Since I Became a Mother

Episode Summary Baby sleep can quickly take over your entire mental load. In this episode, Taylor talks with pediatric sleep specialist Ella Grace Hanover about infant sleep, night wakings, sleep training, contact naps, feeding to sleep, and what's actually normal. They also discuss how sleep deprivation affects mothers, when sleep becomes unsustainable for a family, and how to make changes without feeling like you're failing your baby. This episode definitely leans into sleep training, so if that's not your vibe, skip this one! In This Episode * What normal infant sleep looks like * Why babies wake at night * When sleep becomes unsustainable * What sleep training really means * Crying, attachment & sleep-training guilt * Feeding to sleep & contact naps * Sleep deprivation & maternal mental health * The mental load of wake windows and schedules This Week's Guest Ella Grace Hanover is a NYC-based pediatric sleep specialist, certified sleep consultant, postpartum doula, newborn care specialist, and integrative feeding and lactation specialist. She is the founder of Ella Grace Sleep Solutions. Website: https://www.ellagracesleepsolutions.com/ [https://www.ellagracesleepsolutions.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellagracesleepsolutions/ Resources Mentioned * Precious Little Sleep: The Complete Baby Sleep Guide for Modern Parents by Alexis Dubief * Hiscock H, Wake M. Randomised controlled trial of behavioural infant sleep intervention to improve infant sleep and maternal mood. BMJ. 2002. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.324.7345.1062 * Hall WA, Hutton E, Brant RF, et al. A randomized controlled trial of an intervention for infants' behavioral sleep problems. BMC Pediatrics. 2015. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-015-0492-7 * Park J, Kim SY, Lee K, et al. Effectiveness of behavioral sleep interventions on children's and mothers' sleep quality and maternal depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports. 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07762-8 Connect With Taylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorraeroman/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorraeroman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorRaeRoman ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/taylorraeroman Amazon Storefront: https://a.co/d/0cNsmkdY Join the Community STRONG (As a Mother) Run Club: https://taylorraeroman.com/run-club Work With Taylor Partnerships, speaking & inquiries: https://taylorraeroman.com [https://taylorraeroman.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Disclaimer The information shared on Since I Became a Mother is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical, mental health, or other professional advice. Always consult your own qualified healthcare provider about questions related to you or your child. Credits Host: Taylor Rae Roman Podcast: Since I Became a Mother Artwork: WK Creative Studio Photography: Ambe J. Williams © 2026 Since I Became a Mother. All rights reserved.

Episode Summary Newborns are weird — they grunt, strain, spit up, cry for seemingly no reason, and somehow make every new parent wonder: "Is this normal?" In this episode of Since I Became a Mother, Taylor sits down with triple board-certified pediatrician Dr. Nilay Donmez to talk through the newborn behaviors that worry parents most. They discuss crying, gas, reflux, witching hour, feeding, hydration, and how to tell the difference between normal newborn behavior and something that actually needs medical attention. In This Episode * What normal newborn behavior actually looks like * Why babies cry and what witching hour really is * Gas, grunting, straining, and digestive discomfort * Infant reflux and when it becomes a concern * How to know when to call the pediatrician * Newborn red flags parents should never ignore * How to manage the anxiety of constantly wondering whether something is wrong Guest Dr. Nilay Donmez is a triple board-certified pediatrician in general pediatrics, pediatric nephrology, and obesity medicine and the founder of First Steps Pediatrics in Tribeca. Her practice focuses on personalized, relationship-based pediatric care, with a particular emphasis on newborns, early childhood, prevention, and the first 1,000 days of a child's life. She also shares practical pediatric education with parents through her @doctorforkids platform. Website: https://www.firststepspediatricsnyc.com/ [https://www.firststepspediatricsnyc.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorforkids/ Resources Mentioned * What to Expect the First Year by Heidi Murkoff * Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year by Scott W. Cohen, MD Connect With Taylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorraeroman/ TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorraeroman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorRaeRoman ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/taylorraeroman Amazon Storefront: https://a.co/d/0cNsmkdY Join the Community STRONG (As a Mother) Run Club: https://taylorraeroman.com/run-club Work With Taylor Partnerships, speaking & inquiries: https://taylorraeroman.com [https://taylorraeroman.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Disclaimer The information shared on Since I Became a Mother is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical, mental health, or other professional advice. Always consult your own qualified healthcare provider about questions related to you or your child. Credits Host: Taylor Rae Roman Podcast: Since I Became a Mother Artwork: WK Creative Studio Photography: Ambe J. Williams © 2026 Since I Became a Mother. All rights reserved.

Episode Summary Breastfeeding is often called "natural," but that doesn't mean it's simple. Taylor sits down with Dr. Linda Dahl, board-certified ENT and breastfeeding medicine expert, to explain what is actually happening biologically and mechanically when a baby breastfeeds. They discuss milk supply, latch and milk transfer, tongue ties, lactation support, and why breastfeeding works best when mother and baby are understood as a team. They also explore the mental-health toll of difficult breastfeeding and why new moms deserve better education, clearer answers, and less shame. In This Episode * How breastfeeding actually works * Milk supply and milk transfer * The mother-baby dyad * Latch and oral mechanics * Tongue ties and feeding * The role of lactation consultants * Why breastfeeding advice can conflict * The mental-health toll of difficult feeding * What Dr. Dahl wishes every new mom knew Guest Dr. Linda Dahl is a board-certified otolaryngologist and head-and-neck surgeon specializing in breastfeeding and infant feeding. She is the author of Better Breastfeeding and Clinician's Guide to Breastfeeding, and her work focuses on anatomy, physiology, milk supply, oral mechanics, and the mother-baby feeding relationship. Website: https://www.drlindadahl.com/ [https://www.drlindadahl.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Better Breastfeeding: https://www.betterbreastfeeding.com/ [https://www.betterbreastfeeding.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctorlindadahl/?hl=en Resources Mentioned * Better Breastfeeding: A Doctor's Guide to Nursing Without Pain and Frustration * Clinician's Guide to Breastfeeding: Evidence-Based Evaluation and Management Connect With Taylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorraeroman/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorraeroman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorRaeRoman ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/taylorraeroman Amazon Storefront: https://a.co/d/0cNsmkdY Join the Community STRONG (As a Mother) Run Club: https://taylorraeroman.com/run-club Work With Taylor Partnerships, speaking & inquiries: https://taylorraeroman.com [https://taylorraeroman.com/] Disclaimer The information shared on Since I Became a Mother is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical, mental health, or other professional advice. Always consult your own qualified healthcare provider about questions related to you or your child. Credits Host: Taylor Rae Roman Podcast: Since I Became a Mother Artwork: WK Creative Studio Photography: Ambe J. Williams © 2026 Since I Became a Mother. All rights reserved.

Episode Summary Becoming a mother changed more than I ever expected. I spent so much time preparing for pregnancy, birth, and bringing home a baby—but I wasn't prepared for how profoundly motherhood would change me. In the first full episode of Since I Became a Mother, I'm sharing my own story: who I was before motherhood, my birth experience, the difficult early postpartum months, postpartum depression and anxiety, severe sleep deprivation, exclusively breastfeeding, and the feeling that somewhere along the way I had lost parts of the person I used to be. I also share why I created this podcast, why Season 1 focuses so heavily on the first year of motherhood, and why every conversation this season comes from something I found myself searching for when I was a new mom. This isn't a story about getting back to who I was before—it's about figuring out who I'm becoming now. In This Episode * Who I was before becoming a mother * My birth story and the moment motherhood became real * What the earliest postpartum months actually felt like for me * My experience with postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety * Sleep deprivation and the mental toll of being constantly "on" * Exclusively breastfeeding and how consuming feeding can become * Loving my baby deeply while still struggling * Losing parts of my identity after becoming a mother * How motherhood changed my body, relationships, work, ambition, and priorities * Why "getting back to myself" stopped feeling like the goal * What I spent my first year searching for and why I created this podcast * Why Season 1 focuses especially on the first year of motherhood * What I hope Since I Became a Mother gives other moms Connect With Taylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorraeroman/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorraeroman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorRaeRoman ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/taylorraeroman Amazon Storefront: https://a.co/d/0cNsmkdY Join the Community STRONG (As a Mother) Run Club: https://taylorraeroman.com/run-club Work With Taylor Partnerships, speaking & inquiries: https://taylorraeroman.com [https://taylorraeroman.com/] Disclaimer The information shared on Since I Became a Mother is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical, mental health, or other professional advice. Always consult your own qualified healthcare provider about questions related to you or your child. Credits Host: Taylor Rae Roman Podcast: Since I Became a Mother Artwork: WK Creative Studio Photography: Ambe J. Williams © 2026 Since I Became a Mother. All rights reserved.

Episode Summary Since I Became a Mother is a podcast about the things motherhood changes, the things no one warns you about, and where we figure out who we are becoming together. In this trailer, host Taylor Rae Roman shares why she created the show, how becoming a mother transformed the way she sees herself and the world around her, and why Season 1 focuses especially on the vulnerable first year of motherhood. Through solo episodes and conversations with experts and other mothers, Since I Became a Mother will explore breastfeeding, baby sleep, postpartum recovery, maternal mental health, relationships, friendship, work, identity, and the complicated process of becoming someone new after becoming a mother. New episodes every Tuesday. In This Episode * Why Taylor created Since I Became a Mother * The identity shift that can happen after becoming a mother * Why the first year of motherhood is at the heart of Season 1 * The conversations and experts coming this season * Creating a space for honest, practical conversations about motherhood Connect With Taylor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylorraeroman/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taylorraeroman YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorRaeRoman ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/taylorraeroman Amazon Storefront: https://a.co/d/0cNsmkdY Join the Community STRONG (As a Mother) Run Club: https://taylorraeroman.com/run-club Work With Taylor Partnerships, speaking & inquiries: https://taylorraeroman.com [https://taylorraeroman.com/] Disclaimer The information shared on Since I Became a Mother is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical, mental health, or other professional advice. Always consult your own qualified healthcare provider about questions related to you or your child. Credits Host: Taylor Rae Roman Podcast: Since I Became a Mother Artwork: WK Creative Studio Photography: Ambe J. Williams © 2026 Since I Became a Mother. All rights reserved.