Shows
My Best Mom FriendToddlers And The Holiday SeasonLet's chat all things holidays with little kids. From flopped traditions to forgetting about school spirit week.
Don't forget to check out our sensory play shop! www.playfullittleminds.com
Here is the sinus rinse I was talking about.
Here is the story projector I was talking about. We love it!
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-12-2039 minMy Best Mom FriendMoms vs. The Holiday SeasonIn this episode, we delve into the experiences of busy mothers during the bustling holiday season. The episode includes topics such as establishing family traditions, managing family dynamics, selecting ideal gifts for your children, and dealing with the possibility of disappointment when reality fails to align with the Instagram-worthy image you have envisioned.
If you're looking for the perfect stocking stuffer or activity that will keep your little ones busy for hours, visit our sensory play shop! www.playfullittleminds.com
Happy Holidays!
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-12-1338 minMy Best Mom FriendThe Challenges of Life As A Mom Of Multiple KidsAre you finding the transition going from having one child to two, or three, or four challenging? You are not alone! Inna from @motherhoodtherapy and I dive into life as a mom of multiples and all of the changes and challenges this transition brings. I hope this episode helps you feel seen and validated in your feelings and hopefully offers some advice to help you through.
Follow along on Instagram @mybestmomfriend and don't forget to check out my new kids sensory shop: www.playfullittleminds.com
Here is Inna's Mommy Burnout Guide
...2023-10-0457 minMy Best Mom FriendThe Importance Of Sensory Play For Your ToddlerTune in as I dive into the importance of sensory play and how children exploring their environment through textures and using their senses helps their development. In this episode, I also share the exciting launch of my new shop, all about sensory activities for your littles. We all want to be that perfect Pinterest mom with the best activities, but we're busy and tired AF. So... I did the work for you. I took that mental load off your plate and created various activities with various ways to use each to maximize learning and play.
Check out...2023-09-1244 minMy Best Mom FriendOh, Toddlerhood, What a Joyous Time In Our LivesLOL, let me start by saying I love the crap out of my child. There, I gave you the classic mom disclaimer before she starts talking smack about what her child has been up to and how wonky motherhood can get during different seasons. Yes, I adore my almost three-year-old, but also, WOWZA... what happened to the sweet, thoughtful, kind, and affectionate two-year-old I had? He turns three next month, and it's like a flip has been switched...it's wild, and I didn't see it coming. Let's chat all about it!
If you haven't seen it, watch...2023-09-0540 minMy Best Mom FriendMarriage And Communication After Baby Part 3 | The Mental Load of MotherhoodIn this third segment of my "Marriage and Communication After Baby" series, I dive deep into the mental load of motherhood. I look at it from a woman's perspective, how we are "wired," and a man's perspective. This would be a great episode to share with your husband if you want him to better understand the mental load we are all plagued with.
I mentioned the Fair Play book and card deck in this episode, you can find the book here and the card deck here.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and...2023-08-2959 minMy Best Mom FriendMarriage and Communication After Baby Part 2 | Mothers Sacrifice Everything + The Male PsycheLet’s unpack the classic line I often hear from new mothers, “I’ve sacrificed everything, while he seemingly has sacrificed nothing. His life as a father is the same as it was before we had a child!” The statement is usually a thought that most women don’t vocalize aloud. It stays hidden beneath the surface, with deep resentment building towards their partners. In this episode, I look into what women give up as mothers: our mental and physical health, our freedom, and even our careers. When it comes to the men in our lives, it does seem like they don’t...2023-08-221h 14My Best Mom FriendMarriage and Communication After Baby Part 1Let’s try to understand one another for more productive partnerships better when it comes to parenting. This is what I’ll be exploring in my multi-part series here on my podcast.
I don’t think men (husbands, dads) purposely don’t worry ahead the way we do. If they could, some of them would take that load off our shoulders and close some of the tabs for us, but they aren’t wired to think that way. It’s not that they’re lazy or they don’t care; it’s just not in their DNA like it is ours.
Undoubtedly...2023-08-151h 02My Best Mom FriendPlanning Baby's First Birthday | What You Need To KnowAre you getting ready to plan your baby's first birthday?! What a huge milestone! Congrats, mama, you've survived a full year of motherhood. PHEW!
Enjoy this next hour of me sharing all the things you need to know when planning for this celebration! From planning your guest list, the venue, the smash cake, capturing memories and not ending the night with a big blow out fight with your partner.
I just launched sensory bins for toddlers, come take a peek at my shop! mybestmomfriend.myshopify.com
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod...2023-08-0846 minMy Best Mom FriendWhy Moms Are So Overstimulated All The TimeAHHH - do you feel like you're constantly on the brink of a mental breakdown due to the overlapping noise? I am.
Why do more moms not talk about this with one another? We all feel like we're going a little nutty sometimes, right? You know what I'm talking about... the oven is humming, the baby is crying, dogs are barking, tv commercials are too loud, the neighbor is mowing his lawn, and you can't forget about the clutter on the counter and the repetitive inner dialogue questioning whether you're doing this motherhood stuff correctly.
...2023-08-0157 minMy Best Mom FriendI Love My Baby, But I Lost Myself | Navigating Identity Loss As a New MotherIt's really easy to lose yourself in motherhood.
If you feel lost as you enter this life-changing portal of motherhood, you are not alone. Let's dive deep into the many changes we face as we transition from who we once were to who we are now. It takes time to grow into yourself as a mother. The enormity of the role is intimidating. Motherhood feels overwhelming because it's all-consuming. You don't know who you are in this new skin as you cling to your old self. As you enter the portal of motherhood, you must leave parts...2023-07-2555 minMy Best Mom FriendGrowing Pains Of Motherhood: The Grief, Anxiety, and Heartache Of Watching Your Children Grow UpGrab your tissues... In this episode I get really raw about the thoughts I've had as a mother when it comes to my child growing up. Raising our kids is the most beautifully painful heartache we will ever experience. Hop over to Instagram and let me know if you've had any of these thoughts... @mybestmomfriend + follow along to stay connected!
Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront where I have neatly categorized everything you could possibly need for surviving motherhood, in one easy to shop place. Check it out here.
2023-07-1852 minMy Best Mom FriendThings I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Mom + The Best Mom Advice You Need To HearIn this episode, I spill the beans on all the things I and many moms that follow my journey over on Instagram @mybestmomfriend said they wish they knew before becoming a mom. It's a compilation of the many life changes that threw us off guard as we entered motherhood.
I follow it up with some of the best pieces of collective mom advice.
As you listen to this episode, I hope you feel seen and validated in your experience as a mom and know that whatever you're feeling, you are not alone.
---2023-07-1147 minMy Best Mom FriendQ+A: What to Expect When You're Expecting, Marriage After Baby, Postpartum Body Image, Maternal Mental HealthListeners sent in their questions all about mom life.
Tune in as I chat marriage after baby, maternal mental health, postpartum body image, finding yourself as a mother and the things I wish I had known going into motherhood.
Follow along for more on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
Tune in to the other episodes I mentioned throughout the podcast:
Moms Vs Dads: Mom Guilt + Mental Load of Motherhood
Marriage After Baby
Postpartum Body Image
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend...2023-07-0454 minMy Best Mom FriendAll About Mom Guilt | What Is It? How Do We Navigate It? Can We Eliminate It?Mom Guilt - what is it? How do we navigate it? How does it show up for us? Can we eliminate it? Let's explore this cycle of guilt that creeps into our brains as moms. In this episode, I will list some common scenarios that cause mom guilt to show up for us, how it makes us feel, and what we can do to change the narrative.
Everyday things that cause mom guilt:
-breastfeeding / ending our breastfeeding journey
-being a working mom / being a stay-at-home mom
-not spending "enough"...2023-06-2756 minMy Best Mom FriendFirst Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Here They Come With a Baby Carriage (...And Resentment) + Why Do Men Take So Long To Poop?I had the pleasure of interviewing Nate and Tommy from @dadswhotry again. If you missed our earlier episode all about Mom Guilt, tune in here.
We spoke largely about your relationship with your partner after having a baby. There are so many changes, emotions running high, resentment building and very little time and patience to spend with one another. We talked about how to stop keeping score, how to be there for one another, how to strengthen your relationship again, date ideas, and I asked them why it takes men so dang long to poop in the morning?!
Follow along...2023-06-2054 minMy Best Mom FriendMindful Mess Parenting | Why It's Okay To Mess Up as a Parent and the Importance of Consciously Showing Up for Your KidsMotherhood is messy. Parenting is hard -- especially if you want to do it RIGHT. We will all make mistakes, none of us are perfect, and our kids don't expect us to be. But they do need us to show up. It's important. Being a parent is one of our biggest, most impactful roles in life. In this episode, we talk about what conscious parenting is and what it looks like in real-life parenting moments. We talk about re-parenting ourselves, cycle-breaking, and healing inter-generational family trauma. We discuss how this healing and how showing up consciously for your children...2023-06-1359 minMy Best Mom FriendSurviving Birth Trauma And Dealing With The Aftermath*Trigger Warning: Birth Trauma, Miscarriage*
In today's episode, I sit down with Kayleigh Summers from @thebirthtrauma_mama, and we get deep into all things birth trauma. She shares her personal experience and birth story and the trauma she faced while bringing her child into the world. Birth can be empowering and beautiful but also traumatic and scary. If you have experienced birth trauma, I hope this episode helps you feel seen and validated in your experience. Your feelings surrounding your birth are valid and real. It is perfectly okay to feel disappointed or to grieve. We also...2023-06-0654 minMy Best Mom FriendBoundaries as a Mom | What They Are, Why We Need Them, How To Enforce ThemI'm sure you've heard the term "boundaries" tossed around left and right. What does having boundaries as a (new) mom mean? What are boundaries, why do we need them, what are some examples, and how do we enforce them? In this episode, I dive deep into what boundaries we need as new and seasoned mothers. Our family and friends need to respect our wishes, especially regarding our children's well-being and our mental health. I hope this episode empowers you to learn to say "NO," to ask for her without feeling guilty, and to understand that you are NOT being...2023-05-3045 minMy Best Mom FriendMaternity Leave Is Over - Now What? | Navigating Childcare And the Emotions of Being a Working MomThere is a grieving period when your maternity leave ends and you return to work. You might find yourself wondering things like: What milestones will I miss? Will my child love their new caretaker more than me? When will the guilt and separation anxiety stop consuming me? It's a challenging season of motherhood to navigate. What I can tell you is that a mother's love can never be replaced. In the eyes of your child, you will always be number one! With time, the daily separation gets more manageable, and you'll find your groove again.
2023-05-2345 minMy Best Mom FriendSurviving Sick Days With Little KidsHave you been home with a sick baby or toddler? Have you dealt with the anxiety and stress it brings on? Do you also have to google what's considered a "high fever" every time your kid is sick? Do you feel burned out from being on mom duty all day and night while on PTO and stressed about work deadlines? This episode is for you because SAME!
To make life easy for you, I put together an easy-to-shop amazon list of baby/toddler sick day essentials. You can view it here.
Follow me on Instagram...2023-05-1628 minMy Best Mom FriendOne-And-Done Parenting | Why It's Okay To Only Have One ChildMore and more families choose to have either no children or just one. Various factors cause a family to decide to be one and done; for some, it's not a choice. Infertility, finances, marital strain, high-risk pregnancy or birth trauma experiences, postpartum mental health struggles, or perhaps you just feel complete or know you don't have the capacity for a second child. This episode deeply delves into being one-and-done and some reasons behind the decision. I want you to know that having only one child is perfectly okay. You do not have to cave to societal expectations or pressures...2023-05-0946 minMy Best Mom FriendA Glimpse Inside Cycle Breaking, Conscious Parenting, And Common #ToddlerProbsJoin me and guest Jon Fogel with @wholeparent as we chat all things cycle breaking and conscious parenting. He answers all the questions I have to navigate current toddler life with a two and a half year-old toddler who recently discovered his whiny voice and bossy mannerisms (I assure you, he did not learn those from me, as you'll discover in this episode.)
Follow along on Instagram for daily real, raw, relatable mom content @mybestmomfriend
Checkout the @wholeparent method:
"Are you tired of constantly resorting to shame, threats, and...2023-05-021h 07My Best Mom FriendVacationing With Kids | Mom Hacks, Packing Checklist + A Little From Our Recent TripAre you getting ready to travel with your baby or toddler? Vacationing with littles isn't always a vacation, is it? It's really just parenting as usual, but with a prettier scenery. Tune in as I share tips, hacks, and some funny moments of our latest beach vacation. Don't forget to download my FREE vacation packing checklist below.
--
You can find my packing checklist here - a PDF to help take the mental load of motherhood of list making off your plate! I also linked some of my favorite...2023-04-2548 minMy Best Mom FriendBirth 101, Empowering Your Birth Experience, C-Section Awareness + Birth TraumaThis episode features Liesel, the Labor and Delivery nurse behind @mommy.labornurse. She offers invaluable daily resources for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum and has birth preparation courses tailored to natural delivery, epidural, and c-sections. In this episode, we touch on what to expect when you're giving birth, how you know you're in labor, how to empower your birth experience, and c-sections and birth trauma. This is a great listen if you're an expecting mama.
Download my hospital bag checklist when preparing for labor
Follow me on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
2023-04-1858 minMy Best Mom FriendMom Comparison Trap | Stop Comparing Your Motherhood Journey to HersDo you find yourself comparing your motherhood journey to that of other women? It's a nasty trap we can find ourselves in. Let's unpack this in today's episode.
2
Follow along on Instagram for more @mybestmomfriend
And subscribe to my monthly newsletter here so we can keep in touch.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-04-1136 minMy Best Mom FriendFrom Fur Babies to Human Babies | How Our Relationship With our Pets ChangeHave you found yourself overstimulated with your dog barking and trying to snuggle with you when you're a touched-out, exhausted new mom? Have you asked yourself why your dog suddenly annoys the crap out of you? Do you feel guilty about how you've been feeling towards your pet? You are not alone! This is an incredibly common feeling. Sensory overload and feeling touched out are two real things moms experience. After a long day of being "on" with our babies, we want to plop on the sofa and relax. Instead, your dog decided it's suddenly a great time to...2023-04-0445 min
My Best Mom FriendMoms vs Dads: on Guilt and the Mental Load of MotherhoodI had the pleasure of speaking with Nate and Tommy from @dadswhotry. We had such a good back-and-forth discussion from a male and female, husband and wife, and mom and dad perspective—great episode for both moms and dads to tune into to understand each other better. The mental load can be heavy, and the guilt can consume us, so communicating with your partner about where you need help is the first step to lightening the load.
Follow along on Instagram @mybestmomfriend for daily real mom life content.
---
Support this podcast: https://po...2023-03-281h 01
My Best Mom FriendPostpartum Body ImageWhen you have a baby, many things change, including your body. Perhaps you don't recognize yourself in the mirror... your belly is squishy, your breasts have changed, and you might find stretchmarks or loose skin that wasn't there before giving birth. If you're months and months out from the early postpartum days and the initial shock of the body changes, you might find it difficult to lose or maintain weight. Things change, and it can be difficult to accept. In today's episode, this is what we dive into. It's hard. I know it's hard. I'm here to tell you...2023-03-2132 min
My Best Mom FriendMom Burnout & The Mental Load of MotherhoodMotherhood consumes us with guilt, uncertainty, and doubt. The mental load of motherhood is heavy. It’s remembering everything, trying to get everything done, being there for everyone without skipping a beat, and checking everything off your never-ending to-do list. But you know what — it’s exhausting, unsustainable, and quite frankly impossible. In this episode, Inna and I dive deeper into mom burnout and what this looks like, along with some methods to cope. We want to remind you that you are not your anxious thoughts, and your “bad days” do not define you as a mother.
Download I...2023-03-1451 min
My Best Mom FriendToddler Bedtime Routine StrugglesTune in while I share about the bedtime routine struggles I have been experiencing and the ones other moms have been encountering. Ah, bedtime...
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-03-0732 min
My Best Mom FriendAm I One and Done, Two and Through, or Am I Ready for Another | Come Take the Quiz!Such a big question, isn't it... I personally am one-and-done. You might be questioning if you're done or not. As someone that feels fairly confident, I thought I'd break it down for you, at least in the terms of how I think about it. Come take the quiz.
Follow along on Instagram for daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-02-2825 min
My Best Mom FriendParenting Challenges as a Couple | Marriage After Baby Part 2There is so much to navigate as you transition from just barely surviving the transition into parenthood to actually "parenting" a toddler together. It's a rollercoaster, hold on tight. Let's unpack this journey together.
Follow along for more over on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
This episode is sponsored by Nature's Guide.
Grab a copy of the e-book: Why Mothers Feel Guilty & Why They Shouldn't. Get a copy here.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-02-2134 min
My Best Mom FriendPostpartum Real Talk | What to Expect After You Have Your Baby | Vaginas, Boobs and That First PoopOkay, so you learned all the things about caring for a new baby, but do you actually know how to care for yourself after giving birth? That's the important piece of the puzzle no one talks about. I'm sharing ALL the things with you so you know what to REALLY expect, when you're expecting.
To make it easy for you, here is an easy to shop Amazon list I compiled of all the things for your postpartum healing journey *down there*
This episode is sponsored by Love & Fit. Save 10% on your order of nursing and pu...2023-02-1442 min
My Best Mom FriendBonus Episode: Guided Mindfulness Meditation for MomsMama, you do everything for everyone. Take a moment just for you. Take a deep breath and let it ALL go. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share it with a friend. + head over to Instagram (@mybestmomfriend) and let me know what you thought of this guided meditation.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-02-0811 min
My Best Mom FriendLife as the Preferred Parent | Toddlerhood | + Never Getting to Poop AloneOh toddlerhood. Such a fun time, isn’t it? Being the preferred parent is exhausting. If you own this title, I bet you cringe at these three torturous words: "MOMMY DO IT!" If you're the "number two parent," then I imagine you're equally tormented because you feel like sh!t that you can't do anything right. Our littles are not yet emotionally sophisticated creatures. Preferred parents literally never get a break, no matter how much the "number two" wants to step in and take over. If you're navigating this chapter of parenthood right now, I see you and feel yo...2023-02-0719 min
My Best Mom FriendPostpartum Psychosis | Symptoms, Warning Signs, Resources | How the Lindsay Clancy Tragedy is Triggering the Mom CommunityMaternal mental health is not your fault. You are not alone, and you are not to blame. You don't have to suffer alone, in silence. Let's deep dive into Perinatal Mental Health, focusing on Postpartum Psychosis: symptoms, warning signs, and resources.
Important Resources and Phone Numbers:
PSI HelpLine: Call or text the PSI Helpline at 800-944-4773, in English or Spanish, for pregnancy, postpartum, and post-loss support and resources.
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 833-943-5746 (833-9-HELP4Moms). Available 24/7/365, by call or text in English, Spanish, and other languages by request. National M...2023-02-021h 06
My Best Mom FriendLife After Miscarriage with Guest Morgan Martin | Healing Empty HandsTune in as I interview Morgan Martin for the launch of her first book: Healing Empty Hands available 1/31. Morgan shares her experience of pregnancy after a loss, tips for women currently walking this path, how this experience questioned her faith, and more.
Morgan's book is available for pre-order here and available in hardback and paperback on 1/31.
You can connect with Morgan through Instagram and Facebook.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe AND remember to share it with your friends!
Follow me on Instagram for daily mom content @mybe...2023-01-3050 min
My Best Mom FriendGood Moms Have Scary, Intrusive Thoughts | Uncensored Postpartum Thoughts Your Mom Friends Don't Share With You!Tune in as I share some of the darkest thoughts moms experience throughout their postpartum journey.
Resources:
LifeVac choking rescue first aid device gives me so much peace of mind as a mom. Comes with an adult and pediatric mask. It is an Amazon bestseller - you can find it here.
A great place to jot down your thoughts is the Moments motherhood guided journal. You can find it here and use my code for 15% off: MYBESTMOMFRIEND15
Follow along over on Instagram for daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
---
Support this pod...2023-01-2443 min
My Best Mom FriendMarriage After Baby | NO, it's not just you & your partner's relationship that's rocky now!Ah, marriage after baby... what a fun time and transition going from partners in crime to partners in parenting. For many, it's a turbulent transition and one that isn't openly talked about.
Tune in as I share experiences from my marriage and experiences other moms have shared with me. On the My Best Mom Friend podcast, there is no holding back. I get into the nitty-gritty, real, raw moments that makeup motherhood. I'm not here to sugarcoat it for you.
If you enjoy this episode, please rate, review and share it with your friends.
...2023-01-1934 min
My Best Mom FriendMy Journey To Motherhood | Part 2In this episode, I dive deeper into my postpartum mental health struggles. I touch on things like mom guilt, intrusive thoughts, D-MER, ending my breastfeeding journey only a month in for my mental health, and so much more.
If you are currently in the dark trenches of postpartum, I urge you to please seek help. You can start by contacting Postpartum Support International to be connected with a support coordinator near you to assist you in finding resources in your zip code.
You can also find free virtual support groups here.
Follow along on...2023-01-1727 min
My Best Mom FriendMy Journey To Motherhood | Part 1Tune in to hear about my motherhood journey, from a COVID pregnancy to getting sucker-punched in the face with postpartum depression.
Follow along on Instagram for daily real, raw mom content @mybestmomfriend
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-01-1714 min
My Best Mom FriendTrailerWelcome to the My Best Mom Friend Podcast. I'm so happy you're here! Subscribe to be the first to tune in to all new episodes. Follow along over on Instagram for daily, real, raw motherhood content: @mybestmomfriend
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestmomfriend/support2023-01-1602 min