BDA Baby (Before, During and After Baby)

Latest Episodes:

Christina Perri on Motherhood, Mental Health, and Healing Through Every Season of Life Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

This week, I’m joined by Christina Perri — singer-songwriter, mom, and now children’s book author — for a truly special conversation.
We talk about how becoming a mother completely reshaped her life and career, the real work she’s done on her mental health, and what it’s been like turning her song “A Thousand Years” into a children’s book. Christina shares openly about the highs and lows of motherhood, the importance of therapy, and how she’s learned to stay grounded and present in the chaos of raising young kids.
She also shares her journey through loss and healing, how she’s teaching her daughters about emotions, and why putting her mental health first has made her a better mom, partner, and person.
This conversation is raw, emotional, and so full of heart — I hope it leaves you feeling seen, supported, and reminded that you’re not alone in whatever season you’re in.
Order her book here: https://amzn.to/4kscuxy
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

IT Cosmetics Jamie Kern Lima’s Experience with Surrogacy Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Jamie Kern Lima joins us this week to share all about her experience with surrogacy, and how why she chose surrogacy on her path to motherhood. Jamie tells us how she founded and sold IT Cosmetics while at the same time struggling with such an emotional fertility journey. Eventually, Jamie and her husband decided to pursue surrogacy, and today we walk through to whole process from selecting a surrogate to welcoming her babies. At the time, Jamie’s book Believe It had just come out as well, which is so inspirational whether you are dealing with fertility struggles or not. Jamie has such great insight into the surrogacy process, and she hopes that sharing her journey will help other people feel empowered in their own journeys to parenthood.
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

The Mental Load, Resentment & Reconnecting as a Couple with Dr. Morgan Cutlip May 29, 2025

Show notes

This week, I’m joined by Dr. Morgan Cutlip—psychologist, author, and someone I absolutely love learning from—to talk about one of the most common and complicated parts of relationships after kids: the mental load. You know, the endless invisible checklist running through your head, the nagging feeling that you're doing more, and the challenge of keeping your relationship strong through it all.
We talk about how hard it can be to explain the mental load to your partner without it turning into a fight, why resentment builds (and how to let go of it), and the real link between how supported you feel outside the bedroom… and how connected you feel inside it.
Dr. Morgan also shares what surprised her most while writing her new book, A Better Share, including the role communication plays in keeping couples close—not just as parents or roommates, but as partners who still want to have fun, laugh, and yes, have great sex.
This is one of those episodes that I think every couple can relate to. I hope it makes you feel seen and gives you some tools to take back into your own relationship. Order her book here: https://amzn.to/3ZFrpfd
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

Budgeting for Baby with Rachel Cruze May 26, 2025

Show notes

Having kids can be expensive, and this week Rachel Cruze joins us to give us all the tips on how to budget for babies and beyond. She starts with how to budget before the baby is here, and how to prioritize what you really need to spend the most money on when prepping for baby. We also cover how to save for the medical expenses that come along with having a baby, and when it might be worth it to pay for extra medical insurance. Rachel also has some money saving tips for when our kids grow up into children and teens, like spending more up front on higher quality toys. She also tackles the issue of budgeting for IVF and fertility treatments for families that are considering those options. Rachel has so much great advice in this episode, and she hopes her work can help parents feel less intimidated by the financial side of raising a family!
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

Miscarriage, Motherhood, and Mental Health: A Conversation with Dr. Jessica Zucker May 22, 2025

Show notes

In this deeply honest episode, psychologist and author Dr. Jessica Zucker returns to BDA Baby to talk about her new book “Normalize It” and the personal experience that shaped her path. After experiencing a traumatic second-trimester miscarriage at home, Jessica made it her mission to break the silence around pregnancy loss and maternal mental health.
We talk about how stigma, shame, and silence continue to affect women across all stages of life—from girlhood through motherhood—and how storytelling can be a powerful tool for healing. Jessica shares what it was like to grieve while working as a therapist, how her loss led to the viral I Had a Miscarriage movement, and why creating space for women to speak openly is critical.
If you’ve ever struggled with how to support a friend through loss, felt isolated in your motherhood journey, or needed permission to speak the hard truth—this conversation is for you.
Listen now on all podcast platforms and order her books below.
Normalize It: https://amzn.to/44HUni2
I Had a Miscarriage: https://amzn.to/3H3Hp4q
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video

How Hunter McGrady Navigated Grief During Pregnancy May 19, 2025

Show notes

Pregnancy can be hard enough without having to deal with the complexities of grief. Today, Hunter McGrady sat down with us to share some of her experience with losing her brother when she was seven months pregnant. She explains the confusing feelings she felt while trying to process her grief while also being excited to welcome her baby boy. Hunter says her faith and her family got her through. We also touch on the nuances of plus size pregnancy, and Hunter’s experience with body image as a plus size person during and after pregnancy. Hunter hopes that by showing her own honesty and vulnerability, other women will know that they are not alone.
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

Postpartum Anxiety, Identity Shifts & the Power of Your Brain May 15, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, I’m joined by clinical psychologist and author Dr. Nikki Pensak to talk all about the postpartum brain—what’s really happening neurologically after birth, why it can feel so overwhelming, and how we can shift the narrative from “mom brain” to one of strength and growth. Dr. Nikki breaks down the science behind the brain’s transformation in motherhood, explains why this time can leave us feeling so emotionally rattled, and shares practical tools for calming new mom anxiety. We also talk about postpartum depression, anxiety, and OCD—how to know when something is more than just “baby blues,” and why early mental health support is so crucial.
Whether you're currently postpartum, supporting someone who is, or just curious about the incredible changes that come with matrescence, this episode offers powerful perspective and helpful takeaways.
Listen now and check out Dr. Nikki’s book, Rattled: How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain here: https://amzn.to/3ERPIzH
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

Embracing Fatherhood with Glen Henry May 12, 2025

Show notes

This week we got to talk with Glen Henry the founder of Beleaf in Fatherhood. Their mission is to “equip fathers to Love and Lead their families into eternity” and Glen is doing just that. Today, Glen shares about his decision to become a stay-at-home father, and what it was like to step into the role of a full-time caregiver. Glen encourages every dad to make sure to take an active role in parenting. He tells us that men can learn so much from parenting, making them not just fathers, but father figures. Glen hopes that every dad can learn to be present and involved in their kid’s lives and find joy in it!
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

Lake Bell on Neurodiversity, Motherhood & the Power of Honest Conversations with Kids May 08, 2025

Show notes

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with actress, director, and author Lake Bell to talk about her deeply personal journey as a mother, and the inspiration behind her new children’s book All About Brains. Sparked by her daughter’s epilepsy diagnosis, Lake shares how her family reshaped the narrative around neurological differences—turning fear and confusion into empowerment and pride.
We discuss the importance of using real language with kids, raising awareness around neurodiversity, and how representation and open conversation can help children feel seen, safe, and celebrated. Lake also opens up about parenting challenges, co-parenting, and what it means to model imperfection with honesty and grace.
Whether you're a parent, caregiver, educator, or simply someone who wants to better understand and support neurodiverse kids—this episode is full of wisdom, compassion, and practical takeaways.
Listen now and grab a copy of All About Brains here: https://amzn.to/44WlqGk
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

Gaby Dalkin’s Fertility Journey May 05, 2025

Show notes

Gaby Dalkin joins us this week to share her journey to conceiving her daughter Poppy, and the struggles she went through along the way. At the time, Poppy was just a few weeks old, and Gaby was living the freshly postpartum life. She shares with us that she went through five miscarriages on her journey to having Poppy, and that she hopes all moms with similar experiences know they are not alone. So many women experience miscarriage, and Gaby hopes sharing her story can help destigmatize the conversation around miscarriage and fertility struggles.
Please join us on YouTube for our full conversation and many more on video!

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