Celebrating 200 Episodes! + Bold Predictions for the Future of Postpartum Care EP 200

Celebrating 200 Episodes + Bold Predictions for the Future of Postpartum Care

We’ve reached an incredible milestone—200 episodes of the Postpartum University Podcast! 

This moment is both a celebration of how far postpartum care has come and a vision for what lies ahead. Maranda reflects on her 15-year journey from doula and childbirth educator to a leading advocate for empowering postpartum providers. She shares bold insights into the future of postpartum care, including the rise of “supplements as the new quick fix,” increasing regulation challenges, and the need to preserve real human connection in an increasingly tech-driven world.

This episode isn’t just a milestone—it’s a call to action for providers ready to elevate their impact. Whether you’re a doula, midwife, or professional supporting new moms, you’ll walk away with actionable inspiration to help redefine postpartum care. Together, we’re dismantling harmful narratives, amplifying holistic solutions, and creating a future of compassionate, accessible care.

Check out this episode on the blog: https://postpartumu.com/celebrating-200-episodes-bold-predictions-for-the-future-of-postpartum-care-ep-200

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KEY TIME STAMPS: 

00:02: Celebrating 200 episodes and reflecting on the journey so far.

02:15: The shift from directly supporting moms to empowering postpartum providers.

07:00: Predictions for the future of postpartum care, including supplements, regulation, and AI.

12:31: Why in-person connection is crucial for postpartum support.

15:52: How to advocate for holistic postpartum care and create lasting change.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

The postpartum care system is failing, leaving countless mothers struggling with depression, anxiety and autoimmune conditions. I'm Miranda Bauer and I've helped thousands of providers use holistic care practices to heal their clients at the root. Subscribe now and join us in addressing what modern medicine overlooks, so that you can give your clients real, lasting solutions for lifelong well-being. Welcome to the 200th episode of the Postpartum University podcast. It feels so surreal to reach this milestone and as I reflect on how far we've come, I am just overwhelmed with gratitude for the journey that has brought us here. For literally 15 years now, I have dedicated my life to postpartum and I started off as a doula and a childbirth educator and I was guiding mothers through those tender, transformative moments. But my work truly evolved as I began to see the gaps in postpartum care for both moms and the providers who serve them. And when I launched this podcast, we focused on directly supporting postpartum moms. We built programs, shared resources, provided all the encouragement things for women who are navigating the often overlooked postpartum period. 15 years ago this was not a conversation. Nobody was talking about postpartum. And then, as things got deeper and I started working with so many other people and we were collaborating in the fields and I'm watching the field grow and grow. I was just enamored with all of the things that was transpiring and I really feel like postpartum university was kind of the beginning phase of all of that has just kind of happened over the years, like we played this small part that is now such a big role and I'm just so, so grateful.

Speaker 1: 2:15

I started online coaching and I began working with moms one-on-one probably. I want to say like seven years ago kind of before like the whole coaching thing really took off and we were addressing the root cause of postpartum challenges and the results were nothing short of transformative. Women had been on medications for years and they were experiencing full healing and their labs were returning to normal and symptoms that had been labeled part of motherhood, maybe even they had like normal labs. They were like these symptoms were disappearing and women were really feeling good. And then providers started to notice this and they were reaching out saying, hey, you are working with my client, so-and-so. They gave me your information, they've been struggling for years and all of a sudden they're thriving. Like what the heck are you doing? And this was really the shift for us and we started recognizing within postpartum university like we need to equip providers with this knowledge. We could potentially increase our impact by doing this, and the fact is is like every mom I've ever worked with had first gone to a provider. They were searching for answers that didn't exist in that provider's training, and by working directly with providers, we're addressing the root of the problem. We're going to them with tools and education that they need to truly support their clients and, in turn, change the narrative around postpartum health.

Speaker 1: 3:51

And over the years, I will tell you, the podcast has been like the slowest part of this evolutionary change, and I've held on to supporting moms for so held on to supporting moms for so, so long. But the reality is that trying to serve both moms and providers created a disconnect. It's really hard to market, to build programs and to create meaningful content for two vastly different audiences, such as the providers and the advocates, and then moms, who are going through the struggles, and so the decision to like fully pivot and focus on providers was a recent one and it was a really challenging one, but I feel it's such the right choice because, empowering professionals, we're reaching more mothers than ever before and we're dismantling the stigma, the normalization of postpartum suffering and the belief that being unwell is just part of motherhood. And today, today, we are celebrating not just 200 episodes, but the ripple effect this work is creating. We are reaching thousands of providers a week who are now armed with the education and the tools that they need to offer real support, and through them, we're reaching countless mothers and families and we're transforming postpartum care. And we're transforming postpartum care one provider at a time, and that's like 60 women at a time right, and it's freaking magical. These are some of the things that I have been recently given via email and on social media and just in your podcast reviews, and I just want to like highlight a couple of them.

Speaker 1: 5:47

Tammy, who's a nurse practitioner, said this podcast has been such a gift. Miranda's ability to combine research, real world application and traditional practices is unmatched. It's refreshing to find a space where providers can come together, challenge outdated practices and elevate postpartum care. Being a part of this community refreshing to find a space where providers can come together, challenge outdated practices and elevate postpartum care. Being a part of this community has reignited my passion for my work and given me an opportunity to renew my sense of purpose. I no longer think of quitting because I have found my passion. Again, thank you.

Speaker 1: 6:20

And then Sarah, who is a family practitioner. She said this podcast has completely transformed the way I approach postpartum care. As a provider, I always felt there was something missing in the standard education we received, and Miranda's insights and depth of knowledge has filled that gap and given me more tools I didn't even know I needed. Thank you so much for all the work you're doing. Thank you so much for all the work you're doing. And then Paige. Paige says as a pelvic floor physical therapist, I often feel isolated in my efforts to provide holistic postpartum care. This podcast is like a lifeline. It's educational, inspiring and a place where I feel truly understood.

Speaker 1: 7:00

Miranda doesn't just share information, she creates a sense of belonging for providers who want to challenge the status quo and bring real healing to their clients. It's an honor to be a part of this movement. You guys thank you so much for this, and I just wanna highlight here these comments are exactly what we are here for. We are here for this and I am seeing the theme of this is a movement right, we're showing up, we're listening, we're sharing and together we are revolutionizing the postpartum experience, and I could not be more proud to be on this journey with you. So here's to the next 200 episodes and the countless lives that we are continuing to impact, and so I just want to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for all of this.

Speaker 1: 7:53

And as we celebrate this incredible milestone of 200 episodes, I also want to look forward, because postpartum care is on the brink of some major shifts. They're already happening and I have a few predictions that I believe are going to shape the future of this field and the way that we provide care for moms, and I want to talk about these things. So, first is that supplements are going to become the new pill. We have already seen a significant questioning of the traditional healthcare models right, vaccines, medications and the broader Western approach to health, and, on one hand, this is super exciting because it's opening up important conversations and creating space for alternative options, but, on the other hand, I foresee a shift where supplements will become overused as a replacement for pharmaceutical pills, just as we saw medications like dominate healthcare for decades. I think supplements are the thing that's going to take the place, but without addressing the root cause.

Speaker 1: 9:01

We're offering truly holistic care, and we see this all the time. Right, it's going to be well, you are so depleted and you need more and we need a detox. And here's all of the pills that you're going to do in order to get that, because you've been so neglected for so long and our soil's depleted and you're not going to get enough from our food. We already have this narrative, we're already telling people these are true, and so we're already taking the power out of food, we're already taking the power out of health and lifestyle changes and we're just going to go. We're going to move right on. Next to that quick fix, the next quick fix is going to be the supplement, and this worries me, because the solution isn't more products. It's a deeper understanding of how to nourish and support the body, and, as providers, it's our responsibility to ensure supplements are used appropriately and in alignment with real healing. Just not another quick fix.

Speaker 1: 9:58

Here's another big one is regulation of the postpartum field. Postpartum care is starting to get the attention it deserves, with insurance companies beginning to cover services and requiring specific certifications, and all of that is a really positive step toward legitimizing postpartum care. But it does come with a price, and that price is regulation, and this means a licensing, it means legislation and it means a lot of red tape and while some regulation will cleanse the fields of unprofessional practices which we see often and that's exciting it also will limit access to one midwifery care, which I'm seeing significant of, and two doula services. Those are the two big ones and we're already seeing the ripple effect of that and watching midwifery practices close across the country because they are not able to afford their licensure. They're becoming so regulated and they have all of these rules that are not applicable. They cannot afford to stay in care because they're not able to offer the services that they need.

Speaker 1: 11:32

And doulas are the exact experience who might be bringing a traditional role of doula care into the field, which is so necessary and so important, in that no organization or certification body is going to be able to teach and they're denying them. They're saying that they're not good enough in order to practice and that's really, really difficult. And once this continues to move forward soon they're going to have to have specific insurance and they're going to have to have licensure and they're going to have to have testing and all of that is going to come at a significant cost. Oftentimes and this is what we see already in midwifery care is that the cost to be in business is going to exceed the cost of doing business Like they're not. It's going to become impossible to make your money back, let alone to actually make a profit, and become completely not worth being in business, and providers who have dedicated their lives to this work are going to have to face these steep costs, both financially and emotionally, just to stay in practice. And for a lot of people it's not gonna be worth it. And as a community, we are going to need to fight to ensure that this incredible transformative work of holistic providers is not lost in the shuffle. It's going to take a collective effort to protect the integrity of postpartum care while adapting to these necessary changes.

Speaker 1: 13:06

I recently heard a statement when I was listening to a podcast and it was something along the lines of like we don't have an opportunity, we have an obligation, and if you're in this field and if you're doing this work, that's exactly what this is. A field is shifting and it's changing and there is big opportunity, but even more there's an obligation. And if you're here and you're doing this work, we've got to step up. We've got to put our feet into the political scene, which is not my favorite in the least bit, but we're going to have to do what it's going to take to make this a healthy reality, rather than one that's going to really hurt moms and the people that we serve. My other prediction and this is a really big one, y'all, and this is the last one I'll give you is the rise of AI technology. It's completely undeniable and it's already changing the way we work and the way we connect. But this technology is going to have a significant backlash, especially for new moms.

Speaker 1: 14:13

Mothers crave real human connection. They need real human connection. The whole idea of a virtual doula, in my opinion, is not acceptable in the least bit. That is not what women need. They need someone to come into their homes, they need somebody to hold their hands. They need somebody there to cook them a meal and to tuck them in and to draw them a bath and to be a person who speaks directly to them and with touch and feeling and emotion. And they need to know the person who is supporting them, understands their struggles and truly sees them.

Speaker 1: 14:51

And I believe we'll see a shift away from online support and these online AI driven solutions and really start focusing on in-person coaching and in-person classes and events and groups and circles, and this is a beautiful thing, because postpartum care has always been about community and connection and as providers, we need to prepare to meet that demand with meaningful in-person options, and I'm very, very excited for that. So as I reflect on how far we've come and where we're headed, I feel so humbled and so inspired, and together we have started this movement to revolutionize postpartum care. And we are not done yet. These changes are on the horizon and they're challenging but also deeply exciting, and they represent an opportunity to grow and adapt and deepen our impact in ways we have never even imagined yet.

Speaker 1: 15:52

So thank you again for being here, for being part of this podcast, this community, its mission. I am so grateful for your commitment to making a difference for mothers and families everywhere. Here's to the next 200 episodes, the future of postpartum care and the incredible work we are going to do together. Stick around, there's so much more to come. We're going to bridge the gap together. Wink, wink. There's more on that soon. Thanks so much for being a part of this crucial conversation. I know you're dedicated to advancing postpartum care and if you're ready to dig deeper, come join us on our newsletter, where I share exclusive insights, resources and the latest tools to help you make a lasting impact on postpartum health. Sign up at postpartumu the letter ucom which is in the show notes and if you found today's episode valuable, please leave a review to help us reach more providers like you. Together, we're building a future where mothers are fully supported and thriving you.