Mighty As A Mother

Becoming a mother is such a fundamental shift in our identity, and one of the most significant physical and psychological changes a woman will ever experience. On today's show, we have Lauren and Megan — the founders of The Matrescence. The Matrescence was born out of a desire to help other women navigate their personal experiences with motherhood while providing a community to support, uplift, and empower one another.

They have a desire to sift through the overwhelming opinions of today's digital world and curate an intimate and personalized experience for each woman who comes to this space with a promise that all guides and support will come directly from experts.

And this is personal for both of them. After experiencing bouts of anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, and rage, Lauren and Megan felt called to create a digital community to connect and educate women, grounded in the belief that mental health and wellness should be a priority for women who too often put themselves last.

Join us for today's conversation as we discuss:

• Loving our kiddos, but not loving motherhood all the time.

• How to find a sense of community in motherhood.

• Understanding postpartum depression (PPD) and how to know if you have it. And if you do, what to do next.

• Evidence-based exercises and activities to build resilience and make space for more joy in motherhood.

Links:

1. The Matrescence

2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/well/family/the-birth-of-a-mother.html?_r=1

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9765384/#CR31

4. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300076523/the-cultural-contradictions-of-motherhood/

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

If you're finding yourself in need of productivity hacks, actionable suggestions for self-care, habit stacking, and mindset shifts as we kick off the new year, we have the episode for you!

Jeanelle Teves, General Manager of Bugaboo and mama to two, shares her journey and helpful tidbits on how she intentionally (and unapologetically) creates boundaries and sets herself and her busy family up for success. Together, we will chat about how we can reconnect with ourselves in the New Year to create space for the things that matter most — ourselves, our families, our passions outside of motherhood, and our cherished relationships.

Join us for today's conversation as we discuss:

• Leading remote teams and being the change we want to see.

• Supporting women in leadership.

• Curating a business travel routine that supports your needs.

• Finding the morning routine that works for you.

• Proactively creating boundaries.

• Working parent productivity hacks.

Links:

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2022/12/07/the-rise-of-the-stay-at-home-dad/?sh=27c433297921

2. https://www.instagram.com/jeanelleteves/

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

And just like that, our first year is coming to a close!

We've sat down with some incredibly respected thought leaders, met many mamas IRL, and laughed and cried along the way. As two executives juggling the demands of motherhood while building our careers, we know the plight all too well and couldn't be more proud of this community we're building alongside you - a community in which all mamas feel seen and heard. We're grateful for all the support and blown away by the traction Mighty as a Mother has achieved in the first six months of our show.

Join us for today's conversation as we:

• Celebrate the milestones we've achieved during the first season of the show

• Share our favorite listener stories and discuss the impact your words have on us

• Reflect on the joys and the learnings from our first year

• Look ahead to 202 and how you as our listener community will be a part of it!

We thank all of you for being loyal listeners and contributors of our show, and look forward to season two beginning on January 2, 2024! None of this would be possible without you all, so please know how grateful we are to be on this journey with you ♥️

Links:

1. Our Most-Downloaded Episode of the Year: Calling BS on Balance: Let's Strive For Integration Instead

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

Marriage is a living thing. Early on in our relationships, we shower our partners with love and attention (obviously, we want them to want to marry us!) Yet once kids enter the scene, it's not uncommon for partners to begin living parallel lives, with passion and deep connection unintentionally falling by the wayside (hello sleepless nights, toddler tantrums, and packed schedules!).

In today's episode, we sat down for part two of our compelling conversation with expert Dr. Molly Millwood to unpack just how everyone - parents included - long for a sense of attachment.

When we reach out to our partners, we want to know that they'll be there.

We want answers to the questions: Will you be there for me? Can I count on you? Do you have my back? Do I still matter to you?

If you've ever wondered the answer to those questions, dreamed of rekindling the connection you had pre-kids, or are looking to establish some technology-free ways to connect with your partner, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Molly breaks down the ways in which we can approach sex, intimacy, emotional attunement, while also challenging ourselves to manage our expectations based upon the season of life your relationship is in.

Join us for part two of this important conversation to ensure you're properly investing in your marriage, knowing what it is you're fighting for, and creating small, shared experiences with your partner to ensure you're set up for a joy-filled, healthy marriage to last the long haul.

Links:

1. Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain

2. Happily Date Box

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

If you have ever looked in the mirror and felt disappointed with what you see, you're not alone. In this episode, we get vulnerable (as per usual!) talking about our own body image challenges from young childhood through those difficult teenage years and beyond. Jenn shares her struggles overcoming an eating disorder and obsessive exercising and sheds light on how she got to the place she is now, where food is considered fuel and exercise is seen as a privilege. Join us for today's episode where we discuss: Why we should all consider seeing ourselves the way in which our children see us How impressionable we are as children and what we see from our parents influences how we see ourselves Why it's time to start appreciating what our bodies CAN DO versus merely what our bodies look like Prioritizing the internal health of our bodies vs the physical appearance of them The importance of curating a wardrobe that simply feels good on your body as it is today Links: https://now.org/now-foundation/love-your-body/love-your-body-whats-it-all-about/get-the-facts/ https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/02/social-media-body-image For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

We are thrilled to have Ashley Neese on the show to talk about something much needed for all mamas. REST! Over the last fifteen years, Ashley has helped thousands of people with crippling anxiety, exhaustion, boundary setting, emotional regulation, grief, anger, overwhelm, and chronic stress. In this episode, you will learn: How to soothe your nervous system Manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm What are grounding practices and can you easily weave them into micro moments throughout your day Reconnect to yourself by quieting your mind and body Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley_neese/ Her substack: https://thedeepercall.substack.com/ Her latest book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690360/permission-to-rest-by-ashley-neese/ Her first book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-breathe-ashley-neese/1129663433;jsessionid=18116B5158D0DE63CCEFF1F3EA5D4C7E.prodny_store02-atgap13?ean=9780399582714&st=AFF&2sid=Linktree%20Pty%20Ltd_100589976_NA&sourceId=AFFLinktree%20Pty%20Ltd For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

In the wake of motherhood, women are facing a new, modern dilemma. Becoming a mother affects so much of who we are - psychologically, emotionally, physically, and professionally. By listening to today's show, be prepared to understand how our well-being as new mothers and the well-being of our relationships impact our identities.

In today's episode, we are joined by the esteemed Dr. Molly Millwood - a mother to two boys and a clinical psychologist and licensed psychotherapist with an advanced specialization in women's mental health, intimate relationships, and marital therapy. She's also the author of one of our favorite books, To Have and To Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, & the Modern Dilemma, which serves up a blend of her personal narrative, a plethora of scientific research, and real-life stories from Molly's clinical practice, which provides a much-needed lifeline to new mothers everywhere.

In today's episode, Molly dives deep into many topics facing mothers today, including guilt, shame, mourning life before baby, and navigating marriage after welcoming a baby. We have some real talk around:

♥️ What the "modern dilemma" is and why Molly believes mothering might just be harder now than it has ever been

♥️ The double-edged sword of social media for new mothers, the "mask of motherhood" and performative vulnerability

♥️ The challenges that our intimate partnerships face when a baby arrives, how parenting widens the gender gap and is often hardest for people who've strived for equality in their relationships

♥️ Practical tips around how to put a hard stop to martyrdom and begin prioritizing ourselves

We hope you love this episode and feel less alone, more heard and a heck of a lot more normal!

Links:

• Molly's Book

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

Today we bring you our first ever bonus episode - Honoring Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

In maybe our most raw conversation yet, we unpack the prevalence of pregnancy and infant loss and the lack of adequate support in the modern medical community and Jenn shares her own personal story with pregnancy loss, pregnancy after loss, and how to support those who are grieving, and those supporting a loved one through loss.

As always, we send love, light, and support to all mothers and families affected by pregnancy and infant loss.

Links:

1. https://pregnancyafterlosssupport.org/support-bereaved-parent-pregnancy-infant-child-loss-awareness-month/

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

We had so much fun sitting down with Dr. Morgan Cutlip to talk all things maternal mental health. A highly sought-after relationship expert with a PhD in psychology, Dr. Morgan knows firsthand what it feels like to lose yourself in motherhood and she's determined to help the next generation of mothers. Through her work, she has helped hundreds of thousands of people learn how to form and maintain healthy relationships and has been featured on Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, The New York Times, Women's Health Magazine, and more. Her new book, Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself, is available now (spoiler alert - it's great!). Morgan is not only relatable and approachable, but she's downright hilarious. As a wife and mom of two, she understands firsthand the challenges many of us encounter as we learn how to mother while not losing every single piece of who we were before we became mothers. In this episode, you will learn: ♥️ How regular check-ins with ourselves help us mamas stay in a healthy mindset ♥️ Why we can control our intention around parenting but we cannot control how our children will interpret our parenting ♥️ How changing our relationship with traditional mothering belief systems can change our experience in motherhood for the better ♥️ What the starvation principle is and why we shouldn't wait until our marriage is starving to schedule that date night We hope you love today's episode as part of our ongoing maternal mental health series. If you have a topic you want covered on our show, please send us an email: [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Links: Dr. Morgan Cutlip website Dr. Morgan Cutlip Instagram Love Your Kids Without Losing Yourself book For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

Continuing on our Maternal Mental Health Series, we are honored to speak with Gayane Aramyan, LMFT. Gayane is a mother and licensed marriage and family therapist practicing out of Sherman Oaks, California (she also treats patients virtually!) and has been featured in Huffington Post and The LA Times. We sat down for a candid conversation about adequately preparing for postpartum (it's more than registering for the DockATot!), practicing self-compassion as a mother, identifying and understanding postpartum depression and anxiety, and how to know when you should talk to someone about your mental health. Our goal is to create a safe space in which we break the stigma surrounding maternal mental health and while medication is sometimes the ultimate treatment, self-awareness in tandem with therapy can often aid many women who are unknowingly suffering. If you have a maternal mental health topic you want covered on our show, please send us an email: [email protected]. We would love to hear from you! Links: 1. https://www.therapywithgayane.com/ 2. Therapy with Gayane Instagram 3. The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality by Kimberly Ann Johnson For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!