Mothergood®

Stuck in the house from quarantine? This is a great time for couples and families to grow closer, but this hard time can also put a strain a couples as well. Working from home, job loss, potential job loss, and complete isolation from the outside world are all negative factors that can cause tension to rise. Dr. Morgan Cutlip returns to our show to talk about some practical tips couples can implement starting today to ensure their marriage, and ultimately family, is strengthened during this time instead of strained.

Are you struggling with anxiety or how to mentally cope with this epidemic? We are living through a very strange and unique time period, and it is only natural that every mom experience anxiety at some level during this time. Psychotherapist Kris Jablonski, APRN, returns to our show to give some very practical tips you can implement in your life starting today to manage your anxiety, your kids' anxiety, and to ensure you create the best atmosphere for your children during this time.

Author and writer Emily Chapman shares her love story and motherhood story, both of which have taught her a lot about hope. She became a wife later in life, struggled with infertility, and now is an adoptive mother to a beautiful baby boy. She, like all of us now, is also struggling amidst this epidemic, and offers some perspective and words of hope for us during this time.

Do you want to know how to take precautions as a mom amidst the coronavirus? Dr. Farah explains what coronavirus is, why it is different than the flu, tips on how to take precautions (which is different than panicking!) and what pregnant women need to know. She also puts things into perspective to give some positivity and hope to the situation.

Links mentioned in episode:

• https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Practice-Advisories/Practice-Advisory-Novel-Coronavirus2019?IsMobileSet=false
• https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51917562

DISCLAIMER: THIS EPISODE IS NOT MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE AND PRESENTED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE STATEMENTS ON SACRED BLOSSOM TEA HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THE TEA IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT DISEASE.

Do you want your husband/partner to take a more active role in your children's lives? Justin Batt, founder of Daddy Saturday, talks about how we have a dad "crisis" and why it's so important that dads take an active role in their kids' lives. He also gives tips for how women should approach suggesting it to their husband/partner to make them receptive to the idea, along with activity suggestions for dads, plus more. This is our first episode with a dad, and one you won't want to miss!

Do you know when you should return to exercise postpartum? Dr. Betsey Caldwell returns again on our miniseries to discuss why we deserve more than just a 6-week "clearance" by our OBGYN or midwife for returning to exercise, how pregnancy affects our ability to return to exercise postpartum, what symptoms should we look out for when returning to exercise, and whether or not we should we pick up a new sport/exercise routine/hobby or stick to what we were doing before pregnancy. This is an episode every mom needs to listen to and incorporate the suggestions as part of her motherhood journey!

Dr. Betsey's website: https://www.pelvichealthandfitness.org/

Have you struggled to find your sense of style after having children? Are you struggling with looking and feeling like yourself? Do you feel stuck in a rut when it comes to fashion? Nicole M. Caruso, professional makeup artist and former fashion editor at Verily Magazine, shares her practical tips on how to find your self again through fashion after having kids. She also talks about why you are worthy of wearing the "special" clothes in your closet, starting today!

Check out the bonus level content for a PDF handout from Nicole for some more handy tips.

Are you a mom? Then you need to see a pelvic floor physical therapist! In this first of our pelvic floor mini-series, Emily has a quick chat with Dr. Betsy Caldwell, PT, DPT about why every mom should see a pelvic floor physical therapist postpartum. Even if you healed well and have never had any pain, leaking, or other dysfunction, she explains why you still need to see one. She also discusses the benefits of seeing one while pregnant, what to do if you are not comfortable with a pelvic exam, how to find a pelvic floor physical therapist, and whether you need a referral.

Are you a pregnant working mom or a working woman who'd like to start a family someday? Do you want to know how to get state paid maternity leave? In this episode, Emily and Lauren talk with Rebecca Hamilton, a Fiscal/Policy Consultant for the California State Senate, who shares what short term disability is (state paid maternity leave), how you can qualify for it, non-pregnant reasons you may qualify for it, what the process is like in California (and a few other states), and delves into the public policy reasoning behind these laws.

Websites and articles mentioned in this episode:

• FMLA website: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
• California State Disability website: https://www.edd.ca.gov/disability/
• Oscars-rejected commercial on postpartum recovery: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/02/10/oscars-rejected-postpartum-ad/
• National Conference of State Legislatures: https://www.ncsl.org/
• Disability Insurance Elective Coverage (DIEC) program for self-employed individuals: https://www.edd.ca.gov/Disability/Self-Employed.htm

Can moms pursue their dreams while having children? Actress Michelle Williams, in her recent Golden Globes acceptance speech, said that if she did not have the right to choose, her career would not have been successful. And, all of Hollywood applauded.

This begs the question, do women have put their dreams on hold when they become moms? Do babies and dreams coincide? Should we be applauding a woman who says an entire industry does not support working moms? A recent popular hashtag. #babiesanddreams, went viral about moms who are able to pursue their dreams while having children. But, is this possible for all moms?

Emily and Lauren chat about this simple question with a complex answer. They break it down, give some statistics that affect moms (and dads!), and provide context from the perspective of moms of all walks of life.

You (our listeners) submitted audio clips telling your stories. We share your stories during the episode. To join the conversation, visit out Instagram page @mothergoodco

Articles and studies mentioned in episode:

• https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/
• https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/kids-of-working-moms-grow-into-happy-adults?cid=spmailing-21123358-WK%20Newsletter%2007-18-2018%20(1)-July%2018,%202018
• https://bit.ly/2vHOu67https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/DQzHJAJMUYWQevh577wr/full