Megan had dreamed of being a mother her whole life. Her pregnancy was wonderful and she "loved every minute." But, following the birth of her daughter, things did not go as planned. She faced physical trauma, undiagnosed postpartum depression, and total disillusionment. Years later, she was unable to conceive, and she and her family decided to adopt. Which was both really hard and really healing. This conversation blew me away, really and truly.

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

In this episode, Vanessa and Claire get real about stress, substance use, and parenting in an ever accelerating world. The imbalances many of us experience as mothers can lead to some to unhealthy (and unhelpful) ways of coping and Vanessa came to understand that as her dependence on alcohol became both very serious and very destructive. It takes a lot of courage to be honest about our hardest struggles both with ourselves and those we love. Vanessa shares insights, tips and stories that will inspire you to heal, grow and rediscover your true self.

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
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For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

Savanah grew up in Los Angeles where her family modeled the "fast life". Secrecy, addiction, money and power were constants in her upbringing. When she came to Montana, she brought it all with her. But, becoming a mom changed everything and healing became her full-time job. Now, she works with other women struggling with addiction and substance use disorder as a Peer Support Specialist at the YWCA.


https://www.ywcahelena.org/

Meadowlark Initiative: https://mthcf.org/meadowlark/

Specific services relevant to this episode (found on LIFTS.org)

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Substance+Use+Disorder+Treatment

Peer Support Specialists:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Peer+Support+Specialists

Medications for Opioid Use Disorders:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Medications+for+Opioid+Use+Disorders+%28MOUD%29

Meadowlark Initiative: https://mthcf.org/meadowlark/

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

When Kate Sexton agreed to foster little Will, she thought the arrangement would be temporary. But soon, it became clear that this Will's biological mom was battling severe addiction and was unable to provide for him and offer him safety. So, just like that, Kate began her journey to motherhood. Immediately, she had to learn everything from clipping tiny toenails and bottle feeding to helping Will heal from trauma, neglect and very early exposure to substances. Kate will be the first to tell you that mothering Will helped her to heal her own wounds and expanded her capacity in ways she never thought possible. Their story is beautiful and inspiring, and Kate truly demonstrates what it means to commit to a life of care and compassion.


For statewide resources please visit the Linking Infants and Families to Supports at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/hmhb-lifts.org/

Episode specific searches on LIFTS: 

"Circle of Security" to learn more about classes offered in communities across the state.

"Foster" or "Adoption" to access different services and supports for fostering and adoptive families.

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

Carson Rose is a mom of two and works to support mothers on their breast feeding journey. She also provides support to moms experiencing postpartum depression, anxiety and loss by offering resources within the local community. After her own experiences of intense isolation, chronic illness, loss and depression, she hopes to help other moms know they are not alone in their struggles. In a letter written to her younger self, Carson urges herself to just keep going. She holds onto hope for moms who might be feeling lost and alone. 


LIFTS Online Resource Guide: 

https://hmhb-lifts.org

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

Wesley Royce Stops, Jr. joins us to share his journey from wreckage to resilience. In 2018, Wesley was charged with 3 felonies and lost custody of his children on the spot. He was full of unaddressed pain and attempting to numb his feelings through substance abuse and food. The challenges and obstacles he faced were more than most people can handle.
In this episode, Wesley shares how his life has been transformed in ways he never could have imagined. He is a proud full-time single father, a Care Coordinator and Peer Support Specialist for the Meadowlark Sacred Families Program near the Apsaalooke Crow Indian Reservation (the tribe to which he belongs) in Hardin, Montana. Plus, he's also a Daddy Doula in training.
Wesley attributes his success to his strong faith and traditional and cultural beliefs. As the podcast host, I'll just say that I gleaned so much wisdom and inspiration from this conversation I couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterwards.

https://www.onechc.org/hardin

THE H.O.P.E. DROP-IN CENTER

Health Opportunity Prevention Education

809 N. Custer, Hardin, MT 59034

406.629.3024

https://hmhb-lifts.org

Episode specific services on the LIFTS online resource guide:

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Substance+Use+Disorder+Treatment

Peer Support Specialists:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Peer+Support+Specialists

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

Prairie Wolfe is passionate about healing, and, in this episode, it shows. Anytime an experienced therapist can speak about their own personal challenges in mothering and caregiving and offer tips, tools, and wisdom to help other parents overcome their struggles, we're all in. During our conversation, Prairie helps listeners understand their nervous systems, the under-resourced circumstances of modern-day parenting, and common caregiving woes that leave us feeling defeated and ashamed. How do we address and repair these wounds in order to show up more presently as parents and humans in general? Find out as Prairie weaves it all together to help us gather our scattered pieces and live with a sense of wholeness.

Books:


The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate


Website:
https://www.somaticconnections.org/

Facebook:  

https://www.facebook.com/SomaticConnections

Instagram:
@prairie.somaticconnections




LIFTS Online Resource Guide:

https://hmhb-lifts.org

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

Even though Flora McCormick spent years studying child developmental and psychology and ultimately became a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, her early years of parenting were very challenging. She remembers feeling frustrated and disoriented, and this business of mothering felt, well, unsustainable. So, she set out to find new tools, ones that fostered connection and encouraged healthy boundaries. Soon, balance and joy began to emerge. Today, she is the Lead Mentor and Owner of Sustainable Parenting and she's joined us to share her personal story and offer simple and effective tools that actually work! Tune in to learn about how firmness supports kindness and begin to shift from resentful exhaustion to predictable peace.

Website: sustainableparenting.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SustainableParenting

Instagram: @sustainable_parent_coach

Free sustainable parenting workshop: https://sustainableparenting.com/calm-confident-rsvp-2/

LIFTS Online Resource Guide: 

https://hmhb-lifts.org

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

Susie Zeak, the Director of Toby's House, a crisis nursery located in Great Falls, Montana, joins us for an important discussion on the importance of free, open-late, non-judgemental childcare. The services and relationships that happen at Toby's House are crucial and, at time, lifesaving. Susie also opens up about her own mothering journey and how surviving the incredible challenges of being a teen mom in the 80's has turned her into a humble, empathy-driven super-hero. Her story is tremendously hopeful, and she insists on "keeping it real", which is always refreshing. Meet Susie and hear about the incredible work being done to support families when they're struggling.

https://tobyshousemt.org

Facebook or Instagram: @tobyshousemt

Subscribe to Toby's House's newsletter:

https://tobyshousemt.org/subscribe/

LIFTS Online Resource Guide: 

https://hmhb-lifts.org

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/

In this episode, Darci Wiebe, the Health Resources Division Administrator and former Bureau Chief of the Medical Marijuana Program for the state of Montana, sits down with us to share her story. Darci takes her work very seriously because of what she and her family have been through. Her youngest child, Mcki, began experimenting with substances at a very young age and became addicted to meth as a teen. She was also an athlete, artist, actress and star student who came from a loving and supportive middle-class family. During our conversation, Darcy shares what it was like for her to fight for her daughter's recovery, heal alongside her family, and welcome her grandson, Finn into the world. Her story is powerful, and we are so grateful for the compassion, empathy and determination she brings to those who are lacking resources and are in need of support.

LIFTS online resource guide: https://hmhb-lifts.org

Specific services relevant to this episode (found on LIFTS.org)

Substance Use Disorder Treatment Providers:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Substance+Use+Disorder+Treatment

Peer Support Specialists:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Peer+Support+Specialists

Medications for Opioid Use Disorders:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Medications+for+Opioid+Use+Disorders+%28MOUD%29

Medicaid Enrollment Assistance:

https://hmhb-lifts.org/services?service_type=Medicaid+Enrollment+Assistance

Meadowlark Initiative: https://mthcf.org/meadowlark/

Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, please visit LIFTS ( Linking Infants and Families to Supports) at
https://hmhb-lifts.org/