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Elena Bridgers is a mother of two, science writer and researcher with a focus on maternal health and well-being, examined through the lens of evolutionary mismatch.

Her personal journey of finding motherhood challenging after choosing to have two-under-two and going through extreme sleep deprivation led her to ask why this is so hard. How did our ancestors do this?

While Elena is a big fan of Michaeleen Doucleff, author of "Hunt, Gather, Parent," she points out that Michaeleen's focus is on parenting strategies whereas Elena examines the social context in which our ancestors mothered.

In this episode we discuss, from a hunter-gatherer evolutionary perspective:

• interpregnancy intervals
• breastfeeding as birth control
• weaning from nursing
• tandem feeding
• the tradwife movement and having very large families
• Bedsharing vs. sleep training
• Alloparenting, "free" childcare, and the nuance with daycare

Use code MOTR to save 35% off the Mama Baby Biome Method and First Foods Plan.

Subscribe to Elena's Substack (it's one of my personal favorites!)

Follow Elena on Instagram

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

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JOIN AMANDA'S UPCOMING MOTHERPRINT COHORT ON FEB 23RD! 

Today I'm joined by LCSW Amanda Texeira who is a mom of three boys and a holistic, trauma-informed therapist. to unpack one of the most misunderstood and overused phrases in modern motherhood: nervous system regulation.

Somewhere along the way, “regulated” became synonymous with “calm.”
If you’re not calm all the time? You must be dysregulated!

Amanda debunks this myth.

We talk about the pendulum swing in motherhood content: from hyper-curated, perfectly curated moments to victim-mindset misery. We discuss how algorithm-driven black-and-white parenting advice like never saying the word “no” can actually make moms more dysregulated, ironically.

We explore:

• Why calm ≠ regulated
• The difference between congruent responses and suppression
• How to model emotional intelligence
• Why yelling “NO!” when your child runs toward traffic is actually regulated
• Why Amanda doesn't like parenting scripts
• The performative side of “gentle parenting”
• How algorithm-fed content can manufacture misery
• When "mental load" rhetoric is helpful vs. harmful

We close by talking about congruency, repair cycles, environmental regulation myths, and why your reaction often makes sense even when Instagram denies it.

Follow Amanda on instagram

Check out all of Amanda's incredible services and courses here

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

I have no clue whether Erik and I will have a third baby. We're both leaving the door open for that possibility. What we do know though is we're waiting minimum 3-4 years between baby 3 and our second baby. Probably leaning closer to 4 years.

With two kids just over two years apart, I reflect on what the postpartum period was actually like for me, especially as a mom who parents intentionally, prefers not to take shortcuts or use literal or metaphorical pacifiers, and mothers in alignment with biological norms. Hint: I had to take shortcuts. I needed to give myself a lot of grace.

I examine factors such as my personal capacity, my kids' and my own temperaments, resources, age, energy, and milestones I would prefer for my second baby to reach before we even begin to think about trying for a third IF we eventually decide to have a third. 

In this episode, I talk about:

• What postpartum really looked like with two kids 26 months apart
• My theory for why “two under two” works for some families and not for others
• The physical and emotional toll of back-to-back pregnancies and extended breastfeeding
• What bigger age gaps actually mean for sibling bonds
• Hunter-gatherer family spacing and modern pressures around fertility
• Egg quality vs. egg quantity (and why I’m not afraid of pregnancy in my late 30s)

If you’re a mom who feels conflicted about wanting to wait or pressured to hurry up, this conversation is for you.

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

I welcome my friend Celanie Jones for an honest, intricate conversation about sovereignty and what it actually means, without the catchy buzzwords, and how it’s often distorted in modern motherhood and within spiritual communities. Celanie is a homeschooling mom of two young children and local Weston A. Price chapter leader.

Celanie shares her rocky but redemptive journey through abuse, trauma, pregnancy termination, postpartum psychosis, and her time inside the Free Birth Society, where the language of sovereignty was used ironically to control rather than to encourage autonomy. We unpack how real sovereignty isn’t about rejecting systems blindly but rather listening to your own body without the outside influence of another leader or expert.

This episode explores:
 • What sovereignty actually means on a nervous-system level
 • How cult dynamics show up in “crunchy” and spiritual motherhood spaces
 • The role of trauma in people-pleasing and submission
 • Why changing your mind is a powerful act of sovereignty
 • How to tell if you’re truly making your own choices

Please share your feedback within the comments section of Spotify or on instagram. We welcome your respectful discourse!

follow Celanie at @bodilywaysofknowing

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

I sat down with Caley Jones of Rad Moms Union to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes of the ByHeart formula manufacturing plant, and why their recent botulism outbreak should raise everyone's eyebrows.

Caley brings a critical, highly-relevant perspective to this conversation. Before becoming a mom, she worked directly in consumer goods, food manufacturing, quality assurance, and factory testing both in the U.S. and overseas. In this conversation, she explains how infant formula manufacturing differs from other food industries, why formula factories are often held to lower standards than organic snack foods, and how companies like ByHeart are able to bypass third-party oversight.

We talk in depth about:

• The botulism outbreak and FDA findings
• Why powdered formula is not sterile
• How recalls are handled differently for formula vs food
• The dangers of influencer marketing for infant formula
• Why “clean,” “organic,” and “purity” labels don’t tell the full story
• What parents are not being told about preparation, water boiling, and bacterial risk
• How convenience culture (single-serve packets, on-the-go prep) increases danger
• Why infant formula exists in a regulatory gray zone. It's neither a food nor a drug

👉 Join the movement on Jan 28th

👉 Instagram (Caley Jones)

👉 Instagram (Radical Moms Union)

👉 Substack 

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

👉 Sign up for the No-Nonsense Night Training Group Coaching Waitlist: https://momsofftherecordpod.com/night-training-waitlist-page

In this mini episode of Moms Off the Record, I’m diving into one of the most misunderstood topics in early childhood: nighttime potty training.

So many parents feel confident with daytime potty training only to get completely stuck at night. And most of the advice moms receive is some version of “just wait, they’ll grow out of it.” Today, I want to gently but clearly set the record straight.

I talk about why night training isn’t purely hormonal (ADH!), where the myths around bedwetting actually come from, and how modern conveniences like overnight pull-ups have reshaped our expectations around what’s "normal."

I also share real client stories, my own experiences with both of my kids, and why parents actually have far more agency in this process than we’re often led to believe.

Key Takeaways

• Night dryness is not purely hormonal
• Parents have more influence than they’re told
• Waiting it out doesn’t always resolve bedwetting
• Night training can be guided calmly and respectfully
• Modern advice isn’t always aligned with biology (go figure!)

Night training doesn’t have to be burdensome for you or your child. With a few mindset shifts, some timing awareness, and consistent guidance, this process can feel far more manageable than mainstream advice suggests.

👉 Sign up for the No-Nonsense Night Training Group Coaching Waitlist: https://momsofftherecordpod.com/night-training-waitlist-page

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

In this episode of Mom Off the Record, I’m joined again by the one and only Jamie Glowacki — and this conversation goes far beyond potty training.

We talk honestly about what’s really going wrong in modern parenting: unrealistic expectations, over-accommodation, fear-based decision making, and a culture obsessed with comfort and instant gratification. Jamie breaks down how these patterns show up in everyday parenting — from sippy cups and snacks to organized sports, discipline, and yes… potty training.

We also dive deep into:

• Why toddlers are so widely misunderstood
• The difference between natural, logical, and external consequences
• Why kids today are being both infantilized and overburdened at the same time
• The ideal window for potty training (and why waiting too long can backfire)
• Poop withholding (encopresis): what it is, why it happens, and the worst advice parents are given
• How fear, the 24-hour news cycle, and social media have reshaped parenting norms
• Why kids need autonomy, responsibility, and real-world feedback to thrive

This episode is for parents who feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or like they’re constantly second-guessing themselves. It’s a reminder that your intuition matters — and that parenting doesn’t have to be this hard.

Connect with Jamie:

Instagram

Website

☕ Support the show

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

Today I’m sharing the real reason my family and I decided to leave Florida for Sweden, and it's probably not exactly what you think.

This isn’t about chasing a “perfect Scandinavian country” or running away from life in the U.S. Instead, Erik and I had a serious heart-to-heart after returning from our last visit this past summer and realized motherhood, extended family support, and peer-oriented community were going to be more easeful in Sweden.

Right now with two young toddlers in tow, living amongst a culture that lauds business, we realized we need to prioritize our existing network of contemporaries, give the children the opportunity to grow up with family their own age, and align with others who value slowing down and the simple things in life.

This decision comes with tradeoffs and concerns which I discuss very openly. I'm both very excited and a little nervous.

What I Talk About in This Episode

✈️ Why Florida No Longer Fits This Season

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Why Family and Built-In Support Matter

🌿 Parenting in Sweden vs. the United States

🏫 School, Healthcare & Parental Leave

🌲 Third Spaces and Everyday Life

❄️ The Parts I’m Nervous About

🤍 Choosing Alignment Over Convenience

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

In this special end-of-year episode, Kat and April sit down for a heartfelt and honest conversation reflecting on the journey of Moms Off the Record: how it began, how it evolved, and what it has meant to both of them and the community it grew.

This episode also marks a meaningful transition. After years of co-creating MOTR together, April shares her decision to step away as a co-host, with Kat moving forward as the sole host and steward of the podcast. The conversation is rooted in gratitude, clarity, and mutual respect with an honoring of seasons, growth, and the courage it takes to listen when an assignment shifts.

Together, Kat and April reflect on favorite moments, impactful conversations, and the many messages from women who have shared how MOTR helped them feel less alone, more confident in their intuition, and more empowered to question the narratives surrounding modern motherhood.

This episode is two parts a look back and a blessing moving forward with the reminder that growth often asks us to release what we love in order to make room for what’s next.

Thank you for being part of this chapter. 

WE LOVE YOU! Cheers to Season 4 led by none other than Kat! 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND US:

Follow April at Embracing Eden and on instagram

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with Kat

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here

What started as a movement for dignity has become an ideology of disconnection.

In this episode, we trace the evolution of feminism, from its early roots in moral equality to its modern rebranding as sameness, independence, and career-first identity. We explore how the cultural promise of “having it all” has often left women feeling fragmented, overextended, and unfulfilled.

From the economic engineering that made two incomes a necessity, to the corporate and political forces that turned liberation into labor, we unpack how the feminist movement has been co-opted, and how that shift continues to affect families, children, and the very soul of womanhood.

This isn’t about going backward; it’s about remembering what was sacred. We discuss how honoring biological design, polarity, and the divine dance between masculine and feminine could be the key to restoring balance, in our homes, our relationships, and within ourselves.

True liberation isn’t doing everything alone. It’s remembering that we were designed to thrive together.

Support the show

Stay Connected With Me:

Subscribe to Moms Off The Record on YouTube

JOIN THE MOTR PRIVATE COMMUNITY here

Book a potty training 1:1 consult with me here

Discount codes & links to my favorite courses and products here

Love Moms off the Record? You can directly support the show here

Thank you for leaving a rating and written review on Apple and Spotify! This is the best, free way to support the podcast.

Follow MOTR on instagram here