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Episode Summary:In this episode of The Dr. Nurture Podcast, we cover effective physical therapy techniques that can help relieve colic in newborns. Colic is a common, challenging condition, but with the right approaches, you can create comfort for your baby and reduce colic crying. Discover how to soothe a colicky infant using evidence-based strategies like tummy time, infant massage, bicycling legs, and positional techniques, such as the colic carry and babywearing.
Key Topics Covered:
What is colic, and why does it happen?
How to prevent colic while pregnant: Learn steps that may help, like supporting maternal gut health.
Using tummy time to relieve colic: Apply gentle pressure on the belly to stimulate digestion.
Infant massage for colic relief: Techniques like the "I Love You" stroke aid digestion and reduce colic symptoms.
Bicycling legs and pelvic tilts: Gentle movements to help release trapped gas.
Positional techniques and babywearing: Using the colic carry and baby carriers to soothe digestive discomfort and reduce crying.
Creating a calming environment: Use swaddling, white noise, and dim lighting to help reduce overstimulation in colicky infants.
Highlights & Takeaways:
Tummy time isn’t just for motor development—it’s also great for alleviating colic symptoms.
Infant massage can help stop colic crying by supporting digestion through stimulating the vagus nerve.
Simple leg movements like bicycling can promote gas release, helping soothe a colicky infant.
The colic carry and babywearing provide comforting pressure and reduce colic crying.
Studies show that carrying babies more often can reduce colicky crying significantly.
COLIC WORKBOOK: strategies for Reducing Colic Mindfully and calming your anxiety (scroll to the bottom for the freebie or buy the E-book for comprehensive guidance!)
EVIVO-baby probiotics to reduce colic discomfort (use code NURTURE for 15% off)
NEEDED-high quality prenatal and perinatal supplements (get 20% off your first subscription)
Connect with Dr. Nurture:
Website: nurturehealthhome.com
Instagram: @nurturehealthpt
Subscribe & Share:If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, please subscribe and share it with other parents managing colic. Leaving a review helps more parents find our show and benefit from these insights.
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Episode Summary: In this episode we dive deep into self-care routines that genuinely transform your health and well-being. Self-care goes beyond the quick fixes and spa days – it’s about building routines that make a long-term impact. Today, I’m sharing a physical therapist’s perspective on three key self-care strategies that will make you feel more connected, balanced, and resilient:
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy – Discover why caring for your pelvic floor muscles can improve everything from core strength to lower back health, especially if you’re postpartum. Regular Exercise – Understand how building a consistent, manageable exercise routine (even just 15-20 minutes a day) can reduce stress, increase strength, and improve mental clarity. Eating Nutritious Foods & Key Vitamins – Learn about the essential nutrients, foods, and vitamins that fuel your body’s recovery, enhance muscle health, and support energy levels. AND learn about why I am loving NEEDED's prenatal/perinatal products to support my own fertility and motherhood journey.Whether you’re just beginning to prioritize self-care or looking for ways to deepen your existing routines, this episode provides actionable insights and tips to start feeling your best, one day at a time.
NEEDED Prenatal Powder: Use this link and get 20% off! thisisneeded.com/macybassler
Help your little one master sitting easily with the Happy Sitters Course. Email [email protected] with a screenshot of your 5-star review and get FREE access! Valid through 11/20/24.
Help your little one overcome developmental obstacles with one-on-one milestone coaching. nurturehealthhome.com/coaching
Instagram: @nurturehealthpt
nurturehealthhome.com
Dr. Nurture's Etsy Shop: workbooks, guides, and other products to support mamas and their babies through gross motor development and lactation.
Reed J, Ones DS. The effect of acute aerobic exercise on positive activated affect: A meta-analysis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2006;7(5):477–514.
Yeung RR, The acute effects of exercise on mood state. J Psychosom Res 1996;40(2):123–41.
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Let’s explore one of the most transformative moments after birth: The Golden Hour. This precious period, the first 60 minutes after birth, is vital for bonding, breastfeeding, and the emotional well-being of both mother and baby. Join us as we break down the science and emotions behind skin-to-skin contact, how it helps regulate baby’s heart rate, temperature, and breathing, and why it plays such a pivotal role in successful breastfeeding and bonding.
Key Takeaways from this Episode:
What is the Golden Hour? – Learn how uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth boosts bonding and stabilizes your baby’s vital signs.
The Importance of Skin-to-Skin – Discover how this simple practice supports baby’s adaptation to the outside world, from temperature regulation to stress reduction.
Breastfeeding During the Golden Hour – Understand how the "breast crawl" and early breastfeeding within the first hour help improve long-term feeding success.
Emotional Bonding and Oxytocin – Find out how the "love hormone" oxytocin strengthens the emotional connection between mother and baby, setting the foundation for secure attachment.
Tips for Expecting Parents – Get actionable advice on how to prepare for and protect this essential time, even if a C-section is planned.
Special Offer for Listeners:
Learn actionable tips for how to protect and optimize your golden hour!
FREE Guide: How to Protect Your Golden Hour
AND leave a 5-star review for the Dr. Nurture podcast by November 20, 2024, and get FREE access to the Happy Sitters: Independent Sitting Course for Infants! This course, designed by a pediatric physical therapist, offers step-by-step video exercises to help your baby sit independently while troubleshooting common developmental issues. Just send a screenshot of your review to [email protected] to claim your free course.Help your little one overcome lactation and bonding obstacles with one-on-one milestone coaching.
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Unsure if your baby’s developmental progress is typical? Learn about the top factors influencing motor milestones, including environment, personality, muscle tone, and reflex integration. Get expert insights to decide if therapy might be needed and what to consider for your baby’s growth. Empower yourself with knowledge and make confident choices for your little one’s well-being.
For more resources on navigating development, visit drnurturepod.com.
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Does your child STRUGGLE when it comes to tummy time? Maybe you’re an expecting mama and have heard how this struggle can be so real and want to start off on the right foot. And therapists, if you have those kids who just have no tolerance for prone play—tummy time help is here!
Why is tummy time important?
Learn the foundations of tummy time—the science behind why it’s so hyped and most importantly the ways you can make it playful and effective!
What are the best tummy time exercises?
There are many strategies for tummy time, and this particular episode explores:
-Best approaches-cry it out or gentle strategies?
-Tummy time modifications
-Equipment and toys for tummy time success
-Tummy time as measure of readiness for other milestones
-Tummy time and digestive issues
-And more!
Visit nurturehealthhome.com for more resources.
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This episode explores the different styles of attachment and how we can be mindful of the ways that we influence how our children relate to us as they grow and develop. We talk about the four major types of attachment which are anxious, avoidant, disorganized, secure. Join us as we explore an overview of each.
Also, we touch on attachment repair, or the ways that we can learn to be conscious of our own attachment styles as parents and repair any issues as needed when it comes to our own tendencies in relating to others. This is also useful to be aware of in the context of other relationships as well, including romantic relationships and friendships.
Attachment style quiz: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/relationships/relationship-attachment-style-test
Follow upcoming episodes for deeper dives into each of the styles of attachment!
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This episode dives into 3 simple objects that you probably already have in your home and how they can be leveraged as tools for supporting the development of motor skills. We talk about how couch cushions can be used to milestones such as transitions in/out of sitting, crawling, weight bearing through arms, knees, or feet, and more! Water bottles can also be used as means of developing fine motor strength and coordination. And the last item--spoons!--can be used to foster both gross and fine motor development. Tune into this episode to learn specific strategies for how to make these strategies work for you and your little one!
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In this episode we explore things that we can do in the early days postpartum to best set ourselves up for a successful breastfeeding journey. Part of this is making sure you get a solid milk supply, most of which is driven by supply and demand. I talk about crucial strategies to help make this happen, including initiating breastfeeding within an hour postpartum, protecting your golden hour, skin to skin contact, removing sufficient milk every 2-3 hours, and hand expression. The early hours and days will affect outcomes weeks and months down the road when it comes to milk supply in particular, so it's important to start out strong with a good plan and commitment to making the most of the early postpartum period.
I also give little tidbits about infant reflexes at work via the breast crawl and how this is a not widely known (but highly awesome and natural) avenue for feeding and specifically latching. Additionally, I talk some about cases where adding extra pumping in the beginning might be a good idea to explore with your qualified lactation professional.
WHO/UNICEF Breast Crawl Video (Warning: this is a video of an actual birth with actual images/footage)
https://www.ccbirthcenter.com/unicef-breastfeeding-crawl-video/
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We all know that reading books to our kids is one of the best things we can do to help them in their literacy and language development. But what else can we do as parents in our everyday routines to set our little ones up for the greatest chance of success when it comes to speech outcomes? This episode explores the impact that we can have as parents on these skills, and how simple, conversational strategies with our babies can have huge effects down the road. Talking to your baby with special attention to certain, simple strategies can make a big difference in how infants piece together parts of language and social interactions, and include concepts such as encouraging eye contact, pausing for them to take a turn, utilizing "parent-ese," being mindful of cues for overstimulation, and more. We also talk about how to best set up environments that are conducive to language-learning activities.
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This week's episode is Macy's personal account of working through postpartum depression. She shares what life was like at the time with three kids: having another child with special needs, her husband's job demands, being distanced from lots of their support system, and the insanity that life brought in this season. Macy also goes into the symptoms that clued her in to something being off, and how a shift in symptoms made it more difficult to pinpoint the reality that there was even an issue. She talks of how when this shift is gradual, our baseline for normal functioning and healthy emotions can change without us even knowing it. For this reason, she discusses the importance of checking in with yourself as well as opening these kinds of discussions with others whom we trust in order to hold one another accountable and foster true healing in a community context.
If you found this episode helpful, we'd love to hear from you! You can email Macy at [email protected]. And if you like listening to the show, we'd love it if you gave us a rating and left a review!
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This episode explores ways to tangibly help moms going through transitions into motherhood, whether that's in the early postpartum phase or beyond. As friends and family of new moms in our circles, we can sometimes have a hard time knowing how to step in and help in ways that are truly helpful, without feeling like we are invading boundaries.
Open lines of communication and helping to hash out clear boundaries with moms going through difficult times can be crucial for being a good friend and supporter. Additionally, we explore the ins and outs of other methods of being a help including meal prep, childcare, grocery runs, sweet treats and notes, date nights, girls nights, and more.
Finally, we close with our new "deleted scenes" section where we share bloopers and talk about things completely irrelevant to this podcast in hopes that you might get a few giggles out of it. This week we talk of my very spiritual experience with Walker Hayes' "Fancy Like." -
In this episode we continue our conversation from last week and talk about postpartum depression through a functional medicine lens. While medication and other highly medicalized treatments can be beneficial, they are definitely not the only means of making a big impact on depression. Through lifestyle factors such as nutrition, social health, movement, and sleep, we can make a huge impact on mental health issues (and most of the time these are low-cost and low-risk interventions!). Functional medicine refers to interventions that aim to get to the root cause of health conditions, and rather than seeking out solely the treatment strategies that manage symptoms, functional medicine providers will try to treat the cause of the issue from its source. This is an especially beneficial lens to look through as we talk about the chemical imbalances that come with postpartum depression and anxiety, and asking ourselves the question, "Why is this chemical imbalance occurring in the first place?" These types of questions ultimately lead to more profound healing, longer lasting results, and lower risks and costs to treatment.
Nutritional interventions that we can prioritize include getting appropriate intake of vitamins which are vital for brain function and neurotransmitter creation and exchange, including in particular B vitamins, myoinositol, D vitamins, and omega 3’s. Nutrients are the literal brain fuel we need in order to function at optimal levels, so it makes sense that if we are not putting the right things into our systems, then trouble will arise. Along with this, the concept of oxidative stress describes the inflammation that can take place in our brains with suboptimal thinking patterns, life events, nutrition, etc., and how nutritional supplementation and intervening with our negative cycles of thinking can impact free radicals in the body and improve health. We discuss sleep through a cultural lens and how we may benefit from leaning more into our village, along tips for getting your best night of sleep so that child-related disturbances aside, you have a strong sleep foundation to build on. This episode also entails an overview of pelvic health physical therapy, what it looks like for various circumstances, and how investing in quality care like this in the postpartum period can be highly beneficial for participating in functional activities without pain or hindrance. As we know, barriers from participating in life routines and meaningful activities can serve as perpetuators of distress and therefore the prolonging of depression.
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This episode explores the realities of postpartum depression and anxiety (PPD & PPA) and what you might be experiencing if you are suffering from this condition. From environmental factors to biochemistry, there can be a host of causes that may contribute to the symptoms that accompany PPD: insomnia/hypersomnia, flat affect and loss of ability and desire to connect with others, intrusive thoughts, feelings of panic and inability to turn your mind off, having trouble finding the energy to even do the things you typically love doing, crying for no reason--these are but a few of the symptoms we talk about. Additionally, we highlight the importance of really examining ourselves--whether in the postpartum period currently or not--to make sure we are not letting our sense of "normal" shift, thus normalizing dysfunction. Stress, especially in the context of social isolation or social unrest, is one of the biggest risk factors for depression in general and this is true for PPD as well. We'll dive into some ways to recognize and nip these risk factors the best we can with the resources we as moms each have at our disposal.In continually checking in with ourselves, we are better able to care for our babies and loved ones. Research has proven time and again that children of depressed mothers have alterations in brain chemistry, including excessive amounts of the stress hormone cortisol and lower amounts of the love hormone, oxytocin. This can have a profound effect on a developing brain and how their social nervous system in particular learns to wire itself together. We emphasize that this reality is not to be a source of guilt but rather an excuse for them to take care of themselves too! In a season where it seems baby's needs come first, it's easy for moms to fall on the back burner when it comes to nurturing their own physical and mental health. But to all the mamas out there struggling to make time for your own needs, let this evidence motivate you to care for your baby by caring for yourself! Mother-baby dyads are like living, breathing units and the health of one intimately affects the other--a lot of needs to prioritize! And prioritization is not in the one-or-the-other sense, but rather the both-and sense.A few other topics we breeze through include matrescense or the changes that a mom's brain goes through after having a baby, how the developing brain is affected by mom's facial expressions, how shifting our mindset and our expectations around common stressors of motherhood can make us physically experience them as less of a stressor, and even a few practical strategies for managing difficult feelings and attitudes we may be facing. And of course, Kaylee talks us through more details from her mental health lens of what therapy for PPD/PPA actually looks like whenever we make the formal decision to "get help."This is a common issue (approximately 20% of women experience PPD after having a baby) and yet it's a difficult thing to bring up in conversation and get the social support we need. We hope this discussion helps give eyes to what is an oftentimes a very silent and very severe issue!
Infant Massage (Fourth Edition): A Handbook for Loving Parents
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As a little one transitions from toddlerhood to this 3-5 year old age range, there are some important play skills that they ideally will develop during this time as a way that they can exercise the parts of their brain that get them more ready for the school setting. The key thing with school and readiness for starting school has very little to do with learning numbers and letters and far more with giving our kids a strong foundation for social skills. This looks like expanding their mental frameworks (more abstract thinking and learning how their actions influence reality) as well as giving them opportunities to practice their language skills. Our role during this time is not so much teaching our child as it is encouraging them to explore concepts themselves and to really guide their curiosity and start to see patterns in the world around them.
This is why the concept of Montessori preschools is so great. This kind of free play setup allows kids the independence to explore, learn cause and effect skills, interact with peers and start to try and initiate play or get someone to play with them, teach them the rules of a game, etc. Another critical piece is giving kids the environment where they are not so intensely controlled where they can have some freedom to try and sort through a problem on their own first, whether that's figuring out how to operate a toy or feeling out how to resolve a conflict with a classmate. This is also why it's really important at this age to give lots of opportunities for imaginative play that doesn't have too many boundaries, like blocks, dress up, assorted arts/craft supplies, and even simple dolls/figurines to encourage more of these pretend play schemas.
We also talk about developmental parenting and how promoting this habit of encouraging curiosity in our kids throughout all of our home routines really sets them up for school readiness. With early encouragement from a nurturing parent to explore and ask questions about how the world works, kids will gain the confidence they need to continue branching out to experiment with how things work and start learning patterns.
A child's most important teacher is their parent, so it's important that we foster a spirit of curiosity in our kids by being curious about what they are doing and thinking and helping them engage with these new encounters and revelations they have in order to help them make sense of the world in a meaningful way. Regarding school readiness, the best thing we can do for our kids is create in them a love for learning, as this reaches infinitely further than simply teaching them to memorize information.
And perhaps above all, don’t stifle all of the "why" questions! It can be overwhelming to feel as a parent that all you do is explain why questions but this too is critical in setting our little ones up for success.
Developmental Parenting
https://products.brookespublishing.com/Developmental-Parenting-P566.aspx
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Toddlerhood is an intimidating phase of development for so many parents. What we usually think of when we hear the word "toddler" is tantrums and meltdowns galore. This can be so frustrating as parents and can honestly really get our blood boiling when our child is being beyond unreasonable and has seemed to have checked out completely. But as we talk about today, simply managing our expectations during this phase of development helps us as the adult not be so emotionally driven like our kids are at this point on the developmental continuum. Something else worth mentioning is that when our toddlers are having fits of frustration and maybe are even being explosive, we need to first check the basics: are they hungry? Tired? Lonely? Thirsty? Sick? Reflecting on how we feel and how short we can be with others when we ourselves are any of these things can really help us be empathetic; it's pretty unreasonable to ask that a small, underdeveloped brain show self control and regulation when suffering from these things when we as grown ups have a really hard time with this too!
This episode also covers some strategies to support you through the common battles, including potty training, mealtimes, and of course tantrums. With strategies to de-escalate situations, we can prevent challenging routines from becoming triggers that set kids off on an even more vicious cycle of pure emotion. As always, we talk about these concepts of warmth and gentleness and how they still hold true as being foundational even during these often difficult years. We can't overemphasize the role of early bonding and fostering that parent-child connection all throughout their life--and it's so true that children who are more closely bonded to their parents are far less likely to want to defy and far more likely to want to connect and preserve the bond.
Toddlerhood gets such a bad reputation but I love it so much! It is the most incredible thing to watch your little one learn so rapidly and develop so many new skills during this time. For all of the stereotypically "bad" things about raising toddlers, there are infinitely more wonderful, precious things to reap from this phase! This time really is so unique too in that you see even more of your child's personality blossom as they begin to develop more language skills to express what's going on up their in their busy brains.
We hope you love this one!
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This episode dives into Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory as it relates to early childhood development. This theory outlines the concept of safety in infancy/toddlerhood as being the foundation for healthy social development. As discussed in this episode, looking at the nervous system through this social lens enhances our ability and need as human beings to connect with others in order to achieve optimal health both in the body and in the psyche.
Along with this discussion, we talk about the role of the autonomic nervous system in regulating the stress response of an individual, what happens to the brain under chronic stress/perpetual "fight or flight," and how we can nurture safety in our own parenting practices. Our way of perceiving the world and our experiences leave very real imprints on the nervous system, and especially so during these early, formative years of development.
When it comes to nurturing safety for the health of a developing nervous system, it's important that parents remember that stress is often relative. "If it’s a big deal to them, it should be a big deal to us," as Macy states. The more a child perceives a threat or feels stressed and their nervous system is on high alert, then less of a threatening stimulus is needed to elicit the same stress response, and it becomes a vicious cycle. Eventually this can go on until a child dissociates or completely shuts down because the stress is just too much to handle.
So keeping this very sensitive socially-driven nervous system in mind, it’s important to remember that helping kids grow and learn means supporting them through the discomfort and growing pains, not throwing them to the wolves for the sake of promoting independence. Little ones need to be nurtured far more than they need to be pushed and pressured into learning developmental tasks on a certain timeline. With a solid, safe foundation and ample opportunities for practicing skills in the context of secure family relationships, children will have the best chance to succeed later.
The Polyvagal Theory
https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
Subscribe to the show and leave us a review to help other mamas and professionals find it!
Blog: nurturehealthhome.com
Instagram:@nurturehealthpt
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This episode explores emotional regulation and coregulation, the effect of parent stress on an infant’s physiology, the qualities of warmth and responsiveness and their role in development, and how parents are the experts and change-makers when it comes to providing the supports that a child needs in order to grow and flourish.
We talk about developmental windows in the growing nervous system, recognizing our own emotional traumas that we may bring to the table as we parent, and ways to deal with in-the-moment stressors when you feel like you may want to explode with emotion when it comes to handling the stress of raising a little one.
We also dive into the ability of babies and kids in general to pick up on our parental stress responses and how we can quit fueling the fire for crying and meltdowns by being more mindful about our own physiology and thought processes. And is it possible that we as a culture are placing emotional expectations on our little ones that are far too high?
Macy gives a brief intro to navigating systems with their now-adopted daughter through the foster care and medical system. We plan to later dip our toes more into the topic of advocacy for your little one within a medical system that more often wants to prescribe a pill and push you out the door instead of digging into the root cause of problems.
Thank you for listening today. Subscribe to the show and leave us a review to help other mamas and professionals find it!
Blog: nurturehealthhome.com
Instagram:@nurturehealthpt
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Dr. Bassler (pediatric physical therapist/certified breastfeeding specialist) and Dr. Archey (licensed clinical social worker and mental health professional) discuss all things child development. We empower parents and professionals to nurture life by diving into strategies to optimize development within the context of home (motor, language/breastfeeding, social/attachment, sensory, sleep, and more). Our medical system is failing our kids when it comes to setting them up for success and getting to the root causes of health issues, so we provide a holistic education approach to make caregivers expert advocates for their child, setting a strong foundation to insure long term health outcomes. We’re here to take the doubt out of development!
