Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Postpartum Better | Postpartum Recovery, Breastfeeding, Mom Overwhelm, Returning to Work, Postpartum Identity

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Your body builds an entire organ during pregnancy. From scratch. So why are we so afraid to honor it, and ourselves after?

In this episode, Chelsea talks with Lindsey Hancock, cervical cancer survivor turned mom of 2, women’s health advocate, and founder of Raw Awakening.

Together, they explore how decades of being told what to do, who to trust, and how to do it have undermined women’s ability to mother in modern society.

You’ll learn:

• What placenta encapsulation is
• What to ask any specialist before you say yes (or no)
• Why Lindsey held her ground on placenta encapsulation after compromising on a home birth
• How a holistic provider can work right alongside your doctor

Placenta encapsulation isn’t for everyone. Speak with your medical provider and a certified encapsulation specialist to understand the process and how to monitor your body’s response. This is not medical advice. It’s education to feel anchored for your next conversation.

Connect with Lindsey: 

Follow + DM on Instagram
Website 

Resources mentioned: 

https://www.instagram.com/nathanrileyobgyn/

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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"Never go to bed angry" is great marriage advice. Until you have a newborn.

Sleep is the second most important thing in your postpartum. For you, your baby, and your husband. So that 11:47pm whisper-fight about the dishwasher isn't a conversation. It's a drain from the battery you're near short circuiting on.

Going to bed angry isn't giving up on the fight. It's protecting the one thing that makes a good fight possible.

In this episode, I break down why "don't go to bed angry" should be a case-by-case call when there's a baby in the house, inspired by a post from sleep consultant and therapist Chrissy Lawler (@the.peaceful.sleeper).

You'll learn:

• What broken sleep does to your brain and your arguments 
• Why the longest uninterrupted stretch of sleep matters more than your total hours
• The "pin" that lets you set a fight down tonight without the silent treatment or the slammed doors
• The 3 questions that tell you when to talk it out and when to go to bed angry
  
  

Send this one to your husband before tonight.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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"Bad sex leads to more bad sex."

That's the spiral Sex Therapist Erinn Hoel, LCSW, sees over and over with postpartum moms — push through it, it doesn't go well, push harder next time, still doesn't. So you decide the problem must be you. It's not. Your body's not broken, it just doesn't feel safe enough yet — and trying harder doesn't speed that up, it makes it worse.

In this episode Chelsea and Erinn cover:

• Why you never feel "in the mood"
• Why men always seem ready "to go"
• How to get the clinical feeling out of the bedroom when TTC
• The foreplay that actually works when you're easing back in postpartum
• The ultimate "go-to" spot to build confidence and connection

If you've ever pushed through, had it not go well, and quietly decided something must be wrong with you — this episode is going to change that story completely.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

How to connect with Erinn:

• erinnhoel.lcsw@gmail.com
• Desire to Fire Method Overview (with application)
• Free Sex and Intimacy Resources

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Right before Chelsea went on maternity leave with her first, her VP said three words she’s never forgotten: "You'll be better."

She wasn't being kind. Every woman she'd ever hired, managed, or promoted came back sharper after having kids — not despite them, because of them.

In this episode:

• Why mothers see a 13% productivity increase after having kids, and are top performers in 76% of companies
• Why you're not about to become less capable — you're about to become more capable, in ways you haven't lived yet
• The belief Chelsea wants every pregnant woman to hold onto before she even goes on leave

If you're pregnant and quietly terrified this next chapter will cost you your career — this one's your permission to believe something different.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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If the most relationship you have is with yourself, why is it so hard to prioritize it? 

Most moms skip straight past caring for themselves and go straight to surviving — more coffee, more scrolling, more pushing through. Then they hit a wall and can't figure out why they feel so disconnected from who they are. In this episode, Chelsea Barbine talks with Identity and Empowerment Coach Shannon Danielle, about the real difference between self-love, self-care, and actually caring for yourself. Together they share exactly how small, simple practices can change everything else in your life.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Shannon on purepossibilities.net or on Instagram at @pure_possibilities and listen to her podcast Pure Possibilities 

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It's September. Everyone's back-to-school routine is all over your feed — the schedules, the sports, the "here's how we're staying on top of it all" energy.

But what if you're still on maternity leave or juggling pregnant life with a toddler home part-time?

In this episode you'll learn:

• The three steps for getting the mom mental load out of your head and off your to-do list
• What you might be missing to get the most done in the least amount of time
• The most important step to setting your calendar

If you've been craving a sense of order but didn't think it was possible until your kids are out of the house — this episode is your permission slip.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Pregnant with your second and wondering how you're going to manage life with two? 

In this episode, Chelsea talks with Emily Higgins, a web and app designer who had three babies back to back to back, which inspired her founding of the Mama Mode app and podcast.

Together they talk about:

• Postpartum rage and what's actually underneath it
• The one comment Emily received at her lowest point in motherhood that completely changed how she shows up for herself and every mom she meets
• How to build a support system out of the small things you already have
• How much intentional time kids actually need
• Why “me time” doesn't have to look like a 4am workout

This is the non-Pinterest version of preparing for life with two. If this episode hits home, follow @postpartumbetter on Instagram and join the waitlist for the postpartum prep mini course, designed specifically for the second-time pregnant mom wondering how she'll manage both kids.

Connect with Emily
Follow on IG
Listen to the Mama Mode podcast
Download the Mama Mode App

Research & Resources Mentioned:

• Journal of Marriage and Family Study: Does Maternal Time Matter? (Milkie et al., 2015)
• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) & the 5-Minute "Special Time" Protocol
  
  

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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There’s no shortage of free postpartum advice. But is more information actually what moms need?

In this episode, Chelsea unpacks why you show up differently when you invest in something, why generic advice can’t account for your unique postpartum experience, and why having a real plan—and support to come back to when things fall apart—matters.

Join the waitlist: postpartumbetter.com/bootcamp

Find a mom walk near you: https://www.themomwalkcollective.com/walks

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.1

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"You get to do it when you make the time."

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Rebecca — a nurse and a mom of two — to talk about something most people skip over in the postpartum fitness conversation: that getting stronger postpartum was never really about the body. It was about proving to herself, over and over, that she could do hard things.

Rebecca gets real about the difference between the hard of showing up for yourself and the hard of not — and how that choice, repeated daily, is what actually changed her life.

They also get into:

• What the "leisure gap" actually is, and why so many moms let their husbands take the golf trip while they never book the equivalent for themselves
• The concept of "toxic grace" — and how to tell the difference between rest you need and an excuse you're making
• Why physical strength turns into mental strength, and how that shows up in everyday moments as a mom
• Why waiting for the perfect time to start is the thing keeping most moms stuck — and the one small step that actually breaks the cycle

If you've ever felt like self-care is something you have to earn, or like taking time for yourself is selfish instead of necessary — this conversation is going to shift something for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Trigger Warning: This episode discusses maternal mental health crises, postpartum psychosis, and references the Lindsay Clancy case. Please listen with care.

Maternal mental health conditions have nearly doubled in the past decade. So why are we still only reacting after the fact?

In this episode, Chelsea shares her unfiltered response to the Lindsay Clancy trial — and what she believes it reveals about the gap between having access to resources and actually having support. She breaks down why information alone isn't care, why preparation for postpartum deserves the same attention we give to preparing for birth, and the exact steps she took to move through her own fear of birth by understanding it instead of avoiding it.

Moms deserve better. Families deserve better. This is your sign to start preparing instead of waiting until you're in it — join the Postpartum Better Bootcamp waitlist here: https://postpartumbetter.com/bootcamp

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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They say one day it'll matter who you marry.

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine sits down with Pauleanna Reid — a mom of two and founder of a wildly successful agency — to talk about something most conversations about motherhood underestimate or completely ignore: that the decisions you make before the baby even arrives are the ones that shape everything after.

Pauleanna breaks down the mom tax — the assumptions, the passed-over opportunities, the quiet ways people start treating you differently the moment they know you're expecting — and why she kept both of her pregnancies almost entirely private because of it.

They also get into:

• Why she says she didn't marry for love — and chose her husband almost like a business decision instead
• What it actually took to run a company through two C-sections and night shifts after bedtime
• The difference between hoping you'll have a village and actually building one
• Why being a little selfish might be the thing that makes you a better wife and mother, not the opposite

This isn't a highlight reel of "having it all." It's a conversation about what it really costs to protect a career while building a family — and what she did instead.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You "warned" for baby number one. The sleepless nights, the questioning of yourself, how your whole world rearranges overnight. What (almost) nobody warns you about is what happens when baby number two arrives — and it hits somewhere completely different.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Don’t want to lose yourself after birth? Here are 4 tips on how not to and what to discuss with your husband about supporting you.

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine talks with Sheridan De La Cruz about the steps she took to “be both” a good mom and feel like herself. They dive into conversations she had with her husband when her pregnancy became high risk, how NICU visits impact your postpartum health and the realities of taking care of yourself while taking care of another human being. 

Trigger warning: This episode talks about high-risk pregnancy, preterm labors, and a NICU stay. Please take care of yourself as you listen.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Sheridan: https://www.instagram.com/shergoodhealth/

Read Healthy Mom, Happy Family by Sheridan De La Cruz*: https://amzn.to/4yviNHU

*Host earns commission from sales

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You climbed the ladder. You proved yourself. You hit every milestone you were supposed to hit.

Then you had a baby — and going back to that same job, the one you were so good at, suddenly felt impossible.

That's not a career crisis. That's a postpartum identity crisis. In this episode, you’ll learn the chapter to steal from the Gen Z playbook before you quit your job and burn it all down.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Courtney kept losing her nipple shield — you know, the clear one that is impossible to find in your diaper bag — so she decided to make her own that was pretty and findable. That one idea turned into a whole company built on a simple belief: postpartum products can be functional AND beautiful, and moms deserve both. In this episode, you’ll hear from mom of 3 and Founder of Le Lolo Courtney Boylan. She shares about her own postpartum journey — the engorgement pain, the fear of leaving the hospital, the sister who told her to trust her gut — and how all of it built the confidence to leave a steady job and bet on herself.

Connect with Courtney:
Website: https://wearelelolo.com
15% OFF DISCOUNT CODE: PBP
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearelelolo

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You feel guilty spending money on yourself. You feel guilty when you don't. There's no version of this where you win — until you actually understand why.

In this bonus episode, I break down the budgeting trap almost every postpartum mom is stuck in, and how to finally end the vicious cycle.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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"You'll be fine. You'll figure it out. That's what we all did!"

Survivorship bias is real and it’s affecting postpartum moms every single day. If you’ve ever felt guilty, or “extra” or weak after someone told you that you’ll be fine because they were, this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You finally found your groove… and now it's time to go back to work. Diaper bag packed, hair and makeup done by 8am, and about 20 new things on your plate. If the end of your maternity leave is looming with a pit in your stomach — this one gets real about the "second wave of postpartum".

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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What if feeling like you don't have time has nothing to do with your calendar? Take a listen to learn what it actually means and what to do about it. 

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You know what happens when you ask ChatGPT to plan your entire postpartum recovery? It gets a lot right — AND misses the three things that actually matter most.

In this bonus episode, postpartum health coach and mom of 2, Chelsea Barbine let her curiosity win and ran the experiment so many of you have already tried yourselves. Typed the prompt. Read the plan. Found exactly where it falls apart.

Press play. Then send it to the friend who's asked Chat to plan her whole maternity leave so she doesn't suffer either.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You know what solitary confinement criminals and many new moms have in common? Isolation.

Think that's dramatic? Take a listen.

In this bonus episode, postpartum health coach, Chelsea Barbine breaks down why postpartum isolation sneaks up on even the most prepared, most social new moms — and what actually closes the gap once it hits.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You snapped again — over the cup, the shoes, the same question for the ninth time — and then hated yourself for it.

In this episode, Chelsea talks with mom and perinatal psychologist Dr. Moya O'Leary for the conversation that takes the shame out of it.

You’ll learn why: 

• you only have to get it “right” 30% of the time
• the repair after you lose it matters more than never losing it
• the four words to give another mom that change everything

This episode talks openly about postpartum mental health. Please take care of yourself as you listen.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Dr. Moya
Website: https://healingclovercounseling.com
Email: healingclovercounseling@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healing_clover_counseling

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"I don't know how you balance it all." Mama, same — because I'm not.

Two kids under four are home with me all summer while I run my business, and I stopped chasing "balance" a long time ago. Here's the honest truth about why "balancing it all" is a myth that's quietly crushing ambitious working moms — and the reframe that changes everything: motherhood is meant to reshape you, not erase you.

Your permission slip for this summer. Send it to a mom who needs it.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You've been told some babies are just bad sleepers. That sleep training is cruel. That you just have to survive the newborn phase and eventually — eventually — you'll sleep again.

What if all of that is wrong?

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Chrissy Lawler — licensed marriage and family therapist, sleep expert, mom of four girls, and author of the brand new book The Peaceful Sleeper — to talk about the one thing that impacts every single cell, function, and process in your body. Sleep.

In this episode they cover:

• Why sleep training has gotten such a bad reputation — and what it actually looks like done right
• The developmental framework that makes teaching independent sleep feel less scary and more intuitive
• Why your family's sleep is one of the most important investments you can make in your mental health, your relationship, and your children
• What happens when moms pour everything into the early years and lose themselves along the way
• Why a well-rested mom isn't a luxury — she's the foundation

This is the episode you send to the mom who keeps saying she'll sleep when the kids are older.

Because she can't wait that long. And neither can you.

Grab your copy of The Peaceful Sleeper *
Follow Chrissy Lawler, MS, LMFT, Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant
https://www.thepeacefulsleeper.com/ 

*Host may receive commission for purchases

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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The most fertile, the most abundant, the most beautiful growth on earth happens after something burns. And you are not the exception to that rule.

If this season feels like a fire — one that’s “burning it all to the ground” — this episode will change the way you see it.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of thoughts of self-harm and harm to baby in the context of postpartum depression. Please listen with care.

Is it baby blues or signs of postpartum depression? 

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine is talking with Dr. Erica Borman — board certified psychiatrist specializing in reproductive mental health — for the conversation every woman deserves to have before, during, and after pregnancy. 

In this episode they cover:

• The real difference between baby blues and postpartum depression — and why it matters
• The risk factors nobody warned you about that every mom should know
• Why sleep deprivation is more dangerous than you think
• The truth about medication during pregnancy and postpartum How to build your support team before baby arrives so you're not scrambling when you need help most

Nothing comes without risk. But neither does staying silent.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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What if the thing that saved your life was as simple as a walk?

Today I'm sitting down with Jamie Oneal — founder of the Mom Walk Collective, the force behind the Mile a Day challenge, and as of today, walking 30 miles to raise awareness for maternal mental health. I mean, come on.

Jamie's story starts long before the collective. A traumatic brain injury, a divorce while pregnant, a NICU stay — and a postpartum journey she had to navigate largely alone. What carried her through? Moving her body, finding her people, and one walk that turned into a viral video that turned into a movement now in over 700 cities worldwide.

In this episode we cover:

• Walking as a postpartum tool — and why it's more powerful than you think
• What it actually means to build a village and be a villager
• Why vulnerability is the gateway to finding your people
• How Jamie built a global movement starting with one free walk and one yes

Send this one to the mom who needs to know someone gets it. She's going to want to find her nearest Mom Walk after this.

🎙️ Find your local Mom Walk: https://www.themomwalkcollective.com/walks
📲 Follow the Mom Walk Collective: https://www.instagram.com/themomwalkco/
📲 Follow Jamie: https://www.instagram.com/jamieeastonn/ 

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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For years you've been told it happens so easily. Conception, birth, motherhood and bonding with your baby. But what if it doesn't?

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Amy Serafini — IVF mom of two, with her third miracle on the way — to talk about the maternal mental health journey that starts long before baby arrives and lasts well beyond the early years. From infertility and IVF cycles to birth trauma, NICU life, and the fears that can follow you into parenting years later unless healed, this conversation is raw and full of hope.

In this episode we cover:

• The isolation and emotional toll of trying to conceive and IVF
• How your birth experience can shape your postpartum journey and parenting
• Why maternal mental health doesn't have an expiration date
• The healing that can deepen your bond with your children years into motherhood

No matter what chapter of motherhood you're in — you are enough to move through it.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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What happens when the woman who never wanted to be a mom becomes one?

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine sits down with Julie Gonzalves — who spent years telling her husband motherhood wasn't for her — until a positive pregnancy test at 34 changed everything.

Together they talk about:

• Why maternal mental health starts long before the baby arrives
• How preparing for birth supported Julie when it didn't go according to plan
• What postpartum anxiety can feel like, even when you're doing everything "right"
• And the fears new moms carry quietly — especially around returning to work

If you're navigating new motherhood, postpartum anxiety, or simply trying to hold onto yourself through the beautiful chaos of it all — this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Deloitte US just cut parental leave from 16 weeks to 8. And while everyone is outraged about the number — nobody is talking about what the number was never solving for in the first place.

In this episode, I'm going there.

Because maternity leave isn't the finish line. It's the starting line. And most companies — even the ones getting praised — are completely missing the mark.

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For many women, the transition into motherhood—especially after years of trying—can feel different than expected.

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Lauren Dewey—mom of two and founder of Brooksybox—to talk about her journey through infertility, navigating IVF alongside her career, and what it really felt like to step into postpartum after years of trying to conceive.

Lauren shares:

• the loss of control that comes with trying to conceive
• the identity shift after baby and redefining success beyond career
• the emotional reality of returning to work—and what happens when that path no longer fits
• the 2am moment that changed everything and led her to start her business
• how Brooksy Box is supporting women through infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood

If you’re trying to conceive, going through IVF, pregnant after infertility, or navigating new motherhood and postpartum identity changes—this conversation will meet you where you are.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Purchase a Brooksybox: https://brooksybox.com/
Follow Lauren on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brooksybox 

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One of the most common questions Chelsea gets from the moms she coaches is simple: how do you and your partner actually divide responsibilities at home? In this episode, she shares the exact three-step activity she walks every client through — a practical, low-pressure exercise that brings clarity to one of the quietest sources of tension in new parenthood. No rigid systems, no judgment. Just a starting point that works for this season.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Most moms think postpartum gets easier the second time around.

You've done this before. You know what's coming. You're prepared.

But that's not how it works.

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Dr. Jen Fraboni — Doctor of Physical Therapy and mom of two — who is one of the most trusted women's health educators online, and yet her second postpartum still humbled her. 

You’ll learn: 

• The difference between Jen’s c-section and vaginal birth recoveries
• What blindsided her most with the one-to-two transition 
• What pelvic floor PT she did (and didn’t do) to support postpartum recovery
• How to rebuild your postpartum strength when you barely have 30 minutes
• Why motivation is a myth but accountability changes everything

If you're expecting your second, in it right now, or just feel like something is off and you can't quite name it — this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Follow Dr. Jen Fraboni, PT, DPT on IG: https://www.instagram.com/docjenfit/

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What if you miss it?

The first step.
The first word.
The moment everyone tells you you’ll never get back.

For so many working moms, the fear isn’t just about milestones—
it’s about what those moments mean.

Does it still count if you weren’t there?
Will your baby feel it?
Are you choosing your career over your child?

In this episode, Chelsea breaks down the real reason this fear feels so heavy—and the belief shift that changes everything.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Mommy & me classes are supposed to make things easier…
so why do they so often feel like the opposite?

If you’ve ever:

• Left a class more stressed than when you arrived
• Spent the entire time bouncing, feeding, or stepping out
• Or skipped it altogether because it just didn’t feel worth the effort…

this episode is going to hit.

Because what if the problem isn’t you…
it’s the setup?

In today’s conversation, I’m joined by Rachael Bridgens—mom of two, pre and postnatal Pilates specialist, and founder of Pilates Collective in Audubon, PA—who created the kind of postpartum space most of us wish existed.

We’re talking about:

• Why so many mommy & me classes fall short (and what’s missing)
• The one shift that allows moms to actually participate (hint: it’s a game-changer)
• Why Pilates is one of the most supportive ways to return to movement postpartum
• The connection between your core, posture, and pelvic floor (and why it matters more than you think)
• What realistic postpartum recovery should actually look like (not the “bounce back” version)
• How to reconnect with your body in a way that feels supportive—not overwhelming
• The power of being in a room where other moms just get it

Resources Mentioned: 

Check out the Pilates Collective Mommy + Me Class: https://www.pilatescollectivehq.com/
Follow Pilates Collective on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pilatescollectivehq/
Build Your Postpartum Support team: https://www.perinatalpartnersnetwork.com/directory
Keep your breastmilk cold: https://www.cereschill.com/

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You expect your baby to sleep.
Everyone says they will.

So when they don’t?
You’re left questioning everything.

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with baby sleep consultant and mom of 3, Ann Marie Harriger, to unpack what’s really going on when sleep isn’t working—and why trying to “fix everything” might be the exact reason you feel stuck.

This conversation will help you release the pressure, understand your baby more clearly, and finally feel like you have a plan.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why naps feel like the tipping point for so many moms
• The ripple effect of sleep deprivation on your baby, your relationship, and your home
• The biggest mistake moms make when trying to improve sleep
• Why focusing on one thing at a time changes everything
• How nighttime sleep becomes the foundation for everything else
• What to do if your baby is feeding all night (and how daytime plays a role)
• How to stop second-guessing yourself and start feeling confident in your approach

Stop playing whack-a-mole and listen to this episode. 

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Ann Marie

Website: https://amsmilessleeptraining.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/am_smiles_sleepcoach/

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Thinking about a tongue tie release for your baby — but not sure if it’s actually necessary?

In this episode, I’m joined by occupational therapist Kelsey Swope, owner of Baby Basics OT, to break down what parents should really know about tongue ties.

We talk about feeding challenges, reflux, body tension, baby milestones, and why the common advice to “wait and see” can sometimes leave families stuck and struggling longer than necessary.

If you’ve been feeling like something is "off" — or just want to better understand what your baby may be communicating through their body — this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Are freezer meals really enough for postpartum?

In this episode, postpartum health coach Chelsea Barbine sits down with Rachel Popik, founder of Stay Doughy, to talk about one of the most overlooked parts of postpartum recovery: how moms are actually supposed to feed themselves once the baby arrives.

Because yes, freezer meals can help.
But they only go so far.

Chelsea and Rachel unpack the invisible labor of feeding yourself postpartum—from deciding what to eat, to grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up—and why this burden so often falls on moms during one of the most physically and emotionally demanding seasons of life.

They also explore why dinner gets all the attention in traditional meal trains, even though breakfast, lunch, snacks, and easy-to-grab nourishment are often what moms need most.

Inside this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why feeding yourself postpartum is about more than just “having food ready”
• The invisible labor behind every meal—and why it matters so much after birth
• Why traditional meal trains can be helpful and limited
• Practical ways to prepare for postpartum nourishment before baby arrives
• The key nutrients Rachel recommends moms prioritize for healing and recovery
• How postpartum food support may need to extend far beyond the first few weeks

If you’ve ever wondered what you’re actually supposed to eat postpartum—or how to make sure nourishment doesn’t become one more thing on your plate—this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Rachel Popik (she/her) is an anti-diet chef, cooking instructor and the founder of Stay Doughy, specializing in postpartum nutrition. Based in Philadelphia, Rachel is a lover of food, nature, foraging, gardening, and nature. She’s happiest when she’s in the kitchen, using cooking as a creative outlet, a way to care for her community, and heal her relationship with her body. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @StayDoughy and find her offerings on her website at staydoughy.com

Resources Mentioned:

The Nourished Mother by Lindsay Taylor 

The First Forty Days by Heng Ou

*Host receives commission on linked products

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Are you constantly wondering if your baby is actually getting enough—or if feeding is “supposed” to hurt this much?

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine sits down with lactation consultant Ashley Feeley to unpack the biggest points of confusion families face in the early days of feeding—especially when you’re sleep-deprived, overwhelmed by advice, and trying to figure out what’s normal (and what’s not).

You’ll learn:

• How often should a newborn eat? (Is every 30–90 minutes normal?)
• Is my baby getting enough milk? Signs to look for beyond the clock
• How do I know if the latch is good? What effective milk transfer feels/sounds like
• Why does breastfeeding hurt? When nipple pain is normal vs. not
• When can I let my baby sleep longer at night?
• Why is my baby not gaining weight? What might actually be going on
• Should I wake my baby to feed?
• Is it okay to give a bottle for my sanity? (The “mental health bottle” explained)
• Cluster feeding or low supply? How to tell the difference
• How do I trust my gut as a new mom?

If you’ve ever fed your baby… put them down… and then heard them cue again 30 minutes later, this episode will remind you: you’re not doing it wrong. You’re learning your baby—and that takes support, not shame.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Ashley Feeley, IBCLC

Website: www.lovelylatchlactation.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lovelylatchlactation

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovelylatchlactation/

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The internet loves a simple rule: “Wait 6–8 weeks, then get back to working out.”
But real postpartum life isn’t that simple.

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Kat Bright, a perinatal trainer (and athlete for life), to talk about returning to movement in the first year postpartum—without the bounce-back pressure, guilt, or all-or-nothing mindset.

Kat shares why postpartum fitness shouldn’t be about shrinking or “undoing” birth. It’s about rebuilding strength on your terms: more resilience, more vitality, and a body that feels like home again.

You’ll hear:

• Why chasing your pre-baby body can keep you stuck
• What consistency actually looks like with babies and toddlers
• Why unfinished workouts still count (even just putting your workout clothes on)
• How to start when you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin
• What to do when time and childcare feel like the biggest barrier
• The “another baby vs. best shape of my life” conversation — and why it’s not either/or
• Practical movement ideas when time and childcare are limited—especially in winter

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Kat NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Prenatal and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katfitstrength/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatFitStudios/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katfit

Email Newsletter: https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/82744/165616968429208964/share

Website: https://www.kat.fit/ 

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Have you ever finally gotten the baby down…
looked at your partner…
and wondered, “Will this ever feel easy — or even fun — again?”

You love each other.
You chose each other.
But right now?
You’re exhausted. Maybe even a little distant.

If you have, first of all — you’re not alone.

Postpartum changes everything.
Your body. Your sleep. Your identity. Your capacity.
And because of that… your intimacy, too.

In this episode, Chelsea talks with marriage and family therapist, Jaclyn Zeal. Together, they talk about why intimacy often feels different after baby — and what you can actually do about it.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Connect with Jaclyn

Website: https://therapywithjaclyn.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapywithjaclyn

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If you’ve always been the “easygoing one,” the helper, the yes-girl… postpartum can feel like the moment where that identity starts to crack. 

Suddenly, everyone has opinions. Everyone wants time. And you’re left managing exhaustion, recovery, emotions, and a brand-new mental load—while still worrying about disappointing others.

In this episode of Postpartum Better, Chelsea Barbine is joined by perinatal therapist and mom of 2 Leah Andreoni, MA, LMFT, PMH-C - to discuss why boundaries aren’t selfish postpartum—they’re protective, and why people-pleasing can quietly sabotage your recovery, confidence, and nervous system.

This conversation is especially for the mom who:

• Feels guilty saying no—even when she’s exhausted
• Says yes to visitors, favors, or conversations she doesn’t have energy for
• Worries about being “ungrateful” or “difficult”
• Feels resentful, overstimulated, or depleted but doesn’t know why

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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I don’t know who needs to hear this but… postpartum isn’t your “crashout” season — it’s your comeback season.

Lately, I’ve been seeing content that frames postpartum as something to survive through venting, numbing, and “just getting by.” Those moments are real — but they’re not the whole story.

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine talks about why postpartum can feel like rock bottom — and how those moments often become the doorway to your breakthrough.

Not in a toxic-positivity way.
 In a what you surround yourself with actually shapes your recovery way.

If postpartum has stretched you… 

If it’s shaken you…
If you’ve felt yourself changing in ways you didn’t expect…

This episode is for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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What if the way you mother has been shaped by things you learned long before you ever became a mom?

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine is sitting down with Cathy Heller — renowned teacher, top-ranked podcaster, bestselling author and her personal mentor.

You'll learn why your children are here to reflect your growth, your healing, and your capacity to receive more than you ever thought possible.

If you’ve ever wondered why certain moments in motherhood feel so triggering… or so healing… this episode will change the way you see yourself — and your child.

• Follow Cathy Heller on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathy.heller/

• Order the Abundant Ever After book: https://www.cathyheller.com/abundant-ever-after-book-1

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If you’ve been feeling disappointed by what “support” looks like after baby, this episode is for you.

We’re talking about the most resourced era postpartum moms have ever lived in — and what that actually means for you.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You prepped the freezer.
You stocked the diapers.
You made a birth plan.

And yet…
postpartum still feels heavier than you expected.

Because here’s the part most moms aren’t told:
The most important postpartum prep doesn’t happen in the kitchen.

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine sits down with Miranda Slaydon, mom of three and certified postpartum doula, for an honest conversation about what actually makes postpartum recovery feel supported — and why preparation looks very different once you’ve lived it.

From precipitous births and a foggy second postpartum to her most grounded recovery after baby number three, Miranda shares how community, boundaries, partner support, and environment shaped her healing in ways meal prep never could.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why a “beautiful birth” doesn’t guarantee an easy postpartum
• The overlooked role your partner plays in postpartum recovery
• How learning to receive help changes everything
• Why your home environment matters more than most moms realize
• The difference between preparing for birth and preparing for life after birth

Postpartum isn’t something you get through — it’s something you’re supported through.

And when you stop trying to do it all yourself and start building a team around you, recovery feels entirely different.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Would you trust your 20-year-old self to give you postpartum advice?

Chelsea doesn't think she'd give her younger self that much credit. Yet, one of the most grounding articulations she's recently discovered about motherhood came from something she read ten years ago.  

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why postpartum support is rarely random
• Why what worked for you early postpartum might no longer be "working"
• The rule that she uses daily to support herself through motherhood

If you’ve been feeling like you’re outgrowing something but don’t know what comes next — this conversation might put words to it.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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You’re doing everything “right.”

You’re moving your body again.
You’re trying to eat well.
And yet… you don’t feel like yourself.

Your body feels unfamiliar.
Your confidence feels shaky.
And no matter how many times someone tells you “your body just did something amazing,” it doesn’t magically make it easier to look in the mirror.

Here’s the truth most moms aren’t told:
Postpartum isn’t about getting back to who you were — because that version of you doesn’t exist anymore.

In this episode, Chelsea Barbine sits down with Shoshana McNeil, mom of five boys and personal trainer, to break down why bounce-back culture fails moms — and talk about what postpartum recovery actually requires: grace, patience, and rebuilding from the inside out.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why bounce-back expectations create pressure and shame
• The identity shift no one prepares moms for
• Why postpartum recovery takes time — and why that’s normal
• How guilt keeps moms from caring for themselves

The mindset shift that helps you feel stronger and more confident
The truth?
When you stop chasing who you were and start building who you’re becoming, everything changes.

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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Postpartum hair loss can feel alarming — especially when it shows up months after birth. In this episode, Chelsea explains why it happens and shares three ways to support postpartum hair regrowth.

You’ll learn:

• Why postpartum hair loss is a normal response to pregnancy and birth
• How sleep deprivation and elevated stress can intensify shedding
• Why nourishment plays a key role in signaling safety to your body
• What regrowth typically looks like — and what not to panic about

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Do you have everything you hoped for… but feel less “happy”?

Most moms assume feeling overwhelmed or “not like yourself” is just part of the season. But what’s actually happening when you decide to just wait it out?

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Dana Votto, a mom of two and founder of Inner Glow, for an honest conversation about what happens when motherhood becomes your entire identity. Dana shares how years of exclusive breastfeeding, rigid routines, solo parenting through medical crises, and never asking for help left her completely drained. And how one simple question — “What makes you happy?” — became the starting point for finding herself again.

Together, they unpack:

• The subtle ways moms lose their identity (and why it often goes unnoticed for years)
• Why the second baby hits differently
• What inner work and self-rediscovery actually look like
• The TWO simple habits you can start today

If you’ve been feeling lost, overwhelmed, or disconnected from the person you were before kids - hit play and thank us later!

Disclaimer: The information and stories shared during this episode is intended to offer general guidance and support. However, every individual's health and circumstances are unique. Before making any significant changes, or if you have concerns about your health, it's essential to consult with your healthcare practitioner.

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