The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast | Matrescence | Relationship after baby | Motherhood life

What if the version of you that’s struggling right now, with perfectionism, exhaustion, or that endless loop of “I should be better,” isn’t broken, but wired for survival?

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashleigh Moreland, neuroscientist and founder of the Re-Mind Institute, for a conversation that might just change how you see yourself, your mind, and even your parenting.

Together, they explore what it truly means to unbecome who you had to be in order to survive, and why real healing often looks less like “self-improvement” and more like returning to who you were before you learned to hide your feelings.

Through her work on neuroplasticity, she shows how every human being can rewire their nervous system, moving from a pattern of protection to one of connection.

This episode will speak to anyone who’s ever felt “stuck” in old reactions: 

the parents who lose patience, the partners who feel disconnected, the perfectionists who can’t rest. 

It’s about finally feeling safe enough to stop performing.

Today we explore:

Dr. Moreland and I bring warmth, humor, and clarity to the science of human transformation as a reminder that change is not about effort, but about safety.

🎧 Tune in to discover how understanding your wiring can help you stop fighting yourself and start leading with compassion.

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For 1 insight, 1 exclusive tool, & one 3-minute reset,

Get on The Sunday Reconnect

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ABOUT DR. MORELAND

Dr Ashleigh Moreland is a neurophysiologist, therapist, and founder of Re-MIND Institute. She specialises in trauma-aware, nervous-system-informed approaches to parenting, relationships, and personal growth. Drawing on her expertise in neuroscience and human behaviour, Ash helps people break cycles of stress and disconnection to create safer, more connected relationships at home and beyond.

See how you can get in touch and her work HERE.

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Have you and your partner ever argued about something trivial, a birthday cake, a chore, or a tone of voice, and realized it was really about something deeper? 

This isn’t an episode about blame. 

It’s about understanding.

…rebuilding connection not through equality, but empathy.

We look at the psychology behind resentment, the gendered conditioning that fuels emotional misfires, and the small yet profound acts that reignite warmth in long-term love.

Whether you’re the partner who over-functions or the one who freezes, this conversation will help you decode the hidden messages behind your conflicts, and guide you toward a relationship that feels emotionally generous again.

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👉 7-Day Reconnect Challenge

👉 The Sunday Reconnect

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Do you wonder if you’ve fallen out of love with your partner?

Is this more intense after kids?

When love starts to feel like labor, and home feels more like a to-do list than a refuge, it’s not because you’ve fallen out of love. 

It’s because you’re both carrying A LOT - more than anyone can see.

In this episode we break down the silent struggles of parenthood: 

the mental load, emotional labor, and invisible pressures that quietly reshape relationships after children enter the picture.

We’ll look at how mothers often carry emotional vigilance born from generations of conditioning, and how fathers quietly bear expectations of strength, provision, and stoicism. 

Both end up exhausted, one managing life’s invisible chaos, the other crushed under invisible pressure.

Together we discuss how these unseen weights lead to disconnection and resentment.

By the end of the episode, you walk away with 5 small, but powerful recalibrations that help couples rebuild empathy, teamwork, and appreciation.

Because partnership isn’t about perfect balance - it’s about shared gravity.

Today we explore:

👉 The unseen mental load that drains mothers and fathers differently.

👉 How inherited family scripts shape emotional labor.

👉 Five daily practices to rebalance love and responsibility.

👉 Why appreciation, empathy, and rest are radical acts of repair.

Find and Download all my [Free] resources 👉 HERE

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Have you ever found yourself explaining your parenting choices a little too much? 

…Not because someone attacked them, but because something inside you felt the need to justify?

In this episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we explore what’s really happening beneath those subtle moments of parental defensiveness

… the guilt, the identity shifts, and the deep desire to feel like we’re doing enough.

Through a real-life story of two moms at a school gate - one working full-time, one a stay-at-home-mom (SHAM) - we unravel how easily conversations about “what’s best for the kids” become reflections of our own insecurities.

I reveal how matrescence (the psychological transition to motherhood) reshapes identity and why every comment about parenting choices can feel personal. 

But more importantly, I guide you through 3 steps to soften the sting of comparison.

Because when we can meet ourselves with kindness, other people’s choices stop feeling like threats.

Today we explore:

👉 Why we defend our parenting choices and what we’re really trying to prove.

👉 The link between mom guilt, identity shifts, and societal pressure.

👉 Three practical tools to stop feeling judged and start feeling secure.

👉 How self-compassion transforms comparison into connection.

If you’ve ever felt that quiet pit in your stomach after hearing how another parent does things differently, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

There is no perfect way to parent.

There's only your way, done with presence and compassion.

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👉 Matrescence Video Series 

👉 Calm Parent, Calm Child Guide

👉 Self-Connect Calendar

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Parenthood doesn’t just change your schedule.

It shifts who you believe you are.

 In this episode, we dive into those quiet, sometimes painful cracks in identity that open once kids arrive:

We explore how couples can hold space for one another, learn tools to rebuild intimate connection, and begin to reclaim identity without resentment, guilt, or disconnection. 

This isn’t about returning to “pre-kids you.”

It’s about integrating growth, grief, love, and change so your relationship and your sense of self can thrive.

Today, we explore:

If you’re feeling like you’ve lost bits of who you were, or if the person you’re in relationship with is changing in ways you didn’t expect, this episode is for you. 

Listen in, let the discomfort teach you, and find space to rebuild together.

👇👇👇

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Download the [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him] !!

Fatherhood is more than showing up at bedtime or paying the bills. Yet too often, dads enter parenthood without the same acknowledged transformation that mothers undergo.

This episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast pulls back the curtain on patrescence - the emotional, psychological, and relational journey of becoming a father.

While society expects women to evolve when they become mothers, men are still told to “provide, not process.”

The result?

Emotional disconnect, intimacy breakdowns, and couples who love each other but feel worlds apart.

In this episode, we dive deep into what happens when fathers aren’t invited into their own becoming, and why that gap leaves both partners lonely.

With warmth, honesty, and practical tools, we unpack the barriers that hold men back from fully stepping into fatherhood, from cultural conditioning to fear of failure.

More importantly, you walk away with a roadmap for reconnection that doesn’t blame men, but instead calls them into deeper presence, courage, and love.

This isn’t about fixing your partner. It’s about understanding the unseen layers of patrescence and reclaiming connection — for yourself, your relationship, and your children.

Today we explore:

1. What patrescence is and why it’s rarely talked about.

2. How men experience fatherhood differently (and why it often goes unnamed).

3. The barriers that stop dads from fully shifting.

4. Practical micro-movements couples can use to rebuild closeness.

Moms, if you’ve ever wondered why your partner seems unchanged while you feel completely transformed, or if you’re a dad who feels “not enough” no matter what you do, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

👉 Don’t miss the free resource mentioned in the episode: The Reconnection Roadmap, a simple 7-step guide to help couples rediscover admiration and affection without needing a heavy emotional talk.

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Episode Transcript HERE.

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Get the [free] Reconnection Roadmap [for him] that I referred to!!

 Have you ever looked over at your partner in bed and thought, we’re right next to each other… but it feels like we’re living on different planets?

This episode is all about what psychologists call emotional drift:

Today, we unpack one of the most common questions couples ask:

Because let’s be honest: Parenting together can sometimes feel more like project management than partnership. You share a home, a schedule, maybe even a Google calendar… and yet, there’s this ache of where did we go?

In this conversation, I’ll walk you through:

You’ll learn practical ways to shift the emotional temperature in your home through what I call micro-moments - small, doable gestures that rebuild safety and closeness over time. Think six-second hugs, honest one-liners like “I miss us”, or learning to regulate your body before you try to relate with your partner.

If you’ve been Googling things like feeling alone in my marriage after kids, emotional distance in marriage, or how to save your relationship after children, this episode will meet you right where you are. 

Because the truth is: the drift isn’t proof you’ve fallen out of love. It’s a signal that your nervous systems are overloaded, your emotional labor is uneven, and your relationship needs small acts of repair, not blame.

And here’s the most important part: your kids are watching. They’re learning what love looks like by seeing how you and your partner reach for each other, or drift apart. Repairing emotional distance isn’t just about saving your marriage. It’s about giving your children a model of resilience, tenderness, and connection they’ll carry into their own lives.

So if you’ve been feeling like roommates in the same bed, press play on this episode. You’ll walk away with compassion for yourself, insight into your partner, and clear steps for creating connection again.

And if you want to go deeper, don’t forget to grab my free Reconnection Roadmap — seven simple steps to reawaken admiration and intimacy without long talks or therapy jargon.

Because love after parenthood is a whole new game… and with the right tools, you can win it together.

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🔔 Subscribe for more parenting insights

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

In this deeply moving and highly intentional episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we explore what happens when parenthood collides with identity, neurodiversity, and the gentle yet powerful art of designing your life with purpose.

Dr. Rhodes brings clarity, heart, and practical wisdom. You'll learn:

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MORE ABOUT DR. LEONAURA RHODES

Dr. Leonaura Rhodes is a physician from UK (Family medicine, public health and developmental pediatrics). She moved to USA 16 years ago and became a neurofeedback therapist and a life coach for parents and high achieving professionals. In 2015 she published "Beyond Soccer Mom: Strategies for a fabulous balanced life" - a book to help parents intentionally design their life so that they can thrive while they raise children. Dr. Rhodes is also a podcast host, corporate trainer and teacher for a large wellness platform.

Website: https://www.drleonaurarhodes.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonaurarhodes/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonaurarhodes/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2IIJj_hnHZJO8BwcKPqInQ

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🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!

https://www.markellakaplani.com/calmparentcalmchild

💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter.

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 Full Transcript HERE.

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

Have you ever felt like the invisible leader in your home?

In this week’s episode of The Parenthood and Relationship Podcast, we explore the reality of being the “vision bearer,” the parent who notices the gaps, feels the tension, and holds the dream of what family life could be.

Through real-life examples and practical strategies, I guide you through three ways to lead without burning out.

This episode is about reclaiming the energy to lead intentionally while also protecting your boundaries and emotional well-being.

Today we explore:

Your family culture doesn’t have to collapse under pressure.

🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!

💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter.

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 Full Transcript HERE.

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.

GET THE WORKSHEET HERE

In today’s episode, we explore a deceptively simple, but deeply messy, question: Whose values are you parenting from?

Join me as we unravel what “values” really mean: not slogans, but the guiding principles that show up when you’re tired or triggered.

You'll hear:

This isn’t about blame or perfection.

This episode’s breakdown:

Take this episode as your mirror:

🎁 GET THE CALM PARENT, CALM CHILD GUIDE!

💌 Don’t forget: This week’s newsletter includes an exclusive tool to help you track small emotional wins get it at markellakaplani.com/newsletter.

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 Full Transcript HERE.

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Markella Kaplani, M.A.