This Is Parenting Podcast

In our last episode I chatted with Lisa Abramson about her experience with postpartum psychosis. This week we hear from her husband David.  He shares the changes he saw in Lisa, how hard it was to try and find help, and how easy it was to dismiss symptoms at the start by using sleep deprivation as an ongoing excuse. We also chat about what was different for them as a family as they prepared for their second child. David shares all the safeguards they had in place and the help they had lined up well before baby number two entered the world. 

Lisa Abramson is a mom of two girls living in California with her husband. In the middle of deciding to start a family Lisa decided to quit her job as a marketing executive and start her own company. She thought she would have time to establish her new career path before having a baby but it turns out that she became pregnant very quickly. That added a layer of pressure for her to establish herself in her new business and having newborn made it infinitely harder.  She struggled with the evolution of her identity as a mom. She was used to being successful and accomplished in her day to day work and suddenly she became a mom where her days were not all successful. It took a toll on her mentally.  She was sleep deprived and stressed and it all led up to a medical emergency.  Lisa experienced postpartum psychosis. It’s rare, happening to 1 in a 1,000 moms. Lisa lost touch with reality, believing that snipers were surrounding her home, trying to arrest her. It felt so real to Lisa, even if at times she could tell something was off. This episode left her in the psychiatric ward for treatment. Lisa shares her story, where she feels the postpartum system failed her, and how this experience has impacted the future decision of having a second child. 

Joe is a dad of two living in Texas and is a host of his own show about parenting called the Dtalks podcast. I really enjoyed having Joe on the show because he brought some really interesting perspectives and topics up that I think you are going to love. He shares about how he’s always wanted to be a dad, even having names picked out for his future kids when he was in high school. With all that enthusiasm, Joe looked for parenting resources to help him prepare for baby number one. But found that almost everything was geared towards moms or played into the bumbling idiot dad trope.  So he started his own show to tackle the issues dads were coming to him with. We talk about a few of those issues in todays episode like how to effectively communicate with your partner, Joe’s unique concern about social media, and his favorite piece of advice to give to new dads. A big thank you to Joe for coming on the show. I’ve linked up his podcast in the show notes at This Is Parenting Podcast .com but be sure to search DTalks podcast on your favorite player.

Today on the podcast I’m joined by Sascha Mayer, CEO and co-founder of Mamava and mom to two teenagers. In this episode we talk about the challenges and benefits of growing and running a company while raising kids, her preference to the pre teen and teen years over the toddler years, and the lessons her kids are learning by watching her chase her passion. Sascha likes to joke that Mamava was an overnight success that took ten years and we chat about how to get started in pursuing your dreams.  Check out all the good Mamava is doing for breastfeeding moms at www.mamava.com.

In this episode I wanted to tackle the headline making story that shook me and so many women last week-abortion rights are under attack with states like Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Ohio passing legislation that bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks. And Alabama took it a step further by making it illegal to perform an abortion. A crime punishable with up to 99 years in prison.  If you are thinking that all of this seems sudden and unexpected, you’re not alone. And if you are wondering how these states can pass legislation that is in direct defiance to the Supreme Court decision of Roe vs Wade in 1973 that states a woman has the right to choose up until a fetus becomes viable (typically between 23 and 24 weeks)-well, it turns out that this all a part of a bigger plan. I brought back to the podcast my friend Erin Heger to talk about these recent bills and how this could impact women, mothers, and the US as a whole. Erin worked for Planned Parenthood on the public policy side of the organization in Missouri and also writes about reproductive rights, so as I watched these bills being voted on I knew I needed to get Erin on the line to get her view point.  This topic is more nuanced than I even initially understood and we’ll dive in to the history of abortion in politics, the Roe vs Wade decision, and what the future holds. 

Julietta Skoog lives in Seattle, Washington. She is a school psychologist and counselor and the cofounder of Sproutable. She has three kids age 10, 7 and 2. With her professional experience in working with kids, Julietta was confident she was ready to be a mom herself. She admits that it certainly got complicated fast once she found out she was pregnant. Julietta shares that after having a miscarriage she innately understood how little control she had over so much in motherhood. And although she was grateful to become pregnant again, the pregnancy itself was very difficult. Add to that a very colicky baby and Julietta had a crash course into the reality of parenting.  She walks us through how she and her husband decided to go for baby number three (two’s not enough, three is too many!). And she dishes on the freedom that having a third child actually gave her.  Julietta also talks talks about the pros of being pregnant with older kids and how they were fascinated by the whole process and thought their mom was a superhero for growing a human!  And she even shares a tip from her own playbook where her family participates in weeks family meetings. She gives an overview of how they structure their meetings and how easy it is to get started.  Julietta references so many good books, blog posts, and videos and I’ve linked them all under episode 19 at www.thisisparentingpodcast.com

Alessandra Johnston is a teacher, wellness coach and host of the Simply Woke podcast who lives outside of Toronto with her blended family. She is mom to her 10 year old son from a previous marriage, a 17 year old step daughter, and 3 year old daughter with her current husband.  This is the third episode where I’m devoting most of our chat to discussing a mom’s journey through postpartum issues. Alessandra shares her postpartum story where she talks about how she started having intrusive thoughts about her baby. She had anxiety about anything that could potentially bring harm to her child like knives, hot water, bridges but that evolved in to these scary vivid images of herself bringing harm to her child.  She was still finding joy, so she assumed she wasn’t depressed. At least not in the traditional sense, so she thought everything was fine.  She just happened to read a book that mentioned postpartum OCD and she realized it was exactly what she was experiencing. Alessandra struggled through this by herself and she did not receive any screenings to help her realize she needed to seek help. Thankfully she knew what to expect the second time around and was more prepared by having the right team of professionals at her fingertips. She talks about using video conferencing tools with her doctor to address any issues that came up so she didn’t have to travel as much with a new baby. Check out episode 15 and 17 for more chats like this one. 

Kristina Frost is a new mom who lives in San Francisco with her five month old daughter and husband. Kristina and I chat just a few weeks before she is due to head back to work at Twitter as she nears the end of her maternity leave. Kristina shares that she was more cognizant of the possibility of experiencing postpartum depression since she already suffers from premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a much more severe version of PMS. But even though she was prepared, when symptoms of postpartum depression began, she was reassured by those around her that it wasn’t depression. So she put off getting help until the negative and dark thoughts she was having became overwhelming. Kristina also talks about how this experience brought some insight into decisions her own mother made when Kristina was young. This is the second postpartum focused episode I’ve recorded, though most of my guests have touched on their own experience with PPD. But check out episode 15 with Laura Courrau for more on this topic. Head to this is parentingpodcast.com for more info on these episodes.

Episode 16 of the This Is Parenting Podcast features Ali Levine. Ali is a celebrity stylist, fashion expert, TV personality- you may have caught her on Bravo’s show Stripped, and she’s a mom to a sweet little one year old girl. Ali reached out and wanted to come on the show to chat because after having one year of motherhood under her belt she realized how little the REAL and MESSY side of motherhood is shared publicly. She shares that she wasn’t exactly on board with the idea of having kids but embraced her pregnancy and actually loved it. Until she went in to labor that is. Ali shares how her birth plan pretty much imploded from the start with an incredibly long and difficult labor that ended in a c-section. Like so many moms Ali struggled with breastfeeding. She felt like she continually failed time and time again but didn't want to give up. And her perserverance paid off and mom and baby finally found their groove.  She also talks about her postpartum depression. She felt that many things attributed to her anxiety and issues. One of those things was her admission to staying on social media too long. She fell in to that trap of comparing herself to others which led to a lot of negative thoughts about herself as a mom. Ali also went into this phase of life with a lot of ideals that unfortunately couldn't pan out due to circumstances outside of her control. But to Ali, it felt like so many 'no's' and not enough 'yes's' were coming her way. If she couldn't even get off on the right foot, how was she supposed to figure out anything else? It all came to a point where her friends, family and husband knew something was wrong and they urged her to seek help. She shares how having access to therapy and the right kind of support system helped her get back on track. Lots of realness in this one so buckle up!

Today’s episode is an important one to me because the main focus is around one mother’s journey through postpartum anxiety. Statistics around postpartum mood disorders vary because frankly we do a shit job of screening for it. Symptoms can vary widely from one mother to another and so many cases go completely undiagnosed.  Some stats say upwards of 20% of moms have battled some type of postpartum mood disorder, but I believe, even anecdotally, that that number is too low.  If you go back and listen to all my guests up to this point, most of them mention that they endured some level of postpartum mood disorder. I’m personally passionate about it because I myself experienced issues with my first child. I talk about it in episode 3 and how I felt completely disconnected emotionally from my child.  So I put out a call to my fellow moms who would be willing to share their experiences with postpartum anxiety, depression, psychosis, baby blues…all of it. In hopes of shining a light on a problem that needs proper attention. I first sit down with Laura Courrau. She is an operations director for a company that does in-home autism therapy for kids diagnosed within the spectrum of ASD. She has a two year old daughter and she really opens up about her start to being a mom and how anxiety overcame her during the first year. We talk about how sleep deprivation may have played a role, her attempt to seek professional help, and how it felt to go back to work in a startup space filled with young males, none of which had kids of their own.  This is the first of five interviews I will be sharing that focuses specifically on postpartum mood disorders so a big thank you to Laura and the other guests I will have on who speak so candidly about their experiences. 

In a first for the podcast I have not one, not two but three guests stopping in. Today I’m talking to the ladies behind the Pickup Line Media newsletter, a daily email that rounds up everything happening in the news, entertainment, parenting and lifestyle and delivers it to your inbox right when you are wasting time in the pick up line at school. Beth Kneebone, Patty Smith and Heather McBride have a lot of parenting knowledge to share between them and we touch on so many topics in this episode. As work at home moms, the ladies share their experience with trying to make it through the day and meeting the sometimes high expectations of their partners who aren’t there seeing the nitty gritty of it all.  They also share how their parenting tactics differ from how they THOUGHT they would approach parenting prior to having kids. Some pretty big laughs during that segment. How naive we all are at the beginning of this journey. They also restore my faith in all of parenting humanity as they share the most clicked through stories in their newsletter. This is a fun one, there’s definitely something to learn from these three so stay tuned!

I'm no longer a first time mom and I'm inching out of the first haze-filled days and years of motherhood. So my parenting surprises are coming less frequently. But when they do, they come at me with more intensity. I never even considered how having my child learn to read would impact me. Why would I? I just assumed it would be a happy milestone we would celebrate. But it's made me reflect much more than I anticipated. I'm sure others have felt this, and maybe sharing this story will help them feel heard. In this short In My Experience episode, I share why I'm feeling sad an anxious about hitting this milestone.  

Today’s guest is Erica St. Louis, a mom to a young son who is passionate about about bringing the tribe mentality back to motherhood. Erica felt a lack of community herself as she ventured through her first year of motherhood and that inspired her to reexamine the way we interact with one another as parents.  We also chat about how motherhood is a long process of letting go. And how letting go of the things you felt were once so important can give you a sense of freedom as you grow into motherhood.  Erykah’s pregnancy was a bit of a surprise for her and although she knew she wanted to have kids someday and had talked to her future husband about it, she admits that she wasn’t exactly ready when it happened. We talk about her transition into motherhood and some of the unexpected outcomes that came with it.

Today I’m chatting with Olivia Howell about parenting with a partner that had a completely different upbringing than her, embracing a mom support system that exists mostly online, and how she navigates technology in her home, you know…the dreaded screen time decision. Olivia is a New Yorker who is married to a non New Yorker and has two boys age  5.5 and 2.5. She’s a social media manager who works from home and so we chat about the challenges that brings both from inside and outside the home. Head to ThisIsParentingPodcast.com for show notes and more info on this episode. 

How do we curb mom guilt and actually HELP parents navigate this journey? I am chatting with Susan Padron today, a personal stylist who lives in New Jersey with her husband and young son. We talk about how we can share our experiences with motherhood with a no-strings-attached kind of delivery in hopes of cutting down the mom guilt. Susan also shares how she was expecting to have a sassy little girl as a for of parenting karma for being a difficult kid herself. She thought she was off the hook when her son was born, but that wasn't quite the case as Susan explains in this episode. She also talks about how surprised she was in her own parenting skills as she's learned to use humor to bring out her best self. We also touch on how parenting groups can mean well but end up being toxic and having mom guilt is normal but can be made worse through all the advice we hear. This even includes the advice from those we look to most: Family.  Follow Susan Padron on Instagram @susanpadron_stylist

Terri Fry was born in Pakistan and lived there until she was ten. She now lives in Canada and is married with two boys age 5 and 3. She is Pakistani and a Muslim and her husband is German-Scottish and a Catholic.  We talk about the challenges she's faced while parenting in a multi-cultural home with two different religions, the pressures she feels from her family to raise her kids more traditionally, and the battles she takes on to stick to what she feels is best for her family. Terri also talks about how her two boys are so different which means she parents them very differently to meet their individual needs. She gives advice on how we can curb mom judgement and she also discusses her thoughts on we, as parents, can be more open about the challenges we face day in and day out. We hit on so many topics in this chat and Terri shares more of her thoughts on motherhood on her own podcast Mom Like That. Catch her there or on Instagram. 

This is the first in a three part series where I chat with Amanda Dennin throughout her first year of becoming a mom.  Amanda and I are friends from college so I am so happy to be able to capture these moments throughout this first year. I think it will be interesting to see her perspectives at each check in point. This first episode is all about the pregnancy. Part two will find Amanda at the six month mark of motherhood and part three will be at the one year mark.  In this episode Amanda is nearing the end of her pregnancy so we chat about how she found out she was pregnant (and how her mom claimed she already knew the sex of the baby!), whether she enjoyed being pregnant, and how she imagines labor and delivery will go and whether her partner can hang for the nitty gritty (she thinks he can!). We also chat about how she is trying to find a balance with the pregnancy, her photography business, becoming a certified yoga instructor and have a full time job. She's busy! Tune in for part two and three as we see Amanda tackle motherhood.   

In this episode I'm joined by Tara Wood. You've probably seen her or her kids online at some point because she's had a few viral moments in her parenting journey. And I've been a fan of her writing since I first became a mom. I adore the way she parents with reality and honesty. Oh, and did I mention that she has seven kids? Yeah, she is a wealth of knowledge so I was thrilled to have her join me. We chat about how to be ok when we screw up as moms, how she handles cursing in her home, how her parenting methods and tactics have changed over the years, and what clicked with her when she turned 40. With kids ranging in age from 3-17 she has seen it all, so do yourself a favor and listen up!

In this episode of This Is Parenting Podcast I am joined by Ruthy Kirwan. Ruthy sits down to chat about the struggles of parenting in a tiny NY apartment, her husband keeping odd work hours, and her experience with post partum depression. Ruthy also shares a unique aspect about her parenting with her husband and his family being from Ireland. They've been through the Green Card process which gives her a unique view of parenting through that as well as having no family members nearby. They've had to navigate the international boundaries often and that adds an interesting level in her parenting. And she talks about whether there are any cultural differences between her and her husband in terms of how they parent their kids. We connect on how our time as a person is suddenly no longer ours to control when kids are involved. How can we create space for ourselves as moms, as a wife, as a friend, etc.? How can we better communicate that to others in our circle? She shares her current joys of parenting including seeing the personalities of her kids start to develop and hearing her youngest start to talk for the first time. Ruthy has combines her passion with cooking and helping busy moms with her site Percolate Kitchenand she recently release a new Amazon best selling cookbook The Healthy Sheet Pan Cookbook. I've tried these recipes and they save me so much time in the kitchen AND they are yummy.

This episode of In My Experience is all about my potty training journey. It's full of ups and downs. Accidents and triumphs. And I get real about the struggles I'm still dealing with in my youngest.