Mommin'

Katrina Teeple is the Founder & CEO of Operation Organization, a professional organizing company, which services clients in Southern California and Dallas Texas. In addition to in-person services, Katrina teaches regular masterclasses on topics from email organization to hacking the home for optimal order. Katrina and her talented team have been transforming the way clients' lives flow from their homes to their offices for more than 17 years. She refers to herself as a Life Optimizer - one part Organizational Coach and one part System Creator.-Key takeaways Moms are inundated with having so much to do and we feel like we need to be doing more all the time, which doesn't leave a lot of time to maintain order in our lives (9:18) Incorporating the decluttering mindset into her household early on. When you have regular conversations about only keeping what fits in the house, it becomes easier for kids because they don't get attached as easily (12:08)Saving kids art and projects for the entire year: put everything in a box and go through it at the end of the year picking favorites to keep  (16:00)To implement systems and order for kids, you need to make it easy for them - low hooks, drawers, etc. so it's easily accessible (20:48)We waste so much time thinking about how to start getting organized, what we need and wanting it perfect and that stops us from starting (32:23)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Katrina on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Katie Thomson is a Registered Dietitian, mom of 2 and co-founder of Square Baby. Fed up with all the fruit-heavy, sugar-laden baby foods masquerading as balanced meals, she knew she could do better. She wanted to create a solution to cut through the clutter, the confusion and the mountains of applesauce. With Square Baby, each meal is completely balanced and the Square Meal System™ delivers 100% of a baby's daily recommended servings of fruit, veggies, protein, and grains. -Key Takeaways:What she learned about herself during her time at Starbucks and how it was helping her become an entrepreneur without her even realizing it (14:03)Working full-time and being too busy and overwhelmed to make baby food on her own. She  also wanted to spend the time she had with her son focused on him, not making baby food (17:51) You're not a good or bad mom because you did or didn't select a certain path  (26:22)You can prevent food allergies by up to 80% by offering allergens as early as 4-6 months (31:02)People aren't born with food allergies, they develop over time (32:10)If a child does have an allergy, can they outgrow them as their immune systems develop (36:00)Immune system development is most critical between 4-11 months, which is why early introduction is so important so the system can build immunity (39:20)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Katie on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Rachel was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is a mother of two beautiful sons and resides in NY. She is an actor and graduate of The Juilliard School, a founding MIRROR instructor, doula, and lactation counselor. Rachel founded Birth Queen to combat the Black maternal health crisis. Black mothers can be confident knowing there is someone advocating for them and breathing new life into the birth world with funding, education, and support.-Key Takeaways The guilt women go through when they don't feel strong after having a baby. You're not broken, you're just healing and we need to deal with that (6:50)Having anxiety attacks daily while pregnant with her second child because she was scared to have another Black son during the summer of 2020 (13:05)Founding Birth Queen: An organization with the mission to provide education, support, and resources to Black birthing people while also funding more training for Black birth workers (14:30)The background of racism in birth: Dr. Marion Sims practiced c-sections on slaves, a lot of them survived without anesthesia leading to his conclusion that Black women don't feel pain the same way as white women. Leads to both an unconscious and conscious bias. (15:10)All moms deserve better care than they're deserving (17:39)Ways that black women are judged even during labor: wearing a ring, how they do their hair, etc. (17:43)How to properly do a kegel (25:09)Diastasis recti: most of us have at least some separation. What to do during pregnancy and postpartum to prevent it. You can be an all-star athlete or couch potato and get diastasis recti  (42:28)Returning to fitness postpartum. Everyone is different and she has different recommendations depending on each person's experience. Won't tell anyone to do high impact for 3-6 months postpartum (46:57)The damage seeing images of trainers and fit people on social media postpartum and feeling like we should be able to do that too (51:05)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Rachel on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Eve Rodsky is the New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) and its highly anticipated follow-up, Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World. A Harvard-trained lawyer and former foundational manager at J.P. Morgan, Rodsky combines her experience in organizational management and family mediation with the science connecting creativity with improved mental and physical health. Her step-by-step approach in Fair Play, which helps partners rebalance their domestic workload, has been recognized by Reese's Book Club, Good Morning America, Today, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and other outlets. Rodsky lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their three children.-Key takeaways Feeling like a failure and blaming herself for not creating the life that everyone told her she could have. The idea that you can have it all and be it all is a lie (5:40)Our society has been built on the backs of the unpaid labor of women and it's a house of cards (8:25)Boundary setting means you have permission to be unavailable from your roles as a wife, mother, etc. (13:30)The importance of unicorn space and why women don't feel like they have permission to take it (14:30)We regard men's time like diamonds and women's like sand (17:06)Guilt and shame is a tool to keep you quiet and submissive (20:57)Working together as a couple to decide what you value as a family (24:17)What matters to you? What life are you building? When you decide that together, neither of you can say something is unnecessary (28:33)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Eve on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Dani is a pediatric registered dietitian nutritionist, early childhood education advocate, and Mom of 3. Her mission is to guide parents through hands-on learning and sensory engagement with food education to foster curiosity, transforming picky kids in adventurous eaters. She focuses on food literacy with the integration of STEAM activities (science, technology, engineering, arts, math), sensory exploration, and food play to make everyday meals into teachable moments.-Key takeaways What it was like having her first two kiddos while living in Germany. The biggest differences: seeing her doctor every visit in Germany and having an ultrasound every visit. In Germany when you have a c-section, they keep you a minimum of 5 days vs in the U.S. where they get you out quick (6:35)Her tips for meals when you're low on time, your partner is traveling, etc. - convenience food is your friend. We put a lot of stress and pressure on ourselves about meals. She likes to utilize prepared or semi-prepared foods as the main dish and then she'll add other things like fruits and veggies (15:45)Give yourself some grace. If everyone comes to the table and they've eaten something, whether it's cereal or soup or whatever, as long as they're fed and safe, you're in a good place (18:01)Playing is how kids learn about and experience the world around them, but for some reason not when it comes to food. An invitation to play with food is a great way to help children feel confident and familiar with foods even if we're not talking about eating them (29:20)The goal of her work is to reduce barriers around food and make them fun and playful. If they taste the food, great, but that's not always the first step. The first step is to build confidence and comfort around new food (36:44) How to incorporate food play into your every day so it isn't stressful and doesn't take a lot of work or money. Think about what you're making for dinner and how you could turn that into sensory play  (41:16)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Dani on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Kim McLeod is the creator behind The Best Ideas for Kids where she shares craft ideas for kids of all ages. She lives outside of Toronto with her husband and 2 kids. She has a passion for creating and sharing kids craft projects. She loves to create projects that are easy, and she incorporates recycled materials as much as she can. She is also known for her handprint cards and crafts. -Key takeaways Set of 8 holiday kits available at Michael's packaged with almost everything you need so no prep time (2:21)Why Kim won't use water beads: They are created to absorb water and can continue to expand if ingested and cause blockages in an intestine.  If they get in your pipes they can block your pipes too (11:24)How to remove sticker residue: using soapy water to loosen the label/sticker and then you should be able to use your hands to get most the paper off.  Use Goo Gone for the adhesive part (14:50)How to get slime out of anything: Vinegar. It will get slime out of hair, clothes, carpet, etc. Mix with a bit of soapy water, spray it on and rub it with a rag. Slime is made up primarily of glue, which is the hardest part to get out and the vinegar almost dissolves it (18:49)Crayon on the wall, floor or furniture: use a hairdryer to melt the wax in the crayon and then wipe clean. She has also had some luck with Windex (23:26)Cleaning up Oobleck: Let it sit out for a day to completely harden and then it breaks into chunky pieces. You don't want to put it down your drain because it goes between a liquid and solid and when it dries, it dries hard so it can clog your drain  (25:27)Glitter: Vacuum is the best way to go. To avoid loose glitter, try using glitter paper or glitter glue. Eco-friendly glitter is now available too (28:15)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children's supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Kim on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Dr. Meggie Smith is an OB/GYN who specializes in reproductive endocrinology and infertility.  Based in Nashville, Tennessee Smith is a life-long athlete who uses her medical expertise paired with her personal experiences to help women better understand their bodies. Smith strives to use relatable, practical advice with all of her patients by connecting with them on a personal and professional level. As both the doctor and the patient (she has gone through two egg freezing cycles herself), undergoing fertility treatments has given Smith a unique perspective on the physical and emotional toils of an in vitro fertilization or egg freezing cycle. Dr. Smith is a proud dog mom to rescues, Herman and Noelle.-Key takeawaysSo much of her job is dealing with emotion around infertility. The vast majority of people she sees are shocked to need a fertility specialist (6:50)There is a lot of grieving along with a lot of hope when it comes to infertility. Many people are angry or sad and not everyone is ready to move to the acceptance part and take next steps (10:20)Common tips for increasing your chances of getting pregnant: putting your legs up after sex, eating pineapple core after ovulation, acupuncture, baby aspirin, different sex positions, inserting actual egg-whites in the vagina, how often to have sex, supplements, cutting alcohol/caffeine - are any of them true? Dr. Meggie tells me which, if any, have any real chance of increasing your odds of getting pregnant (16:38)A lot of the things we do to try and help get pregnant are things that make us feel in control in a situation that is very outside of our control. There's a lot that has very little downside and might have an upside so why not try (18:38)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Dr. Meggie on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Courtney Killpack is a bra fitting expert and owner of Bra Fittings by Court, a professional bra fitting shop located in Layton, Utah. She has over 16 years experience working in the lingerie industry and has fitted thousands of women. In 2021 her shop was awarded The Best of Intima Award for Fan Favorite and being recognized as one of the best lingerie stores in America. -Key takeaways When your bra isn't fitting correctly, it can cause a lot of physical pain - poor posture, shoulder strain, neck tension (6:08)The gore (the section between the cups) should lay flat against your skin - if it is sticking away from your body, it means the cup size is too small (9:00)How often should you be getting fitted? Every year. Bras have a 9-10 month life cycle (15:52)Recommend having 3-4 everyday bras so you can rotate and extend each bras life cycle. Sports bras they recommend having 1-2, more if you're really active (17:00)Cleaning your bras - hand washing in the sink is gold standard. If using the washing machine, use the hand wash cycle and hook up the back so it doesn't get attached to other clothes or the machine (19:30)Don't ever put your bra in the dryer, it will destroy it (21:56)Top nursing bra recommendation: Hot Milk, Panache, Elomi (22:37)Where your bra should sit in the back: bras are like teeter-totters. Band should be lower in the back so it lifts you up in the front. If your band is too high in the back you will look saggy (27:22)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! Follow ChildLife Essentials on Instagram for their 12 days of giveaways or use code: 20FESTIVE for 20% off their products on Amazon until December 15th.-Follow Courtney on Instagram or her website -Follow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram -Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Emily is a wife and mom to two kids, a spunky and spirited five-year-old girl and creative and witty seven-year-old boy. She has moved all over the country, and most recently relocated back to Colorado after a three-year stint in Raleigh, NC. Emily started logging her lunches online when she noticed all the lunches she saw there felt like a lot of work and quite unattainable - although extremely beautiful! So she started packing simple lunches that don't take a lot of effort, but include lots of fresh foods.  When not packing lunches, Emily is on the board of directors for Me Fine Foundation - a non-profit in NC that serves families and children receiving care at several partner hospitals. She has served as the events co-chair for the past two (wild!) years, and has enjoyed giving back in this way.-Key takeaways Having things on hand that are easy to throw in. If she's making pasta for dinner she'll put a little bit aside for her kids lunch the next day. Boiled eggs are really easy to have on hand. Limiting what you have to prepare in the morning so it's just one piece of the lunch (8:50)Feeling pressure to have beautiful lunches for our kids and remembering what we grew up with vs them (16:45)Doing whatever is best for you and your family and that goes beyond food and meals (19:10)If you take a thermos and warm it with hot water before you put food in there it will stay warmer longer - don't put anything in that's steaming hot or it will create moisture and get soggy (20:20) Repurposing the leftover food from lunches on to a snack plate so there isn't waste (22:15)Making simple swamps can make a big difference. For example, changing out the bread for a sandwich - putting it on a bagel, wrap or croissant makes it new and special. If you're sending tuna or egg or chicken salad, skip the bread and just send crackers for them to dip. Small swaps make them feel like they're getting something new and different (32:30)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years. ChildLife Essentials is offering 20% off their most popular bundles on amazon.com/childlife - grab these Black Friday deals before they run out! No coupon code required. Follow Emily on InstagramFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Simona Grace is a single mom, an outspoken advocate for women's political empowerment and the founder of Moms in Office. Prior to founding Moms in Office in 2018, a progressive political organization dedicated to electing more moms to office and working to achieve economic justice for all women, she has held various positions in education and publishing.A speaker and frequent commentator on women's rights and progressive issues, her writing and work have been featured in numerous publications. She has been named the 2020 California Mother of the Year by the American Mothers Organization. After immigrating to the United States when she was 18 years old, Simona graduated from UCLA with a degree in Comparative Literature, summa cum laude. She lives in Los Angeles with her 11 year old son.-Key Takeaways We see a picture of someone on social media and we decide who the person is and fill in their story without actually knowing it (12:38)She's been fighting her whole life - for her education, her immigration status, against bias, for her son - so she became really good at it. Once she was in a position where she was settled, she realized she wanted to fight for the rights of other women and moms to make sure that someone gives them a voice (19:40)A lot of women question themselves and talk themselves out of running for office because politicians don't look and sound like them - most politicians we see are rich, white men. How can a working mom or single mom affect change - it seems daunting (22:55)What do you need to run for office? Your determination to help others, your authenticity, caring for your community and your wanting your child to have a good future. That will keep you going (24:16)We have 535 voting members in congress, 25-26% of congress is made up of women. Out of that small group of women, only 25 are raising kids under 18. That's 5% of congress. Moms make up one of the largest segments of the US population and the smallest segment of our federal government (29:48)What can women do who want to run for office, but are scared? Stop telling yourself that you can't. We need to stop questioning ourselves just because we don't look like the standard politician in the US. Start talking to others in your network for advice on how to keep going and you will find people who will build you up and make sure you don't give up. The more women we elect, less women will question whether or not they are capable of doing it (34:30)-Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years. ChildLife Essentials is offering 20% off their most popular bundles on amazon.com/childlife - grab these Black Friday deals before they run out! No coupon code required. Follow Simona on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Runda Ebied is a mother of two children and a pediatric occupational therapist. Runda currently works with children with various needs (sensory, emotional, academic, developmental and physical) both in school settings and within their homes. Runda also has experience working with adults in need of mental health support. Runda is very passionate about maternal mental health and children's emotional  and mental well-being. Key takeaways What does a pediatric occupational therapist actually do?  (10:16)Why we need to normalize motherhood feeling really hard sometimes - it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong or are a bad parent, it's hard because it really can be that hard (19:58) What does it mean to be a highly sensitive person (HSP)? (21:17)A HSP is someone who feels things on a deeper level. They are often very intuitive and it's like the volume has been turned up in their ability to feel things and notice changes in their environment and with people. Empathy and HSP often go hand in hand (21:34)Once you discover you are an HSP, it's easier to understand why you respond to certain situations differently than others.  Movies or songs for example, can really overcome you (23:56)Recognizing symptoms of an HSP in younger kids: 24:30 Tips for parenting a HSP - validating  children's sensitivity and emotions. Avoiding saying things like,  "you're too sensitive or it's not that big of a deal”  (26:33)Giving our kids the skills to know that they can do hard things in life is one of the best gifts we could ever give them (33:45)Recommendations for how to keep your cool when your child starts melting down - so easy to become dysregulated when our children are not having a great time (40:41)Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Runda on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Neily Boyd has more than a decade of experience as a math educator, working with students and teachers from kindergarten through high school. Most recently, she served as Director of Math, serving six elementary and middle schools. During her tenure, she implemented a hands-on mathematics curriculum designed to engage students in academic discussion and conceptual thinking. As a result, the schools showed some of the highest growth in Tennessee, according to several assessments. Seeing a need to help children start kindergarten with better numeracy skills, Boyd launched Counting With Kids in 2019. Since then, her Instagram account has grown to more than 30,000 followers and she has published two e-books on early elementary mathematics. Key takeaways Common core teaches methods that are designed to teach kids HOW to think about math, which is a huge shift. There has been very little support for parents on how to teach it to their kids (15:26)Negative feelings about math are often brought to the surface when we feel like we can't help our kids with their homework (16:43) That moment when we realize other peoples brains work differently and we see that they are understanding something we aren't. This is when negative feelings and self-doubt start and we start believing we aren't wired to be "math people" (20:30)It's culturally acceptable to say I'm not a math person, but what if we said that about reading? (21:30)Toy recommendations (40:40)Tiny Polkadot - ages 3-8,  single best game for building number senseMagnetic tiles - the best for building early geometry skills Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years. Now available on amazon.com/childlifeFollow Neily on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Holly Choi, Co-Owner/Instructor at Safe Beginnings First Aid, is a leader in childhood injury prevention education in North America. She is a nationally-certified first aid instructor, and a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician-Instructor. Holly is a member of both the International Association for Child Safety (IAFCS) and Prevent Child Injury, and has completed additional child-focused safety training in child passenger safety and childhood burn prevention. Her extensive experience and knowledge in baby and toddler safety, in addition to being a mom of 2, gives her a well-rounded and unique perspective. Holly was kind enough to offer 20% off any of the Safe Beginnings courses for Mommin' listeners with code: MOMMIN20 Key takeawaysSafety isn't black and white.  Some things will be safe for some people and not others. A huge part about safety is knowing it's ok to change your mind when presented with new information (7:09)Car Seats are designed to protect mostly against frontal crashes. Frontal crashes cause most injuries/fatalities. In a crash, everything keeps moving toward the point that the vehicle stopped, so in a frontal crash, everything flies toward the windshield. A child in a forward facing car seat is also moving in that direction and that's where we see head, neck, spinal injuries (13:58)The differences between adults and children in CPR (30:24)30 compressions, 2 breaths, doing compressions within a certain pace Adults: 1 or two hands, smaller children: likely just one hand, infant: 2 fingers or 2 thumbsPace is the same for infants and adults: aiming for 100-120 compressions per minute. The Bee Gees Stayin Alive or Baby Shark are great options If you do one piece of baby proofing, anchor your furniture. It's the most fatal risk that we have in our homes. Tip over incidents are quick and often silent because if there is a child between the item and the floor, we often won't hear the crash. Anything that is 3 ft tall and heavy, anchor it to the wall. Most injuries around the home are survivable, this is the one that's not. Guide to how-to anchor furniture (40:31)Crib bumpers, even mesh ones, are always a no (44:53)Parents often worry their child will get a head injury from hitting their head on the crib, but there is no data to support that. Where head injuries DO happen are when kids climb and fall out of their cribs, which they can do easily with crib bumpers Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years. Head to childlifenutrition.com to learn more!Follow Holly on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Jules Ong is a preschool teacher turned homeschooling mum to 3 girls under 6 - with a fourth on the way! - a play parenting coach and founder of Stories of Play. Through her online workshops, courses and membership to The Authentic Learning Experience, she helps parents tap into the magic of child-led play and turn them into learning opportunities. And as their children learn effortlessly through play, they are able to parent with more joy and less overwhelm. Key takeawaysTelling parents that they need to check on their own internal beliefs when they are feeling guilty about not playing with their kid constantly. We all have certain beliefs about what it means to be a good parent, what play should look like, etc. and if we don't understand those, we won't be able to work on the guilt (17:08)What is independent play? People often believe that it is the idea that our children need to be playing in a room alone and that couldn't be further from the truth. You can be in the same room, house, etc. with them, but they are playing on their own without any direction, intervention or interaction with you (21:54)Is it too late to get your kids playing independently if they're older? No! How to start with an older child (32:17):Setting up a space where they have things to engage with It might be really hard to start. (33:26) Begin by modeling and if they ask for help, ask them questions and have them lead so you aren't playing for themGiving them the tools to be able to come up with ideas on their ownOnce they have started, move to the couch and say you need to go do something like put clothes in the laundry, etc. something really fast, then work up to doing something that takes 10 minutes, and so onYou should play with your child as little as required, but as much as you want (42:02)Play on its own is learning and has value. It's on us as parents to understand and learn the value play brings to our children (43:30)We need to normalize mess. All we see online are gorgeous photos of children playing with no mess and it's unrealistic and sets us up for frustration and failure (58:42)Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they're offering 20% off with code HAPPYKIDS21 on Amazon. Offer valid until 10/31/2021*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your familyFollow Jules on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Nickey Ramsey is a mother of two and the founder of Junobie, the world's first reusable breast milk bag. After returning from her second maternity leave, she found herself unhappy with the impractical options for breast milk storage. She knew there had to be a simpler, more reliable breast milk storage option. So, the Junobie bag was born!Growing up, Nickey had a nontraditional family, and even experienced homelessness at one point. If it had not been for the encouragement and inspiration of mentors she met along the way, she would not have graduated high school, gone on to college, and broken the cycle of poverty. Now, she hopes to use Junobie to help inspire and simplify the lives of other women and their families. Key takeaways What it was like growing up with a single mom who worked really hard to provide. Experiencing homelessness as a teenager, sleeping in her car and an abandoned apartment and being scared. Barley graduating high school, but finding the courage to tell a counselor about her situation who helped her find a homeless shelter. Eventually going to college and graduate school (8:57)Her first child had epileptic seizures and how she navigated that challenging time - trying new diets, medications. Explaining how it was harder when her daughter was younger because she couldn't articulate when she felt one coming on (14:02)Not finding out she was pregnant with her second until she was 18 weeks along and from that point on every part of her pregnancy felt rushed (16:17)Producing a ton of breast milk and having to pump even after her son was done nursing.  Having to use thousands of breastmilk storage bags. She wanted something lightweight and reusable, but wasn't finding anything so she started working on creating her own (13:31)Promoting Junobie on social media and having it blow up immediately (28:40)Having large companies knock her product off right after she launched their pre-order and feeling like that might be a sign it wasn't meant to be, but letting her social media community fight for her (30:50)Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they're offering 20% off with code HAPPYKIDS21 on Amazon. Offer valid until 10/31/2021*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your familyFollow Nickey on Instagram or her websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Ash Brandin (they/them) is a middle school teacher in Boulder, Colorado. After years spent playing games and the way they teach players, Ash decided to dig into what makes games such motivating teaching tools. After applying it to their classroom, Ash began presenting at gaming conferences, helping families and educators see the value video games bring to our lives and how we can utilize it.  Ash believes the best way we can prepare our kids for a digital future is to give them the tools they need to have healthy, balanced lives. Ash advocates for using video games as a tool, and  playing and incorporating video games in predictable, measured ways. By doing this, we can set our children up with healthy relationships with video games as well as other activities. Ash lives with their spouse and child, and when not gaming or teaching, likes to bake, and hike. Key takeaways: Being caught in a loop for years trying to reach goals they thought would make them feel good about themselves, which to them meant feeling like a woman, and the stakes kept getting higher. Feeling intense gratitude and indebtedness to their child because they never would have figured out who they were without their child (5:25)Gaming allows kids to have a sense of freedom and choice. There is a huge feeling of responsibility and self-determination (18:50)Kids want to feel validated and seen and know that their interests are seen and valued. Engaging in discussions about your kids interests to show you care (25:20)Whatever you decide is an appropriate amount of games for your child, it should be available on a consistent schedule (36:13). Gaming in communal spaces is associated with healthy gaming relationships (42:55)The criteria someone has to meet to be classified as having “Problematic Video Gaming” (PVG), diagnosis is very rare (43:45)If we only demonize games, we're making parents feel guilty for letting their children play. The more we view it as part of our lives and a tool, the easier it is to facilitate (59:40)How to choose your child's first game Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they're offering 20% off with code HAPPYKIDS21 on Amazon. Offer valid until 10/31/2021*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your familyFollow Ash on Instagram or their websiteFollow Mommin' Podcast on Instagram Thanks for listening! Please rate the show and leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesMichal started Sex Positive Mama - her background is in human sexuality and she works to empower parents to become sex positive. What we talked about Reflecting on your own attitudes around sexThinking about the attitudes we wanted our own parents to have when we asked questionsWorking on your comfort level means exposure and practiceIt’s so much less awkward to talk to a young child than a teenager - it's good to set a baseBeing raised in a sex negative cultureNot feeling empowered in your own bodyNot feeling like you can ask questionsTaking a second before responding to your child then saying, “that’s a great question." Try asking them what they think/what they already know At a very young age, children explore their bodies, they aren’t necessarily eroticizing, they’re just exploring what feels good We tend to wait for our kids to ask questions instead of bringing answers to them,  but in reality you need to be proactive Start by looking at books to begin conversations and the earlier the better to begin these conversations Teaching children that we address people how we like to be calledAvoiding the convo of - boys have a penis, girls have a vagina Avoiding gender stereotypes There is no other part of our body that we have nicknames for or refer to as private parts, which has so much to do with our comfort level and we want to get comfortable and have our kids become empowered You don’t want your child to have euphemisms so they are able to fully tell you what’s going on in their livesPorn is the biggest sex educator and we won’t be able to prevent our kids from seeing it, but we can get them prepared for when that happensThe average age kids see porn is 8 years old By the time kids are teenagers, they want to make sure they’re engaging in conversation with you about their opinionsThank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 20% off with the code IHEARTCL on Amazon.com. Offer valid until 6/30/2021, valid in the U.S. only.*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Michal on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesDr. Maren Locke is a board certified dermatologist who sees patients for medical and cosmetic dermatology. She also runs a YouTube channel-The Budget Dermatologist-on how to achieve your best skin without spending a fortune. What we talked aboutThe bare minimum of healthy skincareCleanser-remove environmental toxins at the end of the day Sunscreen-need it on your face each and every day, year round, even if you’re inside Sunscreen with moisturizer-is it enough?If it has SPF 30 and IF you get enough of it on your skin, which almost nobody ever does! She recommends using a separate sunscreen with SPF 30 or above, and reapply every couple hoursSunscreen powder can be helpful especially for reapplying over makeup Brush it on like you would makeup powder, but again, probably not getting AS much coverage as you would a lotion. Try Supergoop powderExample of a routine for a 30yr woman:MorningCleanse with a brightening exfoliating cleanser: L’oreal Glycolic Acid CleanserVitamin C serum: Vichy LiftactivMoisturize: one that containers niacinamide SunscreenNight: Gentle cleanser: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser or Vanicream Facial Cleanser Collagen building product like a retinoidMoisturizer Skin care products for pregnant or breastfeeding moms:Ask your provider about anything you’re putting on your skin or taking orallyLook at the ingredients label to get a full picture of what you’re usingNo retinoids during pregnancy/breastfeeding Overlooked areas on the body to target for anti aging Neck/chest-use anti aging products there as well Hands-try Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair cream on the hands each night and keep a pair of driving gloves to block sun exposure Favorite eye cream: Aveen RetinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream Do more expensive products work better or faster? We don’t knowThank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 20% off with the code IHEARTCL on Amazon.com. Offer valid until 6/30/2021, valid in the U.S. only.*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Dr. Locke on Instagram or YouTube.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesJordan is a private practice therapist and mom of 2 kiddos who lives in Canada. Jordan works to support people to deepen their understanding of themselves and affirm their needs, wants, and desires as valid and deserving of respect.What we talked aboutHow boundaries encompass everything Paying attention to the body is so important to recognizing your boundaries When we set boundaries, it allows us to feel closer to other people because there is a mutual care and respectFor those of us who aren’t used to setting boundaries, we can swing in the opposite direction and get too firm on setting them Some boundaries will always make us feel awkward and uncomfortable Physical boundaries for our kids-making it clear to family and friends that our children have the choice whether or not to give hugs and kisses Think about where you are feeling resentful and irritated and which relationships are causing thatHaving simple and clear statements can be really helpful How do we recognize when someone else is trying to set their boundary?It’s ok to sit in the discomfort and feelings we have about it, but need to respect their boundary Honoring our kids boundaries and determining when things feel unreasonable Telling our kids that their feelings, wants and needs are important even if they can’t always be met  Our kids are sometimes looking to us to set the boundaries for them Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 20% off with the code IHEARTCL on Amazon.com. Offer valid until 6/30/2021, valid in the U.S. only.*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Jordan on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesJasmine Tillery is the founder & CEO of Money and Momming. She is a mom, wife, and works full-time as an engineer. She loves personal finance and has developed systems and plans to help other moms gain control of their finances. What we talked aboutTalking about taboo topics so others don’t feel alone in what they are going through It’s not how much you make, but how you manage it Starting a budgetHow to prioritize Setting spending limits Having a balanced budget so you don’t hurt your quality of life Trying out different plans if one doesn’t work for youHaving an emergency fundSinking fundSmaller savings accounts for known upcoming expensesHaving monthly money datesSending the kids away or wait until they’re in bedHave some good food and drinks Lay out the budget for the month and discuss goals Come at it from what you both what, not as individuals Talk to each other, but don’t make it so business oriented Don’t put managing all of your finances on one person in the relationship Doing regular check ins vs once a year because so much can change Establish who is better at grocery shopping and sticking to the list and the budget Setting a realistic limit for food budget If you like takeout, plan for it and put it in your budget Tackling debt Add up every single dollar you owe and then deciding how you want to pay it off Figuring out how much of an emergency fund you want6-12 months is ideal 1 month of expenses is vital Make sure your 4 walls are covered: these are most important firstHome/shelter Food TransportationClothingPreparing for maternity leave Not letting debt stop you from growing your familyFocus on your debt and don’t worry about what other people are doingThank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 20% off with the code IHEARTCL on Amazon.com. Offer valid until 6/30/2021, valid in the U.S. only.*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Jasmine on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesMary Beth Ferrante is the mom of 2 and founder of WRK/360. Her company positions organizations to break the work culture cycle that perpetuates burnout and caregiver stigma, costing organizations millions of dollars in turnover, lost productivity, and unused benefits.What we talked aboutFiguring out how to grow your family and your career at the same time The mass exodus of women in the workforce due to COVIDAsking for flexibility Is it just you asking your manager, or is it a bigger conversation about the policies themselves Position it as a trial run When you make it temporary, it doesn’t make it as hard for them to say yes If it is a trial run, check in along the way so you can adapt and create something that works for you bothIf your employer/manager says no to a trial, it’s a red flagFor people who work in fields that don’t have the option to be remote, etc.:Letting people swap hours if possible, or work with your scheduler to make sure your hours work for you How can you have a policy with some flexibility within it Ask the employees for the ideas that they have and want, and co-create policies that work for both There are systemic issues with flexibilityThe idea that men play a role in care and parenting and being allies of women in the workplace - that wasn’t the case as much 10 years agoWe all play a role in evolvingGlorifying long hours and always "being on," and how we can change that If you’re in a position of leadership, you need to model the behavior for employees Looking for a job that has flexibilityGlassdoor - research a companyLook on LinkedIn - check the profiles, see if you have any connections so you can reach out and ask about dynamic/cultureLook at their benefits, what they're saying on their website, and ask about that in the interviewThank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 20% off with the code IHEARTCL on Amazon.com. Offer valid until 6/30/2021, valid in the U.S. only.*Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Mary Beth and WRK/360 on Instagram or their website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Kim McLeod lives outside of Toronto with her husband and 2 kids. She runs the website, The Best Ideas for Kids. She has a book called, Fun and Easy Crafting with Recycled Materials, and she recently released activity kits for sale at Michaels. What we talked aboutHaving a traumatic birth and postpartum recovery Took over a year before she felt normal again and could even start thinking about a 2nd childMourning the stages as kids grow up, but being excited for what's to comeDeciding 2 kids was it after realizing her body couldn’t do anymore, but always still feeling like she would love one more babySetting up a blog to share her parenting experiences when her son was 5 monthsGetting into Pinterest and creating and sharing her own crafts, and having some go viral After her 2nd, wondering if she could make her site be a full-time jobDidn’t sleep for the first couple years of starting the blogBeing approached by a publisher to come up with book ideasDeciding to do a book on recycled crafts and writing it in 6 monthsBeing approached to develop a line for MichaelsGoing through her website to find the most tried and true crafts to develop a kit that parents can just pick up and go Excited about the kits because the value is incredible Getting your kids involved in the set-up of the craft so it extends their participation, but also gets them excited about doing it Her fluffy slime recipe being the most popular on her site Vinegar getting slime out of everything - it dissolves it!Starting a journey focusing more on herself and her well-being Increasing her exercise Focusing on what she’s eating Having her mental health be positively affected by working out more Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this depisode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com.  ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Kim on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notes:Lori Oberbroeckling is the mom of 4 kiddos, a corporate executive, and recently released a book - Secrets of Supermom. What we talked about:Getting pregnant as quickly as they possibly could with the first 3 Her husband wanting 3 kids and her wanting 4 - agreed on 3, but he was in charge of birth control and the 4th happenedA traumatic 1st pregnant with an ectopic pregnancy and losing a tube Being on a business trip when it happened and struggling with having to tell her co-workers she was pregnant and having a miscarriage Normalizing telling people that you’re pregnant before 12 weeks so you don’t have to go through things alone Having other people share their miscarriage stories and feeling comforted by their support and storiesGoing off of birth control after her third, and telling her husband he was in charge on protection - he did a good job for a couple years and then she got pregnant with their 4thWorking at a residential substance abuse program for moms and moms-to-be after she graduated Always wanting to write a book, but wasn’t sure what she would write about Interviewing over 200 moms and hearing about what they were struggling with, and where they were thriving Goal was to write the book in 30 days and it took her 34Wanted to structure it to be incredibly easy to read - fast, easy, and takeaways that are really going to help Hearing from many moms that they didn’t feel like a “supermom” because it was too much pressure Time and balance were the big struggles of motherhood that were identified Feeling like even if they’re getting things done, they don’t think they are doing it well or are balanced about itFor her being a supermom means that you feel engaged and doing enough Instead of falling into the "comparison trap" with other moms, look at what they're doing that you want, & use this to help decide your goals Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com.  ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Lori on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesLis Thomas is an entrepreneur working in marketing and social media management. She is also the creator of the Entreprenista Mama blog, which shares raw, real and authentic stories, interviews and essays about motherhood, and working mothersWhat we talked about Discovering that she enjoyed working for herself the most The challenges a baby brings to a marriage Waiting several years to have a baby after getting married Starting her social media business and having it explode quickly in 2013Becoming busier than she had been when working for a company because she could never punch out Having to own the good and the bad that happens when you own a company Companies now needing to have a background and a storyHelping brands establish their personalitiesSeeing the "light bulb" moment when companies establish their identities Learning to make things work during the pandemic Relocating during COVID to get more spaceAppreciating the outdoors and having access to activities No system being in place for moms when they go back to work and how hard it is The rarity of working for companies that provide a great maternity leave The crazy places women have to pump COVID proving that workers can be productive at home and we can keep this goingHaving to learn flexibility as a momThe positive impact of care providers on kids Watching the impact of being home during COVID on her daughter and how hard it was to not be around other kids Loving being able to work for herself because she can have flexibility and choose her hours so she can be the one to pick her kids up The challenge of bringing in new business Choose a career where the things you hate are ones you can tolerate the most Having to remind ourselves that we do annoying things too and it’s not just our spouses annoying us Companies trying to do too much and spreading themselves too thin Do less well and you’ll succeed more Would love to see there be more equity for women in the workplace and respect/equity in the future for her kids Would love to see women helping and supporting each-other Getting in a workout to help her mental healthMotherhood being the most challenging and rewarding thing she has ever done Follow Lis on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesElizabeth Presta is a birth doula and mom of a six-month old. Her favorite part of being a doula is partnering with women to make sure they feel validated and heard throughout their birthing experience. Elizabeth is passionate about women’s healthcare and is continually learning. What we talked aboutDoulas increasing the rate of satisfaction with the birthing experienceHelping educate women  to feel informed and part of the process, so it doesn’t feel like something that happened to you, but something you were a part ofHearing story after story of women saying, “they didn’t believe me” as part of their birth story and wanting to be there to help them feel heard and empoweredDeath rates actually increased when midwifery became illegal in some places Statistics show when a doula is present you are more likely to have a positive birth experience Doulas help you create a birth plan/guide so you can learn about your options in labor/delivery - provide a lot of physical/emotional supportYou are the only person who lives in your body and knows when something isn’t right - you are the best person to ask questions and advocate for yourself Knowing when to switch doctors when you aren’t receiving appropriate care or having doctors who aren’t listening to you Working as a doula is emotionally and physically draining Being on call for 4-5 weeks for each patientNot being able to travel or have a drink when you’re on call Having a hard time connecting with her daughter especially since she was in the NICUShe had fluid in her lungs and was in the NICU for a week Going home without the babyTaking 2 months to connect, but loving her Wanting to take some time to heal from that birth before having another Becoming confident and sure about herself and who she isNever experiencing anxiety attacks until becoming a parent  Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com.  ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram. Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesLauren Bercuson is a mom of 2 boys who lives in Miami. She is a former lawyer who changed paths and started blogging on her site, Happily Ever Elephants about reading children’s books with intention. The blog led her to become a children’s librarian!What we talked aboutSometimes feeling so out of her element with 2 boys and wanting to talk about something girly on occasion Co-parenting and being very lucky that they do a good job together, get along really well - put kids first and maintain a healthy relationship Her youngest son being a stroke survivorHad a stroke at 10 days oldLed to her changing her careerBeing a lawyer wasn’t fulfilling and when her little one was born she needed something to ground herself People always asked her for book recommendations for kidsStarting a Facebook group because she was being asked the same questions, it grew incredibly quickly to include her Instagram and blogFelt like she was asking so much of her little one and wanted to push herself tooFinally filling her passion and becoming a media specialist at her sons’ school If you are intentional about the books you select for your children, you can empower them with such great skills and enrich their lives Lists on her site include nearly every topic you can think ofInclude diverse authors and perspectiveBooks are bridge builders Tweens are an underserved marketReading Daniel Steel books at that age because she was reading so much and at a high level Mirror books and window books Mirror: they see themselves and their reflectionsWindow books: they get a peek into someone else’s life Finding yourself in a book can be a lifesaver, but it’s also so important to learn about different cultures and ideas Books highlight so well that we have differences, but also highlight our similarities as humans!Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com.  ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Lauren on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesDr. Cara Goodwin is a clinical psychologist and mother to 3 young children. She's the woman behind Parenting Translator, where she breaks down scientific research that is helpful to parents. What we talked about Going into labor on her babymoon, having her baby a month early Becoming a stay-at-home mom, but missing an intellectual outlet Provided therapy and assessments for childhood anxiety and depression, children with autism and developmental disabilitiesLearning how to read research and talk to families about the findingsHot button topics: sleep training, breastfeeding, racial biasBiggest thing we can do is model for our childrenColorblind approach doesn’t work - talk to them about differences Have cross-racial friendships Worrying about our kids social interaction in COVIDResearch shows over and over again that a loving relationship with at least 1 adult is what leads to flourishing as an adult Really hard time for teenagersListen to their concerns and ask what is most upsetting instead of assuming we knowListen and validate instead of jumping in to problem solve Anxiety going back to school especially for young kids. Prepare and talk in excruciating detail about what to expect Start small - playdate with 1 other child outside and slowly build to school because it's going to be a shock to the systemIncreased separation anxiety/social anxiety in children Kids are resilient Signs a child might benefit from therapy:Irritability that's getting in the way of daily living-bathing or going to bed Changes in sleep/eatingHow they’re taking care of themselves: i.e. teenagers not showeringWithdrawal, isolating and losing interest in things they usually enjoyNightmares If you're in doubt, you can always seek out an evaluation for a professional opinion Screen time itself isn’t going to hurt your child, it’s the opportunities they would be missing because of doing screen time instead Children under 2 are unlikely to learn anything from TVTry to choose times that are predictable to them and quality programsCell phones  We were already at such a risk of having addiction to technology pre-pandemic and now even more so Model behavior: no phones while driving, at the dinner table, etc. Follow Cara on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO,  iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Priya Amin is an entrepreneur living in Pittsburgh, PA and is a mom of 2 boys. She is the co-founder and CEO of Flexable, which focuses on the problem of backup childcare, and what you do when your child care falls throughWhat we talked about: The economic impact of childcare, and how COVID helped highlight the loss of productivity when there's a loss of childcareStarting her company 5 years ago, and it not being differentiated enough Pivoted to pop-up child care at work or events/conferencesDoing really well and growing right when COVID hit. They had to shut down - she had to let go of all her caregivers, her co-founder left as wellShe started thinking of ways to pivot and saw a lot of research about virtual childcare being neededWithin 8 weeks they had done research and launched virtual childcareScheduling blocks of time with vetted childcare hosts Yoga, Claymation, magic tricks, story time, etc.Kids get to interact with the hosts, but also the other kids who are onWriting an article that went viral about how her son drawing a sad picture of her workingWe discussed talking to our employers about how they can support us so that we aren’t feeling so overworked Never not being a parentHer experience being a TedX speakerMr. Rogers’ wife coming up to her after her talk, giving her a hug and saying how proud Mr. Rogers would be of her Providing child care for a hospital system in the women's behavioral health unit, allowing new moms to receive treatment for postpartum depression Not having family close by when she had her first son Had her second child at 33 and started her company weeks later Her kids getting older and taking on more responsibility They put their own clothes away Walking and meditating every morning, and starting to crochet Being surprised by the conversations she’s able to have with her kids and how much they understand How amazing it is that her kids are seeing someone in an elected office who has some of the same ethnic backgroundThe importance of seeing yourself represented in tv/movies/public officeTools to help advocate for child care at work that Flexable provides Follow Priya and Flexable on Instagram or their website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesKaty Mallory lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband and 3 girls. She works full-time and also launched SlumberPod with her mom. What we talked about:Using the pandemic to strengthen her cocktail craftsJuggling a bunch of balls-some rubber, some glass and deciding which to prioritizeMeeting her husband online 15 years ago on Yahoo PersonalsDecided to start their family 3 years after getting marriedHad a miscarriage when they first got pregnant, were able to get pregnant againStarted trying for their 2nd and 2 years in deciding to seek helpWith Clomid and IUI she got pregnant with twins Was a lot easier going from 1 to 3 vs 0 to 1Her mom spent almost her entire maternity leave with her- even took overnight shifts, and allowed her to get out of the house The struggle to take newborn twins on errands/mom groups because of the equipment/prep to get out of the house Her secondary infertility experience and struggling with no control Her career in internal communications Visiting her mom during Christmas 6 years ago and sharing a room with her daughterHer daughter slept great at home, but awful at Grandma'sWent home a day early because they wanted sleepCouldn't find a solution onlineWhile on her maternity leave with her twins, her mom suggested that they try starting their business - took classes/started networking Took 2 years putting together what they were comfortable bringing to marketCreated a Kickstarter campaign in July 2018, which was incredibly successful Went on Shark Tank 7 months after starting sales Sharks were surprised by their revenue-didn’t expect them to have that yet SlumberPod is shaped like a bottomless tent that can go over a crib, pack-n-play or cot. Provides a nearly black out interior, folds small enough to fit in carry on- has a pouch for a monitor and mini-fan Everything takes longer and is more complicated than you expect when creating a product-everything is a learning experienceTarget now selling their product in stores!Working another full-time job the entire timeBalancing work and children right now because they’re home all the time, and having them understand that she doesn’t always have time to entertain them Mommin’ listeners can use promo code: MOMMIN for $20 off your purchase of your own SlumberPod! Follow Katy and SlumberPod on Instagram or their website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesKelly Knight is an associate professor of Forensic Science at George Mason University. She's also in her 2nd year of her PhD program for Science Education Research. She has 2 boys and has been married to her husband for 11 years.What we talked aboutWaiting a while before deciding to have kids-being married for 3 years priorAfter she had her 2nd she started to feel something weird in her stomach-assumed it was a result of C-sectionIn 2019 she showed her husband and he told her she had to see a doctorThe 1st doctor said it was a hernia, another said it was scar tissue from C-sectionShe started to feel pain and had an MRI-received an email that the mass was worrisome for cancer One of the most traumatic moments of her lifeBiopsy discovered it was a type of rare soft tissue sarcoma and started treatment Was in her PhD class when the doctor told her treatment wasn’t working-the tumor had grown so she needed to start chemo Had surgery in September and tumor is gone-has to get checks every 6mo Has anxiety prior to every scan Has moments where she breaks down when reliving the trauma and worrying about the futureGraduated with a degree in chemistry with a forensic science focusGot an internship at a DNA lab her senior year and realized how much she loved itShe did not have the GPA to get her masters, but got inHer entire academic experience changed-went from being someone who was invisible and not seen as worthy by their professors, to going to grad school and having someone who believed in her, and didn’t use her GPA to judge herGraduated with almost a 4.0, presented her research nationally, and had multiple offers from crime labs The importance of having mentorsWhat she’s looking for at work when she gets samplesVicarious trauma that forensic scientists can take on You’re dealing with people who are experiencing possibly the worst day of their lives and you need to treat that with careHer son writing a letter to the tooth fairy asking if he could keep the tooth to donate it to his mom so she could use it to teach her students Saving every bloody band-aid she has to test for DNA because buying biological samples is very expensive Follow Kelly on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Gemma Hartley is a freelancer writer, wife and mom of 3 who lives in Reno, Nevada. She writes about emotional labor, and wants to create a world in which invisible labor is valued and supported by both partners and public policy alike. What we talked about:Getting married at 20 and being together 16 yearsHaving severe postpartum depression with her 1st child and thinking she couldn't do it againDidn’t get postpartum depression with her 2nd and realized she wanted a 3rdHer article, “Women Aren’t Nags - We’re Just Fed Up” in Harper's Bazaar Talked about her personal experience with emotional labor and wider cultural implications of doing all of the invisible workNever expecting it to go viral What emotional labor is: the intersection of the mental load and the unseen work, as well as emotion management Constantly having to ask, keep track, delegate and monitor to make sure things are getting done, and having to ask in the right way to keep people happy Having huge blow ups about something that seems trivial, but it’s because of built up frustration Couples using her book as a way to start conversationsThe entire process of signing a contract for the book happened within one month of the article coming outPart of the contract was that the had 6 months to write the bookHer book deal coincided with her husband getting laid offShe and her husband struggling with emotional labor while she was writing the book Criticism about her book and pushback because it's a marker of structural inequity It impacts women of color and women who are poor at such a severe levelPeople who work in unappreciated jobs having no safety netSingle moms being treated differently than single dads Men aren’t expected to have to take care of their children Needing to be intentional about our language Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com. ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Gemma on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Brooke is the mom of a 2.5 year old boy, a wife and founder and creator of The Bloom Method. What we talked about:Planning a huge move, but not knowing whereMeeting her husband when she was young and taking a two-year break to make sure it was rightGot pregnant quickly, but had a miscarriageWas able to conceive again almost 3 months after their loss Checking every time she went to the bathroom for blood because of that fearKnowing they only want 1 child Having a home birth Need to create a space for women to feel supported and not judged about the way they bring a child into the world Her work brings her such an incredible amount of joy Seeing family/friends having multiple pregnancies and not knowing what to do with their bodies during pregnancy/postpartumPeople were telling her that she should turn the program into group fitness so it would be more accessible and affordable. It took 1.5-2.5 years to developWanted pregnant and postpartum women to have tons of options available Her goal is that women only use the app for a short period of time, but it teaches them to cue your core and your pelvic floor so you’re ready to go back to mainstream fitnessDoctors and care providers are wonderful, but they don’t have time to work through the postpartum fitness piece Working on partnerships to collaborate with medical care providersA mental component happens postpartum that makes you want to sweat and get back in shapeHer husband, Pete, starting to work for the businessDeciding if they wanted to get funding and investors and they decided to do it themselvesThe problem with people following influencers and not learning the proper exercise techniquesWomen show up to workouts with an ego they didn’t even realize they had - push themselves and avoid modificationsThe importance of being true to yourself Thank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com. ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Brooke and The Bloom Method on Instagram or their website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Sara is the CEO and co-founder of Winnie: a marketplace for childcare and early education that helps millions of parents find daycare and preschool for their kids. What we talked about:Starting Winnie when her first daughter was a baby Was working in tech at the time she started WinnieHad her first daughter and realized how hard it was to find childcare and do all the things that working moms have to do Connected with a co-worker who had 2 children and they saw a gap and wanted to solve the problemHer co-founder is incredibly optimistic and they built on each other’s enthusiasm Got married in her 20s, which is considered very young on the West CoastHad her first daughter when she was 30, which was so much more intense than she expectedDecided she would be one and done because having a child shifted everything in her universeRealized she wanted her daughter to have a sibling In between having her first and second child, her husband was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, which left him infertile They had done sperm banking prior to starting his treatment Did IVF for their second and third children She was months into starting Winnie when her husband was diagnosed with cancerHer co-founder stepped up and handled everything, which was what led her to realize she could have more kidsWanting to build a culture at Winnie that wasn’t 24/7, and would allow people to step away as the demands of their family required She and her co-founder both have 3 kids and need flexibility - it comes from the top down and their employees see that they are able to prioritize family and work Flexibility is really helpful in attracting talent - a competitive advantage Big proponent of hiring returners who left the workforce to provide caregivingThey’re hiring right now! Hire across the country and remote because it’s the future and way to attract the best talent Her husband being a stay-at-home dad and being grateful that their kids are seeing that having a dad at home is possible, and women can be the breadwinnersWinnie lists every licensed daycare in the USA lot of places weren’t discoverable online so parents were left feeling like there were only 2 daycares in their area that had waitlists Many daycares don’t have an online presence Daycares during COVID have really needed Winnie’s help Parents realizing that childcare was more than just a way for them to work, it was impacting their children and how they’re being educatedThe best part of Winnie is knowing the impact they have on parentsPotentially keeping someone in the workforce because they are able to find careIn many cases the families that they’re impacting are not the super wealthy - they are the real American, low-income families finding programs that work for themNot even being able to register her needs anymore because the needs of her 3 kids take over Follow Sara and Winnie on Instagram or their website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on

Show Notes:Alex lives in Minnesota with her husband, two boys, two cats and two dogs. She is a Registered Dietitian who help endurance athletes make the most of their training.What we talked about:Meeting her husband when she was 14 years oldBoth showed horses growing up and met that wayTelling her friends and family that she was going to marry him somedayAlways wanted to have kidsDidn’t feel like they needed to wait long after getting married because they had been together so longTrying for kids didn’t go as plannedAfter 10 months they started seeing an infertility specialist who couldn't find anything wrongStarted doing IVF after about two years of trying Successful with the first round of IVF for their first childTelling her mom that she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to have kids Not going on birth control after her 1st because she didn’t think she could get pregnant14 months after her 1st she realized she hadn’t gotten her period and found out she was pregnant Having a miscarriage at 9 weeks Getting pregnant 6 months later with their second child Having two frozen embryos and being unsure about what to do with themHaving to fill out paperwork saying who would be in charge of the embryos if she and her husband were to die Being open about her IVF and miscarriage experience to hopefully help othersHer parents talking about medical field at dinner table & wanting to work in the medical field herself, but she is terrible with blood and needles so needed an alternative routeHer mom introduced to the dietetic field Such a diverse field and areas of expertise Started as a supermarket dietitian Needing a new challenge after 4 yearsStarted her own business two years ago to help athletes with their nutrition Doing 20 triathlons since 2009 Wanting to help other athletes fuel themselves correctly Knowing how much you have to rely on nutrition to achieve your goals especially with endurance eventsWants to be able to make people feel that their training and performance was aided by nutrition Loving the athletic community and the support Wanting to do another Olympic distance triathlon, but not being in the right phase of life Currently offers 1-1 coaching, but wants to offer more group coaching Working with athletes on everyday eating and all throughout their training to adjust meals You have to train your gut and prepare your stomach to be able to take in all that hydration and nutrition while you’re exercisingWatching the Great British Baking Show with her sonTeaching her sons to cook and getting them involved in the kitchenUtilizing cooking tools that are hands off cookingInstant PotSlow CookerSous VideThe importance of keeping your fridge well stocked with a variety of healthy options Pairing a carb and a protein for a snack Lowering the expectations for meals and keeping it simple Follow Alex on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on

Show Notes:Beth is an Army Veteran who lives in Rochester, MN with her 2 children and fiancé. She works full-time and also runs the company Busy Baby.What we talked about:Running on mom adrenaline Knowing she didn’t want to go to college and joining the Army for 10 yearsIt was amazing and hardGot out of the army and completed a bachelors and masters degreeGot a cosmetology license before getting her bachelors for funHad family in the militaryHer mom was upset about her joiningHer brother joined later and they were both deployed at the same timeThings were different when she was enlisted - it wasn’t ok for women to stand up for themselves Being stationed in Italy and a news anchor for the military network - American Forces NetworkBeing live on radio when 9/11 happenedWas deployed right away Had to wear sweatpants and sweatshirt so she didn’t show skin in 100 degree heat Meeting her fiancé at 39They’ve been engaged for 4 years - will eventually get marriedA 1-night stand turned into a great relationship Decided to move in together quickly and got pregnant unexpectedly Had talked about marriage/kids but were planning to waitStarted trying for their second when their first was 3 months oldGot pregnant 8 months later and miscarriedStarted doing fertility treatments Of note: you should talk to your medical provider about any medication use and dosingShe got pregnant and at the first ultrasound they found out it was twins - 2 weeks later they found out they had only one heartbeat Starting Busy BabyIt’s a place mat that suctions and has a tether system you can attach toys toCan also be used for playtime where it suctions to a wall - encourages child to stand and play with itRaising boys who know it’s ok to be emotional and be kindThank you to ChildLife Essentials for sponsoring this episode! ChildLife Essentials has been a trusted children supplements brand for over 20 years and they are offering 10% off with the code CHILDLIFE10 at iHerb.com. ChildLife Essentials can also be found at Whole Foods & Amazon. *Talk to your healthcare provider about what supplements are right for your family. Follow Beth on Instagram or the Busy Baby websiteFollow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesChen and Lei are Canadian moms and hosts of the While They Nap podcast. They both have 2-year old children and are also working moms. What we talked about Struggling with the transition of going back to work after maternity leave, during COVID, and changing your entire routineLei learning how to teach her students virtuallyHer family being a nice break and a refreshing dose of reality during COVID, but also a source of stressLei on not planning her pregnancy Her husband was working in another province soon after their wedding and his job situation got stressful so he moved homeThey moved into her mom’s house 3 days after he got back she got pregnant It couldn’t have been a worse time, but they got readyChen and her husband had multiple conversations about kids as neither of them originally wanted themFeeling like she was missing something after she got engagedOn a trip to Hawaii she brought it up again and he was on boardShe got pregnant as soon as they got homeHaving a freak-out moment before their wedding and her husband being the one to talk her down Having feelings of doubt and worry, but feeling grateful for them because they really thought through marriage/kidsChen and Lei getting introduced by a mutual friend who said they would get along really wellChen wanted to start the podcast and kept doing trials with other people, but it wasn’t the right fitAfter two “dates” with Lei she decided she wanted to ask her to do it and Lei said noLei feeling lonely on maternity leave and decided one day to try it - feeling like it would be cathartic for them and help with the feelings of isolation Chen going through postpartum anxiety Feeling like she didn’t have an outlet with her friends who had older kids because they weren’t in itFelt like the podcast might give her an opportunity to release her feelings and not feel scared or ashamedWent through a dark time postpartumThe Caribbean community not sharing a lot about mental health so feeling like nobody understood herFeeling like there weren’t voices of black women podcasters in Canada, and wanting to fill that voidThe importance of diversifying your world Maternity leave in Canada compared to the USNot losing yourself in motherhood and making time for yourself to be a better mother, wife, friend, etc. Follow While They Nap on Instagram or their websiteFollow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and FacebookThanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes: Emily Ironi is the founder of Dairy Fairy - a bra that allows you to both pump AND nurse. She lives in California with her 8 year old daughter, her boyfriend and his 14 year old daughter. What we talked about: Having one child entering womanhood and one still pretty young. Not forcing a relationship on the kids/forcing them to be something they aren'tAlways knowing that she wanted to become a mother Getting divorced at 36"Started over" and dating, etc., and realizing when she was was 38 that her window of opportunity to have children was closingFreezing embryos and asking her ex-husband to be a sperm donor - he said yes, but asked to remain anonymous Froze embryos, but goal was still to find a partner and go the more traditional routeAt 40, her father passed away and she realized that she was "wasting time", and had the embryos transferredHer ex-husband realized anonymity wasn’t going to be possible and they came up with some guidelines when she got pregnant Telling her daughter from a young age about her biological father and how every family can look differentMeeting someone when she was 4 months pregnant. He was there for the first 2.5 years of her daughter's life, and they still have an incredible bondHaving a vision of how her family was going to look and not thinking about all of the challenges Wanted to pursue something that she knew she would forever love Got an entry-level job at a fashion company Learned a ton about the fashion industry and decided to start a company with a colleagueStarted a high end handbag company called Alexis Hudson Had the company for 7 years, but when the economy crashed in 2008 they struggled and closed in 2011The company closed down at the same time she had a newborn baby She hated her pumping bra and wanted something betterWorking on the design and starting a Kickstarter Incorporating femininity into their brasSaw how much self-confidence women lost postpartum Pumping isn’t something you do for fun, it’s something selfless you do for your baby, so why not improve the experience Being a single mom for many years Managing a newborn and a new business There were some hard and scary years Launching MILKFUL for the plus size communityFollow Emily on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

What we talked aboutAlways knowing that she wanted a big family Working a ton when they had 3 kids and her husband feeling like they shouldn't have moreFeeling like there was someone missing-telling him if they didn’t have a 4th she would be resentful for the rest of her lifeHer 4th was more challenging than her other children-more crying, colic, etc. Getting laid off on maternity leave and planning to take some time and enjoy being with the kidsHer husband also got laid off the night before their 4th was born-it was a pit in their life and marriage Her son wasn't sleeping and she was buying every sleep sack on the market One night they were all laying together and she put their weighted blanket on him and he fell asleepShe searched immediately for a wearable weighted blanket and found nothingShe is strict on AAP sleep recommendations and knew it had to be wearable so she called her mother-in-law to sew a mock-upThe first night wearing it, her son slept 12 hours Her husband thought it was a fluke, but he kept sleeping through the night and finally started napping She told her friends and they all started asking for oneShe felt like this product was a chance to help other parents like herself get their lives back The first thing she did was look for a patent Was shocked that she was able to file because she assumed someone would have worked on that productShe started research into safety and did that for almost a year Her husband wanted her to go back to work so they could have health insurance vs starting the company Using the money from her maternity leave to fund the first weighted sack without telling her husbandHer husband got on board once she was accepted onto Shark Tank Being profitable their second monthHer experience on Shark Tank Getting a call with the executive producer with one days noticeHim being very interested in the product, but not thinking she was far enough alongHer continuing to send video messages with updates-hearing she was the most persistent contestant they've ever had on the showHaving Lori Greiner, her dream shark, invest in her product Her episode going live on a Friday night during the pandemic when everyone was home Launching the weighted blanket Needing to move her body everyday for 30 minutes Follow Tara on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Lisa Druxman is the mom of 2 and the founding mom of FIT4MOM - a fitness program for moms at every stage of motherhood. What we talked about: Being the manager of a large health club while she was pregnant - working 60-80 hour work weeks and being devastated at the thought of someone else watching her babyHer maternity leave being really precious to her so she came up with a workout that the baby could be a part of, and found other moms who wanted that too, which is how Stroller Strides came to be How her business evolved and developed over timeBeing able to share her experience - a career that supports motherhood- with women all over the country Nobody has everything figured out before they jump in, and just having to do itFailure was not an optionLooking for help at every step Investing a lot in coaching and peer groupsHaving a background in psychology Thought she would get into counseling for fitness/eatingFell into a management job and never thought she would be a business ownerHearing from clients about how life changing the program has been and the confidence it has provided them Having to completely pivot their classes due to COVIDOffering virtual classesOffering FIT4MOM on demand Trying to find what works for people in this new world Believing that healthy moms will raise healthy kids 2020 was supposed to be her highest travel year yet The biggest challenge of balancing work and motherhoodStarting the business in order to be home with her kids and suddenly running a nationwide business Her book The Empowered Mama - which is meant to be a workbook that you take a month at a time to work on and check in on how you’re doing on your life A chance to check in on where you’re off balance and where you want to redesign your life to finally get you out of overwhelm Prioritizing what is most important to you first and ensuring you get that done, rather than prioritizing social media or tv, etc. Getting up early to get time for yourselfSmall steps will make massive changeParenting advice for people with little kids: don’t give in because you’re training them that they will win. Just stick with it. Let them be who they’re going to be and have fun along the way. Follow Lisa on Instagram or her website.Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesAlaina Moulton is the founder & CEO of The Baby's Brew - the world's first battery powered, portable bottle warmer. She is the mother of a two-year old daughter and a military spouse - her husband is in the Navy. What we talk about:Switching to The Baby’s Brew full-timeHer husband being in the military for 16 years and planning on retiring at 20 yearsAdjusting to her husband deploying Getting pregnant the day he got home from a deployment The struggles of having a spouse gone, but also enjoying the support that comes with the military lifestyle Enjoying the military because they get to move and live in new places Always wanting to have kids and thinking she would have a big familyRethinking having a big family after having one Having a miscarriage A rough pregnancy Placenta abruption, placenta previa, sensory migraines, bed rest, etc. Loving the idea of adoption Always working for a start-up, but never wanting to start oneHer previous company helping mold her into the leader she wanted to beHow The Baby’s Brew startedThe idea came to her while she was on bed rest She knew that they would be flying when the baby was young since they lived away from family and wanted to have a convenient way to heat a bottleShe miscarried and scrapped looking the plans until she was pregnant againStarted looking into how the product would be made Taking courses online on how to build products Finding a manufacturer who was willing to try making the product Being broke between coming up with the idea for Baby's Brew and launchingDoing a kickstarter and it not doing as well as she thoughtGetting enough to make their order for the first 500 and selling out within 3 weeks Setting the groundwork ahead of launch which helped them do so well Providing classes and opportunities for her employees which has allowed them all to thrive and succeed as a companyAlways wanting to teach people from her experiences and being able to help others Hiring all military spouses or family membersThe military spouse community doesn’t often get a chance because people know they’re going to move and not be there long-termHaving a sterilizer coming out early next yearFollow The Baby's Brew on Instagram or their website. Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Susie Allison is a former teacher turned stay-at-home mom of 3 and the woman behind Busy Toddler! Her mission is to bring hands-on learning back to childhood, support others in their parenting journey, and help everyone make it to nap time.What we talked about: Meeting her husband their first night of college and getting married a month after they graduatedWanting to start a family and walking a long road of infertility At that time people didn’t talk about infertility and it wasn’t a common thing to discuss on social mediaTook 4 years, almost 5 rounds of IVF, countless IUIs Walking into their last round of IVF knowing that they were going to close the chapter on biological kids if not successfulHaving success and ending up with their son Sam 9 months later Their 2nd was a complete medical miracle and a surprise pregnancyAfter their 2nd turned one, they decided to try again and she got pregnant again right away Knew that she wanted to stay home with her first child, SamAfter having her second, Kate, she was in survival mode and missed spending time with her son Wanting to try to do an activity each day and not finding anything that was inexpensive and easy, which led to her creating activities of her ownSeeing a hole on Instagram for parents looking for kids' activities The guilt our parenting generation has around not playing with our kids 24/7The more they can play independently, the betterThere are a lot of other ways to connect with your childHer success has been a gradual work-up, now her entire life is Busy ToddlerWorking between 40-60 hours because it doesn’t stop on the weekends Sensory bins are agelessKids learn about math, science, reasoning, cause and effect and life skills from sensory binsTeaches self-control, which studies have shown is a direct link to success for kids later in life No dumping, no throwing, no eating and you take it away when they break those rulesNot having room in their house for having a ton of craft suppliesLive within your means and be happy with what you haveThe process of writing her bookA real life, moderate approach to parentingWanting to put together a book that combines parenting and activitiesFollow Susie on Instagram or her website. Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Lauren Stuart is a mom of twins who lives in CA with her husband and kiddos. She had a challenging pregnancy and NICU journey after her twins were born at 32 weeks. Her husband came to her with the idea for the bökee after being frustrated by how challenging it was to prep a baby bottle one handed and knew there had to be a fix. Their invention provides parents with an easy solution to allow for one handed bottle prep. What we talked about: Knowing that there was history in her family with struggling to get pregnant and deciding to start trying after a year of marriage Reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility to learn more about her cycle Getting pregnant nine months after going off of birth control Thinking something is wrong with you as a woman when you don’t understand your cycles and what different types of discharge means Being shocked when she found out that she was having twinsFeeling in her gut that it was twins, but not telling her husbandFeeling panicked when she found out Her son having intrauterine growth restriction Being put on limited bed rest Her daughter growing normally Getting diagnosed with Cholestasis Getting to 32 weeks before she delivered Having a c-section Not being able to hold the babies or see them after they were born Being scared to see her babies once she could because of how small they were Pumping around the clock trying to get her milk to come in, but missing a step because she couldn’t do any skin-to-skin Her NICU nurse pushing her to hold her babies for the first timeIt taking a while for her to feel like those were her children and she was their mother Being so grateful for the NICU experience because now she celebrates every accomplishment/milestone for her children Her daughter coming home 3 weeks before her son Her son having some complications over the past year and finding a group where she can connect and talk to about it Where the idea of the bökee came from The bökee allows you to get a bottle ready with one hand so you don’t have to put baby down, but can still get the top on without losing your precious milk How cool it is to see people share other uses of the bökee such as the amputee communityHow the bökee brought her back to the work force Follow Lauren on Facebook or Instagram. Follow Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesKate is the founder and CEO of Milk Stork. She lives in Northern California with her husband and 3 kids.Her kids being at ages where she doesn’t have to oversee everything they doNot originally wanting to have kids, but changing her mind at 29 and getting her husband on boardGetting pregnant on their first round of IVF the first timeHer second IVF journey This round was much harderRealizing they needed to get a new car and save for three college tuitions all at once after finding out they were having twins Breastfeeding her twins for 18 months because she went that long with her firstBreastfeeding her first child was easy and greatHer twins were challenging - tongue ties, struggle with weight gain, etc. Her first 4-day business trip when she was still nursingHaving to pump a half gallon for each day she was going to be gone on top of having to pump while on her trip and figuring out how to bring it homeGoing through TSA with jugs of breastmilk, having to get more ice from the bartenderBeing frustrated on the way home and calling her dad to tell him about the idea behind Milk StorkWorking full-time, having three kids and breastfeeding and starting Milk Stork at the same timeCalling her dad because she knew he could help her figure it out Having to advocate for yourself at every step of the breastfeeding journey when you’re a mom Milk Stork evolving to help surrogates provide the milk to the baby and also helping people transport their milk when they move The lack of education and awareness around breastfeeding Not bringing employees on for the first three yearsAs a company, they were getting comfortable with their success, but having to pivot for 2020They’ve started partnering with smaller companies in childcare, telehealth, lactation, etc. Having researchers come to them who are doing studies on COVID and breastmilk2020 has forced her to feel her feelingsNot working at night anymore and prioritizing sleep and rest and NOT feeling guilty for itWanting her kids to feel safe, but to not lose a global perspective. And to be able to look at other people’s perspectives. Follow Kate on her personal Instagram, the Milk Stork website or Milk Stork Instagram. Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show NotesSarah Canney lives in New Hampshire with her husband and 3 kids. She is the founder and host of a women’s running retreat called Rise. Run. Retreat. What we talked about What the retreats entail and how creating the retreats stemmed from running a retreat with a women’s relay that left her feeling inspired, encouraged and gave her a confidence boostAfter the experience, she had the idea of wanting to do that again and take the magic of that weekend to recreate it for other women The retreat is a lot less about running and how fast and far you go, but rather how it fits in your life and teaches you that you are strong and helps you gain confidence Retreats are a 4-day experience for 15 people, in beautiful locations with delicious foodRetreat is for all levels - you don’t have to be a certain speed. She encourages everyone to think of themselves as athletes Their first child was a bit of a surprise It was 2008 and their economy had just crashed, her husband was unemployed and they were upside down on their mortgage, but it turned out to be perfect timing Always knew they wanted three kids - the transition from 1-2 was difficult, but 2-3 was okHaving a lot of prenatal anxiety Having a pre-teen and navigating the talks of why they’re feeling sadThe natural progression of starting the running retreats and how it came together between taking care of kidsIt’s been a compilation of little bits of time over the past 10 yearsHer family's decision to do homeschoolReally focus on your kids feeling encouraged and if they’re feeling encouraged they will feel curious and confidentBeing diagnosed with anorexia at 18, but dieting and restrictions had been a part of her life for years At the end of that treatment, her struggle with bulimia started. From the outside she looked better physically, but on the inside the disorder had just morphed into something elseStruggling with bulimia until she was 28 Finding out that she was pregnant with her daughter was really the catalyst for her to change Finding inspiration in entrepreneurial moms who are kicking butt in their business Modern Family episode mentioned in introFollow Sarah on her website, Instagram, Facebook & Twitter. Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes: Lindsey Avery Fitzsimons is a PhD candidate in biomedical science studying the pathogenesis of congenital heart disease. She lives in Maine with her husband and 3-year old son. What we talked about:What her journey has been like as she has worked to finalize her PhDGrowing up with a non-traditional family as the oldest and always wanting kidsGetting pregnant right away with her first child and taking for granted how easy it wasNot enjoying being pregnant, but knowing that she wants to have another Struggling with the physical changes of being pregnant Having a miscarriage this August with twins at 11 weeksHaving to have a D&C on her son’s birthdayGoing in for a routine ultrasound and not seeing heartbeatsFeeling like something was wrong and that she had miscarried Not being able to have anyone with her during the procedure because of COVIDNot feeling an emotionally supported during the processNot being sedated for the procedure and it being physically and emotionally traumatizing Having to have multiple follow-up procedures as a result of her D&CBeing surprised by how much she’s able to juggle as a mom Focusing on surviving, not thriving Her academic background Having a background in exercise physiology Using exercise as a form of medicine Enjoyed being in the clinical environment, but it was mundane and patients often weren’t interested in making lifestyle changesFound a PhD program for biokinesiology (study of human movement) at University of Southern California Struggling to find a good fit with a mentor Breaking down what it means to pursue a PhD program What the end goal is for once she graduatesA combination of research and teaching would be her ideal The struggle of being a woman in science, especially those who choose to have childrenHaving people she trusted and looked up to respond negatively to her having a childConnect with Lindsey on her Instagram Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes: Shannon is the co-founder and owner of Sobriety Cards. She lives in Phoenix with her husband Michael and 5-year old daughter named Sloan as well as a pup named Charger. She and her husband founded Sobriety Cards because they couldn’t find cards to recognize sobriety anniversaries that sounded like the way they talked. They wanted cards that were honest, blunt and raw so they created their own.What we talked about: Not knowing if kids were going to be in the picture for her Being focused on her career and being single up until 35 Meeting her husband at 38 and discussing having kids Dr told her it would take 1-1 ½ years to get pregnant and she got pregnant the next month at 40Deciding while she was pregnant that they just wanted one childBeing her daughter’s mom, teacher and playmate since she doesn’t have siblingsHaving to reexamine everything about herself after she became a mom because her career had meant so much to her The negative expectations that moms are supposed to be everything for everyoneHer husband's recovery from alcohol addiction. She went to go find a card for him to celebrate one of his sober birthdays and couldn’t find anything Starting Sobriety Cards during the pandemic The increase in relapse and addiction as a result of COVIDShe and her husband came up with card ideas and launched in August Blown away by the positive reception that the cards received Having friends who reached out after they launched who thanked her and shared their stories, which she never knewFamilies are all going through the recovery process together Going through the process with her husband when he realized his drinking had become untenable while they had their 18-month oldStarting therapy immediately after he started the journeyHer husband worked on his addiction and healing while she worked on herself and they finally had tools to work through challengesRealizing that she can’t micromanage her husband's recovery and she can only focus on herself and taking care of herselfGetting over the fear of saying the wrong thing vs not saying anything at allUsing therapy, exercise, reading and meditation as self-careBeing able to let go vs keeping her daughter in a bubbleConnect with Shannon on their site, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

What we talked about: Having two very active boys who love to push their limits and exploreStruggling to get pregnant Getting tested and hearing that they would never be able to get pregnantDoing IVF for their first child and having one additional embryo Getting surprise pregnant naturally when her first was 14 months Trying for a 3rd with their frozen embryo and it not workingCreating a comprehensive resource about how to wean a toddler and discussing the emotional and hormonal effects on a mom Seeing pregnant women when you’re going through infertility and feeling depressed, but realizing that we never know someone else’s journey Feeling she wasn’t the only mom who struggled with getting their kids to eat enoughMade really cute lunches for her kids and starting her Instagram page to help get information outNever intending Kids Eat in Color to support her family and never thought she would leave her full-time job that was flexible and family-friendlyWorking full-time until 9 months ago The amount of work and effort that had to be put in to maintain her job and her Kids Eat in Color work Things had to be imperfectly done in order to maintain everything Her website didn’t go live until last June and no products were created until last fall Working 7 days a week for six-months to make it happenCurrently working on a low-income budget recipe resource One of the biggest concerns she hears is that someone's kid won’t try something new and you feel guilty as a parent The most effective way to combat this cycle is simply telling your kid that they don’t need to eat it, but they do need to sit at the table with the familyThe child needs to be in control of what they eat and what goes into their bodyHaving formal, routine eating opportunities for children is key - the child needs to know that food is coming consistently, not in front of a screen or being distracted where they are focused on the foodWe need to focus on letting our kids learn and decide when their body is full She serves dessert with the meal so all the food is on the same playing field Reinforcing that they are the expert of their bodyConnect with Jennifer on her website, Instagram and Facebook.Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notes:Tiffany Fluellen lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband and 2-year-old son. She is currently at-home due to COVID. Prior to that she was working in the non-profit industry. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008. She had two miscarriages before she and her husband decided upon adoption and eventually adopted their 2-yr-old son when he was 4 days old. What we talked about: Her newfound love for the Cricut machine and tapping into her creative side Wanting to spend the first few years of their marriage getting to know one another/traveling before kidsNot getting pregnant right away and finding out she had fibroids and that needed surgery to remove. After surgery she got pregnant and miscarried at six weeks. They waited a year to try again and she lost her second pregnancy much farther along than the firstGiving names to the children she lost to help her grieve Pressing pause on starting a family to help clear their mind and deciding on a trip that they were going to adoptFinding an adoption agency, getting licensed, taking classes, doing home studies and everything that came with the process including a ton of paperwork Having a birth mother reach out two times and having them pull out and struggling with those feelings Talking to their son’s birth mom and waiting to hear from her about her decision - having her call and congratulate them on becoming parents, bringing their son home at 4 days oldBeing a stay-at-home mom for the first 1 ½ of her son’s lifeEnvying her husband because he will be able to connect with their son in a way that she can’t because they were both adopted Hating that she won’t be able to protect her son from everything that could hurt him Getting diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008 Spent a week in the hospital getting various tests while they tried to determine what was wrong before she got her diagnosis Choosing to make the most of her life with what she has Partnered with the pharma company as a patient advocate Telling her husband she has MS early on and having him be respond by saying it doesn’t change how he feels about herLearning to accept not being able do everythingHer all encompassing love for Target and wanting to get married there but her husband saying noConnect with Tiffany on Instagram and Facebook. Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesBrittany Dixon is a mom of two girls - ages 9 & 6. She is a former health coach turned homeschooling, work-at-home mom. On her blog, A Healthy Slice of Life, she shares healthy eating tips, a view into what homeschool looks like for them and helpful resources and advice, their family travel adventures and everyday life. What we talked about: Being a health coach, turned stay-at-home-momThe development of her blog from posting info for clients to a lifestyle blogHaving a detailed record of her kids lives archived Asking her kids for permission to post things when it includes themBeing surprised by how much she likes her kids- she knew how much she loved them, but as they got bigger she realized how much she loves spending so much time with themBeing grateful that her kids are friends and what they do to foster that relationship Deciding to homeschool her kids and the benefits of spending more time with them and having the flexibility that it provides Taking homeschooling one year at a time and how she found her grooveImportance of learning through play Piecing curriculums together for her kids and pulling from lots of different places and using what fits their learning styles the bestUsing programs from The Good and the Beautiful, Beautiful FeetDeciding to wait a bit to have kids so they could travel and then finding out she was pregnant right away Feeling like she could have had 400 kids, but knowing that two would allow them to travel and do more as a family State of the Family - a thorough review of finances and discussion of long-term goals Creating an online community where people can have open and honest discussions about finances through their State of the Family Facebook group How she gets her kids to eat a variety of foods and try new things Always making sure that there is something on their plate that they like especially if she’s trying out a new food Choosing your values and priorities when the kids are young so habits are created by the time they are older Connect with Brittany: website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show notesJoelle Oliver, and Kristy Westrom are co-founders of 2 Of A Kind Earrings. In 2018, both of their sons were diagnosed with cancer. In September 2019, they made earrings to raise money in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and loved it so much they decided to make things official. They strongly believe in the importance of giving back. For each pair sold, a pair will be gifted to a caregiver of a child with cancer. What we talked about: In May of 2018, Kristy’s son who was 5 was diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She had noticed her son was bruising easily and her doctor ran some tests after noticing he was a bit paleJoelle’s family of six was living in Indonesia when her son developed a bump under his left eye and was diagnosed with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma and decided to come back to the U.S.How Kristy was a huge support for Joelle after her son’s diagnosis because she had gone through itThey put on a fundraiser in September of 2019 for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and selling earrings was a huge successThis led them to start 2 Of A KindBeing so excited to give back to a community that has given them so muchPartnering with Momcology to get the earrings out to caregivers Kristy’s son is still in treatment - his treatment will be 3 ½ years longThe first year was very intense - Liam was constantly in clinic or inpatient at the hospital. His immune system was often dangerously low, causing him to have to be medically isolated at home while missing school and not seeing family or friends. He lost weight, stopped growing, lost his hair twice, received countless chemo infusions, over 20 blood product transfusions, and had nearly 30 days of inpatient stays. Kristy and her family had to grieve relationships that were lostFinding their new normalJoelle’s son Patrick was treated with 3 different chemotherapies and 27 proton beam radiation treatments in a 6-month period. She is happy to report that Patrick has had no evidence of disease of cancer since his treatment ended a year and a half ago. Long term side effects will be part of his life from his treatment. Feeling guilt that their other children weren’t able to see them as much or receive as much attention After going through their experiences, they’ve realized looking at the big picture, some little things just don’t matterConnect with 2 of a Kind: website, Facebook and Instagram. Follow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!

Show Notes:Nina is the co-founder and CEO of Baby Chick, a digital media brand and pregnancy to motherhood resource. She has a passion for serving others, especially women and babies. She is a doula, pregnancy planner, teaches childbirth education, and has over 10 years of experience in these roles, helping over 600 moms during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Nina lives in Houston, Texas with her family. She is a wife, mom, and currently pregnant with her second child.What we talked about:Her passion for supporting moms and providing great information to moms during all of the stages of motherhood.Recognizing that as a mom, she will never be the carefree woman she was before, but she also couldn't imagine life without her child.The challenges of being a working mom - feeling like she is nowhere and everywhere at the same time, but also recognizing that by working, she is teaching her son lessons she otherwise wouldn't be.The evolution of Baby Chick:She wasn't sure what she wanted when she graduated from college and met with a life coach, which helped her realize her passion for women and babies.Started as a baby planner, and attended one of her client's birth, which helped her decide to become a doula, becoming certified through DONAAttended massage school Became a childbirth and newborn care educatorNoticed how the focus is often on the birth plan, but not the postpartum planOwned her own doula agencyCo-founded Baby Chick with her husband in 2015 - started as a t-shirt store and blog, but transitioned to a digital media company in 2017Helping moms know they aren't aloneGrowing up with a twin brother, she was never alone, but also always had to shareHe was diagnosed with autism at 3 years oldShe felt like his protector and had to grow up faster, but also developed empathy and kindnessHer advice to parents with a child with autism is to start therapy as a family and have special dates with other children - 1:1 time!Importance of being consistent with discipline and boundaries with childConnect with Nina and Baby Chick: on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Chick Chat: The Baby Chick Podcast, and the Baby Chick websiteFollow the Mommin’ Podcast on Instagram. Thanks so much for listening and for supporting our podcast! Please rate the show, leave a review if you liked what you heard and make sure to subscribe on Amazon Music, iHeartRADIO, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or TuneIn!