Reclaim Your Rise
with Lauren Bongiorno

In this episode of Reclaim Your Rise, Abby is back for a heartfelt conversation with the Smith family. We met Tyler and Callie after their son Wally’s T1D diagnosis at age 4. They came to us feeling lost trying to function as their child’s pancreas and needing more support than they were getting from their doctor. While Callie and Tyler’s experience will especially resonate with other parents, this episode is for everyone who wants to understand what T1D parents are really going through. Quick Takeaways: Importance of knowing the signs & symptoms of type 1 diabetes The mental & physical toll a T1D diagnosis takes on the entire family  How family dynamics play a significant role in managing & finding a balance in parenting roles  Maintaining your relationship as parents while still caring for your T1D child  The need for better communication with healthcare providers about care expectations Timestamps: [01:45] Meet the Smith Family  [02:30] Wally’s diagnosis  [07:07] Emotions post-diagnosis & learning their new life  [09:24] The standard of diabetes care  [11:00] Deciding they needed more support  [15:27] “You can’t pour from an empty cup.”  [16:43] Balancing parenting roles & dynamics: Knowing when to ‘tap out’  [18:00] Self care: The key to family well being  [20:00] Finding Risely  [27:05] “We were sick of just getting a pat on the back and a gold star, every time we went to the endo…we weren't getting what we needed.”  [29:40] Words of encouragement for T1D parents What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve.

Today, we’re tackling a highly requested topic: how to avoid low and high blood sugars during exercise. This is something I get asked about a lot—whether through Instagram DMs or coaching applications at Risely. It’s a topic I’ve been wanting to dive into for a while, and last week, I had my first low blood sugar during a workout in a really long time, which was super frustrating. That experience motivated me to finally record this episode and share these insights with all of you. Let’s dive in and break it down! Quick Takeaways: How to avoid low and high blood sugars during exercise  Understanding workout types and their impact on blood sugar  Five questions to ask yourself before working out  Insulin sensitivity & resistance: what factors are impacting it and how it plays a role in exercise Timestamps: [01:05] Introduction to the episode  [01:45] Story-time: Lauren’s first day back to the gym postpartum  [05:24] “High blood sugars are just as frustrating too”  [06:26] How different types of workouts impact your blood sugar  [07:55] 3 things contributing to your insulin sensitivity / resistance  [16:15] Starting blood sugar [17:35] Navigating a workout with insulin on board  [21:40] Understanding your workout patterns What other topics do you want me to cover in solo episodes like this? Send us a DM on Instagram @riselyhealth What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Learn more about our signature group coaching program and apply before 3/31 to qualify for the early bird discount!

Episode Summary: The Story Time You’ve All Been Waiting For: 42 hours of labor, 5 days in the NICU, and finally bringing home our healthy baby boy.  It’s taken me some time to sit down and record this one, but after welcoming my son Luca into the world on January 5th, I’m ready to open up about the experience. I spent the last nine months carefully managing my type 1 diabetes, and I had a vision for how labor and delivery would go—one that, let’s just say, didn’t quite play out the way I expected. From the moment my water broke, it felt like everything went wrong, and I needed time to process it all before sharing. In this episode, I’m sitting down with my doula, Corinne, to give you my unfiltered birth story. I hope this serves as a reminder to you that even when things don’t go according to plan, we’re strong enough to navigate it all. Quick Takeaways: The play-by-play of my very unpredictable birth experience The transformative power of doulas & having a birth plan The experience of laboring naturally and then needing to pivot  The complications that can occur that are completely unrelated to type one diabetes risk factors Healing from a traumatic birth experience and how Lauren is processing it all Timestamps: [XX:XX] Introduction to the episode & Lauren’s reflection  [XX:XX] Meet Corrine, Lauren’s doula  [XX:XX] Understanding the role of a doula  [XX:XX] The journey begins: "This is where it started." [XX:XX] Heading to the hospital  [XX:XX] The Start of Active Labor [XX:XX] Labor progression: Understanding back labor and its challenges  [XX:XX] “You've been up for over 24 hours now…and I don't typically say that to people. I think I said that to two other of my clients out of 60, they needed to get an epidural.” [XX:XX] Things take another turn… [XX:XX] “That's when I pulled Kris out into the hallway.” [XX:XX] Luka’s birth  [XX:XX] Overall reflections on T1D and birth: Processing the trauma, feelings of guilt & plans for next time  Whether you're pregnant, planning for the future, or just curious about what this journey was like for me, I really hope that this story helps you feel more prepared, supported, and seen. What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve.  5 Things You Won’t Hear From Your Endo About Pregnancy and T1D .  Access Risely’s Pregnancy + T1D Workshop on demand HERE .  Want to watch this episode on Youtube? Click here.

Our coach manager, Abby, is back to lead an honest conversation with coach Jehan about what it looks like to actually prioritize your own health, wellbeing, and identity as a mom while balancing both diabetes and motherhood. With Abby’s perspective as a mother to a child living with T1D, and Jehan’s perspective as a mom living with T1D herself, they bring so much relatable experience to this topic. Spoiler alert: true self care is so much deeper than bubble baths. This is about practical strategies for avoiding burnout. Whether or not you are a parent, this conversation is what you need to hear if you are struggling to make yourself AND your health a priority. Quick Takeaways: The challenges of balancing type 1 diabetes and parenthood (whether it’s you or your child that has T1D)   The emotional toll of diabetes on parents & letting go of the guilt  How to prioritize self-care in the midst of parents  The impact of a mother’s wellbeing on the rest of the household  Importance of taking care of yourself so you can better take care of others How did you like hearing from Abby and coach Jehan? Be sure to leave a rating & review to let us know you liked it and feel free to email your thoughts or ideas for their next episode to: hello@riselyhealth.com What to do now: Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop when new episodes drop. Apply for coaching and talk to our team so you can reclaim the life you deserve.