Episode Description

This rewind episode brings back one of our most-loved conversations—a real, empowering look at home birth, mindset, and the deep trust that comes with bringing babies into the world on your own terms.

Jessica is joined by Hayley Matossian, a mom of three, to revisit her two unique home birth stories: her first, a fast and powerful labor that changed how she saw herself, and her second—a twin birth at home filled with surrender, trust in her birth team, and one unforgettable moment when her baby needed extra support right after delivery.

Hayley shares what led her to midwifery care, how she mentally prepared for birthing twins, and what early postpartum looked like with two newborns. If you’ve ever questioned your strength, your voice, or your path—this episode will meet you where you are.

Main Topics Covered:

• Choosing home birth and building a supportive team
• Birth mindset and reframing fear into confidence
• What it was like to deliver twins at home
• When birth doesn’t go exactly to plan—and how to respond with calm
• Postpartum recovery with multiples
• What she wants every mom to know about their options

Resources Mentioned:

• The Business of Being Born (documentary)
• Hypnobirthing classes

Connect with Hayley:

• Instagram: @hayleymatossian

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

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PODCAST SHOW DESCRIPTION
This week on The Mama Making Podcast, we’re joined by Becca Tilton, the founder of Momma in Bloom - a postpartum wellness sanctuary helping moms navigate early motherhood with compassion, support, and evidence-based care. Becca opens up about her own journey into motherhood and how it sparked the vision behind this healing-centered space for new parents. If you’ve ever felt isolated, overwhelmed, or unseen in those first blurry weeks postpartum - this conversation is for you.

We dive into how community care, holistic support, and trauma-informed postpartum services can change the game for maternal mental health. And Becca doesn’t just talk about the problems - she’s building solutions.

MAIN TOPICS COVERED

• The inspiration behind Momma in Bloom
• Why postpartum care needs a complete overhaul
• How Becca transitioned from doula work to center founder
• The importance of trauma-informed support for new moms
• Ways community spaces help reduce isolation
• Addressing burnout and identity shifts in motherhood

HOW TO CONNECT WITH BECCA

• Website: mommainbloom.com
• Instagram: @momma.in.bloom

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
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Episode Description

In this week’s episode, Jessica sits down with Anne Nicholson-Weber, the founder of BirthGuideChicago.com—a comprehensive directory for birth providers in the Chicagoland area. Anne shares how her own experiences during childbirth shaped the way she advocates for better, more transparent care options for expectant parents. We talk about how BirthGuide came to be, what to consider when choosing a provider or birth setting, and why informed choice is a vital part of the parenting journey.

Whether you’re planning your first birth or advocating for better systems of care, this episode reminds us how much power we hold when we’re given the right tools and information.

Main Topics Covered

• Anne’s personal birth stories and what led her to launch BirthGuide Chicago
• Why choosing a birth provider or location shouldn’t be based on convenience alone
• How BirthGuide helps families compare birth settings, philosophies, and outcomes
• What Anne learned about maternal care quality through building the platform
• Empowering expectant parents with questions, context, and confidence
• Shifting systems: from reactive care to informed, proactive support

Resources Mentioned

• BirthGuide Chicago
• Childbirth Connection
• Evidence Based Birth
• Pushed by Jennifer Block

Listen to The BirthGuide Podcast!

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
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Episode Description

In this episode, neonatologist and Chief Medical Officer at Prolacta Bioscience, Dr. Melinda Elliott, shares how human milk–based nutrition is transforming health outcomes for premature infants in the NICU. From evidence-backed science to heartfelt advocacy, Dr. Elliott explains what an exclusive human milk diet really means, why it matters, and how families can play an active role in their babies’ care—both inside and outside the hospital.

Whether you’re a NICU parent, former preemie, or simply passionate about equitable care for moms and babies, this episode will educate, inspire, and equip you with practical questions to ask—and systems to challenge.

Main Topics Covered

• Why human milk fortifiers are crucial for premature infants
• The risks associated with cow milk–based products in the NICU
• How human milk–based nutrition improves short- and long-term outcomes
• The role of advocacy and parent involvement in NICU care
• How Prolacta Bioscience is creating change through innovation and policy
• Supporting equitable access to human milk and NICU resources
• Donating milk and the impact it can have on critically ill babies

Resources Mentioned

• Prolacta Bioscience - How to access for NICU Parents
• Become a Donor with Prolacta
• NICU Parent Network
• NAMS Provider Directory
• Parent Support Hotline: 1-888-413-9885
• Contact: [email protected]
• Connect with Prolacta: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn.

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
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Episode Description
In this deeply grounding episode, Jessica sits down with Alexi Neal, a multidisciplinary somatic healer specializing in yoga therapy, energy healing, and trauma-informed bodywork. Alexi shares how motherhood reshaped her understanding of the nervous system and offers insight into how somatic practices can support emotional regulation, physical recovery, and self-trust throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

They talk about her personal experiences with induction, home birth, postpartum rest, and learning to trust the body again—plus, the real and raw truths of rebuilding your identity after becoming a mom.

Main Topics Covered

• What is somatic healing and how it supports motherhood
• Alexi’s path from yoga teacher to somatic therapist
• Rebuilding body connection after trauma or birth
• The difference between her two birth experiences (hospital vs. home)
• Why rest is radical in postpartum—and how she embraced it
• The importance of individualized care and maternal intuition

Connect with Alexi

• Website: soulfulsomatics.com
• Instagram: @soulful.alexi

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Want to be a guest?: message in here!

Episode Description
In this episode of The Mama Making Podcast, Jessica talks with Yewande Banire, board-certified family nurse practitioner and founder of Serene Infusion and Wellness Lounge. Together, they dive into hormone health—especially in the seasons of perimenopause, menopause, and extended postpartum. Yewande shares her own experience that led her into integrative and functional medicine, debunks myths around hormone therapy, and offers insights on how we can stop white-knuckling our way through these transitions. This one is packed with truth, compassion, and actionable info.

Main Topics Covered

• What hormone therapy is (and isn’t)
• The myths behind breast cancer and hormone replacement
• The role of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
• Why gut health matters for hormone therapy
• Symptoms of perimenopause and menopause
• How to advocate for yourself when providers dismiss your concerns
• The overlap of perimenopause and postpartum symptoms
• Hormone support options during postpartum
• Why Yewande started her practice after her own perimenopause experience

Resources Mentioned

• Serene Infusion and Wellness Lounge
• Instagram: @serene_midlifewellness
• Menopause Provider Directory: nams.org

Connect with Yewande

• Instagram: @serene_midlifewellness
• Website: serenewellnessmed.com

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Want to be a guest?: message in here!

Episode Description
In this heartfelt conversation, Jessica sits down with Courtney Boylan, founder of Le Lolo—a luxury postpartum essentials brand focused on making postpartum more beautiful, functional, and supported. Courtney shares the story behind her first product (a flower-shaped nipple shield!), the journey from burnout to launching a product-based business, and the values that continue to drive her today.

Whether you're in the trenches of new motherhood or dreaming up your own idea, this episode is packed with real talk, product inspo, and encouragement to follow the tug on your heart.

Main Topics Covered

• Courtney’s inspiration for starting Le Lolo
• Why moms deserve beautiful, functional recovery products
• The R&D process behind her flower-shaped nipple shield
• Building trust and transparency as a mom-owned brand
• Advice for other moms launching something of their own
• How she balances entrepreneurship and motherhood

Resources Mentioned

• Le Lolo: wearelelolo.com
• Instagram: @wearelelolo

Connect with Courtney

• Website: wearelelolo.com
• Instagram: @wearelelolo

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Want to be a guest?: message in here!

Episode Description
In this inspiring episode, Jessica sits down with business coach and agency owner Breana Velfling to talk about building a virtual assistant (VA) business as a mom. Breana shares her raw and honest journey—from moving in with her mom during a tough financial season to building a thriving VA consulting agency and coaching program that supports other mothers ready to do the same.

They dive into the real talk on confidence, rates, support, and why moms are uniquely equipped to lead and grow businesses that work for their families. If you've ever wondered whether you could make it work as a VA, or you’re ready to outsource in your own business, this one’s for you.

Main Topics Covered

• How Breana started her VA business during a tough season
• What a virtual assistant actually does (and who they help)
• Why moms are naturally great at project management
• How confidence affects pricing—and how to build it
• How to know when and what to delegate in your business
• What it’s really like working from home with young kids
• Her two coaching paths for moms starting and scaling VA businesses

Resources Mentioned

• BreanaVelfling.com
• Instagram: @breanavelfling

Connect with Breana Velfling

• Instagram & Facebook: @breanavelfling
• Website: breanavelfling.com

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Want to be a guest?: message in here!

Episode Description

What if postpartum wasn’t something we just “got through”—but a sacred, supported experience?

In this episode, Jessica sits down with Kaitlin Marcellot, founder of Shugie, a postpartum wellness platform rooted in storytelling and community. They talk about Kaitlin’s first birth during the height of COVID, her unique approach to preparing for postpartum before even thinking about pregnancy classes, and how she used her background in marketing, wellness, and storytelling to create Shugie as a resource hub for other moms.

They also dive into what happens when we stop choosing sides (Western or holistic), start advocating for ourselves in the delivery room, and use our voices to create change in maternal care systems.

Main Topics Covered

• How Kaitlin prepared for postpartum as a first priority
• Experiencing an emergency birth during the pandemic
• Advocating for yourself the second time around
• The power of journaling and storytelling to process birth
• What it means to hold privilege and push for systemic change
• Starting Shugie as a virtual hub for connection and care
• Embracing a “both/and” approach to birth and recovery
• Why sharing your story is healing—for you and for others

Resources Mentioned

• shugie.co
• Instagram: @hi.shugie
• The Recovery Method (Directory for postpartum providers)

Connect with Kaitlin Marcellot

• Website: shugie.co
• Instagram, TikTok + Facebook: @hi.shugie

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Want to be a guest?: message in here!

Episode Description

What happens when everything goes according to plan—until it doesn’t?

In this powerful episode, Jessica talks with Maddie Moss, maternal mental health advocate and founder of Maternal Sunshine, about her unexpected descent into postpartum anxiety, her experience with inpatient care, and how she’s now creating community for moms in the fourth trimester and beyond.

They cover the signs Maddie missed, the breaking point that led her to seek emergency help, and the real support systems that helped her find her way back. If you've ever felt like you were drowning in new motherhood, this one’s for you.

Main Topics Covered

• When postpartum anxiety sneaks up after a “sunshine pregnancy”
• Birth trauma, recovery, and unmet expectations
• The impact of early crises (including a sewage leak!)
• Intrusive thoughts, sleep deprivation, and reaching a breaking point
• The gap in perinatal-specific inpatient care
• Finding the right therapist and perinatal psychiatrist
• Support groups and the healing power of peer connection
• How Maddie created Maternal Sunshine to support other moms

Resources Mentioned

• Maternal Sunshine
• Instagram: @maternal.sunshine
• Postpartum Support International
• Beyond the Baby Blues Support Groups (via The Family Institute, Evanston IL)
• Ascension Illinois Perinatal IOP (Alexian Brothers, Hoffman Estates)

Connect with Maddie Moss

• Website: maternalsunshinellc.com
• Instagram: @maternal.sunshine

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a digital marketing company supporting makers, creatives, and small business owners with all things digital and design.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
Share and subscribe to the podcast: click this link
Want to be a guest?: message in here!