Mom & Mind Podcast | Postpartum | Birth | Pregnancy | Maternal Mental Health |

We all know about the unfair stereotypes and stigma that exist in our society, but have you ever thought about---or experienced---what a plus-size woman goes through in pregnancy? The body shaming and unfair assumptions are particularly tough to take. Today’s guest is passionate about changing the stereotypes and offering help to these often unsupported moms. Jen McLellan is a published author, speaker, and founder of Plus Size Birth, and she now hosts the Plus Mommy podcast. Plus Size Birth is a premier resource for all things plus-size pregnancy, with over four million page views. Jen is passionate about plus-size pregnancy, sharing tips on embracing your body and navigating the bumps along the road of motherhood. Through the Plus Size Mommy podcast and other social media outlets, she seeks to create an environment of acceptance and to end the stigma surrounding plus-size pregnancy with education, support, and a sense of humor. She is a certified childbirth educator, wife, and mother to a charismatic 8 year

Do you find the holidays stressful? We would all have to say YES, if we’re completely honest. For a pregnant mom, a postpartum mom, or a mom experiencing loss, the holiday obligations can be overwhelming in magnified ways. In today’s solo episode, we will discuss how to survive the holidays and manage stress by setting healthy boundaries and prioritizing self-care.   Show Highlights:   The holidays: a mix of lovely things and difficult moments with the unseen pressure of motherhood to take care of everyone Boundaries are not easy, and sometimes confusing, but necessary Set boundaries around family, friends, spending, activities, and the time you spend with others Don’t be afraid to communicate what your needs are In spending time at someone’s house, have a set time limit or some kind of communication with your partner to signal when it’s time to go To figure out where you need boundaries, ask yourself, “What brings me stress? What do I find difficult?” Why we feel guilty for setting boundaries How ang

Imagine what it would be like to not even trust yourself to be alone with your children---for fear of doing them harm. What if you KNEW something was wrong with your mental health, but couldn’t find the help and support you needed? Dealing with anxiety is always a problem, but never more so than in the postpartum period, when a mom is called upon to give SO MUCH of herself to care for her new baby. Yet moms are not informed and educated about the possibilities that may occur, or given access to the resources that can provide help. My guest today is committed to getting the word out that there is help for new moms. Alexis Bruce is a stay-at-home mom turned maternal mental health advocate after the traumatic birth of her youngest son. Her birth experience, postpartum anxiety, and intense OCD fears and thoughts have been the impetus for her desire to help others in these situations. Through her struggle, it became clear that there is a lack of information and education about perinatal mood and anxiety disorders,

How is perinatal loss handled in the Orthodox Jewish community, or in any other faith-based culture? Today’s show takes a deep dive into a new perspective as my guest shares how she offers faith-based support and understanding of perinatal loss in a unique culture of rich traditions. Dvora Entin, LCSW, developed and directs JFCS Ma’oz in Philadelphia, a unique initiative to engage the Orthodox community on mental health issues. With specialized training in maternal mental health and perinatal death, Dvora moderates the Pregnancy Loss phone support calls for K’nafayim and for Yesh Tikvah Yeesh on infertility. In 2017, her BLOOM program to engage the Orthodox Jewish community on Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders won the Perinatal Mental Health Society Innovation Award. Dvora provides private sessions for supportive counseling and consultation and presents nationally about perinatal loss and compassionate bereavement. She resides in Philadelphia with her husband, Isaac, and their children.    Show Highlights:

Have you thought about--or personally experienced--the stigma surrounding single moms? We all know that the road can be tough for these women, but what support is available? Today’s show features someone who has been there, caught in the swirl of shame, doubt, and fear as she struggled to go through pregnancy and single motherhood. She’s turned the narrative on its head and spreads an empowering message to women who are fearfully stuck in relationships that aren’t healthy and nurturing. There is hope for you, Single Mom!   Jaren Soloff is a women’s health practitioner based in San Diego who became a single teen mom after enduring an abusive relationship. As a young, single mother of her daughter, now 7, Jaren is passionate about creating a new narrative for moms to find their voices and connect to themselves. Jaren has the unique experience of raising a child while navigating college, career, and parenting. She hopes to share her journey of single parenting to empower others on their journey. Jaren is a regis

Do you know the benefits of chiropractic and massage during pregnancy and the postpartum period? Despite the opinions of some, these practices can be a regular and extremely beneficial part of overall maternal wellness. What does chiropractic care for prenatal women look like and what conditions can be treated in this way? We’re diving into these topics and more with today’s expert guest. Dr. Elliot Berlin is an award-winning prenatal chiropractor, childbirth educator, and labor doula. He’s here to share how chiropractic care can support mental wellness and, specifically, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. He shares how he came into this amazing work, almost by accident. His Informed Pregnancy Project aims to utilize multiple forms of media, including a weekly podcast, documentary films, and a YouTube series to compile and deliver unbiased information about pregnancy and childbirth to empower new and expectant parents to make informed choices regarding their pregnancy and parenting journey. Show Highlights:

If you know something is wrong, wouldn’t you want your doctor to listen? How does it feel to advocate for yourself with no success? My guest shares her story of dealing with postpartum depression for years while she tried to advocate for herself. Listen in to see how she finally found healing, and why she shares her story with honesty and openness. Jessica Mirisis lives in Massachusetts and is the mother of three girls, ages 2, 6, and her stepdaughter, age 12. Jessica works as an RN and helps her husband run their two businesses. Jessica battled several issues with maternal mental health for years, not getting the help she needed.    Show Highlights:   In May 2012, her first daughter was born, about the time she graduated from nursing school, got married, and bought a house With her pregnancy, she was sick all the time Her labor was slow and long, the baby came four days early, and she had low iron after the birth Her breastfeeding struggles for 6 weeks and then switching to formula How her baby didn’t s

If you’ve had any experience with eating disorders, then you know how difficult the recovery process can be. If you’ve ever been a new mom, then you know the perinatal period is crammed full of physical changes, emotional adjustments, and lifestyle challenges. Putting these two volatile situations together can be a recipe for disaster, mainly because of all the triggers and the constant fear of relapse. My guest today has been there. She knows the common triggers for those with eating disorders and how to cope; she’s here to share what she’s learned.   Linda Shanti McCabe is a licensed clinical psychologist in CA who has worked in the field of eating disorders, chemical dependency, anxiety, depression, and co-dependency recovery since 1999. She has served in a variety of settings as a therapist for women and their families, and she now is in private practice in San Francisco. Her doctoral research focused on reimagining the body, using expressive arts with women recovering from bulimia, anorexia, and binge ea

If you’ve gone through a trying experience and NOT had the support or services that you needed, then you become distinctly passionate about helping others find those services. If those services don’t exist, then you may be determined to help provide for others exactly what YOU needed and didn’t have. This is precisely the story of today’s guest, who turned her lemons into lemonade after her own experiences and lack of support inspired her to fill the need in her area.   Meisha Shockley is the owner and executive director of Shore Grace, a family wellness center providing wrap-around services to support families on the eastern shore of Maryland who are welcoming a new baby to their home. Meisha is a doula, speaker, and coach with a specialty in maternal mental health for women of color, high risk pregnancies, prematurity, and pre-eclampsia awareness. She holds a BA in Rehabilitation Counseling and is currently pursuing her MA in Marriage and Family Counseling with a specialty in Sex Education. It was her own e

Did you have a difficult relationship with your mother? If so, then those issues may have an impact on your own mothering process. Today’s show address this topic and gives information that can be valuable in the healing process and applicable to the experiences held in this vital relationship between mother and child.   Crystal Clancy, LMFT, has a private practice specializing in perinatal mental health. She is one of the founding members of Pregnancy and Postpartum Support MN, which is the Minnesota State Chapter of PSI. She has been a PSI State Coordinator for 5 years. She is married and the mother of a son and a daughter.   Show Highlights:   How Crystal had a difficult relationship with her mother that intensified when her daughter was born and she encountered postpartum depression Crystal noticed the common theme in her clients of a difficult mother relationship, which can also apply to a father Factors to consider when examining a difficult relationship with a parent The problems when a parent is c

Susana Marquez, LMFT, is the founder of Me Myself N Mommy Therapeutic Services, a private practice in Long Beach, CA. The practice focuses on Latina maternal mental health. Due to her personal struggles with postpartum depression and anxiety, Susana opened up a practice that specializes in providing education, support, and resources to Latina mothers and their families on what maternal mental health is and the importance of a mother’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Her mission is to bridge the gap between Latina mothers and mental health support while bringing awareness to the real issues they face both culturally and socially. Show Highlights: The hard adjustment and loneliness she felt while she experienced postpartum depression and anxiety following the birth of her son in 2014 How her culture expects mothers to deal with motherhood issues and not need extra support  Why she couldn’t share her dark and negative feelings and shut down from everyone How the sudden, tragic loss of her father sent her spi

Infertility, pregnancy loss, infant and maternal mortality----none of these are topics that we enjoy talking about, but the number of women and families affected by these obstacles is astounding. For African-American women, there is a stigma attached to these issues, and the compounding problem of their voices not being heard.Today’s show addresses these topics and more in honor of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.   Erica McAfee is the founder of Sisters in Loss, LLC, a faith-based grief and pregnancy loss coaching company that helps black women turn their pain into purpose after loss.   Sisters in Loss provides consulting and coaching services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear into trust and peace after loss. The Sisters In Loss goal through courses, retreats, and conferences is to help women minimize regrets, maximize memories, and manage their path forward after loss. Their self-titled podcast spotlights faith-filled black women who share miscarriage, infant loss, and infer

We all know that the path to parenthood can look very different than we dreamily imagine. Sometimes it’s a tough and traumatic experience that leaves us stunned. It’s when our personal struggles motivate us to bring about change that we use our experiences to help others. That’s exactly what today’s guest has done.    Fawn McCool, LCSW, is based in Portland, Oregon with Aiyana Counseling. She holds certification in Interpersonal Neurobiology through Portland State University and MamaCare certificate through Shoshana Center. She is the creator of Interpersonal Neurobiology of Perinatal Mood Disorders and Birth Trauma, an online training for professionals that explores the impact and practices of attachment and bonding, including development and interventions for families affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and birth trauma. She offers clinical therapeutic services through Aiyana Counseling and also sits on the board of NICU Familes Northwest, as well as volunteers with Baby Blues Connection. She i

We all know that the challenges of new motherhood can be many--and overwhelming. If you are an HSP (highly sensitive person), then those challenges may be magnified---and you probably aren’t focusing on any self-care. This topic resonates deeply with me and intrigues me in the way the trait interacts with motherhood and its challenges.   Julie Bjelland is an LMFT, an HSP psychotherapist, and the author of Brain Training for the Highly Sensitive Person: Techniques to Reduce Anxiety and Overwhelming Emotions. Julie’s mission is to help sensitive people reduce the challenges and increase the positives.Through her website specializing in highly sensitive people (the trait also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity), she offers many valuable resources for both HSP’s and parents of sensitive children. Julie has a mission to spread awareness and education about the trait of high sensitivity and believes the world needs the gifts of sensitive people.   Show Highlights:   High sensitivity is a trait and not a disor

Do you think there is a specific need for therapists of color to help African-American women and other women of color who are PMADS (perinatal mood and anxiety disorders) sufferers? You may not think race, ethnicity and culture are factors to be considered in this treatment, but it can be--mostly due to stigmas, access, and the dynamics around seeking out services as a woman of color. Join us for today’s conversation around this important topic. Shivonne Odom, LCPC, is the founder of Akoma Counseling Concepts, LLC, which is the only minority-owned private practice in Washington, DC that focuses on minority maternal mental health. Shivonne provides continuing educational training on cultural competence and minority maternal mental health. She loves to promote awareness on these important issues via community panel discussions, podcasts, and local media outlets. She is passionate and excited about all things mental health and advocacy for women’s health initiatives. In today’s episode, she talks about things on

How would it feel for your own doctor to discount your postpartum anxiety? Today’s guest experienced this, along with pregnancy loss and depression. The important part of the story is how healing showed up for her and how she is using her experience to help others. Ivy Sias earned her Master’s of Science and Mental Health Counseling from Walden University and became licensed in Louisiana in 2015. In 2017, she founded Ivy Counseling and Wellness Services, a private practice with a focus on assisting people with planting seeds of insight, growing in self-awareness, and making life changes that flourish from the inside out. After her experience with postpartum depression and anxiety and her struggle to find assistance and support in her community, the focus of her practice shifted to maternal mental health and the treatment of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. A Compton, California native, Ivy has always believed that change happens when people are loud about injustice and when those who have experienced adv

How have your personal experiences launched you into a certain line of work or the pursuit of a passion? Today’s show is about someone who used the tough and challenging journey into motherhood to find ways to help others through their difficulties. If your road to motherhood has been anything but smooth sailing, then you don’t want to miss today’s show!   Mellisa Reeves is a doula, coach, and the co-founder of the Motherbirth podcast and community. She shares her personal story around postpartum anxiety and the difficulties that caused in connecting with her son, along with the subsequent loss, birth trauma, and milestones that came and went. She shares about what she had to overcome and how she felt disconnected after the birth of her son and how her experiences have shaped the work she does today. Mellisa works with women who have experienced pregnancy loss and want to trust their bodies again, helping them find their path to hope and healing through the innate intuition they each possess. Brought up with

What are the most important needs of women during pregnancy, postpartum, and the days of new motherhood? You might guess that nutrition, healthy habits, physical fitness, and emotional support are some of the most important needs---and they are! Wouldn’t it be ideal if there was a way to wrap up all of these AND a sense of connection and community with other moms? Join me for today’s show and find out how my guest has found the perfect intersection in meeting the needs of women embarking on their journeys to motherhood---and it just might be available in your hometown.    Lisa Druxman is the Chief Founding Mom of FIT4MOM, the parent company to Fit4Baby, Stroller Strides, and Body Back. With nearly 2000 class locations nationwide, FIT4MOM is one of the fastest growing franchises in the country. Lisa is the author of The Empowered Mama and the host of The Empowered Mama podcast. She has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and more. Lisa is a speaker, writer, and thought leader with a passion

Every woman’s pregnancy experience is different, and each pregnancy brings its unique challenges. Today you’ll hear one woman’s story of her pregnancy, loss, and the obstacles she faced due to pre-eclampsia, which can affect women during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. My guest is gracious enough to share the heartbreaking details of her story, with the hope that those in similar circumstances will know they are not alone.   Stacey Porter is president and founder of The Tangerine Owl Project, a nonprofit devoted to offering peer support to families, started in memory of her daughter after a NICU loss in 2012. Stacey has been dedicated to efforts centered around supporting families who have suffered infant loss and traumatic birth since 2013. Stacey is heavily invested in efforts to support maternal mental health as it intertwines so greatly with traumatic birth and bereavement experiences for these families. She works as a contractor with the 2020 Mom Project, leading a volunteer program, social media

How do we, as mothers, keep ourselves centered while raising our little ones? It’s a tough question to answer, but it becomes even more difficult when perinatal mental health is in jeopardy. Many times, we think that dealing with the crisis is the most important focus, but it’s the time period that follows the crisis---and the healing--that deserves big attention. Don’t miss today’s conversation covering these important topics.    Graeme Seabrook is a Motherhood Life Coach whose approach to coaching is that YOU must be a priority in your own life in order to thrive. Following a traumatizing birth experience that left her with PTSD, and surviving postpartum depression and anxiety, Graeme began a healing journey as a mother and a woman. That healing journey led her to train as a life coach and to create spaces where mothers can come to be witnessed, nurtured, inspired, and supported, so they can integrate motherhood with personhood and not the other way around. She does this work because she believes we are liv