The Motherhood Metamorphosis

Dr. Mina and I dive into a conversation about skincare, aging, and our evolving beauty. She shares stories and struggles she's had in both a dermatologist and a mom of two and the ways she has come to accept herself. We talk about inner narratives and insecurities we have about motherhood, aging and beauty, social pressures, social media narratives, simplifying our skin care routines, and so much more!This episode is encouraging, refreshing,  as well as candid and practical. Follow Dr. Mina on IG hereBIO: Dr. Mary Alice Mina is a Harvard-trained double-board certified dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and leading expert on skin health and skincare. She is the host of THE SKIN REAL, a podcast for people looking for real skin care guidance, by true skin experts where she emphasizes a holistic and preventative approach to skin health and aesthetics. She is co-owner of Baucom & Mina Derm Surgery in Atlanta, Georgia where she treats patients with advanced surgical and cosmetic procedures to restore and maintain healthy skin. She is recognized for her artistic eye and surgical skills while helping people feel good in their skin! Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Kaitlyn and I both share stories about how we got pregnant while we were university students. Kaitlyn faced her pregnancy without the support of her partner, parents, or university. After having her baby and graduating from Auburn University, she helped co-found Baby Steps, an organization committed to helping student moms through pregnancy and parenting until they graduate from college. We discuss the ways women need to support women, demographics that are often overlooked, and the ways we can help young mothers thrive in unexpected circumstances. This is an empowering and inspiring episode--don't miss it! Find out more about Baby Steps here! BIO: Kaitlyn Willing graduated from Auburn University as a Student-Mom, passionate about changing the culture around unplanned pregnancies. She is currently the Director of National Operations for a nonprofit she helped build, called Baby Steps and is the host of their Podcast "Unplanned & Untold". Although Auburn will always be considered home, Kaitlyn and her husband currently live in Phoenix, Arizona with their 5 beautiful children.Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Alisha and I explore her narrative about separation, divorce, and co-parenting her two boys. She relates the hard and challenges things she’s experiences and also shares how she’s growing, changing and finding new ways of being herself in an unexpected story. This episode will encourage anyone who has gone through a big life transition and is now seeking new ways of being themselves and finding joy.  Follow Alisha’s writing on Substack here: alishameador.substack.comBIO: Alisha Meador is a divorced, single mom of 2 boys living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. She’s passionate about community, friendships and authenticity. When she’s not working her job in local government, you can find her either somewhere outdoors, playing darts, hanging with friends at a local restaurant, watching British television or planning her next adventure - preferably one that involves England. Or attempting to navigate the world of online dating (someone please help!)Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

BONUS EPISODE!In this solo episode, I talk about what being a cycle breaker means to me. Sometimes we break cycles from our own childhoods, or generational cycles of dysfunction. Sometime we break cycles that we have created in our own families too that are not working for us anymore or are causing harm. For me, cycle breaking is about our inner work not just providing a different path for our children. I want to break cycles of fear, shame, deprivation, dysfunction, and trauma. I want to provide paths of healing, wholeness, delight, health, and love. So how do we start? In this episode, I share 3 truths I've realized and 4 steps I've taken, along with specific stories, to help change the narrative for my kids and break toxic cycles. It’s not too late to say, “I’ve been doing things one way and I want to do things another way.” Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Lauren and I dive deep into all things menstruation! We challenge common narratives, attitudes and misconceptions, and provide alternative beliefs, attitudes and practices to help us embrace our periods, womb wisdom, and natural energy cycles as women. We focus on both the physical challenges of menstruation as well as the emotional challenges women can face, and how we can learn to speak more kindly to ourselves and practice holistic self-care. We also give practical examples about conversations we can have with our partners and children and how we can change the narratives concerning shame, secrecy, and dismissive attitudes about our periods so we can show up more honestly and authentically in our own bodies and lives. This episode is LIFE-CHANGING. Listen for yourself and then share it with your sister, BFFs, and tween and teen daughters. Download the Mindful Menstruation Worksheet here Use the discount code "MMP" to get this amazing resource for FREE!ABOUT LAUREN: Lauren Elise Rogers is a Certified Holistic Sexuality Educator and the owner of SEX ED FOR YOU where she provides comprehensive sexuality education. After a decade in maternal health, Lauren returned to school to obtain a certification in Holistic Sex Education with the Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment, whose program is approved by the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). Unlearning and expanding thought patterns can be challenging and vulnerable. By combining her decade of program development with her passion for transformative education, Lauren now specializes in creating containers that allow students to sit safely in discomfort while developing the tools necessary to support pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence.Find Lauren on IG hereSupport the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Tami Jacob graduated from Lynchburg College and takes great pride in being a first-generation college graduate in her family.  She then went on to receive her Masters in Community Counseling from Eastern Illinois University.  Following a decade raising her 3 daughters, Tami went to law school with a desire to serve. When Tami isn't working tirelessly for the betterment of children and families, you can often find her running alongside her loyal Australian Shepherd, sharing a good book with friends, or engaging in some friendly competition on the tennis court with her husband of 23 years.Tami narrates her story about her dreams of law school as a young woman in her 20s to motherhood, marriage and lifelong goals that keep pushing you to act. After 10 years of mothering 3 girls, she and her husband finally took the plunge into her pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer. Tami recounts her struggles, how she got stronger through the difficulties, her family's support, and how she found her passion in her current law career. This is a story that will encourage and inspire you to keep going in pursuing YOUR dreams! Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Julie K. Rhodes is an actor and author. In March of 2020, Julie was a healthy 30- something with a husband, two kids, a pug, and a professional acting career. A month later, she would be fighting an illness that her health team would come to believe was COVID-19. For the next year and a half, the virus would plague Julie with debilitating symptoms. She is the author of Chronic Grace: Prayers, Saints, and Thorns That Stay published in 2023.Julie narrates her health journey through long Covid, where she experienced debilitating chronic illness for 18 months. As a mother of 2 young children, this was a life-altering experience. She also relates how she had to come to a new sense of self and acceptance as she was no longer able to do the acting work she loved. Our conversation is honest and vulnerable as we discuss frantic striving for answers and quiet acceptance of reality, learning to hold on and let go, and leaning into story and faith to find strength and healing. Don't miss this beautiful conversation! Join Julie's newsletter here and receive a download to beautiful art!Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Kirstyn Wegner lives in rural Minnesota with her high school sweetheart husband and neurodivergent daughter, along with a bunch of feral cats, a revolving cast of foster children, and a pesky epilepsy diagnosis. She is a recovering pessimist who teaches high school English, collects old books, directs plays and musicals, loves rock concerts, travels as widely as time and budget will allow, and writes when she can find the time. Visit her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/thefrustratedepileptic and Instagram @finding.glitter.in.the.litter.Kirstyn narrates her unique journey to motherhood through foster care and adoption. We talk about the challenges of building love and relationships with children and their biological parents and how Kirstyn developed a special relationship with her daughter's birth mom. Kirstyn's story is heartfelt and encouraging, especially in learning to accept and love our children and families through unique and challenging circumstances.  Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Heather Creekmore writes and speaks hope to thousands of women each week, inspiring them to stop comparing and start living. The host of the internationally popular Compared to Who? podcast, she has been featured on Fox News, Huff Post, Morning Dose, Church Leaders, and For Every Mom, along with dozens of other shows and podcasts. She was a contestant on Nailed It, the hit Netflix bake fails show. Heather and her Marine-fighter-pilot-turned-pastor husband, Eric, have four children and live in Austin, Texas.Heather and I dive into the complex issue of body image as women. She shares how her  struggles began as a child, young woman and young mom and how she worked through the narratives of comparison and "never enough" when it comes to how you feel about your body. We talk about how diets and fads come and go and how the real issue lies at the heart, not on the number on the scale. Our conversation about our bodies, beauty, acceptance, and changing the narrative for ourselves and our children is powerful and encouraging. Don't miss this one!  Find Heather online hereSupport the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Kelly Cervantes is an award-winning writer, speaker, and advocate best known for her blog Inchstones and debut book, Normal Broken: The Grief Companion for When It’s Time to Heal But You’re Not Sure You Want To. She has been published in the Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune as well as featured on MSNBC, NY Times, and CNN. Born and raised in the Midwest, Kelly resides in Maplewood, NJ, with her husband, Miguel Cervantes, their children, and dogs, Tabasco and Sriracha.Kelly shares her story of mothering her daughter Adalaide. She was a career woman until her daughter's diagnosis with Infantile Spasms and her husband's demanding career collided. She shares how she grew to love being her daughter's advocate and care-giver and then the life-transition she was thrust into again when her daughter died at age 3. Kelly's book, Normal Broken, was born out of her love and grief for Adalaide and her honest reflections on healing when you're not sure you want to. She is a vulnerable, honest, and beautiful story-teller, possessing the strength to share her story of love and the ability to keep on living through grief. Find Kelly's blog hereOrder Normal Broken hereSupport the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Susie Maurer is a dreamer by spirit, a writer by instinct, and a big sister by habit. She currently lives in Colorado with her favorite people in the world. Susie and I reminisce about the challenges and surprising gifts we experienced while living overseas in England while parenting young children. We share the really tough stuff that made us cry and how we found inner strength to keep growing as women and moms. We also share our favorite things about living in a new culture, how we navigated schools systems, and the things we loved about living in England. Also, we share  how the DRIVING nearly did us in--and hilarious stories about how we thought we were going to die in a roundabout!My favorite part of our conversation is how we learned to navigate motherhood and growth while feeling completely out of our element and being brave in the face of cultural and personal challenges. Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Dr. Becky Clark serves as the Director of Student Support at a K-12 Christian School in Middle Tennessee. Additionally, she serves as an Assistant Professor for Liberty University Online and the Chair of the Williamson County Literacy Association (a local chapter of the Literacy Association of Tennessee). She is mom to three, 2 sons and one daughter. Our conversation in this episode focuses on Becky's daughter, Noel, who was diagnosed with leukemia when she was three years old. Becky recounts those difficult years of treatment and how battling cancer, now in remission, has continued to affect Noel's life today, at age 12. Becky shares the joys, anxieties, and heartache she experienced as a mom and how she and Noel have leaned into hope and healing through their faith and community. She and Noel now volunteer with Make a Wish, helping other children who are battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases to make their dreams come true. This episode is heartfelt, emotional, hopeful, tender, and is a beautiful arch of storytelling. Check out their local chapter of Make a Wish hereSupport the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Sarah lives in the east of England and is a home educating mother of 5 boys (aged 4-13, some neuro-spicy - their term) and a cat and a dog (who require less educating). She has a fairly useless, but fascinating, degree in Arabic, Art History and Archaeology, is rated (on average) an “adequate” cook by her children and is married to Tim, a pastor overseeing 8 churches in chocolate-box rural English villages. She would love to pursue further study in her rather niche area, but life is not making that possible right now.Even though Sarah and I have 9 boys between the two of us (and 10 children), this episode is not just for Boy Moms! At the heart of our conversation, we share what we thought motherhood would look like before we had kids, and then contrast our fantasies with reality.This episode is about acknowledging the grief of gender disappointment AND learning to embrace the children you have. Sarah is equally wise and hilarious (we laugh so much!). We both reveal the tender parts of our hearts as we discuss the difficulties and joys in embracing our unique motherhood journey--and our crazy, delightful boys! True confession: I've been trying to keep the episodes to 35 minutes but I got so excited to talk to Sarah that I forgot to set the timer. Enjoy the 4-5 minutes of out-takes at the end!! Support the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Caitlin Voebel is a 33 year old mom of 4. Her husband of nearly 14 years is Air Force and she spent all of her adulthood traveling and moving where the military sends them, creating life and connections in each place. While she has worked as a caregiver, dance instructor, and childcare provider, her real and true calling is to be home with her children.  She’s not a professional writer (yet) but after her mother’s passing she created @griefgraceandwaffles on Instagram as an outlet for processing grief, motherhood and things in between.Caitlin and I explore her unique journey of grief when her mom died unexpectedly at the age of 48 when Caitlin was 6 weeks postpartum with her 3rd child and living overseas. She shares how she's learning to show up as herself in her own grief and as a mom to her kids, how she discarded platitudes that people say to try and comfort, and how she's figuring out how to navigate grief on her own terms.Link to Caitlin's Shop: I know you're tired, but stay on fireSupport the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Dr. Mikala Albertson is a board-certified family practice doctor, author, and well-being advocate who is passionate about women’s health and healing in the middle of our messy, ordinary lives in the imperfect bodies we actually have.She’s the author the book Ordinary on Purpose and continues to inspire readers every day to stop striving for ‘perfect’ lives or some unattainable cultural ideal of ‘beauty and wellness’ and instead aim for wholehearted living through a gentle, achievable, sustainable approach.She and her husband of 22 years are raising five children near Salt Lake City, UT. Mikala and I launched into this conversation talking about transitions in motherhood, specifically the transition we can go through if we've been a Stay at Home Mom when our youngest child enters school and we wonder, "what am I going to do with my life now?" She talks about the internal struggles she experienced in choosing to follow her passions (as well as the privileged involved in having a choice), and how if we are listening to our hearts, we often know the direction we want to go in when we are wanting a life change.  I hope you enjoy and are encouraged by this beautiful, contemplative, life-giving conversation! Find Mikala at ordinaryonpurpose.com IG: @bewell.ish @ordinaryonpurpose  Baker Books: Ordinary on Purpose New book coming in September: Everything I wish I could tell you about midlifeSupport the Show.Join the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Welcome back to The Motherhood Metamorphosis! It's been over 10 months since I published an episode and I'm so glad to be back in this space. In this episode, I talk about beginning again after a long break (and what was happening in my life during 2023), the ways the podcast is changing, my commitment to excellent content, and some new ways to connect with and support the podcast in 2024! So thankful you are here and I can't wait to share season 4 with you!PS. Here's the book I wrote!Support the showJoin the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Hey friends! In this episode, I reflect and wrap up season 3: the guests, stats,  memories, and shout-outs to our patrons and supportersI also share some fun facts about me (Brittany), your host and some challenges I've had behind the scenes of this podcast. Listen in to a few funny bloopers at the end. Thank you so much to everyone who has listened and supported this podcast in seasons 1, 2, and 3. I am taking a much needed break from the podcast for the time being and am not sure when I will resume interviews and episodes. In the meantime, catch up on episodes you have missed--there are over 60!If you have any questions or would like to communicate with me, please contact me at brittanyameng@gmail.com Support the showJoin the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Erin Eileen Leigh is married to her college sweetheart, and she is the proud mother of three sons and one daughter. She practiced health care law for over ten years before becoming a stay at home mom.  She published her first book earlier this year: Navigating the Newborn Months and Beyond: A Mother's Guide to Routine, Sleep, Fussiness and Self-Care and is also a contributing writer for Her View From Home, Motherly, and Motherzing magazine.Erin and I talk all things postpartum in this episode, the period directly after you have a baby, and what a transformative and often challenging period that can be. We share our stories, difficulties, what boosted and shattered our confidence, and our best advice for new moms in navigating postpartum life. Find Erin's book here!Insights Into TeensA father and daughter discussion about the everyday struggles of teens in today's...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showJoin the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Whitney Fleming is a mom of three teen girls and married to one of the most patient men on Earth.  She is the co-manager of the popular blog Parenting Teens and Tweens, and writes musings on her Facebook and Instagram at Whitney Fleming Writes.  She brings an authentic and realistic voice to topics such as marriage, mid-life, and mental health, and believes being vulnerable and sharing your story is the most powerful way we can help others.Whitney and I dive into all things raising teens in this episode! The teenage years can be a huge transition for mothers and can leave us feeling like we are in the goop all over again, wondering who we are as women and who we are becoming as our kids grow up. We talk about transitions and vulnerability, the power of going first, feeling lonely and trying to find community during the teen years, growing into new versions of ourselves, and growth as women even as our children begin their journey out of the home. Beautiful, honest, and encouraging conversation. Don't miss this (even if you aren't in the teen years yet!)Find Whitney here:  www.parentingteensandtweens.com Whitney Fleming WritesInsights Into TeensA father and daughter discussion about the everyday struggles of teens in today's...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showJoin the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!

Jillian Benfield is a former news anchor and reporter with a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband got the surprise of their life when they found out their unborn son was rockin' an extra chromosome- also known as Down syndrome. Jillian's writings about living an unexpected life have been featured on Good Morning American, The Today Show and Her View From Home.  We dive deep into Jillian's story of the Unexpected: losing her career in TV after a military move; a surprise pregnancy and Down Syndrome diagnosis for her son, Anderson; and other unexpected left turns in her story of motherhood. During our conversation, she shares her wisdom and faith with honesty, thoughtfulness, and authenticity. Jillian shares how she felt bitter and stuck and how she found her light and hope again in life. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed speaking to her! Find Jillian here:WebsiteFacebookInstagramBuy here book here  Insights Into TeensA father and daughter discussion about the everyday struggles of teens in today's...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showJoin the new FB group here!Check out the new shop on Buy Me a Coffee and please consider becoming a $5 supporter of the show (I need 8 per month to cover the out of pocket expenses of producing the podcast)I'm so glad you are here! Please share the podcast with a friend and don't forget to leave a review on Apple Podcasts!