Her Village

Somewhere along the way, I stopped sharing my own story. When I launched this podcast as Motherhood Intended nearly four years ago, I was an open book. I shared my experiences with infertility, pregnancy loss, and surrogacy, often completely unscripted. Those conversations were healing, meaningful, and helped me connect with women who could simply say, "Me too." But life changed. My fami...

Who makes the plans? Who sends the texts, organizes the get-togethers, and keeps everyone connected? And what happens when that effort starts to feel one-sided? In this solo episode, Jacqueline explores the invisible work of maintaining friendships, family relationships, and meaningful connections—and why showing up for each other matters more than we sometimes realize. From being the planner in s...

What happens when the life you've worked so hard to build no longer feels like the life you want? Or when life changes in ways you never could have imagined? Sometimes it's a quiet realization that something doesn't feel right anymore. Other times, it's an unexpected loss or major life transition that changes you forever. In this episode of the Her Village Podcast, I'm joi...

When was the last time you did something simply because you wanted to? Not because your kids needed it. Not because it was productive. Not because someone else was counting on you. Something that made you feel curious, connected, excited — or simply more like yourself. In this solo episode, Jacqueline talks about the kind of connection so many women are missing: connection to ourselves, meaningful...

What happens when the path to motherhood looks nothing like the one you imagined? And how do you find purpose in a journey you never would have chosen for yourself? In this episode of Her Village, Jacqueline sits down with Stephanie Jones, founder of the Michigan Fertility Alliance, to talk about infertility, pregnancy complications, surrogacy, and the unexpected ways our most difficult experience...

When did everything become about the kids? The school schedules. The activities. The appointments. The therapies. The meals. The birthday parties. The endless mental checklist of who needs what, where, and when. In this solo episode, Jacqueline shares a realization she's been having lately: she doesn't want a life away from her kids—she wants a life that includes her, too. After years of...

How much of who we are is truly ours—and how much has been shaped by the expectations, beliefs, and stories we’ve inherited? In this episode of Her Village, Jacqueline sits down with Dr. Nicole Wordlaw, clinical psychologist, author, and longtime Buddhist meditation practitioner, to explore what it means to reconnect with our own inner knowing. Nicole’s book, Waking Up Alone: Navigating the Narrow...

Remember when making friends was just… built into life? You met on the playground. Sat next to each other in class. Played on the same team. Lived down the hall in college. Or, in Jacqueline’s case, essentially paid for your friends by joining a sorority. 😂 Then adulthood happens—and suddenly, no one is assigning you friends anymore. In this solo episode, Jacqueline explores why adult friendship...

Motherhood has a way of rewriting the plans we were so sure we had figured out. For Susanna Peace Lovell, that meant becoming a mother to her daughter, Arizona, who is neurodivergent and has autism, ADHD, anxiety, and significant allergies. For Jacqueline, it meant infertility, loss, a 24-week premature birth, a four-month NICU stay, and eventually learning that her oldest son has autism and ADHD,...

A Her Village Solo Episode 🎙️ The backpacks are packed, the school supplies are labeled, and the kids are settling back into their routines. But once we’ve gotten everyone else where they need to be… what about us? In this solo episode, I’m talking about the back-to-school season as more than just a reset for our kids. It can be a reset for us, too. Not in a reinvent your entire life now that the...

What happens after you've survived something that could have defined the rest of your life? Today's guest, Cindy Benezra, is a USA Today bestselling author, speaker, trauma recovery advocate, and author of Under the Orange Blossoms . Cindy is also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of her father. But this conversation isn't about the details of what happened to Cindy....

As summer winds down and back-to-school season approaches, it's easy to look back and wonder... Did I do enough? Did we make enough memories? Did my kids have the summer they deserved? Did I somehow miss the mark? If you've been carrying those thoughts, this episode is for you. In today's solo episode, Jacqueline shares an honest reflection on the pressure moms often put on themselv...

Some stories entertain us. Others help shape who we become. This week on the Her Village Podcast , I'm joined by Emmy Award-winning creator, author, and storyteller Angela Santomero , whose work has helped generations of children learn, grow, and navigate the world with curiosity and confidence. Known for creating Blue's Clues and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood , Angela shares the thou...

When I started Her Village, I thought I was creating a place where women could make new friends. What I didn't expect was what those first few months would teach me—not just about friendship, but about belonging. In this solo episode, I'm sharing some of the biggest lessons I've learned while building this community from the ground up. From women nervously walking into events alone...

When we're kids, friendship just... happens. We're surrounded by classmates, teammates, roommates, and neighbors. But somewhere between careers, motherhood, relationships, and the never-ending to-do list, making meaningful friendships can start to feel surprisingly difficult. In this episode, I'm joined by licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and founder of Bluebird Counselin...

She Left Her Career to Raise Her Kids. Then She Started Again. What happens when the life you've built no longer fits the woman you're becoming? This week on the Her Village Podcast, Jacqueline sits down with Dr. Vandana Arcot to talk about identity, ambition, motherhood, and the courage it takes to reinvent yourself. After a successful global health career spanning more than a decade an...

Reinvention is often portrayed as a dramatic before-and-after moment—a bold leap, a fresh start, a perfectly curated transformation. But what if it doesn't look like that at all? In this solo episode, Jacqueline shares what she's learning about reinvention while living it in real time. From infertility and loss to motherhood, podcasting, and building Her Village, she reflects on the many...

Something unexpected happened at the first Her Village gatherings. Women walked in nervous… and walked out feeling lighter, more connected, and reminded that they’re not alone. In this solo episode, I’m sharing reflections from our very first gatherings and why I believe women are craving real, in-person community more than ever before. We talk about: the loneliness of modern motherhood why making...

If you’ve been here for a while, you know this podcast has always been rooted in real conversations. From the very beginning, Motherhood Intended was a space for the stories behind the highlight reel—centered around infertility, family building, and the journey to motherhood. But life evolves… and so do we. In this trailer episode, I’m sharing why this podcast is shifting, what this new season loo...

What happens when the season of life that shaped your story begins to change? In this episode, I’m sharing an honest update about the evolution of Your Fertility Village, how my own infertility journey has shifted now that our family is complete, and the new vision that has been growing on my heart: Her Village . When I first started the Motherhood Intended podcast, I was still in the thick of pro...

A real day in the life of a stay-at-home mom in this season of motherhood. What does a real day actually look like in this season of motherhood? In this solo episode, Jacqueline walks you through a true day in the life — from the moment she wakes up to when the house finally goes quiet at night. Not the highlight reel. Not the optimized routine. Just the honest rhythm of life right now as a stay-a...

Infertility doesn’t just affect your body—it can quietly strain your marriage in ways no one prepares you for. In this solo episode, Jacqueline talks openly about how infertility, IVF, pregnancy loss, and long fertility journeys can impact a relationship—not just during treatment, but long after you’ve successfully grown your family. She talks about the emotional survival mode couples often slip i...

This episode marks a powerful full-circle moment on Motherhood Intended . Three years ago, Alison joined the podcast to share her decision to freeze her eggs in an episode titled “Egg Preservation: A Story of 10 Maybe Babies.” At the time, she was preserving her fertility and creating options for her future — without knowing exactly where the journey would lead. Today, Alison is back to share what...

This week on Motherhood Intended , Jacqueline closes out Season 6 with a meaningful re-air of one of the earliest and most impactful episodes from Season 1: “Egg Preservation: A Story of 10 Maybe Babies.” This episode intentionally follows last week’s solo conversation about freezing your eggs and fertility timelines — and serves as a bridge into what’s coming next. In this episode, Jacqueline cha...

As we head into 2026, more women than ever are asking themselves a deeply personal and surprisingly common question: “Should I freeze my eggs?” In today’s solo episode, Jacqueline breaks down everything you need to know about egg freezing right now — including age-related success rates, how many eggs you actually need, what the process looks like, and what the emotional side of delayed motherhood...