Best Athena Reddy Podcasts (2025)

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Training Elephants At Fort Worth Zoo 51:43

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1M ago51:43

51:43

Christine Del Turco at The Fort Worth Zoo gave me a behind the scenes tour of the elephant facilities at the Fort Worth Zoo and then we sat down to chat about what it takes to get a multi-ton elephant to participate in its own health care. If you’ve ever had trouble giving your pet medicine, you might just pick up some tricks Shane News! My two-par…

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Medical Geography with Dr. Sadie Ryan 1:18:31

2M ago1:18:31

1:18:31

Dr. Sadie Ryan is professor of medical geography at the University of Florida, specializing in disease ecology, tropical conservation, human-wildlife interface, and geospatial models. https://geog.ufl.edu/faculty/ryan/ APPEX helps ensure that the vision of pandemic science is not simply about filling in knowledge gaps but is about framing how to me…

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To Every Season: Highlights from Conversations on Birth and Creativity 24:59

2M ago24:59

24:59

In this special episode, Kaitlin reflects on the season that was—through illness, overwhelm, fundraising, mothering, and moments of joy—and shares what it means to mark time in "seasons." Season 3 of Postpartum Production explored the intersections of identity, care, and the ways birth informs artistic expression. In this compilation episode, we re…

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Ants: Complexity & Cooperation With Noa Pinter-Wollman 1:29:24

2M ago1:29:24

1:29:24

This week comedian Shane Mauss stops by UCLA to learn all about ants! The Pinter-Wollman Lab studies how collective behavior emerges from individual variation and environmental pressures. We chat about how variation among ants shapes colony behavior, and how space influences social dynamics. This work informs conservation strategies and provides in…

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APPEX - Interdisciplinary Science with Nina Fefferman 1:19:52

3M ago1:19:52

1:19:52

Dr. Nina Fefferman’s research uses applied mathematics to study epidemiology, evolutionary and behavioral ecology, and self-organizing systems like networks. Her lab tackles a wide range of topics, from disease dynamics in human and animal populations to cybersecurity and the evolution of social behaviors. Nina Fefferman - Ecology & Evolutionary Bi…

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Debunking the Good Mother Myth: Author Nancy Reddy on Old Science and New Models for Modern Caregiving 48:30

3M ago48:30

48:30

Today, Kaitlin is joined by poet, author, and longtime friend Nancy Reddy - a connection that has spanned the lifetime of Kaitlin’s youngest child. Funny how parenthood reshapes our sense of time and friendship. Nancy first appeared on the podcast back in Season 1, Episode 12, when she and her co-editor Emily Perez discussed their anthology The Lon…

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Apocalypse Road Show With Athena Aktipis 1:20:16

3M ago1:20:16

1:20:16

Athena Aktipis is a cooperation theorist in the social psychology department of ASU. Her book “A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times” is a whole lot of fun packed into a pragmatic and optimistic examination of preparedness. Check out Athena's books and podcasts here https://www.athenaaktipis.org/ I’m ta…

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The Postpartum Production Birth Story: A Conversation with Our Producer Erin Greenhouse 40:41

4M ago40:41

40:41

Today, we share with you a very special episode of Postpartum Production that involve a bit of role-reversal: our producer, Erin Greenhouse, steps out from behind the scenes and in front of the microphone to interview our very own Kaitlin Solimine. What started as an idea Erin had for her website, evolved into something special we knew we wanted to…

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Elephant Herpes With Fort Worth Zoo 1:18:12

4M ago1:18:12

1:18:12

Sarah Cannizzo joins comedian Shane Mauss for a memorable conversation about elephants and their health. Learn, laugh and subscribe! Edited by https://loganraykeith.com/ ‘InShane Evolution’ Artwork by Randal Roberts Plant activated vibes: https://www.mypurplelady.com/ Sarah Cannizzo, MA, VMD, Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine…

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Amphibians And Toad IVF At Fort Worth Zoo 1:17:10

4M ago1:17:10

1:17:10

This week comedian Shane Mauss takes a field trip to the Fort Worth Zoo to talk to Senior Curator of Ectotherms Diane Barber and Reproductive Biologist Allison Julien all about toads, explosive reproduction, biodiversity, and why amphibians are the canary in the coalmine for the freshwater that humans and so much of earth’s life depend on. We’ll ha…

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Evolution Of The Blue Man Group With Chris Wink 1:15:15

5M ago1:15:15

1:15:15

Join comedian Shane Mauss as he talks with his friend Chris Wink about the early days of founding The Blue Man Group, getting inspired by vaudeville, and how his latest project Wink World combines art, science, philosophy, and play. Checkout Wink World in Vegas and Minneapolis https://winkworld.com/ Speaking of neon, how about add a little glow to …

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Bonobo Day with Primatologist Rachna Reddy 1:38:06

5M ago1:38:06

1:38:06

Valentine's Day is also International Bonobo Day! Bonobos have become known as the amorous, peace loving, hippies of the primate order. Has the story been a little overly simplified? This week, comedian Shane Mauss apes around with the hilarious and wonderful Rachna Reddy. Rachna is an anthropologist and primatologist at the University of Utah whos…

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Birth Stories with Sara Nolan: Kaitlin’s Second Birth 53:04

5M ago53:04

53:04

In the final installment of our three-part Birth Story series, Kaitlin revisits the birth of her middle child, who, fittingly, arrives with a story that defies expectations. Released on his sixth birthday (🎉!), this episode is a reflection on the nuances- and myths- of second births, the power of trusting the birth process, and the beauty of not kn…

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Reclaiming Birth, Motherhood, and the Left: A Conversation with Sarah Menkedick 43:08

5M ago43:08

43:08

We've wanted to talk to writer Sarah Menkedick for a long time, but we weren’t sure how we could make our conversation fit into this season's focus on childbirth- until she wrote the essay Why the Left Must Reclaim Birth on her Substack, Terms of Endearment, in late 2024. In her essay, which Kaitlin and Sarah explore in their conversation we share …

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Night Science With Itai Yanai 2:29:01

5M ago2:29:01

2:29:01

Nobel Prize biologist François Jacob about night science, "Day science employs reasoning that meshes like gears, where each step follows from the previous one. It is effective. It advances. But it proceeds only because night science exists. It is in the dark of night that science comes closest to its goals. It is there that it reveals itself, probi…

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Donkeys, Horses, And The Domestication Of Hooves With Sarah King 1:43:43

6M ago1:43:43

1:43:43

For thousands of years donkeys were an integral part of human life. Modern life has taken most of the burden off burros backs but what does the future hold for our equine companions? Shane takes a deep dive into ungulate evolution and contemplates how hooves ambled their way along various branches on the tree of life to figure out how donkeys even …

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A Cold Rage: Debunking Motherhood and Childbirth with Lucy Jones’s Matrescence 53:09

6M ago53:09

53:09

We’re thrilled to welcome Lucy Jones, a celebrated writer and journalist, to the Postpartum Production podcast to discuss her latest book, Matrescence: On the Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Motherhood with us. Lucy’s work draws on deeply personal experience as well as a diverse range of disciplines - neuroscience and evolutionary biolo…

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How Humans Survived Extinctions w/ Henry Gee (Senior Editor of Nature) 2:01:23

6M ago2:01:23

2:01:23

In his latest book, The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire, British paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and wry wordsmith Henry Gee examines humanity’s precarious journey on the tree of life. For millions of years, small groups of scrappy, upright apes have lived “one meal away from starvation and two meals away from extinction.” Yet, against…

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The Feast of The Shane 2:00:54

6M ago2:00:54

2:00:54

Shane Mauss shares the origin story of his interest in life’s origin story. A hobby of watching nature documentaries turned into a full-blown science obsession that sent Shane’s comedy career careening off the traditional stand-up path and onto a unique journey of getting to use humor to explore the hidden underpinnings seeding the tree of life. Ha…

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Birth Stories with Sara Nolan: Kaitlin's Third Birth 49:55

7M ago49:55

49:55

We continue our Birth Stories series with the birth of Kaitiln’s 3rd child. No, you did not miss an episode! As we have chosen to release these episodes on the birthdays of Kaitlin’s children, we will be sharing Kaitlin’s 2nd Birth Story in February. Today, we skip ahead to the 3rd, to honor the birthday of Kaitlin’s 2nd child, which also happens t…

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Birth Stories with Sara Nolan: Kaitlin’s First Birth 1:02:32

7M ago1:02:32

1:02:32

Sara Nolan is a doula, writer, editor, and a mother/stepmother who lives in New York. Kaitlin and Sara connected through the Artist Residency in Motherhood Facebook group which we’ve mentioned here before. Sara also runs a wonderful project and business of conducting birth story interviews, called Tell Your Birth Story. So, as the subject matter of…

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#artbirth: Actor and Singer Athena Reich Makes Birth a Stunning Performance 52:27

8M ago52:27

52:27

In this laughter-filled episode, Kaitlin speaks with Athena Reich—an actress, singer, songwriter, the “World’s Top Lady Gaga impersonator,” and queer, single-by-choice mother—about her remarkable artistic journey and personal fertility experience. Athena’s critically acclaimed comedy show Lady Gaga #ARTBIRTH explores the intersection of art and bir…

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Invisible Labor: Rachel Somerstein on the Hidden Systems Shaping Childbirth in America 49:13

8M ago49:13

49:13

In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Somerstein, associate professor of journalism at SUNY New Paltz and author of Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Caesarean Section. Rachel brings a unique, deeply informed view on how the personal experiences of childbirth intersect with larger systemic issues that shape birthing practices in this coun…

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Marginalia #3: From the Frontlines of a School Closure Protest: Unexpected Lessons and Activism in Public Education 23:00

9M ago23:00

23:00

Kaitlin shares her recent experience of a fast and deep dive into community activism to protect her children’s public elementary school, Sutro Elementary, from potential closure. Only weeks ago, Sutro was among 13 schools in the San Francisco Unified School District identified for possible closure due to budget constraints. Kaitlin helped lead a co…

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Centering Ritual and Visualization in Birth and Art: A Conversation with Anna Hennessey 53:40

9M ago53:40

53:40

When we decided to focus this season on the subject of birth and creativity, we knew we’d have to include Anna Hennessey, a writer and scholar based in San Francisco. Much of Anna's writing over the past decade, which includes a book called Imagery, Ritual, and Birth: Ontology between the Sacred and the Secular, is devoted to the topic of birth in …

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Rupture and Reimagining in Poetry and Life: How Adrie Rose's Writing Roots Us in Experience, Loss, and our Lived Worlds 45:50

10M ago45:50

45:50

We’re excited to share with you this conversation with Adrie Rose, a poet and trained folk herbalist who lives beside an orchard in Western Massachusetts. Adrie is the editor of Nine Syllables Press at Smith College. Her chapbook Rupture came out in January of 2024, and her micro chapbook I Will Write a Love Poem came out in 2023. In today’s conver…

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The Art of Movement: Ori Lenkinski’s Exploration of Dance, Birth, and Universal Human Connection 1:04:07

10M ago1:04:07

1:04:07

Ori Lenkinski is a dancer, choreographer, and journalist based in Tel Aviv. Her work in all its forms is devoted to exploring the connection between words and movement. She's worked with independent choreographers and companies in the U. S., Europe, and Israel. Her body of work includes The Painting, Portrait No.2, The Suit, Help Desk, Birth Prepar…

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An Unexpected Birth Story: How Artist Alexandra Carter Met the Monstrous Feminine on Her Home Bath Mat 53:55

11M ago53:55

53:55

Today's episode is one we've been holding for you all with great anticipation. As listeners will hopefully remember from our first episode this season, we spoke with Alexandra Carter, an artist whose work delves into themes of femininity, transformation, and the embodiment of the monstrous as a source of power and creativity. At that time, we discu…

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An Intimate In-Person Conversation with Poet Eleanor Stanford on Midwifery, the Maternal Body, and Menopause in the Poetic Form 46:58

11M ago46:58

46:58

Eleanor Stanford is the author of four books of poetry, all from Carnegie Mellon University Press. Her most recent, Blue Yodel, is forthcoming this fall. Eleanor’s interest in birth- not just in a personal context but through a global lens, through the ways that people and other cultures experience it- brought her to Brazil, where she was a Fulbrig…

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Breaking Ballet Barriers: Ingrid Silva’s Journey from Rio to Harlem to Motherhood 46:42

12M ago46:42

46:42

“Companies oftentimes see dancers, especially women, "unable" to have a career, a professional career after they're becoming mothers. And that's also part of the patriarchy because this is not how it works. Having a child and coming back to work, it can potentialize your work in so many ways. It can bring a broader vision for yourself and for other…

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Choose This Now: A Live Reading by Nicole Haroutunian on Motherhood, Artistic Practice, and Publishing 44:31

12M ago44:31

44:31

This episode of Postpartum Production was recorded live at Blackbird Books Bookstore and Cafe in San Francisco, on a warm Spring day in the shop's back garden. This beautiful event was co-hosted by Recess Collective, a local San Francisco organization that builds inclusive community-centered spaces for families, particularly in the early years of p…

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Room Swept Home: Remica Bingham-Risher Holds Communal and Ancestral Narratives in a Universe of Poetry 45:48

1y ago45:48

45:48

"It's about history, it's about family lineage, and it's about what we bring into the world." - Remica Bingham-Risher We continue our exploration of birth and creativity with Remica Bingham-Risher. Remica is the author of Conversion, which was winner of the Naomi Long Magit Poetry Award, What We Ask of Flesh, which was shortlisted for the Hurston W…

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the devourer 15:42

1y ago15:42

15:42

cw: bridesmaids, cannibalism. corpus vile is written and performed by athena reddy. you can find more of their work at ⁠www.athenareddy.com⁠ and keep in touch via instagram ⁠@athenathemself⁠ acting lessons, astrology consultations and art at ⁠https://athenareddy.com/stareater⁠

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the neighborhood 31:51

1y ago31:51

31:51

delivering pizza is confusing. corpus vile is written and performed by athena reddy. you can find more of their work at www.athenareddy.com and keep in touch via instagram @athenathemself acting lessons, astrology consultations and art at https://athenareddy.com/stareater

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blood play 27:25

1y ago27:25

27:25

A knife is playfully introduced in her first sexual experience but she chooses just to go with kissing. // Written, Performed and Produced by Athena Reddy // www.athenareddy.comThis episode is dedicated to one of my dearest friends and collaborators, David Paritsky.

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From Set to Home: Actress Lauren Lapkus Finds Humor in the Balance of Caregiving and a Career on Screen 41:34

1y ago41:34

41:34

Lauren Lapkus is an American actress and comedian known for portraying Susan Fisher in the Netflix comedy drama series Orange is the New Black. She played Jess in the HBO comedy drama series Crashing, she's appeared in the television series Are You There, Chelsea?, Hot in Cleveland, Clipped, The Big Bang Theory, and Good Girls, the films Jurassic W…

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Poetry and Parenthood: How Amy Bornman Mines Domestic Practice for Creative Power 34:22

1y ago34:22

34:22

We’re so excited to introduce listeners today to Amy Bornman: a poet, textile artist, and parent living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as the author of two books of poetry, There is a Future (Paraclete Press Poetry, 2020), Broken Waters (out now!), and co-author of How to Sew Clothes (Abrams Books, 2023). Amy has literally made creative piece…

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Art and Advocacy: Ashley January’s Response to the Black Maternal Health Crisis 50:55

1y ago50:55

50:55

In this episode, we sit with contemporary artist Ashley January to discuss her powerful paintings inspired by maternal experiences. Ashley delves into themes of preeclampsia, premature birth, and birth trauma, shining a spotlight on the Black maternal mortality and morbidity crisis in America. Her art is not just a reflection of her personal journe…

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The Explosive Female Body: Artist Alexandra Carter’s Muse in Birth and Beyond 58:19

1y ago58:19

58:19

“The bulk of my work comes out of this place of the explosive female body and really meditating on that and looking at that. The body has always been my deepest interest, and painting the figure, and that has been the case for many, many years. And so when I started to think about family building and my reproductive health and my fertility, just ev…

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Marginalia #2: How Not To Scratch the Soil 13:07

1+ y ago13:07

13:07

Hello, dear listener, and welcome back to Postpartum Production! We are thrilled to begin Season 3 of the podcast, and to be in community with you once again. Before we kick off Season 3, Kaitlin checks in to provide an update on the podcast, a peek into what we’ll be exploring together this season (more on that in a moment!), and some heartfelt re…

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S2E15 - A Moment in Time: Looking Back on Season Two’s Highlights, Lessons, and Reasons for Hope in Caregiving and Creativity 26:07

1+ y ago26:07

26:07

In this episode, we look back at a few of the themes that emerged from our conversations this season and take stock of what this means now; looking back and also looking forward to the work we all have to continue in our examination of this intersection of caregiving and creativity. We’re incredibly grateful that our guests could take the time to s…

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S2E14 - The Poetics of Parenting: Poet and Educator Ben Berman's Take on Writing While Parenting 41:21

2y ago41:21

41:21

We are capping off our season of conversations with Ben Berman, the author of three books of poems and the new collection of humorous and literary essays, Writing While Parenting. Ben has won the Peace Corps Award for the Best Book of Poetry, has twice been shortlisted for the Massachusetts Book Awards, and has received awa…

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S2E13: Mom Rage is a Weathervane—Minna Dubin on Maternal Anger and Structural Inequalities in American Society 49:59

2y ago49:59

49:59

"I think about rage as containing information. I talk about anger as a weathervane pointing you towards the places that need attention and healing. So I think rage can be useful in that way of teaching you what needs to change in your life. And it might be that you need more support or you need to not be in charge of bedtime every night or whatever…

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S2E12 - The Body as Genre: Amanda Montei's Touched Out Touches on Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, Control, and More 43:12

2y ago43:12

43:12

“The way that we think about art, about care work or housework or maintenance labor is interconnected in the sense that these are spheres of society that are often deemed unproductive. Obviously, first and foremost, we need to resist that notion because it's the most important work that we do. I do think of writing as a kind of care work in that se…

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S2E11 - The Transformative Power of Poetry and Parenting: How Eugenia Leigh's Creative Process Rewrites the Page Itself 50:28

2y ago50:28

50:28

“It's like all of the pressures of everything happening build up inside you, and if you don't write it down or put it somewhere— I just couldn't even handle it. I had no other coping mechanisms left. I came to poetry when I was younger as a coping mechanism, and I think I still do sometimes. Some poets like to pretend that it's a totally intellectu…

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S2E10 - Centering the Bodily Experience in Creative Practice: A Conversation with Writer and Teacher Molly Caro May 52:15

2y ago52:15

52:15

“I remember saying to my husband, I wish there was some sort of machine where I could attach a keyboard to my limbs and learn to type differently through my body so that the writing was a physical dance; instead of just my fingers dancing, it was my whole body dancing. I want to feel, not just sensations in my body, but feel my body in motion as I …

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S2E9 - Alloparenting in the Modern Era: Re-envisioning Parenting and Human Community with Dr Darcia Narvaez 51:05

2y ago51:05

51:05

**This episode is brought to you in partnership with the With Her and Mind Awareness Campaign of Mindful Philanthropy. Learn how you can act ‘with her in mind’ by visiting www.withherinmind.org.** _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ "Throughout life, we need people who are responsive to us, who listen, who think we matter enough to be l…

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S2E8 - Where Working Motherhood and Maternal Activism Intersect: A Conversation with Raena Boston 47:21

2y ago47:21

47:21

This episode is sponsored by Needed, a leading women's health supplement brand. (You can save 20% off your first order of any vitamins or supplements at thisisneeded.com with code POSTPARTUMPRODUCTION.) AND Better Help, the world's largest therapy service 100% online. (Go to https://betterhelp.com/postpartumproduction for 10% off your first month o…

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S2E7 - Honoring the Body and Practice of Pregnancy: Birth and Postpartum with Chiropractor and Childbirth Educator Dr Elliot Berlin 44:34

2y ago44:34

44:34

This episode is sponsored by Needed, a leading women's health supplement brand. (You can save 20% off your first order of any vitamins or supplements at thisisneeded.com with code POSTPARTUMPRODUCTION.) AND Better Help, the world's largest therapy service 100% online. (Go to https://betterhelp.com/postpartumproduction for 10% off your first month o…

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S2EP6 - Activism At Home: How Kimberly Seals Allers is Making Equitable Maternal Care Accessible to All 46:17

2y ago46:17

46:17

“Having something that you keep for yourself can actually be the most revolutionary and important thing that you could do in your postpartum journey.” ~ Kimberly Seals Allers We are thrilled to share with you this conversation with Kimberly Seals Allers, an award-winning journalist, five-time author, and founder of Irth. A leading voice on the raci…