubted her body’s ability to have children. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, her monthly menstruation didn’t come until after she started driving. When she experienced excessive bleeding d

Unexpected Down Syndrome Diagnosis at Birth — 073

Sep 3rd, 2018 55m 28s

In today’s episode, Amanda Cunningham shares the moving story of her two very distinct birth experiences. During her first pregnancy, she was euphoric and felt a profound spiritual connection to her son but after he was born, the separation tri

Maternal Mental Health, Postpartum Anxiety and OCD — 072

Aug 27th, 2018 48m 24s

In today’s episode, we discuss the spiritual, mental, and emotional transitions women go through on their motherhood journey. Dr. Katayune Kaeni — aka Dr. Kat — joins us to share the traumatic personal experience that led her to specialize in m

Motherhood, Body Image and Diet Culture — 071

Aug 20th, 2018 1h 8m

Today’s episode inspires women to shed the programming and ideals society has fed us about how we feel about our bodies and what we should look like. Licensed Psychotherapist Ellen Boeder shares insights on how to be empowered during motherhood

You Are Not Biologically Designed To Do Motherhood Alone — 070

Aug 13th, 2018 59m 13s

In today’s episode, we have an in-depth conversation with Megan Connolly, a Co-Founder of Well Made Mama. There are many resources available to women regarding the physical changes their bodies experience during motherhood but few focus on the

The Women Who Are Ushering Midwifery Back into the Mainstream — 069

Aug 6th, 2018 1h 10m

In today’s episode, we speak with three women who were instrumental in establishing midwifery into traditional, bustling, hospital settings. Between them, they have over 50+ years of birth work experience and they continue to mentor, teach and

Peyote In Labor, Feminism, and Running Away From the Army — 068

Jul 30th, 2018 1h 9m

In today’s episode, we speak with three extraordinary women who are dedicating their lives to the service of others. All three are birth workers who embrace respecting a woman’s cultural heritage and traditions. They candidly share their person

Gentle, Empowering Cesarean Birth — 067

Jul 23rd, 2018 1h 20m

Today’s guest, Ashley Logsdon, had always wanted to have children and in the most natural way possible. During our conversation, she details each of her three birth stories - all of which took unexpected turns in the opposite direction of her b

All Births are Created Equal — 066

Jul 16th, 2018 1h 17m

Today’s guest, Marlene Ehrler, is a doctor of Naturopathic Medicine and comes from a long line of holistic healers. She founded Motherhood Medicine, a health and wellness resource designed to assist women on their journey to motherhood. And, sh

Revolutionizing the System for Working Mothers — 065

Jul 9th, 2018 1h 9m

Today’s guest, Summer Edwards, home-birthed her two sons and is the oldest of five home-birthed siblings. For her, the choice to home-birth was clear. She wasn’t aware of the philosophical reasons other women had for home-birthing, it was just

Planning Ahead for Postpartum Support — 064

Jul 2nd, 2018 56m 36s

Today’s guest, Arianna Taboada, is a Maternal Health Professional, a mother, and an advocate for women’s issues including maternity leave and postpartum planning. Her private consulting practice assists self-employed, working mothers to plan fo

Storytelling as Healing for Trauma — 063

Jun 25th, 2018 48m 55s

In today’s show, we discuss the importance of support, community, and togetherness for women. Our mission for this podcast and community is to create a safe space for women to share their stories and to experience healing and connection through

The Surrogate Journey: Part 2 "An Intended Family Story" — 062

Jun 18th, 2018 1h 5m

Today’s guest, Sibyl Almonte de Cannella, has been a mother for a long time even though she has only held her baby in her arms for a little more than a month. She has had many miscarriages including several which came during the In Vitro Fertil