Becoming parents is one of the most transformative experiences in a relationship—but it can also be one of the most challenging. In this episode, fertility coach, doula, and birth educator Ivy Joeva shares expert insights on baby-proofing your relationship, navigating intimacy changes, and maintaining a strong emotional connection through fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum.
We uncover the most common relationship struggles new parents face, from shifting household roles to dealing with resentment, and discuss how to communicate effectively to prevent cracks from turning into deeper divides. Ivy also dives into the realities of parenthood and intimacy, offering guidance on keeping the spark alive even when exhaustion and new responsibilities take center stage.
Plus, we explore difficult but necessary conversations—how to navigate infertility challenges as a couple, when separation might be the best path forward, and how to co-parent with compassion if divorce becomes a reality.
Whether you’re expecting your first baby or deep into parenting, this episode is packed with actionable tips to strengthen your relationship and create a thriving partnership.
Topics Covered In This Episode:
Baby-proofing your relationship and marriage
Navigating intimacy after baby
Common relationship struggles for new parents
Effective communication strategies for couples
Managing resentment and parental stress
Show Notes:
Reach out to Ivy (@IvyJoeva on Instagram) for a free 30-minute consult
Visit Ivys website: www.ivyjoeva.com
Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell’s Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child’s number one health advocate!
Click here to learn more about Steph Greunke, RD’s online nutrition program and community, Postpartum Reset, an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood.
Ivy Joeva is a fertility coach, doula and birth educator serving women and couples who desire a conscious path on the journey of conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond. Bridging the gap between modern science and ancient wisdom, Ivy’s approach emphasizes the mind-body connection and includes the physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual aspects of care. She provides support throughout the childbearing year including fertility coaching, holistic preparation for birth, postpartum recovery care and counseling for pregnancy loss of all kinds. A graduate of UC Berkeley and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Ivy became a doula in 2009. She serves clients across the United States and abroad.
This Episode’s Sponsors
Enjoy the health benefits of PaleoValley’s products such as their supplements, superfood bars and meat sticks. Receive 15% off your purchase by using code DOCTORMOM at checkout or head to paleovalley.com/doctormom
Discover for yourself why Needed is trusted by women’s health practitioners and mamas alike to support optimal pregnancy outcomes. Try their 4 Part Complete Nutrition plan which includes a Prenatal Multi, Omega-3, Collagen Protein, and Pre/Probiotic. To get started, head to thisisneeded.com, and use code DOCTORMOM100 for $100 off your first 3 months of Needed’s Complete Plan!
Active Skin Repair is a must-have for everyone to keep themselves and their families healthy and clean. Keep a bottle in the car to spray your face after removing your mask, a bottle in your medicine cabinet to replace your toxic first aid products, and one in your outdoor pack for whatever life throws at you. Use code DOCTORMOM to receive 20% off your order + free shipping (with $35 minimum purchase). Visit BLDGActive.com to order.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF to Steph and Dr. Elana on Instagram. They can’t wait to meet you!
Please remember that the views and ideas presented on this podcast are for informational purposes only. All information presented on this podcast is for informational purposes and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement regimen, or to determine the appropriateness of the information shared on this podcast, or if you have any questions regarding your treatment plan.
Moms are constantly told to “do it all,” but at what cost? In this thought-provoking episode, bestselling author and cultural critic Elise Loehnen unpacks the deeply ingrained patterns that lead moms to suppress their own needs in favor of meeting everyone else’s. Drawing from her book On Our Best Behavior, Elise reveals how the seven deadly sins—like sloth, gluttony, and pride—have been weaponized against women, shaping how we parent, work, and care for ourselves.
We explore the hidden guilt behind resting, why moms feel pressure to “earn” their self-care, and how to break free from societal expectations that leave us exhausted and disconnected from our true selves. Elise also shares eye-opening insights on motherhood, identity, and the power of curiosity in reshaping our lives.
If you’ve ever felt torn between what you “should” do and what you need, this episode is a must-listen. Learn how to reclaim your time, energy, and joy—without guilt. Tune in now to start your journey toward balance and freedom!
Topics Covered In This Episode:
Why moms ignore self-care
The hidden guilt behind rest
Body image and body confidence
Breaking free from mom burnout
How societal norms shape motherhood
Reclaiming time, energy, and joy
Show Notes:
Follow @eliseloehnen on Instagram
Tweet Elise @eloehnen
Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell’s Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child’s number one health advocate!
Click here to learn more about Steph Greunke, RD’s online nutrition program and community, Postpartum Reset, an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood.
Elise Loehnen is a writer, editor, and podcast host who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Rob, and their two sons, Max and Sam. She is the host of Pulling the Thread, a podcast focused on pulling apart the stories we tell about who we are—and then putting those threads back together. Ultimately Elise is a seeker and synthesizer, braiding together wisdom traditions, cultural history, and a deep knowledge of healing modalities to unlock new ways to contextualize who we are and why we’re here. She’s also the author of the instant New York Times bestseller On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good (Dial Press/PRH). The book weaves together history, memoir, and cultural criticism to explore the ways patriarchy lands in the bodies of women and embeds itself in our consciousness—and what we then police in ourselves and in each other. Regardless of our religious provenance, the self-denial implicit in each of the Seven Deadly Sins—Sloth, Envy, Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Anger—reads like a checklist of what it means to be a “good” woman. With awareness, we can begin to recognize these patterns of self-restriction, break the story, and move ourselves and each other toward freedom and balance.
Elise is a frequent contributor to Oprah, and has written for The New York Times, Elle Decor, Stylist, and more.
This Episode’s Sponsors
Enjoy the health benefits of PaleoValley’s products such as their supplements, superfood bars and meat sticks. Receive 15% off your purchase by using code DOCTORMOM at checkout or head to paleovalley.com/doctormom
Discover for yourself why Needed is trusted by women’s health practitioners and mamas alike to support optimal pregnancy outcomes. Try their 4 Part Complete Nutrition plan which includes a Prenatal Multi, Omega-3, Collagen Protein, and Pre/Probiotic. To get started, head to thisisneeded.com, and use code DOCTORMOM100 for $100 off your first 3 months of Needed’s Complete Plan!
Active Skin Repair is a must-have for everyone to keep themselves and their families healthy and clean. Keep a bottle in the car to spray your face after removing your mask, a bottle in your medicine cabinet to replace your toxic first aid products, and one in your outdoor pack for whatever life throws at you. Use code DOCTORMOM to receive 20% off your order + free shipping (with $35 minimum purchase). Visit BLDGActive.com to order.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF to Steph and Dr. Elana on Instagram. They can’t wait to meet you!
Please remember that the views and ideas presented on this podcast are for informational purposes only. All information presented on this podcast is for informational purposes and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement regimen, or to determine the appropriateness of the information shared on this podcast, or if you have any questions regarding your treatment plan.
Is your kid moving enough? With screens and sedentary lifestyles taking over, many parents worry about their child's physical activity. In this episode, performance coach and youth movement expert Coach Milo Bryant reveals why movement is essential for childhood development and how parents can help their kids build strength, coordination, and confidence through sports and play.
We discuss the dangers of early sports specialization, the benefits of exposing kids to multiple activities, and the surprising movements every child should master—like sprinting, martial arts, and even dance! Plus, Coach Milo shares practical tips for choosing the right coaches and sports programs to ensure long-term athletic success.
Whether you’re raising a toddler or a teen, this episode is packed with expert insights to help you cultivate a lifelong love of movement in your kids. Tune in and learn how to set your child up for athletic success—both on and off the field!
Topics Covered In This Episode:
The importance of movement in child development
Early sports specialization risks and myths
Best sports for kids' physical growth
How to choose a great youth coach
Building strength, coordination, and confidence through play
Show Notes:
Visit Coach Milo’s Website
Check out the CLAY Website
Follow Coach Milo’s @nobullfit on Instagram
Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell’s Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child’s number one health advocate!
Click here to learn more about Steph Greunke, RD’s online nutrition program and community, Postpartum Reset, an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood.
In a room full of kids, Coach Milo is the biggest, loudest, goofiest and most active one there. His passion lies in finding better means and methods of getting his younger brethren to move, to explore the communication between their brains and muscles and the interaction of those with the environment. After that, it’s all about getting them moving more often!
Coach Milo is the founder of the Coalition for Launching Active Youth (C.L.A.Y.), an organization established to help the fight against sugar, boredom, video games, televisions and adults who have lost their inner child. Fundamental movement is Coach Milo’s weapon of choice. But give him a ball, bat, racquet and some space, and inactivity and obesity don’t stand a chance!
Coach Milo gets children, and those of us not so childlike, moving nationally and internationally. He has lectured and been a part of seminars, presenting to Olympic committees and National Sport organizations, in more than two dozen countries, educating coaches and administrators about the development of long-term youth health and fitness.
Coach Milo has He is an advisory board member of the Titleist Performance Institute. He regularly appeared on the Golf Channel’s “Golf Fitness Academy.” Coach Milo is a co-author of “Movement: Functional Movement Systems: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies.” He’s the author of “Unstoppable After 40 – The Secret to Supercharging Recovery, Avoiding Injury, and Never Slowing Down.” His latest book “Raising Luck – The Cheat Code to Developing a Holistically Elite Athlete from Birth to Adulthood” will be available in August 2023. Coach Milo also writes for Men’s Health magazine.
But most of Coach Milo’s time is spent working on that doctorate degree in movement-induced laughter and fun!
This Episode’s Sponsors
Enjoy the health benefits of PaleoValley’s products such as their supplements, superfood bars and meat sticks. Receive 15% off your purchase by using code DOCTORMOM at checkout or head to paleovalley.com/doctormom
Discover for yourself why Needed is trusted by women’s health practitioners and mamas alike to support optimal pregnancy outcomes. Try their 4 Part Complete Nutrition plan which includes a Prenatal Multi, Omega-3, Collagen Protein, and Pre/Probiotic. To get started, head to thisisneeded.com, and use code DOCTORMOM100 for $100 off your first 3 months of Needed’s Complete Plan!
Active Skin Repair is a must-have for everyone to keep themselves and their families healthy and clean. Keep a bottle in the car to spray your face after removing your mask, a bottle in your medicine cabinet to replace your toxic first aid products, and one in your outdoor pack for whatever life throws at you. Use code DOCTORMOM to receive 20% off your order + free shipping (with $35 minimum purchase). Visit BLDGActive.com to order.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF to Steph and Dr. Elana on Instagram. They can’t wait to meet you!
Please remember that the views and ideas presented on this podcast are for informational purposes only. All information presented on this podcast is for informational purposes and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement regimen, or to determine the appropriateness of the information shared on this podcast, or if you have any questions regarding your treatment plan.
Traditional education isn’t working for many kids, but what if there was a better way? In this episode, we dive into self-directed learning, alternative education, and raising independent kids with Laura Sandefer, co-founder of Acton Academy—a revolutionary school model designed to help children take ownership of their education.
Discover how to foster a love of learning, resilience, and real-world problem-solving through a unique combination of Socratic discussions, project-based learning, and self-governance. Laura shares powerful insights on why kids should be treated as capable leaders in their own learning journey, how parents can support a hero’s journey mindset, and why failure is one of the most valuable lessons a child can experience.
We also explore the differences between private, alternative, and traditional schooling, plus practical tips for nurturing independent thinkers at home! If you want to empower your child to be a critical thinker, problem solver, and self-motivated learner, this episode is a must-listen.
Topics Covered In This Episode:
Self-directed learning for kids
Alternative education vs. traditional schools
The hero’s journey in education
Building independence and problem-solving skills
How to foster a love of learning
Show Notes:
Check out the Be Family - Dinner table card game
Purchase the Courage to Grow book
Click here to learn more about Dr. Elana Roumell’s Doctor Mom Membership, a membership designed for moms who want to be their child’s number one health advocate!
Click here to learn more about Steph Greunke, RD’s online nutrition program and community, Postpartum Reset, an intimate private community and online roadmap for any mama (or mama-to-be) who feels stuck, alone, and depleted and wants to learn how to thrive in motherhood.
Laura Sandefer: Co-Founder, Acton Academy. Laura lived on both US coasts and in between as a child, then settled into Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies. After being awarded the Walter Wattles Fellowship at Lloyd’s of London, Laura worked in the aviation insurance industry in New York City. Deciding to follow her calling into the world of education, Laura returned to Nashville and earned her second Vanderbilt degree with her Master of Education. This led her to her work at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, creating fine arts education programs for teachers and talented high school students. Laura married Jeff Sandefer and is the happy mother of Sam and Charlie and step-mother to Taite. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to co-found Acton Academy, a revolutionary design for K-12 learning, and the Acton Children's Business Fair. Today there are over 300 Acton Academy locations around the world and over 1,000 Children's Business Fairs impacting the lives of over 16,000 children. Laura is the author of “Courage to Grow” - a true story documenting the journey she and her family took to create a new vision of learning that has started a global movement in education. Her passion now includes equipping families to build deep connection around the family dinner table with her conversation game, "Be Family."
This Episode’s Sponsors
Enjoy the health benefits of PaleoValley’s products such as their supplements, superfood bars and meat sticks. Receive 15% off your purchase by using code DOCTORMOM at checkout or head to paleovalley.com/doctormom
Discover for yourself why Needed is trusted by women’s health practitioners and mamas alike to support optimal pregnancy outcomes. Try their 4 Part Complete Nutrition plan which includes a Prenatal Multi, Omega-3, Collagen Protein, and Pre/Probiotic. To get started, head to thisisneeded.com, and use code DOCTORMOM100 for $100 off your first 3 months of Needed’s Complete Plan!
Active Skin Repair is a must-have for everyone to keep themselves and their families healthy and clean. Keep a bottle in the car to spray your face after removing your mask, a bottle in your medicine cabinet to replace your toxic first aid products, and one in your outdoor pack for whatever life throws at you. Use code DOCTORMOM to receive 20% off your order + free shipping (with $35 minimum purchase). Visit BLDGActive.com to order.
INTRODUCE YOURSELF to Steph and Dr. Elana on Instagram. They can’t wait to meet you!
Please remember that the views and ideas presented on this podcast are for informational purposes only. All information presented on this podcast is for informational purposes and not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a healthcare provider. Consult with your healthcare provider before starting any diet, supplement regimen, or to determine the appropriateness of the information shared on this podcast, or if you have any questions regarding your treatment plan.