Gabby talks about not doubting her ability to parent, even though she was a young mom with her first child, and people told her to place her child for adoption. She talks about how having a child at a young age wasn't a mistake, none of her kids are a mistake. She also talks about the pressure she felt as a young mom.

Gabby shares that having her kids helped her be more open minded about other people, instead of making snap judgments. She shares how her Mexican culture, but raising her kids in the U.S., affects her mothering. She shares that her religious journey includes a blend of Catholicism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and how her spiritual journey affects her mothering. Gabby talks about the difference between being a single mom and being married now. She gushes about her husband, and it is adorable.

If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, send me (Laura Pruett) a message! I'd love to chat. You can reach out to me on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Tiffany talks about being super stressed out after having her first child, to the point that she developed Bell's Palsy. She also had her gall bladder removed shortly after giving birth. She was anticipating more health challenges with her second child, and was surprised to find out her child was born with birth anomalies that require extra care and doctor visits. She shares she did not want to be pregnant with her third child, but those feelings went away once she gave birth.

Tiffany talks about getting spiritual promptings when it was time to try for each child, and teaching her kids about God and Jesus Christ. She shares that not just tolerance, but acceptance and love for everyone, is a big part of her religious teaching with her kids. Tiffany talks about not feeling close cultural ties to her Filipino, Mexican and El Salvadorian heritage. She shares that her husband's Samoan culture plays a bigger role in her kids' lives.

Tiffany talks about having a hard childhood growing up in poverty with her single mom and two siblings, and how her relationship with her mom affects how she mothers now. Tiffany talks about actively working against her instincts to discipline a certain way, and instead use gentle or positive guidance. Just a heads up, I mention suicidal ideation. If you are having suicidal thoughts, or any mental health issue, please reach out to someone. If you are in the United States, you can call the 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357.

If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, send me (Laura Pruett) a message! I'd love to chat. You can reach out to me on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Matti talks about having PCOS and thought for years that she was infertile. When she did become pregnant, she developed preeclampsia and needed to deliver her baby preterm at 25 weeks and 5 days gestation. Matti shares about her son being a micro baby in the NICU for months, and having 2 newborn stages: a newborn in the NICU and a newborn once he was discharged from the hospital. Matti talks about babywearing her son as a way to discourage others from touching him since he is a medically delicate child, and also talks about becoming more assertive. She shares a little of what it is like being a stay at home mom and feeling touched out.

Matti talks about growing up as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and choosing to step away from the religion. She mentions gentle parenting and The Danish Way (you can find more information here). Some Instagram accounts Matti follows about gentle parenting are @BigLittleFeelings and @MrChazz.

Matti also talks about having Postpartum Depression and encourages anyone who is experiencing similar issues to reach out to someone - your partner, your doctor, anyone in your support system. If you are experiencing mental health issues, please reach out to someone. If you are in the United States, you can call the 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357.

If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, send me (Laura Pruett) a message! I'd love to chat. You can reach out to me on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Brianna talked about her infertility struggles, some of her triggers, and the kindnesses people showed her and her husband. She talked about how having endometriosis, surgery, IUI, and IVF all led to her son. She shared that once she was pregnant, she was surprised by perinatal depression, but thankfully did not experience postpartum depression. If you are experiencing any mental health issues, please reach out to someone. If you are in the United States, you can call the 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357.

Brianna talked about mom-shaming, and feeling the pressure of never having a bad day as a mom after trying so hard to have a baby. She talked about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She also shared how the American tendency to shame moms for breastfeeding affects her mothering. She talked about how being a nanny and working with kids for so long helped prepare her for motherhood.

If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Samantha talks about being the oldest of 8 children. She had a pretty good idea of what being a mom is like before she had her own kids, but was still surprised by different aspects being a mom. She talks about how she has a close relationship with her mom, and how her husband and her family are a huge support system for her. She shares openly about having post-partum depression and anxiety, and encourages others to seek help if they are having similar issues. I mention an episode of Death, Sex, and Money called, "Ellen Burstyn's Lessons on Survival", it was published on Oct 4, 2017. You can listen on any podcast platform, you can also find that specific episode here. She talks about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and being homeschooled for much of her education, and how both of those parts of her life affect her mothering today. If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

LiAna wasn't sure if she could have kids or not because of her family history. She had her first son, then a year later gave birth to twins without knowing she was pregnant till she gave birth to the first twin. It's too much to summarize, listen to find out more. LiAna talks about her IBS issues, and mentions she struggles with depression, anxiety and OCD. If you have any mental health issues, please reach out to someone. If you are in the United States, you can call the 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357. LiAna talks about breastfeeding versus bottle feeding. She also shares how her faith and being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints affects her mothering. LiAna talks about being of Hispanic descent and also half white. She talks about growing up in a 4 generation household, and now raising her kids in a 4 generation household. If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Sara talks about knowing she wanted kids, then being surprised with how little control she had over her life and her kids once they were born. She talks about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, there is a lot of church jargon I explain at the beginning of the episode. Sara shares about homeschooling her kids till about middle school. She talks about trying to not let general culture get her focused on looking picture perfect or other things that don't really matter, and just trying to let her kids be who they're going to be. If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Yesenia was told at the age of 16 she wouldn't be able to carry a child. Then at the age of 23, she unexpectedly found herself pregnant. She has been a single mom the entire time, but has been navigating how to co-parent with her child's father for the past 3 years. Yesenia talks about learning how to set boundaries with people in her life, and teaching her daughter how to set boundaries. She talks about being Hispanic, her first language was Spanish. Even though Yesenia's daughter doesn't speak Spanish, she can understand it and listens to all the gossip. Yesenia talks about her relationship with her mother, and how her mother passed away from cancer, and how that affects her mothering now. She talks about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She talks about learning to open up and trust other people, but also learning to trust her instincts about what people to avoid. If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Keri has been a single mom for most of her kids' lives, and she got a lot of help from her parents. Her mother recently passed away from Alzheimer's, and she and her kids are grieving the loss of such a significant person in their lives. Keri talks about the importance of sleep in being a single parent, and found sleep training to be super helpful for her to function. TRIGGER WARNING: Rape and suicidal thoughts are mentioned. The United States free 24/7 national sexual assault hotline is 800-656-HOPE or 800-656-4673. You can also chat on the RAINN mobile app. The United States national mental health helpline is 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357. Keri talks a lot about how being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints affects her mothering. Keri talks about how the childbirth and the newborn phase was not that big of a deal for her, she has found that the pre-teen and teen stages are harder for her. Keri also talks about how motherhood is a process for the mother, just wading in little by little. If you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Sheyla talks about getting giving birth to her first child at age of 17, and all that came with being a young mom. She shares she is pregnant with her second child now at the age of 26, and she compares the difference to having a supportive partner this time around. This pregnancy was considered a high risk pregnancy till she was 20 weeks along because of subchorionic hemorrhage, a blood clot in her uterus. She is no longer considered high risk, she and her baby girl are now fine. Sheyla talks about her worries about having a girl after getting used to raising a boy. She discusses how she is spiritual, but not religious, but her son is Catholic. Sheyla shares how being half Mexican and half Guatemalan affects her mothering. She also talks about finding her boundaries in being a good mom but also taking care of herself. I mention an episode of Death, Sex, and Money called, "Ellen Burstyn's Lessons on Survival", it was published on Oct 4, 2017. You can listen on any podcast platform, you can also find that specific episode here. Sheyla touches on the abuse she experienced as a child, and getting kicked out of the house when she got pregnant with her first child. She talks about seeking out therapy and mental health help, even with the cultural stigma against seeking out help. If you are experiencing any mental health struggle, please reach out to someone. If you are in the United States, you can call the 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP or 1-800-662-4357. If you have any thoughts or questions, or if you want to come on the podcast and share your experiences of being a mom, you can reach out to me, Laura Pruett, on the Laura Asks About Motherhood Facebook page or Instagram account.

Edit: I reference The StoryTinker podcast, hosted by Mindy Schaper, which is how Sheyla and I met, you can check it out here or on any podcast platform. Sheyla, Mindy and I met through our shared love of the webcomic Midnight Poppy Land, created by Lilydusk. You can read it on Webtoon here or on the free Webtoon app.