Abundant Wellness With Andrea- From Surviving to Thriving in Mind, Body and Spirit

Episode 126: The ADHD Airway Connection with Dr. Kathy Cantwell

In this powerful conversation, Andrea sits down with pediatric chiropractor and airway-focused practitioner Dr. Kathy Cantwell to discuss one of the most overlooked contributors to behavior issues, sleep struggles, nervous system dysregulation, ADHD symptoms, and long-term health concerns in children: airway dysfunction.
Dr. Cantwell shares her own personal journey with severe sleep-disordered breathing and explains how mouth breathing, tongue ties, narrow palates, and poor airway development can affect everything from emotional regulation to brain development.
This episode is a must-listen for parents of children struggling with:
ADHD or focus issues
Chronic congestion or mouth breathing
Snoring
Bedwetting
Poor sleep
Behavioral challenges
Picky eating
Frequent illness
Anxiety or nervous system dysregulation
In This Episode, We Discuss:
Why snoring in children is never “normal” or “cute”
The connection between airway issues and ADHD-like symptoms
How tongue ties can impact feeding, sleep, and nervous system development
Signs of airway dysfunction in infants, toddlers, and older children
Why open-mouth breathing changes facial development over time
The relationship between airway issues, sleep deprivation, cortisol, and behavior
How poor oxygenation impacts the developing brain
The connection between sleep-disordered breathing and bedwetting
Why many children with airway dysfunction crave carbs and struggle with picky eating
How airway issues affect growth hormone, blood sugar regulation, and emotional regulation
What parents can look for at home
Why this issue is so commonly missed by providers
The importance of a team approach when supporting children with airway dysfunction
Key Signs Parents Should Watch For:
Mouth breathing
Snoring
Dark circles under the eyes (“allergic shiners”)
Chronic congestion
Poor sleep quality
Frequent waking
Bedwetting past typical potty-training age
Picky eating or gagging on tougher foods
Hyperactivity or behavioral dysregulation
Daytime fatigue
Head-forward posture
Recessed jaw or narrow palate
Connect with Dr. Kathy Cantwell
Follow Dr. Cantwell on Instagram
 
Connect with Andrea 
Not sure where to start with your child's behavioral issues, mood and sleep? Schedule a discovery call with Andrea HERE
Get a FREE airway consultation with Toothpillow by using the code ABUNDANTWELLNESS

Episode 125: Stories that Help Children Overcome Fear with Randolph Schiffer

Every child experiences fear at some point in their lives, but how we as their parents, help them through it can make all the difference in their emotional development. 
 
In this episode, guest Randolph Schiffer shares his personal journey of helping children overcoming fear as a pediatrician and father. 
 
Grab a copy of his book here

Episode 124: Pregnancy, Postpartum and Their Impact on Early Childhood Development with Guest Emily Roper

Today we are talking with Emily Roper, Certified Midwife Assistant and Neuro Developmental Delay Specialist all about how the brain develops in early pregnancy, how postpartum changes impact early childhood development and how we can prevent developmental issues from happening AND fix them with the right support.
 
You can find out more about Emily on INSTAGRAM    And 
or on her website https://www.earlyrootstherapy.com/
 
To schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call, find a time here 

Episode 123: The Mistake Conventional Pediatrics is Making that is Setting You Up for Failure

Conventional Pediatrics is a necessity for all children, however, there is one thing it does that might be setting you and your child up for failure and you don't even realize it! 
 
In this episode, Andrea, RN, BSN and former Pediatric bedside nurse shares how the microwave culture creates unrealistic expectations for true healing, and what she is doing to change it. 
 
To set up a Strong Start Discovery Call, find a time here! 

Episode 122: Being SuperMom is costing you more than you think

Maybe you got thrust into the "super Mom" role against your will when your child was diagnosed with a complex medical diagnosis or chronic illness.
 
Maybe you've been trying to get out of "Super Mom" mode for years but still keep getting stuck in the cycle...
 
If this sounds like you, then listen up!
 
In this episode, Andrea explains why “super mom” parenting is unsustainable for parents of children with neurodevelopmental, mental health, or complex medical needs.
 
She describes how long-term overfunctioning keeps caregivers in fight-or-flight and can lead to burnout (dorsal vagal shutdown), sometimes showing up as overwhelm or doom scrolling, especially when a parent’s body stays in emergency mode even after a child improves.
 
She outlines common barriers to prioritizing needs—believing the child’s needs always come first, financial strain, and postponing self-support until the next medical hurdle passes—and shares practical ways to rebalance by seeking outside help, adjusting appointment frequency, using insurance-covered counseling, leveraging community resources, and asking friends for predictable respite. 
 
00:00 Stop Being Super Mom
01:04 Special Needs Reality
01:36 Caregiver Limits Story
03:33 Why Self Care Fails
04:17 Needs Above Yours
06:15 Burnout Nervous System
08:41 Care Is Not Optional
10:17 Money Pressure Trap
11:37 When Child Gets Better
12:26 Rebalancing Resources
15:46 Creative Support Systems
17:27 Know Your Nervous State
18:07 Final Encouragement
 
You'll find several useful trainings in the Thriving Together community   
Access for free and stay around if the vibe fits! 
 
 

Episode 121: When Mother's Day Hurts: A Nervous System + Faith Conversation

With Mother's Day just a few weeks away, this is an episode you don't want to miss!
 
The episode addresses why Mother’s Day can feel heavy for parents of children with special needs, emphasizing that love can coexist with grief, exhaustion, and resentment.
 
From a nervous system lens, chronic stress, heightened expectations, sensory and emotional needs, and social comparison can make the day feel like pressure and potential failure, leaving a dysregulated body unable to access joy.
 
In this episode, Andrea discusses mourning the motherhood imagined, lost ease, changed relationships, lack of being seen, and diminished capacity, while providing practical insight into making this a day you don't dread anymore. 
 
 
00:00 Mothers Day Reality
00:39 Expectations And Baggage
01:51 Nervous System Pressure
03:49 Grief On Holidays
06:51 Comparison And Culture
10:36 Invisible Load Seen
13:06 Faith And Lament
15:35 Plan A New Day
18:50 Boundaries And Support
19:47 Reframe And Encourage
 
Join the conversation! In the Thriving Together Community, we have a live group coaching session where we will brainstorm and problem solve the most difficult aspects of this day so you can create a mother's day you don't dread. Join for free HERE 
 

Episode 120:PANS/PANDAS: Homeopathy, Diagnosis Challenges, and What Parents Can Watch For

In this episode,  Andrea interviews naturopathic doctor Dr. Bahr, who uses classical homeopathy to help families recover from PANS/PANDAS (autoimmune neuropsychiatric symptoms triggered by infections such as strep).
 
They discuss how Dr. Bahr’s practice built consistent, structured care so families can be supported during crises and covered when providers are away. Dr. Bahr shares how she moved from skepticism to believing in homeopathy after rapid improvement in her own chronic psychiatric condition, and explains how she shifted into specializing in PANS/PANDAS after recognizing cases in her mental-health practice.
 
They review common signs (episodic flares, OCD/intrusive thoughts, separation anxiety, rage, cognitive decline, urinary frequency/bedwetting, sensory changes) and why diagnosis is often missed, emphasizing provider curiosity, medical training, and listening to the full story, plus guidance for parents to connect with experienced communities and trust informed support.
 
 
00:46 What Is PANS And PANDAS
03:01 Why Homeopathy Works
05:55 Consistency In Care Model
08:11 From Skeptic To Believer
16:58 Host’s Homeopathy Turning Point
18:43 How She Specialized In PANS
22:03 Riding The Wave To Go All In
23:53 Being Truly Understood
25:31 Simplifying the Approach
26:08 Spotting PANS PANDAS Signs
28:09 OCD Tics and School Regression
29:54 Overlaps With ADHD Triggers
30:52 Why Listening Matters
33:59 Homeopathy Beyond Labels
35:41 Diagnosis Still Matters
39:13 Why Doctors Dismiss It
43:26 System Gaps and Curiosity
48:57 Next Steps for Parents
51:42 Slow and Steady Healing
 
This is a MUST LISTEN episode if you think your child might have PANS/PANDAS.
 
To connect with Dr. Bahr and her team of providers, go to Resilience Naturopathic
 
Not sure where to start? Schedule a complementary STRONG START discovery call with Andrea 

Episode 119:Nervous System First: Dr. Tony on the “Perfect Storm” Behind Kids’ Neurodevelopmental Struggles

Andrea, a functional health practitioner and RN, interviews Dr. Tony, a chiropractor focused on nervous system healing, about why neurodevelopmental disorders and related issues are exploding.
Dr. Tony says the root is not genetics but a “perfect storm” of toxic overload (inhaled, ingested, or injected), high maternal stress during pregnancy that wires sympathetic dominance and suppresses vagal development, and birth interventions/trauma (e.g., forceps, vacuum, C-section, inductions) impacting the brainstem, vagus nerve, and motor-sensory systems.
He explains many families come after exhausting conventional routes, and outlines his 3-step process: deep case history (“CSI”), objective nervous system scans/exam, and a personalized plan including pacing and often pausing other interventions so nervous system care can take effect and make therapies like detox, speech, and OT work better.
They also discuss grief, validation, parent nervous system regulation, and where to find his podcast and Instagram.
00:00 Welcome and Intro
01:25 Dr Tony Origin Story
03:31 From Pain to Purpose
04:35 Last Resort Families
09:44 Rebuilding Trust 13:10
Three Step Care Plan
18:25 Pacing and PANS
20:29 Personal Crisis Lessons
23:06 Why Disorders Rising
24:34 Patterns In Sick Kids
25:25 Toxic Overload Upstream
26:50 Maternal Stress Wiring
28:34 Birth Interventions Impact
29:58 Perfect Storm Timeline
31:27 Parent Story And PANDAS
33:14 Grief Without Shame
38:54 Nervous System First
40:00 Movement And Proprioception
42:53 Pause To Optimize Healing
45:10 Where To Find Dr Tony 
 
Not sure where to start? Schedule a Strong Start Discovery Call with Andrea today!

Episode 118: For Those In Despair

If you’ve been sitting in despair, this episode is for you.
We’re having an honest conversation about what despair actually means—and what it doesn’t. It’s not a failure of your faith. It’s not a sign you’re doing something wrong.
In this episode, we explore how spiritual bypassing can keep us stuck, what the Bible really shows us about walking through despair, and why a felt sense of safety is essential for true healing.
You’ll also learn how to invite God into the middle of your mess—and where simple distress tolerance practices can support you when things feel overwhelming.
If you’ve been holding it together on the outside but struggling on the inside, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it by yourself.
 

Episode 117: What a Dysregulated Nervous System Looks Like in Children

What does a dysregulated nervous system actually look like in kids?
If your child has meltdowns, shuts down, refuses food, or reacts in ways that feel confusing, it’s easy to assume it’s behavioral. But often, it’s neurological.
In this episode, we break down how nervous system dysregulation shows up in children, including the difference between tantrums and meltdowns, common regulation struggles, and how your child’s unique brain wiring impacts behavior.
You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of what’s really going on—and how to respond in ways that support your child’s nervous system, not fight against it.
Because your child isn’t giving you a hard time…their nervous system is having a hard time.
 
If this episode resonated with you and you’re ready to better understand your child’s behavior from a root-cause, nervous-system perspective:
👉 Learn more about working together inside Thriving Together https://www.skool.com/thriving-together/about
👉 Explore my Happy Tummies, Happy Kids program for gut + behavior support https://fitmom.practicebetter.io/#/6840d0254575c6adc26a82fd/bookings?s=6891178b4314c26053fe9762
👉 Follow along on Instagram for daily education and encouragement Https://www.instagram.com/abundantwellnesswithandrea