On A Mother Level

Alyssa Gillund pulled a Kylie Jenner and had a "secret baby". After years of infertility and choosing to adopt her daughter Collins, Alyssa (episode 90) saw her very first positive pregnancy test. She's sharing the happy update, while also juggling postpartum emotions and some guilt over her good news. Plus another happy update as mom Jessica McKearney (episode 67) is back to tell us about the day her son Hudson officially beat cancer!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One in 8 couples struggles to get pregnant or to sustain a pregnancy. That stat is getting our attention during National Infertility Awareness Week (April 24-30). In this episode, Denise welcomes back previous guest (Episode 116) Ebony Ford. Ebony gave birth to her daughter at 26 weeks and shared how birth trauma and an extended NICU stay influenced her to create her own support community called Miracle Mamas. Ebony also shared she was newly pregnant and vowed to share her experience of pregnancy after loss. This time, there would be more loss after 10 weeks. Ebony is sharing her miscarriage experience in real time, what genetic testing revealed about her baby boy, and her hope that her miracle rainbow baby is still coming. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ebony Ford's birth plan didn't go according to plan. Her daughter, Reign Victoria, was born at 26 weeks. She weighed 1 pound, 15 ounces. After 3 months in the NICU, Ebony realized that prematurity doesn't end when you take your baby home. It's been a day to day walk in faith that they continue today, as they celebrate Reign's 4th birthday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

AMPstigator: An intense person who's bringing about SOMETHING.News anchor Lauren Lowrey is creating conversations about purpose through her podcast, AMPstigator. In this conversation, she shares how her 3rd baby brought her clarity about what she wanted out of her work life. It led her to build this platform focused on deep, meaningful conversations about how to reclaim your life and chase after the things you really want. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Doesn't the government know I have a kindergartener? And if so, why aren't they sending me letters? Denise welcomes mom of 2 Kellie Ricke on the podcast to share the confusion around getting your kid into real school. Kellie shares the things you never considered about getting your child ready for this next step. Plus, we dive into hot topics like plastic surgery for teens, shared Netflix accounts and thanking your nanny.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Katie Thompson made the switch from non-profit work to small business owner a few years back. She's the curator of a shop called The Market: A Journey to Joy - a collection of vendors, crafters and creators. She was shoved in a new direction in a way that showed her how to let things flow into her life rather than forcing them. She's the mom of a 4-year-old daughter, stepmom to 4 other teens and now, adults, and became a grandmother at 35. Welcome to Katie's "wild, wild world".See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode is about the new wave of women getting breast implants removed. Though breast augmentation is still the most popular cosmetic procedure, it's estimated there were 110,000 removals performed in 2020. That's double the number from two years ago. Many women get them removed citing what they believe is breast implant illness - with symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, strange rashes and others. Mom of 2, Megan Lelonek is here to share her story from implant to explant, and how she feels today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Women are more complex than a 15 minute appointment. More time, more care, more attention are all things Megan Gross believes her patients need. As a certified nurse-midwife, she specializes in hormone balancing and fertility health. In this conversation, she talks about stress hormones, libido, and why you should never take a pee test that costs more than $1. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You're 22 years old. You live in an apartment with your mom in a beautiful city. You're going to graduate this summer. You're getting your degree in French-English translation, because you love foreign languages. This summer is full of big plans. You're saving up for trips to Italy and France. You work remotely, so you're free to travel. So you plan a ski trip with your boyfriend to Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine. One morning you wake up to the sound of air raid sirens. The war has started. This is the story of Alina Kobal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mom of 4 Megan Rempel is in sync with her cycle. She explains what that means in this episode using the analogy of the four season - winter, spring, summer and fall. A registered nurse and wellness coach, Megan is explaining how you can use your body's natural rhythms to feel better day to day and show up differently as a parent, employee and partner. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Henry's life on Earth was short - just 30 precious hours. But he lives on through his mother Courtney and the effort known as Henry's Ripple. A first time mom, Courtney went into labor right on time, on Henry's due date. When a nurse couldn't find his heartbeat, doctors rushed Courtney into emergency surgery. She's been in survival mode ever since. She may never get answers to the acute event that took her baby boy, but Courtney is looking for the light that remains and the meaning in his passing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mary Thormahlen named her crafting business Cows, Kids & Chaos for a reason. A mom of 2 and a farm wife, Mary realized she was struggling with something more serious than postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter. It took trial and error, long drives to see doctors and a panicked visit to the ER to confirm she has bipolar disorder. The diagnosis has given her some clarity on why her brain doesn't always feel right and sometimes she needs to stop and rest. She opens up about suicidal thoughts, her self-awareness and it's toll on her farm family in rural Illinois. If you or anyone else is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jenna Panicucci has some big news to share in this episode. But with her joy, she also carries some fear after having a miscarriage in 2020. She talks about why she named her baby, mourning in her own way and how she learned to drop the guilt surrounding her grief.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You can have your best year ever! Lori Oberbroeckling from Secrets of Supermom is here with ways to bring your goals for the year within reach. Mom of 4, Lori is a clinical researcher, author, podcaster and overall SUPERMOM. A jam-packed schedule is what gives her happiness, but being a Supermom can mean something different for you. In this episode, we explore ways to find a calmer and more productive way to spend your days whether you work at home, from home or in the office.Connect with Lori and Secrets of Supermom here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sara Kershaw is a return guest to give her take on how teachers are handling the second year of pandemic rules in the classroom. She says teacher burnout is nothing new, but parents are contributing to the problem. Mom of 3 daughters, Sara talks about how she makes positive role models present in her daughter's lives and questions whether we are doing the same for boys. She also weighs in on "school shooter day" that circulated on TikTok, plus some controversial "And Just Like That" parenting plot points. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Katie Purcell is ending 2021 on a high note. She is expecting her 3rd baby, but this is her 9th pregnancy. After so much loss, Katie is sharing her perspective on getting by on hope, faith and the occasional "what the F***?!"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Moms need great mom friends. Tori Tebbitt is here to explain how her mom friends and the strong women in her life have come through, especially since the birth of her daughter Eila. Now 5 years old, Eila has a rare blood sugar disorder called Congenital Hyperinsulinism. Tori looks back on the first year raising a daughter with extra health needs, being raised by two moms in the 90's and navigating single parenthood during the holidays. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2021 has been a transformative year for Karen Dahlstrom. The mom of a 11-year-old boy, she made some changes this year to make herself more present for her family by leaving her job of 15 years. She talks about the way stress impacted her health, a breakthrough moment in a Subway parking lot, and why life is not a linear path. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our 100th episode! Joni Abbott joins Denise to talk about pursuing a life that lights us up from the inside out. Joni shares how she's used the last 18 months for her own healing and to reflect on the choices she's made as the mother of 3 daughters. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lindsay Thul was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer at just 28 years old. She died 10 months later. Her mother Diane Koster is sharing her daughter's story on this episode to raise awareness about this rare form of breast cancer. Her book, Lindsay's Legacy: A Mother's Memories combines her perspectives with her daughter's writings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the corporate world doing enough to support career moms? Yes and no. Jenny Elliott, host of Career Mom podcast, is here to share where it falls short and where we as moms need to give ourselves a break. She also shares why statistics can hurt women dealing with pregnancy loss, and we debate the concept of paternity leave.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Six years ago, Brittney Ionescu and her husband Dan officially adopted their three boys. A little girl would later follow. Through parenting their family, they have discovered how to walk with children who have experienced trauma very early on in their young lives. Now 11, 10, 9 and 4, Brittney has learned how each of her children needs to be loved and cherished to help them build trust in each other. Brittney also speaks candidly about being a white mom raising black children, reaching out to other supportive women and neighbors and facing real world problems head on. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are not enough "sick days" in the world for Jillian Mahen right now. Between her own morning sickness and toddler bugs, it's enough puke and pediatrician visits for two lifetimes. But this episode is not about barf. It's about the very silent struggle of being a pregnant mom, wife and employee, when you feel like there's not enough of you to go around. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Return guest Regina is back to give us an empty nest update on her family. Five of her 8 kids have now moved out and there's a load of life updates to share with you all. That includes a big childhood secret Regina reveals and a story from Denise about why she called 911 while running a 5K. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trigger Warning: Infant LossTheo Benjamin Wolf is forever 12 weeks. His mom Lisa Wolf says he died because of unsafe sleep practices on his 3rd day at daycare. She's telling his story, sharing the unending grief of losing a child, and being his voice thought the foundation she created in his memory to raise awareness about safe sleep. She is a safe sleep advocate and infant safe sleep ambassador through Cribs for Kids, as well as the President and Founder of the Theo Wolf FoundationSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Miranda Mendoza is corporate and crunchy. She's a successful realtor who also specializes in birth work - as a student midwife, doula, and postpartum provider. She's sharing the story of her outdoor home birth for her daughter and how she set up the dream postpartum care situation for herself and her baby. Her mission is to share how all women can have thriving health postpartum. Plus, Denise is celebrating her son's 5th birthday by sharing his birth story.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Katie Richards is an experienced nurse of 14 years, taking on a new job at Revive at the Group Med Spa. Her nursing career has brought her so many experiences, as she's raising her three kids, including a set of twins. She served in the South Dakota Air National Guard and went active duty in the months after 9/11. She talks about her deployment at 19-years-old, sleeping with the lights on, and how she views the events in Afghanistan, now 20 years later.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nina Struss is a no shame dietician. She's not here to tell you what to eat. She's here to help you understand the why behind your food choices. That, in turn, will help the picky eater in your family! Nina shares her birth story with her 4-year-old son, how she got into her career in nutrition and a perhaps controversial theory about serving dessert with dinner, rather than after the meal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alyssa and Jordan adopted their daughter Collins in 2019. Now they're hoping to expand their family again and are reaching out to find a potential match. In this episode, Alyssa talks about the decision to pursue adoption, the match that didn't work out, open versus closed adoption, and how their daughter has expanded the family in even more unexpected ways.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amy Liz Harrison's new memoir explores the problem of mommy wine culture, where it's become normal to use wine as a way to celebrate with friends, cope with being sad, or destress from a long day. From her website: "Here's the nutshell, Cliff Notes version : “Mommy playdate drinking“ coupled with the high flying lifestyle of an airline executive's wife, led to my disintegration into the depths of alcoholism. By the time I had my first 4 kids, I was drinking around the clock and eventually hit a soul-crushing brokenness I had never known. (Spoiler Alert = I have a mugshot out there at King County Jail.) BUT, I managed to get sober, my husband stayed with me, and I've given birth to four MORE kids. Yup - that means 8 in total - and I'm not even Mormon. (NO offense to Mormons, it's a joke because I'm often asked if I am one.)This spring commemorates a decade of continuous sobriety for me, and it seemed like the perfect time to share my journey. From essentially being the “Fyre Festival” of motherhood to becoming a sober mom of 8, it's a wild ride and I'm so honored to have you along for it!"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stacy Bogguess lost her mom when she was just 15 years old. The grief she felt as a teen hit hard when she then became a mom herself. Now she honors her mother's memory through "Tina Kindness Co.". It focuses on random acts of kindness, big and small See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nyilah Sulaimana declared this the Year of Habit. She's the mom of an 8-year-old boy working on her first children's book, inspired by her son's dreams. She talks about studying to be a marriage and family counselor, building her creative team for her book, and small ways to make this your "Year of Habit". Here's how to join the VIP launch team for "Milo and Mason: A Journey to the Stars".See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Motherhood didn't necessarily come the way Lisa VanWiel pictured. It upended her relationship, delayed her career, and left her with a lot of questions about the traumatic birth of her daughter. VanWiel (PT, DPT, CPPC) is honest about her journey because it all pointed her in a new direction. She opened a cash-based pelvic floor physical therapy practice called The OB-Gym. Her goal is to show women that common is not normal - you can demand better care postpartum, and you don't have to live with problems like incontinence just because it's considered "normal". But this story has several happy endings.Learn more about The OB-Gym, for moms who move.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Musician Tim Stop, father of 2, is joining Denise to talk about recording his new album in a side room of his house in the pandemic. He discusses how his inspiration for song writing changed after getting married and having kids. He shares the family history behind the names of his son and daughter, touring with Chicago and the experience of performing overseas for servicemen and women. Then Denise and Tim dive into the evolutionary theories of why babies look like their fathers. Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Jarek Bakken is sharing his side of the story after his wife Jill joined us for episode 79. He's talking about his new role in the mornings with his family of four kids and why the family is considering continuing a homeschool education. Privacy Policy and California Privacy Notice.

Jason Fechner is our first guest for Dad's Month 2021. His wife Brittany was interviewed in Episode 78 - Someone's Mom. She walked through the experience of having 2 rounds of IVF to get pregnant with her baby boy, now due in September. So in this episode, we are getting the man's take on IVF. What are they thinking as they help out with shots, pandemic appointments and deviled egg cravings? The episode wraps with a fun Father's Day quiz.

Have you put Mother on your resume? Making the case for the addition is Hey Mama CEO, Katya Libin. She says we should stop apologizing for gaps in our resume and start bragging about the ways motherhood prepares us to win in the workplace and at home. The episode finishes with guest recapper Mary, joining Denise to share thoughts on the Friends reunion on HBO Max.

A jury finds Cristhian Bahena River guilty of first degree murder for the death of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts. In this episode, Law and Crime Network correspondent Angenette Levy is joining Denise to talk about covering the trial, the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecution's case, and the bombshell new story the defendant told on the stand. Angenette also talks about her appearance in the popular Netflix documentary "Making A Murderer" and why she left her local news job and joined the growing Law and Crime Network.

Regina Knoblach was once told she may never be able to have kids. Now she has 8, ranging in age from 24 to 12. Over the years she's gotten really good as responding to the comments people make about her big family. She talks about growing up in a family with 12 siblings, dealing with the loss as a young girl and looking forward to a life after kids. You're going to want to hear her simple advice for keeping lines of communication open, especially in those difficult teen years.

Everyone's talking about the concept of "clean beauty". But what does that mean? Here to talk about her passion for better products is mom of 4, Jill Bakken. Jill discovered the importance of treating your skin better when she started looking more closely at the ingredients in the products she assumed were safe. She's explaining how to make clean swaps, while also chatting about her big family and her 10-year-marriage.

What a gift it is to be "someone's mom". On this Mother's Day episode, we are sharing one hopeful woman's journey to being "someone's mom". Brittany Lewis is grateful to be expecting her baby boy in September, after undergoing 2 rounds of IVF. She shares the process- her hopes, her fears and the wonder of how science made it possible for her to get pregnant. She also talks about the unexpected guilt, the intense pressure she put on herself through her diet and finding odd places to give herself the shots she needed while on the job.

Riley Kate is the name of Stephanie Beaver's newborn daughter. Stephanie is especially proud of that choice, because it took some guts to change it, about a month after her baby was born. She's sharing the story of changing her baby's name to talk about trusting your gut in difficult situations. It's seen her through thus far - in her marriage to her husband, her decision to change careers, and even in the way she sees herself postpartum.

Leanne Anderson thought it would be fun to check out their family history through one of those 23 & Me kits. But it would reveal way more than she ever imagined about her family. It turns out her husband has a daughter he never knew about... until now. He fathered a child when he was 19, with a woman from his neighborhood he had a relationship with. It was years before he met Leanne. The daughter is grown now, with 2 daughters of her own. Leanne and her husband have embraced them all as their daughter and granddaughters, and they are building on those bonds. "I don't think you can ever have too much family," Leanne tells host Denise Hnytka, in this conversation about keeping an open mind and heart in the face of a confusing situation.

Crystal Joy is a contemporary romance writer, crafting love stories that make her readers swoon. The mom of 3 from Iowa is sharing how she started writing in 5th grade, self-publishing her books and now coaching other writers. She talks to Denise about the hardest new baby transition, honoring the struggles in your relationship, and the pandemic's impact on marriages.

***Adult conversation*** with Karli Johnson, an Illinois mom and motivational speaker. She brings her brand of honesty to this episode, speaking about surviving the shooting on campus at Northern Illinois University. She also reveals that she will report her rape to police, nearly 10 years after it happened. Much of her work revolves around speaking to high school and college classes about sex education, trauma, and better communication between sexual partners. She even explains how you can talk to your kids about consent, starting as young as two-years-old. Check out Karli's podcast : Asking For It.

Tammy Pescatelli is happy to be working again, after the year that almost killed comedy. She's a touring stand-up comedian and mother of 13-year-old boy. She talks with Denise about being the underdog, starting her comedy career in the Quad Cities, and why she couldn't walk for 3 days after leaving a party at the Playboy Mansion.

Julian Reeve had his dream job as the music director for Hamilton. He was at the top of his game. But in the middle of a performance in Puerto Rico, he knew it would be last show he would ever conduct. A debilitating injury caught up with him. But out of that pain, comes a new mission to teach the lessons he wishes he would have learned as a child. It's all in his new book called Captain Perfection & the Secret of Self-Compassion: A self-help book for the young perfectionist.

Cold feet, broken hearts and an icy after 'After the Final Rose'. We look back on the season with Jillian Mahen.

Zay Davis is my guest recapper, bringing a guy's perspective on the show as Matt James narrows the field to his final 2 women.

***This episode contains some salty language that you may not want your kids to hear. The message of this episode is "You are enough". It comes from mother of 3, Jennifer V. We sat down to talk about yoga but instead had a conversation about speaking honestly with our children, making sacrifices and mistakes, and getting rid of negative self-talk.

Three women working in the same newsroom are all pregnant at the same time. A short time later, three babies and a podcast were born! They are the AnchorMOMS of WLOS-TV in Asheville, North Carolina. Kate, Ingrid and Karen are broadcasters working crazy schedules while managing their families at home, a pandemic pregnancy and bonding over their secret hatred of social media.