Ever feel like your brain has 27 tabs open—and none of them can close? We kept having the same fight about chores, schedules + who does what… so we built a system to fix it (Get it here!)

That’s the invisible load of parenthood: The endless mental and emotional labor that keeps a family running but often falls on one parent without ever being named.

In this episode, Chelsea and Mike break down:

• What the invisible load actually looks like in early parenthood (hint: it’s more than chores)

• Why it so often falls unequally, even in good partnerships

• The cycle of resentment it creates when it stays hidden

• A simple 3-step framework—See it. Say it. Slay it.—to start redistributing the weight today

Whether you’re pregnant and wondering how to prepare, or already in the thick of diapers and daycare forms, this conversation will help you shift from scorekeeping to true teamwork.

Use this guide we use with our clients to show the mental load, divide responsibilities, and finally get on the same team.

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Tired of having the same fight on repeat with your partner?

One of you wants to hash it out right now, the other goes silent, and suddenly you’re not even arguing about the actual issue anymore.

You’re arguing about how you argue.

Sound familiar?

In this episode, Chelsea and Mike break down processing styles in marriage after baby—external vs. internal processors—and why these differences get louder when you’re tired, stressed, and stretched thin as new parents.

You’ll hear how this dynamic showed up in their own relationship, why stress and flooding make small clashes spiral, and the simple tools couples can use to break the demand–withdraw cycle.

Whether you’re an exhausted parent feeling stuck in the same arguments or a couple who wants to grow stronger after baby, this conversation will help you:

• Understand your own processing style (and your partner’s).

• Recognize the nervous system’s role in miscommunication.

• Use 4 practical tools to calm conflict and reconnect as a team.

Because your baby deserves parents who don’t just survive parenthood, but thrive together.

Book an connection call with us: Calendly

Get our go to questions for a 5-min daily check-in: 5 Questions to Stay Connected to Your Partner — Chelsea Skaggs Coaching

👉 Tune in now and start building healthier communication in your marriage after baby.

• marriage after baby

• communication after baby

• parenting and marriage

• communication styles in relationships

• demand withdraw cycle

• internal vs external processor

• communication breakdown in marriage

• new parents communication

• marriage struggles after baby

• parenting stress and marriage

• postpartum marriage struggles

• how couples communicate

• conflict in marriage after kids

• processing styles in marriage

• communication tools for couples

• why couples fight after having a baby

• how to improve marriage communication as parents

• practical tools for better communication after baby

• how stress impacts communication in marriage

• parenting, marriage, and communication tips

• communication hacks for new parents

Early parenthood has a way of putting every crack in your relationship under a spotlight. In this candid conversation, Chelsea and Mike pull back the curtain on the pain points they faced after having kids and the lessons they wish they’d learned sooner.

From buried baggage that resurfaces under pressure to communication breakdowns and the mental load that nearly pulled them apart, they share the struggles, the breakthroughs, and the hope that comes with learning to work as a team.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why didn’t anyone tell us it would be this hard?” this episode is for you. You’ll walk away with real-life insights and tools to help you save some heartache and start building the kind of connection that lasts through sleepless nights, identity shifts, and big transitions.

Resources

• Learn more about our 6-Week Relationship Coaching Program: postpartumtogether.com/welcome

• Grab your free Postpartum Planning Checklist: postpartumtogether.com/postpartum-planning

• Book a Connection Call with Chelsea: calendly.com/chelseaskaggs/connection-call

PS: If this episode resonated with you, share it with a friend who’s in the trenches of early parenthood. And if you loved it, please take a moment to leave a 5-star review — it helps more couples find the support they need to thrive, not just survive, after baby.

Are you constantly saying “yes” when you really want to say “no”?
In this episode, Chelsea and Mike get honest about people-pleasing, the “eldest daughter” martyr mindset, and how overstuffed calendars and invisible expectations quietly drain your marriage and family life.

Together, they share how learning to set boundaries, stop overscheduling, and get clear on your values (instead of everyone else’s rules) can completely change the tone of your home. You’ll hear real stories about:

• Why saying no feels impossible (and why it matters for your marriage)

• How filling every blank space on your calendar sabotages connection

• What happens when you stop living by other people’s rules and start living by your family values

• Simple practices that help couples create more rest, joy, and clarity

If you’ve ever felt stretched thin, stuck in “good mom” or “good spouse” mode, or unsure how to align as a family, this episode will give you a refreshing and practical perspective.

✨ Want to go deeper? Join Chelsea and Mike’s Rewrite the Rules Workshop — a live, donation-based virtual event designed to help you uncover your core family values and use them as your compass for time, energy, and money decisions. Reserve your spot in the next workshop here: Postpartum Together Events

Learn more about Postpartum Together Coaching

On this off-the-cuff parenting podcast episode, Chelsea and Mike get real about fatherhood, parenting grief, and the pressure to be present.

From crying at the bus stop to reflecting on kids growing up and what it means for your marriage, this conversation covers micro-griefs in parenting, dads and emotions, and communication in parenting.

If you’re a mom or dad navigating parenting transitions and wanting to build stronger parent connection in your relationship, you’ll find yourself nodding along.

🔗 Book your free parent connection call here: calendly.com/chelseaskaggs/connection-call
🎥 And here’s the Kitty High Five we mention: Kitty High Five

Motherhood was never meant to be a solo act.
In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Stephanie Fornaro, founder of Hello Nanny, to talk about why accepting help isn’t a weakness, it’s wisdom.

We explore the emotional, relational, and practical layers of building your support system, from financial independence and partnership dynamics to the difference between nannies and family assistants. Stephanie shares her personal journey of overcoming guilt around getting help, and how her mission is empowering parents to thrive, not just survive.

Whether you’re navigating postpartum, juggling toddlers, or simply craving more presence in your parenting, this conversation is your permission slip to drop the “do it all” mindset and start creating your own village.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why accepting help is a strength, not a failure

• How financial independence impacts your relationship

• The difference between a nanny and a family assistant (and why it matters)

• How to build a support system that fits your family’s values

• The role of one-on-one time with your kids in a busy season

• Overcoming the guilt of asking for help

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Stephanie on the Hello Nanny site

• Follow Hello Nanny on Instagram: @hellonannydotcom

Is your stress response a sign you're failing, or a sign you're human?

In this episode, Chelsea and Mike get real about what stress is actually trying to tell us and how it impacts connection in relationships. We'll explore how everyday tension can become a source of strength if we know how to come back to safety, together.

You’ll hear:

• The psychology of rupture and repair—and why it matters more than “getting it right”

• Why we break down when one person tries to carry the emotional load for both

• How friendship, co-regulation, and nervous system safety are deeply linked

Plus, the one question that can transform your relationships:
“Do you have the capacity for this?”

If you’ve been stuck in reactive conversations, missed signals, or simmering resentment, the first step back to each other might be simpler than you think.

🎁 Download the Reconnection Kit—with 8 free communication scripts—to make your next hard conversation easier (and more productive).

Learn more about working with us here.

• nervous system regulation

• co-regulation in relationships

• stress and resilience psychology

• why community matters for mental health

• postpartum nervous system

• repair after relationship conflict

“Let’s just figure it all out right now…”
You’ve said it. Or your partner has. And before you know it, it’s 10:30pm, you’re in survival mode, and the ‘solution’ turns into another fight.

In this episode of Better Relationships After Baby, Chelsea and Mike get honest about why trying to fix your relationship during fight-or-flight doesn’t work and what to do instead.

You’ll learn:

• What happens in your brain and body during conflict

• Why “just talking it out” often backfires

• The neuroscience behind repair and regulation

• How to pause a fight without ignoring it

• Tools you can use to come back together in a healthier, more connected way

This is the next step after last week’s viral episode on feeling touched out. Together, they unpack what stress really does to our relationships and how to build safety, repair, and teamwork in the hard moments.

“You can’t fix a relationship in fight-or-flight. But you can come back stronger.”

• 🎧 Missed last week’s episode? Listen to: ⁠Touched Out: What Your Nervous System Is Trying to Tell You⁠

• 🔄 Reconnection Kit for Couples: ⁠Download Here⁠

• 💬 Work with Chelsea & Mike: ⁠Coaching Options⁠

References:

• Gottman Institute: Physiological Self-Soothing During Conflict

• NIH Study: Stress and Marital Communication

Keywords:

• fight or flight in relationships

• relationship repair after conflict

• nervous system and conflict resolution

• postpartum relationship struggles

• co-regulation for couples

• how to stop fighting with your partner

• stress and communication in marriage

• parenting and relationship stress

• emotional disconnection in relationships

• nervous system dysregulation and intimacy

Ever felt like you want a connection, but the thought of one more person touching you makes your skin crawl?

You’re not cold. You’re not broken. You might just be touched out.

In this episode, Chelsea and Mike dig into what’s really happening when physical affection feels like too much, especially in the postpartum season. Using Polyvagal Theory as a framework, they explore how your nervous system responds to chronic stress, the mental load, and overstimulation.

They talk about:

• Why being touched out is not just a mom thing (though it hits moms hard)

• The science behind why your body says “no” even when your heart says “yes”

• How to recognize when your nervous system is in shutdown or high alert

• The power of co-regulation (and why it’s more effective than just pushing through)

• Tools that help you reconnect even if you only have five minutes

This isn’t about fixing your partner. It’s about understanding yourself, offering compassion, and having new language to break old cycles.

Want to dive deeper into the science?
👉 Link to Dr. Sarah’s podcast with Dr. Stephen Porges's team

Ready for simple ways to rebuild connection at home?
👉 Link to the Reconnection Kit for Couples

Curious about the card deck we mentioned?
👉 Link to Love Lingual Cards

This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt close, but also miles apart, and wants a better way back to each other.

You’re in the same room, but it feels like miles apart.
You love your partner, but you feel more like co-managers than a couple.
Sound familiar?

In this episode, Chelsea and Mike get real about the signs of emotional disconnection that show up after having a baby, often quietly and gradually. From scorekeeping and silence to intimacy struggles and the nervous system overload no one warns you about, they unpack what drifting apart really looks like and why it’s not a sign you’re broken.

If you’re sitting on opposite ends of the couch, wondering how you got here—or how to get back—this episode is for you.

You’ll hear:

• How emotional disconnect shows up in everyday life

• Why resentment and avoidance don’t mean you’ve “fallen out of love”

• Tools to start reconnecting without pressure or blame

• A powerful reframe: “The story I’m telling myself is…”

📥 Grab the free Conversation Starters for Tired Parents:
https://postpartumtogether.com/communication-scripts

💬 Want our help rebuilding together? Join our 6-week couples coaching program: https://postpartumtogether.com/welcome

You’re not alone. And you don’t have to stay disconnected.

Tell us what you thought of the episode: [email protected]