The Well-Nourished Mother: Helping You Thrive in Pregnancy, Birth & Motherhood

After nearly a year away from the microphone, we're back with a life update that (in true Lauren & Nicole style) manages to cover ADHD diagnoses, fractured bones, nursing careers, master's degrees, ear piercings, birth work, and the strange way life only makes sense when you look backwards.

In this conversation, we reflect on the seasons that have shaped us over the past year. Lauren shares what has shifted since receiving her ADHD diagnosis, including the grief, relief, self-compassion, and unexpected freedom that came with finally understanding how her brain works. Nicole reflects on returning to nursing, beginning a Master's in Counselling Psychology, and navigating the tension between unmet expectations and trusting that no experience is ever truly wasted.

We also explore the realities of parenting neurodivergent children, making difficult medical decisions, advocating for our kids, and learning to loosen our grip on identities that no longer fit. Along the way, we share updates on the work we're creating together, including our upcoming prenatal education offering, Weaving Birth, and the deeper questions we're asking about birth, matrescence, self-worth, and what it means to prepare for transformation.

This episode is a reminder that growth rarely happens in a straight line. Sometimes the thing that looks like a detour becomes the path. Sometimes a diagnosis creates freedom. Sometimes the season you're resisting is quietly preparing you for what's next.

Connect with Lauren:
Instagram: @nestandnourish
Podcast: The Well-Nourished Mother

Connect with Nicole:
Instagram: @nicolepasveer
Podcast: REWILD + FREE

If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love it if you'd share it with a friend, leave a review, or send us a message. We always love hearing what lands.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

Matrescence is finally getting the attention it deserves — but is the conversation actually helping mothers move through it? Naming the transition is a start. But naming it isn't the same as navigating it.

In this episode, Lauren goes deeper into one of her most beloved and most studied topics: matrescence. This is part personal reflection, part teaching, and part invitation — and it's also her final assignment submission as a graduate from Jessie Harrold's Village Apprenticeship.

If you've ever felt like you've lost yourself in motherhood, grieved something you couldn't quite name, or wondered why no one warned you that becoming a mother would shake you to your very core — this episode is for you. What you're moving through has a name, a shape, and an arc. And you deserve a guide who actually understands the terrain.

In this episode, we explore:

• What matrescence really is — beyond the buzzword — and why it matters more than ever
• The history of matrescence and why it took decades for this concept to be taken seriously
• Why naming matrescence isn't enough, and what it actually looks like to be guided through it
• The grief that lives inside this transition — the quiet, accumulating kind that most mothers carry completely alone
• Liminal space: why the messy middle isn't a problem to escape, but where the transformation actually happens
• What a Certified Matrescence Educator actually does (Lauren's version of it), and how somatic, parts-work, and rite-of-passage frameworks weave together into something deeper than education
• Why the final threshold of the rite of passage — being witnessed in who you've become — is almost entirely absent in modern motherhood

This episode is also a behind-the-scenes look into Lauren's journey — the years of training, the certifications quietly accumulated, and the moment she stopped asking "am I ready?" and started asking "what am I waiting for?"

If you're somewhere in the middle of becoming, this one's for you.

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Want to go deeper?

Join the waitlist for my upcoming matrescence support space: DM @nestandnourish or sign up to the Nest & Nourish email community The Magic & The Mess to be notified when it's ready for you at www.nestandnourish.ca

Listen to my previous episode with Jessie Harrold here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2145034/episodes/16399758

For the mother-care providers listening:

If this episode lit a fire under your butt to deepen your skills around matrescence, here are two places to go next:

Matrescence & the Nervous System course — built for anyone who works with mothers and wants to understand this transition on a deeper, body-based level.

Jessie Harrold's Matrescence Educator Apprenticeship, The Village — the program that changed how I understand and hold this work... and make sure to mention **Lauren Fortuna-Floch** referred you!

If this episode resonated, please share it with a friend, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or rate the show wherever you're listening — it helps this little podcast grow and blossom.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

In this episode Lauren explores what's been quietly lost in the way modern culture approaches birth — and how to begin bringing it back through simple, intentional ceremony. 

Lauren shares about the history of birthing rituals, why they disappeared, the importance of honouring the traditions, cultures, and lineages that have shaped these practices, and the simple, beautiful practice of a Mother Blessing.

If you've ever wanted someone to really, truly show up for you before birth, or you want to be that person for someone you love...

The complete Planning A Meaningful Mother Blessing guide has everything you need to make it happen. Rituals, readings, facilitation tips, ceremony flow, printable tools, and recipes. 

Find it at nestandnourish.ca/motherblessing

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

How can we bring the beauty, wisdom, and deep healing of traditional practices into modern birthwork and motherhood, while honouring their roots?

In this moving conversation, Lauren sits down with Andréa de Keijzer, a doula, photographer, and kinesiologist born in Mexico, whose work is devoted to preserving and sharing the ancestral wisdom of Mexican midwifery. Together, they explore the rebozo—a woven Mexican textile often described as the hug of our grandmothers—and the Closing of the Bones ceremony, a postpartum ritual that invites mothers to be wrapped, witnessed, and restored after birth and other life transitions.

Andréa shares her story of loss, healing, and deep reconnection to her lineage, illuminating how these traditions offer profound nourishment for body, heart, and spirit. She also speaks candidly about what it means to honor cultural roots, practice reciprocity, and integrate ancestral care into our modern context with integrity.

In this episode, we explore:

• The meaning and magic of the rebozo and its role in postpartum and life transitions
• How movement, ritual, and being witnessed in community can restore the postpartum period as a time of true nourishment, not just recovery
• Andréa’s story of “little births,” grief, and how ceremony became a pathway to healing
• What cultural respect and reciprocity look like when engaging with ancestral practices
• Practical ways to find a ceremony guide, choose a fair-trade rebozo, and approach these traditions with intention 

If you’re a mother or birthworker seeking deeper, more embodied ways to support postpartum care—and to do so respectfully—this episode is an invitation to return to the wisdom that’s been woven through generations.

About Andréa de Keijzer:
Alongside Angie Yañez, Andréa is the co-founder of Collective Rebozo. They teach rebozo workshops, offer retreats and facilitate closing of the bones ceremonies, in postpartum and other life transitions. They are passionate about creating spaces of warmth, movement, creativity and ceremony. 

Learn more: collectiverebozo.com

Instagram: @rebozo.collective ENGLISH | @collective.rebozo FRENCH

LISTENER PERKS GENEROUSLY GIFTED BY COLLECTIVE REBOZO:
Use code REBOZO2025 for 10% off November 2025 Rebozo trainings in Toronto or Ottawa.
To purchase a fair-trade rebozo from Oaxaca, email [email protected] with code REBOZOLOVE for $10 off.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

Under September’s full moon, we sit in the messy middle of it all—thresholds, tenderness, and the very human urge to know what’s on the other side. In this episode, Lauren shares the mixed cocktail of grief and excitement as her daughter starts preschool and a whole new chapter of life and motherhood (and schedule) opens up. Nicole reflects on the one-year mark of her child’s autism diagnosis and what softened in their family because of language, support, and self-compassion. 

We also name the messy, nuanced terrain of exploring neurodivergence in adulthood as Lauren moves toward a formal ADHD assessment—the freedom, the grief, and the relief of finally having words for what’s been true all along. 

This episode is a love letter to liminality and a reminder that rhythm beats routine, devotion beats perfection, and identity is allowed to be in flux. If you’re carrying a lot, if you’re crossing a portal you can’t yet see through, or if you just need permission to cry, rest, and still call it forward motion—this one’s for you.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• Thresholds and rites of passage for mothers and families
• Why language (matrescence, autism, ADHD) can create compassion, not boxes
• Time freedom, ambition, and not overloading a new season
• Rhythm over routine, devotion over perfection
• Friendship, grief, and letting the full spectrum be welcome

Thanks so much for hanging out with us, if you enjoy these episodes please share them with a friend, leave a review wherever you’re listening from, and come on over to instagram to continue the conversation.

Connect with Nicole on IG (@nicolepasveer) 

Connect with Lauren on IG (@nestandnourish) 

P.S. Are you a birthworker or mother care provider who wants to make a deeper impact with your clients? Join us inside our recent training Matrescence & the Nervous System to understand the maternal nervous system in a way most trainings don’t cover. You’ll learn how to actually meet a mother’s nervous system with compassion and depth in these times. 

Receive instant access for just $66 USD (value $125). No live call. No expiration. Just 12 micro lessons (5-20 min in length) you can take in at your own pace.

Click here to learn more 

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

Concepts like matrescence and the nervous system are getting more attention, FINALLY! But as they become buzzwords, they’re often watered down, overgeneralized, and stripped of the nuance they deserve. 

In this episode, we are sooooooo excited to talk about our new upcoming training centered on the maternal nervous system.

This training will explore why the maternal nervous system is the missing link in most matrescence conversations, and how the information we’re sharing with you will completely change the way you serve mothers. You’ll leave with new knowledge, perspectives, and connections that you can bring into your work to add more IMPACT and a more holistic approach to serving mothers. When you understand the unique nervous system changes that take place in mothers, you can better support them through the wildness of motherhood. 

Receive instant access for just $66 USD (value $125)

No live call. No expiration. Just 12 micro lessons (5-20 min in length) you can take in at your own pace.

Click HERE to learn more and register for Matrescence and the Nervous System 

Thanks so much for hanging out with us, if you enjoy these episodes please share them with a friend, leave a review wherever you’re listening from, and come on over to instagram to continue the conversation..

Connect with Nicole on IG (@nicolepasveer) 

Connect with Lauren on IG (@nestandnourish) 

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

Nicole and Lauren gather just ahead of the full moon to share honest updates and reflections on life, business, and the ever-changing seasons of motherhood. 

Our biggest intention for this episode is to give you a big behind the scenes peek into our process behind launching and refining our latest offering, Held—a community designed for mother-serving professionals. 

We openly discuss the little pivots and  “course corrections” we’ve made, the importance of play and spaciousness in the creative process, and how responding to YOUR feedback and our own needs has shaped our business in a deeply embodied way.

As usual there’s also a sprinkling of so many juicy topics waiting for you from:

• Our usual energy/cycle/life updates (including iron infusions, birthday months, and new kittens!)
• The acceptance of and identity shifts of neurodivergence
• Honoring different seasons in business and motherhood
• Navigating ambition, capacity, and the myth of one-size-fits-all strategy
• Balancing “people pleasing” with true responsiveness and evolution
• Fullness vs. busyness: Reframing your perception of life’s demands
• The importance of slow growth, prioritizing relationships over transactions, and letting action (not overthinking) shape the next right steps in entrepreneurship
• Finally, we’re sharing our biggest piece of advice for any other space holding entrepreneurs out there

You'll find plenty of relatable insights about honoring your own rhythm, letting go of rigidity, and building community in ways that are truly nourishing. Whether you’re here for reflections on motherhood, inspiration for your own creative ventures, or just to feel a little more connected to these 2 silly weirdos, there’s magick in this episode for you. 

P.S. Are you a birthworker or mother care provider who wants to make a deeper impact with your clients? Join us inside our recent training Matrescence & the Nervous System to understand the maternal nervous system in a way most trainings don’t cover. You’ll learn how to actually meet a mother’s nervous system with compassion and depth in these times. 

Receive instant access for just $66 USD (value $125). No live call. No expiration. Just 12 micro lessons (5-20 min in length) you can take in at your own pace.

Click here to learn more 

Thanks so much for hanging out with us, if you enjoy these episodes please share them with a friend, leave a review wherever you’re listening from, and come on over to instagram to continue the conversation..

Connect with Nicole on IG (@nicolepasveer) 

Connect with Lauren on IG (@nestandnourish) 

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

This is probably my number one question I get asked right now as a doula... What does a postpartum doula shift look like? What kind of support of you offer?

And while it can be hard to fully articulate what it feeeeeels like to be cared for by a doula in this vulnerable season of life, I attempt to give you a peak into the flavour of postpartum doula support that I currently offer. Because that's the beauty of doula care... it's as unique as the doula you hire. 

This short and sweet episode will give you an idea of what a postpartum doula shift can look like, but I promise, it's so much more! If only there was an easy way to describe the feeling of being cared for by a doula.... hey maybe that's the next episode idea... interviewing a client and letting them speak for themselves!

Enjoy.

If you're craving this kind of care in your own postpartum season, I’d love to support you. Learn more about working with me here... I offer both in person (Victoria/Sooke, BC area) and virtual services to meet your needs in motherhood.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

What does it mean to "prune" and "nourish" in your current season of motherhood? Why does it matter?!

In this short and sweet episode I'm sharing some of the wisdom I find myself sharing on repeat with my current doula clients. 

Come explore why it’s important to let go of non-essential tasks, delegate, and intentionally seek support, especially for high-achieving women adjusting to the demands of new motherhood. I also offer real-life nourishment tips—for body, mind and heart—including making time for breakfast and embracing community help. Join me as I reflect on how to make motherhood more nourishing, more sustainable, and more connected to what matters most.

Interested in Doula care with Lauren from Nest & Nourish?? I offer both in-person (Victoria, BC area) AND virtual doula services. Learn more here.

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

Buckle up. This one’s a ride.

We honestly joked that the whole thing could’ve just been a blooper reel LOL but buried inside the Moana 2 quotes, pizza-cupcake metaphors, fat cat analogies, and all the giggles…

There’s something real here. Something tender. Something we both needed to say out loud, and maybe you needed to hear?? 

We hold our usual nuance and throughout this episode of Musings & Magick, we tumble through:

• The guilt and shame around wanting “too much”
• The difference between curated echo chambers and real, messy community
• The tug-of-war between honoring our natural limits and still longing for more
• Letting go of labels like “lazy” or “productive” and just meeting ourselves where we are

If you’ve ever felt like you’re too much or not enough…

If you’ve craved a life or business that doesn’t ask you to hustle through your exhaustion…

If you’ve wondered whether your desires were holy or selfish or both… 

This one’s for you.

Take a deep breath, love.

This conversation is full of real life, big questions, sideways laughter, and sacred tangents. It’s messy. It’s nourishing. It’s a reminder that you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong.

Things We’re Chewing On:

• “Everything can be medicine, everything can be poison.” (Thank you, Quiddist, inspired by her recent Beyond Dogma series)
• The quiet ways we limit ourselves, and the wild permission of Mother energy to want more.
• Why your business has to run through your own filter. (Seriously, are you baking cupcakes with a pizza recipe?)
• Trusting your pace. Even when it’s slower than you expected. Especially then.

This episode is a soft rebellion.

A love song for your enoughness.

A nudge to come home to the wisdom of your body and the truth of your desire.

🌿 HELD is a community membership for mother-serving visionaries—birthworkers, coaches, and space holders—who want to grow their business without bypassing their body. Inside, we blend somatics, embodied strategy, and values-led leadership so your business can nourish you and your clients. Founding member spots are open (only 10 available!) at a deeply discounted rate — we start September 9. Secure your spot now: www.nestandnourish.ca/held

If you’re longing for a coaching space that is relational, embodied, and honours your full humanity (not just your strategic brain), come see if it’s for you! 

We’re so glad you’re here.

Thanks for walking this wild path with us.

We love you.

—Lauren + Nicole

I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show.

Support the show

Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.