The time has come to share a bittersweet goodbye friends.

After 4 years with Expectful I am moving on to new adventures.

And in closing this chapter I have decided to ask myself the last question I have asked all of our guest since the beginning of this podcast:

“Knowing what you know now, standing in the skin you’re in, if you could share one thing with everyone that’s listening, what would you say?”

I am grateful and honored beyond words. Thank you for being on this journey with me.

How can we make the transition back to work more supportive for new moms?

That challenge is something that today’s guest, Jackie Hodnichak, has been working to solve as a new mom and the Director of Operations and Community at Mettacool. Mettacool is a talent development program for women that addresses career stage-specific challenges through the lens of well-being. And one of the things they specialize in is coaching moms-to-be as they transition both into maternity leave and back to work.

On today’s episode Jackie shares her perspective-shifting postpartum story, talks about how her self-care routine has changed since becoming a mom, and digs into how motherhood has had a profound effect on her career path. 

 

How does motherhood help us to reconnect with our inner child?

This week’s guest, Cat Seixas, invites us to explore that question as she shares her story of becoming a mother. 

On today’s episode, Cat shares a glimpse into her life on a farm in the mountains of Portugal where she and her partner have built a home for their family and where she gave birth to her daughter. 

 

How does birth change us?

This question has shaped this week’s guest, Nichole Joy’s path to becoming a doula and childbirth educator. Nichole is revolutionizing the way we do birth with her Digital Doula courses. Courses where she both supports her own clients, and trains other doulas to do the same as well.

On today’s episode, Nichole takes us through all three of her birth stories, sharing her journey from a scheduled c-section with her first child, all the way to an unplanned home birth with her third. She’ll also be speaking about the identity shift that occurs when we become mother’s, and how and why she decided to take her doula work online. 

 

How can mothers overcome the depression and anxiety they feel during pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood?

This question is something that today’s guest, Paige Bellenbaum has been exploring since her own experience with postpartum depression and anxiety when she gave birth to her child. Now, Paige is the Chief External Relations Officer at The Motherhood Center, a space in New York City which provides support and clinical treatment for new and expecting mothers experiencing perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs).

On today’s episode, Paige walks us through her personal experience through postpartum depression, how she was able to get support, and how she is working to create a better system of support for mothers. And Paige is also sharing about the new meditation journey that she just cocreated with Expectful that is now live on the app – Navigating Postpartum Depression.

 

How can we live more in our truth as mothers?

This question has shaped this week’s guest, Alexandria Smith’s, path through parenting and motherhood and has sparked her creation of Nurture – an online monthly subscription that provides guidance on living intentionally as a mother. Within Nurture, Alex shares mindfully curated monthly meal plans and grocery lists for healthy living, guidance on living seasoning and support through her online community of mothers.

And on today’s episode, Alex reflects on the passage of time with her young children, how to cultivate gratitude, and how living close to nature shapes her family’s life. 

For your first month free of NURTURE use code EXPECTFUL at checkout.

 

How can meditation serve us through our Motherhood journey?

That question is something today’s guest Rebekah Boruki has explored through her journey as a mother of five, a TV host, a meditation and yoga guide, a birth doula, and an author of You Have 4 Minutes to Change Your Life and her latest book, Managing the Motherload. 

In this week’s episode Rebekah shares her perspectives on motherhood, mindfulness, and honoring her children’s intuition. And we dive into gender, what it means to manage motherhood and career, and so much more.

 

There have been many surprises along this path towards welcoming my second child Atticus into the world.

Many of which caught me off guard, like:

When I said “It’s a girl” they told me “It’s a boy.”

When I said there’s no way my nausea could be worse than my first pregnancy, I was curled up in a ball for weeks.

And when they said birth would for sure be faster, it went slower, like twice as long slower.

But there have also been some pleasant surprises as well, many of which I share today on the podcast.

And of course, as with any motherhood journey there have been many, many life lessons.

Lessons in the power of support, my body’s wisdom and listening to my intuition.

And more than ever, lessons in love.

In love’s ability to grow and expand, for myself, my daughter, my son and my husband.

This motherhood journey has been nothing short of eye-opening and I’m so honored to be on it with all of you.

 

How can we help our children find their voice and validate their thoughts, opinions, feelings, and needs as they grow? 

This question is something that today’s guest, Debra Gansenberg, has guided families through in her work as a psychotherapist and Family Systems Specialist for over 20 years. 

On today’s episode, Debra shares her thoughts on how to ‘grow a child,’ and speaks about how parents can receive their children’s needs, wants, and opinions with openness and compassion. Debra also shares a key takeaway that you’ll want to hear from her book How to Raise Perfectly Imperfect Kids And Be Ok With It—Real Tips & Strategies for Parents of Today’s Gen Z Kids. 

 

What happens when we give each other permission to feel what we are feeling?

This question is at the center of Dan Doty’s work as a co-founder of Evryman and the mind (and voice) behind Expectful’s new Fatherhood Meditation Library. Dan is passionate about helping men connect with their emotions and vulnerability so that they can serve their partners, families, and communities better. 

On today’s episode, Dan walks us down the path that lead him to men’s work, how his relationship with his own father has changed since becoming a dad, and how we can all slow down, feel more, and share our experience with somebody.