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.

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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
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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
Watch on YouTube: Click 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
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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
Watch on YouTube: Click 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
Watch on YouTube: Click here!

The first few weeks of pregnancy can feel like a whirlwind. You’re excited—and then you’re overwhelmed. You’re Googling symptoms, making spreadsheets, and wondering if life is about to completely change (spoiler: it is, but not the way you think).

In this episode, Jessica talks with Stephanie DeFilippis, LCSW, founder of Crescent Moon Therapy, about those early moments of pregnancy and how to prepare for what’s next—mentally, emotionally, and physically.

They break down the common fears, the “I’m not ready” spiral, and why slowing down is just as important as stocking up.

This episode is for anyone who’s ever asked, “I’m pregnant—now what?”

Main Topics Covered

• Navigating the mental load of early pregnancy
• The panic of “am I ready?” and why it’s normal
• What no one tells you about the first 8 weeks
• Building support systems before postpartum hits
• Why therapy during pregnancy can prevent postpartum crisis
• Creating a postpartum care plan (for you, not just the baby)
• The importance of partner roles in postpartum recovery
• Identity shifts and grace through motherhood

Resources Mentioned

• Crescent Moon Therapy
• Instagram: @crescentmoon_therapy
• Calm app
• Prenatal yoga, mother-baby meditations (Rooted Beings Meditation)
• Postpartum Support International (postpartum.net)

Connect with Stephanie DeFilippis

• Website: crescentmoon-therapy.com
• Instagram: @crescentmoon_therapy

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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In this special bonus episode of The Mama Making Podcast, recorded in collaboration with Nurture 19’s Faces of Nurture campaign, Jessica talks with Alexandra Bradberry and Chelsie Bruggeman—two moms, entrepreneurs, and advocates for rethinking how we support working parents.

They get honest about what burnout really feels like (spoiler: it’s not always obvious), how they’ve learned to prioritize rest and connection, and why building community is non-negotiable for modern motherhood.

If you’ve ever wondered how you’re supposed to do it all—or why you even think you should—this episode is the reminder you need that you're not alone, and you're not doing it wrong. It’s just that hard.

Main Topics Covered

• What it actually looks like to nurture yourself as a mom and entrepreneur
• How motherhood redefines your identity
• Burnout symptoms, signals, and why rest feels so hard
• Learning to ask for help without guilt
• Boundaries around work, life, and self-care
• Building communities where moms can tell the truth
• Why mentorship and shared experiences matter
  
  

Resources Mentioned

• The Sparkle Bar – Alexandra’s business
• Momentum for Working Moms – Chelsie’s company
• Nurture 19’s Faces of Nurture campaign

Connect with the Guests
Alexandra Bradberry

• Instagram: @alexbradberry
• Business: @thesparklebar
• Website: thesparklebar.com

Chelsie Bruggeman

• LinkedIn: Chelsie Bruggeman
• Instagram: @working_with_momentum
• Website: momentumforworkingmoms.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
Watch on YouTube: Click here!

What if you could get childcare, a therapy session, a pelvic floor appointment, a nap, and your laundry done—all under one roof?

In this episode, Jessica talks with therapist and Nurture 19 co-founder Erica Rose Cummings about how she’s disrupting the broken system parents are navigating. From postpartum trauma to creating physical spaces that combine childcare, wellness, and community support, Erica shares what modern parenting could look like when systems actually serve families.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in logistics, this one’s for you.

Main Topics Covered

• Erica’s personal postpartum journey and the birth of Nurture 19
• Why today’s parents are overwhelmed and unsupported
• The emotional and logistical labor of motherhood
• Building physical spaces to support parents
• Financial accessibility and equity-for-membership
• Legal rights and advocacy for working moms
• Creating true community and modern-day villages

Resources Mentioned

• Nurture 19’s crowdfunding on iFundWomen
  
  

Connect with Nurture19

• Website: nurture19.com
• Instagram: @nurture_19_

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
Watch on YouTube: Click here!

Making mom friends sounds simple, right? But so many of us are quietly wondering: Why is this so awkward and hard? In this episode, Jessica sits down with perinatal therapist and founder of Mind Made Well Counseling, Rachel Menge, LCSW, to unpack the real reasons new moms struggle with friendship—and what to do about it.

Rachel shares her own journey of rebuilding a social circle after baby #2, plus the low-pressure strategies she's seen work for clients and herself. Whether you're shy, newly relocated, or just tired of being the one who always initiates, this conversation offers real talk and real tools to help you make meaningful mom connections.

Spoiler: You don’t need 10 best friends—just a few people who get it.

Main Topics Covered

• Why making friends after becoming a mom feels harder than it “should”
• The myth of the instant village and what to expect instead
• Social scripts, routines, and “soft invites” that actually build connection
• Tips for navigating mom cliques, story time circles, and nature classes
• Shifting your mindset from “I’m not likable” to “I’m worth knowing”
• The role of therapy in untangling what’s getting in your way
• Building your own community hub (and why it doesn’t need to be fancy)

Resources Mentioned

• Mind Made Well Counseling
• RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association – resolve.org

Connect with Rachel Menge

• Website: mindmadewell.com
• Instagram: @mindmadewell
  
  

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
Watch on YouTube: Click here!