Midwife Life: Midwifing you through health, motherhood, and the sacred mess of life’s transformations with Diane Ortega

For decades, women have been told that fatigue, weight gain, slower recovery, brain fog, and hormone shifts are simply part of aging. But what if the real issue isn’t that women’s bodies are failing them? What if the real problem is that we’ve been given incomplete information about how our bodies actually work - especially in midlife. In this episode of The Midwife Life, Diane sits down with Stephanie Gambetta, founder of Loop and host of The Loop Podcast, to explore a new way of thinking about women’s health, metabolic wellness, and longevity. Stephanie’s journey into this work began after a serious skiing accident led her into a long recovery and sparked a deep curiosity about peptides and the science of healing and resilience. That curiosity eventually led her to create Loop, a wellness platform focused on education, coaching, and helping people approach new health tools with both curiosity and discernment. Together, Diane and Stephanie unpack: What peptides actually are (and why they’re suddenly everywhere) Why women’s metabolic health often changes in midlife The conversation around GLP medications and sustainable weight loss Why bloodwork and personalization matter more than trends How women can move from information overload to informed decision-making What it means to support your body instead of fighting it This conversation is not about quick fixes or biohacking hype. It’s about helping women understand their bodies in a deeper way — and reclaiming the power that comes with that knowledge. In This Episode We Discuss: Stephanie’s recovery journey and how it led to founding Loop Peptides explained in plain language The missing conversation around women’s metabolism and aging GLP medications and sustainable metabolic health Why coaching and education matter in the wellness space Building a values-driven company in an emerging industry Connect with Stephanie Website: ⁠https://www.theloopway.com⁠ Podcast: The Loop Podcast Instagram: @theloopway Connect with Diane Website: ⁠themidwifelife.co⁠ Instagram: @the.midwife.life.co

This weekend I sat in a room full of women I'd never met, at a business event, not my usual crowd. By the end of it, one of them said something out loud that I haven't stopped thinking about since. This episode is about what she said, why it has nothing to do with business and everything to do with the work I do, and why the mirror is the actual mechanism, not a nice metaphor for it. In this episode: What I witnessed this weekend, in a room that had nothing to do with motherhood The exact thing one woman said about the story she'd been carrying about herself Why "holding up a mirror" isn't a soft idea, it's eighteen years of my actual clinical training What this has to do with a nine month old who won't sleep, a fourteen year old who doesn't cuddle anymore, and a daughter packing for college The August masterclass, what it is, and who it's for. Join the free live masterclass on August 26th: themidwifelife.kit.com/masterclass

This week, my oldest got married, my second oldest moved out, and my youngest started getting ready for college, on top of a fourth threshold I already lived through last year. This episode is about what that did to me, why eighteen years of catching literal births taught me something I needed this week more than any five-step plan, and the belief underneath everything I teach: every woman has more than one moment of birth. In this episode: Why I'm recording this the same week it happened instead of waiting until I had it figured out The two other times in my life I've had to become someone new without choosing to, once at 40, once in my 50s Why this story has four kids in it, not three, and what my son taught me about growing up on his own time The line from eighteen years of catching babies that I had to apply to myself this week: presence before instruction What the August masterclass is (and isn't), and who it's for Join the free live masterclass on August 26th: themidwifelife.kit.com/masterclass

This week, Diane is replaying a favorite conversation with Ashley Andrews, an Integrative Nutrition & Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Instructor and Reiki Practitioner, who shares her journey into motherhood and the practices that carried her through it. From unexpected pregnancy and birth experiences to the power of integrative nutrition, Reiki, and intuitive movement, Ashley's story is a real look at what it takes to find yourself again after everything changes. What We Cover: Ashley's path to pregnancy, including a miscarriage and the conception of her son Kai Her plans for a home birth or birth center delivery, and the unexpected turn of events that led to a hospital C-section with her daughter Mia The emotional process of grieving the birth experiences she envisioned and finding beauty in the unexpected Ashley's early introduction to yoga and holistic healing, and how those practices evolved through her world travels and studies in France, India, and Integrative Nutrition The principles of Integrative Nutrition and how nourishing the whole self, relationships, career, creativity, and spirituality, can impact physical health Ashley's personal journey with food, movement, and intuitive guidance during pregnancy and postpartum Strategies for postpartum rehabilitation and balancing motherhood, career, and self-care Advice for mothers facing unexpected birth outcomes, and the importance of emotional processing and community support Resources for exploring Reiki, intuitive nutrition, and virtual wellness sessions with Ashley If Ashley's story of losing sight of who she was, and finding her way back, hits home: The In-Between Workbook walks you through naming what's ending, sitting in the middle, and figuring out who you're becoming. $37.  https://dianeortega.gumroad.com/l/the-in-between Connect with Ashley: https://www.valleymamma.com/ https://www.instagram.com/valleymamma Connect with us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.midwife.life.co/ Website: themidwifelife.co Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Midwife-LifeCo/61559303575840/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/themidwifelife/

For decades, women have been told that fatigue, weight gain, slower recovery, brain fog, and hormone shifts are simply part of aging. But what if the real issue isn’t that women’s bodies are failing them? What if the real problem is that we’ve been given incomplete information about how our bodies actually work - especially in midlife. In this episode of The Midwife Life, Diane sits down with Stephanie Gambetta, founder of Loop and host of The Loop Podcast, to explore a new way of thinking about women’s health, metabolic wellness, and longevity. Stephanie’s journey into this work began after a serious skiing accident led her into a long recovery and sparked a deep curiosity about peptides and the science of healing and resilience. That curiosity eventually led her to create Loop, a wellness platform focused on education, coaching, and helping people approach new health tools with both curiosity and discernment. Together, Diane and Stephanie unpack: What peptides actually are (and why they’re suddenly everywhere) Why women’s metabolic health often changes in midlife The conversation around GLP medications and sustainable weight loss Why bloodwork and personalization matter more than trends How women can move from information overload to informed decision-making What it means to support your body instead of fighting it This conversation is not about quick fixes or biohacking hype. It’s about helping women understand their bodies in a deeper way — and reclaiming the power that comes with that knowledge. In This Episode We Discuss: Stephanie’s recovery journey and how it led to founding Loop Peptides explained in plain language The missing conversation around women’s metabolism and aging GLP medications and sustainable metabolic health Why coaching and education matter in the wellness space Building a values-driven company in an emerging industry Rebirth Conversations This episode is part of a larger series of conversations I’ve been exploring, what I think of as Rebirth Conversations. Because so many women reach a point where something in their body, their energy, or their identity begins to shift… and they’re left wondering: What is happening to me? These aren’t just health conversations. They’re conversations about transition. About understanding your body in a new way. About letting go of outdated narratives. And about learning how to support yourself in the next chapter. Whether that shift is happening in your hormones, your metabolism, your identity, or your life… You’re not alone in it. And you’re not broken. If you’re feeling this in your own life, you can explore more here: https://themidwifelife.kit.com/rebirthconversations Join a Live Peptides 101 Zoom with Stephanie If this conversation sparked your curiosity and you’re wanting to understand peptides in a more grounded, educational way… Stephanie has generously offered to host a live Peptides 101 Zoom session for listeners of The Midwife Life. This will be a small-group conversation where she’ll walk through: What peptides actually are Why they’re gaining attention in modern wellness How they may support recovery, metabolism, and longevity What questions to ask before exploring them How to approach them thoughtfully and responsibly There will also be time for questions and discussion. We’ll host the session once we reach 10 interested participants. If you’d like to join, add your name here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffCCb1fkdyl4-AWn3BjnwPzWUpAfDf_lUKmR_zLzHC5mZMBg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=109408431311743473853 Connect with Stephanie Website: https://www.theloopway.com Podcast: The Loop Podcast Instagram: @theloopway Connect with Diane Website: themidwifelife.co Instagram: @the.midwife.life.co