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The holidays ask a lot from anyone, and even more from someone navigating pregnancy or early postpartum. Between loud rooms, strong smells, and a conveyor belt of opinions about your body and your baby, your nervous system can hit overload fast. We dive into why this happens, how to spot it sooner, and the exact words you can use to step away without guilt or drama.

You’ll hear our favorite “golden ticket” exit lines that protect your peace while sounding perfectly reasonable to family and friends. For pregnancy, phrases like I’m exhausted, I need to lie down for a bit or These smells are overwhelming, I’m going to get some fresh air let you reset before stress spikes. For postpartum, baby-centered lines such as Baby needs to feed somewhere quiet or It’s getting too stimulating for the baby create space for both of you to breathe. We also share boundary scripts for classic comments like Are you sure you should eat that? and You look ready to pop, using neutral redirects, the expert card, humor that disarms, and firm shutdowns for repeat offenders.

We close with clean, kind ways to leave early—We’re heading home, I’m at my limit today, My body’s telling me it needs rest—so you can honor your limits without overexplaining. The goal isn’t to win debates; it’s to protect your energy, reduce overstimulation, and keep your mental health front and center during a season that can quickly become too much. If you’re ready to choose calm over chaos and practice self-trust in real time, this one’s for you.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs permission to leave early, and leave a quick review telling us which script you’ll try first. Your peace matters—let’s protect it together.

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Kelly Hof: Labor Nurse + Birth Coach
Basically, I'm your birth bestie! With me as your coach, you will tell fear to take a hike!

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Medical Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended as a safe space for women to share their birth experiences. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Each woman’s medical course of action is individual and may not appropriately transfer to another similar situation. Please speak to your medical provider before making any medical decisions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that evidence based practice evolves as our knowledge of science improves. To the best of my ability I will attempt to present the most current ACOG and AWHONN recommendations at the time the podcast is recorded, but that may not necessarily reflect the best practices at the time the podcast is heard. Additionally, guests sharing their stories have the right to autonomy in their medical decisions, and may share their choice to go against current practice recommendations. I intend to hold space for people to share their decisions. I will attempt to share the current recommendations so that my audience is informed, but it is up to each individual to choose what is best for them.