I Love My Baby, And...

Postpartum partnership problems (say that 10 times fast): we know them, we hate them, we don’t know what to do about them. Your connection to your partner and the other important people in your world can suffer after having a baby, and while it’s totally common and normal, that doesn’t make it any less distressing. On this week’s episode, Erin and Ruby tackle an unconventional (but very prevalent) theme for postpartum moms, as well as the age-old “I thought this would be 50/50” lie we were all told.So let’s dive in (again) to some of your submissions about what to do when the partnership you know and love looks a little different. Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Listen. The mother-in-law (MIL) drama has become this funny,  stereotypically negative relationship according to pop culture. But it’s the reality for a LOT of people; it’s a deeply complex relationship! Boundaries are so necessary and can feel SO hard to enforce.This week, Erin and Ruby break down various components of the MIL relationship, validate the crap out of your feelings around it, and talk about some tangible ways you can improve the situation for yourself.Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Mom Brain: sometimes it means you’re unable to string together your thoughts, and other times it means you’re stringing together 900 thoughts at 2 o’clock in the morning!In this week’s episode, Erin and Ruby are chatting about Instagram parenting courses (as discussed in this Glamour article) and how to determine what’s right for YOU. And the most important question we ask is: is this course something that’s right for you or have you been influenced?---- Our Mom Brain Musings (formerly Midnight Musings Minisodes) are a little bite-sized peak into what goes on when Erin and Ruby stop recording and start going off the rails. So whether you’re up in the middle of the night with your kids, or you’re driving around town trying to remember if you used conditioner or just doubled up on shampoo, these episodes are for you!Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

The concept of the default parent is loaded with emotion - for good reason! Parenthood *is* loaded with emotion. There’s generally an association with this term and being the parent who “does it all.” But is there truly a one-size-fits-all definition to the term “default parent?” (Hint: there isn’t! We add our own meaning to things like this!)  In the first installment of this 2-part episode, Erin and Ruby explore what it means to be the default parent, the societal expectations that influence the ways in which moms tend to experience this burnout more (hahahhahelp) and what can happen if you have a different definition for the term than your partner. Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

One of the most common things we hear both in our DMs and in the therapy room is that the pressure to “bounce back” to who you were before having feels like it’s hitting us from virtually every single corner of our lives. So we thought now might be a great time to re-visit this oldie-but-goodie episode from the vault. In this aptly titled episode, we dive into the pressures we feel, internally and externally, to achieve physical perfection, stay on top of all of our important relationships, and, while we’re at it, figure out this whole new identity thing! Enjoy!Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Have you ever paid close attention to the ways people respond to something you share that is pregnancy or motherhood-related? If not, after listening to this episode, you’re gonna. Because when you’re telling someone about the anxiety you have while your newborn is sleeping, it’s important to note that upwards of 0 people have been helped by hearing something to the effect of “just wait til they’re crawling!!!!” This is something most, if not all, new moms can relate to. We can all recall that one time someone told us something that was so unhinged and horrifying, it truly caught us off-guard. In this week’s episode, Erin and Ruby explore the ways in which people use toxic positivity (or is it just…toxic…?) when chatting with you about your pregnancy or postpartum experience. From sentences that start with the words “well, at least….” to comparing your lows to someone’s instagram highs, we’ll cover it all!Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

“Family planning” is kind of a weird term. It encompasses so many different aspects of, well, planning for your family. But is there really a clear definition? What if you’re the world’s worst planner?! What then?!?!For some, they have a very clear idea of what family planning looks like. For others, they thought they had a clear idea, but something happens along their journey in parenthood that totally changes things for them. There’s no right or wrong way to approach it, but it can feel l like every decision you make weighs a million pounds.On this week’s episode, Erin and Ruby touch on one aspect of family planning in particular: the decision to not have anymore children. And with this decision can come an onslaught of every single emotion out there - relief, resentment, sadness, guilt, grief…we’ve got ‘em covered!Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Did you find out the gender of your baby? Did you keep it a secret or tell everyone? Did you start planning accordingly? Ok, now we have a harder question for you: did you experience disappointment after you found out?This is a common experience among tons of new moms (and their partners), and just like everything else related to the postpartum experience, it’s layered, and requires a deep dive into the roots of these feelings. In this week’s episode, Ruby and Erin are going to start that deep dive for you and they tackle things like the origin of the mental load, what your/your partner’s relationships look like with your respective families, and, in the least cheesy and most validating way possible, what it means to “look on the bright side.” Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

You know how when you have a baby, the little things suddenly feel really big and overpowering? What was once easy now feels insurmountable. What used to not faze you now makes you feel like you need to call in a lot of reinforcement. As with most of the postpartum experience, this is all totally normal. In this week’s episode, Ruby and Erin break down what it means to feel overwhelmed as a new mom, how to call it out, and what to do about it, even if that means blaming your husband for all your problems!!!!(This episode references the awesome work of occupational therapists, and we highly recommend checking out Natalie Brunswick (IG: @highlysensitivefamily) for tips + tricks!)Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

If we know that “comparison is the thief of joy,” why the f&^% can’t we stop doing it?! You're struggling to accept that you aren't the mom you thought you'd be, you're consumed with your feelings about that, but you can't stop watching strangers on the internet do motherhood perfectly.** Dare we call it…a sick obsession? In this week’s episode, Erin and Ruby explore the impact that social media has on the postpartum experience (think: momfluencers), the toll it takes on your relationship with your partner, & the way it alters your relationship with yourself. BONUS: this episode formally gives you permission to unfollow any social media accounts that make you feel like crap about yourself!!**this is absolutely not a thingLoving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

How many baby books have you read (or bought but left in your trunk)? How many instagram posts did you scroll through? How many conversations did you have with people in your village-before-they-were-your-village all about the changes that will happen in your life after having a baby? A dozen? A thousand?After having these conversations or reading these books or seeing these posts, did you truly believe it? Could you have imagined it?!In this week’s episode, Erin and Ruby take deep dive into all of the changes that happen post-baby - changes in relationships with friends, partners, and (the MOST important) your relationship with yourself. Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

The holidays are (almost?) here! And, let’s be honest, those come with a *little* bit of stress sometimes, especially when you’re navigating postpartum and establishing boundaries with family members. In this week’s episode of I Love My Baby, And…Erin and Ruby take on holiday stressors - from struggling with “bounce back” expectations to figuring out how to create new, meaningful traditions with your family without hurting anyone’s feelings. So grab your favorite Thanksgiving side dish and dive in to this juicy episode! Unless you’re Erin who hates Thanksgiving food/joy, apparently.Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Welcome back to the Midnight Musings Minisodes!The Midnight Musings Minisodes are a little bite-sized peak into what goes on when Erin and Ruby stop recording and start going off the rails. Sometimes you’re up in the middle of the night hanging out with your tiny human when you’d rather be getting your beauty rest. So why not get some laughs and hang out with us, too?!In this week's minisode, Erin unpacks her feelings about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce,  Ruby unpacks her feelings about the NFL, and they both postulate TSwift's PR moves.Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Have you ever found yourself consumed with all of the things your babies SHOULD or SHOULDN'T be doing by a certain age? Keeping up with everything is f***ing hard, and it can be extremely tempting to internalize everything and doubt your ability as a parent. But fear not! You aren't alone in this. In this week's episode,  we're diving into how to identify some of your triggers around your child's development (it's not a reflection of you, we promise), and how to delicately remind people that not everything is their business! Also - and this is the important part - we'll talk about the ways in which milestones have become conflated with "achievement." So buckle up and get ready to accept the fact that your baby's gonna crawl whenever the hell they want to!Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

If the title of this episode made you cringe, you aren’t alone. We are conditioned to believe that we can’t possibly hate being a mom when it’s the single greatest, most fulfilling joy of our lives. How could we even, for a moment, not love every second of this experience!?So, let’s take a step back and look at every other experience and identity in our lives. They are full of duality. How can motherhood be any different?On this week’s episode of I Love My Baby, And…Erin and Ruby dive head first into what it means to hold space for these dualities and (and this is the important part) remove the icky self-judgment associated with it! Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Welcome back to to the Midnight Musings Minisodes!The Midnight Musings Minisodes are a little bite-sized peak into what goes on when Erin and Ruby stop recording and start going off the rails. Sometimes you’re up in the middle of the night hanging out with your tiny human when you’d rather be getting your beauty rest. So why not get some laughs and hang out with us, too?!In this week's minisode, Erin and Ruby are prettttttty divided on the true crime podcast trend.Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Prior to having children, did you ever think you would feel lonely while CONSTANTLY being around/relied upon by your babies? This bizarre phenomenon can happen when you least expect it. And that's why we're here for you!On this week's episode, Erin and Ruby discuss what it means to feel lonely without ever having much time physically alone. From changed relationships with your parents to changed relationships with yourself, loneliness and early motherhood are familiar friends. But, as with all friendships in your life, boundaries are critical. Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

Welcome to the first Midnight Musings Minisode of I Love My Baby, And…! The Midnight Musings Minisodes are a little bite-sized peak into what goes on when Erin and Ruby stop recording and start going off the rails. Sometimes you’re up in the middle of the night hanging out with your tiny human when you’d rather be getting your beauty rest. So why not get some laughs and hang out with us, too?!In this week’s episode, Ruby is introduced to the world of the postpartum Reddit community.  Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

One of the most common things we’re told to do as a parent is plan ahead. And one of the absolute hardest things to do as a parent is…plan ahead… This rings *particularly* true for family planning. Preparing to add another baby to your family may not be as simple as you’d assumed - for roughly a zillion reasons. Whether it was a previous complicated and/or traumatic birth experience, or you’re having difficultly aligning with your partner on when might be the best time, the decision isn’t always so crystal clear!In this week’s episode of I Love My Baby, And…Erin and Ruby discuss the complexities and challenges that can arise when thinking about planning for another baby. Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources

The lack of sleep during the newborn stage is….jarring? Horrendous? Possibly criminal? And it doesn’t even matter how many baby books you read to prepare for it! Because nothing can prepare you for that level of sheer and utter exhaustion. So this week, Erin and Ruby are talking about the toll that all of these sleepless nights can have on you, your relationship, and the overall parenting experience. You have very little control over when and how your newborn (or you, for that matter) will sleep. But you do have control over how you manage your expectations during those early postpartum months. And we suggest you manage the hell out of them and give yourself a lot of grace right now (because you deserve it, that’s why!)Loving the show? We'd love your feedback! If you would like to submit a response to be aired on I Love My Baby, And...you can email Erin and Ruby here: ilovemybabyand@gmail.com *To note, all submissions read on air are kept confidential* You can find Erin here: www.erinlevincounseling.com @4th.Trimester.Wellness You can find Ruby here: 10K Counseling | Online Therapy in Colorado @RubyTalksRelationships If you are needing immediate postpartum support, please use the following Postpartum Support International resources: PSI Resources