Mothering From Within

Kaili Ets
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Introducing Mothering from Within - the podcast that empowers and supports new mothers on their journey through early motherhood. Join host Kaili Ets, a seasoned pediatric occupational therapist and your holistic baby guru, as she provides credible information, emotional support, and practical solutions for navigating the ups and downs of motherhood. Through solo shows and  guest interviews, Mothering from Within will help you gain confidence, trust your instincts, and embrace motherhood on your terms. Get ready to connect, learn, and lead your family with courage and confidence.Stay Connected With Kailihttps://www.kailiets.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/@TheHolisticBabyGuruYT: https://www.youtube.com/@theholisticbabyguru

  1. 3d ago

    Ep.72 | 5 Body Clues Your Baby Is Sending You Right Now — And What They Actually Mean

    Your baby can't say "my neck is tight" or "this position hurts" — but their body has been telling you anyway. The arching during feeds. The one-sided head turn. The baby who will only settle if you hold them just right. These aren't quirks, and they're not things your baby will simply grow out of. They're communication. And in this episode, Kaili teaches you how to finally understand what your baby has been trying to say. In her clinic in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Kaili looks a baby's body within the first 30 seconds — before she says a word, before she suggests anything, before she even properly introduces herself. Not because she's magic, but because the body communicates. It always has been. If you've ever felt like something was off with your baby but couldn't put it into words — this episode is for you. In this episode, Kaili walks you through 5 body clues she looks for in every new baby: Head-turning preference — what a consistent side preference actually means (and why birth matters more than most people realize)Body symmetry — why one shoulder sitting higher, or one leg that doesn't move the same way, shows up as feeding struggles and sleep problemsFeeding behaviour — the difference between a latch issue and something deeper going on in the bodyHow they settle (or don't) — what it means when a baby can only calm in one exact position, and why this is a nervous system story, not a behaviour problemOverall tone — what floppy and stiff actually signal, and why the quiet, low-tone baby deserves just as much attention as the tense oneKaili also talks about the shift that changes everything for the mamas she works with: moving from "what is wrong with my baby?" to "what is my baby trying to tell me?" — and how that single reframe opens the door to real answers. You're not imagining it. Your instincts are almost certainly picking up on something real. 🎁 Free resource: Grab Kaili's Calm Baby Blueprint — a gentle starting point for reading your baby's body — at https://freebie.kailiets.com/calm-baby 📚 Ready to go deeper? Baby Body Work at Home teaches you the same gentle techniques Kaili uses in clinic, one step at a time --> https://courses.kailiets.com/baby-bodywork 📲 Find Kaili on Instagram @theholisticbabyguru Timestamps: 00:00 — Welcome & intro00:52 — Disclaimer01:50 — Why body clues matter (and why no one teaches this)02:20 — What Kaili notices in the first 30 seconds04:19 — Clue 1: Head-turning preference & neck tension05:28 — Clue 2: Body symmetry (shoulders, hips, arms)06:34 — Clue 3: What happens during and after feeds07:44 — Clue 4: Settling ability & nervous system regulation08:44 — Clue 5: Overall tone — floppy vs. tight09:58 — "I knew something was off but everyone said he was fine"11:06 — The Calm Baby Blueprint (free guide) & Baby Body Work at Home11:52 — Share this with a mama who needs it

    13 min

  2. May 27

    Ep.71: When Motherhood Feels Nothing Like You Imagined

    You had a picture of what motherhood was going to feel like. Maybe it was vivid. Maybe it was just a warm, hopeful blur. And then your baby arrived — a whole person, with a whole nervous system and a whole set of needs that are entirely their own. In this episode, Kaili sits down with you for an honest, no-pressure conversation about the gap — the space between the motherhood you imagined and the one you're actually living. If you've felt grief alongside the love, or quietly wondered whether you were built for this... this one is for you. In This Episode: The picture you had before your baby arrived — and what it means when reality looks differentWhy grief and love can (and do) live side by side in early motherhoodHow we hold motherhood to a completely different standard than every other new beginning in our livesThe thoughts most mamas never say out loud — missing your old life, wondering if you were built for this — and why they don't mean what you think they meanWhat Kaili has seen in 18 years of working with babies and children: why the most sensitive babies grow their mamas into something remarkableA personal check-in from Kaili this month — and the reminder we all need that progress doesn't always look the way we pictured itResources Mentioned: Feeding Without Fight — Kaili's complete bundle on understanding baby reflux and oral motor dysfunction, and why they're almost always connected. Two complete courses | $67 | Lifetime unlimited access → Click Here To Learn More Connect with Kaili: Instagram: @theholisticbabyguru Tag Kaili when this episode resonates — she loves hearing from you. If this episode helped you feel a little less alone, please subscribe, share it with a mama who needs it, and leave a review on your listening app of choice.

    15 min

  3. May 21

    Ep.70: What No One Tells You About Running Mom & Baby Classes as a Therapist

    What does it actually feel like to run a sold-out mom and baby class series — not the highlight reel, but the real version? In this episode, Kaili pulls back the curtain on her years of leading Babies at Play classes and shares the honest, behind-the-scenes truth that nobody told her before she started. From the beautiful exhaustion of holding space for an entire room of mamas and babies at once, to the butterflies she still gets before every single class (yes, even after hundreds of them), this one is for the mamas who want to understand the person showing up for them — and for the pediatric and postnatal professionals who've been quietly wondering if running classes is something they could do too. Kaili reflects on what made her transition from clinic-based OT to class leader so unexpectedly meaningful, why forgetting the words to a song she's sung a hundred times doesn't faze her anymore, and the profound privilege of being trusted with the most sacred and vulnerable moments of a new mother's journey. If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of the work — this is the episode. In this episode: Why running a group class asks something completely different of you than one-on-one clinical workThe thing Kaili didn't expect when she started — and still surprises her every timeWhy she still gets butterflies before every class (and why she's grateful for them)What she would tell herself before running her very first classThe privilege of watching babies and mamas grow — and why it never gets oldA message for therapists and postnatal professionals who are sitting on the idea of running their own classesResources mentioned: 🎓 Babies at Play Professional Course — how over 100 therapists have gone from curious to running their own sold-out classes📖 Mothering From Within — Kaili's international bestselling book, full of evidence-informed, attachment-focused guidance on milestones, sleep, reflux, feeding, and moreTimestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast00:52 Disclaimer & Intro01:20 Why This Episode Is a Day Late01:40 Pulling Back the Curtain03:14 From Clinic OT to Class Leader04:28 The Real Exhaustion of Holding the Room05:48 The Butterflies That Never Go Away07:29 The Privilege of Being Trusted08:50 What I'd Tell Myself Before My First Class10:32 A Resource for Professionals11:04 Closing MessageThe butterflies are worth it. The exhaustion is worth it. The privilege of watching babies and mamas bloom together — worth every single bit of it.

    13 min

  4. May 13

    Ep.69: Baby Body Tension: The Signs Every Mama Should Know How to Spot

    Have you ever left a professional appointment with your baby feeling like something was missed? Like you could see something was off — but no one else could? In this episode, Kaili takes you inside her clinical eye and walks you through exactly what she's looking for in the first few minutes with any baby. The things that aren't on standard milestone charts. The things that don't get flagged at routine checkups. The things most professionals simply haven't been taught to look for. From arousal state and body tension to head position, skin creases, facial symmetry, and movement patterns — Kaili shows you how all the "separate" things your baby is doing (the fussiness, the feeding struggles, the tummy time meltdowns, the sleep issues) are often one story happening in one body. And she gives you a simple place to start noticing it yourself — right at home, starting today. In this episode you'll learn: Why arousal state is the very first thing Kaili assesses — and what it tells her before she's done anythingThe two tension patterns she sees most often in babies (extended and stiff vs. curled and clenched)What head-turning preference really means — and how it connects to feeding struggles on one sideWhy skin creases that stay red and raw are actually a sign of muscle tension, not just a moisture problemThe face, the lips, and the eyes — and what subtle asymmetry is telling you about the rest of the bodyHow movement patterns (tummy time, rolling, transitions) reveal how the nervous system is organizing the whole bodyA real-life example: a four-month-old with reflux, sleep issues, and tummy time struggles — and how Kaili reads it as one connected storySimple things you can start observing at home todayResources mentioned: 🔗 [The Calm Baby Blueprint]— Free home assessment guide to help you spot signs of body tension🔗 [Baby Body Work at Home Mini Course] — Gentle techniques you can do at home to ease tension and support feeding, reflux, and sleepGrab my book - Mothering From Within - on Amazon or your local online book retailer

    19 min

  5. May 7

    Ep.68: Why Your Baby Is So Hard (It's Not What You Think)

    Ep.68 | Why Your Baby Won't Settle (And It Has Nothing To Do With What You're Doing) You've tried the routine. You've tried the swaddle. You've tried the white noise, the swing, the side-lying feed. And still — your baby is fussy, unsettled, or just working so hard to get through the day. Before you blame yourself (or their "difficult personality") — there's something almost nobody is telling you to look at. And once you see it, everything starts to make sense. In this episode, Kaili breaks down the nervous system piece that sits underneath so much of what gets labeled as colic, reflux, bad sleeping, difficult temperament — and why the real starting place is almost always the body, not the behaviour. You'll learn: Why what happened during pregnancy and birth matters far more than most practitioners will ever tell youWhat primitive reflexes are, why they sometimes don't fully integrate, and how that shows up as feeding struggles, sleep resistance, and sensory overwhelmHow body tension (which often starts in utero) can make everything from tummy time to lying flat feel genuinely uncomfortable for your babyWhat sensory processing actually looks like when a baby's nervous system is running at full volumeThe specific signs that point to a nervous system root cause — and why they're so often missedThis episode is for you if: Your baby had a long, fast, or interventive birth (forceps, vacuum, C-section)Feeding has been hard from the beginning — one-sided latch, clicking, gassiness, refluxYour baby arches, always turns one way, or seems tense to holdSleep never feels truly settled, even when you've done everything "right"Your gut says something's off — but everyone keeps telling you they're fineYour baby isn't giving you a hard time. They're having one. And there's almost always a reason — a physical, nervous system reason that has nothing to do with your parenting, your consistency, or your baby's character. Free Resource Mentioned: 🎓 Red Flags & Root Causes Workshop (free, on-demand) — go deeper on exactly what to look for in your baby's body. Want to keep going? DM Kaili ROOT on Instagram @theholisticbabyguru and she'll send you the free workshop link directly. 📖 Grab Kaili's book Mothering From Within  Kaili Ets is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Certified Infant Craniosacral Therapist, and mama of two with 18 years of clinical experience. Nothing in this podcast constitutes medical advice — always consult your own healthcare provider.

    16 min

  6. Apr 29

    Ep.67: What Regulation Looks Like On A Hard Day

    Kaili Ets, mom of two and pediatric occupational therapist, shares a real-life look at what nervous system regulation actually looks like in early motherhood. It’s not about staying calm all the time—it’s about what you do when things feel hard. She walks through a moment many parents will recognize: coming home after a full day to a house that feels overwhelming, plans that didn’t happen, and a nervous system that’s starting to unravel. Instead of pushing through, she notices it, names it, and chooses to step away for a restorative yoga class—creating space to reset before coming back to her family. Using her Rooted in Regulation Map™—safety, embodiment, flow, and rhythm/predictability—Kaili shares simple, grounded ways to support both yourself and your child through hard moments. She explores what it looks like to lead with connection, to stay present without forcing calm, and to hold space during big emotions—even if that means quietly sitting nearby while your child moves through it. You’ll also hear practical, doable tools for regulation, including rest, movement, talking things through, writing, physiological sighs, humming, vibration, and even moments of playfulness. This episode is a gentle reminder that regulation isn’t about getting it “right”—it’s about coming back, again and again. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:20 Hard Day Regulation 02:25 Sunday Chaos Story 03:52 Yoga Reset Moment 04:47 Rooted Regulation Map 06:42 Regulating With Kids 07:45 Holding Meltdown Space 10:23 Connection Over Control 12:08 Realistic Regulation Tools 14:27 Practice Coming Back 15:32 Messy Enough Resources & Next Steps: • Free On-Demand Training: Rooted in Regulation • Holistic Baby Flow Method • Book: Mothering From Within • Connect with Kaili  Instagram Website

    18 min

  7. Apr 16

    Ep. 66: When Parents Feel Safe Again: Co-Regulation, Confidence, and Support in Early Motherhood

    Kaili Ets introduces the Mothering From Within podcast and explores something many parents don’t hear enough—you need safety too. In the early years, parenting doesn’t just shape your baby’s nervous system, it deeply impacts your own sense of calm, confidence, and trust in yourself. She explains how, as you begin to feel safer and more regulated, your baby often starts to settle too—not because you’re doing everything perfectly, but because you’re showing up in a steadier, more connected way. Kaili walks through gentle, real-life signs that your nervous system is shifting: less late-night Googling, less second-guessing, calmer decision-making, a softer tone, slower movements, more patience, and even moments of enjoying your baby… right in the middle of the hard. She invites you to reflect on what would feel supportive for you, reminds you that needing help is not a failure, and shares simple ways to begin building that sense of safety—for both you and your baby. This episode also includes a brief medical disclaimer and resources for deeper support, including a free on-demand training, her Holistic Baby Flow Method, and her book Mothering From Within. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:11 Safety for Parents Too 02:52 Signs of Nervous System Shift 04:08 Slowing Down in Sessions 04:47 Co-Regulation Over Perfection 06:22 A Question for You 07:20 Support and Next Steps 08:17 Final Wrap and Book Resources & Next Steps: • Free On-Demand Training: Rooted in Regulation • Holistic Baby Flow Method  • Book: Mothering From Within • Connect with Kaili  Instagram: @TheHolisticBabyGuru Website: www.kailiets.com

    9 min

  8. Apr 8

    Ep.65: The Missing Piece in Sleep, Feeding & Fussiness (It’s Not What You Think)

    If your baby only sleeps on you… wakes the second you put them down… arches, pulls off during feeds… or just feels tense, uncomfortable, or hard to settle… This episode is for you. 💜 Because what if this isn’t about bad habits… or something you’re doing wrong? In this episode, I’m walking you through the missing piece I see over and over again in my work as a pediatric occupational therapist— Your baby’s nervous system. More specifically… their ability to access that calm, settled “brake” state. Because when babies can’t fully access that state yet, their bodies stay a little more alert… a little more braced… a little more “on.” And that can show up as:  Frequent waking  Contact-only sleep  Tense or uncoordinated feeding  Arching, pulling off, or fussiness  Gas, reflux, or digestive discomfort We’ll talk about why this happens (including body tension, birth forces, sensory overwhelm, reflex integration, and more)… And most importantly—what actually helps. Because your baby doesn’t need more training. They need more support. Inside this episode, I also walk you through:  What co-regulation really looks like (and why your baby needs you)  The “roots” that support better sleep and feeding: safety, body comfort, and rhythm  Simple, practical ways to help your baby feel safer in their body This is the shift from trying to “fix” your baby…  to finally understanding them. And once you see it—you can’t unsee it. 💜 🎧 In This Episode 00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 01:11 The Missing Piece in Sleep & Feeding 01:50 Why It’s Not a Bad Habit 02:41 A Personal Story & Nervous System Insight 03:44 The Body’s “Brake” Explained 06:22 Why Your Baby Needs You to Settle 08:01 Co-Regulation & The Roots of Change 09:26 Feeding Through a Nervous System Lens 10:57 Why Sleep Needs Safety First 11:26 Simple Safety Signals You Can Use 13:30 When to Look a Little Deeper 14:57 Wrap Up & Next Steps 🌿 Resources & Next Steps If this episode resonated with you and you’re starting to see your baby in a new way… ✨ Watch the free on-demand training: Learn how sleep, feeding, and tension are all connected—and what you can do to support your baby gently. ✨ Explore the Holistic Baby Flow Method: A step-by-step approach to supporting your baby’s nervous system, body, and development—without sleep training. ✨ Read Mothering From Within: A gentle, grounded guide to helping you trust your instincts and feel more confident in your motherhood. You don’t have to figure this out alone. 💜

    16 min
See All (73)

Trailer

About

Introducing Mothering from Within - the podcast that empowers and supports new mothers on their journey through early motherhood. Join host Kaili Ets, a seasoned pediatric occupational therapist and your holistic baby guru, as she provides credible information, emotional support, and practical solutions for navigating the ups and downs of motherhood. Through solo shows and  guest interviews, Mothering from Within will help you gain confidence, trust your instincts, and embrace motherhood on your terms. Get ready to connect, learn, and lead your family with courage and confidence.Stay Connected With Kailihttps://www.kailiets.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/@TheHolisticBabyGuruYT: https://www.youtube.com/@theholisticbabyguru

Information

  • Creator
    Kaili Ets
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mothering From Within
  • Show Website
    Mothering From Within

You Might Also Like