Kelli Kelley is the founder and executive director of Hand to Hold, a national and nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education and support to NICU families. As the mother of two children born preterm at 24 weeks and 34 weeks, Kelli has invested her time and talents during the past ten years to raise awareness of the growing problem of preterm birth and to support families who share in her experience.

References:
Hand to Hold's website: handtohold.org
Hand to Hold’s podcasts for NICU families and staff: https://handtohold.org/resources/podcasts/

18. Her Story: Kelli Kelley shares her experience as a NICU parent

Motherhood shouldn’t feel lonely or be depleting, and it shouldn’t be filled with self-doubt. With simple tools and resources, women can build inner and outer strength to tackle all that motherhood throws their way. I started Hello My Tribe because I needed more of everything as a new mom -- more support, more community, more understanding, more information, and more opportunity. During my first year of motherhood, I felt isolated, lonely, anxious, depressed, frustrated, angry, and misunderstood, and I went through an identity crisis. Sometimes I still feel all of this, even four years postpartum.  Through these experiences, I shared my story in 2016, came to learn I wasn’t alone, and found many solutions. I am now on a mission with Hello My Tribe to support women in all aspects of motherhood. Through content, campaigns, events, and both digital and in-person communities, we bring our two big beliefs to life. First, that motherhood is a team sport and second, that guilt-free self-care is a necessity. I’m so thankful to be on this journey with you.  xoxo, Alex

Society & Culture

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Places & Travel

On this week's episode, teen mom turned Ivy League grad Jessica Rockowitz not only shares her motherhood journey with us, but covers a wide range of topics including: talking to your children about sex starting as young as five, teaching our children about self-respect, feelings about postpartum bodies, the dreaded social media comparison, postpartum anxiety, and finding what makes you happy.

Replay: Teen pregnancy, postpartum anxiety and bodies, and talking to our children about sex

Andra Liemandt is a visionary and brings her energy to all her passions, particularly The Kindness Campaign. When her friend's 12-year-old daughter, a bullying victim, committed suicide, Liemandt discovered a shocking dearth of educational resources. Motivated to make a difference, she founded The Kindness Campaign, which now proactively addresses bullying via powerful curriculum, meaningful activations and events at schools and organizations, teaching the foundational message "I am enough." This message is also the focus of her band, The Mrs, an all-female pop-rock band that has been featured on Good Morning America, BuzzFeed, grammy.com, The Queen Latifah Show, and in Billboard and People magazine. Liemandt's knack for empowering audiences toward inner and outer kindness has positioned her as a coveted keynote speaker, a philanthropist and an influencer. At the heart of it all, she is a mother of two daughters and is continuously looking to spearhead social change that creates a kinder future for the next generation.

Replay: Social media + bullying and living out your own dreams + mothering tweens

Alex here! When I heard Marti Bledsoe Post on the stage at Mother: The Summit talking about the history of motherhood, I immediately knew we needed to bring this conversation to our community. This episode is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I found myself often speechless as Marti discusses the "intensive parenting" era we are experiencing today, the fact that the U.S. is ranked 41st out of 41 developed countries in terms of family-friendly policies by UNICEF, and how the gender gap begins at home. In Marti's book Retrofit, she shares that The New York Times recently reported that girls do more chores than boys at home, girls make less allowance than boys, and girls are paid less for chores than boys. When learning this, are you surprised that research has found that women spend less time relaxing than men and that 65% of child care responsibilities are shouldered by working mothers compared to 35% by working fathers? We discuss solutions on how to make working motherhood work better for moms, their families, and their employers.
You can find more about Marti and her book here: https://a-parently.com/

43. Learn: The history of motherhood and the challenges of working motherhood today

Celebrated therapist, professor, author, and mom-expert Molly Millwood examines the link between women’s well-being as new mothers and the well-being of their relationships. In our longest podcast episode ever, Molly explains the "whys" behind our most common marital struggles, and offers guidance to help us reclaim our identities, overcome our guilt and shame, and repair our relationships. If you haven't read her book To Have and To Hold yet, this is an excellent introduction.

References:
Molly's Vermont therapy practice: www.mollymillwood.com
To Have and to Hold book: www.harpercollins.com/9780062838681/…e-and-to-hold/

Replay: Molly Millwood explains why our marriages feel strained after kids

"I'm so thrilled with how beautiful our progress has come, but it has been painstaking and everything amazing in life is tough and you have to fight for it. It's not handed to us. Building this brand and connecting with people has been really an uphill battle. There's no other way to get here and we haven't even really begun in my eyes. I'm ready for the challenge ahead." Ariane Goldman, founder of Hatch, opens up about the decade she has poured into building the leading maternity (and beyond) brand. The mom-guilt, the challenges of building and managing an all woman team, the company evolution, saying goodbye to self-care as she knew it, fundraising as a woman and a mother...Alex and Ariane cover it all. Hatch today includes ready-to-wear, intimates, accessories and beauty, and three brick and mortar community spaces in New York and Los Angeles.

18. Her Story: Kelli Kelley shares her experience as a NICU parent

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