In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey sits down with Anayka Reilly, founder of Meal Prep with Nikee, certified nutrition coach, and former chef, to talk about the realities of motherhood across three very different postpartum journeys.

Anayka shares what it was like becoming a mother at 20, navigating a premature birth and NICU stay, receiving a life-altering neurological diagnosis after pregnancy, and learning how each child brings a completely different postpartum experience. Together, Toni and Anayka explore perinatal mental health, postpartum identity shifts, C-section recovery, and the mental load moms carry when it comes to feeding themselves and their families.

The conversation goes deep into practical, real-life tools, from meal prepping as self-care, macro basics without obsession, and breaking the all-or-nothing mindset, to planning schedules with a partner, reclaiming hobbies as a mom, and building routines that actually work in busy households.

If you’re in the thick of postpartum life, feeling stretched thin, or trying to care for your body without adding more pressure, this episode is an honest, grounding reminder that nourishment, planning, and grace go a long way, and that you don’t have to lose yourself to be a great mother.

You can find Anayka at @mealprepwithnikee and learn more at mealprepwithnikee.com.

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey sits down with Sarah Smith for a deeply honest conversation about postpartum mental health, identity, and what it actually takes to feel steady again after becoming a mother.

Sarah shares her experience navigating postpartum depression and anxiety after her first child, including long-term disability for mental health, the anger and memory loss that caught her off guard, and how sobriety, therapy, medication, and community helped her rebuild. Together, Toni and Sarah unpack why so many mothers struggle months after birth, long after the six-week checkup, and why the lack of a modern “village” leaves too many women feeling isolated and unseen.

They talk candidly about planning for a second child after PPD, the importance of partner education, reclaiming identity outside of motherhood, and the power of taking life one hour, one moment, one next right step at a time. This episode is a reminder that nothing is wrong with you, your brain is not telling the truth when you’re in the dark, and support can change everything.

If you’re in the thick of postpartum anxiety or depression, supporting someone who is, or simply craving a more honest conversation about motherhood, this episode is for you.

Guest Bio

Sarah Smith is the Chief Innovation Officer at Iconoclast Innovations LLC, where she helps small to mid-sized businesses scale by removing friction that slows teams down. She designs practical operational systems and change management approaches that allow companies to grow without constant oversight.

Sarah has supported $60M+ in revenue growth across technology startups, SaaS companies, and PE-backed firms by fixing what breaks under pressure: unclear processes, misaligned teams, and bloated systems. Her work emphasizes practical frameworks, clarity over jargon, and sustainable execution.

She is also a mother of two and a passionate advocate for postpartum mental health awareness.

Connect with Sarah
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleasmith/
Website: https://iconoclastinnovationsllc.com/

In this episode, I’m joined by Faith Morris, an operations strategist who helps high-performing founders build businesses that don’t rely entirely on their nervous system.

Faith shares her deeply honest postpartum journey, from recovering from a C-section overseas in Australia, to navigating two under two without family nearby, to later experiencing a VBAC and an entirely different kind of recovery. We talk about the quiet grief that can exist even after a “good” birth, the emotional weight of postpartum, and why postpartum doesn’t actually end, it just changes form.

We also explore how Faith’s ops brain showed up in motherhood, from preparing freezer meals and systems in advance, to cutting through the overwhelming noise of online advice by following one trusted voice per category. She opens up about postpartum mental health, choosing medication without shame, sleep as a pillar for marriage and sanity, and how learning to advocate for your baby (and yourself) is something that develops over time.

This conversation is for moms who are builders, planners, high-capacity humans, and anyone who has felt humbled by postpartum while still wanting a full, ambitious life on the other side of it.

Postpartum isn’t linear. You’re not behind. And you’re not doing it wrong.

In this episode, I’m joined by Chelsea McLeod, an integrative health practitioner who works with driven, working moms navigating postpartum hormone and metabolic recovery.

We talk about why so many women feel depleted long after birth, especially when they’re balancing careers, caregiving, and long-term breastfeeding. Chelsea breaks down what postpartum depletion actually looks like in real life, from stubborn weight and poor sleep to cravings, gut issues, hair loss, and mood changes, and why these symptoms are so often dismissed as “normal.”

We also dig into the difference between managing symptoms and addressing root causes, why testing matters, how stress and nervous system overload impact hormones, and why so many high performing women feel like they’re doing everything right but still feel off.

This is an honest conversation about postpartum recovery in a system that wasn’t built to support mothers, and what it can look like to actually restore your body instead of just pushing through.

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey sits down with Christine Masotta, a financial advisor and mom of three under five, to talk about money through a postpartum lens. They unpack why finances feel so emotional for so many mothers, how our upbringing shapes our relationship with money, and why financial advisors are not just for the ultra-wealthy.

Christine shares what it actually looks like to work with a financial advisor, how to find someone who aligns with your values, and the questions every mom should ask before starting that relationship. They also dive into the Great Wealth Transfer, why women are poised to inherit trillions over the next two decades, and why financial confidence matters now more than ever.

This conversation covers practical, approachable steps for moms who feel overwhelmed or behind, from understanding cash flow and building an emergency fund to automating savings and planning for long-term goals like education, retirement, and legacy. Toni and Christine also talk candidly about parenting, ambitious motherhood, and how to model a healthy relationship with money for the next generation.

If you are pregnant, postpartum, navigating motherhood while building a career, or simply want to feel more empowered around your finances, this episode is for you.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. Please consult a qualified professional for advice tailored to your situation. The views expressed in this podcast are not reflective of the views of Northwestern Mutual or the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company. This is not a paid partnership.

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey sits down with Dr. Daniel Niku, a Beverly Hills OB-GYN who believes obstetrics is an art, not just a medical process. They talk about how to choose a provider you can truly communicate with, what questions to ask before labor starts, and how to advocate for yourself without feeling adversarial.

Dr. Niku shares what he wishes every woman knew before walking into an OB’s office, how to separate social media fear from real risk, and the small things that can support a smoother labor, from movement and positioning to pelvic floor prep. They also dig into postpartum, including why earlier follow-ups matter, what clinicians look for with postpartum anxiety and depression, and how support, nutrition, and routine can make a real difference.

If you are pregnant, planning your next birth after a C-section, or navigating postpartum and craving a calmer, more collaborative perspective, this conversation is for you.

Find Dr. Niku on social @dannynikumd

Postpartum recovery is real, and too often, it’s overlooked.

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, I’m joined by Danielle Zamarelli, a CRNA turned founder of Tush Present, to talk about what actually happens to the body during pregnancy, birth, and the fourth trimester, and why so many of the products handed to new moms fall short.

Danielle shares how a painful postpartum experience, and a truly terrible hospital donut cushion, sparked the idea for a better solution. We talk about posture, pain management after vaginal and C-section births, breastfeeding ergonomics, and why non-toxic materials matter, especially during healing.

This conversation goes beyond products. It’s about raising the bar for maternal wellness, choosing prevention over quick fixes, and building mission-driven businesses that prioritize women’s health, even when it’s harder and more expensive to do so.

If you’re pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, or simply care about better standards for mothers, this episode is for you.

Resources & Mentions

– Tush Present: https://thetushpresent.com/

– Follow Danielle: @thetushpresent | @danzamfiguresitout on TikTok | @dzamarelli on Instagram

What happens when preparation, discipline, and “doing everything right” still aren’t enough in postpartum?

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey is joined by Priya Rednam Waldo, licensed perinatal therapist, keynote speaker, and coach to high-achieving women navigating motherhood from pregnancy through postpartum and beyond.

A former U.S. Army Captain and West Point honors graduate with credentials from Johns Hopkins University, Priya brings decades of leadership experience into her work supporting career-driven mothers. She is the founder and CEO of Healing Home Counseling Group, an innovative perinatal and youth mental health practice, and now serves as a holistic strategist for women balancing ambition, identity, and motherhood.

Drawing from her own lived experience as the daughter of Indian immigrants, the wife of an Irish man, and a mother of four children welcomed through birth and adoption, Priya offers a deeply nuanced understanding of complex family systems and elite professional environments. Her clients include C-suite executives and leaders across tech, law, medicine, and entrepreneurship.

Together, Toni and Priya explore why postpartum humbles even the most prepared women, why white knuckling motherhood is so common among high achievers, and how to build a postpartum support system that actually works. They discuss traumatic birth, mental load, returning to work without shame, and how to know whether therapy or coaching is the right support at different stages.

This conversation covers:

• Why postpartum is real recovery, not something to power through
• How high-achieving women get stuck white knuckling motherhood
• What a functional postpartum village actually looks like
• Mental load, partnership, and returning to work with confidence
• Therapy vs coaching, and how to know what you need
• Letting go of control without losing yourself

Priya holds advanced certifications including MPH, LMSW, PMH-C, and EMDR for birth and BIPOC-related trauma. As a passionate advocate, she empowers mothers through global education, speaking, and values-aligned partnerships, all rooted in the belief that mothers deserve support, dignity, and care.

If you are a driven woman navigating pregnancy, postpartum, or the return to work, this episode will help you feel seen, supported, and less alone.

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey is joined by Vogue fashion journalist Annabelle Azade for an honest, unfiltered conversation about postpartum life, identity, and what it means to return to a visual, high-pressure industry after becoming a mother.

For the last decade, the high-performing woman has been sold a lie. We were told to "bounce back." We were told to choose between our careers and our health. We were told that survival mode was the only option.

That ends today.

In this inaugural episode, Toni Toomey introduces The Postpartum Standard—the operational playbook for the modern mother. We are moving the conversation from "survival" to "strategy," giving you the tools to navigate the complex intersection of professional ambition, metabolic health, and family legacy.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why "bouncing back" is a broken metric—and what to aim for instead.
• The origin story of Hone: Why a humiliating moment in a boardroom led to a new category of hormone-safe luxury.
• The "Clean Beauty" of Fashion: Why we need to scrutinize our clothing ingredients as much as our skincare.
• What to expect this season: From VPs of Product to Naturopathic Doctors, we are bringing you the experts who are rewriting the rules of the fourth trimester.

Resources:

• Join the Waitlist: Pre-sales for the Hone Signature Collection are live. Secure your Italian-milled nursing dress for February delivery at wearhone.com.
• Follow on LinkedIn: The Postpartum Standard