Explore every episode of the podcast The New Mamas Podcast
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Apparently We're Not Supposed To Tell Our Kids We're Proud Of Them Anymore
Almost 60% of marriages end in divorce. Mikki checked every box to guarantee a happy life- but what felt like an instant the life she thought she had was gone. Divorce was the healthiest option for their relationship. Parenting can be alienating with little ones and when you get divorced it's another level of alienation. Mikki is a mentor and coach for women who are currently going through this journey.
Mikki Gardner is a Conscious Parenting Coach, the host of Co-Parenting With Confidence Podcast, and a mom to her son! After learning how to navigate life post divorce & using it as a catalyst to her own transformation, Mikki now helps moms move past the divorce drama to become calm, confident co-parents. She is on a mission to help women navigate the emotional and practical difficulties of divorce and co-parenting while creating an intentional, joy + ease-filled life after divorce.
Massachusetts mom Christie and her husband tried for a year and a half before they finally conceived. At her 20-week anatomy scan, she was diagnosed with VCI and got growth scans the rest of her pregnancy. At her 32 week growth scan, they discovered she had severe preeclampsia and transferred her to another hospital about an hour away because her local hospital didn't have a NICU. She had my daughter almost exactly 29 hours later via an emergency c-section.
Christie shares her birth story and what her experience was like each step of the way. She shares what was challenging and most importantly, what she is grateful for.
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
Massachusetts working mom of two, Sadie Naimoli, didn't know she had breast implant illness. For years, she struggled with chronic illness and couldn't put a finger on what was going on in her body. Like many women in their 20s, Sadie had a warped sense of what the perfect body looked like and decided to get breast implants. Ten years and two babies later, Sadie learned that she had breast implant illness (BII). She shares her story hoping that she can help other women who may be struggling.
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre-
Amber never planned to be a stay-at-home-mom, but when pumping conditions were less than ideal and the cost of childcare was nearly the amount of her income, Amber and her fiance made the decision for her to stay home and take care of their girls (5 & 3yo's). She's been with her fiance since highschool and bought their first house two years ago in New Jersey. She's now diving into homeschool and working towards the goal of relocating and owning land. Amber struggled with anxiety and depression her whole life and got hit hard with postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression.
In this episode, her and Lina talk about:
The importance of advocating for yourself at the doctor's
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
Oakland mom, Sahra Brandt, was navigating her first year postpartum while her husband battled postpartum depression. In this episode, host Lina Forrestal and fashion stylist Sahra talk about how hard that first year postpartum is on relationships and Sahra discusses in detail how couples therapy saved her marriage. Today, she and her husband are expecting another baby and are happier than ever.
In this episode, Lina and Sahra talk about:
When Sahra first realized that there was something deeper going on with her husband
How she went so far as to file divorce paperwork
How the first few sessions of couples therapy went and the steps they took
What brought them back together
How common it actually is to have marriage problems in the first year of postpartum
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
In episode 15 of season 2, Canadian mom Alexis Simon shared that her son Theo was born with a rare genetic condition. Two-year-old Theo recently went through heart surgery and Alexis shares what that experience was like. She talks about how challenging the experience was at the hospital, watching Theo wake up from surgery, and the type of support she had from the heart warrior community.
Ever get overwhelmed by your to do list? In this episode, host Lina Forrestal consults mom of 3 and business owner Jessica Morlan on how she prioritizes tasks and manages her to do list while juggling running a business and home schooling her daughter.
Jess is a registered nurse and mom of 3, 5 and under. She has experience working as a perinatal public health nurse and bedside pediatric nurse. She now coaches new moms in their first year of motherhood. Her professional and personal experience form the foundation of her work as the founder of For Love of Mom and Baby.
Follow Jess on IG at https://www.instagram.com/thewomantomothercircle/ or learn more at her website www.forloveofmomandbaby.com
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
In this episode, Lina is going to be talking about her eating disorder journey and how it’s affected motherhood and shown up in my motherhood journey. This episode may be triggering to those who have a history of eating disorders or who currently have an eating disorder. She references anorexia, body dysmorphia, and disordered eating. If you’re not ready to hear this story, bookmark it for a later date when you’re ready.
Lina is 33 years old and the mom of a 2 year old. Her eating disorder started at 13 years old. She struggled with anorexia throughout high school and then adopted disordered eating habits throughout college. She binge ate and then became orthorexic in her 20s.
Lina shares that she's not sure that someone ever truly recovers from an eating disorder. She shares that while throughout pregnancy and postpartum she was okay with her body changing, most recently she's dipped into old eating disorder habits.
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
There's no denying that being a mother is a full-time job in itself, but when you add your own career on top of it, where do you find the time to add in passions and side hustles?
Host Lina Forrestal and high school teacher Melissa Pyrch talk about:
How to find the time as working moms
How to navigate the fear of failure
How to not get lost in comparing yourself to others
Learning how to "fill your cup" in ways outside of motherhood
Learning to find your definition of self-care
How to navigate imposter syndrome
How graduating high school is the start of adulthood
More about Melissa: For more than 20 years, high school English teacher Melissa has encouraged her students to go for their dreams and never quit on themselves. While leading a motivational speaking class for a group of seniors in 2019, Pyrch realized she needed to be listening to her own advice. And she began the journey to becoming a published author, starting with getting herself on social media and creating @pyrchgetspublished. In addition to teaching and pursuing her author dreams, Melissa is also a mom of 3 and a fire captain’s wife. She has learned to make sacrifices and deal with obstacles head-on, which she talks candidly about.
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
As moms, we all have something that triggers us: everything from the baby crying, to our husbands, clutter, or our pets. And then sometimes, that trigger turns into rage. That 0 to 100 feeling leaves us feeling less than great. In this episode, host Lina Forrestal sits down with speaker, life coach, and the fellow podcast host, Dr. Gertrude Lyons.
In this episode, Lina and Gertrude talk about:
Their personal triggers
Strategies they've learned to work through their triggers
Gertrude's advice for how to work through your emotions when triggered
How they define "mom rage"
Tips to overcome mom rage
Their personal experiences with mom rage
Dr. Gertrude Lyons is the Founder of Rewriting The Mother Code, Lead Faculty member, Senior Life Coach and Director of Family Programs for The Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential.
Gertrude uses her past personal experiences and learnings to help other women heal on their personal journeys. Her mission is to challenge the traditional and outdated notions of mothering instilled in our society to help women tap into their feminine power, reclaim their lives, and connect with their own mother code.
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
In this episode, Lina talks to Kristen about body image, the pros and cons of the body positivity movement, how to simplify nutrition and health for new moms, and what the first steps are to losing the baby weight.
Creidm.com is a Distributor of the all-natural and eco-friendly home, skin, and health products created by Shaklee. These products are the most clinically tested and clinically proven. Creidm and the Shaklee Products focus on children and mothers. They offer personalized vitamin packs for children and adults called Meology and can come in gummy and pill form. What is great, is they offer higher discounts on the Meology kids packs for the more kids you have! Also, starting in November they will be releasing their pre- and post-natal line to help support Mothers and their children in such an important time of their life.
Creidm also offers ways to become a distributor yourself and make extra income all from home! To learn more, go to Creidm.com.
Kristen shares what her body image journey has looked like after having four kids and Lina talks about how she had to have "radical acceptance" with her postpartum body. They talk about the body positivity movement and how it's great but then how it can also be harmful in having toxic positivity around the subject of weight loss. Lina shares her experience in that she can love her body but also want to lose weight for reasons other than what she looks like. Kristen shares what it's been like navigating the space as a dietitian.
Other topics discussed in the episode:
How do we define "baby weight"?
How new moms can begin the path towards to losing the baby weight
How long can it take for moms to lose the baby weight
How much of losing weight is diet versus how much of it is exercise
How true is “calorie in calorie out”
What is the best form of exercise? Cardio, strength training, etc.
Kristen's favorite hacks for new moms to implement to get them started on the path to losing weight
How to deal with cravings
Kristen Noriega is a registered dietitian nutritionist, mom weight loss expert and host of the top 5% podcast for Christian women, the Baby Weight Nutritionist As a Catholic-Christian mom of four, her mission is to help moms of littles lose weight and feel comfortable in their bodies. She's talking sustainable lifestyle changes that are doable with a baby on the hip and toddler tugging on the leg!
Lina hired her postpartum doula, Katie, to aid her in her first few months postpartum with her second baby, Evelyn. In this episode, Lina and Katie have an informal chat on what it was like working together. This is a great episode for anyone who's considering hiring a postpartum doula!
When Marianna and her pilot husband started trying for a baby, they never imagined that they would struggle with their fertility. She was surprised to learned that most doctor's won't see you for fertility issues until one year of trying. She saw a specialist who found polyps in her uterus. After having surgery for the polyps removed and going through two failed medicated cycles, and a failed IUI, Marianna took a break from trying to put her mental health first. 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Lina and Marianna also talk about religion and their relationship with God and church and what that's like navigating it as millennials.
What Marianna talks about in this episode:
Marianna's fertility journey
When did Marianna and her husband knew it was time to seek treatment
The reality of how much IVF costs
How infertility and everything going on in the world has weighed on Marianna's mental health
How sharing on social media has both helped and harmed Marianna
The worst things you can say to someone struggling with their fertility
How to be there for someone struggling with their fertility
How Marianna's husband has supported her throughout
(Content Warning: Abuse, Self-harm, Suicide) First time mom Emily sits with host Lina Forrestal and talks about life as a new mom and her struggles with postpartum depression. She talks about her journey into motherhood: her miscarriage, pregnancy, a misdiagnosis of a down syndrome test, and postpartum depression.
Emily shares that her anxiety started at her 10-week ultrasound when the technician couldn't find a heartbeat. She shares that she has struggled with her depression and anxiety ever since she was young, since her beloved father passed away. She shares that it was hard to be happy during the newborn phase, even though it is a happy time and her son, Odin, was a wonderful baby.
Lina and Emily also talk about drugs at birth, not having a birth plan, and their experiences with anxiety. Emily talks about holistic health and remedies for her postpartum depression and how her outlet is running.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text 988. Learn more about the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
Your body and mind go through many changes during and after pregnancy. If you feel empty, emotionless, or sad all or most of the time for longer than 2 weeks during or after pregnancy, reach out for help. If you feel like you don't love or care for your baby, you might have postpartum depression. Treatment for depression, such as therapy or medicine, works and will help you and your baby be as healthy as possible in the future. Read more about postpartum depression here.
Lina is back with a solo episode about what she's learned in therapy the last few months.
Things discussed in this solo episode:
The three C's: You cannot change, you cannot control, and you don't cause them to be this way
Codependency: A person who is codependent will plan their entire life around pleasing the other person, or the enabler. In its simplest terms, a codependent relationship is when one partner needs the other partner, who in turn, needs to be needed.
How to detach with love
How it's bad boundaries to try and fix someone
For anxiety: Don't believe your thoughts, it's just a thought
For anxiety: Remember presence, this is my presence existence
For anxiety: Please remember love
"Collective subconscious" by Carl Jung
I can hear someone's opinion but I don't have to be influenced by it
Shortly after Theo's birth, Alexis and her husband learned that their son was born with an ultra rare genetic condition (so rare, that it has no name except a jumble of letters and numbers).
Alexis was told that Theo would not make it to be one year old. Fast forward to today, Theo is the most amazing little two year old boy.
Theo’s family is desperate for more time with their “Teddy Bear.” The difficult decision has been made to proceed with correcting Theo’s heart defects this summer. There is also risk that this surgery could make Theo’s situation much worse and could end his life.
We are asking that our friends and family purchase a candle or make a small donation in Theo’s honor. Proceeds from the candle sales will be used to support Theo in his recovery and a portion will be donated to Wee Care Centre in Halifax.
When we think hypnobirthing, a lot of us imagine someone with a yo-yo swinging it back and forth and saying, "You are getting very sleepy..."
But that's not what hypnobirthing is at all! Hypnobirthing is a mindset technique involving calm breathing techniques, some deep relaxation, guided mediation, visualization, and affirmations.
New mom Linnea caught my attention when she shared with me that she was able to have the birth experience she wanted much thanks to hypnobirthing. I was immediately fascinated by this and knew I had to have her on the podcast to tell her story.
In this podcast, Linnea walks through the process of hypnobirthing and goes into detail about what it entails. She also shares her experience in hiring a doula and why she thinks that having a doula played an important part in her birth experience.
SLEEP! New mamas need more of it, that's for sure. In this episode of the New Mamas Podcast, host Lina Forrestal and Huckleberry's Co-founder and CEO, Jessica Toh, discuss the relationship between sleep and maternal mental health. They explore why they think moms struggle asking for help and brainstorm creative ways moms can prevent burn out.
Stats discussed in this episode:
Nearly 500 Huckleberry app moms and found that their most significant mental and emotional health challenge (58%) is trying to successfully juggle all of their responsibilities. Not only that, the poll uncovered that despite 50% identifying “quality sleep” as the most important aspect of their mental health, one of their biggest blockers is that they have too much on their mind, making it hard to relax.
Maternal mental health conditions affect 800,000 women in the U.S. each year—yet 75% of those women go untreated.
Host Lina Forrestal and Relationship Therapist Aaron Steingberg talk all things relationship after baby. Aaron Steinberg is a certified Relationship Therapist and creator of Babyproofing Your Relationship, an on-demand course that helps couples navigate their relationship after a baby.
Things discussed in this episode:
The most common things that couples feel disconnected on
How to know when your marriage/relationship is in trouble
How couples can build intimacy back into their relationship
How often couples should be intimate to maintain connection
How couples can take steps in strengthening their relationships after a baby
Host Lina Forrestal and Fashion Stylist Liz Teich discuss all things working motherhood in this episode. Topics discussed:
Practical strategies or processes used to balance a full-time job and motherhood
Prioritizing tasks
Finding time to nurture relationships
Liz is a New York based fashion stylist, lifestyle blogger, on-air style expert and mom of two. Liz has been a professional commercial stylist for 15 years, styling fashion and home goods for print and digital advertising campaigns for major brands and retailers. Through the campaigns she’s worked on she’s styled celebrities including Tom Brady, Mike Tyson, Ashley Graham, and the cast of Stranger Things. Liz is also co-host of the Mom Gold podcast alongside Amanda Mintz.
Host Lina Forrestal and declutter expert, Katy Joy Wells, talk about how new moms accumulate things at rapid pace and how that often leads to stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. Katy shares her tips for moms who are easily triggered by clutter and hacks for getting a partner onboard.
They also talk about the "clutter shame" cycle, the difference between everyday mess and clutter, and practical tips for new moms on managing the clutter in their house. For more decluttering tips, listen to Katy's podcast, The Maximized Minimalist podcast.
About Katy Joy Wells: Katy Wells is a declutter expert and inspires families around the world to declutter and simplify so they can live to their fullest potential. Her teachings and programs have transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, allowing them to live their happiest and most intentional life and focus on what matters most.
Okay, but what REALLY happens in the NICU? Who's taking care of my precious newborn? What do NICU nurses want you to know? All of these questions and more are answered in this week's episode of the New Mamas Podcast!
Host Lina Forrestal sits down with NICU Nurse Sydney Soja (NICU BSN) and asks her all about the NICU:
What should moms know about the NICU?
Do you get a lot of nervous first-time moms who’s babies end up in the NICU?
What qualifies a baby to go to the NICU?
What do you wish parents knew about the NICU?
How has working in the NICU prepared you for your own pregnancy and soon to be mom journey?
How do you train to be a NICU nurse?
When you’re a NICU nurse, how do you deal with the hard stuff that happens there?
Did you always know you wanted to be a NICU nurse?
In this episode, Lina invites bestselling author and podcaster Jo Piazza on to discuss trad wives and why they are problematic for our nation's youth. In this episode, they talk about:
The definition of a trad wife: how is she different than a stay-at-home-mom
Why glamorizing the lifestyle of a trad wife through social media is creating a false narrative
Feminism, financial independence, and what we really want out of a marriage
Working motherhood and decision fatigue
The problem with Disney princesses (why does everything end in a wedding!?)
Booktok: specifically, A Court of Thorns and Roses
The book of the year: The Sicilian Inheritance, written by Jo herself!
You can pre-order The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza right now: https://amzn.to/43jvUg3 It comes out April 2, 2024
Meet Jo in person and come to the book launch in Philly: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jo-piazza-the-sicilian-inheritance-tickets-822933234457?aff=oddtdtcreator
Host Lina Forrestal had the unique opportunity to sit with new mom Sunni VonMutius AND her nanny Salem to discuss all the best practices in hiring a nanny.
Sunni discusses her decision making in why she chose to hire a nanny. She shares how she and her partner were intentional about how they approached the process: from writing up an application, what to include on the application, and which website she used to find her nanny, Salem.
Salem shares their perspective as a nanny. They share what makes things awkward, what to look for in a nanny, and what makes the job enjoyable.
Also discussed in the episode:
Why you should have a contract
Paying your nanny above the table versus under the table
Salem's perspective as a nanny
What to look for in a nanny (from both Sunni and Salem's perspective)
Lina Forrestal sits down with first time mom Des'Rae Matthews as she shares what it was like having a transverse baby and an EVC procedure. Spoiler alert: the EVC procedure wasn't successful and Des'Rae had a C-section. She shares what it was like navigating all of the feelings of trying everything to have her baby come out naturally but then end having a C-section.
A transverse baby is when the baby is positioned horizontally in the uterus. An ECV procedure is an "External cephalic version", which is a procedure healthcare providers will use to rotate the baby to head-down in the uterus.
Connect with Des'Rae here: https://www.instagram.com/craftroom_creations/
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal has a chat with marriage coach Chelsea Skaggs about navigating a partnership after having a baby.
This episode covers:
Things that most couples are finding conflict around
How to get your partner onboard with couples counseling
Practical advice for checking in with each other
The difference between a relationship therapist and a professional life coach?
The difference between a couples therapist and a marriage coach
How to approach your partner about getting help from a therapist or coach
Chelsea is a certified professional life coach, intimacy expert, and communication trainer for parents. She helps couples go from WTF to "I 'effin' got this" in their relationships by giving them tools to improve their confidence, connection and communication.
Host Lina Forrestal explores society's obsession with postpartum bodies, particularly, Hilary Duff's nude Women's Health magazine cover (Read Hilary Duff's interview here.). Lina believes that it perpetuates unrealistic body standards for women, especially when celebrities don't disclose that they'd had plastic surgery done or don't acknowledge photoshop. For example, Hilary Duff is shown with no stretch marks, cellulite, or skin texture and yet the theme of the photoshoot is loving her postpartum body.
Lina also talks about things she's been loving lately such as the book series, A Court of Thorns and Roses (#ACOTAR) and practicing self-care in the form of getting workout clothes that actually fit (thank you, Athleta) and getting eyelash extensions.
Lina gives an update to her medication journey and how she's been able to find relief and finally not struggle with anxiety and intrusive thoughts.
Host Lina Forrestal sits down with SF working mom Alissa Worton-Hunt, to discuss what it's like going from 1 child to 2 children. Alissa was very transparent about how different the second time around was, even the journey to get pregnant. She shares her journey to get pregnant both times, how the first time was hard and the second time was easy, her PCOS diagnosis, and her birth story and how birth looks different both times.
Alissa also elaborates on experiencing mom guilt with getting pregnant with her second child when her first was 16 months and how it's a topic not often talked about but how many moms probably feel the same way.
She also discusses how she was excited find out she was having a baby girl and how she was excited for certain aspects of the newborn stage again. She shares how different her second pregnancy was, navigating feelings of dread, and all of the feelings in between.
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal and blogger Jamie Devergillo chat all things coming back from maternity leave, postpartum anxiety, body image, and what it's like to be a mom sharing it all on social media.
Jamie shares practical tips in how she's preparing to go back to work, from practicing leaving the house to leaving a detailed schedule for her caretakers. She discusses how she and her husband made childcare decisions and the feelings of anxiety around having someone else care for her baby.
Lina and Jamie both talk about what it's like to have a following on social media: from how supportive and yet toxic the community can be. They talk about facing judgement, setting boundaries, and how everyone parents differently.
Host Lina Forrestal sits down with Licensed Therapist Dr. Laura Schwinn to have an honest conversation about bed-sharing.
Lina and Laura both share their experiences with bed sharing: why they chose to bed share and why they continue to bed share. They talk about the pressures of society to conform to one way of child sleep, touch upon relationship taboos, and talk about ways to re-establish intimacy.
The AAP strongly discourages bed-sharing with infants younger than 1 and if you’re new to the subject, please educate yourself with all of the facts, guidelines, and statistics. Read more about safe sleep for infants here.
Dr. Laura, a clinical psychologist, has a niche in supporting women, whom feel they have lost their sense of self within the transition of becoming a mother (preconception and well into the motherhood journey). Clients that resonate with Dr. Laura’s approach are high achieving, open-minded, curious explorers, with a propensity towards holistic health and attachment style parenting. Book a consultation with her here.
Lina is BACK and kicks it off with a solo episode unpacking why she took a longer break than expected. What was supposed to be a 2 week break turned into a several month mental health journey unpacking childhood trauma surrounding the holidays, recognizing the signs of depression, seeing a psychiatrist, and ultimately starting the depression medication, Wellbutrin. Lina talks about how being a first-generation child of immigrants has impacted her when it comes to mental health and the fear, guilt, and shame surrounding medication. In this episode, Lina also discusses what she has in store for the first few episodes back and what she's looking forward to in Season 2.
Welcome to the last episode of Season 1! The New Mamas Podcast will be going on a break for the next month and we will see you October 2021 for Season 2!
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal discusses a few life updates:
Navigating the toddler phase
Starting therapy
Tips for reading more
Her interest in relationship psychology and why she loves the Bachelor franchise so much
Lina also shares her learnings from the last 8 months of podcasting. Everything from guests she's had to things she'll do differently in Season 2.
Lina breaks down topics she wants to dive into in Season 2 and the importance of not shying away from the bad stuff and why she thinks it's important to keep having these hard conversations on the podcast. She shares her commitment to elevating diverse voices and making sure she has equal representation on the podcast!
Thank you all for listening and we'll see you back for Season 2!
In this episode, Lina gives a 3 month postpartum update. Just Chatting episodes are meant to emulate a your mom bestie leaving you a long voice note. In this episode Lina talks about:
How her maternity leave is ending and her thoughts on going back to work
Transparency on the costs of childcare and what she can realistically afford
Public versus private school
How she's managing as a mom of two, specifically around the nights when she has to solo parent
"I want to bust the myth that you can't be ambitious and a go-getter and be a good mom at the same time." -Bethany Braun-Silva
In society and even in popular TV shows, working and career driven women are often portrayed as choosing their careers over their family — which is simply not true and a negative stereotype of working moms. For me, being a working mom fills my cup in a different way. I love doing something for me and believe that working makes me a better mother because I feel so fulfilled from working on a team and for a great company. On the podcast, Bethany shares her experience and her journey through working motherhood.
Topics Discussed in this Episode:
Bethany's working motherhood journey
The stigmas surrounding working moms
How Bethany interviewed 8 months pregnant
How being a working mom improved Bethany's mental health and gave her an outlet to be more creative
Bethany's Type 1 Diabetes and what her pregnancy journey looked like
Marina was 16 when she lost her mom to breast cancer. In this episode, Marina shares her journey of loss, grieving, and going through life's milestones without her mother present.
Marina discusses how as a society we tend to shy away from taboo topics but in reality many people who experience loss want the opportunity to talk about their loved ones.
Marina and Lina discuss the evolution of perceptions of our mothers, how our mothers carry one persona through our adolescence but how as we mature, we start to acknowledge our mothers as women.
Topics discussed in this episode:
What the grieving process looked like for Marina
How Marina felt as a teen versus how she feels today
How healing takes different shapes and forms
Milestones that Marina was particularly nervous about
Imagining what it would look like if her mom hadn't passed
How Marina felt when she first learned she was pregnant
The most challenging part about postpartum and not having a mom
Marina offers advice to new moms out there who may be in a similar situation
Marina is an Enterprise Customer Success Manager at a tech company in Boston, Massachusetts.
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal chats with mom of three, Stephanie Feng, about postpartum anxiety (PPA) and growing up with fear-based parenting style, “tiger parenting”.
Both Stephanie Feng and Lina Forrestal suffered with postpartum anxiety and recount their experiences, specifically around not being able to leave their babies, scary thoughts, and feeling crippled by their anxiety.
They break down their experiences and start to unpack why they felt the way they did, which led them to explore their relationship with their parents and how they grew up with fear-based parents.
Growing up with immigrant parents in America, both Stephanie and Lina grew up with fear-based parenting. They were often told that if they didn’t do something right, something bad would happen to them: for example, being told that if they didn’t finish their food the ‘bad man’ would take them away from their family.
Tiger parenting is the term coined by Yale professor Amy Chua a few years ago, in her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, to describe her fear-based and hard-driving parenting style.
Host Lina Forrestal and Jessica London, Doctor of Physical Therapist, sit down for an honest discussion around postpartum care (or lack there of) and the need for advocacy surrounding physical therapy for your pelvic floor after birth.
Jessica shares her birth story and how after birth, she felt lost in the system. Luckily, her midwives were able to follow up with her but otherwise her doctors never called her for her 8-week check up after her C-section.
Jessica was surprised at the lack of education around pelvic floor physical therapy. She's passionate about postpartum care and helps moms prepare and recover from birth.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Honest discussion around postpartum care and hospital discharge plans
Postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression
How patient education reduces anxiety and pain levels
The women's health dilemma in the United States
Why the US's postpartum maternity care is lacking
Why it's important to take care of your pelvic floor
What is a kegel and what’s the appropriate way to do them? How many times per day or week should we focus on doing kegels?
What's in Jessica's free guide for rebuilding your pelvic floor (download it here)
Schedule your free 20 minute consult with Jessica here.
Sara Reardon, PT, DPT, WCS, BCB-PMD, of NOLA Pelvic Health and affectionately known as The Vagina Whisperer, says: “I hear women say, ‘I don’t know what’s normal.’ They are not given a baseline. You’re frantically looking for information. Once you’re home, you’re over that initial high, and you realize you’re totally on your own, and there’s no help. It’s up to you now. They don’t give you resources, they just say, ‘It takes time,’ or ‘It’ll go away,’ or you call your doctor or nurse, and they say, ‘Let us know if it doesn’t get better,’ and there’s no follow-up. It’s all on you. It’s all on the mother.” (via Healthline)
In the Netherlands and Belgium, new mothers will have a kraamverzorgster, a maternity nurse who comes to the home to provide a minimum of 24 hours of care within the first 8 days after discharge. In Spain, you’ll receive a cartilla de embarazo (mother’s passport) and check in with a community midwife monthly. (via Healthline)
I've known Meredith for many years and it's been fun to connect on the topic of being first-time moms around the same time. Meredith Molloy had a bumpy pregnancy with placenta abnormalities and irregular blood pressure issues, which led her to be diagnosed with post partum preeclampsia.
Meredith shares her birth story which includes an unplanned C-section and an epidural that didn't work. Hers is a story of resilience and bravery as she navigates the feelings after a birth that didn't go as planned.
Host Lina Forrestal is joined by guest Jessica Abo, who is an award-winning journalist and author of Unfiltered: How To Be As Happy As You Look On Social Media. Her book empowers readers with tools they can use to take back their happiness in real life.
During the pandemic, social media was one of the only ways moms could connect and build their village. Together, Lina and Jessica unpack the feelings of comparison and mental health in relation to social media.
Topics discussed:
Advice for mothers who get stuck in comparing themselves to others on social media
Ways to reset your energy when it comes to social media (spoiler alert: there's no one size fits all solution)
Lina's struggle with social media addiction and feeling like she always has to be "on"
How phone alerts and notifications are a reaction to "fear-of-missing-out"
Setting boundaries with social media
Abundance mindset
How to identify the root of your unhappiness in relation to social media
Toxic relationships and inevitable "friendshifts"
Jessica Abo is a sought-after media trainer and storytelling coach who uses her 20 years of journalism experience to help entrepreneurs, C-Suite executives, celebrities, and philanthropists share their stories with the world. Jessica hosts her own weekly business segment on Entrepreneur.com. Her debut book, Unfiltered: How To Be As Happy As You Look On Social Media, sold out on its first day and empowers readers with tools they can use to take back their happiness IRL (in real life). Jessica speaks around the country about how we can have a healthy relationship with social media.
Jessica has presented all over the country including at TEDx, Facebook, Microsoft, Delta Airlines, WW, and the United Nations. She has appeared on The TODAY Show, ABC News, Access Hollywood, KTLA, CBS, and NY1 and in Forbes, Fast Company, and Women's Health.
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal sits down with Vietnamese-American mom and woman in tech Chau Dang about empowering dads from day one that baby is home!
Topics discussed:
Chau's background and story
Chau's motherhood journey
How involved Chau's husband was and is
Tips & tricks to getting your partner involved
How to get your partner involved during pregnancy
Getting your partner involved during the newborn stage
Tips in getting the non-birth partner to feel connected during the newborn stage
Chau's sister has a PhD in Childhood Education and wrote a Vietnamese Nursery Rhyme Book with English explanations. You can purchase it on Amazon here.
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal sits down with Tomeka James Issac, Founder of Jace's Journey. Tomeka shares her story: in May of 2018, her husband Brandon Isaac sat in a hospital room with their son, Jace Alexander, due in a month with no fetal heartbeat and Tomeka, unconscious, diagnosed with the life-threatening H.E.L.L.P (Hemolysis Elevated Liver Enzymes Low Platelet) Syndrome and fighting for her life.
Forty-five hospital days and 7 surgeries later, thanks to prayers and an amazing surgical team, Tomeka and Brandon Isaac left the hospital together. The couple learned Tomeka’s sickness and Jace’s death could have been prevented.
“50,000 women each year almost die as a result of childbirth. That’s one mother every 10 minutes in the US. The causes of most near death emergencies are preventable. However, the risk of having complications is much greater for black women. If you are black and highly-educated, you still have a higher probability of pregnancy-related death than the least educated white woman.”
In honor of their son, the Isaacs created Jace’s Journey to raise awareness and contribute to improving maternal/fetal healthcare disparities through education, advocacy and community engagement.
Jace’s Journey Inc, a non-profit organization, was founded in 2019 to address racial disparities in maternal health outcomes.
The US is the only industrialized nation with rising maternal mortality rates and the increase disproportionately affects women of color. African-American mothers are dying at 3-4 times the rate of non- Hispanic whites. Infants born to African-American mothers are dying at twice the rate as infants born to non- Hispanic white mothers.
Katherine is a creative homemaker and mom of four. While she doesn't identify as a "trad wife", she believes that by other people's standards she would be considered one. Lina and Katherine have a thoughtful discussion how the criticism of trad wives can be demeaning towards SAHMs and domestic labor. They also have a candid discussion about feminism, racism, and the complexity of raising children in today's society.
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal talks to Dr. Tolulope Olabintan all about her experiences as a mom of two and practicing physician. Dr. Tolu is Board-Certified Family Physician and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. With over 13 years of medical experience, she leads the team at Livingspring Family Medical Center, a primary care center located in Mansfield, Texas. Tolulope is also a mom, wife, and Christian.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Dr. Tolu's birth story: her experience with PPROM (premature rupture of membranes), being admitted to the hospital at 24 weeks and finally giving birth at 34 weeks
Dr. Tolu's experience with post partum anxiety and Lina's post partum anxiety
How faith and Christianity helped support Dr. Tolu during her post partum depression
How new moms can take care of their mental health during the newborn phase
How a new mom recognize the difference between post-partum depression and the baby blues
What a couple can do to help maintain a healthy relationship during the newborn phase
Navigating friendships and finding your mom community in the newborn stage
What inspired Dr. Tolu to take the leap and open her own practice
Learn more about Livingspring Medical. Livingspring was coined from the bible describing God as “The Living Spring” and the ultimate source of true healing. In the place of service, Dr. Olabintan believes she is a conduit of such healing in an atmosphere of compassion, committed care, and with her sound medical knowledge.
In this episode, host Lina Forrestal chats with guest Ashley Hutchings about her story of how she gave birth in London and New York City, and how her family made the life change from living in a NYC high rise to a historic home in Connecticut.
This episode is a little different as it's more of a casual chat between mamas!
Topics covered in this episode:
How Ashley and her husband fell in love and their long-distance relationship
What was it like giving birth overseas in comparison to giving birth in the US
Ashley and Lina's experiences with different health-care systems around the world
What inspired Ashley and her husband to move from NYC to the countryside of Connecticut
Ashley's blogging journey and what's next for her blog
Our favorite shows and pop culture talk:
The Bachelor, the lack of inclusivity, and the future of The Bachelor
The Britney Spears documentary and what it was like being a young woman in the 90s and 2000s
With more than 15 years experience serving as a doula, childbirth educator, prenatal massage therapist and mother, Sara Lyon has supported tens of thousands of families through their birthing journeys. Sara’s work is grounded in her belief that quality, science-based birth education and healthy, non-traumatic birth experiences are a human right and should be readily accessible to all.
Sara is a Licensed Massage Therapist in New York State and holds Diplomas of Remedial Massage Therapy (2005) and Oriental Therapies in Australia (2006), where she graduated from Endeavour College and Shiatsu Australia. As a proud Wolverine, Sara achieved a BA in medical sociology from the University of Michigan (2004) with focused research in women’s health and integrative medicine.
Sara and her family split their time between bustling New York City and the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area.
No birth experience necessary. You’ve Got This is a simple, powerful childbirth toolkit, perfect for the birth partner, doula and even mama herself.
With more than 15 years as a doula and childbirth educator, Sara Lyon has distilled her wisdom into the 50 most effective techniques to provide comfort during labor. You’ve Got This is packed with detailed instructions, illustrations, birth stories and practical advice.
But don’t tuck this book into your hospital bag just yet! Practice the techniques ahead of time, using the exercises to prepare for the birthing process long before labor even begins. Learn to combine techniques to address multiple senses at the same time, and then personalize the book by picking your favorites. You can even “like” them for easy reference during labor. You’ve Got This is truly indispensable for both you