Knowing Motherhood

A mothers greatest desire is to care for her new baby and enjoy her time with them so anxiety, depression and intrusive thoughts can be incredibly overwhelming.

Joining me today is Kerrie Van Weelden. She is a therapist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan who specializes in helping mothers and families who are walking through perinatal mood disorders. She offers so much of the information that I wish I would have had knowledge of prior to becoming a mother.

We discuss everything related to the subject of perinatal mood disorders including what they are, descriptions of each one, symptoms to be aware of, available help and treatment, how to support a mother walking through one of these disorders and so much more.

As a trigger warning, I need to mention that IF you are pregnant and have an existing anxiety disorder or have been experiencing anxiety during your pregnancy or postpartum please consider if this is the right time to listen to this episode.

That being said, if you feel confused about your symptoms and want some clarification including whether you have the “baby blues” or PPD/PPA this may be a very valuable resource for you!

Connect with Kerrie

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.kerrievanweeldenlmsw.com

Resources (mentioned and/or suggested by Kerrie)

Dr Maria Muzik

PSI- Postpartum Support International

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services (Grand Rapids MI)

Books by Karen Kleiman

Connect with KM!

Instagram: @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook: @knowingmotherhood

Email/ inquiries: [email protected]

WEBSITE LAUNCHING IN JANUARY 2020!

www.knowingmotherhood.com

My guest today is Heather Cofer. She is a mama to 4 and also a writer who will soon be releasing her first book Expectant: Cultivating a Vision for Christ Centered Pregnancy.

Heather has a beautiful heart and shares so openly about her journey through unexpected depression and physical health issues in several of her pregnancies. We talk about how important it is to reject the pull towards a self focused pregnancy, why that decision is so great for our emotional health, how to serve other mothers well and why fear of rejection shouldn’t stop us from reaching out.

Connect with Heather!

Website: www.heathercofer.com

Instagram: @heathercofer

Articles for Set-Apart Girl:

https://setapartgirl.com/author/heather-cofer/

Resources mentioned:

Heather’s upcoming book: Expectant: Cultivating a Vision for Christ Centered Pregnancy.

(early 2020)

KM Episode 2 with Jasmin Howell

KM Episode 5 with Ruth Chou Simons

Set Apart Girl Magazine

CONNECT with Knowing Motherhood!

Instagram: @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook: @knowingmotherhood

Email/ inquiries: [email protected]

WEBSITE LAUNCHING IN JANUARY 2020!

www.knowingmotherhood.com

Grief. It’s a tough thing to navigate through.

In today's episode I get a little more personal and share a blog post written only 4 weeks after we lost our baby boy when I wasn’t quite half way through his pregnancy. I also share about a dream that I had that really impacted the way that I viewed the grieving process along with some thoughts on what “grieving well” really means.

In sharing my story I hope to encourage you to do the same. We can learn from each other and that's exactly why I am so committed to sharing women with you who are genuine and whose stories offer hope to those who need it most, the hope of healing and the hope of heaven.

Lynnelle

CONNECT :

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website: Launching in January 2020!

www.knowingmotherhood.com

RESOURCES:

Blog Post: https://blog.tiptoemeadow.com/2016/11/22/finding-the-time-to-grieve/

My guest today is Jenna Liesch. She is a mother to 4 beautiful children and serves alongside her husband who is a pastor at their local church in Vancouver BC.

She has an online social platform and also a blog and she volunteers her time supporting other families during their stay in the NICU where her youngest son Judah spent 114 days after being born at almost 26 weeks.

Jenna shares with us about the second trimester loss that she walked through before her pregnancy with Judah and what it was like to walk through countless moments of almost losing him in those first few months.

Jenna is funny and sweet and I know her story is going to inspire and challenge you on so many levels!

Connect with Jenna!

Website: www.jennaliesch.com

Instagram: @jennaliesch

Resources:

A Broken Way by Ann Voskamp

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

CONNECT WITH US:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.knowingmotherhood.com

OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN EARLY 2020!

It’s Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month and we’re continuing with the theme of loss this week. My guest today is Ashlee Proffitt. She is the founder of The Morning, a website offering support and resources for mothers walking through loss including an online community to help them to feel less alone in their grief.

She is also the host of The Joyful Mourning podcast and I’ve personally been so touched by the way that she allows women to share their stories and how compassionate and understanding she is.

Ashlee knows first hand about going through miscarriage and even more heartbreaking, what losing a child is like. Her second son Aaden passed away in his sleep at 6 weeks old.

I am so moved by her story and her willingness to share her story today.

It was an honour to talk with Ashlee about how to support mothers well, what to say and not say, how to communicate, PTSD, subsequent pregnancy anxiety and the importance of allowing others into your grief journey.

CONNECT WITH ASHLEE!

Website: www.themorning.com

Podcast: The Joyful Mourning

FB Group: The Joyful Mourning

RESOURCES

Books by Nancy Guthrie:

What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps

When Your Family’s Lost a Loved One

CONNECT WITH US:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.knowingmotherhood.com

OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN EARLY 2020!

Today's guest is my sweet friend Nelia Evans. She is a wife, mother and teacher and part of her motherhood story is difficult to share but she does it so honestly and with beautiful courage. The wisdom she shares about her time walking through the short life of her daughter Grace will remind you just how closely God walks with us through these valleys that life brings and how He speaks to us right where we are at. Towards the end of our time together Nelia shares the very valuable lesson that she learned by watching her children grieve. I know this episode will encourage your heart no matter what you may be walking through!

Connect with Nelia!

Blog: www.beautifullymended.ca

Resources

Books:

From Grief to Glory by James Bruce

1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp

The Death of a Child; Reflections for Grieving Parents by Elaine E Stillwell

Connect with us on:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.knowingmotherhood.com

OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN EARLY 2020!

Parenting can present a lot of challenges and we can all use daily reminders of how to lead and guide our children well but for those dealing with the extreme emotions of a spirited child it can lead to a whole other level of exhaustion and frustration.

Though I do have a lot of experience in raising children, I’m not a parenting coach and that is why I’m happy to have my friend Holly Klaassen joining me today!

Holly is a Parent Coach & Consultant specializing in proactive strategies for parents of spirited kids.

She has a Masters in Family & Human development and has authored several e-books including The Fussy Baby Survival Guide.

She is also a former contributing writer for Huffington Post Parents.

Even if you don’t think you have a high needs child, you will still find helpful tips and encouragement in this episode. It’s definitely a good one to share with your husband or a friend!

Connect with Holly!

Websites:

www.hollyklaassen.com

www.thefussybabysite.com

Baby FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fussybabysite/

Online parenting course:

https://www.parentyourspiritedchildwithconfidence.com

Resources:

Books by Dr. Sears

Book: Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka

Book: The Explosive Child by Ross W Greene

CONNECT

I would love to see you on:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website coming soon! www.knowingmotherhood.com

Welcome to the very first official weekly episode!

Each Wednesday you’ll get a notification that a new episode is available if you’re subscribed to the podcast!

The first 4 episodes were part of our launch week series and I was truly overwhelmed by the incredible response.

My guest today is the lovely and very gifted Ruth Chou Simons. She’s a best selling author, entrepreneur and speaker and her new book Beholding and Becoming was just released last week!

It was really special to get to have this conversation with Ruth. She shares about her own motherhood experiences and applies so much biblical wisdom to our topic of True Rest. We discuss what real, soul quenching rest looks like versus tangible earthly rest and how this affects our hearts as mothers and ultimately women!

One of my favourite moments in our conversation is when Ruth reminds us that “true rest is soul rest” I can’t wait for you to listen!

Where to connect with Ruth!

Instagram: @ruthchousimons @gracelaced

Website: www.gracelaced.com

Resources

Find all of Ruth’s books and paper products at www,gracelaced.com

You can also purchase her new book Beholding and Becoming at Amazon,

Barnes & Noble, christianbook.com and Lifeway.

Mentioned also:

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin

CONNECT

I would love to see you on:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website coming soon! www.knowingmotherhood.com

My guest on today's episode is Sarah Rieke, host of the Heart Lessons podcast and author of the recently released book Even Broken Can Be Beautiful.

Sarah is a mother to 3 adorable children and she and her husband also have 2 precious babies in heaven.

Their daughter Evie and son Charlie only lived for a short time after their births before passing away from the complications of a rare genetic condition. Though her journey has been painful I know you’ll agree after listening to our time together that Sarah has a beautiful knowledge of God’s faithfulness in our suffering.

There are many takeaways in this episode and as always I am in awe of how much goodness can flow from our willingness to share the story God is writing for us.

Connect with Sarah!

Instagram: @sarah_reike

Podcast: The Heart Lessons Podcast

Website: www.sarahreike.com

Resources

Sarah’s book Even Broken Can Be Beautiful

(her website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble online & www.westbowpress.com )

Book: I Will Carry You by Angie Smith (recommended/ not in episode)

CONNECT

I would love to see you on:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website coming soon! www.knowingmotherhood.com

On today's episode of Knowing Motherhood, I have my very sweet friend Natalie Young joining me to share her motherhood story which includes the heartbreaking 23 week loss of her baby girl Paisley.

You’ll be encouraged by her incredible dependence on God’s strength during this time and how she allowed others to walk with her through the pain of losing her daughter.

Natalie is also a mama to 3 adorable boys, 2 of which are twins and she has a new little babe on the way as well!

Aside from homeschooling her boys, Natalie is a photographer, a blogger and has an online platform where she shares about family life, their inspiring minimalist lifestyle and supports other mothers who homeschool.

I know you’ll be so encouraged by Natalie’s gentle spirit and her thoughtful way of communicating.

She shares some great resources in this episode and her faith is truly inspiring.

Connect with Natalie!

Instagram: @natalieyoungblog

Website/ blog: www.natalieyoung.ca

RESOURCES

Joyful Mourning Podcast

Through the Eyes of a Lion by Levi Lusko

Grieving the Child I Never Knew (30 day devotional) by Kathe Wunnenberg

CONNECT

I would love to see you on:

Instagram @knowingmotherhoodpodcast

Facebook @knowingmotherhood

Email: [email protected]

Website coming soon! www.knowingmotherhood.com