Milwaukee Momcast

It’s been a crazy few weeks. Our world has been turned upside down and we are now facing the task of living, working, and parenting in an environment like none other. With the Coronavirus continuing to spread across the globe, we parents are trying to figure out how on earth to do this. And it’s hard. Really hard.

May this episode bring you some encouragement and reassurance in these difficult times that we are in this together.

Sometimes, you just want to sit down and chat with a good friend about what they’ve been up to lately and this episode is just that. We’ve got Sarah and Melania on the mics talking about what they’ve been reading, watching, and doing. Bust out your Goodreads account and get ready to add some awesome books to your lists because we’re coming in hot with our recent recommendations.

We also laugh about the use of the term “wonky bits,” discuss how fake snow can actually start rotting, and make our case for how a particular NBC show would have been a huge sensation if it had debuted three years later.

In this episode, we talk to Dave Nelsen, a stay at home dad who has a thing or two to say about how he sees the parenting community around him perpetuating the mental load of motherhood and what he thinks can be done to begin to lessen that load. He also has some pretty spicy takes on issues like sexist product slogans and beloved 2000s sitcoms.

This episode creates space to discuss just a few of the many facets of what it means to be a “working mom” while also tackling some of the larger issues at play that continue to make it a challenge for moms to feel supported in the workforce.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses perinatal mood disorders and mental health issues. Listener discretion is advised.

1 in 7 women will experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders in the pregnancy or postpartum period. In low income and underserved populations, that number rises to 1 in 4. When we factor in the lack of mental health screenings in place, the challenging access to resources, and the myths and misunderstandings out there about mental health, it’s no wonder that new mothers are struggling to understand how to be a healthy and whole person.

On this episode of Milwaukee Momcast, we chat with one of the co-founders of Mom’s Mental Health Initiative in Milwaukee, Wisconsin who has created a resource to connect moms to the providers and services they need to receive quality mental health care.

This episode dispels many of the myths we’ve come to believe about maternal health, addresses the obstacles that stand in moms’ way, and emphasizes the importance of support and quality care to save women’s lives.

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses child and infant loss. Listener discretion is advised.

How do we carry on when the unimaginable happens? Where do we turn when a mother’s worst nightmare comes true? In this episode of Milwaukee Momcast, we sit down with our longtime friend Melissa Bissing to talk about her son Owen, who passed away as an infant, and the legacy of hope and love he has left behind.

This episode reminds us that it is possible for light and hope to emerge from even the darkest of circumstances.

In this episode, we sit down for a chat with a woman who is on the front lines of fighting for families in Wisconsin, State Rep. Robyn Vining. As a mom, small business owner, co-founder of an anti-trafficking nonprofit, and now as a legislator, she is living proof of what can happen when women get curious, bold and brave enough to move moves for change.