Motherhood Off the Rails

Are we back together? Are we not? Does this busy mom of two littles who's also a part time masters student have time for these shenanigans? Definitely not, but here goes! I randomly got the podcast bug this week and decided to post this not-so-scary Halloween episode just for kicks and giggles. We aren't back for good and it won't be a consistent thing, but I missed ya'll so this i...

As the season finale for what could be a really long break I am super excited for a bit of a different episode. Ljuba and I have been best friends since about 2015 when I first moved to Lexington. We were at the same church and had a very close knit group of friends. Despite many of those friends moving and drifting away we have remained as close as ever. Our friendship has only deepened over the...

Topics: miscarriage, child loss, Leigh's disease, stepparents, faith Having Molly on the podcast has been a dream of mine ever since I read her book, The Moon Is Round, twice! I randomly won the book at a raffle at some women’s event having no idea I would some day talk with the author about the rollercoaster of her motherhood story. She is an expert at telling her story and it was wonderful to he...

Topic: genetic disorder, developmental delays, Xq27-Xq28 deletion I am so glad Maleah and I finally got to sit down and talk through her story. It took us what felt like forever to finally get together, but I’m so glad we did. Our conversation was the perfect ending to my podcast recording journey. I’m so glad we added this memory to our friendship. Her story is a bit different from what you usual...

Topics: miscarriage, late term loss This was my last remotely recorded episode and I’m so thankful to be ending on such a great note. Ashley and I met through our mutual bestie Giselle. Ashley was also on the top of our list we made so long ago of women who might eventually share their motherhood stories. I’m thankful that we finally were able to talk through her painful, yet beautiful story. So m...

Topic: infant loss I will give ya’ll a heads up today. This episode is a pretty heavy one. If you aren’t in the best head space to listen to an infant loss story I’d suggest waiting til you’re ready. But if you have walked this story of loss you will feel Shauna’s tears on a deep, deep level. She shares the devastating loss that landed her in this community and brought her to our podcast. Even in...

Topics: miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, chemical pregnancy Yay for our second Canadian guest! I just love the fact that this community is spreading so far and wide. I couldn’t have never imagined the wide-reaching impact all these stories would have had. And Gen’s story is no exception. I am so proud of Gen for stepping up to the plate to tell her story of loss especially since she does not yet ha...

Topics: stillbirth, miscarriage Like so many of these stories I’ve heard, Amy has taken her grief and losses and turned them into hope and courage for other women like herself. I really enjoyed our conversation and clearly saw how passionate she is about sharing her story and helping others through their own grief. I think you’ll be just as encouraged as I was after hearing this conversation. Let’...

Topics: infertility, adoption, surrogacy I can’t remember the last time I laughed this much during an interview. I have never heard a story like this one. We bonded over motherhood, our journeys, and reality TV. If you’re a DWTS fan that was and still is our shared loved. We’ve kept in touch off and on since we recorded and I’m reminded once again the amazing friends that I have gained out of this...

Topics: stillborn, late term loss If you missed the first part of Michelle’s story make sure to go back and listen to last week’s episode. In that episode we heard the heart of her story and loss. Today we’ll touch more on the different aspects of her loss and how it effected her life. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too! Let’s jump right in!  You can reach out to Mic...

Topics: stillborn, late term loss I was really looking forward to recording this story and it did not disappoint in the least. Michelle and I dove so deep into her story and journey that you’ll have to come back next week for part 2. We worked together for a summer and attend the same university, but this was the longest and best conversation we’ve ever shared. It was almost like making a brand ne...

Topics: miscarriage Today we’ll be hearing the second part of my friend Shelby’s story. Make sure you go back and listen to part 1 to get the full scope of her heartbreakingly beautiful story. She is a shining light for all those that are walking through grief and I am so thankful we finally got to sit down and record her story from beginning to the end. Let’s jump right in.  You can reach out to...

Topics: miscarriage Shelby can honestly say that she has known my husband longer than anyone else on this podcast. They were friends growing up and we just naturally clicked when I finally came into the picture over 7 years ago. She has been a wonderful friend through it all. When I shared my loss with her she knew on a deep level the pain that we were facing and she comforted me like many others...

Topics: PCOS, still birth Lonna and I chatted for such a long and wonderful time. She has seen such hardship in losing her daughter and yet you can hear the happiness and joy in her voice. She has taken life’s sourest lemons and turned them into the sweetest lemonade. I am very thankful for this community and the women like Lonna that make this job of running a podcast really not a job at all. Let...

Topics: infertility, foster care, IVF Toni’s motherhood story is one that is 10 years in the making. She faced doctors telling her no, failed foster placements, and multiple IVF retrievals to finally hold her rainbow miracle baby in her arms. Back when we knew each other as little middle schoolers we would have never guessed the paths that our stories would have taken us, but we both agreed that t...

Topics: postpartum depression & anxiety Intro: Emily has been a dear friend for several years now. We have walked through many of our life seasons together. It’s been a joy to share in them with her. I am so thankful she felt ready to share her story of struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety. It wasn’t easy to come around to the idea of sharing, but I’m thankful that she did. I know...

Topic: infertility, adoption Olivia’s story truly embodies the theme of Motherhood Off The Rails. She’s been through more ups and downs in her motherhood journey than most of us have encountered in a lifetime. And yet, she has proven to be perseverant and a beautiful example to those who have been following her story. Her story also brings a different category of adoption to the lineup that I’m ex...

Topics: miscarriage, PPD, adoption Kelsey has been a great friend since we met through a women’s ministry here in Lexington back in 2018. We’ve shared many motherhood milestones along the way and I am so thankful she was able to record with me. I hope you enjoy all the laughter and even the more serious parts of today’s episode. So let’s jump in!  You can reach out to Kelsey here: Instagram: @kels...

Topics: miscarriage, postpartum feeding  I can’t believe that Beth and I met way back in 2007 when I went to high school with her cousin. We reunited when we were both in her cousin’s wedding and have kept in touch through social media over the years. Talking with her today reminded me of the joy this podcast brings in connecting with so many women through their stories. Our motherhood journeys ar...

Topics: miscarriage Shanti and I knew of each other back in college and had several mutual friends over the years. But this was one of the first times we had the opportunity to sit down and really connect. Her expertise in the counseling world added so much to her story that she shared with me when we recorded. I joked that ya’ll get a free counseling session in this episode and I’m not lying! I l...

OUR 50TH EPISODE!!! Topics: miscarriage, PPD It was amazing to reconnect with Ariel after Zoom decided we needed to redo our interview. We got real and vulnerable about PPD, anxiety, medication, therapy, and all the dirty bits of motherhood that we all struggle with daily. It was really like we were talking again for the very first time. Ariel has been a faithful follower of MOTR since the beginni...

Topics: parents of special needs kids, poor sleepers, PPA, epilepsy, blindness I hope you were able to listen to the first half of Emily’s story last week and are ready to jump into the rest of her story today. I know that both Emily and I would love to hear your similar stories of children with rare diseases or disabilities. It’s a huge part of the whole idea of our dreams of motherhood going off...

Topics: parents of special needs kids, poor sleepers, PPA, epilepsy, blindness Now that I’ve been recording, editing, and publishing these episodes for so long (by the time this comes out it’ll have been over a year of podcasting! WHAT?!) I’ve seen all kinds of different formats. Some hosts limit their interviews to a set amount of time, but I’ve realized that just doesn’t work for our stories. We...

Topic: infant loss I had such a fun time chatting with my cousin, Rebekah, for this interview. It was comforting to talk with someone I know so well and yet learned so much more about hearing her story of loss. Since I was only 13 when this story took place, I really was hearing it in full detail for the first time. Despite the sorrow intertwined in this story, she always finds a bright spot and I...

Topics: miscarriage, mental health When you’re both loss mamas, podcasters, and fellow Kentucky girls you’re almost guaranteed to have a great time recording together when you finally do get around to finding the time which is a challenge all in itself. But when we finally coordinated enough time to record we accomplished recording for Grateful Scripts, Linds' podcast, and an episode for this...