Blooming in Motherhood – Details, episodes & analysis

Join me for this conversation for growing moms with personal stylist Jessica Burns. Jess joins us to share her journey from teaching to styling and how becoming a mom reshaped her approach to fashion and self-care. She offers insightful tips on how to rediscover your personal style after big life changes, like motherhood, and why it’s crucial to prioritize how you feel in your clothes. She talks about the mental and emotional benefits of getting dressed each day—even in those busy, chaotic seasons—and how a little style evolution can boost your mood, productivity, and overall well-being.

Jessica also provides practical advice for moms looking to reconnect with their wardrobes or experiment with new styles. Whether you’re feeling stuck in a style rut or want to try new trends without buying a whole new wardrobe, her strategies can help you rediscover the joy of getting dressed again.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

❀ How motherhood and personal style can evolve in unexpected ways

❀ Simple strategies for easing back into style (even with limited time!)

❀ Tips for experimenting with new looks while staying true to yourself

❀ The importance of investing in quality wardrobe pieces that can last through the seasons

❀ Why getting dressed can be a form of self-care (and why it matters for your mental health)

Jess also shares a free 5 Steps to Fall in Love with Your Wardrobe Again guide—perfect for anyone looking for a fresh start with their closet.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation about fashion, motherhood, and the little steps that can make a big difference in how you feel every day. ❀

Resources:

❀ Instagram & TikTok: @JessicaBStyling

❀ Website: www.jessicabstyling.com

❀ Jessica's free guide: 5 Steps to Fall in Love with Your Wardrobe Again

Join me for this conversation for growing moms with pediatric sleep specialist and Brooklyn mom, Ella Hanover. Ella shares her expert insights into helping babies and toddlers sleep through the night — and the transformative impact it can have on the whole family. From navigating sleep training to creating independent sleepers, Ella offers practical advice for parents struggling with sleepless nights and unsustainable routines.

Ella’s approach isn’t one-size-fits-all: she emphasizes the importance of tuning into each baby’s unique needs, whether it’s through understanding sleep associations, wake windows, or the balance between flexible parenting and structured sleep routines. With warmth and empathy, she guides parents through the often challenging process of sleep training, offering the confidence and support they need to help their little ones (and themselves) get the rest they deserve.

In this episode, you’ll also hear about Ella's personal journey as a single mom and the invaluable role of community and self-compassion in parenting. With a focus on resilience, flexibility, and self-care, this episode is full of wisdom for parents looking for reassurance and practical tools to navigate the challenges of raising young children.

We talk about:

❀ Sleep training tips for babies and toddlers

❀ Understanding sleep needs and wake windows

❀ Independent sleep routines and the importance of consistency

❀ The emotional and practical challenges of sleep training

❀ The importance of community, asking for help, and being kind to yourself as a parent

Whether you’re a first-time parent or navigating sleep with your second (or third!) child, this episode offers the support, tools, and encouragement you need to make sleep struggles a thing of the past.

Tune in for expert advice and heartfelt encouragement that will leave you feeling empowered and ready to tackle the challenges of sleep — and motherhood — with confidence. ❀

Resources:

❀ Ella Grace Sleep Solutions

We are joined today for an expert interview with Dr. Carri Dominick!

Carri is a pelvic floor physical therapist and the owner of Recharge Therapy in Long Beach, California, where she supports people during pregnancy and postpartum recovery as well as helping people with pelvic floor dysfunction live their best lives. 

In this podcast episode, Carri talks about:

• Common reasons birthing people seek out pelvic floor therapy in the first year of parenthood
• How pelvic floor physical therapy can help in recovery after birth
• What an initial assessment, sessions, and course of treatment might look like for a pregnant or postpartum person seeking out physical therapy for pelvic floor symptoms
• Signs and symptoms to watch for in pregnancy and postpartum and how to prepare your pelvic floor for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum
• Returning to fitness after having a baby
• That it's never too late to seek out help and support - common does not mean normal! 

Join us!

Resources:

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!

From Dr. Carri Dominick:

Recharge Therapy Website

Recharge Therapy on Instagram

Recharge Therapy on TikTok

Recharge Therapy on Facebook

 

Today's guest is Valerie Probstfeld, MSN, FNP-BC.

Valerie is a nurse practitioner and mother of three. Valerie shares in this episode about the amazement she found in her first year, along with the vigilance and control she felt she needed to hold on to during and after her baby's NICU stay - "within the first 10 minutes of my child’s birth, the illusion of control was ripped away from me."

Valerie talks about:

• Studying for the "motherhood exam like I was going to get an A+"
• Learning to cope with fear and anxiety to be present in the moment
• The unique challenges of navigating a NICU stay as a mother AND a medical provider 
• Building new ways of thinking and reacting
• Advice to mothers to take photos to preserve memories
• Cultivating and practicing self-compassion
• Shifting ambition in motherhood and following her passion for supporting moms 

"At the end of the day, I’m an imperfect mom who loves - and that’s really all that matters."

 

About Valerie:

Valerie Probstfeld, MSN, FNP-BC is a nurse practitioner who received her bachelor's degrees from Bradley University in nursing and music. Valerie also holds a master's degree from Yale University.  Valerie has experience in pediatric neurology as well as primary care.    Valerie encourages moms to love as an action while living life more authentically. You can check her out at her website: tomomistolove.com and social media: @valerie_probstfeld.  Valerie also has a podcast available on Spotify, Apple, and Google called "To Mom with Valerie Probstfeld, NP"    Resources: Therapy for NICU Moms   How We Get Thru Course : Having a Baby in the NICU

(Get a free month of How We Get Thru with this link!)

Photographing the First Year: Expert Interview with Miranda Hayek

I'm so excited to share this expert interview with Mika Storey!

Mika is a licensed pediatric speech-language pathologist and a mother of two young boys. She is the owner of A Speech Storey – a pediatric private practice specializing in early intervention and speech sound disorders in Southern California. Mika values play-based therapy, parent education, and family-centered care. 

In this episode, Mika talks about:

• Speech and language milestones in the first year of life
• How she became interested in speech and language development
• Empowering caregivers in therapy
• How play aids in speech and language development
• What to do if you have concerns about your child's speech and language development
• Details about her language focused play group, Storeytime Tots, and her debut children's book - Nixon's Engine Words

Join us!

Resources:

How We Get Thru App

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!

 

From Mika

A Speech Storey Website

Instagram: @a_speech_storey

Storeytime Tots

Nixon's Engine Words

 

A very special guest on the podcast today - my sister, Marci!

Marci is a first time mom to baby Marek and shares in this episode about how this emotional first year of motherhood has transformed and humbled her. Marci thought life would be “pretty much the same, but with less sleep”. The reality? “Everything about my life changed”.

Marci talks about:

• Unexpected feeding challenges when starting her baby on solid foods

• Comparison in motherhood that brought on feelings of fear and shame

• Navigating changes in her career and the decision to leave paid work for a time

• The importance of improving communication with her husband and finding connection and common ground outside of their roles as parents

• Asking for support with the mental load around feeding her baby and baby sleep

• The pride she feels in learning, growing in patience, and letting go of control

I’m so thrilled to share parts of Marci’s story with you - I’m glad you’ve joined us!

Resources:

Communication Habits of Successful Couples

Eight Ways to Keep Your Relationship Healthy During Postpartum and Early Parenting

Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: 3 Ways to Feel Less Overwhelmed

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!

Lovevery Playkits

 

From Marci:

Taking Cara Babies

Marci’s instagram: @marcellaruth

 

See the transcript and show notes on the website.

We’re joined today by Megan Walsh. Megan is a licensed creative arts therapist and board-certified music therapist - AND a new mom! In this episode, Megan talks about what her first year as a mother has been like and how her training and work as a creative arts psychotherapist has set her up to bond and connect with her son. Megan talks about getting to establish a playful, fun, loving, and openly affectionate family culture with her son, how communication has strengthened her relationship with her husband, and navigating adjusting ambition and work-life balance as a mother and business owner.

Megan talks about:

• Communication is 🔑 even when it’s hard - sharing feelings around resentment and the unequal load in postpartum

• Shifting feelings about work and ambition in postpartum and early parenting

• How routines and schedules have supported her family in being connected and being flexible

• How her training and work as a creative arts psychotherapist has impacted her parenting, especially in the early days

• Using music for co-regulation, connection, and bonding (some golden tools in this one!)

• Embracing the duality of the hard and the good in the first year of parenting

Join us and get ready to be inspired to sing to your baby 🎤

 

Megan Walsh, LCAT, LPMT, MT-BC

Megan graduated with her master’s degree in music psychotherapy from New York University in 2014. She worked as a licensed creative arts therapist and board-certified music therapist with adults, teenagers, and children in prominent teaching hospitals for six years before moving full time into private practice for the last three years. She is currently completing an advanced clinical training as an analytical music therapy practitioner. Her work has been presented nationally, and Megan has served as a guest lecturer at New York University and St. Mary College of the Woods. When she is not working, you can find Megan harmonizing to her Spotify playlist, listening to her favorite podcasts, and spending time outdoors with her husband, son, and pups.

Resources:

Managing Sleep Deprivation as a New Parent

Communication Habits of Successful Couples

Eight Ways to Keep Your Relationship Healthy During Postpartum and Early Parenting

Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: 3 Ways to Feel Less Overwhelmed

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!

Ollie Swaddle (use discount code 9NWURUWCHW for 10% off 💰)

 

From Megan:

Megan’s website

Instagram: @connectwithmegan

We’re joined today by Dr. Anne Welsh, a mother of four and a clinical psychologist, executive coach, and consultant. In this episode, she talks about learning how to let go and grow through her motherhood journey - in her career, relationships, and in self-compassion. She gives wonderful insight into some of the deep struggles new moms face with all of the shifts that come with becoming a parent.

Dr. Welsh began her career at Harvard before opening her own practice with a focus on perinatal mental health and wellness, to support working parents in growing their careers and families. She is a mother of 4 and draws on her own experience as a mother, her research career in the transition to motherhood, and her over 15 years in practice, to help parents feel less alone, more connected to themselves and their values, and more empowered to make their own choices.

In this episode, Anne talks about:

• The process of learning to let go in motherhood - easier said than done for us type A personalities!

• Scary medical challenges in the first year

• How so many things - baby temperament, breastfeeding challenges, changes in work and ambition - can challenge your expectations of motherhood (and how that’s okay)

• How stepping back and allowing chaos to unfold allowed her enjoyment, closeness in relationships, and self-compassion.

• Wise, wise words for mothers who are in the thick of it right now.

Resources:

Managing Sleep Deprivation as a New Parent

Returning to Work after Maternity Leave: 3 Ways to Feel Less Overwhelmed

How We Get Thru App

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!

 

From Anne:

Dr. Anne Welsh’s website

Group Coaching Info

Instagram: @dr.welsh.coaching

We have an amazing expert interview today with Dr. Kelsey Kerkhove.

Dr. Kelsey is a pediatric audiologist with a passion for connecting and supporting families of children with hearing loss. With a background in diagnosis, treatment, and intervention, she has worked with hundreds of children and their families. She has seen first-hand the roller coaster of emotions that parents feel when they find out their child has been diagnosed with hearing loss. From sadness, to fear, and ultimately acceptance. Her goal is to support you every step of the way.

In this episode, she talks about how she helps parents and their babies in the first year, how she became interested in audiology, hearing development and milestones in the first year, and what to do if you have concerns about your baby's hearing.

Dr. Kelsey also answers some listener questions about sound machines and noise-cancelling or reducing headphones for babies. 

Join us!

 

Resources:

How to Support a New (or New Again) Mom

Ollie Swaddle (use discount code 9NWURUWCHW for 10% off 💰)

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!

 

From Dr. Kelsey

Dr. Kelsey’s website

Instagram: @kelseykerkhove_aud

Berenice is a mother of three and a social worker in California who shares about an overwhelming, vulnerable, and miraculous first year.

She talks about all of the adjustment that she and her family went through in that first year, how her relationship with her partner was tested, and how they learned the importance of co-regulation and extending grace to each other to strengthen their relationship. 

Berenice shares about her experience with postpartum depression and anxiety and what it looked like to get help - eventually - and some of the grief she experienced with an unexpected pregnancy that threw off her timeline and expectations of motherhood, along with the fun and joy of a full household.

 

Resources:

Postpartum Depression: What You Need to Know

How to Manage Postpartum Anxiety and Scary Thoughts

Communication Habits of Successful Couples

Postpartum Support International

Solly Baby Wrap (use code POPPY.THERAPY10 for a 10% off Solly Baby discount code)

 

What Kind of Support Do You Need in Motherhood? Take this quiz for a personalized list of free resources!