Shows
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 35: Thank YouI want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who has been a part of this podcast community. Your support, your engagement, and your willingness to listen and learn have meant the world to me. It's been an honor to have your ears and your hearts alongside me on this adventure.
You can continue to support and stay connected to the Well Worth Watering community through wellworthwatering.com.
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wellworthwatering/message2024-03-1507 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 34: The Sound of Expansion in BirthMyth: Birth is loud and filled with screaming and sounds of agony. Truth: We moan, grunt, cry, and sometimes scream yes but we also laugh, sing, or talk. Or go silent. Have you considered what untouched, physiologically typical labor & childbirth sounds like? I explore all of this and more on Episode 34: The Sound of Expansion in Birth.
If you're pregnant and in your last trimester, now is the perfect time to take a birth class. Get ready for labor by learning comfort and coping techniques, understanding the stages of labor & birth and discussions that go deeper, penetrating...2023-09-1823 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 33: Rich Foundations with Dr. Tiffany M. SmithOn this month's episode I'm sharing a rich conversation with Dr. Tiffany M. Smith, a trailblazing functional psychiatric nurse practitioner, founder of Aroma Functional Nutrition Psychiatry and a visionary who sees a world where mental health care is more than just a pill. Dr. Smith aims to help her patients live better lives by identifying the root cause of their conditions and creating a customized treatment plan that incorporates lifestyle changes, counseling, coaching, and natural supplements. She believes that medication should be a last resort and that empowering her clients to take control of their health is the key to l...2023-08-1833 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 32: Seasons of Beauty with Jasmine MobleyThis episode features a great conversation I had with Jasmine Mobley of Beauty Of The Nile, which makes science-based skin care & skin care infused makeup for skin-of-color. From stretch marks to pregnancy mask, we talked all things pregnancy.
Beauty Of The Nile’s mission is to provide effective skin care products to people-of-color so that all know to “Love Your Brown Skin”, to affirm & amplify that all skin tones are beautiful, and to reject colorism. You can get more information at BeautyOfTheNile.com.
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wellworthwatering/messag2023-07-2126 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 31: When Motherhood Looks Different with Emelda De CoteauEmelda De Coteau—affectionately known as E—is a creative, writer, podcaster and a woman of deep faith. Emelda channels her passions and experiences into deeply meaningful work. When Motherhood Looks Different offers community for mothers raising children with special needs and learning differences as well as mothers facing physical and mental health challenges of their own. The Pray With Our Feet podcast which E co-hosts with her mother, centers progressive Christian faith and social justice. You can follow her work on praywithourfeet.org as well as on Instagram @praywithourfeet. Get the latest news on the When Motherhood Looks Diff...2023-06-1630 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 30: Strong Like a Mother with Dominique QuarlesDominique Quarles is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Postpartum/Prenatal Fitness Coach, Certified Pain Free Performance Specialist, and Certified Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist. An athlete all throughout her teen years and college life, Dominique first experienced a change in her body after the birth of her first child. But after her 2nd and challenges with "mommy belly"—also known as diastasis recti— and pelvic prolapse, she decided to take charge of her healing. This discovery was the start of helping over 400+ women return to a pain-free post-baby life with overall increased function.
Dominique helps new mothers achieve pain...2023-05-1522 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 29: Part 2 | Cutting the Cord with Seiea BrittIn part 2 of Cutting the Cord, we pick up where we left off with Seiea Britt—singer/songwriter and mother of 3 beautiful girls. Seiea first joined us on Episode 8 to talk about her second pregnancy and birth, one where she navigated the challenges of new motherhood at the height of the pandemic as well as a cholestasis diagnosis. This time, we take a detailed look back on the relationship challenges she faced during her third pregnancy and the inner light that led her to the decisions she ultimately needed to make for herself and her girls. If you are na...2023-04-1424 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 28: Part 1 | Cutting the Cord with Seiea BrittWhile the mental and physical well-being of pregnant parents tends to focus on the maternal health care we receive, how do we take a look at the quality of our relationships? Should our intimate relationship reflect back the love growing inside of us? What does it look like to realize while pregnant that a relationship no longer serves you or your highest good? Seiea Britt—singer/songwriter and mother of 3 beautiful girls—graces the podcast once again. Seiea first joined us on Episode 8 to talk about her second pregnancy and birth, one where she navigated the challenges of new moth...2023-03-1530 min
Race2RiseWell Worth WateringTune in as we have our first guest in 2023, Lou-Ann Wattley Belk, Founder of Well Worth Watering, discussing her journey and mission to improve the black maternal health experience.2023-02-2733 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 27: Interview w/ Rondette Amoy SmithI had the pleasure of chatting with the beautiful Rondette Amoy Smith for this first episode of the year. We dove into her experience of high risk pregnancy, having a baby abroad, how she prepared for birth—which involved both practical preparation and rallying the love, advice and help of her family—and how she chose to witness, honor and take time to shift into this amazing version of herself.
Rondette co-hosts Race2Rise—“the podcast for women everywhere”—which centers empowernment and all-around self-development for women of color. Rondette is also the head of Diversity & Inclusion at an invest...2023-02-1435 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 26: Part 2: Interview w/ Dr. Amber Thornton of Balanced Working MamaPicking up where we left off in episode 25 with Dr. Amber Thornton of Balanced Working Mama, this episode comes to a grounding, comforting close with a reminder to hold onto what lights us up. Dr. Amber is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Motherhood Wellness Consultant and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to completely change the narrative of what is possible for working mothers by helping them to better balance work, motherhood, and wellness. Dr. Thornton resides in Washington, DC with her husband and 2 children. She is deeply passionate about helping other working mothers fulfill...2022-12-1926 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 25: Part 1: Interview w/ Dr. Amber Thornton of Balanced Working MamaIn this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Dr. Amber Thornton of Balanced Working Mama. Dr. Amber is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Motherhood Wellness Consultant and the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, where the mission is to completely change the narrative of what is possible for working mothers by helping them to better balance work, motherhood, and wellness. During part 1 of our conversation—stay tuned for part 2!—we talked about the origin of a mothering mindset and the importance of knowing oneself before embarking on the journey of parenthood. Dr. Thornton resides in Washington, DC with her...2022-12-1223 min
Finding Your VillageEpisode 122: Well Worth Watering: Interview with Lou-Ann Wattley BelkThank you so much for listening. Our guest today is Lou-Ann Wattley Belk. As the creator of Well Worth Watering, Lou-Ann's goal is to empower parents with soulfully-curated childbirth education classes and postpartum services that honor each unique birth journey. At the core of Well Worth Watering’s mission is the belief that the birthing year offers seeds of self-discovery that bloom for the rest of our parenting lives. She also believes in creating space for the telling and holding of powerful stories, specifically those of black birthing people as heard on her podcast.How to follow Lo...2022-11-0636 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 24: Stretch Marks, Lost Edges & Tears…Oh My!The growing, shifting, pulling and stretching of the birthing body can be a heavy concept for folks to acknowledge. In this episode, we talk about some common changes that the pregnant and postpartum body undergoes. What would it look like to unpack the loss of what was and uncover the gem of what IS?
Looking for small doses of birth preparation before you baby arrives? Come on through to a Birth Prep Drop In Session! They’re held (virtually) on the last Wednesday of every month at 7PM EST. Visit wellworthwatering.com/drop-in-sessions for session topics and to r...2022-10-2124 min
Dem Black Mamas PodcastDBM Episode 50: Our Golden Episode, Fans Only, Honk for Jesus & Looking BackDear Mama, Stop waiting for the big moment. Celebrate now. Celebrate the big things, the small things, the major milestones and the minor ones even if they’re only meaningful to you, even if they come much later than you expected. Instead of judging the journey, rest in gratitude. Our celebration is a thank you to God, Spirit, the universe, the ancestors, the orishas, the angels and our very own souls for all they’ve done, for clearing our path, for holding us, standing with us, carrying us. We celebrate this 50th episode. We are grateful to you and mo...2022-10-181h 31
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 23: After the EbbThis episode gets a little personal. I’m talking about a period of ebb that I recently came through, and the urge I felt—if I’m being honest, STILL feel—to get back to “it.” An ebb is defined as “a state or period of weakness, lack of vigour, or decline.” But what do we do with that? That feeling of identifying with what we do as opposed to who we are? I’m talking about it in this episode. Have you heard about my Birth Ed Drop In Sessions? They’re held on the last Wednesday of every month at 7PM E...2022-09-1716 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 22: Back to Self with Darcel BeingI’m delighted to share this interview with Darcel Being, a life purpose guide, celebrated author of Dear Mamas, along with three children’s books and founder of the ReinventHER™ process and Being Well Community. She is also a wife of over a decade and mother to three children. Darcel is on a mission to be a guiding light for women. She utilizes warm hearted joy to inspire women to make spiritual meaning of life changes, trade chaos for creative inspiration, and discover how the art of transformation turns fear into faith. Our conversation centered postpartum life, one of the mos...2022-08-1531 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 21: Let's Talk About It: TransitionThis is the third and last in the Let’s Talk About It mini-series, that walks expectant parents through the first stage of labor. We are at the end of Stage 1 once we hit transition, the shortest but most intense part of stage 1. We’ll cover signs and expectations in this episode. Want more? Join me for my monthly drop in sessions. They’re held on the last Wednesday of every month. Visit wellworthwatering.com/calendar for session topics and to register for free. Tell a friend to tell a pregnant friend!
---
Send in a voice message: https...2022-07-1515 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 20: Let's Talk About It: Active LaborThis is the second of a mini-series (Let's Talk About It) that walks expectant parents through the first stage of labor. When you've reach active labor, the waves hit stronger, closer together and with definitive intensity. You are far more likely to have those "this is it!" thoughts. We’ll cover signs and expectations of this second phase of the first stage of labor in this episode. Want more? Join me for my monthly drop in sessions. They’re held on the last Wednesday of every month. Visit wellworthwatering.com/calendar for session topics and to register for free. Tell a...2022-06-1718 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 19: Let's Talk About It: Early LaborThis is the first of a mini-series (Let's Talk About It) that walks expectant parents through the first stage of labor. “Will my water break? What should I do?” We’ll cover signs and expectations of early labor in this episode. Want more? Join me for my monthly drop in sessions. They’re held on the last Wednesday of every month. Visit wellworthwatering.com/calendar for session topics and to register for free. Tell a friend to tell a pregnant friend!
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wellworthwatering/message2022-05-2021 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 18: Curating Your Birth EnvironmentPicture yourself prepared with knowledge from a birth class, supported, loved on, laboring how you want, where you want, with whom you desire. Imagine laboring in a low-stress environment that has been designed with the comfort of all 5 senses in mind. A low-stress environment is foundational to normal physiological labor and birth. We’re unpacking that a bit in this episode. Want more? Join me for my monthly drop in sessions. They’re held on the last Wednesday of every month. Visit wellworthwatering.com/calendar for session topics and to register for free. Looking for a childbirth class? Check out my...2022-04-2916 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 17: How Does It Feel?I’m back at it with a topic on the mind of dare I say it, most pregnant folks? Pain. How much of it, how we’ll handle or better yet, eliminate it. It's a natural thing to worry about the sensations that come along with one of the most incredible processes of life. Let’s get into the what, where and why behind labor pain on this episode. Want more? Join me for this month’s drop in session hour. They’re held on the last Wednesday of every month. Visit wellworthwatering.com/calendar for session topics and to registe...2022-03-2916 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 16: Rest What? Rest Who?In this episode, we take a look at postpartum life or the 4th trimester as many rightfully call it. Rest can look like more than the well-known adage “sleep when the baby sleeps,” even though getting shut eye whenever you can is very important. In this mini-series—A Peek Into Postpartum Life—I take a look at the “what” and “why” of resting our taxed bodies, minds and spirits.
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wellworthwatering/message2021-10-0624 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 15: Interview w/ Shannon BeachamTo open season 2, I sat down with the amazing Shannon Beacham of Pregnancy With Mrs. B. Shannon has been supporting families in the DC Metro area as a doula, birth educator and breastfeeding counselor since 2013. August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, so much of our conversation centers breastfeeding, finding the right fit when you are building your birth village and why rest is an essential piece of the parenthood journey. You can find Shannon on Instagram @pregnancy_with_mrs_b and sign up for her services through her website, pregnancywithmrsb.com
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters...2021-08-0936 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 14: The Next Best Thing w/ Yanikie TuckerI’m taking an appreciative walk back to my 1st guest for this last episode of season 1. Yanikie (pronounced YAHN-EEK) Tucker, is a fellow Caribbean-American who is an educator, Howard University alumnus, creator of JamDown Foodie, a blog that centers Jamaican cuisine, wife and mother of 2 boys who were born 10 years apart. She shared her birth stories on episode 3.
This was the second part of our conversation, where Yanikie shares her experience with her first born’s educational journey. Often we become so overwhelmed thinking about the enormity of a challenge, like educational challenges, challenging labor or breas...2021-06-2318 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 13: OpeningIn the context of birth, opening is one of our bodies essential tasks. If we remain closed, we literally can’t bring our babies earth-side. Alongside the country, I’m starting to open up again after a several month hiatus from the podcast. My “opening” looks like sharing what I’ve been experiencing. In this small bite episode, I talk briefly about the burnout I’ve been experiencing. As I prepare for my season break, if you have any suggestions or thoughts on what you’d like to hear in season 2, feel free to reach out.
---
Send in a voice mes...2021-06-1508 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 12: Basking in Purpose w/ Imani ByersIn honor of World Doula Day, I was honored to hold an in-depth conversation with Imani Byers. Imani is a full spectrum doula, which means that she provides services that support the fertility, birth and postpartum journeys. Her connection and calling to birth work started at a very young age. She explores this deep connection in a short story created & directed by Cydney Tucker and featured in “Stories in Place,” a storytelling partnership between Vimeo and MailChimp. You can view it here. She is currently serving the Atlanta & Savannah, Georgia area and offers some services virtually. You can learn more...2021-03-2232 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 11: Care and Consent"In April of 2018, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance published a paper that addressed the casual dismissal that too many black women face during prenatal care. 'In order to provide holistic care, providers and medical staff must unlearn and self-correct implicit and unconscious bias. They must also continue to push back against a productivity model that does not give them enough time to build strong relationships with their patients.'"
In this episode, I revisit a moment—the unannounced stripping of my membranes—from my first pregnancy as a way to talk about consent in the context of pren...2021-02-2414 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 10: Choice in Care MattersOB or midwife? Whether your care is being provided by an obstetrician or a midwife, make sure your care team is on board with your wishes and desires. In this episode, Lou-Ann shares a bit of her experiences from her prenatal care with an OB and a midwife practice. What matters most with either choice is the concept of patient centered care, which not only centers the patients, but allows your confidence and capability as new parent to shine through.
Information source from Healthline.
---
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show...2021-02-2424 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 9: Feeding Our Hormones with Sierra BizzellOn this episode, I had a conversation with fertility doula, herbalist and health coach Sierra Bizzell about hormonal imbalances like PCOS. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder with symptoms ranging from infrequent or long periods, excess androgen levels and infrequent ovulation.
We talked in detail about the role food plays in imbalances that manifest in issues like PCOS. One of the biggest questions we tackled: How can you honor your fertility goals by supporting your physical AND mental health during your journey?
Follow and support Sierra's work and check her out @Sierrathebbdoula.
...2021-02-0429 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 8: The First Birth StoryWhat was your first birth story? This isn't necessarily a memory tied to your first birth. If you aren't a parent, you still have a birth story or birth stories even. Think back to your earliest memories in childhood. Can you remember what your first memory or idea about birth was? Maybe it’s not from childhood, but from your early teens? Maybe it’s not so much an event you can recall, but an idea—a moment—where you realized, “ah! THIS is what birth is.” In this episode, I unpack my own first birth story. I also talk about t...2021-01-2416 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 7: It's a Wrap for 2020Do you usually do an end of year reflection? If you didn't before, I know that the desire must surely be there this year. 2020 has us all looking back wondering what was the message & meaning of all this chaos. Join me on my last episode of this year as I look back on and celebrate all of the wins I accomplished—my own personal top 20— in the midst of all of the collective loss we felt this year. Afterwards, grab your pen & journal to create your own top 20.
A good friend told me once to "look back at yo...2020-12-2409 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 6: Reclaiming What's Best with Telika Howard, CD (DTI), CLC, IBCLCMeet Telika Howard, a Certified Birth and Postpartum doula through Doula Training International and a certified International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLC) with 16 years of experience with birth and breastfeeding. Telika successfully breastfed 7 children, including a set of twins and had a variety of birthing experiences such as unmedicated, medicated and cesarean birth. 16 years ago she started teaching about birth and breastfeeding and doing postpartum work as a maternal-infant health outreach worker in Memphis, TN. She then went on to volunteer her time educating and sharing about birth and breastfeeding at local community events. Telika became a board me...2020-12-1129 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 5: Peace in the Unknown | My Amniocentesis Story Diagnostic tests are a part of many pregnancies today. They help us ensure the children we are growing are healthy and strong. But when your provider suggests that a test to rule out genetic conditions such as sickle cell disease, does the recommendation also come with a call to protect your mental health? In this episode, I share my experience with having an amniocentesis—a common diagnostic test done during pregnancy. I first talked about my experience in a blog published last year on my blog. You can read that here. In this episode, I talk about how the pro...2020-11-1815 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 4: Out of the Blue with Seiea BrittSeiea Britt is the mother of 2 beautiful girls, a singer/songwriter and Washington DC area native. She joins me on this episode to talk about her experience of not only birthing during the coronavirus pandemic—oddly enough, her second time becoming a mother during a global pandemic— but facing a diagnosis of cholestasis late in her 2nd pregnancy. She talked about the power of affirming positivity everyday and leaning on (and providing) support within a group of expectant mothers who all shared the experience of new motherhood post-COVID.
Here are some resources if you’d like to learn...2020-11-0428 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 3: At the Center of Care with Yanikie TuckerThis episode contains descriptions of difficult and traumatic birthing experiences. Please use discernment and protect your peace, particularly if you are currently pregnant.
Who is at the center of care if a pregnant mother is advocating for herself, by herself? It’s a question far too many of us have to answer. My 1st guest is Yanikie (pronounced YAHN-EEK) Tucker, a fellow Caribbean-American who is an educator, Howard University alumnus, creator of JamDown Foodie, a blog that centers Jamaican cuisine, wife and mother of 2 boys who were born 10 years apart. She joined me to revisit both of he...2020-10-0526 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 2: Hey Fear, Who Gave You the Mic?It is important to put it in its proper context because it is an emotion that takes way too much control over people's lives and in the context of this podcast, people’s birth experiences. Fear is not a useless emotion. If we understand and get more comfortable with fear, we can then put it in its rightful place, because it is NOT the keynote speaker of our lives and certainly not our births. On this episode, I share with you how fear showed up in both of my births, and how I moved through it to take the mi...2020-10-0516 min
Well Worth Watering Podcast • Birth Classes • Postpartum SupportEp. 1: Who is Well Worth Watering?Welcome! My name is Lou-Ann and I’m the creator of Well Worth Watering, a blog and online community that uses education, empowerment and transformative storytelling in order to nourish the maternal health experiences of black birthing people. I opened this episode with a reading of my first blog. In so many ways, this new beginning—expanding my work into a podcast— stirs up many of the feelings and conviction I had back then. As we work to dismantle the disparities that exist in black maternal health, we can't ignore the narrative. We have to uplift as many stories of suc...2020-10-0507 min
Orchid Story: Healing Through Personal NarrativeEp 18: Lou-Ann Wattley Belk - Centering the Black Maternal Health NarrativeLou-Ann Wattley Belk is here to talk about the work of dismantling the roots of the deep injustice that exists for black women’s maternal health. Lou-Ann tells us that we can't ignore the narrative; we have to uplift as many stories of success as we do stories of sorrow. Join us to listen and hold space for Lou-Ann's story "First Fruit". Check out Lou-Ann's blog Well Worth Watering, where she seeks to elevate the voices of black mother’s unique stories: https://www.wellworthwatering.com/2020-02-2034 min
Pray With our FeetTalking Motherhood & Black Maternal Health with Lou-Ann Wattley Belk, founder of Well Worth Watering Join us for an engaging conversation with Lou-Ann Wattley Belk, creative Mama and founder of Well Worth Watering, a newly birthed blog and online community that channels the pregnancy, birth and mothering stories of black women in order to nourish and empower black birthing people. As we work to dismantle the roots of the deep injustice that exist for black women’s maternal health, we can't ignore the narrative. We have to uplift as many stories of success as we do stories of sorrow. Lou-Ann's goal is to fearlessly hold space for both. Well Worth Wat...2019-12-0452 min