This week, we’re talking about the very real ups and downs of managing the holidays and the pressure to create magic for humans who are often cold, tired, or overstimulated. We game plan how to survive the season when school is out, routines are gone, and everyone (even us) is a little dysregulated.
There’s a lot of laughter as we recount the meltdowns, failed attempts at holiday fun, and outcomes of setting boundaries with family. From traditions we love to traditions that broke us, we share what we’re keeping, what we’re letting go of, and how we’re reimagining the holidays in a way that actually makes sense for our family right now. Whether that’s quiet mornings at home, saying no to things that don’t feel right anymore, or fully staying true to your nuclear family's traditions (bar crawl, anyone?), we’re choosing flexibility over nostalgia and letting our holiday traditions evolve with us.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes discussions around birth trauma and medical emergencies. Please listen with care.

We're joined again by new mom and friend of the pod, Katie Baxendale, as we continue our conversation around labor & delivery and postpartum recovery. Together, we unpack the moments that shaped us—everything from finding the courage to fire doctors who didn’t prioritize our well-being, to navigating the lingering resentment that comes from feeling betrayed by providers. We also dig into the heavy, often invisible layers of pressure and guilt that surround breastfeeding and the choices we make for our babies.

We open the door to the parts of early motherhood that rarely make it into casual conversation. These are the experiences that can feel too vulnerable to say out loud, yet become profoundly freeing once shared. Our hope is that by speaking them openly, no one has to feel alone in theirs.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes discussions of birth trauma, preterm labor, and medical emergencies. Please listen with care.
This week, we’re joined by friend of the pod, Katie Baxendale, who’s still fresh from her birth experience and finding her footing as a new mom. Together, we open up about how different, and deeply personal, each of our pregnancy and birth journeys were. We talk about moments that felt traumatic, times we felt dismissed or let down by doctors, the grief that comes with losing the full-term pregnancy we imagined, and the complicated guilt of having a “beautiful” birth while watching friends struggle.

It’s raw, honest, and emotional—but also full of connection, validation and tips on how best to support the women in your life going through similar.

If you’ve ever felt alone in your birth story, this episode reminds you that you’re not.