The Expecting and Empowered Podcast

How do you become a person who works out? How do you stay consistent with your workouts? And how do you actually make the time to work out? You’ve asked, so Amy is going in depth into how she actually makes the time to get in her 3 strength training workouts a week!

We love bringing you real, tangible tools to help you feel empowered and today is no different! Amy introduces her technique of “time chunking” - planning her day into c...

Krystle takes the mic solo to share big news: Pilates is officially coming to the Expecting and Empowered workout app! Joined by a familiar face to the Expecting and Empowered community, Jacquelyn Brennan, this episode gives listeners an inside look at her history with Pilates and how her version will be such a huge asset to the app. 

Krystle and Jacquelyn dive into Jacquelyn’s journey to Pilates and why she believes it is such a po...

When preparing for birth, many mamas focus on physical preparedness, which makes sense! Putting together a nursery and the perfect registry list is a lot of fun. But labor can be a long, physical task that requires mental perseverance. Surprise guest host and running coach in the Expecting and Empowered app, Abby Green, joins Amy to discuss why preparing your mind is just as important, no matter your birth plan. 

Amy shares her expe...

Maternal mental health is a critical yet often misunderstood part of the postpartum experience, and this conversation shines light on an important topic many parents may not fully understand: perinatal and postnatal OCD. Amy is joined by Betty Flores, LCSW, PMH-C, and Justine Rae Murray, LCSW—two therapists who specialize in perinatal and postnatal mental health and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Betty and Justine share how their o...

This week Amy is solo for a short and encouraging episode focused on one common challenge in motherhood: staying consistent with workouts. As a follow-up to the conversation about finding time to exercise with little kids, this episode is designed to be simple, practical, and motivating for moms navigating busy seasons of life.

Amy shares why consistency in movement matters during motherhood and how this habit will continue lifelong...

In today’s episode, Amy is joined by Sydney, a labor and delivery nurse with over five years of bedside experience and a deep passion for women’s health. As the creator of the platform @Nurse_Sydney and co-host of The Push Pod, Sydney is dedicated to empowering women with evidence-based information so they can feel confident throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond!

This episode dives into the nitty-gritty of birth plans ...

While balancing motherhood, work, and daily responsibilities can make prioritizing fitness feel impossible, this episode is a reminder that self-care isn’t selfish — it’s essential. Amy shares honest reflections from her own seasons of motherhood alongside real-life insight from other moms in the Expecting and Empowered community who are finding creative ways to make their health a priority.

This episode focuses on practical tools a...

In today’s episode, Amy is joined by Dr. Marisa G. Franco, psychologist and friendship expert, for an honest and refreshing conversation about navigating friendships in motherhood. This episode explores why friendship truly matters and why maintaining meaningful connections deserves intentional space through every season of life, even when your day feels full. 

Dr. Franco discusses how challenging it can be to both maintain existing...

Fear of tearing is one of the most common concerns women have as they prepare for birth, yet many leave the experience saying, “I wish someone would have told me this sooner.” In this episode, we break down perineal tearing with evidence-based education so you can head into labor feeling informed, prepared, and confident.

We’re joined by Sarah Rubbatt, lead women’s health physical therapist at Empowered Movement and Physical Therapy...

As we are celebrating the holiday season here at the Expecting and Empowered Podcast community, we are revisiting one our most popular episodes ever! Mackenzie from @mackenzie.on.motherhood was on this episode to talk about all things labor and delivery and answers our questions on what the role of a labor and delivery nurse is, the sometimes controversial subject of Pitocin, and what cervical checks are and why they’re performed. ...

For this episode of Expecting and Empowered, Amy and Krystle are together to dive into healing as a mama of multiple c-sections. With two (or more) little ones to care for, potential for increased scar tissue, and necessary modifications needed after surgery, the sisters explain why every C-section deserves its own thoughtful recovery plan. They walk us through the most important priority—respecting the healing timeline—and stress ...

For the 100th episode of the Expecting and Empowered podcast, Amy is bringing on a powerhouse in the world of reproductive nutrition. Today’s guest is McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN - a registered dietitian specializing in nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and overall reproductive health. As the founder of Feed Your Zest Nutrition & Wellness, McKenzie supports women navigating PCOS, endometriosis, gestational diabete...

The sister duo, Amy and Krystle, are back on the Expecting and Empowered podcast to bust one of the biggest birth myths out there — that you have to give birth on your back! This common misconception, often fueled by TV and movie portrayals of labor, doesn’t reflect what’s truly best for many birthing moms. In this episode, Amy and Krystle break down why pushing on your back might not be the most ideal position and dive into the sc...

No matter which way you bring your baby into the world, you are incredible! If you had a cesarean birth with your first baby, that doesn’t automatically mean you need to have another c-section if you choose to have more children. Today’s guest Meagan Heaton, co-founder of the VBAC Link, doula, and c-section educator had a successful VBAC with her third child after two previous cesareans. That third birth sparked a drive in her to h...

Amy is solo for today’s episode sharing what she wishes she would have known about labor and delivery. Amy has always been interested in birth and while her nursing career ended up taking a different route, her passion for birth did not end there. After having her 3 boys, Amy decided to further her knowledge and train as a doula. Every part of Amy’s professional and personal life has led to her sharing all things pregnancy, labor, ...

Our conversation today is with Dr. Whitney Casares, board-certified pediatrician, CEO and founder of Modern Mommy Doc, and author of the new book for children My One-of-a-Kind Body. Her book is a wonderful tool to encourage body confidence in kids and can be a valuable resource for parents! 

As new moms, we are shifting the narrative away from the diet culture from the past and learning to love our bodies. We want our kids to feel t...

On today’s episode, Amy is joined by Licensed Psychologist and maternal mental health specialist, Dr. Lilit, to discuss identity - from womanhood, to motherhood, to working mom - why self care is a non-negotiable, and how to shift “mom guilt” into “I care”. Dr. Lilit feels strongly that all women can thrive in motherhood by rethinking expectations and priorities. She walks through ways to maintain your original identity when becomi...

Mealtime struggles can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to be—and that’s why we’re so excited to welcome Jennifer Anderson to today’s episode. Jennifer is a registered dietitian with a Master’s in Public Health, a mom of two, and the founder of Kids Eat in Color, a trusted resource that’s been supporting families with evidence-based strategies for child nutrition and feeding since 2019. In today’s conversation, Jennifer dives...

In episode 91 we talked all about SPD pain during pregnancy, but we’ve had a lot of women from our community ask about SPD pain during the postpartum period! Today, Krystle is going to close that loop and talk about things you can do to alleviate SPD pain during postpartum. Through proper full ribcage breathing, keeping movements symmetrical until inflammation has decreased, and modifying your workouts, less pain and a stronger pel...