Momwell

Menopause can have a strong impact on your mental health. Unfortunately, not all providers are trained in hormone nuances or how to support moms when they struggle.  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Mary Claire Haver , author of The New Menopause , to unpack how menopause can impact mental health and how we can advocate for ourselves and seek effective treatment options. Show No...

Parenting can take a toll on our relationship with our partner, leaving us feeling resentful or falling into common arguments. But what if our partner isn’t the problem? What if stress is causing the conflict–not the other way around? And what if we can learn how to get back on the same page and navigate it together?  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by family therapist Liz Earnshaw, a...

As moms, we think a lot about our children’s emotional wellbeing. How can we be sure that we’re raising securely attached kids? How can we form strong bonds and relationships? How can we support our children and ourselves emotionally–especially if we were never supported that way growing up?  This week on the Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by licensed therapist and author Eli Harwood, founder of Atta...

This is the final part of our back-to-school series that revisits some of our old favorites from the vault!  Whether you have heard the phrase “after school restraint collapse” or not, if you’ve experienced it, you know exactly what it is—when your child starts melting down as soon as you pick them up from school. If your child behaves wonderfully at school but falls apart when they see you, it ca...

This is part 3 of a 4-part back-to-school series that revisits some of our old favorites from the vault!  Transitions can be overwhelming for our children and for us. As moms, we want to know how to support a child going through transitions. We might experience our own anxiety, deal with mom guilt, or question whether they are capable of navigating big changes.  But with the right strategies in pl...

This is part 2 of a 4-part back-to-school series that revisits some of our old favorites from the vault!  Starting school can be very exciting for many kids—but it can also be scary. We want to protect our kids, so when we see them worrying or anxious, we want to support them. But how do you help your child with school anxiety?  Today, I’m revisiting my episode with clinical psychologist Dr. Becky...

Is my child ready for kindergarten? What should I do to prepare? What skills do they need? More than ever, parents are scrambling to make sure their children have “kindergarten readiness.”  But the skills our children really need for kindergarten are far different than we might think they are. Today, I’m joined by Susie Allison, founder of Busy Toddler , to break down how to really prepare your ch...

The pressures around breastfeeding are strong, but systemic support doesn’t always allow moms to feed the way they want to. That’s why I was so excited to hear about The State of Feeding , a research-driven report designed to shed light on the real feeding experiences moms are going through. Created as a partnership between Bobbie , Willow , SimpliFed , and Emily Oster , this report reveals so muc...

Developing our own emotional regulation skills isn’t something that happens overnight. It takes a lot of work, learning, and unlearning. The more awareness we can build about what triggers our dysregulation and how it shows up for us, the better we can become at responding and regulating our emotions.  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by clinical psychologist Dr. Amber Thornton , host...

Introducing solids to our babies can feel scary, but it doesn’t have to follow one strict guide. We can overcome anxiety and create an environment around food that establishes healthy long-term eating habits.  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Jenny Best, founder of Solid Starts , to discuss how we can rethink our approach to feeding and learn how to trust ourselves and our baby. Sho...

Intensive mothering, unrealistic pressures, and gender norms have created an unattainable ideal of motherhood—one that is taking a toll on modern moms. If we want to break out of this mom overwhelm, we need to recognize those expectations and determine what works for us.  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Jess Grose , author and opinion writer for The New York Times . We discuss why...

Fostering emotional development goes beyond validating feelings or sticking to a set script—it takes inner work, nervous system regulation, and plenty of self-awareness and self-compassion.  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by Alyssa Campbell, CEO of Seed and Sew and co-author of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions . We discuss the importance of emotional intelligence, the role our own upbringin...

Mommy wine culture is often viewed as a lighthearted joke—with moms turning to wine or a mimosa to cope with stressful parenting moments. And plenty of moms can enjoy an alcoholic beverage without falling into unhealthy patterns. But alcohol use isn’t always lighthearted—for some moms, there are mental health concerns that are being overlooked and coping mechanisms that aren’t healthy.  This week...

Our individual upbringing and the culture we were raised in impact the way we show up as parents and the way we approach our own mental health. It’s important to listen to voices in this area who understand firsthand the nuances of culture and mental health, breaking cycles, and carving out individual paths as moms.  One of those voices is Sahaj Kaur Kohli , founder of Brown Girl Therapy—the first...

Meltdowns , defiance, and other behaviors are signals of needs —and if we can meet those needs proactively instead of punitively, we can support our children while still teaching and guiding them.  This week on The Momwell Podcast, I’m joined by psychologist Tammy Schamuhn, co-founder of the Institute of Child Psychology to discuss how to approach our children’s behavior from a brain development p...

Concerns like PMDD, PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), endometriosis, or even universal experiences like menopause are still underresearched and underdiagnosed. The more we can understand these concerns—and advocate for doctors to take them seriously—the more we can help support women and moms everywhere.  Today, I’m joined by gynecologist and reproductive health specialist Dr. Karen Tang, MD , a...

Today, we’re reaching back into the vault to revisit one of our most popular episodes!  What if I told you that you didn’t have to play with your child all day? Moms put a lot of pressure on themselves to entertain their kids. They believe that “good moms” play with their kids as much as possible. But when we learn how to encourage independent play, we not only remove that pressure—we also give ou...

It isn’t easy to feel confident in a world full of mom shaming. When moms are already feeling lonely and unsupported, disconnected from their friends, and unsure about their abilities, this pressure and criticism can take a real toll on their self-esteem and their mental health.  Today, I’m joined by Renee Reina , Ph. D, host of The Mom Room Podcast , to discuss mom shaming, toxic mom culture, and...

It can be hard to establish healthy screen time habits for our children. But with the right framework in place, we can let go of guilt and fear and foster a positive relationship with technology within a healthy balance.  Today, I’m joined by pediatrician and author Dr. Michael Rich , known as “the Mediatrician,” to discuss how we can set kids up for digital wellness. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4d...

Mom guilt is often fueled by intensive mothering ideology—the belief that moms should sacrifice every bit of their time, energy, and resources to their children (and find fulfillment only in motherhood), along with gender norms and social expectations. We can learn to manage mom guilt through awareness, anchoring ourselves in our values, and validating our needs and emotions.  This week on The Mom...

Gender norms, social expectations, and motherhood all become wrapped up in our identities, often leaving us questioning our career paths. But perhaps the answer starts with breaking away from the idea of a “dream job” and focusing instead on empowering ourselves to make active decisions driven by our internal values.  Today, I’m joined by Lauren McGoodwin , CEO of Career Contessa, to discuss how w...

As moms, we feel immense pressure to stay calm and peaceful even in the toughest, most triggering moments. And when we fall short, we often beat ourselves up and feel ashamed. But if we want to break this cycle, we need to move away from shame and find a way to offer ourselves the same compassion and understanding that we have for our children.   Today I’m joined by Dr. Cindy Hovington, founder of...

Maintaining friendships or making new friends as a mom, takes skills, intention, and deliberation. The adjustment to motherhood changes us—and it makes sense that our friendships, along with our values, priorities, and other relationships, might change too. That doesn’t mean we have to leave our old friendships behind, and it doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to make new ones.  Today, I’m joined by...

We don’t have to accept stress as our default state of being. When we can learn how stress shows up in our bodies, what our triggers are, and how to break away from the stress cycle we are trapped in, we can improve our well-being and show up the way we want for our children and for ourselves.  Today, I’m joined by Amelia Nagoski, co-author of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle , to...

Why does a messy house give me anxiety? Why can’t I motivate myself to clean since I had kids? Am I just a lazy mom? Moms often worry about these things, feeling immense pressure to keep a clean house and experiencing shame when they fall short of those expectations.  As moms, we can’t always buy ourselves more time to clean. But we can approach the concept of cleaning differently, learn to overco...