Honest Mamas Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 9 Working with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety Oct 31, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to episode nine of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to Dr. Kat about postpartum depression and anxiety.

Dr. Kat is a psychologist who helps you find ways out of suffering or confusion and into wellness. People go to her psychotherapy practice when they are struggling with things in their life and want to feel better. Her style of working with people is to be real and keep therapy down to earth. In her sessions, she uses compassion, insight and empathy in addition to her education and training to guide your healing. Her belief is that therapy should not be a mysterious process. She believes that you have the ability to get better. Sometimes we just need a little help; sometimes we need a lot of help.

You may have heard of postpartum depression already. There are other things that most folks don’t know about. The postpartum period is not always rainbows and puppy dogs, like we are meant to think it’s "supposed to be." For about 20% of women, the transition into parenthood can lead to severe mood changes. There are things that don’t go as planned such as: prenatal or postpartum depression, anxiety, trauma, OCD and less frequently, bipolar disorder or psychosis. These are serious, but very treatable conditions.

What you’ll hear in this episode

Dr. Kat’s experience of giving birth and how it opened her up to postpartum depression and anxiety
The primal instinct that lives within mothers when caring for a new baby
How this is a more common issue than people realize for new mothers
The physical aspects of giving birth that can lead to anxiety
The signs to look out for as these issues arise
How guilt and shame can play a big role in postpartum depression and anxiety
Ways in which to find support and help

Resources

https://drkaeni.com

http://momandmind.com

http://www.postpartum.net

http://www.postpartumprogress.com

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ppd-gone/id529141505?mt=8 (PPD Gone App)

Ep 8 Common Struggles on the Breastfeeding Journey Oct 26, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to episode eight of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today, we speak to Melissa Cole about how she became a lactation consultant, the shock mothers have when they find out how difficult breastfeeding can be, and discuss some common myths about breastfeeding.

Melissa has been passionate about providing feeding support since 2002. Melissa believes it is a great honor to provide nurturing, quality care to families as they work towards their feeding goals. In addition to comprehensive lactation support, Melissa also works with families coping with unique feeding concerns impacted by prematurity, food allergies, lip/tongue tie concerns, oral motor dysfunction, complex feeding issues, low milk supply, and beyond. Read more about Melissa Cole, founder of Luna Lactation.

Luna Lactation provides comprehensive support to families coping with feeding concerns. Our practice is a micro-practice. A micro-practice is a healthcare model in which a solo provider can focus on individualized, client-centered care since they keep their practice small. We only see one family at a time in an unhurried environment. Being a micro-practice allows us to provide continuity and high-quality, efficient care. Clients appreciate the ease of access they have when they need to reach the lactation consultant whenever questions or concerns arise. At Luna Lactation, we understand that feeding challenges are emotional and don’t always happen Mon-Fri 9-5! Prompt, personalized, mindful care is our goal and we hope you’ll appreciate the benefits of our micro-practice too!

What you’ll hear in this episode

How Melissa became a lactation consultant
The shock mothers have when they find out how difficult breastfeeding can be
How often Melissa sees breastfeeding not working for mothers
The major emotional impacts that can happen to mothers
Dealing with the grief of not being able to breastfeed
Ways relationships around a mother can be impacted from breastfeeding
How and why breast is not always best
How anxiety and postpartum depression can affect breastfeeding

Resources

http://www.lunalactation.com http://www.llli.org

Ep 7 Parenting with Self-Compassion Oct 24, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to episode seven of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to Meredith Garcia, LMFT about parenting self-compassion.

A licensed marriage and family therapist, Meredith is skilled in teaching parents how to increase their own sense of well-being and pass that skill on to their children. Drawing from her professional training in areas such as depth psychology, attachment theory, and affective neuroscience, Meredith provides parents with useful and practical tools to help manage stress, increase self-awareness, and strengthen parent/child relationships. Her professional work also includes individual and couple psychotherapy and parent consultation. Meredith received her master’s degree in counseling psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is also the mother of two young children.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How Meredith became interested in parenting with compassion
Learning how to forgive yourself when you make a mistake parenting
How to control and manage your triggers better
Checking in with yourself and being more mindful
The ways in which our upbringing can affect the way we raise our own kids
How self-compassion can change your brain function and chemistry
Knowing that you’re not alone through this journey
The importance of repair

Resources

http://www.meredithgarcia.com

Ep 6 A Loving Alternative to the Mommy Wars Oct 19, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to episode six of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to Claire Colaco about the issue of mommy wars.

Claire's first job as a therapist is to listen and understand. Deep listening is a time-honored tradition and fundamental to healing. Claire strives to create a safe and nurturing relationship with clients that is a source of comfort and inspiration. Clients inspire her too! She practices spiritually grounded psychotherapy. This means she see's life's challenges as, fundamentally, opportunities to grow spiritually and as a whole person. To her, the process of healing is beautiful and miraculous, something that gives us glimpses of a benevolent force much greater than ourselves.

Claire has experience working with adults, couples, families and children. She brings a variety of healing modalities to my work that help to integrate and build mind/body/spirit awareness. These include: working with the unconscious, mindfulness training, somatic techniques, dream work, cognitive behavioral therapy, and behavioral modification utilizing goal setting.

Her areas of expertise include: Depression/Anxiety; Life Transitions; Eating Issues/Body Image Concerns; Spirituality; Parenthood; Survivors of Childhood Abuse and Neglect; Marriage/Partnership; Prenatal, Pregnancy and Postpartum

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How Claire became interested in the topic of mommy wars
In what environments, you can expect to experience mommy wars
Why we engage in mommy wars
Learning to tune into your own intuition
Bridging the gap between self-care and vulnerability
How to take a loving alternative to judgement and criticism

Resources

http://www.clairecolaco.com

Ep 5 Yoga & Spirituality on the Motherhood Journey Oct 17, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to episode five of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today we speak to Beth Gibney-Boulden, RYT, M.Ed about spirituality and finding calm after a baby comes into your life.

Beth's study of yoga began in 1996, while completing her Masters degree in Counseling at Springfield College. In search of mental stillness and physical health, she found yoga to be a centering and inspiring refuge from the demands of daily life. She continued her personal exploration of yoga while working for 12 years as a college administrator in student leadership development. In 2005, Beth received her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and began to use yoga in her leadership development work with college students both in the U.S. and abroad. Teaching yoga is now her full time passion. Beth specializes in yoga for women, and has received certifications in Prenatal Yoga, Fertility Yoga, and Pelvic Yoga for Women.

Beth is committed to a daily practice of mantra, meditation and prayer. She enjoys helping others to create their own personalized practice of yoga. In addition to group classes, Beth offers private sessions to individuals, couples, and small groups in search of transformation.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How moms in Beth’s classes are progressing through the postpartum journey
Normalizing the experience of giving birth to a child (however you gave birth)
Understanding how every child / pregnancy will be different
The healing experience of yoga
Being present for yourself and your baby
Learning to trust our intuition
Ways in which younger women giving birth can be calm and less anxious
The importance of community
Finding your own place within a community
Knowing you’re not alone and don’t need to be a “perfect mother”

Resources

http://www.creationyoga.net

Ep 4 Birth Trauma * Trigger Warning Sensitive Content Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

Episode 04 Birth Trauma * Trigger Warning Sensitive Content with Melissa Divaris Thompson, LMFT

Welcome to episode four of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today Melissa and Sophie talk about Birth Trauma.

The term “birth trauma” specifically refers to adverse experiences one has during birth, but any traumatic events that take place between conception and about the age of three can have particular significance in shaping an individual’s life.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

What birth trauma is
Melissa’s experience of giving birth to her first child
How trauma effected Melissa’s first birth
How trauma can also cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Ways in which women can have a more empowered birth
The need to open up and talk about birth trauma and lead with vulnerability
Empowering and owning your voice
Seeking out the right support and being honest about the experience

Resources

https://honestmamas.com

Ep 3 Partnership Struggles After Baby Oct 09, 2017

Show notes

Episode 3 Parternship Struggles After Baby with Sophie McEntee, LMFT & Claire Colaço, LMFT

Welcome to episode three of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today Claire and Sophie talk about the transition from being a couple to being a couple with a baby.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How the pressure of having a baby can affect a couple’s relationship
The dynamic changes that can happen when you and your partner move at different paces
Attachment: why it’s important
Tools that couples can use to better navigate the challenges of having a baby
Learning to make space for better communication without putting your ideas onto your partner
The need to try and have more patience through this process
The importance of forgiveness and knowing that none of us are perfect

Resources

https://honestmamas.com

Ep 2 Pregnancy & Self-Care Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

Episode 2 Pregnancy & Self Care with Silvie Falschlunger, PhD, CCE, CD, CLC

Today we are joined by Silvie Falschlunger, who works with first-time parents, second- and multiple-time parents, VBAC parents, women with special medical and psychological needs, women whose husbands were unable to attend their birth, natural childbirth women, women who decided on a water birth, women choosing an epidural, and women who experienced Caesarean Birth.

She works with clients in Westchester, Southern Connecticut and New York City in a variety of settings: hospital, birthing center or home.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How women take care of themselves during pregnancy
Concerns pregnant first-time moms have before they give birth
The strain working moms go through in being expected to manage their career and give birth
Ways in which women can focus purely on their pregnancy
How to best connect with a growing baby during pregnancy
The importance of having good nutrition
How connecting with your baby can alleviate anxiety and fear
Ways in which women who adopt or have a surrogate can bond
The importance of good physical health throughout pregnancy

Resources

http://birth-in-motion.com

Ep 1 Longing on the Fertility Journey Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to the first episode of the Honest Mamas Podcast! Today Melissa talks to Sophie about how longing along the path of infertility has affected Sophie’s life, the role that shame can play on this journey and the need to shine a light on the stories of women going through this experience.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

How Sophie’s struggle with infertility began when she was in her mid-thirties
The overwhelming and upsetting feelings that can come up with infertility
How longing on the fertility journey can normalize the experience and make women feel less isolated
The role that shame and self-criticism can play on this journey
Ways in which to lovingly stay with the longing as opposed to turning or running away from it
Overcoming the loss of control infertility can bring
Learning to stay present and the key to tolerating your feelings
The need to shine a light on the stories of women going through this experience
Why it’s ok to rely on love and support from someone in your life or a community
The importance of learning to love yourself through this process

Resources

https://honestmamas.com

Ep 0 Honest Mamas, Who We Are Sep 28, 2017

Show notes

Honest Mama Founders, Sophie, Melissa and Claire are psychotherapists, moms, and friends. They share the inspiration behind creating this podcast and a bit about the pregnancy, fertility, parenting and motherhood themes you can expect to hear about along the way.

Find out more about Honest Mamas - https://honestmamas.com

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