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The Beloved Motherhood Podcast

The Beloved Motherhood Podcast

Written by: Rebecca Engel
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Contact Beloved Motherhood at https://familyblessingsaz.com Nurturing mothers, strengthening families, building legacies. The Beloved Motherhood Podcast is for the Christian mama who wants more than just survival. Hosted by doula Rebecca Engel, known as The Motherhood Transition Guide, this is your weekly dose of encouragement, education, and empowered motherhood — covering birth, postpartum, motherhood, and the faith that carries you through all of it. Real support. Real grace. Real talk. "As a mother comforts her newborn, so I will comfort you." — Isaiah 66:13Rebecca Engel Parenting Relationships
Episodes
  • Traveling Postpartum: What's Safe, What's Smart, and What You're Allowed to Skip

    Traveling Postpartum: What's Safe, What's Smart, and What You're Allowed to Skip
    Oct 13 2026

    Whether you're packing for a flight or dreading the "when are you coming to visit?" text, this episode is for you. I walk through what's actually happening in your body after birth, what the research says about blood clots, complications, and newborn travel, and where the experts honestly disagree. You'll get practical tips for planes, road trips, pumping on the go, and bringing older siblings along, plus the warning signs every traveling mama should know by heart. And because knowledge and truth belong together, I anchor it all in Scripture, from Isaiah's shepherd who gently leads nursing mothers to Jesus inviting His tired disciples to come away and rest.

    Who This Episode Is For

    Pregnant mamas who already know a trip is coming after baby arrives, new mamas getting pressure to visit, and the husbands, grandmas, and mothers-in-law who want to understand what a new mama is carrying.

    In This Episode

    • What's happening in your body after birth, and why the first two weeks matter most for blood clot risk
    • What the experts say (and disagree on) about when a newborn can fly
    • Practical tips for flying, road trips, pumping, and traveling with older kids
    • Warning signs for mom and baby, and why "I gave birth on [date]" are the words to say

    Key Takeaways

    1. Recovery is not a calendar. Plan the trip around your body, not the other way around.
    2. Clot risk after birth is highest in the first two weeks and settles close to normal by about three months. Long sitting, by car or plane, adds a little more.
    3. The AAP suggests waiting until two to three months to fly with a baby when possible. The CDC and Canadian Paediatric Society set no minimum age. It's a judgment call, not a settled line.
    4. Rest with support, plus gentle movement, fits both the midwifery tradition and the clot research.
    5. Know your warning signs, save the nearest ER and children's hospital before you go, and never apologize for getting checked.

    Scripture Mentioned

    • Isaiah 40:11: the shepherd who gently leads those with young
    • Genesis 33:13-14: traveling at the pace of the children
    • Mark 6:31: "Come away by yourselves and rest a while"
    • Psalm 121:7-8: the Lord keeps your going out and your coming in
    • Philippians 4:13 and Proverbs 31: passages often misused to push tired mothers


    Sources and Further Reading

    The research behind this episode comes from the following. Look them up directly before sharing specifics.

    • Ficheur et al., 2017, large French study on postpartum pulmonary embolism risk over time
    • Johnson et al., 2022, systematic review on long-distance travel and clot risk
    • Vethanayagam & Kahn, 2019, review of air travel and clot risk in pregnancy and postpartum
    • Clarke et al., 2021, Cochrane review on compression stockings for airline passengers
    • American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) on flying with babies, and the AAP fever guideline for infants 8 to 60 days
    • CDC Yellow Book, traveling with infants and children, and the CDC breastfeeding and travel chapter
    • Canadian Paediatric Society, 2007, air travel with infants
    • AWHONN POST-BIRTH warning signs
    • ACOG Committee Opinion on optimizing postpartum care, 2018
    • Kalkur et al., 2007, survey on driving after cesarean
    • Volling, 2017, NIH-funded study on firstborns adjusting to a new baby
    • Thompson-Lastad et al., 2024, community midwives and postpartum rest
    • Yang et al., 2023, systematic review on postpartum confinement practices

    This episode is educational and is not medical advice. Talk with your provider and your baby's pediatrician about your own situation before you travel.

    If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988. For chest pain, trouble breathing, seizures, or thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, call 911.

    If this helped, send it to a mama with a trip coming up. Follow the show, leave a review, or DM me at Beloved Motherhood.

    Find more information at https://familyblessingsaz.com.
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    25 mins
  • Doula Advocacy - Expectation vs. Reality

    Doula Advocacy - Expectation vs. Reality
    Oct 6 2026
    Episode descriptionWhen most people hear "doula advocacy," they picture a bodyguard who speaks up to the doctor and enforces the birth plan. The research and the professional standards describe something quieter, and in many ways more empowering. In this episode, Mama, we look at what a doula actually does in the room, what the evidence does and doesn't show, why changing your mind in labor is normal, and the honest limits of doula support. We anchor it all in Scripture, because God calls us to be armed with both knowledge and truth.Content note: This episode discusses mistreatment in maternity care, including being ignored, rushed, or pressured. If that is tender for you, listen when you're ready. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.What we coverThe "bodyguard" myth and why a doula can't consent or refuse for youWhat the research says about continuous labor support, and where it's weakHow doulas actually advocate: preparing questions, asking for time, drawing out your voiceWhy preferences change in labor, and why that's okayThe limits of a doula's role, and the question to ask before you hire oneScripture in this episodeExodus 17:10-13John 14:16-17Proverbs 20:5Galatians 6:2-5Verses often misused on this topic: Proverbs 31:8-9 and Romans 13:1Sources and further readingBohren et al. (2017). Cochrane review, continuous support for women during childbirth (26 trials, 15,858 women)Bohren et al. (2019). Cochrane qualitative evidence synthesis on labor companionship (51 studies)Dias et al. (2025). Systematic review and meta-analysis, Obstetrics & GynecologyGroves et al. (2026). Systematic review of doula interventions, JAMA Network OpenVedam et al. (2019). Giving Voice to Mothers survey of mistreatment in U.S. maternity careMallick et al. (2022). California survey on doula support and respectful careBalde et al. (2020). WHO-supported survey in Ghana, Guinea, and NigeriaMorton et al. (2018). Survey of doulas and labor nurses, via DONA International's summary (Muza)How doula advocacy worksAmram et al. (2014). Survey of doulas, The Journal of Perinatal EducationKhaw et al. (2022). Systematic review of community doulas serving migrant and refugee womenNeel et al. (2019). Interviews with clinicians at Rhode Island hospitalsHardeman & Kozhimannil (2016). Doulas of color, Journal of Midwifery & Women's HealthKozhimannil et al. (2016). Minneapolis focus groupsThomas et al. (2024). Self-advocacy among Black women, Journal of Midwifery & Women's HealthMabiala-Maye et al. (2026). Doula integration interview studyChanging your mind in laborHarkins et al. (2010). Stanford survey on epidural preferencesStark (2003). Michigan study of laboring womenCook & Loomis (2012). Interviews on choice and control in birthKearsley & Plaat (2021). Letter, International Journal of Obstetric AnesthesiaProfessional standards and guidanceDONA International (2017, 2025). Birth doula standardsACOG (2026). Statement on doulas; ACOG (2019); ACOG & SMFM (2014)ACNM (2022). Position statement on doulasWHO (2018, 2020). Labor companionship recommendation and evidence briefNational Partnership for Women & Families (2018). Summary of Bohren et al. (2017)Birthrights (n.d.). Informed consent guidance (UK)Scripture and theologyESV and NIV via BibleGatewayMullins, "Paraclete," International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, via NET BibleUtley, Galatians study guide, Bible Lessons International (2014)DeYoung, "Oh to Have Faith Like a Hebrew Midwife," The Gospel Coalition (2009)Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and encouragement and is not medical or legal advice. Please talk with your own care provider about your situation.Connect with meSend me a DM or leave a comment and tell me what you want to hear next. Find me at Beloved Motherhood.So take my hand, Mama. Let's do this together.
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    24 mins
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