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Healthy As A Mother

Healthy As A Mother

By: Dr. Morgan MacDermott & Dr. Leah Gordon
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Healthy as a Mother, the podcast for becoming and being a mother, with your cohosts Dr. Leah Gordon and Dr. Morgan MacDermott, two naturopathic doctors who get it. Each week we teach you how to be the healthiest mother you can be - from fertility and preconception, to pregnancy and birth prep, through postpartum and throughout motherhood - empowering you with the natural health guidance and education you’re not getting elsewhere, so you can confidently navigate the broken system at large. The real, the raw, the un-talked about.

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Episodes
  • #128: Everything You Need to Know About Hospital Birth with Care Messer

    #128: Everything You Need to Know About Hospital Birth with Care Messer
    Sep 10 2025
    What does it really take to have a good birth in a hospital?In this episode, I’m joined by Care Messer, Founder of the Birth Education Center in San Diego. She’s a certified hypnobirthing instructor, a DONA-certified doula, and a childbirth educator who also trains doulas. Care teaches engaging, partner-friendly online classes that have helped many families prepare for birth with more clarity and confidence.We get into what it means to prepare early, why most women don’t realize how much choice they actually have, and what it looks like to create a safe, grounded birth experience inside a hospital system. From power dynamics with providers to the small, practical things that shift your sense of safety, this conversation breaks down what women and their partners need to know before walking through those hospital doors.You’ll Learn:Why choosing the right hospital and provider early changes everythingWhat it feels like to enter a system where you’re treated as room number instead of a person giving birthWhy staying home longer in early labor can dramatically shift your hospital experienceThe surprising link between hospital C-section rates and NICU levelsHow eye masks, dim lights, and warm blankets keep your body in labor modeWhen partners step into the role of protector and advocate in the birth roomThe quiet damage of being a passive participant versus owning your birth decisionsWhy hospital classes often train you to be a “good patient” instead of giving you real optionsHow listening to birth stories helps you recognize and avoid common intervention cascadesTimestamps:[00:00] Introduction[03:00] How preparation and safety shape the hospital birth experience[09:22] Rethinking what safety really means in birth[13:01] Choosing the right hospital, provider, and birth team[20:20] The partner’s role in protecting space and shifting power dynamics[36:37] Practical ways to protect labor hormones in a hospital birth[50:15] Arming with education and optimizing the hospital environment for laborResources Mentioned:Episode 65: All About VBAC pt.1: Perspectives from an OB, Midwife, and Doula with Care Messer | Spotify or AppleBirth Education Center | WebsiteBucky Eye Mask | AmazonThe Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. | Book or AudiobookMen, Love & Birth by Mark Harris | Book or AudiobookLabor Like A Goddess by Alexandria Moran and Lauren Mahana | BookBirth Psychology | WebsiteMorgan’s First Birth | VideoLearn more about the Birth Education Care by visiting their website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page.Follow Care on Instagram, LinkedIn and listen to her Podcast on Apple or Spotify.Find more from Leah:Leah Gordon | InstagramLeah Gordon | WebsiteLeah Gordon | WebsiteFind more from Morgan:Morgan MacDermott | InstagramMorgan MacDermott | WebsiteUse code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at RedmondFor 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHERSave $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • #128: The Secret Fertility Factor No One Talks About: Your Uterine Microbiome

    #128: The Secret Fertility Factor No One Talks About: Your Uterine Microbiome
    Sep 3 2025
    Did you know that you have bacteria in your uterus? And that the types of bacteria there may impact whether you get pregnant or not. We talk all about this and many other things we are discovering are impacting fertility with our guest, Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton. She is a fellow naturopathic doctor who has focused much of her career on fertility, and we can't wait to share this informative episode with you.This episode is sponsored by:Redmond Salt >> Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 15% on your order.Needed >> Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 20% off your first order.Lumebox >> Click here and use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER for $260 off.Resources From This Episode:DUTCH testWatch the video episode on YouTube HERE!Stay Connected With Us:Healthy As A Mother: www.healthyasamother.comInstagram: @healthyasamotherpodcastDr. Leah: www.womanhoodwellness.comInstagram: @drleahgordonDr. Morgan: www.milkmedicine.comInstagram: @morganmacdermottRedmond LifeRedmond Life | Real Salt & Clay | Re-Lyte Electrolyte Hydration PowderYour one stop shop for all things Redmond. We carry pure, natural sea salt and bentonite clay mined from an ancient salt deposit right here in Redmond, Utah. From Real Salt to Re-Lyte Hydration electrolyte mix, try one of our US-mined products today.needed.Radically better nutrition for fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum.Prenatal vitamins leave most women depleted, so we redesigned the Prenatal Multi from the ground-up, and paired it with the Omega-3 (DHA and EPA), Collagen Protein, and Pre/Probiotic that mamas need. Take them before, during, and after pregnancy (and while breastfeeding) for optimal prenatal and postpartum nourishment.LumeboxLUMEBOX discount linkDutch TestPrecision Analytical (DUTCH TEST) - Test Kits, Providers & PatientsExplore DUTCH Test kits for comprehensive hormone testing, provider resources, patient support, and educational webinars. Contact us for more information.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • #127: Morning Sickness: Root Causes + Treatment

    #127: Morning Sickness: Root Causes + Treatment
    Aug 27 2025

    Nausea in pregnancy, or "morning sickness," is a multifactorial issue that we CAN usually affect in a positive way - and today we outline the top contributing factors to what is unlovingly known as "morning sickness." We discuss how, for most women, there is not one single reason that they feel nauseous during their pregnancy - and usually there are multiple pieces that all contribute a different amount to the overall experience - and what's tough is that for each person, this will be individual. The best approach then, is to ensure that all of the factors to talk about today - blood sugar, hydration, histamine, sleep, and more - are in your awareness so you can work on them the best you can. Big hugs if you're in the weeds with this, we really feel you.


    This episode is sponsored by:

    Redmond Salt >> Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 15% on your order.

    Needed >> Click here and use code HEALTHYMOTHER to save 20% off your first order.

    Lumebox >> Click here and use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER for $260 off.


    Resources From this Episode:

    • Redmond's Relyte
    • Needed Electrolytes
    • Needed Sleep Support - Magnesium
    • Use Fullscript for ordering supplements and get 15% off!
      • Concentrace drops by Trace Minerals
      • DAO Enzyme by Seeking Health
      • Small DAO option
      • Triple Mag Vital Nutrients
      • CALM magnesium
      • B6 (P-5-P) 40-50mg per day
      • Ginger 750mg-1g
    • herhomeopathy.com
    • Dr. Morgan's Pregnancy Call
    • Dr. Morgan's Managing Illness While Pregnant or Breastfeeding Course




    Stay Connected With Us:
    Healthy As A Mother: www.healthyasamother.com
    Instagram: @healthyasamotherpodcast
    Dr. Leah: www.womanhoodwellness.com
    Instagram: @drleahgordon
    Dr. Morgan: www.milkmedicine.com
    Instagram: @morganmacdermott
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
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