When a new baby arrives, the whole family’s nervous system changes. In this episode, we’re talking about what helps families thrive in the postpartum season, especially how dads and partners can become the steady, emotionally present anchor their home needs.

We break down:

• What it means to be anchored, not stoic (emotional presence vs. emotional shutdown)

• Why nervous system regulation and co-regulation are game-changers for moms, dads, and babies

• Two practical breathing tools (Wim Hof method + 4-2-6-2 pattern) that calm your body fast

• How to create a “commute reset” to shift from work mode to family mode

• Micro-scripts for staying connected instead of defensive in tough moments

• The link between emotionally present partners and lower postpartum depression rates

This conversation is for dads, partners, and anyone who wants to understand how emotional steadiness and nervous system awareness can transform postpartum relationships.

Stay to the end for a short behind-the-scenes chat about how parenting, research, and humanity are evolving (and why this generation of parents has the tools to do it differently.)

Resources mentioned:

• DadVantage small group for dads

• Confident Mom Reset program

• Previous episodes on co-regulation & nervous system work

• Wim Hof guided breathing

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We're pulling back the curtain. This is our real planning convo on how we align language, debate “steady vs. stoic,” and map the tools before we get into a weekly podcast episode. It’s messy, honest, and meant to bring you right in the room with us.

This isn’t a polished episode; it’s the actual conversation we had to plan Tuesday’s show. We hash out what “steadiness” really means (not robotic, not shut down), talk nervous system regulation and “anchored presence,” and decide how to communicate it so both partners feel seen. You’ll hear how we align language, challenge each other’s angles, and turn lived moments into something you can try at home.
If you love the raw, unfiltered build-up before the mic goes live, tell us...should we do more Behind the Scenes?

Drop a quick DM or reply with your favorite takeaway.

• emotional steadiness

• emotional regulation

• anchored presence

• nervous system regulation

• masculine presence

• calm communication

• staying grounded

• relationship after baby

• emotional connection in marriage

• post-baby partnership

• choose it until you become it

• calm, curious, connected

• personal growth for dads

• healing religious trauma

• mindset shift

• embodied communication

• steadiness vs. stoicism

• how to stay calm in conflict

• how to be emotionally steady

• masculine steadiness vs stoicism

• how to regulate your nervous system in relationships

• nervous system and marriage

• becoming an anchored partner

• communication tools for couples

• how to show up steady for your partner

In this solo episode, Mike Skaggs — co-founder of Postpartum Together — speaks directly to the men stepping into fatherhood, partnership, and purpose in a changing world.

He shares a vision for a new kind of manhood—one built not on control or performance, but on presence, steadiness, and love. Drawing from his own experience in the NICU with his daughter, Mike reflects on what it means to protect through presence, to lead through calm, and to anchor your family through the chaos of postpartum life.

This episode explores nervous system regulation, emotional safety, and how men can practice the strength that steadies everything else. Because your family doesn’t need a perfect man—they need a present one.

Learn about working with Mike + Chelsea:

Postpartum Together Offerings

Book a free connection call with us

• modern fatherhood

• postpartum dad support

• nervous system regulation for men

• emotional safety in relationships

• fatherhood mindset

• redefining masculinity

• men’s mental health postpartum

• coregulation in relationships

• steady partner after baby

• new kind of manhood

• how to be a present dad

• mindful fatherhood

🔍 SEO Keywords

Early parenthood can fry your nervous system.

Hello overstimulation, zero bandwidth, and snapping at your partner or kids.

In this conversation, Chelsea and parent coach Manu Brune break down what co-regulation actually looks like between partners and with your baby, and how small, body-based tools help you move from survival mode to a livable rhythm.

We name the signs of dysregulation (short fuse, shutdown, spirals), why routines can help or hurt, and how to use simple anchors—breath, movement, flexible rituals—to bring your system back online. We also talk about the pressure to do it all, and why community lets you “borrow calm” when yours is gone.

If you’ve thought, “I should be handling this better,” this episode shows you how to build capacity instead of guilt.

More about Manu and Beyond Birth Basics:

Insta: Beyond Birth Basics: Parenting Reimagined (@beyondbirthbasics) • Instagram photos and videos

Website:Beyond Birth Basics | Coaching in Columbus, OH

Preorder her book: Book | Beyond Birth Basics

Work with Postpartum Together:

Insta:Chelsea Skaggs || Relationship Coach for Parents (@postpartumtogether) • Instagram photos and videos

Current Offerings:Chelsea Skaggs Coaching

Book a free connection call : Calendly

• nervous system regulation

• co-regulation

• coregulation in relationships

• dysregulation after baby

• postpartum nervous system

• overstimulation mom

• snapping at your partner

• yelling at your kids

• survival mode parenting

• parent burnout

• postpartum anxiety

• emotional regulation for parents

• nervous system support for new parents

• nervous system reset

• nervous system healing after birth

• relationship after baby

• teamwork in parenthood

• emotional safety in relationships

• calm communication in marriage

• rebuilding connection after baby

• parenting rhythm not routine

• flexible family routines

• grounding exercises for parents

• mindfulness for moms and dads

• capacity not perfection

• borrowing calm

• modern parenting pressure

• regulating together

• early parenthood overwhelm

• postpartum mental health

Becoming a dad after a baby arrives can shake a man to his core. In this episode, Mike opens up to share fears, emotions, and invisible battles many fathers face in the postpartum season. From feeling like they’re on the outside looking in, to wondering if they’re enough, we unpack what’s really going on behind the quiet moments and unspoken worries.

We explore why presence matters more than perfection, how provision without connection can feel like absence, and what it looks like for dads to build their own parenting playbook. Whether you’re a new father, a partner trying to understand him, or someone supporting a growing family, this conversation will give you insight into the emotional landscape of modern fatherhood and how dads can thrive, not just survive, in this new role.

Listen if you’ve ever wondered:

• Why dads often feel disconnected after a baby

• How to bridge emotional gaps between partners

• What it takes to feel confident as a new father

• Why being present matters more than doing it all

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything you can for your family but still wondering if it’s enough, you’re not alone.
A quick connection call can help you figure out what’s really going on under the surface and how to start feeling like a team again.
Book your free call here, and let’s talk about what support could look like for you two.

Keywords: fatherhood, postpartum, emotional connection, presence, family dynamics, inadequacy, parenting challenges, support for dads, mental load, parenting playbook

In this second part of The Stories We Tell Ourselves series, Chelsea and Mike get into how the stories we carry in early parenthood shape connection, intimacy, and identity.
They unpack why emotional disconnection and constant stress make couples feel distant, how to rebuild psychological safety, and why nervous-system regulation is key to closeness.

You’ll learn:

• How to externalize negative stories and stop the spiral of resentment

• What “matrescence” and “patrescence” really mean for your identity as parents

• Why emotional safety is the foundation for physical intimacy after a baby

• Practical ways to reconnect and repair when you’re both running on empty

Whether you’re feeling stuck in survival mode or missing the spark in your marriage, this episode offers real talk and practical tools to help you feel like a team again.

Keywords: emotional disconnection after baby, intimacy after baby, postpartum marriage help, matrescence, new parent identity, nervous system regulation, relationship coaching, postpartum relationship advice

Mentioned past episodes and links:

Regulation and the Nervous System

Emotional or Physical Connection, Which Comes First?

Matresence

Book a connection call with us here to learn more about how we support pregnant, postpartum, and current parents in their relationships.

Conflict after a baby is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to break your relationship. In this episode, Chelsea and Mike go deeper than their Babies & Bumps workshop to unpack the real difference between couples who thrive and those who drift apart: Repair.

You’ll hear:

• • Why conflict itself doesn’t predict divorce, but failure to repair does (thanks, John Gottman).
  • How rupture in relationships is like a muscle tear — painful, but with repair, it builds strength.
  • The dangerous stories we tell ourselves about our partners and the antidote of curiosity.
  • Practical tools like code words, repair steps, and “the story I’m telling myself…” to stop resentment from spiraling.
  • Why humility and vulnerability matter more than being right.

• If you’ve ever felt like parenting is heavier because you’re not on the same team or you want to make sure your teamwork is solid before the baby arrives, this episode is for you.

  🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:

  • The Invisible Load: How to See it, Share it + Stop Resentment Before it Starts

  • You Can't Fix a Relationship From Fight or Flight: Conflict, Co-Regulation + Repair

  • Prep for Us Coaching — October Cohort Interest Call