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In this episode of Fit as a Fiddle, Dr. Sneha Gazi sits down with Deb Flashenberg, founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in New York City, to explore what it really means to train for birth, not just in the body, but in the mind and nervous system too. Deb shares how her own 42-hour birth, her experience as a doula at over 100 births, and her certifications in childbirth education and pelvic floor-focused yoga reshaped her approach to prenatal movement. Together, they explore Deb’s three-pronged approach of yoga asana, education, and community, and how each class responds to the pregnant people in the room rather than following a scripted sequence. The conversation then turns to the often-misunderstood pelvic floor: why “tighten, tighten, Kegel, Kegel” can miss the bigger picture, and why birth preparation involves both support and release. Deb explains how she uses pelvic models, baby models, breathwork, and vivid imagery, including “baby hallway” and jellyfish diaphragms, to make this invisible part of the body feel concrete and empowering. Deb & Sneha also discuss pelvic floor tension, the relationship between breathing, nervous system regulation, and pelvic function, and the importance of individualized pelvic floor physical therapy. Finally, they explore Deb’s concept of “training for birth” as someone would train for a marathon: starting in early pregnancy or even before conception, building resilience to discomfort, and practicing coping skills rather than only learning them in theory. Hear about Deb’s “mock contraction” wall squat, practicing focus amid hospital-style noise, and why flexibility of the mind matters just as much as flexibility of the hips when birth plans change, whether that means an epidural delay, a fast labor, or an entirely different birth experience. Connect with Deb Flashenberg: prenatalyogacenter.com Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this powerful roundtable episode of Fit as a Fiddle, we sit down with licensed mental health counselors Ariel Katz and Kelsey Bates, co-founders of New York Women’s CBT, a therapy practice dedicated to supporting women living with chronic illness. They unpack what cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) actually is (beyond the stereotypes), how “third-wave” CBT approaches like cognitive processing therapy (CPT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can be deeply trauma-informed, and why women with chronic pain and invisible disabilities need providers who truly “get it.” Ariel and Kelsey share their own lived experiences with chronic illness, the shame and dismissal they encountered in traditional therapy, and how that led them to build a practice that centers validation, empowerment, and tangible, skills-based tools. Together, they dive into the concept of medical trauma: what it is, how it can arise from repeated painful procedures, invalidating encounters, or years of undiagnosed symptoms, and why not every traumatic medical experience looks like textbook PTSD. They explore “moral injury” in healthcare, the harm of being told your pain is “in your head,” and the unique ways women (especially women of color) are under-researched, under-treated, and disbelieved in medical settings. The conversation offers concrete strategies for both providers and patients: how clinicians can listen, validate, and practice within their true scope (including knowing when to refer), and how patients can prepare for appointments, self-advocate, manage nervous system dysregulation, and reduce the mental load of complex medical histories. Throughout, Ariel and Kelsey emphasize that pain is real, you are not “too much,” and it is possible to build a multidisciplinary support team and a life filled with meaning, joy, and self-compassion, even while living with chronic illness.   Connect with Ariel & Kelsey: womenscbt.com @womenscbt Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

This podcast episode featured Marisol Montoya, a recently certified nurse midwife and holistic nurse, discussing her journey from filmmaking to midwifery and her recent experience learning from Mayan midwives in Guatemala. Marisol shared how she discovered her calling to become a midwife through a spiritual experience in 2012, and described her clinical observations showing how cultural and community practices affect birth outcomes differently between Indigenous and Hispanic populations in New York City. She detailed her recent two-week immersion in Guatemala where she observed traditional practices including herbal medicine, spiritual rituals, and postpartum care methods, while noting which practices could potentially be applicable in Western medicine versus those that would not translate due to safety concerns or lack of scientific evidence. Connect with her: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marisol-montoya-cnm/ Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

What if your village wasn’t something you had to search for, but a room you could walk into? In this special episode of Fit as a Fiddle, Dr. Sneha Gazi joins forces with perinatal psychotherapist and parent coach Olivia Bergeron to introduce Rooted and Ready, an intimate NYC-area event on Oct 24, 2026 bringing expectant parents, new parents, and perinatal professionals together. Think honest conversations, trusted guidance, and meaningful connections that help you feel more supported in pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. This is not another afternoon of generic parenting advice. We’re bringing you mind-and-body talks with Sneha and Olivia, a candid birth panel featuring two obstetricians, a midwife, and a doula, plus a featured fireside conversation with the author of The Power Pause, Neha Ruch. Add delicious bites from Pura Vida, swag bags, exciting raffle prizes, and opportunities to connect directly with providers and other parents, and you have an afternoon worth making room for. Come with your questions. Leave with connections, resources, and a little more confidence in what comes next. Here’s the catch: we’re keeping this event intentionally small so you can actually connect, not get lost in a crowd. That means limited space for a room full of meaningful conversations. Whether you’re preparing for a baby, navigating new parenthood, or supporting families professionally, grab your parent or provider ticket through the ticket link in these show notes before the event fills up. Use code ROOTED5 for listeners! Your village starts here. Check out our Rooted & Ready Page Check out our promo video Follow is on IG @_Rooted_Ready Check out Olivia’s first podcast on our show back in 2020: Overcoming Postpartum Depression: No Need To Be A Martyr. Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this roundtable episode of Fit as a Fiddle, orthopedic and pelvic health PT Dr. Sneha Gazi sits down with chiropractor Dr. Rob Shire and occupational therapist Dr. Taylor Rahe to unpack how PT, OT, and chiropractic care overlap and differ. They discuss why their collaborative, nervous-system-centered approach is so powerful for patients, especially in the perinatal world. They explore how each profession uses its unique tools to support the same ultimate goal: helping people participate fully and meaningfully in their lives, whether that means dancing at a daughter’s wedding, traveling the world, or simply getting out of bed without fear. Together, they dig into what “dysregulation” actually means without pathologizing patients, reframing the nervous system as protective and on your side rather than “broken.” The trio discuss regulation versus calm, observing pain from a compassionate, mindful distance, and the role of neuroplasticity in changing ingrained patterns of movement, stress, and identity rooted in chronic pain. They also talk candidly about patient responsibility, the challenge when people do not follow through on home programs, and how tools like HRV biofeedback can make invisible progress visible, and therefore more motivating. The episode closes with a powerful case for truly multidisciplinary, patient-centered care: why no single profession can be everything to everyone, how to stay in your lane while collaborating deeply, and how to think of care as an individualized “algorithm” that might mix PT, OT, chiropractic, biofeedback, mindfulness, and more. For both providers and patients, this conversation is an invitation to stay curious, understand each profession’s scope, and stay open to different modalities as pathways to the same goal: a fuller, more empowered life in your body. Connect with them: Dr. Rob Shire: drrobertshire.com Dr. Taylor Rahe: drtaylorrahe.com truwholecare.com Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode of Fit as a Fiddle, Dr. Sneha Gazi sits down with Dr. Tiffany Lin, a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, for an approachable, evidence-informed conversation about labor epidurals. Dr. Lin explains what an epidural actually is, how it works on the nerves that carry pain, sensation, and movement, and why modern epidural techniques look very different from the “completely numb and stuck in bed” version many people still picture. Together, they explore how epidurals can be tailored throughout labor, including lower-dose options that may allow for repositioning in bed, patient-controlled dosing, and adjustments when someone wants more pain relief or more sensation and pressure for pushing. They also discuss what to expect with placement, common medication-related side effects, why a urinary catheter may be used, and the rare but important risks and reasons an epidural may not be appropriate for every patient. Dr. Lin also clears up persistent myths around timing, C-sections, prolonged labor, and paralysis. Most importantly, this episode makes space for every kind of birth preference. Whether you are planning an unmedicated birth, considering an epidural, scheduling a cesarean, or simply want to understand your options before labor begins, the goal is education, flexibility, and informed consent. Listen in to better understand the benefits, risks, alternatives, and questions to bring to your OB, midwife, and birth hospital as you create a plan that feels right for you. Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this unique episode, Dr. Sneha Gazi turns the mic on her own birth story with the help of Risa Klein, a certified nurse midwife and the founder of Manhattan Midwife. With over 30 years of experience transitioning from attending home births to working in hospital settings, Risa has dedicated her career to empowering mothers and advocating for low-intervention, high-satisfaction deliveries. Risa shares her journey from working as a TV news producer to discovering her true calling in midwifery, explaining how she now focuses on birth consultations and medical record reviews to help mothers process, understand, and heal from challenging birth experiences. The conversation takes a deep dive into Sneha’s 45-hour labor, allowing Risa to clinically and emotionally reframe the extended timeline. Risa unpacks the reality of "back labor," explaining how a posterior fetal presentation likely caused Sneha’s prolonged early contractions without significantly dilating the cervix. She emphasizes the crucial need for early communication with care providers, noting that simple positional shifts, like getting in a tub or adopting a polar bear position, can often help turn the baby and save mothers from severe energetic depletion. The episode also clarifies the medical difference between labor induction and augmentation, validating Sneha’s intuitive decision to get a restorative epidural upon reaching active labor. Finally, Risa and the host explore the broader, often disconnected landscape of modern hospital births. They discuss the pitfalls of navigating large obstetrics practices where mothers might end up with rushed, unfamiliar, or unsympathetic providers who treat birth as a strict schedule rather than an individualized experience. Risa passionately advocates for continuous, trusting relationships between providers and mothers, encouraging listeners to speak up, ask questions, and secure a care team that truly listens to their needs. Connect with her: manhattanmidwife.com Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode of Fit as a Fiddle, we chat with prenatal dietitian Mel Spinella, founder of Well by Mel Nutrition, about what realistic, evidence-based nutrition looks like from preconception through pregnancy. Mel shares why the three months before conception matter so much, which labs to consider (vitamin D, folate/B12, iron, thyroid, blood sugar), and why not all prenatal vitamins are created equal, especially when it comes to choline, DHA, and iron. She discussed how nutrient needs shift across trimesters, how to think about supplements if you don’t eat fish, and the difference between “hard no” foods (alcohol, high-mercury fish, excess caffeine) and sensible food-safety precautions that shouldn’t spiral into food anxiety.  Mel also offers practical strategies for managing morning sickness with blood-sugar-friendly snacks and vitamin B6. She reframes gestational diabetes as placenta-driven, not your fault, showing how to keep carbs in your life using balanced meals, snacks, and a strategic bedtime snack to steady blood sugar. Connect with her: wellbymelnutrition.com @pregnancynutritionist_ Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode, we welcome Alison Greenberg, former co-founder of the virtual perinatal care platform Ruth Health and current Senior Director of Growth and Partnerships at Ember Health. Allison shares her journey from addressing physical maternal health gaps to tackling the interconnected mental health crisis. We dive into the groundbreaking work at Ember Health, the largest IV ketamine practice in the country, to demystify the medical use of ketamine for treating major depressive disorder, bipolar depression, and postpartum depression. The conversation unpacks the science and safety behind IV ketamine, a drug traditionally used as a highly safe anesthesia that boasts an astounding 75% to 84% efficacy rate for depression, far surpassing the 33% average of standard SSRIs. Alison explains why Ember strictly administers ketamine via IV in a medically supervised, clinical setting, strongly cautioning listeners against the rising, risky trend of mail-order, at-home oral ketamine. She warns that these unmonitored at-home treatments lack essential emergency oversight and pose serious risks, such as organ damage and a propensity for addiction. Finally, Alison walks listeners through the beautifully choreographed patient experience at Ember Health, highlighting their rigorous, interdisciplinary care model that requires patients to actively collaborate with a mental health provider. She explains the profound concept of neuroplasticity, how ketamine creates a vital 24 to 72-hour window after an infusion where the brain is literally ripe to rewire negative habits, behaviors, and depressive patterns. Tune in to learn how this fast-acting, safe treatment, which is even accessible to breastfeeding mothers, is changing the landscape of mental health care. Connect with her: emberhealth.co Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode, we welcome Rebeca Mosher, CEO and founder of Space Composer, a boutique professional organizing company based in South Orange, New Jersey. With two decades of experience, Rebeca brings a unique perspective to her work, drawing on her former career as a professional jazz singer, composer, and festival producer. She explains how the transferable skills of composing music translate into creating functional, intentional physical spaces. Rebeca shares her philosophy that the spaces we inhabit and the items we surround ourselves with reflect our state of mind. While the beautiful aesthetics often seen on home organization shows are appealing, true organization relies on creating customized systems that clients can realistically maintain. The conversation dives into “space health” and its connection to mental well-being, including how cluttered environments can spike cortisol and create anxiety, especially during major life transitions like becoming a parent. She also breaks down common organizing pitfalls, including the mistake of buying aesthetic storage products before sorting through what you already own. Her advice is to pull everything out, identify categories, and assess the volume of what you are keeping before making any purchases. They also explore the psychology of clutter, emotional attachment, spring cleaning, Vastu Shastra, and why a holistic, full-home approach can create more lasting balance. Connect with Rebeca: spacecomposer.com Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

This episode of Fit As A Fiddle features Dr. Ilya Iofin, Chief of Orthopedic Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital. We explore the complex world of cancer, focusing on the specialized treatment of rare soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Dr. Iofin explains that cancer is not one disease, but a diverse group of conditions that can present and behave differently based on specific mutations and the individual patient. He also shares insights into navigating uncertain prognoses and making difficult decisions about limb-sparing surgery versus amputation. A major focus is soft tissue sarcomas, with only about 15,000 cases diagnosed annually in the United States. Dr. Iofin explains how to distinguish a common benign mass, such as a lipoma, from a potentially dangerous sarcoma. Listeners will learn the warning signs that require prompt medical attention: a mass larger than two inches, located deep within the muscle, or actively growing, even if it is painless. The discussion also covers metastatic bone disease and how unexplained fractures without significant trauma, such as a femur breaking while walking, may signal an underlying tumor. Finally, we explore the evolving role of technology in medicine. Dr. Iofin discusses how artificial intelligence can help summarize medical literature, while emphasizing the need for fact-checking. He also explains why the critical thinking and highly skilled hands-on work of human surgeons will not be replaced by machines anytime soon. Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode, we welcome back perinatal art therapist Sharon Itkoff Nacache, who joins us 3 years after her first appearance to share her incredible ongoing work with caregivers. Sharon discusses her partnership with the Whitney Museum and the NYC public hospital system, where she facilitates burnout prevention and wellness workshops for healthcare workers. She also introduces her new participatory perinatal picture book, The Days Before I Met You, which serves as a creative workbook to help expecting parents process the ambivalence of their life transition and reclaim an internal locus of control. The conversation dives deeply into the healing power of returning to your "artist self" and tapping into the replenishing, kinesthetic nature of a creative flow state. Sharon and Sneha contrast the releasing process of making art with today's passive "consumption culture" and the exhausting cycle of doomscrolling. Sharon offers tangible strategies for finding balance, sharing the fascinating neuroaesthetic finding that just two minutes of art engagement can lower heart rate and cortisol levels. She encourages listeners to step away from the algorithm, use timers, and prioritize offline rest, even if it's just looking at a photography book before bed. Finally, the episode unpacks the "Superwoman syndrome", the post-feminist fallacy that pressures high-achieving women and mothers to perfectly manage every role despite a lack of systemic support. Sharon explains that when the demand continuously exceeds our inner resources, mindless screen time often feels like our only accessible act of rebellion. Together, they emphasize the vital importance of practicing self-compassion, accepting manageable messes, and setting boundaries. Tune in to learn why we must embrace the mantra "just because I can, doesn't mean I should," and find out how to connect with Sharon at Co-Create Art Therapy. Connect with her: cocreatearttherapy.com Check out her past episode here: “Practicing Imperfection: Art Therapy in the Birth World” Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode of Fit as a Fiddle, we sit down with Charlotte Mueller, a nurse practitioner at the Centers for Vulvovaginal Disorders in New York City, to unpack what pelvic pain really is and why it is so often misunderstood. Charlotte shares her journey from oncology nursing to vulvo-vaginal pain specialty care, along with her own lived experience as a patient navigating dismissal, misinformation, and the long road to feeling better in her body. Together, we explore the importance of patient-centered care, validation, and a team-based approach between medical providers and pelvic floor physical therapists. Charlotte explains how Botox can be used as a therapeutic tool for hypertonic pelvic floor muscles, how it works, and which patients may benefit most. She also breaks down why it is not a stand-alone fix, but rather a way to create space for pelvic floor PT, breathwork, awareness, and behavior change. We also discuss an exciting new randomized clinical trial at the Centers for Vulvovaginal Disorders using botulinum toxin injections for people with confirmed hypertonic pelvic floor muscles and posterior vestibule pain. Charlotte shares what participants can expect, along with practical strategies patients can start using right away, from noticing clenching patterns to understanding the jaw-pelvis connection. If you are a patient, provider, or simply curious about evidence-based options for pelvic pain, this episode offers a hopeful look at how science, empathy, and multidisciplinary care can help people get out of pain and back into their lives. To check if you are eligible to get free botox through the research study, email [email protected] Connect with Charlotte: vulvodynia.com Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

Pediatric acupuncturist Kenna Bouvet, founder of Earth and Sky Massage and Acupuncture, joins us to explore what acupuncture and bodywork can look like for babies and kids, far beyond the stereotype of “needles in little bodies.” She shares how her own childhood digestive issues and dance injuries led her to acupuncture, and how that journey now informs her work with families navigating colic, feeding difficulties, constipation, respiratory issues, and chronic stress. Kenna also reflects on her time in the pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant units at Columbia Medical Center, where she treated children and supported entire families through high‑stress hospital stays. We dive into pediatric Tui Na (Chinese medical massage for kids) and Shonishin, a Japanese non‑needling technique that uses gentle stroking and tapping tools to support infants with feeding challenges, tension from birth, colic, latch issues, and digestive or respiratory concerns. Kenna explains why she rarely needles at a first visit, how she lets kids lead the session, and how she teaches parents simple, realistic touch‑based tools they can actually use at home. The conversation also highlights cultural traditions of baby massage and the shared language of Qi and prana, emphasizing touch, agency, and connection as central to healing in the perinatal and pediatric period. Connect with Kenna: earthskylic.com Teachers she mentioned: Program manager of the Integrative Therapies Program at Columbia medical - Michelle Bombacie  For NYC pediatric acupuncture training - JingShen Pediatrics with Moshe Heller and Stephen Cowan UK pediatric acupuncture teacher - Rebecca Avern  Shonishin - Thomas Wernicke  Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.

In this episode, returning guest Allison Beck, a psychotherapist and parent coach specializing in reproductive psychology and anxiety, joins us to discuss the powerful concept of how "doing less is more". In an era dominated by an abundance of conflicting social media advice, the parenting pendulum has swung toward an exhausting state of over-parenting. Allison explains how this constant pressure to manage, fix, and perfectly execute every interaction can actually block the essential experiences and manageable doses of discomfort that children need for healthy development. The conversation dives deep into the psychology of childhood anxiety and a phenomenon Allison calls "yellow lighting". She explains how well-intentioned parents often inadvertently speed up or escalate a child's emotional distress by either over-demanding or over-accommodating their feelings. Instead of swooping in to fix the problem, the most effective strategy, recognized as a gold standard for treating childhood anxiety and OCD, is to offer a brief supportive statement and then literally do less. Allison also emphasizes the crucial difference between parental agency and control, reminding listeners that parenting behaviors cannot completely override a child's genetics or natural development. Finally, Allison unpacks the practical steps parents can take to sit with their own discomfort and regulate their nervous systems. She highly recommends meditation as a tool to build the neurological skill of observing without reacting, which directly translates to calmer, more flexible parenting. By redefining what it means to be a "good parent", and accepting that calmly and accurately responding to your child's needs just 20 to 30 percent of the time is a massive success, parents can finally let go of perfectionism. Tune in to learn how to parent more intuitively and find out more about Allison's one-on-one coaching and therapy offerings. Allison has served as an advisor and written contributor on perinatal mental health, child development and parenting for various professional service providers and organizations. She received a BS in Human Development with a dual concentration in Early Childhood and Adolescence from Cornell University and an MSW from NYU. Allison has been supporting individuals and families as a Psychotherapist and Parent Coach in NYC agencies, hospitals, and in private practice for over a decade. Connect with Allison:  allisonbeck.com @_allisonbeck Check out her past episode here: “Tackling Anxiety & Depression: One Thought At A Time” Click here and use your exclusive 20% listener discount (Code: Fit20) to enroll in Master Your Pelvic Floor, our signature self-paced course that will change the way you understand and care for your body.