Home or Hospital Birth? Samantha Christine’s Unfiltered Journey

Summary

Podcast Summary: Pursuit of Wellness – "Birth Plans, Postpartum, and the Real Pressure to Bounce Back w/ Samantha Christine"

Host: Mari Llewellyn
Guest: Samantha Christine, Certified Nutrition Coach, Personal Trainer, Marathon Runner, Host of the Empower Podcast
Release Date: August 11, 2025

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of Pursuit of Wellness, host Mari Llewellyn welcomes Samantha Christine, a multifaceted wellness expert specializing in women's health, nutrition, and fitness. The conversation delves deep into Samantha's personal journey through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum challenges, and building a blended family, all while maintaining a demanding career and fitness regimen.

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Guest Background and Introduction

Mari introduces Samantha as a certified nutrition coach and personal trainer who excels in women's health, strength training, and clean eating. Samantha's experience as a marathon runner and her role as the host of the Empower Podcast make her an ideal guest to discuss the complexities of motherhood and wellness.

Notable Quote:
Mari Llewellyn [00:00]: "She's incredible. Such an inspiration, and I'm so excited for you guys to hear this episode."

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Pregnancy and Birth Experiences

First Pregnancy and Hospital Birth

Samantha discusses her first pregnancy shortly after her marriage in 2018. She describes it as an "easy pregnancy" due to her active lifestyle, though her approach wasn't as intentional as it became later.

Notable Quote:
Samantha Christine [02:26]: "The whole pregnancy I felt really good. I made sure to get my steps in. Did not lift really. But just try to be healthy."

She opted for a hospital birth, which went smoothly, contrasting with her second experience.

Second Pregnancy and Home Birth

Samantha's second pregnancy marked a shift towards a more natural birth plan. Influenced by her friend, a doula, she initially intended a natural hospital birth but eventually opted for a home birth after facing complications during membrane sweeping.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [05:05]: "I wanted a more natural birth... But it didn't go as planned, but that was okay."
Mari Llewellyn [05:34]: "But going through IVF and being on the super medical side of it, my doctor's like, please just go the medical route... But in me, I feel this, like, want to have a natural experience."

Mari relates to Samantha's desire for a natural birth despite medical advice, highlighting societal norms favoring medical interventions.

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Experiences with Epidurals and Natural Birth

Samantha contrasts her experiences with epidurals during her first birth and her natural approach in the second. She emphasizes feeling more in tune with her body without medication, leading to a smoother delivery without tearing and a more empowered birth experience.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [21:58]: "I quite literally felt out of control... I didn't feel like, super in tune with my body in that sense."
Samantha Christine [22:36]: "I wish I had talked about it to people more, because it would have been nice to not go through that alone."

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Postpartum Experiences

Samantha opens up about her postpartum challenges, including undiagnosed postpartum anxiety and physical issues like mastitis. She reflects on the importance of seeking support and the impact of an unhealthy marriage on her postpartum journey.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [25:04]: "I wish I had talked about it to people more, because it would have been nice to not go through that alone."
Samantha Christine [25:22]: "We try to do it in a very healthy way and communicate on both sides."

Mari and Samantha discuss the varying experiences of postpartum, emphasizing the need for realistic expectations and support systems.

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Managing Pressure to "Bounce Back"

Both Mari and Samantha address the societal pressure on new mothers to quickly return to their pre-pregnancy bodies. Samantha advocates for patience and self-compassion, stressing that every woman's recovery timeline is unique.

Notable Quote:
Samantha Christine [35:34]: "There's too much pressure around that term. It takes almost 10 months for your body to build human life and create this baby."

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Building a Blended Family

Samantha shares her journey of building a blended family after her divorce, highlighting the challenges and joys of integrating children from previous relationships. She emphasizes the importance of communication and creating a loving environment for all children involved.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [47:32]: "We took things very slow because we don't want to date. We just want to be friends... It was really a beautiful thing."
Samantha Christine [49:11]: "It feels that way. It's so beautiful."

Mari commends Samantha's openness about her blended family, recognizing its impact on listeners who may be navigating similar paths.

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Balancing Fitness and Motherhood

Samantha discusses how motherhood has influenced her fitness routine. She emphasizes listening to her body, gradual progression in workouts, and integrating her children into her fitness activities. Her participation in Hyrox competitions and marathon training demonstrates her commitment to maintaining her fitness amidst parenting responsibilities.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [38:25]: "It took me a solid year with both boys before I felt, like, strong again."
Samantha Christine [40:26]: "Hyrox is a fitness race that combines both running and functional workouts."

Mari expresses enthusiasm for Samantha's fitness endeavors, suggesting potential collaboration and recognizing the inspirational aspect for listeners.

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Nutrition and Children

Samantha highlights the importance of leading by example in nutrition with her children. She ensures that the family consumes balanced meals rich in protein, fostering healthy eating habits from a young age.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [55:54]: "We try to lead by example at our house. So we never cook them anything different than what we're eating."
Samantha Christine [59:02]: "They can have those moments too. And it's going to be okay."

Mari and Samantha discuss strategies for maintaining nutritional standards for children, even in social settings, reinforcing the significance of consistent healthy habits.

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Time Management and Time Blocking

With multiple responsibilities, Samantha employs time blocking to manage her schedule effectively. She plans her days meticulously, prioritizing workouts, family time, and professional tasks to maintain balance and productivity.

Notable Quotes:
Samantha Christine [52:33]: "Time blocking has been a huge help. I plan the night before so it's like I wake up and know what I'm doing versus having to look at it."
Samantha Christine [53:55]: "He works with me now. He's a Navy SEAL and so he's all about structure and discipline."

Mari shares her own experiences with time blocking, creating a relatable dialogue on managing busy schedules during pregnancy and beyond.

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Final Thoughts and Takeaways

The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of support systems, self-care, and realistic expectations in the journey of motherhood and wellness. Samantha encourages women to prioritize their health, communicate openly with partners, and embrace their unique paths without succumbing to societal pressures.

Notable Quote:
Samantha Christine [54:14]: "I believe in prioritizing yourself so you can perform better in all aspects of your life."

Mari thanks Samantha for her candid conversation, emphasizing the valuable insights shared and encouraging listeners to apply these lessons to their own lives.

Notable Quote:
Mari Llewellyn [60:35]: "Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast."

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Conclusion

This episode of Pursuit of Wellness offers a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted challenges and triumphs associated with pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and blending families. Samantha Christine's honest and empowering narrative provides listeners with relatable experiences, practical advice, and the motivation to pursue their own wellness journeys with authenticity and resilience.

Transcript

[Mari Llewellyn]

This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn. Hi, guys. Welcome back to the show. Today we have Samantha Christine, who is a certified nutrition coach and a personal trainer who specializes in women's health, strength training, and clean eating. As a marathon runner herself, she coaches others in training for endurance events like 10ks half marathons and full marathons. She's also the host of the Empower podcast. She's part of the Pursuit Network book, and she shares personal stories and expert conversations about wellness, relationships, and parenting of two boys. She came on my show today. We had an amazing conversation about pregnancy, birth, motherhood, how she juggles it all. She's incredible. Such an inspiration, and I'm so excited for you guys to hear this episode. Sam, welcome to the Pursuit of Wellness.

[Samantha Christine]

Thank you for having me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Honored to have you. And you're so gorgeous. You're so inspiring. I love your content. You're also a Pursuit Network host.

[Samantha Christine]

You. Yes. So exciting.

[Mari Llewellyn]

When I was talking about the network with Mikayla and we were speaking about the talent, you are just like the ideal person to me because you have so much substance. You're a mom, you love fitness, you have a career, you juggle so much, and I really admire you. I think you're amazing.

[Samantha Christine]

Thank you. And just honestly, you saying that, like, coming from you means so much, because where I'm at today, like, there are so many influential leaders that helped me get there when it comes to inspiration and motivation, and you're one of them. So, like, like, I feel like it's full circle. Sitting in this chair right now, being with your network, it's just like, wow, the stars aligned, and I'm just could not be happier.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You deserve it. Like, you can tell that you work really freaking hard. Actually, one of my friends, Jordan, called me and she was like, oh, who are you recording with? And I said, sam Z Fit. And she was like, I. She's been following you since you were, like, from the beginning, she said so. She was really excited that I'm talking to you today, and I love that. I just have a lot of questions for you, honestly, because I feel like you are superwoman and I want to hear more about your story and how you got to be so confident and multifaceted. So let's kind of start from the beginning. I did just listen to your motherhood episode that you did. Loved it.

[Samantha Christine]

Thank you.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Loved it. And I have a lot of questions and I'd just like to hear more about your story with your pregnancies, your marriage and where you're at now, like, I guess we could start with your first pregnancy.

[Samantha Christine]

I got married into. Well, I'm divorced now, but just kind of give some history. Got married in 2018. And then like a few months after I got pregnant with my first Grayson. He's five years old now. I had a very easy pregnancy. It took me just a few months to get pregnant. After trying everything was really healthy at that point in my life. I was moving, lifting every once in a while, but it had not become like a consistent daily habit of my life.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Were you fit before you got pregnant?

[Samantha Christine]

So I was a runner. But like, I wasn't intentional. I didn't have as much education as I do now. It was not a passion. Yeah, you know, my parents ran marathons. They did CrossFit. So it was kind of ingrained in me throughout my childhood. But I was in the arts, I was a dancer. So I was never in like a team sport. So I didn't really like have that athletic, just like passion built within me. But like, I was active, you know, but obviously like did not like track my protein and like be intentional with like following a workout program. I just was just trying to be healthy day to day with little things. And so the whole pregnancy I felt really good. I made sure to get my steps in. Did not lift really. But just try to be healthy. I didn't have like any issues. It was very like easy pregnancy. And the delivery was hospital birthday. Very different than my second, which we.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Can talk about home birth, right?

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah. So my second was a home birth, my first. So I'm sure some listeners maybe who have been pregnant or work in this field know what like sweeping the membranes is. Do you know what that is?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Actually? No.

[Samantha Christine]

Okay. So I don't know exactly what goes into it. What. Basically if your body is ready at the end of pregnancy to give birth and you're wanting to kind of like jumpstart labor, your OB can do some kind of thing where they call it like sweeping your membranes and they kind of sweep around the membranes to kind of jump start the labor.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Instead of Pitocin.

[Samantha Christine]

Correct. It's a natural way. If your body is ready for that. It's a great natural way to jumpstart things. If your body's not ready and you're say you're at 39 weeks, but your body, it's not really ready. Cause a lot of women go 41 weeks, 42 weeks, their first pregnancy, that's normal. I feel like that should be normalized more. It can actually kind of have a negative effect. So it started my contractions, but I never dilated with that result. I had back labor cuz he was flipped and I had like 36 hours of labor. It was like not the most ideal. I had Pitocin because I needed to dilate. He was healthy. I was healthy at the end, but in my mind, like I wanted a more natural birth.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

You know, no medication, all of that. So it didn't go as planned, but that was okay. Like at the end of the day, he was a healthy baby. So. But yeah, my second, I had a home birth.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So with wanting it to be more natural, was that because you'd heard about it or read about it? Because I kind of have like similar views on it. Because I learned a lot just from this podcast, having people tell me about Pitocin. And yes, it is quite like a societal norm to push women to give birth sooner than they maybe are ready to.

[Samantha Christine]

Exactly.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But then going through IVF and being on the super medical side of it, my doctor's like, please just go the medical route, like keep things safe. But in me, I feel this, like, want to have a natural experience.

[Samantha Christine]

And I know exactly how you feel because I felt that way too. I was in the pharmaceutical industry for 10 years, so I was ingrained of just like medical way and pharmaceutical way and you go to the hospital to deliver. My best friend was and is still a doula. And so I kind of learned more about the natural route of birth and what it went into it from her. When I got pregnant though, I was thinking hospital birth, like that's what I wanted to do. Like, of course, epidural, all the things. She was the one that kind of opened my eyes of, have you thought about doing like a natural birth? Like you don't have to do it at home, but like, even if you just did it, no medication or in a birth center. And so she started asking me questions in that first pregnancy and I was like, no, I haven't, but maybe I could do this. And she kind of gave me that motivation to find that like, inner voice in myself of, you can do this. I. And so that was the plan. Obviously things progressed like with the membrane sweeping to not, you know, to do the medical route, which was fine. That's kind of what sparked that general interest in the beginning.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Did you end up having a doula in the room with you?

[Samantha Christine]

So for the first birth, yes. Yes. So she was still there even though, which that's a thing I want to talk about. Like, I think having a doula doesn't mean you have to go full home birth. Like you can still have a support doula. It could be a friend, like whoever in the room with you, even if you decide to do a hospital birth.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because they can still advocate for you.

[Samantha Christine]

Absolutely. Because a lot of the times, like, you know, there might be questions from the medical team, the doctors, and it's like they can kind of be that voice. They can kind of help guide you based on what your goals are, which is really. And just to kind of give you support in this amazing chapter of your life.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That is such a good point because I. So I got a doula and she's amazing. Yeah, she's great. But she's for sure heavily on the holistic side.

[Samantha Christine]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And I, for my first birth, I want to land somewhere in the middle.

[Samantha Christine]

I was going to say, how do you feel about it?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I see myself doing a hospital birth for sure. I'm not super anti epidural, but I would love to avoid ptosin if I can. I just want to understand the options and like educate myself about each thing.

[Samantha Christine]

Absolutely.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That they're using. But she at the beginning was very much like pushing me towards one way. And I think it is important, even if you respect the doula and their, their views, to kind of have your own voice in it too and be able to kind of like advocate for.

[Samantha Christine]

Yourself without shame or without.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes. Because I tend to be a bit more of a people pleaser and I'm like, same.

[Samantha Christine]

You know what I mean? Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm like, oh, that sounds nice. Like we can do it that way. But I. This is the one thing where I'm like, I really need to be sure of what I'm doing and I still am not 100 sure of what I want to do.

[Samantha Christine]

Well, luckily you have time to just like continue to educate yourself and like ask people in all the different fields. That was like something I did. I just like asked all the questions and honestly like wrote them down. I'm such an old school person when it comes to like writing down the pros and cons of situations. But seriously, like, it helps you feel more empowered. So when you do make that decision, you're like, well, I asked all the questions, I did all the research. I feel good about this decision.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

I don't think there's a right or wrong way. I think it depends on the type of person.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Totally.

[Samantha Christine]

You know, and like your journey too. Like for my first birth, I wasn't meant to do the home birth route and no medication. But it Led me there eventually, and it's just part of my journey. So I think you'll find that same thing. And I think there is a way you can kind of do both, like, all of it, you know?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Totally.

[Samantha Christine]

I understand the whole Pitocin thing. That's a big one.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That. Yeah, that one freaks me out a little bit.

[Samantha Christine]

Have you had anybody on that has, like, talked about?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I have, but I think back then when I wasn't pregnant, I wasn't as tuned in, and I need to go back and actually list. I've talked to so many people at this point, and they all are so smart and have so much information. I need to go back and listen. Tell us about the home birth experience.

[Samantha Christine]

It was amazing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, I want to actually understand, like, what happens. Like, beautiful. Like, yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes. Okay. Give you the full. The full rundown. So same doula, same friend. That this time around, it was like, during COVID it was like the second wave. I was like, okay, I'm pregnant. I want to do the natural route again. But I was like, I want to do the birth center, which was right next to the hospital in Nashville. So it was one of those things where it wasn't in the hospital, but it was, like, right next to the hospital. So, like, worst case scenario, right at the hospital. Right. And the birthing suite that was part of the hospital is beautiful. Like a tub. Just felt like you're at home. And I was like, this is where I need to be, because there was still a little bit of fear there. And I think there always is up until the moment you deliver. We're human. So I went, had, like, my first few visits. I think I was like, 20 weeks, and went to my appointment with my midwife at the hospital where the birth center was, and they had implemented masks again for Covid, and they were like, you're going to have to deliver, like, with a mask when you're trying to deliver naturally. Breathwork is such a big component and big part. You can't properly breathe. The techniques you need to be doing with a mask on.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That sounds awful.

[Samantha Christine]

It was a lot. And so I was like, okay. I just felt in my gut, like, home birth, like, that kept coming up. And so I was like, I don't know anybody that has done a home birth in this area, like, any midwives that would deliver. So I just did a lot of research and interviewed several midwives and found one that I love. She predominantly delivers in the Amish community, but has delivered, like, thousands of babies. And I could tell on the phone she Was just very matter of fact. Like, I'd love to say she's probably not the most, like, oh, like super friendly, but like, I didn't care. Like, I needed somebody that was like, gonna make sure I'm safe, the baby's safe, make me feel calm and supported. And that's what she was. She came over and met with me again. I was like halfway through the pregnancy that. So that was kind of scary, like switching gears halfway through.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

But she just made me feel like this was the way to go. Asked her so many questions, she answered them all. And so I made the switch to do a home birth. And I remember I told my husband at the time, like, hey, this is what I'm leaning towards. And he was like, absolutely not. Like, what home birth? Like, are you crazy? And I gave him the literature, the facts, the info, had her. Him meet with her, and he eventually was on board too, which was great. So throughout the rest of that second pregnant half that pregnancy, I started doing breath work every day, meditation. I took a couple courses. One of them was called Happy home birth and then another one was called Pain free Birth. So they're both big accounts on Instagram, but they basically give you the tools and guidance on how to like, breathe and like get to a meditative spot and state in your body to where you disassociate from the pain in a sense and view it as pressure instead. Which I can say now, having gone through that whole home birth, I never experienced pain. It was just pressure, if anything. So I would do a lot of breath work every single day. I would do like meditation tapes. I would do exercises like hold ice cubes in my hand and like breathe through little things. Like, it's like tmi, but if you take a bowel movement instead of like tensing up, just like breathing through the bowel movement. Because it's a very similar feel.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So a lot of different practices.

[Mari Llewellyn]

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[Samantha Christine]

And so the day of the home birth, I was 39 weeks. Both babies came a few days early. I was 39 weeks. It was New Year's Eve. Oh, I know New Year's Eve. And I had made my son a lunch, like a sandwich. This was, like, around 12pm and I started feeling like, the contraction. Now, have you heard of Braxton Hicks?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Samantha Christine]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes.

[Samantha Christine]

So I'm interested to see if you'll get those.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I know I haven't got them.

[Samantha Christine]

With both boys, I started feeling these contractions. I had had Braxton Hicks leading up, so I was like, is this Braxton Hicks? We'll see how, like, intense it gets. Quickly realized it was not. I kind of called my mom. I called my doula. I was like, no rush to come over. Just letting you guys know what's happening. And I also texted my midwife and let her know. She was like, well, I'm out running errands, so just let me know. I. So again, this is like, around 12pm I had him at, like, 2:40.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Samantha Christine]

In the afternoon.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's pretty quick.

[Samantha Christine]

Two and a half hours later. So during this time, it really picked up. And I was just in the bath bedroom playing my meditation tapes, playing worship music, just, like, breathing. I had, like, light, strong affirmation cards just put all around the walls. I just really wanted to create, like, a environment that I felt at peace at. And it was a really beautiful day because of that. My husband at the time, he started blowing up the tub and getting all, like, home birth equipment out, which was really fun. Cause, like, it's like a full list. So we had all of that prepped and ready to go. And then my mom came over, and bless her heart, she started getting nervous because she was like, okay, she's breathing through her contractions, but, like, vocalizing. I remember the midwife telling me that's when I need to call her. So she calls the midwife. Midwife's like, all right, I'm at Costco. I'm checking out. I'll come over.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And so she's very chill about the whole thing.

[Samantha Christine]

Well, my mom was, like, concerned. She's like, why are you so calm right now? I can't deliver this baby by myself.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Why are you at Costco? Why are you at Costco?

[Samantha Christine]

I think she was like, let me hear her do a contraction. And, like, because my midwife, she's so intuitive, she can, like, hear a contraction and, like, look at you and know exactly, like, how dilated you are and everything. She's just amazing at It. So my midwife is like, okay, I'll come over. It will be fine. So she comes over. I remember her walking in the room, and at this point, like, I was on all fours, just kind of, like, moving around like that. Cat, cow positions, you know, trying to, like, stretch a little bit and breathe through the contractions and vocalizing. And she looked at me and she goes, do you want me to check you? Which you're familiar with that, right?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Checking, like, the cervix to see.

[Samantha Christine]

To see the dilation. I was nervous at this point because, go back a few years prior to my first pregnancy. They asked me the same question when I was having contractions, and that was at a zero for hours. That's why I had to get Pitocin to dilate.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep.

[Samantha Christine]

So there was, like, a trauma there, like a PTSD in a sense. And I was so nervous. And I remember looking at her and saying, I'm so nervous right now. And she looked at me and she says, you're gonna be okay. And so I let her check me, and I was at, like, seven.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, wow.

[Samantha Christine]

So she looked at me. She said this was, like, at around 1:45, too. She goes, just want you to know the next hour is going to be pretty intense, but you have this. And I was like, all right, let's go. Buckle up. So quickly got into the tub because, like, everything was just moving so quick. And, like, what's really crazy about a natural birth is you're so intuitive with your body because you feel it. All right? And something I had learned preparing for a natural birth and a home birth is when you breathe against or push against the contractions that you feel instead of working with them, that's when it's more painful. That's what's going to prevent any progression. Because you're tensing up.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So it's like, with each contraction that you have, instead of tensing up, it's like you want to breathe, move with the pain, like, make it fluid. Right. Breathe with the pressure. I could literally feel with each contraction, him, like, moving down, moving down, moving down. And what's really cool is, like, I guided my entire delivery. Like, I told her when I was ready to breathe the baby down instead of push, is what we say, breathe the baby down. And she was just support right beside me in that tub. And so it was amazing, like, when he. I was, like, on all fours, kind of like hanging over the tub. And again, like, at this point, it was just my mom, the doula, the midwife, her assistant, and my Ex husband, the boy's dad. It was pretty silent besides me just breathing this baby down. And I'll never forget, like, they call it the ring of fire. Have you heard of that?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes, I have. Yeah. It's like when the head comes out or. Yeah, okay.

[Samantha Christine]

And I had heard of that. And I was like, okay, we're gonna see how this feels. Because here we are. Quite literally, it is a burning sensation. But it's like such a relief after that. Cause it's when the head comes out, it's like that ring of fire, and it's a burning sensation, and then it's out. It's like you have a moment of relief because, like, the head really is the hardest part or challenging. Right?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So at that moment, I remember just feeling like, oh, okay. And then it was like the rest of the body, she, you know, kind of guided me to kind of sit up a little bit more in a different position and helped guide me out with him. And I give this primal roar. And he comes out and it's like the most amazing moment. And I just remember sitting in that moment, like, I just had my baby at home and he's in my arms and he's crying. And about three minutes after, he latched for the first time in the tub. And it was just like a very beautiful moment.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So special. That is incredible.

[Samantha Christine]

Oh, my gosh.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And I guess, like, without an epidural, you really feel everything you do. Like, without, with an epidural, do you not feel any of that?

[Samantha Christine]

No, I think there's different doses of the epidural where you can have some kind of feeling. I think I had, like, the full feeling, the full effect. I didn't feel anything. So I quite literally felt out of control. Because when they would say push, I couldn't feel it. I was like, I don't know if I'm anything coming out. Like, am I? Yeah, you know, because of that, you know, I didn't feel like, super and tune with my body in that sense. And so there were some tears with my first, where with my second, I didn't tear at all. So there are some things that I can look and compare again. I think everyone's story is different, but that's just my experience.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, that's pretty interesting that you tear when you can't feel anything, I guess because you're like. You're not intuitively knowing the right moments.

[Samantha Christine]

Right. Or like, how much you should push versus you, because you can feel your body. Like, okay, maybe that's too much. I'mma pull Back a little bit. You know, you can kind of be intuitive with your body and so it, it was really neat to kind of compare both births. That is cool. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Curious. Did you receive any? I don't know if you were like very private about it, but when you shared that you were having a home birth, were people like judgmental of it? Because I've noticed that happening to some of my friends.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes. Long story short, and I think it came from a place of people genuinely caring, but there was like a fear behind it of oh my gosh, are you not scared? Like that's so scary. I hope everything goes okay. You can't blame them because at the end of the day I feel like it's getting better. But for so long it was demonized in a way or like looked at as a risky, careless way to have birth. When in all reality it's like that's how it started. Yeah, right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

Like we're designed to be able to give birth. Obviously there are certain situations that you know are high risk and you got to listen to your body and do what's best for you and baby. But at the end of the day we're built to be able to do this. Also at this time though, I didn't have a social media following so I didn't really have any kind of like backlash opportunity.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That would be interesting. That would be interesting.

[Samantha Christine]

So this next go around we'll see. Have you experienced like any backlash with like you sharing how you want your birthday and delivery and everything to be?

[Mari Llewellyn]

I haven't really like said how I want it to be cuz I'm not 100% sure. I. Maybe I've just tuned it out at this point cuz I've gotten so used to it, but I feel like I haven't really. And it's interesting because I am such a believer in nutrition and I love being healthy and I love fitness. So when I did ivf, I think a lot of people were like, wait, why would she have to do ivf? She's so healthy. Like this seems crazy and I had a lot of like rude questions about it maybe or like judgment like you shouldn't have had to have done that.

[Samantha Christine]

But it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

In the, at the end of the day it got me where I needed to be.

[Samantha Christine]

And I'm sure there's other women that similar to you like prioritizing their health and fitness and still took that route. So I think for you to show like that's okay. I know probably very inspirational to a lot of women, which is Amazing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That was kind of a big motivator for me because I was like, okay, someone like me who really takes care of themselves is still having this struggle.

[Samantha Christine]

Absolutely.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And so many people are having these.

[Samantha Christine]

A lot of it goes beyond diet and lifestyle. That's out of our control. So at the end of the day, it's like, yeah, gotta do what you gotta do.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Totally. And how lucky are we that we get to do things like that now? It's amazing.

[Samantha Christine]

I completely agree.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Let's talk about postpartum.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Very curious about that, because I feel like I see two ends of the spectrum online. I see women who say, like, they're in their newborn bubble and it's bliss and it's heaven, and they are obsessed with it and they want to go back to it. And then I see some women say, it's like, the hardest thing ever. Where did you land in that?

[Samantha Christine]

I had a very hard time, but I didn't let that be known to anyone around me.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Held it in.

[Samantha Christine]

I did. I've always, like, been the type of person to be like, I'm strong. I can do this. And I think it was kind of like that survival state of mind, just getting through it. But looking back, I wish I had, like, asked for more help. I think that I definitely, undiagnosed, had postpartum anxiety. Yeah. Thoughts would come in my head of, are they breathing? Like, multiple times? I would go into their nursery and, like, check to see if they're breathing multiple times a night.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's gonna be me. I'm 100 sure, you know?

[Samantha Christine]

Or like, I felt so out of it. Like, oh, my gosh, what if I accidentally, like, drop them because I'm so sleep deprived, or, you know, fell asleep holding them and they suffocated. Like, these thoughts that were pretty morbid would come in my head, which would freak me out, you know, it's like, I just want to keep them safe. I knew I wasn't alone at the same time. Cause I had heard so many people talk about it, and I just, like, prayed it would just pass, which it. And I got through it. But I wish I had talked about it to people more, because it would have been nice to not go through that alone. At the same time. I was in a marriage that I wasn't happy in. I didn't feel like I had the support that I had really wanted. I guess you would say nothing against him. I just think that we weren't meant to be together long term in that sense. Which made any kind of situation, like, postpartum Big life event. Hard, but that was hard. And then I also dealt with, like, mastitis multiple times from breastfeeding. And so it was just like a lot of things over a course of like, eight weeks that just felt really dark that I wish I had reached out to more people and try to get that out.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I hear that's very common.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, how do we get the support that we need during postpartum from our husbands? Like, I guess how do we.

[Samantha Christine]

Like, so now, you know, being in this relationship I'm in now, it's such a. It really is such a healthy relationship. And it's funny because I said that I would never have more kids. And I think I told you earlier, like, I had baby fever and want to do this with him just because of what we've built. I think that it would be a lot different this time around. But I think talking about postpartum during pregnancy with your spouse, because so much of it's on pregnancy, and then postpartum hits and you're like, holy cow, this is a lot. And I think if we can talk to our significant other, our husband, our boyfriend, our partner, start talking about what postpartum might look like, what you think you might need. Again, it's hard to tell when you're not in it, but just having the expectations of proper communication to follow is important. And then husbands and boyfriends and partners to check in. I think that's so important to check in every day. I mean, postpartum doesn't last forever, but like this first six to eight weeks, it's. It's a lot. So I think that's something that the husband can do or boyfriend, just check in and ask what they need, even if it's just a talk or a glass of water, whatever it may be.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Because they're not that useful at the beginning.

[Samantha Christine]

Right. And I think a lot of the times they. They want to be, but they don't know what to do.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

They're like, what. What can I do? Like, I don't have a boob to milk like our child. Like, yeah, change a brush. Diaper to change a diaper. Yeah. It's like, like you very. You know. So I think that the more in pregnancy you can involve your significant other to where it easily translates over into postpartum. It's just going to make life a lot more seamless and feel more supportive.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I don't even really know what to expect.

[Samantha Christine]

And like, the first time around, I feel like that's so, so normal.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You're just winging it.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah. Like when you have your second. If you guys have a second, if you're planning on that, you're gonna be like, I feel so much more empowered.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

And just kind of know what I would need.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. He's been at every appointment with me, which helps. And I think him going through IVF too with me. We were so like a team. Yeah. Such a team. I mean, he gave me every shot. He was with me every night.

[Samantha Christine]

See you guys going through that is a lot like a big emotional event and chapter. So, yeah, I feel like he's going to be great postpartum too. Are you guys doing any like birth classes together or anything like that?

[Mari Llewellyn]

He doesn't know it, but we're going to.

[Samantha Christine]

Surprise, surprise.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We are. I think my doula will do them with us. She'll like come over. Hypno.

[Samantha Christine]

Hypnobirthing. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Is that the breathing?

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah, we did that and that's great. My. The boy's dad, he did that too. And it was a really, it's a. It's a really fun class to do. Yeah, it's wild.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I definitely want to do that. I'm excited. When do I do that? Like, at what point?

[Samantha Christine]

Gosh, I think I started doing that in the like mid-20s.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Samantha Christine]

How many weeks are you now about to be?

[Mari Llewellyn]

19.

[Samantha Christine]

Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

Girl is about to pick up. Get ready.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm so excited.

[Samantha Christine]

I feel like when I hit 20 weeks, then you kind of start counting backwards. You're like, you know what I mean?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

You're like, this is going by so fast. But I think we started doing it like mid-20s to 30s and then like really were intentional throughout the whole 30 weeks because it goes by fast.

[Mari Llewellyn]

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[Samantha Christine]

Prenatal. Prenatal, Yeah I was thinking, per Perry bottle, like the thing that you splash after your birth, which you're going to have to get one of those, too.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've seen those on the baby list.

[Samantha Christine]

Prenatal. You know what? I think I did a couple. I am so bad at sitting still, like, for a massage.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Someone going up my vagina.

[Samantha Christine]

It's a. Oh, do they do that?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

Oh, I didn't.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Perennial. Perennial.

[Samantha Christine]

Okay. Perennial, now that we know how to pronounce it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes. I never had someone do it for me, but my midwife was like, you need to start doing this around, like, in your 30s. I can't remember the exact weeks, but it's basically where you quite literally stretch out your vagina. Oh, my God. In the sense. So, like, I would to get some lubricant and just kind of get that going. That's all.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That you're just stretching it out?

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah. I mean, it just. It just. It really helps, too, I think your first pregnancy, too, just because the tissue is not obviously conditioned to be stretched to the point of, like, pushing a baby out. And so it just really helps get the tissue ready. So I would recommend doing that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But you don't need someone else to do it.

[Samantha Christine]

Absolutely not.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Samantha Christine]

You could get your husband Greg to do it if you want. Kind of thinking that that might be like. Like some way fun way to spice it up in the bedroom.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Stretch me out like crazy.

[Samantha Christine]

But yeah, no, that is very beneficial, though, like, to do that. And then I think I was doing it like, every day. Just like a quick 15 seconds. Just a quick little stretch.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Great. Okay, I guess I'll do that then.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah. Okay.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But I was just freaked out by someone else doing it.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah, I would. You don't have to do that. Okay, great. I would be freaked out, too.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, don't.

[Samantha Christine]

A little much.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay, let's talk about, like, like, bounce back concept. Did you experience that pressure or were you just, like, patient with yourself? I guess as someone who's into fitness and used to seeing their body a certain way, what is that experience?

[Samantha Christine]

Of course I felt the pressure. And I hate the term bounce back. I mean, I use it still because it's like, you know, we talk about bouncing back, but it's. There's too much pressure around that term. It takes almost 10 months for your body to build human life and create this baby. And your body is going through so many changes over the course of that time. For us to think that we can, quote, unquote, bounce back after a couple months is so unrealistic because it's going to take time to recover and heal our bodies in a healthy way. Just like it took for our bodies to create this human life. We've got to stop looking at as bouncing back in a quick amount of time. Everybody's time's going to look different.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

I definitely felt that both pregnancies, I wasn't on social media yet, but I was on social media looking at other people and definitely found myself comparing. I think genetics go into play. Like, you know, people dealing with, you know, having gained more weight, it just takes more time to lose. Like, we're all in different paths. And so that's something that I talk to my community a lot about, whether, you know, it's in my DMs or in my app or on my podcast. Like, I just, I tried to let women know that it's okay to take time and go at your own pace. Yeah, your body's smart. Like, your body's gonna come back. It just might take a little bit of time. And as long as you're creating those daily habits to heal yourself and fuel properly, you're gonna get there.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. And I even hear with breastfeeding, like, obviously you need to be eating enough.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes. That's a big one.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So you can't just sort of like, jump back into.

[Samantha Christine]

I didn't lose all my weight and specifically, like, body fat percentage drop until I stopped breastfeeding after a year.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Wow.

[Samantha Christine]

And that's normal. Like, your body is naturally going to retain more body fat for the baby. You need to, because it looks at it almost like a stockpile of, like, hey, if we run out, we'll go to this stored fat. Right. So your body's naturally going to store more fat when you're breastfeeding. And for me, when I was done breastfeeding my second Quinn, that was around 13 months. That's when I really started picking up the gym more and, like, tracking my macros. And it, it, it all fell off pretty quickly. But until then, I just gave what I knew my body needed in the baby. But it's hard. It's easier said than done, for sure.

[Mari Llewellyn]

How quickly did you get back into working out when you had babies and how did you manage it, like, on a very granular level? I'm trying to imagine my life after having a baby.

[Samantha Christine]

I can only imagine. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Obviously it takes a minute.

[Samantha Christine]

It does.

[Mari Llewellyn]

To get back into your routine, but do you, like, bring the baby to the gym with you? How does it actually work?

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah. So what's crazy is both Babies were kind of born in that Covid time. Like, Grayson was just a few months old when Covid hit. And so once I got cleared, I. You know, around this six week mark, they say I started going on more walks and getting more steps and light stretches and yoga. And then I started doing, like, little dumbbell work, like, strength training. And I have videos of, like, me doing, like, push ups with him, like on my back, like my mom setting him on my back, and like, doing, like, little things incorporating him at home. So I did a lot of at home work that with dumbbells you can do. But one thing I was big about with both babies is, like, listening to my body and specifically with my core. Yeah, I would never, like, push myself too hard. It felt like I was going past the limits of what my body could provide at that time. And I think that's something that's very important. So you kind of have to look at it as, like, building back strength and, like, phases and just kind of listening to your body and checking in with yourself and going up in weight. For instance, with dumbbells, when you feel like you can, but not pushing it past that point, because I feel like a lot of damage can come from that. Yeah, but. But I honestly was not into lifting the way I am now until after my second.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, really? Wow.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah. So with my first, I did, like, a lot of dumbbell work, but I didn't work out and lift in a progressive overload until after my second a couple years ago. So when I was done breastfeeding at 13 months with him, I started incorporating more progressive overloads, dumbbell work. And that's when I really worked on, like, body composition. And I would say it took me a solid year with both boys before I felt, like, strong again, though. It takes time.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, you gotta be patient.

[Samantha Christine]

You do.

[Mari Llewellyn]

And now you are into fitness competition. Can you explain the competitions you do?

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

What is Hybrox?

[Samantha Christine]

Oh, it's so fun. So it's a fitness race that combines both running and functional workouts.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Okay.

[Samantha Christine]

It's the same concept every time. So when you go into the race, you know what you're getting? Yeah. Basically it's 1km run, and then you do that eight times, but in between each run, you do a station. So you do wall balls, skier row, farmer's carry lunges, a lot of functional stations, and basically it's about how fast you can go. You have different divisions depending on the division. You do a certain amount of weight, but it's not about how heavy it's really about how fast. So I've done solo before. I do it with Ian, my boyfriend, a lot. We love doing it. And, yeah, it's super fun, though. I think it's one of those sports that no matter what season you're in, like, you can do it. There's people that are 80 years old competing, people in wheelchairs.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's so cool.

[Samantha Christine]

Like, moms that want to get their girlfriends together to do a relay. So it's a really fun sport that started over in Europe and it's creating so much hype over here in the States.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, it's European.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. So it's gotten so popular, but it's a really fun sport. But then I'm really a runner, though. Like, half marathons. Marathons. About to train for the NYC marathon.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So amazing.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah, but it's fun.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Greg and I have a hyper fixation of watching ultra marathon runners.

[Samantha Christine]

They're built different.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Courtney Duig or something. Do you follow her?

[Samantha Christine]

No, but I know who you're talking about.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, she does. Like, Leadville and all the crap.

[Samantha Christine]

It's insane.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's insane. But it's so cool.

[Samantha Christine]

It is so cool. I don't think I could ever get to that point. Like, that is just.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You might.

[Samantha Christine]

I mean, if anyone could do. I guess never say never. But they are built different. Like, it's truly amazing to see them do that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, running through the night.

[Samantha Christine]

My thing is, like, I love sleep. I'm like, I would have to sleep, right?

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, I'm like, where do you go to the bathroom? Where do you poop? No.

[Samantha Christine]

Have you done any kind of, like, races or.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, but I'm. I think I will one day. Sounds fun.

[Samantha Christine]

Well, I think you should do a hyrox. I would like to be like, a postpartum goal. Like.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

At the end of this year, I want to do or something. You know what I mean? Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Can you sponsor people doing it? Bloom should sponsor.

[Samantha Christine]

Absolutely.

[Mari Llewellyn]

We'll sponsor you. Oh, we should do that. That would be so fun. A cute little Bloom outfit.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes. Okay, let's do it. I'll get Ian. If we do mix doubles, he'll wear a little Bloom outfit.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, he could wear a little blue outfit. I love that you guys do it together, though. Yeah, that's, like, so awesome. Greg and I love working out together, and I think it's, like, a big part of our relationship.

[Samantha Christine]

I love seeing your videos, like, your workout videos of you guys doing that together. It's just. It's really sweet. And speaking of, like, motherhood. Like your son's gonna be able to see that. I know. Which is so, so special and gonna make such an impact on him.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think Greg already thinks he's like a little bodybuilder, you know?

[Samantha Christine]

Stop. That's so cute. He gets baby weights. Baby weights?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes. Oh, my God. I've seen baby weights.

[Samantha Christine]

That's the thing, you know.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon?

[Samantha Christine]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Have you met her?

[Samantha Christine]

I haven't. I want to.

[Mari Llewellyn]

You would really like her. She literally. Her kids work out with her.

[Samantha Christine]

I love that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, this little girl does push ups.

[Samantha Christine]

And so Reagan is like that. Ian's daughter. We're a blended family, blended household. She is eight years old and she'll do like, like swings with him. Burpees. Like, love it. I know. Like Devil's Press. Like all this stuff with him. It's truly amazing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

This episode of Pursuit of Wellness is brought to you by Wild Grain. Wild Grain is the first baked from frozen subscription box for artisanal breads, pastries and pastas. I am personally such a big fan of the sourdough and the croissants. They are fully customizable to your taste and dietary restrictions. In addition to their classic variety box box, they recently launched a new gluten free box and a plant based box that's a hundred percent vegan. Best of all, they take the hassle out of baking since all the items are baked from frozen in 25 minutes or less with no mess up or cleanup. The croissants are so freaking good, you bake them fresh and you can pretty much fool everyone that you made these with your own bare hands. It's so fun to have in the freezer, especially when you have guests. It makes things so easy. And having a warm baked good is just the best. And having it ready to go in under 25 minutes is amazing. It will make your day and weeks so much easier. Are you ready to bring all your favorite carbs right to your doorstep? Be sure to check out Wild Grain so you can begin building your own box of artisanal breads, pastas and pastries for a limited time. While Grain is offering our listeners $30 off the first box plus free croissants in every box when you go to wildgrain.com pow to start your subscription. You heard me. Free croissants in every box and $30 off your first box when you go to wildgrain.com powder that is wildgrain.com pow. Or you can use promo code POW at checkout. Sleep is such an important part of a wellness routine and Greg and I are both obsessed with our eight sleep Pod on Autopilot. The Pod is a high tech mattress cover that you can easily add to your existing mattress to help you sleep better. You do not need to change your mattress or bed frame to get the Pod. It's a fitted sheet that can be added to any mattress throughout the night. The Pod uses precision temperature control to regulate your body's sleep cycles automatically can cool down to 55 degrees F or warm up to 110 degrees F. It does this separately for each side of the bed. So Greg likes his really really cold when he's falling asleep and then it warms up to wake him up. I like mine to just be cold 247 and I don't go as extreme as he does, which is really nice that we can control separately. The Pod uses AI and machine learning to learn your sleep patterns over time and use this data to automatically adjust the temperature of your bed throughout the night according to what your body needs. Which is so cool. Instead of just giving you some stats, it understands them and does something about it. There's no other product like it on the market. Your bed gets smarter over time. This is possible thanks to Autopilot, a set of proprietary algorithms trained on millions of hours of sleep that understand the ideal temperature changes required for each unique individual so they can have the best sleep possible. One of my favorite features is the Smart alarms. They can turn on the Smart alarm feature to wake up during the lightest sleep phase within 30 minutes of your set alarm time. Greg uses this and it's perfect because it doesn't wake me up, which we love. And there's so many amazing key in app features. You can control your pod, give detailed sleep and health reports, Autopilot adjust overview and smart alarms. Head over to 8sleep.com pow and use code POW POW to get $350 off Pod4Ultra and start experiencing the benefits of Autopilot today. You get 30 days to try it at home and return it if you don't like it. But I am confident you will keep it. That's eight sleep.com pow pow. So let's talk about the blended family concept because I think that's really amazing and I don't know why the Kardashians pop in my head but I've heard them talk about yeah, that a lot and I actually love the way they approach it and I feel like you have just built like a really beautiful household. So how do you go about creating that dynamic?

[Samantha Christine]

I'm gonna preface it by saying this is something that I never thought I would have. I think that when I got married and built a family, like, no one goes into marriage being like, I'm gonna get divorced or I'm gonna break apart our family, you know? Right. Like, we had those traditional values set within us. And I never thought I would be here, but I truly think that my life was orchestrated in a way that was meant to get me where I'm at, and I'm so thankful for it. After my divorce a few years back, I had, you know, babies. Like, my youngest was. Had just turned a year old, and I told myself, I'm never gonna date again. Like, I'm gonna focus on them. And then what do you know? Like, a few months later, Ian walks in my life. And it truly, though, made sense. We took things very slow because we are both, like, we don't want to date. We just want to be friends. Obviously, feelings came in, and months and months later, it just. It just made sense. So we took things slow, but we also knew, like, okay, we have kids. We want to do this the right way, this relationship. So luckily, they had met at gymnastics, which is where we met. So they had already met each other, so they were already integrated in each other's lives, which is really nice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

As parents.

[Samantha Christine]

As parents, yeah. So. So I had met him 20 years prior. It's a long story, but. Or a long story short. We met 20 years prior at a party, didn't see him for 20 years, and then met again. We met at gymnastics, so it was really cool. Like, invisible string theory type of a thing. But, yeah, the kids had already met each other, so they looked at us like, oh, dad's friend, Mom's friend. Right. And then we just started slowly taking those next steps, and we knew it was time to move in with each other when the kids were so sad and asking where the other, you know, sibling were.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So Reagan would say, you know, why aren't we seeing Grayson? Or Quinn or the boys would be like, where's Reagan? Like, when am I gonna see her next? It just. We kind of both had that gut feeling, like it was time, and it was the best decision, because I feel like when we really did move in together and make that commitment and just brought both households together, just, like, everything bloomed from there. It was a really beautiful thing. And so it has its challenges. You know, we still obviously have another parent on both sides that we have to communicate with, which has had its ups and downs, but we try to do it in A very healthy way and communicate on both sides. But it's been a really beautiful thing just to see the relationships, especially with the kids grow. And then, you know, the other parent, like Ian with my boys and me with Reagan, just, yes, they're not blood related, but it feels that way. It's so beautiful.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. That's amazing. I feel like that initial decision to leave your first marriage when you have babies must have been really challenging, and I feel like a lot of people also can relate. When do you, like, how did you know when it was the right time to choose yourself and when it was the right decision?

[Samantha Christine]

I think when the bad days outweighed the good, and I saw it affecting my children, that's when I knew it was time.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

I honestly stayed in it longer because of the children. I knew with my second, I was breastfeeding. And I remember having these thoughts, like, months prior, before I actually filed of, okay, well, if I file and get divorced now, how do I continue to breastfeed my child when it's his time to parent? Like, do I have to drop off breast milk? Like. Like, it made me sick thinking about that. And so, strategically, unfortunately, like, I did plan it to where I would be done breastfeeding. It just got to a point where I told myself, and I know a lot of women can relate because I get Questions in my DMs about this a lot. I wanted to get to a place where when I did file and decided to walk away, I could look back and know that I exhausted all efforts and took all the steps I could to make it work. And when that bad days outweighed the good, and I look back and know that I could put a check mark next to all those things. So it's unfortunate and sad, but I know I made the right decision.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It sounds like you made the perfect decision and everything's better for it, which is. And it's amazing to hear you talk about it openly, because I'm sure so many people are experiencing it, but they just don't even know how to, like, talk about it.

[Samantha Christine]

It's hard, and it's still hard. I mean, just the other week with all the kids, we still get this. So why can we all live together? They're still kids. They still don't get it right. And so Ian and I have to learn how to navigate those conversations. It's not easy. It's hard and it's heartbreaking, but we just try to take a very, like, honest approach with them and build it on love and happiness when we Try to reply to them, you know.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yep.

[Samantha Christine]

So it's not easy though.

[Mari Llewellyn]

But it's amazing that you speak about it and I'm sure so many people.

[Samantha Christine]

Are grateful that you, you, yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Are open in terms of your schedule. I'm very interested to know like literally how you do it.

[Samantha Christine]

It's all over the place.

[Mari Llewellyn]

How do you do you time block? Like how do you manage a calendar where you are working out, making time for yourself, taking care of your kids, feeding your kids, having a career, doing a podcast, doing social media? Like how?

[Samantha Christine]

Well I don't do it perfectly, but I try to do the best that I can. And I am such a believer in time blocking. I time block every day of my life. Yeah. From the moment I wake up. Like simple things, 5 to 5, 15am Makeup, hair. Like I have to though I have ADHD, so it is easy for me to say I'm gonna do something and then three hours later it's still not done. So for me, time blocking has been a huge help. I plan the night before so it's like I wake up and know what I'm doing versus having to look at it. Some days I don't get to work out, but I try to prioritize some type of movement, whether it's like a quick 10 minute walk or whatever that may be. And I try to time out my events of the week around busier days, around the days that I don't have the kids, if that makes sense. So like all my filming, all my editing that I think will take up a lot of time, I try to do that on days when I don't have the kids because you never know when you're going to get a call from school that's like, hey, he's sick, you got to pick him up. Like, like life happens. So I try to plan that way, but also communication with my team. Like, so Ian, my boyfriend works with me now.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, amazing.

[Samantha Christine]

He's a Navy SEAL and so he's all about structure and discipline. So when he came on board, he really helped me too of like making sure that we have a plan and are structured. I'm such a believer in prioritizing yourself so you can perform better in all aspects of your life.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thousand percent.

[Samantha Christine]

I feel like you preach on that too.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh my God, yes.

[Samantha Christine]

Because like you are the same. Like you do all these, your brands, your business and making time to prioritize your health, like you're experiencing it as well.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It just benefits every part of your life. Like relationships are better when you're Healthier, works better, marriage is better. Like, I really think. Making time for yourself. I'm a big morning person.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Like, I have to do all my things in the morning because by five I'm like, useless.

[Samantha Christine]

Done.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Done.

[Samantha Christine]

Energy. Yeah.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yes. A thousand. Especially now.

[Samantha Christine]

Oh, yeah. Pregnant. I know. I'm interested to see because I haven't been pregnant and dealt with the life that I. The career I currently have. So I can only imagine in your shoes, like, I don't know how you do it.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I've taken a big step back. That's. My life is not what it used to be. Like, when I lived in LA, my calendar was full from 5am till the end of the day. Meeting, meeting, meeting, meeting. Now I try to come in here and do all my recording in one day.

[Samantha Christine]

My time block.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, I really time block it. Like my blue meeting is on a certain day. I really, like spread it out now to where I have more free time, which is really nice that I can do that. We have a big team and etc.

[Samantha Christine]

Etc.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I think. I don't think I could have been pregnant when I lived in la, honestly.

[Samantha Christine]

Yeah, well, and that's my thing too, is I think that life happens in a way that makes most sense where you're at and like, you look back and you're like, I'm glad it happened. Yes. The way it did and the timing.

[Mari Llewellyn]

No, actually, yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

Because it's a lot.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's a lot. You're obviously very into nutrition and health. How do you. This is something I'm starting to think about with kids when they're at school or when they're at someone else's house. Like, how do you handle their knowledge of nutrition and like, what's going in their bodies?

[Samantha Christine]

We try to lead by example at our house. So we never cook them anything different than what we're eating. And that's something that, that we both communicated to each other from the get go when we first moved in. I've always been that way with the boys. So if we're eating grilled chicken, green beans and potatoes, they're going to eat that too. Do they finish their plates? Not always, but we try to lead by example and show them that these are the foods that help fuel us. Now, do we put fruit on their plates too and like add some things, maybe put a little sauce to make it more fun for them? Yes. So we try to educate them at home first. And the one rule, they don't have to finish their plates, but the one rule we have is they have to Pick a protein that they enjoy eating and they have to finish that.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I like that.

[Samantha Christine]

Right. Like, we can't not eat our chicken and then expect some ice cream after. Like, we got to make sure that we're hitting our protein goals with whatever meat that is. And they understand that now. I think in the beginning, they had a little bit of pushback, but they get that because they know that, like, that's like, the most important. But when it comes to outside of the house, because I feel like inside of the house, it's easier to control. Right. It's outside of the house. At school, at the birthday parties, those things where a few years back I had more anxiety around it. I feel like I've loosened up a little bit, but, like, to the point where I would, you know, bring my own cup of cake to the kids birthday parties and that didn't have dice.

[Mari Llewellyn]

I'm dead. I would do that too.

[Samantha Christine]

I mean, yeah, it was like a little, little, little much much. But so now I'm kind of at a point where I'm like, okay, it's gonna be okay if they have a cupcake from the grocery at this birthday party, because, like, they're not doing that every single day.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So I've tried to loosen up a little bit. Now. I do see behavioral things, especially from the dyes and, like, the cane sugar.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So, like, a lot of times after the birthday parties or any events or whether it's Halloween or whatever, I do see, like, some meltdowns and some tantrums that I know is a direct cause from.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So interesting.

[Samantha Christine]

The ingredients.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

But at the end of the day, just like we go get ice cream out on date night or whatever, like, they can have those moments too. And it's going to be okay. I think it's the 90% of the time, what are you doing at home where we can make the biggest impact? And on Halloween, we actually have a font because this Halloween, I feel like will just pop up in just a few months. So we do this thing called the switch. Switch Witch. Okay. Where we let them go Halloween like candy trick or treating in the neighborhood. They get all the things. Snickers, Twix, you name it, Skittles. And we let them pick about five to ten pieces to eat if they want to that night go ham, that's fine. And then we set out all of the candy by their bedside door, and the switch witch comes and replaces it with a fun little toy. So that way it's like they have fun for a night, but then it doesn't lead into the days after and.

[Mari Llewellyn]

They don't feel like they're missing out on anything. No, that's amazing.

[Samantha Christine]

They forget about it too, you know?

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah, that's a good tool.

[Samantha Christine]

I like that. So little things like that that you can do.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah. I love the emphasis on protein.

[Samantha Christine]

Yes. I mean, it's. It's been a game changer. And it's funny. This is so funny. Oh, my gosh. I just thought of this. So my son's school, they'll send like, little videos.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Yeah.

[Samantha Christine]

So they sent a video from the cafeteria, like one of the teachers and the app, and they had like a Q and A with the. The chef there. And all these kids are like, what cookies do you have? You know, what's for lunch? My son is like, how much protein does that have in this lunch? Like, he was asking, like, nutritional type questions that an adult. And I was like, hey, we raised him right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

So you must have been so proud.

[Samantha Christine]

I was really proud.

[Mari Llewellyn]

It's like, does it have at least 25 grams of protein?

[Samantha Christine]

Right. Ye. So we ate for each meal. So I was like, hey, we're doing something right.

[Mari Llewellyn]

That's adorable.

[Samantha Christine]

It was really cute.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, my gosh. Well, Sam, thank you so much. This was amazing. I feel like there's so many good nuggets in here. I'm taking notes. I learned so much. Thank you for coming on. Can you share with everyone where they can follow you? Listen to the podcast all the things.

[Samantha Christine]

So you can find me on social and Instagram. My personal page is samcfit underscore. And then my podcast, the empower podcast, E, M, P, W R. We are on all the platforms. Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and then we also have our Instagram. So thank you for having me on.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Oh, my God. Thank you. Crushed it.

[Samantha Christine]

Yay. You too. Oh, my gosh, you're such a good interviewer.

[Mari Llewellyn]

Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast to support this show. Please please rate and review and share with your loved ones. If you want to be reminded of new episodes, click the subscribe button on your preferred podcast or video player. You can sign up for my newsletter to receive my [e-mail] it will be linked in the show notes. This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Meisel. You can also watch the the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness podcast. Love you po girls and po boys. I will see you next time. The content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship. As always, talk to your doctor or health team.