Vida de Madre con Mari Vega

Trigger Warning: Miscarriage is discussed. Yessenia and I found each other at a plant repotting zoom class for Mother’s Day. She reached out after class and it felt like the universe just wanted us to be in each other’s lives because she was ready to share her story and I had the platform ready to provide her the stage. After two years of trying to conceive, she underwent multiple tests to check for fertility and discovered a fallopian tube blockage was getting in the way of her ovulation. Being diagnosed with infertility led her to be hard on herself and her mental health struggled. She turned to her faith and trusted that she would “let go and let God”. After the long journey to conception, she experienced a miscarriage with her first IUI, it was a chemical pregnancy. For 5 months she walks us through the logistical nightmare of commuting to a whole other state, before work, to get blood work and hormone injections, etc. They decided to forgo the IUI process and focus on their marriage, their faith in signs from God, and a few months later they got pregnant on their own! She walks us through her cesarean, the amazing support from her doula, and did you know you can get a postpartum doula? We get into the tricks of how to get some sleep in those early sleep-deprived weeks. ------------------------- Yessenia’s bio: Yessenia Mercedes, MSW, is an alumni from Seton Hall and Fordham University. She worked in the Children and Family field in NJ for about 10 years; from being a Case Manager with Child Protection and Permanency to a School Social Worker for the Board of Education. She recently quit her tenured job to explore and venture on a new career journey. Yessenia is a wife, new mama to a healthy & beautiful baby boy, dog mama and a life long advocate. She wants to be a light & a voice for those who are struggling in silence. Her journey to motherhood has rooted her to focus on her own healing and growth while evolving into someone stronger. Contact her on @rootedcourage Her affirmation: Bible verse: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” Show notes are below and also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode14 Lonnie Morris' midwifery practice Partnership for Maternal & Child Health ICAN of Northern NJ ICAN What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

Disclaimer: This episode does contain profanity sprinkled throughout. Jeannette found me on The Birth Hour when she found herself chasing a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). With her first child, she was induced and when her water broke she developed a fever, which resulted in needing a cesarean. Her grandmother had 11 kids all natural! She came from a line of women who all had a natural birth, so it was a huge blow to her. She started researching VBAC the minute she got home after her first birth. She researched providers and found her earth angel, Dr. A. She describes the synchronicity of her journey and how she had no idea how much she had progressed before walking into the hospital. I will let you tune in to hear all about her quick delivery! Jeanette experienced a cervical tear, I had no idea the kind of recovery that entailed. This is was a very informative conversation and it was so nice to speak to a fellow mama who also did placenta encapsulation! Click here for my review of the placenta encapsulation experience. ------------------------- Jeannette’s bio: I am a 34-year-old mother of two now! Although I am on maternity leave, I have worked for 4 years in child protection services for the state of New Jersey and investigate child abuse and neglect. I am currently working on growing my family YouTube Channel, House Full of Us which really took off as a hobby during the pandemic. Also, led my husband and me to want to record the birth of our son Noah! My current goals are to become the best version of myself and one day become a full-time entrepreneur. By doing so, I can be a more connected mother and wife for my family. Contact her on Instagram @Jae_nettie Her affirmation: You can f*cking do this sh*t! Do not let anyone else tell you otherwise. Show notes are below and also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode13 ICAN of Northern NJ ICAN Book mentioned: Natural Labor and Birth- An Evidence-Based Guide to the Natural Birth Plan written by Michelle Aristizbal, MD, FACOG ACOG: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

Sharing my VBAC interview from The Birth Hour. I got pregnant with my second child in September of 2018. After an anxiety-ridden fearful cesarean 2 years prior, due to failure to descend, I was determined to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)! I experienced a lot of push back from doctors, family, and my partner. Ultimately after facing my anxiety, getting my partner on board, and breaking down all my VBAC fears, I was successful in birthing my son via VBAC in May of 2019. I share the journey of my healing birth, including breaking up with two doctors in both my second and third trimester and her empowered labor and delivery with a full female staff. What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

Birthing fulfillment via your side hustle Tatiana and I met on Instagram when I came across her amazing plant business, Mrs. Fresh Cut. She describes an amazing metaphor of how our plants grow from little seeds into beautiful thriving plants, just like our babies. She had a premature baby at 34 weeks pregnant and shares what her transition to motherhood was like when you leave the hospital without your baby. She exclusively pumped for 10 months and stayed home with her baby for his first year. She set up an awesome postpartum plan to allow boundaries for her family of 3 to establish themselves before family members started pouring into her home. She keeps herself grounded through journaling, meditating, listening to music, and her plants - of course! Tune in to learn how she took one of her tools for grounding and turned it into a side hustle fueled with passion! Her affirmation: Remember this too shall pass, no matter what we will get through this. ----------------------------- Tatiana bio: My name is Tatiana Quinto. I am a 31-year-old Colombian Mami to an amazing little boy named Tai. I’m a devoted plant mama living in New Jersey who loves her family, and fashion. Through storytelling, I’ll share what I’ve learned (and continue to learn) on the journey to becoming my true self--from various confidence-boosting techniques to guidance on self-discipline, self-acceptance, and living consciously. On my website you’ll get tons of plant tips, home decor ideas, & insight on how to look fly on a budget. Visit her website here. Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode11 What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

August is National Breastfeeding Month and this week is world breastfeeding week! I feel compelled to keep pushing my campaign, Breast is Gold, during a time where the world will be exposed to the power of breastmilk via grassroots campaigns worldwide. I feel this is so necessary and as unpopular as it feels, and as much as I sometimes try to resist from standing out on this message, I simply cannot stay silent. Every year I am even more committed to share and enlighten others. You need to understand the history of the campaigns I am competing against. Some of you may have heard a campaign called “breast is best” which competes with “fed is best”. Moms often find themselves on one side or the other. So you are either on one side or the other with no middle ground to stand on. Tune in to find out what Breast is Gold stands for. Full blog post and show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/bonusepisode Go stream it on: Apple Spotify Anchor Breaker Google Podcast Overcast Pocket Casts Radio Public ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

Mental State of Infertility: TriggerWarning: Disclaimer: Trigger warning alert. We discuss miscarriage, prenatal, and postnatal mood disorders, anxiety, and PTSD. If you are not in a place where you can take in a story of this nature please do not tune in. I don’t even know where to begin with introducing this beautiful, honest, difficult, raw story that my dear friend of many years, Alexandra, shared with me. Alex and her partner have been together forever, they are high school sweethearts, went to college together, etc. It took them 10 years to have a baby, and I’ll start with a spoiler alert: they end up having miracle twin baby boys! Now their father, Joan, is a twin himself, not sure if that played a role but I do feel that miracles happen for many reasons and I am so happy Alexandra is making medicine from her hardships and opening up about her story and journey. She is the epitome of someone who acknowledges that they can heal others while healing themselves along the way. This conversation is about a woman’s mental state when dealing with IVF, PCOS, chromosome issues, multiple miscarriages, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. If you are not in a place where you can take in a story of this nature please do not tune in. The chances of her having these healthy 3-year old twin boys were so slim that at times we cry along with her throughout the story. She is so resilient and she owns her baggage and knows she has to keep healing. If you tune in, tune in with an open heart and open mind. ------------------------- Alexandra’s bio: My name is Alexandra. I currently reside in Northern New Jersey and have a side business related to weddings. I have been with my high school sweetheart for 21 years and married for 9. We are the proud owners of two dogs, Copper and Eevee. It took 10 years but I finally got my rainbow babies on July 2, 2017, in the form of twin identical boys. I am now training to become a peer mentor for women who need peer support for perinatal mood disorders through Postpartum Support International. Contact her: Wedding business: Knot by the Sea Weddings - Visit over on IG or Facebook Her latest project is on IG @cuarto_trimestreprj. Cuarto Trimestre Project will be sharing the high and lows of pregnancy, birthing, postpartum, and parenting. Podcast here! Her blog throughout this journey can be found here. Postpartum Support International- Peer Mentor Program Her affirmation: God has a time for everything. There will be good days, worst days, and bad days. Every day is a day to start over again. Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode10 What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

Your girl is a Published Author now! So much has happened with my business and I want to take a step back to bring people along in the journey with me. So back in January, I incorporated my passion project, and Mari Vega, LLC was born. Through that venture, I support women in tapping into their intuition so they can nurture their entire "self" and experience motherhood with confidence. No one expected this to be such a challenging year. With the pandemic, lockdown, social and racial injustice, and much more, there’s one thing I still believe in, and it’s the power that stories have in bringing us together. That’s why I’m so honored to share my own story in the pages of Diamond Mind. This is a recording of the happy hour I hosted on the day of my book launch, July 15, 2020. To learn more about me and the 9 other women who co-authored Diamond Mind, visit diamondmindbook.com. We share our stories of obstacles that turned into our greatest strengths! My greatest wish for you is that these journies of resiliency inspire you to make some medicine out of your hardships. Available in kindle & paperback on Amazon. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, email me or DM on IG when you are done reading it. ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

My heart is heavy and I needed to release an episode where I just share my own allyship journey, opinions, and I challenge you all to join me in the conversations. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

Enlightenedhood - When Motherhood meets Spirituality Intro: I was so drawn to Leena from the minute I came across her podcast. I don’t know how I found her but the term, Enlightenedhood, and her gorgeous podcast photo drew me in during my maternity leave last summer. Little did I know that she was also in her postpartum period after having had her first child just 2 months before launching into what would become an amazing motherhood community! Leena shares the journey to peeling away the shame and emotional baggage that was keeping her from reaching her own self-actualization. Once she got in touch with her higher self and unleashed her feminine confidence, she coincidentally also began her journey into motherhood. The multitude of health challenges she faced during and after her pregnancy helped her learn that healing is not linear and that working on the mind also helps heal the body. Through elevating her spiritual self-care she began rocking out motherhood and building a community for like-minded mothers to thrive! Read on to learn more about Leena! ---------------------------------------- Leena bio: As a leading millennial voice in spirituality, Leena Lemos is on a mission to raise the collective consciousness through empowering women to step into their power and out of the spiritual closet. After feeling completely under-supported as a new mom, Leena started collecting stories on how other mothers were using mindfulness and spirituality while navigating motherhood and this blossomed into a global movement, reaching almost 100 countries in under a year. Today, Leena is passionate about a many-to-many approach to education and making spirituality less stigmatized and accessible to women worldwide. To learn more about Leena and contact her visit: www.enlightenedhood.com Instagram : @LeenaLemos @Enlightenedhood ---------------------------------------- Show notes: Astrology: Crystal B. Astrology http://crystalbastrology.com/ in Bloomfield, NJ Daily OM provides inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy, and fulfilling day. They have a variety of life-enhancing courses. I’ve personally taken conscious parenting and kundalini chakra courses. Dr Shefali - Conscious Parenting - I highly recommend YouTubing her if reading isn’t your thing. Mantra/Affirmation: I am already everything I need. Manifest: A community of like-minded women who are going to lead the way and change the world together. Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2ep7 ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marivega/support

I have no doubt in my mind that Marcela and I were destined to meet. Tune in to listen to this single mother’s journey to creating a global platform affirmation vision board business that helps affirm powerful mindful flourishing words. She describes how motherhood is a metamorphosis of the soul that challenges us to evolve. Marcela opens us up to the idea of building a legacy and dedicating yourself to teaching your children to listen to themselves before believing what the world is going to tell them they should be. She closes with “I am…” statements that will empower you to make this year happen for you! Don’t miss out, tune in NOW! Read on to learn more about Marcela! ---------------------------------------- My name is Marcela Tapiero and I am a passionate educator, mother, entrepreneur, and global speaker. I became an entrepreneur at 21. Since then, I have created a global business to empower people of all ages. Now, I am on my way to achieving not only true financial freedom but the joyous freedom of time, which allows me to travel the world sharing knowledge with students across the globe. To learn more about my business and my recent foundation, jump-started during the COVID pandemic, visit: WWW.YOURDREAMWALL.COM or on Instagram @your_dreamwall ---------------------------------------- If you’d like to connect with Marcela she can be reached at: yourdreamwall@yahoo.com Show notes: Affirmation to lean on in rough times Take a deep breath, repeat these words: I am going to become better & better every single day. I am choosing to love myself whether it is’ through hurting and pain, I am going to win this battle. Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode6 Go stream her episode on: Apple Spotify Anchor Breaker Google Podcast Overcast Pocket Casts Radio Public ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Episode Releases on May 27. If you don’t see it on your favorite podcast platform right away give it a day to arrive. For episode 5, of season 2, I gave this mama anonymity to create a safe space for her to share her experience and insights. You see, this dear friend works in a hospital. Her husband and her struggled with infertility issues for two years, at the time it seemed to be caused by her polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). After a successful round of IUI, they conceived their son. Given her insight into the medical industry, after weighing her options, she decided to go with the midwifery model of care and selected to have a home birth. Tune in to learn more about the differences between OB care and midwifery care, maternal exhaustion, the emotional recovery of not getting the type of labor & delivery desired, and a surprise baby #2! Spoiler alert: She gave birth to her 2nd baby the day following this interview, and trust and believe I’ll be having her back to share that magical story with you all. Her closing remarks were so powerful, I decided to share it in the show notes! She shared: “Everything in life has risks. From stepping outside our door in the morning to driving and putting on a seatbelt. It is your right as a woman to find and identify what risks you are willing to take and don’t let anyone else’s judgment deter you from the experience you want.” Show notes on vocab discussed: IUI: Intrauterine Insemination PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome The difference between midwifery and OB models of care Chiropractic care: search for perinatal or webster certified providers for pelvic/sacral adjustments Physiological birth Acronym for informed decision making: BRAIN BENEFITS of this process/procedure RISKS of this process/procedure ALTERNATIVES to this approach INTUITION - what is your gut telling you? NEGOTIATION - what agreements can we make to find a balance between your approach and my concerns? Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode5 Go stream her episode on: Apple Spotify Anchor Breaker Google Podcast Overcast Pocket Casts Radio Public ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

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Season 2, Ep4: Formula Researchin’ & DIY Baby Food Mommy Marisol and I could audition for the Netflix show “Workin Moms” because we would fit right into the storyline of being thirty-something working mothers who try to balance their jobs, family life, and love life in the 21st century! We met at our kid’s daycare and while you may consider that a hot spot to source some working mom friends -think again. Between rushing to drop off and bounce to the office, and the rush to pick up and head home for dinner, there isn’t much time to talk other than the usual “good morning, have a good night, take care, good seeing you!” pleasantries. When we kept running into each other around town we realized we had a few things in common - we work in the Banking industry, we love having our kids drink only water, and we love wine! When Marisol shared with me how much research went into her choice of formula’s I knew I wanted to have her on the show. She nursed for a few months and then needed to start supplementing. She took the same determination she had committed to pumping and applied it to learning about all the formula ingredients. She went on to make her own oatmeal and natural food and snacks for her son, who like my daughter, has a passion for drinking water! #Moms4ProperHydration ;) Read on to learn more about Marisol! I’m 42yrs old and a single mom, I work full-time and I am very fortunate to have my mom that helps me with my son. I was born and raised in the Bronx by a Puerto Rican single mother, she worked in a factory and did all she could to give me the best, with what little she had. I didn’t live in the best neighborhood so she decided that she would put me in catholic school and I think that was the best thing she did for me. She has always instilled in me to be a hard worker and to always go after my dreams. I now live in NJ and she lives with me. Being a full-time working mom and commuting into NYC is not easy at all, I feel like I miss the little things, and at times that makes me sad. So on the weekends, I try to do the most with him making sure that whatever I feel that I missed I make-up for...BUT I also give myself some adult time because as mom’s (whether working moms or stay at home moms) we need a mental break. I don’t think I have the answers to everything when it comes to raising him. I'm learning as I go but it’s a journey that I’m happy that I’m able to take. If you’d like to connect with Marisol, you can reach her at Marisolf520@gmail.com. Discussed on the Show: >>Aeroflow: Visit their IG to learn more about their mission to increase the instance of breastfeeding through the best equipment, support, and education. >> Acronym for informed decision making: BRAIN BENEFITS of this process/procedure RISKS of this process/procedure ALTERNATIVES to this approach INTUITION - what is your gut telling you? NEGOTIATION - what agreements can we make to find a balance between your approach and my concerns? >>Marisol suggestions for recipes/products: https://weelicious.com/ www.parents.com Healthy living (app) Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode4 ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

I had the pleasure of interviewing Carla Belliard, a doula and current midwifery student. All I knew about her was that she had an amazing vibe and that I had been following her on Instagram for a while, even though she lives in Utah and I have no idea how I found her page or if she found me? It turns out that deciding to film our first conversation was the right move! Her sincerity about her journey to motherhood is 100% the reason I created this platform. She is working through her healing and recognizing there is no such thing as a perfect mom. In this episode, Carla explains how she made her way from the Dominican Republic over to Utah, and how her own strained relationship with her mother made her doubt her own desires for motherhood. We touch on perinatal mood disorder, and how she came to discover this self-diagnosed condition 3 years after giving birth. Carla also shares her reaction to a 20-week ultrasound revealing her daughter would have a cleft palate, and how that lead her to a life-altering water birth that revealed her life’s purpose. Tune in for a seriously raw, truthful, vulnerable conversation about the things no one tells you in motherhood! Carla is passionate about supporting and empowering people that are navigating pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting in general. She was born and raised in the sunny island of the Dominican Republic, and currently calls Utah her home state. Carla is a mom to a beautiful girl and a wife to her best friend. Although she holds a bachelor’s in Food Science with a focus on Business Administration and Psychology, her passion is birth work. When Carla became pregnant, she was told at 20 weeks that her daughter was going to be born with a cleft lip and palate. This diagnosis meant that her baby was going to need countless surgeries throughout her life starting at 3 months of age. This is why she reconsidered the way she was thinking of giving birth and helped her make a safe decision of birthing outside of a clinical setting because she wanted her daughter and her to work together, at a deeper and more comfortable level, through labor, while being supported by doulas and a midwife. Her birth experience, the support she felt, and the calming energy she received, ignited her passion for birth work. She felt like a goddess during her birth, and two years later she decided to help other women feel the same. Carla holds many titles, including public speaker and adult learning specialist, curriculum developer, DONA trained birth doula, childbirth educator, trained birth assistant, student midwife, and a yoga instructor. She has a certificate in Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy from LMU and loves working with all types of birthing people. If you’d like to connect with Carla, you can reach her on Instagram @motherly.goddess or via email at carla@birthmindbody.com. Show notes are also available on https://www.marivega.me/blog/season2episode3 ____________________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Ammie and I met via Instagram and I found myself compelled to invite her to have a call and get to know more about each other. We got on a call and before we knew it an hour had passed and we couldn’t stop sharing our combined experiences! This episode touches on teenage pregnancy, manifesting the life you want, the “mother wound”, and building resilience. Ammie Salom has dedicated her career to healthcare, with 15 years of experience and over 7 years in administrative leadership positions at top healthcare organizations in the tri-state area, including Rutgers’Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Englewood Hospital, Montefiore, and Columbia Medical Center. She holds a B.A. in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration with a concentration in Community Health Education. The daughter of Dominican immigrants, Ammie was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She possesses a strong commitment and dedication to the economic empowerment, health, and wellbeing of women and young girls. She is passionate about helping women break through glass ceilings in the workplace, in education, and at home. Ammie has worked with community organizations to assist in fundraising efforts in support of young women and is also the founder of Femmenominal Women, a collaborative community organization dedicated to encouraging women to live productive, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Through this growing platform, she hosts local events bringing women together to share insight about health, careers, family life, as well as connecting them to a network of sisterhood and positive support. A supportive partner to her husband, Gabriel Rodriguez an elected official serving the town of West New York as the Commissioner of Public Safety, Ammie is also a mother of two girls and works hard to model ambition, community volunteerism, healthy lifestyle, and work-life balance for her daughters. Ammi serves on the board of the LUPE Fund, Inc. which is a 501c3 organization whose mission is to Educate, Empower, and Engage Latinas to Promote Leadership and Civic Engagement. She encourages anyone who wants to learn more, to please visit, www.Lupenj.org. They offer scholarships, amazing networking opportunities, and are now hosting several webinars to help keep much-needed conversations going! Ammie is supportive of collaborations with women who want to empower our young girls and WOMEN who are seeking growth, connection, and all things FEMMENOMINAL! You can contact her at Femmenominalwomen@gmail.com. ___________________________________________________________________________ What did you think of this episode? Want more like it? Have an amazing story you’d like to share? Want to be featured on the Vida de Madre podcast? Email Hello@marivega.me or visit www.marivega.me to learn more. Please support and subscribe! To follow the Mari Vega brand visit me on IG @Mari_Vega. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Jeanelle and I went to college in the same city and thanks to the power of social media, we have stayed in touch all these years. Being that she is a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist, I was eager to ask her questions like, “Do boys, in fact, develop language at a slower pace than girls? Is a bilingual upbringing impacting our kids' abilities to progress verbally? What can I do to help my kids’ thrive verbally?”. Listen in to the first episode of Season 2 of my podcast, Vida de Madre con Mari Vega. *If show note links below do not work please visit my blog post at http://www.marivega.me/blog/welcome-to-season-2 Jeanelle Canelo, M.S., CCC-SLP/TSSLD-BEA, is a NY State Licensed and Certified Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist. Currently, she works with the pediatric population and is available for private clients of all ages. Jeanelle is from Dominican descent and grew up bilingual. She has always had an appreciation for vocabulary and has a passion for language. She is an advocate for communication as being a human right. She is the creative behind hearforher.com and IG: @hearforher which is a platform to raise the bar for being HEARD and for Honest, Effective, & Reliable communication. Show notes: >>Understanding babies cries - Priscilla (Dunstan Baby Theory) Link to refer to: https://www.dunstanbaby.com >>Child Directed Speech Link to refer to: http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/cellpract_pract/infant/PGPrac_I_ChildDirSpch_WM.pdf >>Milestone research about girls being ahead of boys in vocabulary Link to refer to: https://www.asha.org/slp/schools/prof-consult/norms/ >>Late Language Emergence/Late Talkers Link to refer to: https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589935380§ion=Causes >>The Advantages of Being Bilingual - Learning another language DOES NOT cause speech or language problems or make them worse Link to refer to: https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/The-Advantages-of-Being-Bilingual/ NOTE: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is a reputable site to visit with regard to resources related to speech-language and hearing. Jeanelle can be contacted at: Email: hear4her@gmail.com / jc@hearforher.com IG: @hearforher --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Jackie is a blogger and content creator on all things motherhood and empowerment! Her motherhood journey took her from attorney to full-time stay at home mom AND full-time work from home mom, while also landing sponsorships for her Moments of Musing brand. That’s the definition of killing it at multitasking. Jackie is a mom of two and I loved speaking to her because she truly is a breath of fresh air and her bubbly personality will leave you wanting to hear more! Show notes: VBAC - vaginal birth after cesarean *If you are interested in learning more about this visit my blog post over at https://www.marivega.me/blog Spectra - https://www.spectrababyusa.com/ Weaning depression information - https://kellymom.com/ages/weaning/wean-how/depression-and-weaning/ Give yourself grace, not guilt: https://www.momentsofmusing.com/2017/02/give-yourself-grace-not-guilt.html I’m a good mom (you are too!): https://www.momentsofmusing.com/2016/09/i-good-mom.html On stepping away from my linear career path: https://www.momentsofmusing.com/2019/10/its-ok-to-step-away-from-your-career.html Contact @: instagram.com/momentsofmusing or jackiemominc@gmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

This is a really easy to understand basic description of how to use the moon to manifest. It describes the full moon, the waning moon, the new moon, and the waxing moon. A lot of the things shared stem from what I’ve learned from Bamboo Moves Yoga in Englewood NJ and Rock Collage in Teaneck NJ. Feel free to email me at hello@marivega.me if you have further questions, want to be a guest or have an idea for the podcast! Stay tuned for more on how to create rituals around the moon to both cleanse and manifest! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Enjoy my Full Moon Release Meditation. This is meant to help you release the things that do not serve you. Enjoy listening to it at any point that you feel the tension rise from within. I find it to be especially helpful as part of my bedtime routine. If you follow the moon, consider adding this to your full moon ritual. Not sure what I mean by having a moon ritual? Listen to the next episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Veronica is a bada$$ entrepreneur who owns 2 curly hair salons in NJ & is a mommy of two, a 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son. She advocates for women and has dealt with some pretty heavy stuff, from PTSD in the marriage, to her own anxiety, and now ADHD with her son. She believes in the guiding principle of letting the universe unfold its plans for you in its own time. While this can be difficult, especially when you are going through the thick of it all, it is key in pushing yourself forward in life to achieve your wildest dreams. Show notes: Salon info: Jersey Curl Salon 17 Hilliard Ave. First Floor Cliffside Park, NJ 07010 *2nd location: 17 Hilliard Ave 1st floor, Edgewater, NJ 07020 Any self-care you use to manage the PPD when your son was younger or your current anxiety? Going to the gym helped me a lot with PPD and my anxiety. I love doing Zumba it honestly makes me feel like I’m in a club only in the morning and with comfy clothes.(haha) I also found a new “addiction” I call it which is getting my lashes done. I can’t tell you how relaxing it is and I get to take a nap so it’s awesome! I do this once every 3 weeks and I enjoy it a lot. Resources used in behavioral pediatric therapy: Resources that were used during behavioral pediatric therapy were activities that we could do at home like working on coloring, painting or simple projects that involved cutting and pasting to help with motor skills and focusing. I also signed my son up to soccer and Taekwondo. He’s doing great and we can see amazing progress already. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

Alicea Marie, New Yorker at heart, is a mommy of two girls, an almost 4-year-old and 4 months old. After moving cross country for college, and finding her partner, Carlos, they decided to move to Utah to be closer to his family. Being far from her family and raising her girls without them, while exclusively breastfeeding for 2 years, can leave a girl feeling touched out and drained. However, Alicea learned how to manifest what she wants to see in this world and went out to build community and help nurture mothers along the way. Show notes: Birthing and parenting classes taken: Super Childbirth Preparation Class, Breastfeeding Class, Sibling Preparation, Car Safety all classes were taken at University of Utah Hospital Fit4Mom is available nationwide: https://fit4mom.com/ Lush products: bath bombs $6-10 *my fav ‘Avo Bath Bomb’ https://www.lushusa.com Chakra crystal bag: Agate- Good luck Apachetear- Digestion Clear Quartz- Meditation Garnet- Strengthens Petrified Wood- Calming Pyrite- Healing Smoky Quartz- Protection Manifesting: Daily affirmations begin with “I want to manifest an abundance of.....” Contact her: Instagram: @definedmama Facebook: Alicea Marie Small business: @mini_moments_events --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message

My #BreastIsGold Giveaway Winner shares her motherhood journey. Denise is a social worker turned SAHM after the birth of her daughter in 2018. She believes in living an overall healthy lifestyle/holistic care for the mind, body & soul, and has faith in God’s timing. Her breastfeeding journey is one of exclusive pumping, for over 13.5 months at the time of this interview, in which she still makes 30-40 ounces a day! She has an abundant oversupply and has donated 450 ounces of milk to the Milk Bank of NY. Show notes: Oatmeal shake recipe: ( this helps with milk production plus it’s nutritious) *you can use a traditional blender and or nutribullet to blend this all together Oats ( steel oats / or regular oats work fine) Chia seeds/ flax seeds & hemp seeds Almonds (raw/ unsalted) Almond milk Water Cinnamon Optional add strawberries/ blueberries/blackberries/ raspberries for extra nutrients Juice: Beets ( whole beet- not canned :) carrots ( peeled or not peeled either way is fine) aloe ( peel the skin off) molasses ( This Juice helps destroy cysts/ or when you suffer from monthly painful cycles -it has been known to also help cleanse you during her monthly cycle:) You make use a juicer, traditional blender or nutribullet. Place the juice in a glass container also make sure you consume it within 5 days. Take 2 shots a day. Contact her @ dfrias8516@gmail.com Denise Frias-Rodriguez --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marivega/message