Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark - Riley Gaines's Birth Story and Motherhood Update
Episode Date: December 27, 2025No one tells you what birth actually feels like — until it’s happening to you.Riley Gaines shares her raw birth story, the instincts that overrode expert advice, and how motherhood reshaped her bo...dy, faith, and purpose. We talk about modern birth, sleep deprivation, pressure to “bounce back,” and the truths new moms aren’t warned about — in a culture that over-medicalizes something women were designed to do.Thank you to our sponsors!GEVITI: Use code "ALEX" to get 20% off your first purchasePALEOVALLEY: Use code "ALEX" for 15% off your first orderVANDY CRISPS: Use code "ALEXCLARK" for 25% offCROWDHEALTH: Use code “CULTURE” to get your first three months for only $99/monthZEBRA: Use code "ALEX" for 10% off any orderOur Guest:Riley GainesRiley's Links:InstagramXTikTokWebsite👗 Get Alex’s freshest fashion picks and exclusive guest recommendations—delivered straight to your inbox!Sign up for the newsletter HERE: WEEKLY NEWSLETTER SIGNUPFOLLOW ALEX:Instagram | @realalexclarkInstagram | @cultureapothecaryX | @yoalexrapzYouTube | @RealAlexClarkSpotify | Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark Apple Podcast | Culture Apothecary with Alex ClarkSubscribe to ‘Culture Apothecary’ on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes drop 6pm PST/ 9pm EST every Monday and Thursday.DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always talk to a qualified healthcare professional for any health-related questions or decisions.
Transcript
Discussion (0)
My advice to women listening to this, when you are pregnant, it's not as if you are disabled.
One of the things that I did when I was pregnant actually was swam Alcatraz at seven months pregnant.
And I had so many people come to my social media page and tell me how much I didn't care about my baby and how, you know, I was putting her life at risk for just clicks on the internet.
Again, I'm pregnant, not disabled.
What do you say to a woman who's scared that she's going to lose herself if she becomes a mom?
I have found myself by becoming a mom.
Today's guest needs no introduction.
My friend Riley Gaines, women's rights activist, who is now a brand new mother.
We get into her entire birth story.
I wanted to hear it from start to finish.
We get into these last couple months postpartum and her hot takes on fitness while pregnant
and how much of a game changer it has been.
But wait, I have a little Christmas wish.
If you wouldn't mind pausing, leaving a five-star review for my Christmas present,
it would mean so much to me. And Simon, my editor extraordinaire and all the other people that work on my
episodes on my team. We want to hear what the most impactful episode of Culture Apothecary was for you this year.
What changes have come for you based on listening to it, how it impacted your family, saved a relationship,
any and all of the above. We want to hear about it. We read every review. So please leave those for us as we close out 2025.
Please welcome my friend Riley Gaines to Culture Apothecary.
walk me through the day that you went into labor.
What do you remember?
Okay, it is so funny you say, what do you remember?
Because I really do think there's this amnesia that women get.
And it kind of makes sense if you think about it.
Like, think about women in the old days who had like 15 kids and like these horrific pregnancy stories, delivery stories,
and they kept doing it over and over and over again.
So I do think there's a level of amnesia.
First of all, taking you back to like the due date, which I was flying on an airplane.
at 40 weeks pregnant to be here in Phoenix at Charlie Kirk's memorial service.
Did you talk to your doctor and was like, this is something I just can't miss?
Or what were you thinking about that?
Like, what if you had birth on the plane?
We had never once discussed, like, who I was, what I was involved in, any of that.
When Charlie Kirk was assassinated, we went into the next appointment.
And he didn't really say anything outwardly, but he said, how are you doing?
But in the way that he said it, I could tell he wasn't.
talking about pregnancy. I answered as if that's what I thought. And I'm like, oh, I'm good. Things are
still going good. I feel good. He's like, no, Riley, like, I mean, how are you doing? Like, how is your
headspace? I've heard about the news. Like, I would never bring up to you. I think it's unprofessional to talk,
you know, about what you do when you're in here. I know that's not what you want. I know you are. We're fans of
who you are of turning point. We're distraught by the news of what happened to Charlie Kirk. So how are you doing? And that
like took me back for a second. And so he said, look, I know that your due date is quickly
approaching. But I also understand the importance of being there for your friend, for the boss,
your boss. So I'm going to give you your paperwork. I'm going to print it all out. He did. He printed
out, you know, sheets and sheets of paperwork. I want you to take it to Phoenix with you.
Take it on the plane. If something happens when you're in Phoenix, you'll have all your paperwork.
You'll be good to go. Just go to the nearest hospital.
birthing center, whatever it is, and they'll get you good, squirt away. He said, now if you
deliver on a plane, I highly suggest watching YouTube videos. He said, make sure your husband is prepped.
So that was technically like the due date. But praise God, we made it. We got back to back home to
Nashville, which adding really quickly, the memorial service was like the most beautiful thing I've
ever seen to witness all the different publicly elected officials stand on stage and proclaim the
name of Christ to watch Erica as she, I mean, this was what, like 11 days after her husband was
horrifically and graphically and publicly assassinated in front of thousands who were there,
but where it will live on the internet forever, she stood up there and chose to forgive her
husband's, the father of her children, his assassin. Like that was the most beautiful display of
strength and forgiveness and compassion that I think only God can provide a grieving widow. So that was
amazing. Anyways, make it back home. She held on in there. She was real comfy in the womb. And so we
ended up being induced. Why were you being told that you needed to induce? Honestly, it was kind of
like a timeline in my head that I had set, which I think this was the athlete in me, like very
just competitive. And it felt like the due date was something like I needed to beat. Like it felt like a game,
like a competition. And I, I mean, you could look at it one of two ways. Like technically I went over.
so I'm classifying that as a win.
Like I beat the due date.
But I had said in my mind, and this is so stupid,
but I'm going to say it anyways,
I wanted to have her in September.
I think she was born September 29th.
And so I didn't want to go into October
because then that would mean her burst zone is opal, I think.
And that's not nearly as pretty as Sapphire.
So that's super superficial.
Mom was looking out.
Yes, I think that was my thought process there.
So I'd said, I'm having her before October.
And so the day is approaching and she was cozy. So ended up being induced, which the process is you go in, they, before they give you potosin, they give you this thing called cytotech, which I'm just, I could be, if you're a doctor or OB and you're listening to this, I'm saying it totally wrong. This is how I'm recollecting it and what I was sold. They give you cytotech to kind of like ripen the cervix, which also sounds super weird, but that's how they phrase it. They ripen the cervix and that'll get things kind of like softened and ready to go.
for when they gave you potosin,
and that's what kind of kickstarts contractions.
Well, I went in, and they gave me the first dose of cytotech,
and it was enough to just, like, sit in my body fully into labor.
It's the middle of the night.
It's like 1.30 in the morning.
I had planned on doing this natural, in a hospital, of course,
but natural other than the induction portion,
meaning I didn't really want an epidural.
So I'm in there.
My contractions were so intense.
I'm assuming because of the side attack,
it was basically like an hour and a half long straight contraction
from midnight to 1.30 in the morning,
where there was no relief.
And so I thought I was just like ascending into heaven.
I thought I was dying, nauseous, throwing up cold, hot, all the things.
And so I ring my, you have this little red button.
I clicked that red button and I'm like, look, I know it's 1.30 in the morning.
I need a doctor in here and I need an epidural.
now. And I will say I got the epidural. And from that moment on, a breeze. Oh, it was a breeze. And so,
she comes in, she gives me the epidural. And because my contractions, there was no relief,
the baby's heart rate began to plummet. And my heart rate began to plummet. And my,
I think my blood sugar was really low. And so, but at this point, I couldn't have cared less
because I had an epidural and I felt great. So they put me on oxygen. And, and I,
And from 1.30 in the morning to 4.30 in the morning, it was like moving me around and, you know, your legs are off the bed. Then they're twisting you to one side, twisting you the other side, putting your head up, putting your head down, like all these different positions to try to get my contractions to slow down and to get baby some relief in the constant, like pressure of it all, which they had to end up giving me a shot. I don't know what it was what it was called to slow everything down and stop until the doctor got there.
It was crazy, though, because, like I said, I was happy as a clam.
You got all the nurses in there.
They're kind of freaking out.
It's the middle of the night.
They told me the next day, had this been, you know, happening in the daytime when doctors were there, I would have for certain had a C-section, which was, you know, that's not what you want to hear when you're in that environment.
So I'm glad they didn't tell me at the time.
Anyways, they slow everything down.
doctor's able to come in the next morning, breaks my water,
babies here in 10 minutes.
I mean, I pushed for no time and she was here.
And it was super cool, kind of primal.
Like one of the things that I knew I wanted to do going into it,
my thought process was that this will really help me like push, right?
Was have a mirror and like a mirror on wheels set up at the foot of the bed
so I could like see everything.
that was going on. Wow, I do not want that. Let me tell you. Not a pretty sight.
No, I saw things out. Yes, I did. It was not. Did you let your husband look? Yeah, that didn't
bother me. Some women are like, you can't see. No, it, well, I know him and I know how and why he loves me,
you know, and so I'm like, you whatever. That's cute. Yeah, not a pretty sight. But it was really cool
because, you know, you're in this hyper-emotional moment where you can't really feel. You can't really
feel because I had the epidural, much of what was going on.
And you get to see, like, I just remember seeing, like, her hair.
And it was the coolest thing.
I'm like, oh, my gosh, she has a lot of hair.
And I do think it helped me, like, really push.
And so she was here.
I had a birth plan made up prior to, you know, if things went to, like, totally haywire,
I wanted, I wanted, I wanted, didn't want.
And what were those?
my husband kind of vetoed this, but I was of the mind that baby's life matters more than me.
Like if something goes, if we're talking like something majorly goes wrong, I want the baby to be,
that's the priority here, which my husband's like Riley, like I'm not, you're my priority.
We're not doing that.
But other things, I wanted to keep my placenta.
That's one of the things we want to do.
I want a delayed clamping up the cord.
So, meaning wait until the cord fully stops pulsating and turns to a white color
before it's cut, so the baby gets all of kind of like that final dump of nutrients from me.
I had in there some of the vaccine requirements that I had for the baby, which was nothing.
And now I have been so encouraged to see even recently in the past few weeks some of the revelations that have been exposed by HHS surrounding, especially the Hep B vaccine.
Yep.
I feel totally validated and solidified in, I think, our willingness as parents, young parents,
to question what we were being asked, not even really asked, what we were being told
to participate in.
Heck yeah.
That was kind of like the birthing experience.
I will say, I, even in the moment, like, my legs were still, like, up in the stirrups.
And the doctor, you know, he's getting the baby out, cleaning everything up, and he says,
or I tell him, I'm like, look, like, I'm ready for another one.
He says, Riley, I have never heard someone in your state, literally with your legs in the stirrups, say that they want another baby.
It was the most, like, magical, transformative thing you could possibly experience.
Like, it was a breeze.
Like, I loved it.
Sounds weird.
I loved being pregnant, though, too.
Like, my pregnancy, I loved every part of it.
Now, granted, I had no, like, morning sick.
I had no weird aversions. I had no fatigue. Like I feel very blessed and I certainly count those
blessings and I'm not, you know, trying to discount what other women go through. But I loved being
pregnant, which I didn't know if I would because being an athlete, like you're so aware of your body.
And when you start to gain weight involuntarily, like I thought that would be really hard for me.
I thought it was beautiful. I loved it. Like every single thing about it and even now postpartum,
it's just been a dream.
Picture this. You run into an old high school friend at a reunion. He looks exactly the same.
Same haircut, same jokes, but he walks slower. He's tired, a little bloated, complains about random
joint pain. Meanwhile, you've got your energy, your crushing life. Why? Because you know what's
going on inside, not just what the mirror tells you. That's what Jevity gives you, the inside scoop
on your biochemistry. Not guesses, not approximate metrics. They're going to test over 100 biomarkers
every six months. Metabolic, inflammatory, hormonal, nutrient, cardiovascular, immune.
even gut, aging rate indicators, you name it, they've got it.
They don't just mail you a form.
A licensed phlebotomist draws your blood at home.
No awkward waiting rooms, no co-pays, no, we'll call you if anything's wrong.
And then you get a full deep dive consult, a personalized roadmap, custom supplements, nutrition advice,
optional peptide or hormonal therapies, all delivered to your door.
With Jevity, you get a full health team in long-term strategy.
You can choose from one of their three memberships that best meets your health and budget needs to get blood work,
40% off personalized supplements and prescriptions and direct access to health experts whenever you need them.
Go to gogevity.com. Use code Alex. Get your blood work set up today. That's gogevity.com.
Code Alex for 20% off your first purchase. Was there anything about labor that shocked you or that no one
warned you about? I will say after the fact, it was, I didn't realize most babies have jaundice.
Actually, I think every single baby has jaundice. It's just varying levels of what that.
that jaundice is. And so one of the things that was crazy that I didn't realize that no one
warned me about was that my blood type was different than the baby's blood type. And because our
blood types were different, I think I'm O positive and I think she is A positive. Because our
blood types were different, they were fighting each other in the womb. Her blood type was producing
antibodies to kill off my blood type. Oh, wow. And in doing that, it was ultimately hurting her and her
red blood cells. And so when she was delivered, she had to spend, I think, the first night. I didn't
let her leave my room. That was another thing on the birth plan actually was I didn't want her to be removed
from my care so long as I was, you know, with it and able to take care of her. I didn't want her
removed from the room without our consent. And so she spent the first night under this like,
it was very like avatar-esque, like this blue light where she had these crazy looking goggles on to protect her
eyes, but the blue light apparently helps with your billy ribbon levels and your liver do all
kinds of stuff that I don't really understand. And so that was crazy. One other thing that I didn't
realize that no one told me about that I was freaking out about, you know, they gave you the baby and
you're kind of just trusted to like know what to do and I don't know what to do and I'm changing
her diaper. And I'm like, oh my gosh, like, why is she bleeding? Yeah, why is that? I don't know this.
apparently if you have a girl, your little girls can have like basically like a mini period.
What?
Because their bodies are trying to get rid of the hormones that I have.
And so in doing that, they like basically have like a little menstrual cycle, which was crazy.
And I was freaking out.
I'm like, oh my gosh, why is there blood in the diaper?
So that was news to me.
And no one told me that and I was freaking out.
I've never heard of that in my life.
Yeah.
No, it was freaking out.
What hurt more than you expected or what hurt less than you expected?
The IV, honestly, that was the worst part, which is the simple little IV in your hand that's there.
That's like the first thing they do when you go in is you go in.
They, you know, get you to your bed.
They connect you to an IV.
I guess I don't even fluid.
I don't even really know what's in that thing.
That hurt worse than the epidural or labor by far because it sounds like they just didn't know where they were.
Well, it's just in the way.
And so you have it in there for, you know, 24 hours or however.
long you're in the hospital and it's in the way you can't do anything because it's it's like
attached to your hand or your wrist or wherever it was so that was the worst part which sounds
honestly hopefully that's encouraging to people because I was kind of concerned about the epidural
needle and granted they didn't let me see it which I don't get freaked out by needles or anything
but louis said you know it's like I'm glad you didn't say that because it was this long like
hollow thick needle that they put in your back um but
I didn't feel it. I felt so much because at that point I was contracting and so nothing hurt worse than that.
Was there any moment where you thought, I cannot do this and then what got you through it?
Not really. I think because it was so anticipated, because you think you're building up for, I mean, 40, or let's say by the time you find out you're pregnant, let's say, you know, 35 weeks, you're building up excitement. What is she going to look like? Will she have hair?
whose eyes is she going to have, you know, like all these little things that you wonder,
that an ultrasound, I mean, you can get a good idea, but they don't really tell you.
What's that first little cry going to sound like?
Like, all things that I had been thinking about for 35 weeks, that was what was getting me through it.
Just being able to finally see her and hold her and know how much she weighs.
And, you know, we had all wagers around it of, of, Louise, like, I've got over seven, I've got under seven.
She ended up weighing six pounds, 10 ounces.
You know, it was a beautiful thing.
So there wasn't really a part where I didn't think I could get through it because I was just so excited.
Did you ever feel pressured by nurses and doctors or did you feel like you were good to go?
Did you ever feel pressured into certain decisions?
We had a pretty good team around us.
I mentioned my OB.
He was fantastic throughout the entire thing.
Actually, one of my best friends was like the labor and delivery nurse who was in the room, which was super cool.
It was really cool and really special.
And so she made that whole experience just really special.
But one of the things that I felt pressured by, actually two things.
Number one was finding a pediatrician.
I didn't realize you have to have a pediatrician an appointment set up before you can even leave the hospital.
And so we had talked about who we wanted to use and different things.
I had no idea that, you know, in communicating with different pediatricians prior to, you know, her being here, some of them require you to get vaccines or they won't see you.
That felt totally, I don't know if unethical is a good word. It feels unethical to me. What do you mean you're not going to see a patient because they don't have the vaccines you want them to have?
doesn't that go against some part of the Hippocratic Oath? I don't know. It sounds like in my head it should.
And so we ended up finding a pediatrician who actually, it's like a concierge service, which I'd ever heard of this before.
But she comes to our house, which I really appreciate because, number one, I don't want to take my kid, you know, for just a standard newborn appointment to a waiting room full of sick little daycare kids.
And so she comes to her house.
She's awesome. She just listens to us as parents and what we want and we ask her for advice. She just presents the information. So that's been awesome. But one of the things, I mentioned how our blood types were different and some of the problems that were happening there, they came in. The solution to getting all of that fixed was basically she had to excrete as much as possible from her little body in the first few days of life. So peeing and pooping as much as
possibly could. They were concerned because your milk supply doesn't come in until like three or four
days, typically once you're out of the hospital. And at first, it's just that colostrum.
And so the doctors came in. It was the middle of the night. So I, she was delivered at 12.30
in the afternoon. And so 12 hours later, basically, and keep in mind, I'd been up for, I mean,
essentially a 24 hours straight, more than at this point, basically almost 48 hours.
And so the nurse comes in, I had just gotten comfortable about to go to bed. The baby's over there asleep.
Hey, we need to know if you want your baby to have formula or donor breast milk. And I'm like, well, first of all, I'm like partially asleep. I'm like, what do you mean? Why does she need that? Like, I'm, I'm making milk and she latched on just fine. So what's the concern here? Well, we need her to have as much liquid as possible and your milk supply is not in yet. So she can excrete. Okay, that's fine. But.
I understand what you're saying, but why don't we try?
No, we need this.
Okay, so who are the donors for the breast milk?
Right.
I'm like, there are things that I was particular about during pregnancy to make sure she doesn't have in her body.
She's not ingesting or she's not getting.
So who are the donors?
Well, we don't know.
I'm like, well, I've never had the COVID vaccine.
And I don't, it might sound stupid or silly, but I just don't know how these things work.
Like, is that passed on through breast smoke?
Like, let's say your donor is a woman who has the vaccine.
vaccine is that passed on in their breast milk and something that, like, I just had no idea.
She said, you know, I don't know. I've never had someone asked me that. Why don't you look it up
and get back to me? And I said, excuse me, it's not, you're the doctor. It's not my job to do this.
So that's just not something I feel comfortable doing at the time. But I was really shocked.
And it was really the only, and she was from the NICU. And I understand they see like, you know,
pretty horrific things and grave cases. But our baby was fine. Well, I'd say that's probably the
example of your maternal instinct kicking in and kind of overriding what a medical expert is telling you.
100%. So what'd you end up doing? Like I said, I was making milk. My body, or you know, you're starting
that production. And so she was, every diaper she had would be dirty. So I'm like, it doesn't,
she's doing the things you need her to do with me, her mom. So that's that next. And then they
left you alone. Yeah. Looking back, is there anything that you wish you would have pushed back
harder on during birth or postpartum?
Oh, postpartum.
One of the things that I wish I would have done more was pelvic floor therapy.
I did some leading up to delivery.
I think I started pretty late in the game, though.
I wish I would have started it earlier in my pregnancy because I did find myself resorting
to some of the tactics that they teach you in terms of like breathing patterns and the different
stretches that you're doing in the weeks leading up.
And so that's one thing that I wish I did, you know, more of earlier on.
And honestly, I could say that postpartum.
I didn't, I think because, and again, maybe this is the, like the athlete mindset,
I was so determined to, like, get back to running and exercising and lifting and working out
within, like, the first week of delivering her.
What?
I felt totally fine.
Like, I felt, I mean, even, like, the first two hours after delivering her, I'm up, walking,
let's go.
What's the next thing?
I'm ready.
I feel great. Do you think that that has to do with the amount of attention you gave your body
when it came to being physically fit all throughout pregnancy? 100%. That would be honestly, my biggest
piece of advice for women. If you're pregnant now, I think more so if you're hoping to conceive soon,
highly, highly recommend getting in a routine of fitness. I think it helped me tremendously
throughout the entire pregnancy in terms of how I felt. But also the delivery process, like,
I said, a breeze and even postpartum, now, gosh, I'm 11 weeks postpartum. She's 11 weeks old.
I feel like I did prior to conception. And you hear from some women, even my sister, like she's a year or 15
months postpartum. Her baby is 15 months old. She still feels, you know, like she's, she still calls
herself postpartum. I'm like, Taylor, yes, technically you are postpartum, but you could, like,
Go, do stuff.
Like, you can do these things now.
Was she focusing a lot on exercise and things like that working out while she was pregnant?
Not really.
So she did it differently than you.
She's having a harder time.
Yes.
And so my advice to women listening to this, when you are pregnant, it's not as if you are disabled.
Okay.
Exercise.
I had people tell me all the time.
One of the things that I did when I was pregnant actually was swam Alcatraz at seven months pregnant.
And so you're...
As you do.
As you do, you're dropped off at the prison and you swim.
back to shore. And I had so many people come to my social media page and tell me how much I didn't
care about my baby and how, you know, I was putting her life at risk for, you know, just clicks on
the internet. Again, I'm pregnant, not disabled. I'm allowed to swim. Do you think that modern
birth sometimes over-medicalizes something that women are biologically designed to do? Yes. It was
the whole process I had from the beginning to the end. I think the only way I can describe it was natural.
And I didn't know if it would feel that way.
I don't think you can possibly know until you're there.
But the minute, even the minute I found out I was pregnant, it was as if there was the shift
where prior to finding out, I'd always thought like I wanted a boy first.
I don't know why.
I think you just think like you have the older protective brother and then you can have
your girl.
The minute I found out I was pregnant, I knew it was a girl.
I knew it was a girl.
We did the little blood test thing to find out early.
think around 10 weeks. I didn't need that. I knew what it was. My husband's like, well, I think it's
boy, you're wrong. So we get the email where it tells you what it is and you scroll down to the
bottom and it said XX, little female chromosomes. And there was, I was zero percent shocked. And I don't
know why that is. I don't know if it's like intuition. I don't know. But it felt so natural from the
very beginning to even now being a mom and going into that role it's it's you have so many things
that you don't know and you can't possibly know what you don't know you're figuring it out as you go
it it's it just comes natural and even for my husband too his paternal instinct um it's been
really cool to watch your husband the man that you love become a dad it's like a different kind of
love one that you don't really know that you can possess. You think you love them as much as you
possibly can, but then when you watch the person that you love become a dad, it's different,
especially of a little girl. Sometimes I genuinely believe if I ever get abducted by the government,
it won't be because of anything I've said. It will be because I finally uncovered the truth
about potatoes. Yes, potatoes. Imagine being one. You're underground, vibing, minding your business
when suddenly a giant metal claw
rips you out of the earth
like you're being seized by the IRS.
Where do you go?
Straight into the seed oil death chamber.
Giant industrial friars
full of the same oil
they lubricate forklifts with.
Seed oils, by the way,
are now 20% of the average Americans
daily calories.
20% disgusting.
We're not eating food anymore.
We're slow roasting ourselves.
But if I were a potato
and I found out that I was becoming a Vandy crisp,
I'd relax.
I'd be like, finally, dignity.
My life means something.
It's heirloom potatoes, sea salt and 100% grass-fed beef tallow.
No seed oils, satisfying, light American-made, crispy.
A personal favorite of mine, the smokehouse barbecue.
The only thing smoky that won't shorten your lifespan.
If you're ready to give VandyCrisps to try, go to Vandycrisps.com.
Use code Alex Clark for 25% off your first order.
That's Vandycrisps.com, code Alex Clark for 25% off your first order.
And if you don't want to order online, you can go find them at Sprouts.
A few months ago, I was sitting in a hospital waiting room and watching a man argue with
billing for 27 minutes.
I counted because his insurance denied his MRI after he had already gotten it.
The look on his face, he wasn't even angry.
He was just defeated.
Like he had wandered into this dystopian bureaucracy designed to break him down until he
just give up and pay whatever number they typed into the screen.
And honestly, that's how it's designed.
Health insurance today is a maze where you pay more, you get less, and you still end up
fighting denials.
Remember, one in five Obamacare claims got rejected last year.
I know it feels hopeless, but it doesn't have to.
When I talked with Andy, the CEO of Crowd Health on this show, he explains something that really
blew my mind.
Insurance companies profit when they deny you.
They profit when your premiums go up.
They are not your allies.
But Crowd Health, they are.
They're actually built by people like us with our worldview, our frustration, our desire
for a sane alternative.
Here's how it works.
You get access to telemedicine, a database of cash pay doctors, discounted prescriptions,
and more.
No networks blocking your options.
Each month, you're going to help fund another member's medical need.
And then when it's your turn, the community steps in to cover yours, whether it's an illness, an injury, or even a pregnancy.
This is an insurance.
It's people supporting people.
Let crowd health help with your health care needs.
Get started today for just $99 a month for your first three months by using code culture at joincrowdealth.com.
CrowdHealth is not insurance.
Learn more at join crowdhealth.com.
That's join crowdhealth.com code culture.
What was the hardest part of the first week at home that nobody prepared you for?
I have so much help at home just with my family. My mom, both my parents are, you know, two minutes away. My grandparents, all my siblings. I have older sister, younger brother, younger sister. We're all so close. So my house has always been like a revolving door. Everyone always is coming in and out. My sister will, you know, her and her boyfriend will come over and eat. And my brother and his friends will come over and eat. And so I love that, though. I love having that home that everyone kind of feels like is home.
And so in that I've had so much help.
And my mom, given the fact that she's had four kids, any question I could possibly have immediately.
I'm like, mom, what does this mean?
Or, you know, X, Y, Z.
One of the things that I didn't know that we kind of are currently going through is your baby will go through a poop regression, which typically, I mean, you're supposed to, especially the first few weeks, like track how many times they're using the bathroom.
in a day. And it's supposed to correlate, like, let's say on day one, they're supposed to have
one dirty diaper. Day two is two. I think it's up to seven and on, or maybe six or five,
on one of those days they're supposed to have five dirty diapers. Um, well, we're at the point
where she just didn't poop for like, I think it's like five or six days. And I call my pediatrician,
I'm like, uh, this feels concerning. I feel like, which she never let on that there was any
issues. She never got fussy about it, but I'm like, I feel like something should be here. She's like,
no, you go through a poop regression. Don't worry. So that was something I didn't know that now I'm
learning. But the other day, she's kind of on what's coming out of the other side of this poop
regression. And she pooped four times in one day. And we were traveling, which baby Margo at now 11
weeks old, Arizona is her 15th state. She's been to. She's like getting the frequent flyer miles.
Thank you, Secretary Dovey.
Checking them off the list.
But we were traveling.
So we had, you know, a set amount of diapers and wipes.
We were in Indiana, actually.
And she had poop four times that day.
So we had gone through our wipes.
No more wipes.
We get back to the hotel room.
I'm talking like Moab, mother of all blowouts.
It's in her car seat.
It's on her clothes, her white outfit because why would she not be wearing white?
It's on everything.
Which she's, again, just smiling, happy as can be.
And so because we didn't have wipes, we put her in the sink.
what else do you do, right? Put her in the sink. There was no bathtub in this hotel. It was just a shower. Put her in the sink. We're like rinsing her off frantically. And she gets this belly laugh. I should send it to you. I'm so glad we caught it on film. She started laughing. And like immediately there's tears in my eyes because it was just the sweetest moment where she could not stop giggling like a full belly laugh for like 60 seconds straight. It was the best most magical thing ever.
That's so cute. Yeah. It was.
was really cute. Did you have any, maybe a late night or she wouldn't stop crying or something
like that? Did you have any, what have we done moments? And how honest can you be about that?
Again, I hate to discount other people's experiences. But I don't know if it's just the fact
that she is literally the best baby. We created a perfect human, is what I'm trying to say here.
She has slept fully through the night since day one. What? There hasn't been a night on this earth.
where she has woke me up crying, not a single night.
And now I'm like questioning everything.
I'm like, okay, all these people who told me motherhood is so chaotic and this and that,
it's just I'll speak to my experience.
That has not been the case.
So you have not had any sleep deprivation at all.
Wow.
Moms hate you right now.
I know.
And that's why I'm like, okay, am I, was I lied to?
Or do we just have this like beautiful blessed experience where like, I don't know.
But either way, I feel like it's important for people to hear because you can't
have good experiences. And I think we live in this time of like total what aboutism where you share
good experience and someone's like, well, what about X, Y, and Z? And again, not here to discount that,
but I will share that. That just hasn't been the case for us. So initially, they're supposed to eat
every four hours. And so I would wake up. I would set an alarm and wake her up. But she was sleeping
peacefully. And so I did that the first few weeks. And so I called my pediatrician, hey, you know,
if she's sleeping at night, can I just let her sleep? Yeah, sure. She sleeps. She sleeps first.
fully through the night. But then do you feel engorged and like in pain if you're not pumping or breastfeeding?
Not really. I feel like my body has like fully regulated to, which that's a crazy thing too,
like the whole breastfeeding side of things, how your body, even like, especially at first,
now I now I feel very regulated and like my body will produce exactly what she needs.
But it's crazy because the other day she had a stuffy nose. I think just from traveling and going
from different climates and whatever, she had a stuffy nose. Well, sometimes I'll pump if I want
an airplane or whatever and just give her a bottle.
My milk was a different color.
It was like more yellowish as if, kind of like when before your milk supplies fully in,
when you have more of that colostrum, more of the nutrients, my milk had like was a more
yellowish, creamish color as opposed to white.
And I think it's because my body knew that she was starting to get sick.
And so it produced antibodies for her.
That's crazy.
That's so cool.
It is wild.
but no, even the breastfeeding process has been, there's lots, like I said, with the travel and stuff, you pump, but your body regulates.
But it's crazy too. One of the other things I didn't know. If your baby is around you and she starts to cry, like your boobs just automatically start like making milk and like leaking.
And there was one event I was at where I, um, I,
guess I hadn't pumped in a while or I don't really know what the deal was. I heard a baby cry in the audience.
And my boob is like, okay. On stage? Yes. Could you see it through your dress? It like was like,
it was immediately after I was like, I need to go to put a pump on like right now. Are you team sleep training,
co-sleeping or we're just surviving? Co-sleeping for sure. Okay. She sleeps in the bed with us.
I think we tried the bass net at first. It's easier when I was feeding her in the night. It's easier for her to
just be in the bed. What do you think about the pressure to have babies on a sleep schedule from day one?
I don't know if I feel one way or the other about it. I would say how she has been. I just let her
sleep when she wants to sleep. I feel like that kind of makes sense in my mind. Maybe that'll come back
to Bitis in the But one day. I did read some of the taking care of babies and moms on call.
Those are two different like sleep training books. It honestly just didn't match the lifestyle that
we live where I can't commit every single day to having her in a certain spot ready to go to bed
at 7 p.m. Because you're always somewhere new. Same with me. I just couldn't. I just couldn't do that.
And so I don't know. I've talked to people who those sleep schedules work fantastic and their baby's
fully sleep trained by, you know, however many months. But I feel like our baby kind of already is doing
those things in sleeping through the night. How did pregnancy change the way you see your body?
This is hard because I thought, I mean, I was kind of.
of the mind that, you know, you only really grow in your belly and that was it and everything
else will stay the same, which I don't think that was really the case. There's a lot of, your body
like just holds on to things differently, even fluid, like you retain a lot more fluid. And so I felt
like even like my face and like my, my, you know, cheeks were rounder and your arms look
just more full. And that was, that was hard at first. But it really, I don't think, took too long
afterwards. And granted, my body's still regulating and I'm certainly not, you know, at my prime
fitness. That was probably when I was competing. But you bounce back. And I think, again, if you
prioritize fitness, especially when you're pregnant, I was able to bounce back. But it's hard. That
was one of the hardest things is seeing your body change in a way that you can't do anything
about it. What was the first thing you ate after giving birth? Alex, I will be totally honest with you.
Uh-oh. I know. What is it now, Riley? I know. What is it now, Riley? I know.
No, I didn't follow any of the rules during pregnancy.
Wait, so what does that mean?
So they tell you...
Because some of the rules I think are BS, and I would advise...
And I would say, I'm not going to follow them either.
Some of the dietary things they tell pregnant women in America.
Okay, tell me what you think is BS.
I think it's BS to tell you that you can't have raw fish, depending on where it comes from, you know, raw milk, basically anything raw.
Deli meat.
I think all of that's ridiculous.
I did all that.
I ate all that.
Which, again, my sister, like her and I are...
We're very similar in the way that we think and what we believe in, I mean, our values, of course,
but she's, she's vegetarian and very, like, just very different.
And so she followed the rule.
She's a typical, like, oldest child.
And so, like, she followed the rules to a T.
Was she vegetarian during pregnancy?
Yes.
I wonder if that plays a part in the roughness of her postpartum.
I told her time and time again, I'm like, Taylor, protein.
Like, real protein.
She's like, oh, well, I'm eating beans.
I'm like, no, like, you need protein.
And like that is a, I mean, a key part of development, I would imagine.
Again, as some, I studied biology and chemistry in undergrad.
I'm not claiming to be some expert.
But you need that.
It is fundamental to life and to growing into health.
And she just, she watched a Netflix documentary where the animals like fell off the back of the truck, you know.
Oh, no.
That was it.
Okay.
So, and then what was the first?
You didn't tell me.
So what the first thing you ate?
Okay, so the first thing I ate.
I drank caffeine too during pregnancy, which I was concerned about, especially with her, you know, being here.
I thought, oh gosh, she's going to go through like caffeine withdrawals.
No, she's been a dream.
So, and I think that goes to say, I think the biggest factor in how your baby is is the stress level that you feel as a mom.
I don't get stressed.
I really don't.
I think it's one of the things, honestly, that I'm best at.
That's true.
She really doesn't.
No, like, you just really can't stress me out.
Time crunches.
Antifa protests.
Me, whatever.
Like, everything will work out as God as intends it to.
Like, that's just kind of my philosophy in life.
But I think your baby really feeds off that.
So because both Louie and I are pretty good with the flow and easy and, you know, low maintenance relatively, I think the baby is.
So, mamas, I think baby feeds off you.
So be mindful of that.
that stress you out, but be mindful of that, even in trying to conceive, I think that's,
when you're holding on to something and when you think about it, I think ultimately it's
detrimental to your body. So let go and let God is my philosophy. First thing I ate afterwards
was, honestly, it was the hospital food, which is so boring and gross. And they come around
and they bring you like this, this menu and you get to pick what you want. And it looks glamorous on the
menu like. Oh, it always does. Moulton chocolate, lava cake, this, this and that. And so I'm
clicking my things that I want. And then they bring it to you and it's, it's not. It's like
microwave. No, it's disgusting. Yeah. It's disgusting. So that's, I think, the first thing I ate.
And then, um, were you somebody that, like, you guys wanted to cook your own meals after
giving birth or your husband or you had family providing meals? I think because I felt so good,
um, we really didn't slow down any. Like, we really didn't. Like, we still would,
If we wanted to go out and have a nice meal, we would.
Still cooking, I did have tons of people in my life who would bring over, you know,
neighbors and stuff who would bring over food.
And that was really appreciated.
Isabel Brown, she's so sweet.
She sent a little gift card for Uber Eats.
And so there are definitely people in my life who, you know,
we're really quick to say, whatever you need, we've got it for you.
But we didn't, Louie and I, we really didn't skip a beat.
I had a friend who tried a DIY tooth powder and somehow ended up looking like
she'd been brushing with sandpaper. Kids were terrified. I was terrified. Dentists were probably
crying. Stop risking your mouth with messy powders. Zebra toothpaste tablets are here to save your teeth
in your sanity. Chew brush, foam, done. No fluoride, no hydroxyappetitite. Just clean, easy,
effective oral care. Kids actually ask to brush, which is a miracle I did not see coming. It's portable.
It's simple. It's fun. It's perfect for home traveler or pretending you're in a fancy toothpaste commercial
while running late for work. Go grab yours at yayzeber.com. Use code Alex for 10% off.
That's yayzeeber.com code Alex for 10% off.
Here's the thing.
Most beef sticks in America, they're not food.
They're artifacts.
They're plastic tubes filled with mystery meat that will outlive us all.
You could put them in a time capsule and your great grandkids would dig them up fully preserved.
You got to try Paleo Valley.
The only people in America who said, hey, what if beef sticks were made of actual beef?
Their 100% grass-fed beef sticks are legit, grass-fed, grass-finished, organic spices, naturally fermented.
This is the way beef is supposed to be.
It's actually better for your gut, too, because it's fermented.
No weird trash ingredients, no chemicals, real food that tastes incredible.
They won Paleo Magazine's snack of the year.
And honestly, it is very deserved.
I keep them in my car, my bag, my suitcase, my underwear, because when that hunger hits,
I'm not eating gas station beef marshmallows.
You've got flavors, original jalapeno, summer sausage, garlic summer sausage,
terriaki.
I love that jalapeno.
It slaps.
If you're trying to clean up your diet, boost protein, stop snacking on garbage.
This is your move.
Treat your body like it's yours, not a rental.
head to paleo valley.com, use code Alex for 15% off.
That's paleovalley.com, code Alex for 15% off.
How soon after you got home, after giving birth, did you take the baby out in about?
No time.
Like next day?
Yeah, like no time.
Like left the house?
Yeah.
Wow.
Yeah.
You have to wonder, like, the correlation between that early exposure to normal life, right?
And the way that your baby is at even 11 weeks.
So do you feel like motherhood so far, and I know we're new into it, do you feel like motherhood so far has changed you at all? Or do you feel like, no? It's changed the way I view things, of course. Okay, so talk about that. My perspective on everything has shifted in a sense of it doesn't matter about me anymore. I don't approach things, whether it's talking about or how I view political issues, cultural issues. I think naturally when before you have a kid, like you approach them pretty selfishly and understandably, right? Like even the issue of
in women's sports, I approach that of a mindset of this is what I have experienced,
but now I approach it of what do I not want my daughter to have to experience? So it's shifted
the way you view even mundane task. Like that is my number one priority, her, her safety,
her health, her wellness, the future in the country that she will inherit. That's number one.
And so it has changed in that sense. And it happens without you, it was like an
involuntary switch. And I know that's the case for my husband as well. And so that's been cool
to kind of witness. And even now talking about it, I don't think, you know, because it's like involuntary,
you don't think that's how you're thinking. But even in talking about it, it's kind of cool
to understand that that's how that's gone. But outside of that, the way I describe her is portable.
She's adaptable. She adapts to our lifestyle. She's resilient. She doesn't want to die and I don't want her to die. Therefore, like, it's pretty hard to kill her, to be honest with you. Like, she's, she's resilient. She's made a deal. And I think when you think of it that way, it makes it, at least for myself, the way I approach things, like, just very, like, I don't want to say care for you because I care so much.
much, but, you know, you get it.
It's offloading some anxiety that some people might feel.
Are you going to be now, because of swimming and everything, are you going to be the mom that's
doing the, I throw my baby in the pool?
See, I don't know if I could, I don't know if I could do that.
Really?
I don't know.
It feels pretty like, she wouldn't remember it because I think they do it at like under two years
old.
Like you're getting thrown in.
Oh yeah, like the infant rescue stuff.
You're getting thrown in.
So it's not like she would remember it.
but it looks traumatic.
I never did that.
I'm obsessed with watching those videos.
Oh, they scare me.
I feel like someone needs to jump in,
which we have a pool at our house.
And actually, it happened here in Arizona
where Emily Kaiser,
the woman on,
she's a TikTok influencer,
she tragically lost her little baby boy,
Trigg, to a drowning incident this summer.
And that was, like,
I really like her content.
And I follow her and I watch her.
And I felt like I knew Trig.
And so seeing that,
kind of unfold being pregnant at the time now she's here it does make you want to take like every
necessary precaution when we're talking about pools and we have a pool at our house and so we have a
like electric cover that covers every square i mean there there's no amount of water that's showing
um and we've got it to where it holds up to like 80 pounds and you won't break through and so even
our dogs like walk on it and stuff but yeah i i i do want her to swim though my husband's like
Riley, because that's where we met, he swam in college as well. So both being swimmers, I'm like,
look, she's destined to be a little athlete. And he's like, well, she can do anything she wants but
swimming. And I'm like, Louie, like, we don't get to decide that. She decides that. And he says, well,
why does he say that? He doesn't want to like spend time in a hot, chlorinated swimming pool environment.
He's like, that's miserable for me. I'm like, whatever. He's like already wrapped around her finger.
He would, he would let. Oh, yes. Yes. Has becoming a mother changed how you.
think about the future or what you're fighting for?
100%.
Or has it emboldened you?
This happened at a time where we witnessed on September 10th, Charlie Kirk, be assassinated
horrifically and graphically in front of thousands of people who were there and where it will
live on the internet forever.
Understanding at the time, number one, that I've sat right beside him on these campuses,
that was a terrifying thought.
and knowing too, what was engraved on the casings,
this was a person who was fully committed to the trans ideology.
That's the issue that I spend most of my time talking about.
And so in the few days following after his death,
honestly, I'm not proud to say it,
but like there was some reluctancy of,
do I even want to do this anymore?
Like, I'm about to bring life into this world.
There are things that matter more in my personal life than this.
Like, it's her.
And like, I don't ever want her to be in a world
where she grows up like Charlie's kids are doing
without their father because they were assassinated
for their beliefs.
And I'm not proud to say, like those are real thoughts
that crossed my mind.
Ali Stucky had that thought.
I did.
I think Brett Cooper did.
I think all of us like women in the movement
were like, do we need to stop?
100%.
But when we welcomed her into this world
and you look at her,
it's like, no, there is no stopping
because you realize in that,
moment when you get to see her and hold her for the first time that it's her that you're fighting
for. And what kind of mom would I be if I'm not fighting for her? How could I look at myself in the
mirror and not feel guilty or convicted or responsible for the world that she lives in if I wasn't
willing to do my part in fighting for her? It's solidified. It emboldened. That's a good word. It emboldened
the way that I feel and intensified it to a place where, you know, say what you want about me
or whatever. It's her, my little sister even. I've got a sister who's, she's 17 now. She's a
gymnast. She'll go on to do great things. Like that's what I think about, you know. And so I think
it does take away a bit of the personal, you know, experience and selfishness of it. Forget that.
What do you say to a woman who's scared that she's going to lose herself if she becomes a mom?
I have found myself by becoming a mom. The purpose that you feel, the value that there really is in caring for another human that is 50% of you is the most magical thing.
it's really as simple as that I don't and I talked about having this like amnesia it is so true like
I don't even feel like I remember myself before her being here and that sounds so stupid because I know
she's only 11 weeks old but even still it's like these past 11 weeks I feel like I've I've lived a
lifetime in the best way possible in terms of like the wisdom that you you feel like you're developing
and the maturity that that you have and just the willingness to
into something that's not you, but it is you at the same time. Like I said she's 50% of me and 50%
of my husband. Uh, so to be able to pour into that, I don't think there's anything more
rewarding or fulfilling or purposeful that you can experience if you can't experience it as a woman
than being a mom. What is going to be your policy, um, with posting photos of Margo as she grows up?
So this was something that I feel more strongly about now, but it was something that,
me and my husband had debated for a long time. And even when she was here, we hadn't really
decided yet, like when she was born, he was really firm that no posting her face, which at the time,
I'm like, well, like, how long do you do that for? Because like, what's the practicality of that?
You know, like, she's going to go to school and other people are going to take pictures of her
and she's going to be on sports teams and have roster photos. So it's not like you can shield your
kid for forever. And I wasn't oblivious. Neither of us are oblivious to that. But the thought process and the way that
he's explained it to me, which has, you know, of course, I'm fully on board.
Number one, there's, there's creepy people out there, right?
Like, like pedophile, like pedophilic, creepy people who are gross and who will use photos as they will,
which again, you can't shield from that.
I think in the world of AI, too, also like a concern.
I don't, that's not something we want to do.
but the security aspect of it as well when we saw what just happened to Charlie
these people know no bounds there's no limit to the pain that they want to cause you
and of course I think the deepest pain that you can cause a parent is doing something to
their child and so just putting information out there that isn't or I guess
keeping information to ourself that isn't accessible to the public, like what her face looks like
is a security measure that I think my husband initially was like, we're doing this. And after watching,
again, what happened to Charlie, it's like, yeah, that makes sense to me. What do you hope she says
about you and what you were like as a mom when she's older? I hope she realizes it's interesting
because I think of myself and my mom, right? And you don't realize until you're older,
just how much your parents really do for you. Um,
and now being 25 years old,
my mom is here at Amfest right now
because I need someone to watch the baby.
It speaks to the sacrifice
that they're willing to make,
that they want to make
to be able to provide
and protect their children
and now her grandchildren.
But I didn't realize that until you're,
you don't think that way
when you're 15 years old.
It took me going off to college
and now being a mom to realize that.
So I hope Margo realizes that
she has a mom who
fought for her
prior to even knowing
that she would exist
that I would be blessed enough
to be her mom
I fought for her.
I hope she sees someone
who is
courageous and bold
and calls out injustices
as they see them
is a leader.
That's what I hope she sees
in me.
And if she doesn't,
she's grounded.
Tell us about your new show at Fox.
Yes.
So we just launched the Riley Gaines show,
which I'm so excited about this.
Just signed a multi-year deal.
It will come out every Wednesday and Friday.
It's just super cool.
I've realized like the gratitude that I feel for people in the movement
and a part of the community who support online in person being here at Amfest.
Like you just walk on on that stage and you see all that.
And it's just like this moment of.
just immense gratitude and how cool it is. And I have to pinch myself when I remind myself of
how this all came about, it's like literally for saying that there are two sexes. Like,
really? Like, you mean for that, I get to be here with you. We get to be doing this. I get to have
this new show with Fox. But it also speaks to how rare that was in the moment. And so very excited.
about this. I'm going to dive into like all things, just motherhood and fitness and things that
matter to me and I think matter to the people who follow. So very excited. If you could offer one
remedy to heal a sick culture, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, what would it be? I'll speak to
the physically part as now again morphing into, I feel like I've seen my body go through all of these
crazy different stages. One remedy to heal a sick culture is back squats.
I think this is the best, if we're talking about healing physically, which I am, I think it's the best full body exercise.
Obviously, it's good for your legs, but I think it's good for, actually, I think it's the best ab exercise you can do is back squats.
So that's my advice to healing us at culture.
Thank you for coming on culture, Pop the Carey.
You're the best, Alex.
Thank you.
And wait, before we go, I want to say thank you to you for you being willing to call out.
Candice Owens very quickly.
When I saw, of course, I'm witnessing this online.
And granted, I just had a baby,
and that's a terrible excuse, by the way,
for not engaging in this discourse.
But I was watching online as I'm seeing all these crazy things being talked about.
And I think a part of me was a bit naive to like,
oh, well, no one actually believes this.
And so I just really didn't want to weigh in.
But then I saw you do it.
And you said exactly how I felt.
And then I saw Candace come after you.
But watching the courage that you had and Ali Best Suckie, it gave me the courage.
And I thank you for that.
I really do because I found myself in this moment of like I didn't want to speak about it because I didn't want the backlash.
And that's coming from someone who's had years of trolls and people commenting on social media.
It's hard when it's, um,
stirring up drama where you work.
It's our workplace.
And making enemies with people
that you see all the time.
Yeah. Yeah. But you doing that.
Like, seriously, I was so inspired by it.
So I think you're amazing. So thank you.
Thanks, Riley. I love you.
I need those shoes, too.
Riley said that she had not shared her birth story in full yet.
So hopefully that was a treat for you like it was for me.
I could just listen to women, share their birth stories for hours and
and hours. Like, I love every single detail. That stuff about the blood and the diaper and all that,
I've never heard that in my life. Have you? Please leave a five-star review if you love this show and you
appreciate what we're doing to Healistic Culture, Physically, Emotionally and Spiritualally. Brand-new
episodes every single Monday and Thursday at 6 p.m. Pacific, 9 p.m. Eastern. We will see you in the
new year. I'm Alex Clark, and this is Culture Apothecary.