Newbies: New Moms, New Babies

Newbies host Kaile Garcia talks with certified health coach and author Britt Olson about how family dynamics change after having a baby, especially with two children 18 months apart. Britt shares moving from Florida to Georgia at eight months pregnant, laboring 33 hours, and experiencing postpartum isolation and later severe postpartum anxiety and depression with intrusive thoughts and panic attacks; she felt significant improvement after weaning. She describes the stress on her marriage when far from family, dividing nighttime duties by child, and the challenges of planned grandparent visits, unmet expectations, and boundary-setting when boundaries weren’t respected, including examples around gifts and family trips. Britt emphasizes that hard phases and relationships can improve over time and offers nervous system calming techniques: grounding outdoors using the five senses and somatic shaking to discharge stress. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more information giveaways and more. Our handle is ⁠⁠⁠⁠@NewMommyMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠! You get behind the scene clips, blog posts, videos and the episodes a week early and ad free! Complete our survey and enter to win a $50 gift card: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Kaile Garcia introduces a Newbies episode on becoming a mother while a husband or partner serves in the military, focusing on solo parenting during long deployments, minimal contact, and limited nearby family. Expert guest Shelby Bateman, the 2026 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year, shares her family’s experience with two young children, having her first during COVID while stationed far from family, and parenting through a MEU deployment that extended from six to nine months. They discuss the challenges of staying connected to an absent parent, reintegration when a service member returns, and feeling unprepared for military motherhood. Shelby emphasizes building community, getting involved, and “being a villager,” and highlights resources such as WIC, MCCS, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society programs, and base libraries. She also explains the Military Spouse of the Year program, her upcoming activities, and where to connect with her on social media. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more information giveaways and more. Our handle is ⁠⁠⁠⁠@NewMommyMedia⁠⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠! You get behind the scene clips, blog posts, videos and the episodes a week early and ad free! Complete our survey and enter to win a $50 gift card: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Kaile Garcia welcomes expert mama Aisha Owens to discuss postpartum workouts with a focus on hitting protein goals during the fourth trimester and beyond. Aisha shares her transition from vegan to pescatarian after pregnancy cravings, her difficult postpartum period with anxiety, and how returning to movement supported her mental health with encouragement from her husband. They discuss practical protein guidance (aiming for at least half of body weight in grams), the high calorie burn of nursing, and simple high-protein foods and meal-prep ideas including protein smoothies, Greek yogurt with granola, beans and rice, ground turkey or beef with peppers, and bean-based pasta like BRAMI. For movement, Aisha recommends starting with walking and babywearing exercises such as squats and calf raises, building up over 4–6 months. She advises finding mom support, choosing quick grab-and-go nutrition, and using social media positively for connection and motivation. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more information giveaways and more. Our handle is ⁠⁠⁠@NewMommyMedia⁠⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠! You get behind the scene clips, blog posts, videos and the episodes a week early and ad free! Complete our survey and enter to win a $50 gift card: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Kaile Garcia welcomes Elad Erdan, CEO of Babysense, to discuss how overwhelmed new parents can feel choosing baby gear and how to pick the right baby monitor. Erdan shares how monitoring became crucial when moving babies to their own room and how a good monitor provides reassurance, better rest, and improved family functioning. He explains BabySense’s safety-driven origins in the 1990s amid tragic crib incidents and notes concerns in modern baby tech such as unnecessary alerts, complex data, and privacy. He recommends three key questions: whether the monitor works reliably at 3 a.m., whether it offers actionable clarity instead of noise, and whether to choose non-Wi-Fi direct connection versus Wi-Fi app access depending on caregivers. He outlines three monitor categories—breathing/motion, local non-Wi-Fi video, and Wi-Fi smart monitors—plus recent advances like HD video, split-screen, multi-camera setups, non-contact sensors, and added features like climate sensors, night lights, and lullabies. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more information giveaways and more. Our handle is ⁠⁠@NewMommyMedia⁠⁠ and follow us on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠! You get behind the scene clips, blog posts, videos and the episodes a week early and ad free! Complete our survey and enter to win a $50 gift card: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newbies host Kaile Garcia discusses sleep tips for new mothers with Carissa Gustafson a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal mental health. Gustafson shares her own experiences with gestational diabetes, a traumatic first birth involving breech presentation and nuchal cord, and subsequent pregnancy losses before having her second child. The conversation emphasizes sleep as a key factor in postpartum mood regulation, including the importance of “anchor sleep” (about four consecutive hours), creating a sleep plan for mom, and building support through partners, family, night help, or shifts especially when breastfeeding. They cover how anxiety, hypervigilance, and doom scrolling can prevent sleep, when to seek therapy or medication, and practical routines like an hour-long wind-down, avoiding screens, meditation/body scans, journaling, gentle movement, reading, and magnesium lotion. Gustafson offers a free postpartum guide, an online ACT-based course (Reclaim Your Life After Birth), and individual therapy for California residents. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram for more information giveaways and more. Our handle is ⁠@NewMommyMedia⁠ and follow us on ⁠Patreon⁠! You get behind the scene clips, blog posts, videos and the episodes a week early and ad free! Complete our survey and enter to win a $50 gift card: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8GTTR3 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices