Shows
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionFrom Baby Oil to Biopsies: Our Wake-Up Call on Skin HealthToday we’re diving deep into skin health and cancer — not as experts, but through sharing experiences we’d like to help you avoid.In this episode we talk:How baby oil and iodine once were Jan’s “sunscreen” (yes, really) and how that misguided vibe still haunts her skin todayJan’s personal skin‑cancer story: from a spot that wouldn’t heal on her forehead to multiple cuts, stitches and scalp scaresWhat MOHS surgery is and how it changed how Jan sees—and wears—her skinThe emotional landscape of having cancer (even non‑melanoma) and living wit...
2025-11-1332 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionBreaking the Shame Around Anxiety with Susan KayIn this episode, we’re talking with Susan Kay, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with over 40 years of experience treating anxiety, panic, and mood disorders.Susan opens up about her own lifelong journey with anxiety—from childhood panic attacks to the hard-won wisdom that comes from facing fear head-on. Together, we explore:Why anxiety often begins early and hides behind shameThe connection between fear, the nervous system, and avoidanceHow to stop letting anxiety drive your decisionsThe power of small, brave steps and saying “bring it on”When medication, therapy, and community can all play a roleThe deep relief t...
2025-10-301h 00
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionAnxiety Isn’t Just in Your Head, It’s Also in Your BodyIn this episode, we’re going deep into a topic we wish someone had warned us about: anxiety.From panic attacks to lump-in-the-throat discomfort and the reality of being “on edge” for decades—we’re talking about how trauma shapes the nervous system, and why healing isn’t just about mindset.Here’s what we cover:Patti’s real-life story of anxiety from childhood trauma to adult healingWhy “calming down” doesn’t cut it when your nervous system is on overdrivePanic, agoraphobia, and food-related anxietyTherapy approaches that helped (CBT, EMDR, ART, somatic work & more)Medication...
2025-10-1644 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionMenopause Is One Day. What Happens Before and After Matters More with Kathleen SachsWe’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: we need to talk about this stuff. This week, we sat down with the wonderfully wise and funny Kathleen Sachs, and wow—did she deliver.Here’s what we covered:How menopause is technically just one day—and what comes before and afterWhat our mothers never told us about hormones, hot flashes, and pelvic painKathleen’s no-holds-barred experience with perimenopause, UTIs, and HRTThe link between shame and silence—and how to start talking backWhat happens when you stand in your driveway holding a flaming pan (s...
2025-10-0254 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionWhen Your Uterus Drops and Your Vagina Tightens: A Menopause SagaThis one’s a whole journey, so buckle up (or maybe unbutton your jeans and get comfy). Jan’s sharing her deeply personal—and yes, wildly specific—story of life post-menopause. From tight pelvic floors to uteruses that drop like it’s hot, this episode dives into the truth about GSM (Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause) and why it’s more than just hot flashes.Here’s what we’re talking about:What GSM actually is and why it mattersJan’s battle with painful bladder symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunctionWhy some vaginas get too tight and others... not...
2025-09-1843 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionTeaching Teens What Their Parents Forgot to Mention with Dr. Tracy MeyerIn this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Tracy Meyer—a psychology professor, mom, and longtime educator who’s spent over 20 years teaching young adults about sexuality, development, and the things lots of mothers forgot to mention.We talk about the gaps in sex education, the myths still floating around, and how we can all do better—whether we’re raising kids or trying to understand our own bodies.Here’s what we cover:What many young adults still don’t understand about sex and anatomyThe surprising impact of using correct language for body parts early on...
2025-09-0443 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionBloomers, Boobs & Bodies: Coming of Age in All Its Awkward GloryThis episode is all about that wild ride known as coming of age. We dig into the physical changes, the unspoken questions, and the things that were forgotten to be mentioned.Here’s what we explore:Our first memories of starting our periodsWhat we were (and weren’t) told about our changing bodiesHow shame, silence, or support shaped those experiencesBras, pads, and navigating early body imageWhy creating open, shame-free conversations matters nowHow to show up for young people going through these transitions todayThis conversation is about more than just puberty. It’s about how we und...
2025-08-2142 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionThe Sex Talk We Never Got: Consent, Safety & Self-Worth with Kandy Christensen**Content warning: This episode mentions rape**On this episode, we’re joined by our guest, Kandy Christensen, who shares her powerful personal journey—from being raised to comply, to reclaiming her voice and agency after years of silence, confusion, and trauma.This conversation covers deeply personal and sometimes difficult ground, but we believe in naming it, talking about it, and healing out loud.What consent really means—and why it goes beyond “no means no”How silence, fear, and shame shaped our early sexual experiencesThe impact of growing up in a culture that rewar...
2025-08-0744 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionLet’s Talk About Sex, Baby!Content Warning: We mention Sexual Abuse in this episode.Today we're going there! We're talking sex, in all its confusing, complicated, hilarious, and healing glory.You’ll hear:How sexual trauma shaped Patti’s early experiences — and her journey toward healingWhy Jan’s first marriage was a sexual blurThe myth of orgasming through vaginal sex — only 18% of us doClitoral geography, tantra workshops, and pelvic floor PTHow shame and silence shaped our stories — and how open conversations are changing thatWhether you're just starting to explore your sexuality or have decades of experience — we’re here for the...
2025-07-2433 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionThe Real Rules of Healthy Relationships with Lisa Merlo-BoothThis one hits close to home. We brought in our dear friend and seasoned relationship coach, Lisa Merlo-Booth, to unpack the relationship lessons we didn’t get from our mothers (or Hollywood, for that matter).In this episode, we get real about:Growing up with dysfunctional templates and learning to spot red flagsWhy jealousy is not love—and neither is ordering for you at dinnerThe danger of falling for potential instead of realityHow self-worth gets tangled up in whether someone chooses youTips for spotting healthy dynamics (and yes, they do exist!)What makes a good therapist or c...
2025-07-1041 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionLearning Love the Hard Way: What We Wish We KnewThis episode’s all about the messy, magical reality of relationships—and how many of us entered them without a clue. We dive into our personal stories, the generational myths that shaped us, and what we’ve learned the hard way.Here’s what we cover:The relationship advice that was missedHow family dysfunction models our love templatesCodependency, love addiction, and breaking toxic patternsWhy being alone can be just as powerful as being partneredWhat accountability and emotional health really look like in loveWe get candid, we get deep—and we keep it real. Whether you’re sin...
2025-06-2629 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionEstrogen, Atrophy, & Awkward Conversations with Laura BlundoIn this week’s episode, we talk with the grounded and deeply wise Laura Blundo about her very real (and very relatable) journey through perimenopause, menopause, and all the bodily WTFs in between.We chat about:What it’s like when no one tells you about periods, sex, or menopauseThe emotional side of menopause—and yes, grief is a thingVaginal atrophy (it’s real, it’s painful, and it’s not just "in your head")The Mona Lisa Touch, radiofrequency treatments, and other (sometimes painful!) interventionsFinding the right doctor who takes menopause seriouslyHormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)—bioidentical...
2025-06-1238 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionNight Sweats, Vaginal Dryness, & Horse Urine: Welcome to PerimenopauseThis episode is all about perimenopause—when it starts, what it really feels like, and how to navigate the wild hormonal rollercoaster with your sanity (and friendships) intact.Here’s what we get into:Patti’s just entering the night sweats chat (literally)Jan’s been-there-done-that tale of hormonal hell and healingWhat your doctor probably won’t tell you about hormone therapy (and what a functional medicine doc will)Why bioidentical hormone replacement therapy changed Jan’s lifeThe good, the bad, and the itchy: vaginal dryness, mood swings, libido nosedives, and moreNatural, medical, and lifestyle options to support y...
2025-06-0527 min
Things My Mother Forgot to MentionThings My Mother Forgot to Mention: Real Talk on Aging, Womanhood & WTF MomentsWelcome! We’re Patti Meyer and Jan Bergstrom—and this is Things My Mother Forgot to Mention, the podcast where we talk about all the stuff no one warned us about.In our debut episode, we’re letting you peek behind the curtain as we:Introduce ourselves (spoiler: one of us is a tech nerd, the other a trauma therapist)Share the origin story of this podcast dream-turned-realityTalk about why we had to create a space for raw, unfiltered convos about womanhood, aging, and all the weirdness in betweenLaugh about encyclopedias, rogue chin hairs, and awkward librar...
2025-05-2812 min
Fairfield What Are You Reading?Episode 11: Our Favorite Books for 2021Join us as we celebrate 2021 and all the great reads from this past year - what books inspired, informed, and made us smile this year.
https://fairfieldpubliclibrary.org/learning-and-research/find-a-good-book/
Linda Quinn, Adult Services:
Billy Summers by Stephen King
Lightning Strike: A Novel by William Kent Krueger
Jennifer Laseman, Head of Teen Services
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
Gilded by Marissa Meyer
Amy Peck, Head of Technical Services
Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change by Thor Hanson
A World o...
2021-12-2252 min