Is A Mother

Tracking milestones can be a Mother. And as time starts to feel like it’s going by quicker and quicker, we can forget many of the things we have gone through to get to where we are. Reflecting on our milestones, as women and as parents, is a way to reminisce on the good and celebrate how we overcame challenges, big, small, and everything in between. 

In episode 14 of ___ Is a Mother, we discuss parent and child milestones, reflecting on how far we and our little ones have come. And don’t get it twisted – celebrating milestones is important for everyone, not just parents! Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Reflecting on our parenting milestones and celebrating our growth as mothers. 
• Trusting your instincts when it comes to developmental milestones in children.
• Comparing and contrasting our experiences with breastfeeding, sleep training, sickness, and balancing work and family. 
• Finding balance between sticking to your self-made “rules” as a parent and savoring in the sweet moments while your child is still little. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us! Follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways! If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle and an important part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Ep 3: Returning to Work After Giving Birth is a Mother 

Ep 9: Labeling Kids is a Mother with Dr. Nekeshia Hammond

Securely Attached podcast episode:

Combating milestone anxiety: What to know about child development from pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman with Pediatrician Dr. Jessica Hochman

*while I also love the Curious Neuron podcast, this is the episode I meant to reference in the episode

Self-care is a mother! Consumerism has hijacked the concept of self-care and turned it into a multi-billion(!) dollar industry, marketing ‘quick fixes’ that are in actuality fleeting external care. External self-care can feel good in the moment but needs to be paired with the hard work of internal self-care (e.g., therapy) to truly elevate your well-being.

In episode 13 of___ Is a Mother, we discuss the difference between fake (external) self-care and real (internal) self-care. We take some time to give ourselves kudos for the difficult things we have been tackling to better our overall wellness, and we discuss what we wish we were doing more to support our true self-care. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Self-compassion and taking time to celebrate wins big and small is an important form of self-care. 
• Setting boundaries around technology, work, and social media can reduce the overwhelm of constant stimulation, distractions, and comparison.
• Being productive is much more important than being busy, no matter what Corporate America has drilled into us. 
• Prioritizing quality time with your partner is necessary to nurture your relationship. 
• Going back to the basics and prioritizing rest and sleep is paramount to overall wellness. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us! Follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways! If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle and an important part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherPodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

(Un)Well Documentary

Real Self-Care by Pooja Lakshmin, MD

Good Inside: Self-Care Is An Inside Job 

SB CBD Sleep Gummies

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Ep 3: Returning to Work After Giving Birth is a Mother

Ep 10: Financial Planning is a Mother with Karen Holloway, Financial Advisor

NPR story: Real self-care takes real systemic change

Family culture is a mother! And when we say culture we are not talking about race, gender, or ethnicity but rather an agreed-upon set of expectations of the social communities we exist in with our family units at the foundation. As we grow families of our own, it becomes a balancing act of integrating each parent’s respective cultural norms to create your core family’s unique culture. 

In episode 12 of ___ Is a Mother, Jamie uses the foundations of the Intercultural Conflict Style (ICS) assessment with PV and Brett (married and co-parenting a 4.5-year-old) to illustrate how it can help us understand our authentic approach to communication and addressing conflict—key elements of any family’s culture. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• A set of questions to consider to ground into our respective cultural beliefs. 
• How someone might perceive themselves vs. how others may perceive them depending on their communication styles.
• The way we naturally react to conflict is rooted in our cultural norms and upbringing. 
• Our individual culture and conflict style balances with the style of our partners’ to guide how we parent our children and define our core family’s culture. 
• How Jamie uses the ICS assessment to help organizations establish an inclusive culture by understanding everyone’s unique and individual communication and conflict resolution styles.

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of the episode to post and link in your stories and tag us! Follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways. If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle and an important part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

LINKS MENTIONED IN / RELEVANT TO THIS EPISODE:

Intercultural Conflict Style Assessment

Dr. Becky’s (parenting coach & clinical psychologist) TED talk on connection, modeling, and repair in parenting

Trauma psychologist Dr. Mariel Buqué’s book Break The Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma

Episode 10 Financial Planning is a Mother | www.karenholloway.nm.com

Managing adult friendships is a Mother! The older we get, our packed schedules, geographical moves, and changing priorities can make it challenging to make and maintain friendships. In our current phase of life, we are mindful that some friendships come and go, while others continue to thrive year after year. And still, there can be room to develop new friendships, but it ain’t easy to do. . .

This episode is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual. They believe in doing the right thing, and to them, the right thing is making sure their clients won’t have to worry about their finances. Northwestern Mutual recommends financial strategies based on each client’s life and priorities, designed to help them reach their unique goals. For more information, please visit www.karenholloway.nm.com 

In episode 11 of ___ Is a Mother, we discuss our experiences making and maintaining friendships as we move through different phases of our lives, and recognizing when someone is your friend for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Low-maintenance, or flexible, friendships become more and more valuable the more chaotic our lives become. 
• Managing expectations around how you show up as a friend vs. how others show up for you. 
• Re-evaluating friendships over time, and setting boundaries that prioritize mutually beneficial relationships. 
• Motherhood and other major life shifts will likely change friendship dynamics—either positively or negatively. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us! Follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways. If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle and an important part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

Financial Planning is a Mother. If you’re like us, you were taught only the basics of financial management. But there are so many tools and resources available to us that can truly set us up to achieve financial health and protect our future. 

In episode 10 of ___ Is a Mother, we are joined by Karen Holloway to discuss the financial elements every family should have in place and lay out the options that are available to you so you can start making strategic financial decisions that align with your goals. Be sure to grab a notebook because Karen drops some incredible knowledge in this episode. 

This episode is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual. They believe in doing the right thing, and to them, the right thing is making sure their clients won’t have to worry about their finances. Northwestern Mutual recommends financial strategies based on each client’s life and priorities, designed to help them reach their unique goals. For more information, please visit www.karenholloway.nm.com  

Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Breaking down the four buckets of financial planning. 
• The difference between whole and term life insurance and how to decide which may be right for you. 
• Education savings funds available to you and the pros and cons of each option. 
• How to approach asking family and friends to invest in your child’s future instead of buying physical presents for life events.
• A unique way for entrepreneurs to kickstart their child’s financial future with a Roth IRA.
• How Traditional and Roth IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) stack up against other investment funds. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us! Follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways! If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle and an important part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH KAREN HOLLOWAY:

Website

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Atomic Habits

Labeling kids is a mother! For both children and adults, there can be a stigma around behavioral disorders, mental health issues, learning disabilities, etc., and individuals go undiagnosed and untreated for too long. On the flip side, sometimes children are incorrectly categorized or labeled in an innocent attempt to help, which leads to other concerns. 

In episode 09 of ___ Is a Mother, we are joined by psychologist Dr. Nekeshia Hammond to discuss the importance of intervening early when your parenting instinct is telling you something isn’t right, and how you can advocate for your children, as well as your family unit. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Signs that a toddler might be struggling and require additional support. 
• The pros and cons of “labeling” or diagnosing our children with behavioral disorders and/or learning disabilities.
• Tips for communicating parenting and discipline boundaries, and connection and support needs with family and friends.
• Fielding unsolicited (yet well-intended) parenting advice. 
• Creating cultural norms within your family unit by blending aspects from each parent’s upbringing, while adding new parenting styles into the mix. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us! Follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways! If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle and an important part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH DR. HAMMOND:

Website

ADHD Explained: What Every Parent Needs to Know

Instagram 

LinkedIn

OTHER RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

Fire Child Water Child

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

Since the pandemic, we, like many people, have found ourselves saying that each year is the worst to date. And DANG! We can confidently say that 2023 was the mother of all mothers. This past year has by far been the most challenging year for both of our families in many ways. 

In episode 08 of ___ Is a Mother, we take time to reflect on the past year: the good, the bad, and the ugly, while finding the silver linings during even the toughest periods. Here are some teasers:

• The most ridiculous and adventurous things we experienced in 2023. 
• Choices we wish we would have made differently. 
• Things we hope to leave behind as we enter the new year. 
• Ways we have grown and come into a deeper sense of self-awareness as women, moms, and people.
• Cherished moments from the year that prove to us that even when times are hard, there is so much love, joy, and beauty too.

Thank you so much for being part of our journey and allowing us to be a part of yours. We’re excited to enter the new year with ya!

Thank you for listening! What are your 2023 reflections? If you enjoyed this episode, please share it in your stories and tag us! And/or send it directly to a friend who can relate. Please follow, rate and review the podcast and tell us your key takeaways. If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, let us know! Thanks for being part of our inner circle, we’re thrilled to have you part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Rest is Resistence by Tricia Hersey 

Traveling with a toddler is a mother, especially when you’re traveling to stay in someone else's home who may have different cultural norms and parenting styles as you and you’re struggling to find the balance. 

In episode 7 of ___ Is a Mother, we recap the trip that led to tension in our friendship based on our parenting and cultural differences and how the conversations we had to address that tension ultimately led to the creation of this podcast. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• PV’s traumatic experience flying with her toddler who was, unknowingly to them at the time, experiencing a night terror. 
• Finding the balance between setting boundaries for your toddler and giving them the space to make and learn from their mistakes.
• The prep and conversations that need to happen before, during, and after traveling to and staying in someone else's home with a toddler.
• Being aware of and sensitive to cultural norms of raising and parenting children while traveling.
• Lessons we’ve learned from traveling with our toddlers.

Remember to give yourself and your toddler some grace. While your toddler is still learning how to navigate life, you’re learning how to navigate parenting in different environments. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell us your key takeaways! If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle, we’re thrilled to have you part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

Body image is a mother! No matter what your shape or size or features, society presents unrealistic and unattainable goals for how we “should” look. These unhealthy images are compounded by external opinions, comments, and comparisons in life, at work, and on social media. In reality, feeling our best, healthiest selves has less to do with how our bodies look and more with the people we surround ourselves with and the life experiences we have. 

In episode 06 of ___ Is a Mother, we discuss how our relationship with our bodies has evolved throughout the course of our lives and how we have learned to give ourselves grace and appreciate and love our whole selves. 

 Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Update on Jamie’s double mastectomy and trying for baby #2.
• Separating mental and physical perceptions of our bodies.
• The relationship between weight and health (hint: it’s not linear).
• Cultural differences of a healthy body image.
• How health and fitness goals change as we age (strength >>> cardio over 40).
• Thoughts on aging gracefully and naturally. 
• Uninvited commentary on what your body should look like.
• Times we feel our best selves (spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with how our bodies look).
• The impact social media has on us as grown adults let alone impressional young people. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell us your key takeaways. If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle, we’re thrilled to have you part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

Growing up, we have ideas of what we want our future family structure to look like, and more often than not, these ideas change because of factors that are out of our control. We have certainly both found this to be true when considering expanding our family unit and all of the little decisions that come into play. This week, episode 5 of ___ Is a Mother Podcast is why baby #2 is a mother!

In this episode of ___ Is a Mother Podcast, we’re sharing how we imagined our family structure to look as young women and how it has evolved (and is still evolving) over time. Some of the talking points we go over in this episode include:

• Finding the silver linings in the unplanned and unpredicted.
• Reframing the negative ideas we have around vulnerability to see it as the strength that it is. 
• What Jamie’s breast cancer diagnosis means for her family planning journey.
• PV & husband’s decision to move forward with fertility treatments for baby number 2, or come to terms with their family of three.

We would love to hear your story. We know y’all have some interesting and complex stories! Message us and share your experience and any resources that helped you make a decision on your family planning journey. 

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag us!  And don’t forget to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell us your key takeaways! If there are topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode, please let us know. Thanks for being part of our inner circle, we’re thrilled to have you part of this community. Go call your best friend!

CONNECT WITH US:

@_IsAMotherpodcast on Instagram

Work with Jamie! 

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

As a Woman Podcast