The Be Well Baby Podcast

About The Be Well Baby Podcast

The questions you're asking... answered. What should I really be asking my doctor during pregnancy? How can I balance trusting my intuition and following medical advice? What if things don’t go as planned—how do I stay grounded? What’s the difference between pain and suffering during labor? What really happens after birth—the part no one talks about? Will my body ever be the same? When should my baby roll, crawl, or sit—and when should I stop Googling it? Should breastfeeding be painful—or is that a sign something’s off? How do I return to work without losing myself—or my career identity? How do we find intimacy again when I’m touched out and exhausted? How do I stay connected to joy and possibility, even when pregnancy or postpartum feels hard? Who am I now that I’m someone’s mother? Who cares if my baby hates tummy time? 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? Follow @bewellbabypdx on Instagram Facebook and TikTok Join our email list - Notes from the Nest (https://www.bewellbaby.org/#notes) - for a good time!

Publisher

Dr. Emily Spaeth

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Nov 2025

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

51 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   How to Write a Birth Plan That Actually Works with Nina Spears of Baby Chick®

   Your birth plan isn't a contract with the universe. It's a flow chart. In our Season 1 finale, doula and Baby Chick founder Nina Spears shares how to write birth preferences that prepare you for the birth you actually get. Nina has supported over 800 families in person and attended more than 350 births over 15 years. She's the author of The Baby Chick Guide to a Positive Pregnancy and built Baby Chick into one of the most trusted pregnancy, birth, and postpartum resources out there. In this conversation, we talk about: Why a birth plan should be a flow chart, not a wish list How "birth rehearsals" help you and your partner prepare for the what ifs What a doula actually does (and why we're not there to replace your partner) Why the invisible load starts the moment you see a positive pregnancy test Practical ways partners can share the load during pregnancy, from booking the prenatal massage to researching car seats What catches partners off guard in the first days postpartum 💛 Why every pregnant person needs to unlearn being a "good girl" and a "good patient" Connect with Nina: Website: baby-chick.com Instagram: @thebabychick Thank you for 50 episodes! 🎉 Season 2 is coming soon with shorter episodes built around the question every parent asks at least once a day: Who cares? Until then, go back and listen to Season 1 from the beginning. If this episode helped you, share it with a pregnant friend or their partner, and leave a rating and review. It helps more families find the show. Your host: Dr. Emily Spaeth, PT, DPT, IBCLC, is the founder of Be Well Baby®, a multidisciplinary perinatal and infant care practice in Portland, Oregon. She's spent her career helping families feel supported through pregnancy, feeding, and early development, starting in the NICU and spreading that expertise all over her community. Emily's mission is to change the way people think about preparing for having a baby, this podcast is part of that. Stay connected while we're on break: Join Notes from the Nest, the Be Well Baby newsletter, to get practical support for pregnancy, feeding, and your baby's development, plus the first listen when Season 2 drops. 💌 www.bewellbaby.org/#notes If you'd like to schedule a virtual pregnancy or lactation visit visit www.bewellbaby.org/book-now

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   What Your Gut Is Telling You About Your Pelvic Floor with Dr. Val Brown

   Pelvic floor physical therapist Val explains the surprising gut-pelvic floor connection, from bloating to bladder leaks, and how to spot the signs. Most people don't think to connect their digestion with their pelvic floor, but Dr. Emily and pelvic floor physical therapist and functional nutrition practitioner Dr. Val Brown explain why the two are deeply linked. In this episode, they cover surprising symptoms that point back to gut health, from crumbling nails to hearing your heartbeat on your pillow at night, the connection between hypermobility and digestive issues, how the nervous system controls digestion and absorption, and why bladder leaks might have more to do with your diet than you think. Val also shares simple, doable shifts anyone can make to support better digestion and a healthier pelvic floor, starting tonight. What You'll Learn in This Episode What functional nutrition is and how it differs from typical dietitian care Surprising symptoms (nails, eyebrows, sleep) that point to gut and hormone imbalances How chronic stress and the nervous system affect digestion and absorption The connection between hypermobility, EDS, and digestive issues How bladder and bowel habits relate to pelvic floor health One small, doable shift to improve digestion starting today About Dr. Val Val is a pelvic floor physical therapist and functional nutrition practitioner with nearly two decades of experience across pelvic health, neurology, orthopedics, and chronic pain. She brings together clinical training and lived, embodied understanding, having walked her own path from disconnection back to herself, which shapes how she shows up for her clients: not just as a clinician, but as someone who understands what it actually takes to trust your body again. Val's work integrates structure, sensation, and nervous system regulation as one system rather than separate interventions, with no fixed protocol. Instead, she teaches clients how their bodies actually work so they can learn to trust and respond to them in real time. She is the creator of the Vital Access Method, a framework centering the pelvic floor across conditions including hip and back pain, digestion, perinatal health, hypermobility, and more. About Dr. Emily Dr. Emily Spaeth is a physical therapist, IBCLC, certified neonatal therapist, and founder of Be Well Baby, a multidisciplinary perinatal and infant care practice in Portland, Oregon. Be Well Baby can help you prepare for an empowered birth, and offers the most comprehensive healthcare for tongue ties & torticollis. Emily is also the founder of the Perinatal Business Alliance, bringing healthcare providers to connect and collaborate so that we can change perinatal healthcare for the better! Learn more: bewellbaby.org (https://bewellbaby.org) A Note on This Episode This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for personalized medical care. If you're experiencing pelvic floor symptoms, digestive issues, or disordered eating, please reach out to a provider you trust. Enjoyed The Episode? Leave us a review, it genuinely helps other families find this podcast. And if you know someone dealing with bloating, leaks, or gut issues that they haven't connected to their pelvic floor, send this one their way.

3. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Relationships After Baby: The Piggy Bank Theory with Miranda Bayard Clark

   Struggling to stay connected after having a baby? Licensed counselor Miranda Bayard-Clark shares real tools for rebuilding your relationship postpartum. Having a baby changes everything, including your relationship with your partner. In this episode, Dr. Emily Spaeth talks with licensed counselor and relationship coach Miranda Bayard-Clark about what really happens to couples after baby arrives, and how to protect your connection through it. They cover rebuilding rituals after a baby, managing resentment and mismatched expectations, setting boundaries with extended family, and recognizing postpartum depression and anxiety from a partner's perspective. Miranda also introduces her "piggy bank theory," a simple framework for keeping your relationship's emotional reserves full before conflict hits. If you're expecting, newly postpartum, or just trying to reconnect with your partner after the fog of early parenthood, this conversation is full of practical tools for marriage after having a baby that you can start using tonight. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why "preparental" conversations matter as much as premarital ones How to rebuild connection rituals after a baby disrupts your routine Tools for navigating conflict and resentment between new parents How to recognize postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms in your partner What to say (and avoid saying) when your partner is struggling postpartum Setting healthy boundaries with extended family after baby About Miranda Bayard-Clark Miranda is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Oregon #C4122), Gottman-trained Bringing Baby Home educator, and founder of Love After Lullabies, a coaching practice and podcast helping couples navigate the transition to parenthood. She holds a Master's in Counseling Psychology from Lewis & Clark College and has been in private practice since 2012, supporting adults and couples through life transitions and mental health challenges. Miranda lives in the Pacific Northwest with her partner and their two daughters. Learn more: (https://loveafterlullabies.com)loveafterlullabies.com (http://loveafterlullabies.com) About Dr. Emily Spaeth Dr. Emily Spaeth is a physical therapist, IBCLC, and certified neonatal therapist, and founder of Be Well Baby, a multidisciplinary perinatal and infant care practice in Portland, Oregon. Be Well Baby offers in-home physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, lactation support, craniosacral therapy, and infant massage for families navigating pregnancy through early parenthood. Learn more: (https://bewellbaby.org)bewellbaby.org (http://bewellbaby.org) A Note on This Episode This podcast is for educational purposes only and isn't a substitute for personalized medical or mental health care. If anything in this episode brings up something you're struggling with, especially around postpartum mental health, please reach out to a provider you trust.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Contact The Be Well Baby Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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