Mama Outspoken Podcast

In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby sit with one of the most taboo feelings in early motherhood: not feeling love for your baby right away.

Jill reads a passage from her book that takes you back to those first moments after birth. She talks about the invisible pressure to get breastfeeding “right” immediately, the urgency around colostrum and milk coming in, and the heartbreak of not being the first one to hold or feed her son. She couldn’t feel parts of her body, she couldn’t get him to latch, she watched Bobby hold him first, and she waited for the rush of love she’d been promised.

It didn’t come.

Instead, she waited, cried, and prayed for it to show up.

Together, Jill and Bobby unpack the grief and confusion of that experience, the gap between the magical moment she expected and the reality she lived, and how long it actually took for love and connection to grow.

If you’ve ever wondered what it means about you that you didn’t feel an instant bond, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Not feeling instant love doesn’t mean you’re broken or that you don’t love your baby.

It means your body, brain, and heart have been through a lot and need time.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

 We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby talk about the crushing loneliness of postpartum when the support you expected can’t actually show up.

Jill shares a clip from her book about those early days at home with a newborn during the height of COVID. She describes the immense pressure she felt to care for their baby almost entirely on her own, the constant calls to her parents begging for help, and the heartbreak of hearing “no” because they were too afraid to leave their house.

Even with phone calls and virtual check-ins, she still felt let down, abandoned, and completely alone.

Together, Jill and Bobby unpack how it felt to carry newborn care without the village they were counting on, what it did to Jill’s mental health, and why asking for help can feel so complicated when everyone around you is also scared, stretched, or unavailable.

If you’ve ever felt like you were supposed to have help and didn’t, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Needing help doesn’t make you weak.

Feeling abandoned when help isn’t possible doesn’t make you ungrateful.

It makes you human.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

 We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

In this special episode of Mama Outspoken, I take you with me to the Hope Is Here 5K, an event that supports the Postpartum Resource Center of New York and families across the state.

I spent the morning talking with parents, clinicians, students, and supporters about why they showed up and what hope looks like when things are hard. You’ll hear short, powerful answers to two questions:

• What brought you to the Hope Is Here 5K today?
• If you could leave listeners with one small message of hope today, what would it be?

Then Bobby joins me to reflect on what we heard, how it connects to our own postpartum story, and we wrap up with our usual Highs and Lows segment. If you’re in the thick of postpartum, grief, or just the daily weight of caregiving, this episode is meant to sit beside you and remind you that:

• You are not alone.
• You are enough.
• You don’t have to hold all the hope by yourself.
• You can keep moving forward, one small step at a time.

In this episode:
• Live clips from the Hope Is Here 5K
• Messages of hope from parents, professionals, and supporters
• A conversation with Bobby about what hope looks like in our own story
• Our Highs and Lows for the week

If you’re listening to this and feeling alone in your own postpartum or caregiving season, consider this your reminder that there are people and resources ready to walk alongside you.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

If this conversation hit home and you want to stand with moms in a real, practical way, join me for the Hope Is Here 5k next year. You can walk or run with Team Mama Outspoken, or donate from wherever you are. It’s one simple way to tell moms, “You’re not alone in this.” All the details are at www.mamaoutspoken.com/teammamaoutspoken.

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby look back at one specific decision from their first birth story: whether or not to hire a doula.

Jill shares a passage from the book about how, as first-time parents and grandparents, no one really knew if a doula would have helped. At the time, they didn’t fully understand what doulas do or how that kind of support might have changed their experience. Now, with more distance and more language for what happened, they revisit the question: “Would having a doula have made a difference?”

This isn’t a sales pitch for doulas or a shame session about past choices. It’s an honest reflection on how little you know the first time around, what kind of emotional and physical support Jill wishes she’d had, and how to hold the “what ifs” of your birth story with compassion instead of blame.

If you’ve ever replayed your birth and wondered whether different support would have changed things, you’re not alone.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

You made the best decisions you could with what you knew at the time.

You’re allowed to grieve parts of your birth story and still show compassion to your past self.

If you’re replaying your own birth decisions and wondering what might have gone differently, you don’t have to keep having that conversation alone in your head.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

If this conversation hit home and you want to stand with moms in a real, practical way, join me for the Hope Is Here 5k. You can walk or run with Team Mama Outspoken, or donate from wherever you are. It’s one simple way to tell moms, “You’re not alone in this.” All the details are at www.mamaoutspoken.com/teammamaoutspoken.

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby zoom in on the partner’s side of the story and talk about all the unknowns of becoming parents. Bobby shares a passage from the book about what it was like to find out Jill was pregnant and realize how much was “up in the air.” Even with some understanding of the birth process, nothing could fully prepare him for what it would actually feel like to step into fatherhood. Together, they unpack why it so often feels like nobody is completely honest about what to expect and why every story you hear still can’t predict your own. They reflect on the swirl of advice from “50 different people,” the gap between head knowledge and lived experience, and the emotional and mental shifts that happen for both parents when a baby enters the picture. If you’ve ever felt unprepared, blindsided, or like you somehow missed a memo everyone else got, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

You’re not behind because you feel unprepared. You’re just human, stepping into something no one can fully map out for you. If this conversation sounds like your life right now, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

If this conversation hit home and you want to stand with moms in a real, practical way, join me for the Hope Is Here 5k. You can walk or run with Team Mama Outspoken, or donate from wherever you are. It’s one simple way to tell moms, “You’re not alone in this.” All the details are at www.mamaoutspoken.com/teammamaoutspoken.

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby  

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby take aim at a phrase so many moms hear: “You knew what you were signing up for.” Jill shares a powerful passage from her book about why that line hits so hard and why, in reality, most of us had no idea what we were walking into. From postpartum depression, anxiety, and rage to the everyday shock of how much motherhood asks of you, they unpack the myth that moms-to-be “know” what they’re getting into simply because they chose to have a baby. Together, Jill and Bobby talk about the silence around postpartum, the way expectations get shaped by half-truths and highlight reels, and what it would have meant for Jill to have “a Jill” when she was pregnant: someone telling the truth before she stepped into motherhood. If you’ve ever thought, “I should have known better” or “Everyone else seems to be handling this just fine,” this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

You didn’t fail because motherhood hit harder than you expected. You weren’t given the full story. If this conversation feels a little too familiar… if you’re walking through pregnancy or postpartum carrying guilt that you “should have known better,” you don’t have to untangle that alone.  

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby  

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

If you’re ready to get clear on what you actually want your life and business to look like, come dream it into reality with me here.

If you’re a new or future mama who wants a real work‑from‑home option, the internship that taught me virtual assisting and helped me land my first client is this.

If you’re craving an entrepreneur village where you can build relationships, learn core strategies, and grow a business you own (not one that owns you), you’ll want to check out this.

In this honest return to the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby share why the show has been on a break and what brought them back to the mic.  

They talk about losing Jill’s dad, walking through confusion around a possible miscarriage, and then finding out she is, in fact, pregnant again. Now around halfway through this new pregnancy, Jill opens up about intense symptoms, shifting capacity in her business, and what it’s like to feel the life being “sucked out of her” while people expect her to be glowing and grateful.  

Together, Jill and Bobby sit with the questions: “Is it okay to hate being pregnant even when everything goes ‘right’?” and “Why don’t more women talk about the discomfort of pregnancy?” They unpack the pressure to appear joyful, the emotional dissonance of wanting the baby but struggling with the experience, and how grief and pregnancy can collide in the same season. If you’ve ever felt guilty for not loving pregnancy, this episode is for you.  

In this episode, you’ll hear:

You can be grateful for your baby and miserable in your body. You can be excited and scared. Hopeful and exhausted. Two things can be true at once.  

If this conversation feels a little too familiar… if you’re walking through pregnancy or postpartum while also carrying grief, burnout, or a shift in what you’re capable of right now, you don’t have to process that alone.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. 

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby  

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

If you’re ready to get clear on what you actually want your life and business to look like, come dream it into reality with me here.

If you’re a new or future mama who wants a real work‑from‑home option, the internship that taught me virtual assisting and helped me land my first client is this.

If you’re craving an entrepreneur village where you can build relationships, learn core strategies, and grow a business you own (not one that owns you), you’ll want to check out this.

In this deeply personal episode, Jill and Bobby open up about their journey of trying for another baby after walking through postpartum depression, anxiety, and rage - and experiencing two miscarriages. Recorded live inside the Mama Outspoken Village, they talk candidly about grief, hope, healing, and the tender balance between fear and faith when deciding whether to try again. With raw honesty and compassion, they share what it’s really like to navigate miscarriage, loss, and the longing for another child while parenting a thriving five-year-old and holding space for one another’s emotions.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

No parent should walk through miscarriage or postpartum struggles in silence. Whether you’ve experienced loss yourself or love someone who has, this conversation reminds us that healing happens in community — when we give voice to the pain and hold space for hope. If you’re going through this right now, please know: you are not alone.  

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a mom who needs to hear it. 💛
Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. And don’t forget to RSVP for the Vision Board Party at MySexyBusiness.com - because creating is better together.  

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby  

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

If you’re ready to get clear on what you actually want your life and business to look like, come dream it into reality with me here.

If you’re a new or future mama who wants a real work‑from‑home option, the internship that taught me virtual assisting and helped me land my first client is this.

If you’re craving an entrepreneur village where you can build relationships, learn core strategies, and grow a business you own (not one that owns you), you’ll want to check out this.

After an unplanned summer break, Jill and Bobby return to the mic to share how life, parenthood, and purpose have evolved. In this heartfelt episode, Jill reflects on her lifelong connection to the Postpartum Resource Center of New York (PRCNY) - from raising funds for it as a teen to relying on its support as a mom navigating postpartum struggles. Together, they unpack why organizations like PRCNY and Postpartum Support International are vital for families, what resources are available, and how faith and community can make healing possible. They also share their weekly highs and lows, offering a raw glimpse into the realities of kindergarten transitions, long work hours, and finding balance as a family.  

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

This episode is a beautiful reminder that what we pour into early on - whether through faith, community, or service - can one day pour back into us. The Postpartum Resource Center of New York stands as a lifeline not just for Jill, but for countless families who need to know they’re not alone. Whether you’re a first-time mom or a seasoned parent, this conversation encourages you to seek support, share your story, and stay connected to the resources that help you thrive.  

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a mom who needs to hear it. 💛
Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community. And don’t forget to RSVP for the Vision Board Party at MySexyBusiness.com - because creating is better together.  

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby  

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

If you’re ready to get clear on what you actually want your life and business to look like, come dream it into reality with me here.

If you’re a new or future mama who wants a real work‑from‑home option, the internship that taught me virtual assisting and helped me land my first client is this.

If you’re craving an entrepreneur village where you can build relationships, learn core strategies, and grow a business you own (not one that owns you), you’ll want to check out this.

Jill and Bobby share the powerful story behind the Sounds of Silence and Hope Is Here 5K events—and how something as simple as walking became a life-changing act of healing, advocacy, and community. Jill reflects on her first experience joining the 5K, what kept her from signing up for years, and how the Postpartum Resource Center of New York became a pivotal support in her own postpartum journey. Together, they open up about the ripple effect of showing up—whether it's on the beach at 8 months pregnant, holding space in conversation, or simply sharing the name of a resource another parent may need to hear.

  In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

We never know who’s watching or listening when we share our story, and sometimes the most ordinary acts—like walking in a 5K—become extraordinary turning points. Whether you're local to New York or cheering from afar, you can join the mission by walking, donating, or simply sharing. Because hope is here—and it walks with us. 🧡

👟 Walk or run with us in-person. Register here https://postpartumny.org/25hope/
🤝 Donate to support moms in need here https://www.zeffy.com/team/mama-outspoken
📣 Share this message to help spread hope
Every step, every dollar, every share matters.
💥 Join or support Team Mama Outspoken because hope is here—and together, we can help a mama find it. 💛  

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby  

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

If you’re ready to get clear on what you actually want your life and business to look like, come dream it into reality with me here.

If you’re a new or future mama who wants a real work‑from‑home option, the internship that taught me virtual assisting and helped me land my first client is this.

If you’re craving an entrepreneur village where you can build relationships, learn core strategies, and grow a business you own (not one that owns you), you’ll want to check out this.