Mama Making Podcast

Episode Description

What if your prenatal education came with a built-in village?

In this episode, Jessica talks with Georgia Kastaris, founder of Expecting Together, a prenatal social club that blends expert-led education with real community. Based in Chicago and inspired by European models of group care, Expecting Together creates small, curated cohorts of expecting parents—matched by due date and neighborhood - to foster support that lasts well beyond the birth.

Whether you’re expecting your first baby or dreaming of a better way to help families prepare, this conversation is a must-listen. Georgia shares how she’s rethinking the prenatal experience to include connection, trust, and the kind of friendships that make early parenthood less isolating.

Use code LAUNCH100 for $100 off your cohort.

Main Topics Covered

• Georgia’s background in healthcare innovation and her journey to birthwork
• How Expecting Together reimagines prenatal education through small group cohorts
• The power of community and shared experience in the perinatal season
• Differences between U.S. prenatal care and European group models
• What support really looks like for new parents
• How friendship and familiarity can reduce postpartum anxiety and stress

Resources Mentioned

• Expecting Together: expectingtogether.com
• Discount Code: LAUNCH100 for $100 off cohort registration
• Instagram: @expecting.together
  
  

Connect with Georgia Kastaris

Website: expectingtogether.com
Instagram: @expecting.together
LinkedIn: @expectingtogether

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

Follow The Mama Making Podcast on socials on Instagram and Facebook!
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Episode Description

Ever wish there was a family operating system to keep track of everything from your child’s passport to your emergency contacts?

Meet Nat Robinson, founder and CEO of Trustworthy—the digital assistant for modern families. In this episode, Nat shares the story behind the platform (spoiler: he sold a company and became a dad on the same day), how Trustworthy helps lighten the mental load for parents, and why smart tech should feel like a helping hand, not another to-do list.

We talk digital legacy, family systems, and what it really means to design tech that centers emotional as well as practical needs.

Main Topics Covered

• Nat’s personal story of becoming a dad and building Trustworthy
• The difference between document storage vs. intelligent organization
• Real-world use cases that shaped the platform
• Trustworthy’s focus on privacy, security, and peace of mind
• How AI + human support creates a better family admin experience
• Parenting, legacy planning, and redefining control in chaos

Connect with Nat Robinson

• Website: trustworthy.com
• Instagram: @trustworthyco
• YouTube: @Trustworthy-fos
• LinkedIn: Trustworthy & Nat Robinson

*This episode is sponsored by Trustworthy* 

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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 episode, Jessica sits down with Anna Rodney, the powerhouse behind Chicago Family Doulas and Birth & Baby University, for a deeply insightful conversation about what it takes to build a mission-driven birth business, support hundreds of families, and raise three daughters - all at the same time.

From a transformative first birth experience to launching one of the largest doula agencies in the country, Anna shares how her personal journey sparked a career shift, the business lessons learned through rapid growth, and the importance of childbirth education, not just for families - but for doulas too.

This is a must-listen for anyone navigating the world of birth work, motherhood, or values-driven entrepreneurship.

Main Topics Covered

• How Anna’s first birth experience inspired her career pivot
• The story behind founding Chicago Family Doulas
• Why she launched Birth & Baby University to fill a critical gap
• The myths about doula care - and what doulas actually do
• How education empowers both families and professionals
• Growing a business that serves 300+ doulas and countless families
• The personal cost of growth - and how Anna structured her business to support motherhood and freedom
• What new parents really need to know before birth
• The power of postpartum support and when families need it most
• Why doulas don’t replace education - and education doesn’t replace support

Resources Mentioned

• Chicago Family Doulas
• Birth & Baby University
• Bump to Baby Event (Chicago – October 18)
• Contact: [email protected]
  
  

Connect with Anna Rodney

• Website: chicagofamilydoulas.com
• Website: birthandbabyuniversity.com
• Instagram, Facebook, TikTok: @chicagofamilydoulas
  | @birthandbabyuniversity
• For professionals: Birth & Baby University
  
  

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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 solo episode, host Jessica Lamb peels back the curtain on what’s coming in Season 4 of The Mama Making Podcast - and reflects on the journey that brought her here. From rediscovering her identity after a layoff to launching a storytelling-based business, Jessica shares candid insights on motherhood, imposter syndrome, entrepreneurship, and building a community for moms in the messy middle.

This is a behind-the-scenes look at where the show is headed, what’s changing, and what will always remain the same: real talk, mom stories, and space to feel less alone.

Main Topics Covered

• The origin story of Collabs Creative and its mission
• The podcast’s evolving focus on storytelling and entrepreneurship
• What to expect from Season 4: solo episodes, guest convos, and video
• Creating connection through community, newsletters, and DMs

 Resources Mentioned

• Jessica’s Digital Marketing business: Collabs Creative
• Newsletter: The Mama Making Insider
• Podcast YouTube channel: YouTube.com/@themamamakingpodcast
  
  

Connect with Jessica

• Website: themamamakingpodcast.com
• Instagram: @themamamakingpodcast
• TikTok: @themamamakingpodcast
• Newsletter sign-up: Subscribe here

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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

This rewind episode brings back one of our most informative and empowering conversations - how to prepare for pregnancy in your 30s and beyond—featuring holistic fertility coach Nora DeBora of Naturally Nora.

Together, we dive into what true preconception prep looks like, beyond the basics. Nora breaks down cycle tracking, hormonal red flags, nutritional foundations, and how to support your body for pregnancy (even if you’re not trying right now).

If you’re thinking about baby #1 or baby #3, or just want to understand your body better, this episode is packed with insight - and full of “why didn’t anyone teach us this?” moments.

Main Topics Covered

• How your body naturally prepares for pregnancy
• Preconception foundations: sleep, stress, food, and movement
• Cycle awareness + signs of hormone imbalance
• TTC in your 30s: how to support your eggs and energy
• What to ask your doctor before you start trying
• Why your period is a monthly report card
• The importance of mindset and patience during the process

Connect with Nora DeBora

• Website: naturallynora.ca
• Instagram: @naturally_nora
  
  

This episode is sponsored by Collabs Creative - a boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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

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 boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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!

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 boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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 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 boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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 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 boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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 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 boutique digital marketing company helping small business owners and creatives tell their story.

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!