Episodes
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Maternal sleep deprivation is very common for new moms. Night feedings, frequent baby wakeups, stress, and perinatal mental health concerns can all cause sleep disturbances that leave moms feeling frazzled, overwhelmed, and fatigued.
I chatted with Dr. Shelby Harris, clinical psychologist and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, about maternal sleep. In a recent episode, Dr. Shelby discussed insomnia and why moms struggle to sleep. Today, she’s back to share tips to help break out of maternal sleep deprivation.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3sEWLSF
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Maternal sleep deprivation is very common. Even if baby sleeps, moms often find themselves battling insomnia–struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get good quality sleep. When you’re a new mom, it’s easy to become obsessed with sleep. Watching the clock, obsessing over wake windows, and worrying about when your baby will sleep through the night seem to be common mom pastimes.
But the baby isn’t the only one who needs to sleep—moms do too. And we often have an uphill battle to face when it comes to sleep issues. Dr. Shelby Harris, clinical psychologist and author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, joins me to discuss sleep difficulties for moms.
(For the second part of our conversation, on tips to manage maternal sleep deprivation, catch our upcoming episode!)
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/39T4beH
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Missing episodes?
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Being a mom is hard—harder than anybody bothers to tell you. We believe in an image of the perfect mother: nurturing, patient, and joyful. So why are so many modern moms battling inner rage?
Minna Dubin, author of New York Times pieces “The Rage Mothers Don’t Talk About” and “‘I Am Going to Physically Explode’: Mom Rage in a Pandemic,” joins me to discuss the cultural and societal context of mom rage.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3KoKdFe
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Do you ever feel like you’re losing your identity in motherhood? If so, you aren’t alone. Motherhood can feel all-consuming—especially when you’re carrying beliefs around it that have been prescribed to you.
Life coach Dr. Gertrude Lyons calls those beliefs The Mother Code—the wiring given to us from family, culture, and society. She joins me to share how to see the myths of the mother code, write our own code, define motherhood for ourselves, and use it as a vehicle for transformation.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3vcQmjk
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We talk a lot about the invisible load of motherhood—the way that so much of the labour in the home falls to moms, even before a baby is born. But that load has an impact on our partners too—leaving them without a role, unsure how to bond with the new baby.
It’s easy to think that nursing moms have to take on the role of feeding. In reality, non-nursing partners can help with breastfeeding too (beyond just bringing snacks and water)! “The Breastfeeding Father,” psychologist Eric Taylor, explains why all partners need to be empowered in the nursing process.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3uSkwZd
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In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, I am happy to welcome women's mental health and reproductive psychiatry specialist Dr. Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu.
Black moms face health struggles and discrimination in the medical system, and they also carry an additional invisible load specific to women of color. Dr. Jennifer shares valuable insight into the world of Black maternal health.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3rjGfH4
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Whining is potentially one of the worst sounds we hear as parents. For most of us, it almost feels painful—like fingernails on a chalkboard. In those moments, we don’t always navigate the situation the best way. So, how do we get kids to stop whining?
To find the answer, I chatted with Joanna Faber and Julie King, authors of the bestselling book, How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen. In a recent episode, Joanna and Julie discussed navigating defiance. Today, they’re back to discuss how to talk when children start whining.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3LN766u
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Is co-sleeping right for your family? Is bedsharing the same as co-sleeping? What are the risk factors? Can you bedshare safely? Many families have questions about co-sleeping but aren’t sure where to find answers. In our previous episode with holistic sleep expert Lyndsey Hookway, we learned that infant sleep is nuanced. Today, Lyndsey is back for part 2, to talk about co-sleeping, bedsharing, and making an informed decision for your family.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3NusWgx
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Little kids can be masters of defiance. We ask them to put on their shoes or brush their teeth and chaos erupts. The more we try to force them to listen, the more they defy and rebel. So how do we get our kids to listen, especially in moments of defiance? I sat down with Julie King and Joanna Faber, authors of How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, to find out more about their simple, but effective strategies for getting kids to comply. (For the second part of our conversation, how to navigate whining, catch our upcoming episode!)
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3qrYl9C -
If there’s one hot topic in motherhood that can get everyone riled up in an instant, it’s sleep. We often try to measure our worth as moms in terms of baby sleep, feeling like failures when we simply can’t get it to work. Unfortunately, conversations about a holistic approach to baby sleep can easily devolve into extreme feelings on both sides.
Paediatric Nurse and Holistic Sleep Coach Lyndsey Hookway brings a balanced viewpoint to this hot topic, offering a judgment-free look at infant sleep. (For the second part of my conversation with Lyndsey on sleep, be sure to catch our upcoming episode on co-sleeping!)
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3tgykM0
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In last week’s episode, we took a look at how to recognize overfunctioning—when one partner tries to control situations and do everything themselves because of their own anxiety. Today, Dr. Kathleen Smith returns for part 2—how to stop overfunctioning in relationships.
With the right strategies, you can understand where overfunctioning comes from and how to evaluate when to stop. You can also develop the tools you need to step back and manage it, breaking the cycle and letting your partner and children become more capable.
Show Note: https://bit.ly/3pLEMJ6
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Do you find yourself being the overfunctioner in your relationship? Overfunctioning happens when you take on more than your fair share of the parenting tasks in an attempt to control or fix a situation that triggers your anxiety. It often leads to unhealthy relationship and parenting patterns, and ends up increasing the invisible load moms are carrying.
I sat down with Dr. Kathleen Smith, therapist and author of Everything Isn't Terrible, to talk about the relationship between anxiety and overfunctioning, and how to overcome it. In part 1, we focus on how to recognize over and underfunctioning and why breaking the pattern is important.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3hrMfbH
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Whether you have heard the phrase “after school restraint collapse” or not, if you’ve experienced it, you know exactly what it is—when your child starts melting down as soon as you pick them up from school. If your child behaves wonderfully at school but falls apart when they see you, it can be frustrating for everyone. So what causes those after school meltdowns? Dr. Kristyn Sommer leverages her PhD in Early Cognitive Development and shares her insights on why after school restraint collapse happens, and what you can do to minimize it.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3haTOU2 -
Becoming a first-time mom is a huge change. Most of us have romanticized expectations of what being a mom will be like. We think that it will be a time of love, cuddles, and joy. The reality of sleep deprivation, struggle, and difficulty stepping into the role can leave us sinking deep into mom guilt mode. This transition into motherhood has a name—matrescence. Perinatal Psychologist Dr. Katayune Kaeni (Dr. Kat) walks us through what matrescence is and how we can help ourselves through the process.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/34CRdQ5
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Preparing your dog for a baby is important and intimidating. What steps can you take to get your dog ready? How do you handle the introduction? Will your baby be safe? Will your dog become stressed? Certified Dog Trainer Dominika Knossalla provides safety tips for how to prepare your dog for a baby—creating a plan, introducing your dog to the baby, and minimizing the stress (for you and your pet)!
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3ox50Oz
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Your personal core values are an important part of who you are—as a person, as a parent, and as a partner. But discovering, prioritizing, and applying your personal core values is easier said than done—especially when we don’t even know how to define “values!” I sat down with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Dr. Cassidy Freitas to talk about defining your personal core values, why they’re important, and how to live in alignment with them. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3gfKpKq
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Managing mommy rage can be tough. We expect motherhood to look nurturing, peaceful, and loving. So when we end up feeling rage or losing our cool, we start to wonder if there’s something wrong with us. Guilt, shame, and regret weigh on our shoulders. But without the right coping tools and skills, we end up falling right back into the mommy rage pattern. Dr. Ashurina Ream of Psyched Mommy and I answer all your questions and discuss where the rage comes from, why we aren’t prepared for it, and how we can build the right skills for managing mommy rage before it happens (and when we inevitably slip up)! Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3o1Z93F
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The invisible load of motherhood is a common vicious cycle for families. One parent (often the mom) becomes the default parent. That default parent takes on a disproportionate amount of labor in the home. They find themselves drowning in unpaid and unappreciated labor.
The resentment and overwhelming load lead to mom rage, resentment, and even marital problems. New York Times Bestselling Author Eve Rodsky sheds light on why this happens and the system she’s created to put an end to the cycle and redistribute the invisible work of moms.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3A9pPo9
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Postpartum blues are a normal part of having a baby. Between sleep deprivation, hormone changes, and the overwhelming responsibility of caring for a newborn, “normal” life can seem impossible. Many moms experience weepiness, irritability, and mood changes as they adjust to life as a new parent.
But these symptoms aren’t always typical baby blues—they’re also signs of postpartum depression. So how can new moms tell the difference? When should they seek care? And can they ever expect to feel “normal” again? Reproductive Psychiatrist Dr. Kristina Deligiannidis explains the difference between baby blues and postpartum depression and shares tips for knowing when to seek care.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3HWeRF7
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Can you remember the last time you slept for five hours in a row? If an infant lives with you, there’s a good chance you can’t. Sleep is essential for us to function and makes us better parents, but sometimes when we talk about sleep training our kiddos, moms can be consumed with guilt. Are we putting our own needs above the babies? And does sleep training automatically mean allowing babies to cry it out? Dr. Aubrie is a psychologist who specializes in sleep, and she’s going to help us unpack what sleep training is and isn’t.
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3mYY6kt
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