Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson is a motivational psychologist, speaker, author of SUCCEED: How We Can Reach Our Goals, blogger for Huff Post, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, SmartBrief, and Psychology Today. TOPICS: How to work with your expectations of what parenting should be like and how your kids should behave + Setting goals for pregnancy, birth and early parenting + How to give feedback and motivate your children + What *not* to say to your kids if you want them to grow confidently + How to build your child’s self-esteem.
Diana West is an international certified lactation consultant, co-author of the 8th edition of La Leche League International's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk and Breastfeeding After Breast and Nipple Procedures, and author of the Clinician's Breastfeeding Triage Tool and Defining Your Own Success: Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction Surgery. TOPICS: Why breastfeeding is so important for your baby's immune system, How breastfeeding is a way to mother your child, Knowing when to seek help from a lactation consultant, How to get your milk supply off to a good start, How to know if you're not making enough milk, How to allow your baby to self attach and latch to your breast after birth, What products you really need to optimize your breastfeeding, Why scheduling feedings is dangerous to the health of your child, Why keeping your baby close to you wires his or her brain to become a more secure and resilient adult
Debra Pascali-Bonaro is the mother of six children, Director of the documentary Orgasmic Birth and co-author of Orgasmic Birth: Your Guide to a Safe, Satisfying and Pleasurable Birth. She is the Chairperson of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative. TOPICS: What orgasmic birth is and how to prepare for one + How to create a new empowering language for birth + How to work through self-doubt and fear + Key elements to having a pleasurable birth + How to create your ideal birth ambience + Why certain movements are so important during labor and birth + How to own your power and celebrate your birth + How you can make a difference in how women give birth.
Karen Maezen Miller is a wife and mother as well as a Zen Buddhist teacher at the Hazy Moon Zen Center in Los Angeles. She’s also the author of Momma Zen and Hand Wash Cold. TOPICS: How to bring meditation and mindfulness to your pregnancy and birth + Staying present in your life + How to work with your fears and trust the process + How to guide and love your children in every moment
Alejandro Junger, M.D. is one of the world’s leading functional medicine doctors and the author of Clean, which teaches us how to turn our detoxification systems on full speed while supporting our bodies to maximize their effectiveness. He also created the popular Clean detox program. TOPICS: Why cleansing (for both soon-to-be parents!) is a good idea + Toxins and how they impact our health and pregnancy + Chemicals and toxins you should be aware of in your environment + Optimal nutrition during pregnancy + What you need to know about vaccinations + Tips for men on how to support your pregnant partner.
Dr. Patricia Fitzgerald is the founder of the Santa Monica Wellness Center. She is the Wellness Editor of the Aol Huffington Post Media Group and the author of the best-selling award winning book, The Detox Solution: The Missing Link to Radiant Health, Abundant Energy, Ideal Weight, and Peace of Mind. TOPICS: How to navigate the toxicity of the world + How and why it’s important to connect to the natural rhythms of nature + Why it's so important for you to identify what you want for your family + How to balance being a modern mother and a working woman + What epigenetics is and why it's so important for your family's health and your children's health + How to prepare for pregnancy and the most important things to do during pregnancy + The #1 thing children need from us and how to give it to them.
Gurmukh is the co-founder and co-director of Golden Bridge Nite Moon, Los Angeles' and New York City's premier center for the study and practice of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. She is the author of Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. TOPICS: What yoga is and how it can benefit pregnant women and their babies + Why every woman is Bountiful, Beautiful and Blissful + Why what you do, think and eat during your pregnancy impacts your child and who they are + Ways to prepare for a positive birth experience + Why it is so important to prepare to become a mother before you get pregnant + What you need to know about the 40 days after birth and how you can create a sacred bond with your child to last a lifetime.
Dr. Dan Siegel is an internationally acclaimed author, award-winning educator, and child psychiatrist. His books include Mindsight, The Developing Mind, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, Parenting From the Inside Out, and The Whole-Brain Child. TOPICS: What interpersonal neurobiology is and why it's important for parents to understand + How to create secure attachment with your children and how your story about your past is the greatest predictor of your child’s attachment to you + Why community is crucial for a mother's health and well-being + Why taking care of your needs is not selfish but is vital for you to be an optimal parent + How to move from a reactive state to a receptive state + Why it's important to know your hot buttons and how to repair your relationship with your child after you "flip the lid" + What P.A.R.T. is and why it's important for you to create secure attachment with your children.
Latham Thomas is a maternity lifestyle maven, wellness & birth coach, and yoga teacher on the vanguard of transforming the maternal wellness movement. She is the founder of Mama Glow—a holistic lifestyle hub for women to explore their creative edge through wellbeing. TOPICS: Self-care rituals for pregnancy + How to create your ideal natural birth + Rituals, ceremonies and rites of passage + Personal transformation through pregnancy and birth + How to have a green pregnancy.
Giuditta Tornetta is a certified birth and postpartum doula, lactation educator, a certified clinical hypnotherapist, a NLP practitioner, and a certified shiatsu therapist. She is the author of New Painless Childbirth. TOPICS: How to have a painless childbirth + Why opening your heart is important during childbirth + Finding your birth power + Why mindfulness and awareness are so important for you to practice during pregnancy.
Dr. Stephen Cowan is a board-certified pediatrician with 25 years of clinical experience, he has developed a unique holistic approach to evaluating and treating children struggling with chronic physical, emotional and cognitive disorders. TOPICS: The power of intuition and how to access it + How to challenge your beliefs and clear fear + How to truly listen to your child + Letting go of doing and simply being with life as it is + Enjoying your life and children + How to live from a heart-centered place and give your child everything he/she needs.
Alexandra is a new mama to a sweet baby boy named Emerson and your Optimal Parenting 101 host! ;) She is the Chief Goddess & Co-Founder of en*theos + creator of the Rock Your Goddess Life program and is an enthusiastic and passionate student of life who loves rockin' her Goddess life.