# Momwell > Momwell is virtual maternal mental health care for mothers across the United States and Canada: therapy with therapists who specialize in maternal mental health (PMH-C certified), virtual ADHD assessments, free self-assessment tools, and education on the real experiences of motherhood. Motherhood is hard. Care should not be. Is Momwell evidence-based? Yes. Momwell therapists specialize in maternal mental health and use evidence-based approaches. Independent research on the Momwell community, led by the University of Connecticut and the University of Toronto, found that 93% of moms felt less alone and 88% were more likely to seek mental health care after joining (details: https://www.momwell.com/research). Founded by Erica Djossa, MA, RP (Registered Psychotherapist), author of Releasing the Mother Load. ## Where we serve (online therapy by state and province) - [Online Therapy for Moms: Where We Serve](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy): Hub listing every US state and Canadian province where Momwell therapists are licensed to provide virtual therapy. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Ontario](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/ontario): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Ontario over secure video, including Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga. - [Online Therapy for Moms in British Columbia](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/british-columbia): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving British Columbia over secure video, including Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Alberta](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/alberta): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Alberta over secure video, including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Saskatchewan](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/saskatchewan): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Saskatchewan over secure video, including Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Nova Scotia](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/nova-scotia): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Nova Scotia over secure video, including Halifax, Dartmouth, Sydney. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Texas](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/texas): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Texas over secure video, including Houston, Dallas, Austin. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in California](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/california): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving California over secure video, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Pennsylvania](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/pennsylvania): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Pennsylvania over secure video, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in New York](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/new-york): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving New York over secure video, including New York City, Brooklyn, Buffalo. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Florida](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/florida): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Florida over secure video, including Miami, Orlando, Tampa. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Tennessee](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/tennessee): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Tennessee over secure video, including Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Virginia](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/virginia): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Virginia over secure video, including Virginia Beach, Richmond, Arlington. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Colorado](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/colorado): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Colorado over secure video, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Arizona](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/arizona): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Arizona over secure video, including Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Georgia](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/georgia): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Georgia over secure video, including Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Illinois](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/illinois): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Illinois over secure video, including Chicago, Aurora, Naperville. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Michigan](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/michigan): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Michigan over secure video, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor. In-network insurance available. - [Online Therapy for Moms in North Carolina](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/north-carolina): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving North Carolina over secure video, including Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Ohio](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/ohio): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Ohio over secure video, including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Washington](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/washington): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Washington over secure video, including Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma. - [Online Therapy for Moms in Wisconsin](https://www.momwell.com/online-therapy/wisconsin): Licensed maternal mental health therapists serving Wisconsin over secure video, including Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay. ## Therapy support - [Therapy Support](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support): Overview of maternal mental health therapy and the stages and areas Momwell supports. - [Preconception Support](https://www.momwell.com/preconception-support): Therapy for the trying-to-conceive and preconception stage. - [Pregnancy Support](https://www.momwell.com/pregnancy-support): Therapy through pregnancy. - [Postpartum Support](https://www.momwell.com/postpartum-support): Therapy for the postpartum period, including postpartum depression and anxiety. - [Motherhood and Identity](https://www.momwell.com/motherhood-identity): Therapy for matrescence and the identity shift of becoming a mother. - [Parenting Support](https://www.momwell.com/parenting-support): Therapy for parenting stress and challenges. - [Relationship Support](https://www.momwell.com/relationship-support): Individual or couples therapy for relationship challenges in parenthood. - [Miscarriage and Loss](https://www.momwell.com/miscarriage-and-loss-support): Therapy for pregnancy and infant loss. - [Mood and Hormones (Reproductive Mental Health)](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/reproductive-mental-health): How hormonal shifts across life (the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause) affect mood, and how therapy helps. ## Pregnancy, birth and postpartum - [Anxiety in Pregnancy](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/anxiety-in-pregnancy): Antenatal anxiety, what is normal versus when to get support, and how therapy helps during pregnancy. - [Depression During Pregnancy](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/depression-during-pregnancy): Antenatal depression, why it is not your fault if you do not feel joyful, and how therapy helps. - [Preparing for Birth](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/preparing-for-birth): Emotional and mental preparation for birth, including birth fear and processing a previous birth. - [Birth Trauma](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/birth-trauma): What makes a birth traumatic, that it need not be an emergency to leave a mark, and how therapy helps. - [Postpartum Depression](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/postpartum-depression): Signs of postpartum depression, the difference from the baby blues, and how therapy helps. - [Postpartum Anxiety](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/postpartum-anxiety): Postpartum anxiety versus ordinary new-parent worry, and how therapy helps. - [Postpartum Rage](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/postpartum-rage): Why postpartum rage happens, that it signals unmet needs, and how therapy helps. - [Intrusive Thoughts](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/intrusive-thoughts): Why scary, unwanted intrusive thoughts are common and ego-dystonic, how they differ from postpartum psychosis, and how therapy helps. - [Sensory Overload Postpartum](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/sensory-overload-postpartum): Feeling touched out and overstimulated in the fourth trimester, and how therapy helps. - [Sleep Deprivation](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/sleep-deprivation): The mental health toll of postpartum sleep deprivation and how therapy helps. - [Infant Feeding and Mental Health](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/infant-feeding-mental-health): Feeding guilt and pressure, fed is best, and protecting your mental health around how you feed your baby. - [Loneliness in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/loneliness-in-motherhood): The isolation of modern motherhood and parenting without a village, and how therapy helps. ## Fertility, loss and family decisions - [Infertility and Trying to Conceive](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/infertility-and-trying-to-conceive): The cyclical grief of trying to conceive and infertility, and how therapy helps. - [Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/miscarriage-and-pregnancy-loss): Grieving a miscarriage or pregnancy loss at any stage, with no timeline and no platitudes. - [Deciding to Have Another Baby](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/deciding-to-have-another-baby): Weighing whether to have another baby, including partner disagreement, and how therapy helps. ## Mood, hormones and reproductive mental health - [PMDD](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/pmdd): Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: severe cyclical mood symptoms in the luteal phase that lift after the period, and how therapy helps. - [Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME)](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/premenstrual-exacerbation): When an existing condition flares premenstrually, how it differs from PMDD, and how therapy helps. - [Perimenopause and Mood](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/perimenopause): How the hormonal shifts of perimenopause affect mood, and how therapy helps. - [Menopause and Mood](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/menopause): The mental health and identity side of menopause, and how therapy helps. ## Parenting, identity and relationships - [Mom Rage](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/mom-rage): What mom rage is, why it signals unmet needs rather than bad parenting, and how therapy helps. - [Emotion Regulation Skills](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/emotion-regulation-skills): How to regulate your emotions as a mom and repair after hard moments. - [Navigating Behavioral Challenges](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/navigating-behavioral-challenges): Handling tantrums and meltdowns, behavior as communication, and supporting your own regulation. - [Overstimulation in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/overstimulation-in-motherhood): Why motherhood can feel overstimulating and how therapy helps. - [Parenting a Neurodivergent Child](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/parenting-neurodivergent-children): Support for the parent of a neurodivergent child, strengths-based and affirming. - [Virtual Therapy for Moms with ADHD](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/virtual-therapy-for-moms-with-adhd): How therapy supports moms with ADHD with the mental load and executive function. - [Working Mom Guilt](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/working-mom-guilt): Guilt about returning to work, daycare, and career versus motherhood, and how therapy helps. - [Default Parent Burnout](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/default-parent-burnout): The burnout of being the default parent who carries the mental load, and how therapy helps. - [Navigating Resentment](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/navigating-resentment): Resentment toward a partner after kids, and how therapy helps you feel like a team again. - [Stepmom Support](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/stepmom-support): The unique challenges of stepmotherhood and how therapy helps. - [Grief as Your Children Grow](https://www.momwell.com/therapy-support/grief-as-children-grow): The bittersweet grief of children growing up, including the empty nest, and how therapy helps. ## Topics - [The Invisible Load of Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/invisible-load): What the invisible load is (the cognitive and emotional labor of running a family), why it falls on mothers, and how to share it. - [Maternal Burnout](https://www.momwell.com/burnout): What maternal burnout is, the signs, and how therapy helps moms recover capacity. - [Mom Guilt](https://www.momwell.com/mom-guilt): Why mom guilt happens, what it signals, and how to ease the constant feeling of not doing enough. - [Matrescence](https://www.momwell.com/matrescence): The identity shift of becoming a mother, why it can feel like losing yourself, and how to find your footing. - [Maternal Perfectionism](https://www.momwell.com/perfectionism): The pressure to be the perfect mom, where it comes from, and how to let it go. - [Boundaries in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/boundaries): Setting boundaries with family, partner, and work without guilt. - [Intimacy After Kids](https://www.momwell.com/intimacy): Rebuilding connection and intimacy in your relationship after children. ## ADHD - [ADHD Support and Assessments](https://www.momwell.com/adhd): Virtual ADHD assessment built for mothers, a free ADHD screener, and ADHD therapy. - [ADHD Assessment for Moms](https://www.momwell.com/adhd-assessment): Virtual ADHD assessment for moms: screener, assessment battery, and a report with recommendations. - [Free ADHD Screener for Moms](https://www.momwell.com/adhd-screener-for-moms): Free ADHD screener built around how ADHD shows up in mothers. ## Learning Center - [Learning Center](https://www.momwell.com/blog): Articles on maternal mental health, plus the Momwell podcast (hosted by founder Erica Djossa, formerly Happy as a Mother). ## Free tools - [Free Tools](https://www.momwell.com/free-tools): Free self-assessment inventories (the Invisible Load Inventory and the Personal Needs Inventory) and the Momwell wellness app. - [The Mom Rage Map (Free Quiz)](https://www.momwell.com/mom-rage-map): A free five-minute tool that maps what is fueling a mother's anger across nine areas of her life (her capacity, the invisible load, her needs, support, the standard she holds herself to, her sense of self, the systems around her, her history, and her parenting season) and shows her one place to start. Frames mom rage as unmet needs and depletion, not bad parenting. - [Operation Full Stocking (Free Holiday Guide for Partners)](https://www.momwell.com/stocking-guide): A free how-to holiday guide that teaches partners how to fill the stocking of the person who usually runs the holidays (most often mom): where to look and what to listen for across five categories (something to eat, read, wear, use and do for themselves), stocking-sized budget swaps down to the dollar store, common mistakes to skip, and a cheat sheet of their favorite things to keep all year. Delivered by email as a fillable PDF. ## Pricing - [Therapy Pricing](https://www.momwell.com/pricing): Cost of therapy, insurance, and direct billing. - [Assessment Pricing](https://www.momwell.com/pricing-assessments): Cost of the virtual ADHD assessment. - [Get Started](https://www.momwell.com/booking): Start therapy with Momwell. No phone call needed, just a short form that takes a few minutes. Momwell matches you with a therapist and checks your insurance coverage for you. ## About - [About Momwell](https://www.momwell.com/about): Momwell’s mom-centered care model, mission, values, and timeline: the Happy as a Mother podcast in 2019, the rename to Momwell and US launch in 2023, Erica’s book and the University of Connecticut study in 2024, and ADHD assessments plus in-network insurance in ten US states in 2026. - [Erica Djossa](https://www.momwell.com/erica-djossa): Founder and CEO of Momwell, registered psychotherapist (MA, RP), and author of Releasing the Mother Load: How to Carry Less and Enjoy Motherhood More (Sounds True). - [Press](https://www.momwell.com/press): Momwell and founder Erica Djossa in the press: TV, print and online, podcasts, and research. - [Our Research](https://www.momwell.com/research): Independent study of 569 moms in the Momwell community by researchers at the University of Connecticut and the University of Toronto, commissioned by the Daymark Foundation (surveyed 2023, preprint 2024). Since joining the Momwell community, 93% of moms reported feeling less alone, 92% being kinder to themselves, 90% feeling more confident in their approach to parenting, and 88% being more likely to seek mental health care when they need it. - [Our Therapists](https://www.momwell.com/our-therapists): The team of maternal mental health therapists. - [For Professionals](https://www.momwell.com/providers): Referral hub for OB-GYNs, midwives, and other clinicians referring patients to Momwell. - [FAQ](https://www.momwell.com/faq): Common questions about therapy, assessments, courses, and getting started. - [Contact](https://www.momwell.com/contact): Get in touch with Momwell. ## Articles - [024: What is the purpose of discipline?](https://www.momwell.com/blog/024-what-is-the-purpose-of-discipline): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [10 Actionable Ways to Improve Your Postpartum Mental Health](https://www.momwell.com/blog/10-actionable-ways-to-improve-your-postpartum-mental-health): You can improve your postpartum mental health by protecting your sleep, staying flexible with feeding and parenting plans, choosing the path of ease, and putting your own needs on an equal playing fi… - [100th Episode: Erica’s Husband Tells All](https://www.momwell.com/blog/100th-episode-ericas-husband-tells-all): You asked and we delivered! Frenel Djossa aka Mr. Happy as a Mother is here to answer YOUR questions about his transition to Fatherhood and his experience as we navigated my journey through postpartu… - [5 Benefits of Virtual Therapy for Overwhelmed Moms](https://www.momwell.com/blog/5-benefits-of-virtual-therapy-for-overwhelmed-moms): Virtual therapy helps overwhelmed moms care for their mental health without adding more mental labor. Research shows virtual sessions are just as effective as in-person therapy, and flexible scheduli… - [A Deeper Look Into Mommy Wine Culture: Recognizing Needs, Nuance, and Healthy vs. Unhealthy Alcohol Use](https://www.momwell.com/blog/a-deeper-look-into-mommy-wine-culture): Mommy wine culture is the social encouragement of alcohol use in motherhood, often framed as a lighthearted reward for hard days. Many moms can enjoy a drink without harm, but for some, it masks unme… - [A Deeper Look into the Mother Wound](https://www.momwell.com/blog/a-deeper-look-into-the-mother-wound): The mother wound is how you internalize your mother's trauma and limiting beliefs while growing up within a patriarchal society. Webster explains that it isn't about blaming your mother, who may not… - [A New Approach to Developing Secure Attachment](https://www.momwell.com/blog/a-new-approach-to-developing-secure-attachment): Secure attachment does not require a perfect mother, and the research never said it did. Attachment is an ongoing process shaped by experience, not a fixed label you pass or fail, which is why the mo… - [Adding a Sibling to Your Family](https://www.momwell.com/blog/adding-a-sibling-to-your-family): Do you worry about how your child and family will adjust to a sibling? Family therapist Bryana Kappadakunnel will help us ditch the worry and guilt about adding a sibling and embrace being imperfectl… - [Adjusting to Becoming a Dad: From Bonding with Baby to Changes in Relationships](https://www.momwell.com/blog/adjusting-to-becoming-a-dad): Becoming a dad is a major adjustment too, even though it gets less attention. You may face sleep deprivation, shifts in your relationship, friendships, and identity, and uncertainty about how to bond… - [Advice for Moms with ADHD: Challenges, Solutions, and How to Find Your Own Path](https://www.momwell.com/blog/advice-for-moms-with-adhd): If you are a mom with ADHD, the most helpful path is understanding how your own brain works rather than forcing yourself into society's ideals. Motherhood can amplify ADHD symptoms like executive-fun… - [Navigating After School Restraint Collapse: What Causes the Meltdowns and How You Can Help](https://www.momwell.com/blog/after-school-restraint-collapse-what-causes-the-meltdowns-and-how-you-can-help): After school restraint collapse is what happens when your child spends their whole self-regulation capacity holding it together at school, then melts down the moment they reach you. They are tired, h… - [Alcohol, CBD, and Cannabis While Pregnant and Nursing](https://www.momwell.com/blog/alcohol-cbd-and-cannabis-while-pregnant-and-nursing): OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Lincoln is going to help us unpack the effects of alcohol, CBD, and cannabis during pregnancy and nursing. - [An Insider’s Look at Surrogacy: What It Is, Who It’s Right For, and How to Get Started With a Surrogacy Journey](https://www.momwell.com/blog/an-insiders-look-at-surrogacy): Surrogacy is a pathway to parenthood in which a surrogate carries a pregnancy for another family, and in most cases she is a gestational surrogate with no biological relation to the baby. Families ar… - [Answers for Moms with ADHD: Symptoms, Hormones, Diagnosis, and More](https://www.momwell.com/blog/answers-for-moms-with-adhd-symptoms-hormones-diagnosis-and-more): If motherhood made your ADHD symptoms feel impossible to manage, you are not imagining it. Hormonal shifts in the perinatal period and beyond can intensify symptoms, because estrogen helps regulate t… - [Approaching Infant Feeding with Flexibility: What We Can Learn from the Data on Combination Feeding](https://www.momwell.com/blog/approaching-infant-feeding-with-flexibility): Approach infant feeding with flexibility rather than an all-or-nothing rule. Combination feeding, using both breast milk and formula, is a viable and common path that works for most families, and it… - [Navigating Career and Motherhood: Approaching Maternity Leave with Confidence](https://www.momwell.com/blog/approaching-maternity-leave-with-confidence): Approach maternity leave with a plan, and you give yourself room to navigate work and motherhood on your own terms. Open communication with your employer when about a quarter of your leave remains, a… - [Are Psychiatric Medications an Option While Pregnant and Nursing?](https://www.momwell.com/blog/are-psychiatric-medications-an-option-while-pregnant-or-nursing): There is so much miscommunication around taking medications during pregnancy and while nursing. The reality is that few doctors are thoroughly trained in reproductive psychiatry and many moms gets mi… - [Baby Blues vs. Postpartum Depression: How to Spot the Signs So You Can Seek Support](https://www.momwell.com/blog/baby-blues-vs-postpartum-depression-how-to-spot-the-signs-so-you-can-seek-support): Baby blues vs. postpartum depression: how do you tell the difference? It’s important to know what to look for, how to know what’s normal, and when to seek care. - [Babyproofing Our Relationships](https://www.momwell.com/blog/babyproofing-our-relationships): Everyone tells us we need to babyproof our house, but no one tells us we need to babyproof our relationship. Or where do we even start to do that? Kameela Osman is a social worker and psychotherapist… - [Battling Sensory Overload as a Mom: Drowning Out the Noise Takes More Than Just Earplugs](https://www.momwell.com/blog/battling-sensory-overload-as-a-mom): If household noise leaves you feeling smothered or on the edge of mom rage, you are not failing. Your auditory system is wired to react to sound, and as a mom your nervous system is already primed to… - [Becoming a More Conscious Parent: How Our Own Inner Work Impacts Our Children’s Behavior](https://www.momwell.com/blog/becoming-a-more-conscious-parent): Becoming a more conscious parent means looking within yourself instead of focusing only on changing your child's behavior. As Dr. Shefali explains, much of parenting is about regulating your own emot… - [Bedwetting and Constipation: What's Really Behind Toileting Struggles in Kids](https://www.momwell.com/blog/bedwetting-and-constipation): If your child is wetting the bed or having accidents, a common and under-recognized culprit is constipation, even if they poop daily. Held-up poop can stretch the rectum and irritate nearby nerves, t… - [Birth Trauma Part 1: How Birth Trauma Impacts Our Family Decision Making](https://www.momwell.com/blog/birth-trauma-part-1-how-birth-trauma-impacts-our-family-decision-making): A traumatic birth can quietly shape whether you choose to grow your family, and the most grounding step is to heal before you decide. You might feel pulled toward another baby as a "do-over" to recla… - [Birth Trauma Part 2: Facing Pregnancy After a Traumatic Birth](https://www.momwell.com/blog/birth-trauma-part-2-facing-pregnancy-after-a-traumatic-birth): Facing pregnancy after a traumatic birth means preparing from two angles: planning with your care team and healing emotionally before labor. Ask your providers questions, name your triggers and needs… - [Breaking Away from Mom Guilt: How to Lean on Values, Validation, and Self-compassion](https://www.momwell.com/blog/breaking-away-from-mom-guilt): You can break away from mom guilt by building awareness of where it comes from, anchoring in your personal values, and validating your own needs and emotions. Much of this guilt is fueled by intensiv… - [Breaking Away from the Invisible Load of Motherhood: How to Chart a New Path for Your Family](https://www.momwell.com/blog/breaking-away-from-the-invisible-load-of-motherhood): Start by making the invisible visible: name the mental and emotional labor hidden inside everyday household tasks, then talk through it with your partner so you can each own pieces from beginning to… - [Breaking Cycles And Interdependence](https://www.momwell.com/blog/breaking-cycles-and-interdependence): Psychotherapist Sian Crossley is here today to help us understand the complexities of codependency and codependent relationships and why we should all be striving for interdependence. - [Breaking Generational Trauma Cycles: Healing Our Past and Moving Forward in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/breaking-generational-trauma-cycles): You can begin breaking generational trauma cycles by understanding that motherhood often surfaces old wounds, then calming your nervous system rather than just trying to "do better." Start with aware… - [Breaking Out of the Default Parent Role: How to Communicate with Your Partner and Change Patterns](https://www.momwell.com/blog/breaking-out-of-the-default-parent-role): Start by naming what you actually need rather than listing what your partner isn't doing. Much of the default-parent dynamic comes from feeling unseen, so shift to "I" statements like "I feel unseen… - [Building Self-Awareness and Conscious Parenting: How Focusing on Ourselves Can Help Us Break Cycles](https://www.momwell.com/blog/building-self-awareness-and-conscious-parenting-how-focusing-on-ourselves-can-help-us-break-cycles): Conscious parenting starts by focusing on yourself, not on changing your child. When you tune into your own emotions, needs, expectations, and the childhood blueprint you carry, you can show up more… - [Busting the Dream Job Myth: How Moms Can Find Fulfillment at Work and Embrace Career Growth](https://www.momwell.com/blog/busting-the-dream-job-myth): Start by letting go of the "dream job" myth, the idea that the right work brings nonstop passion, purpose, and zero downsides. McGoodwin suggests turning inward to your own values rather than chasing… - [Can AI Therapy Help Moms? Pros, Cons, and Caution](https://www.momwell.com/blog/can-ai-therapy-help-moms-pros-cons-and-caution): AI therapy tools can give moms a place to unload thoughts, organize the mental load, and practice skills between sessions, but they are not a replacement for a licensed maternal mental health therapi… - [Can Dads Get Postpartum Anxiety? The Importance of Mental Healthcare for Dads](https://www.momwell.com/blog/can-dads-get-postpartum-anxiety): Yes, dads can experience postpartum anxiety. Like moms, dads face an increased risk of anxiety in the postpartum period, with most research estimating it affects around 1 in 10 fathers. In dads, anxi… - [Can Postpartum Depression Be Prevented?](https://www.momwell.com/blog/can-postpartum-depression-be-prevented): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Caring for the Postpartum Brain](https://www.momwell.com/blog/caring-for-the-postpartum-brain): Moms don’t get a lot of sleep, and new moms get almost none. This can be hard on our brain. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is here to explain how we can best care for our brains during seasons of life when ge… - [Carrying the Mental Load: How to Redistribute the Burden and Give Moms More Freedom](https://www.momwell.com/blog/carrying-the-mental-load-how-to-redistribute-the-burden-and-give-moms-more-freedom): If you have become the default parent, drowning in the noticing, planning, and remembering that no one else sees, redistributing the mental load starts with a mindset shift, not a chore chart. Your t… - [Changing the Way We Value Care Work: Navigating Culture and Norms and Creating a Ripple Effect](https://www.momwell.com/blog/changing-the-way-we-value-care-work): You can start changing how care work is valued by making it visible at home and naming it out loud. Care work—nurturing, emotional support, cooking, cleaning—is real labor that quietly defaults to mo… - [Co-Parenting and Blending Families](https://www.momwell.com/blog/co-parenting-and-blending-families): You find yourself entering single parenting unexpectedly, so what does that mean for your parenting situation and your child's situation? Therapist Abbey Williams is here to unpack the challenges of… - [Conscious Boundary Setting](https://www.momwell.com/blog/conscious-boundary-setting): We can all agree that children need boundaries, but it’s HOW we go about setting the boundary that makes ALL the difference. Boundaries I can be set in a gentle and mindful way, while also preserving… - [Coping During Postpartum with No Family Support: When Reality Clashes with Expectations](https://www.momwell.com/blog/coping-during-postpartum-with-no-family-support): When the village you expected never shows up, start by getting clear on the expectations you carried into motherhood and where they came from. Much of the hurt traces back to communication that never… - [Coping with Covid](https://www.momwell.com/blog/coping-with-covid): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Coping With Miscarriage and Loss: How to Grieve, Heal, and Find Support](https://www.momwell.com/blog/coping-with-miscarriage-and-loss): A loss is a loss, no matter how early it happened, and your grief is valid. Self-blame is common after a miscarriage, but these losses are almost never something you caused. You are allowed the full… - [Coping with the Mental Load](https://www.momwell.com/blog/coping-with-the-mental-load): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Day 1: The Difference Between Mom Guilt and Shame](https://www.momwell.com/blog/day-1-the-difference-between-mom-guilt-and-shame): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Day 2: Identifying Your Shame Triggers](https://www.momwell.com/blog/day-2-identifying-your-shame-triggers): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Day 3: Calming the Shame Storm](https://www.momwell.com/blog/day-3-calming-the-shame-storm): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Day 4: Dealing with Shame in the body](https://www.momwell.com/blog/day-4-dealing-with-shame-in-the-body): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Day 5: Dealing with Shame Thoughts](https://www.momwell.com/blog/day-5-dealing-with-shameful-thoughts): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Day 6 Bonus: A Beautiful Messy Journey](https://www.momwell.com/blog/day-6-bonus-a-beautiful-messy-journey): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Dealing With Your Child’s Triggering Behaviour: How Reparenting Can Help Us Regulate and Change the Way We Parent](https://www.momwell.com/blog/dealing-with-your-childs-triggering-behaviour): When your child's behaviour triggers you, the reaction often has roots in your own childhood, not in failing as a parent. Dr. Kennedy explains that noticing your reaction is the first step to regulat… - [Decluttering: The Secret of an Easy to Tidy Home](https://www.momwell.com/blog/decluttering-the-secret-of-an-easy-to-tidy-home): If your home never stays tidy no matter how many bins and labels you buy, the mess is probably not an organization issue. It is a clutter issue. Clutter signals to your brain that there is more to be… - [Discover Your Personal Core Values](https://www.momwell.com/blog/discover-your-personal-core-values): Your personal core values are the things that would matter most to you if nobody was watching—the foundation you build your work, family, and fun on. To discover them, dig beneath broad categories li… - [Dividing Labour Fairly in the Home: Redistributing the Mental Load of Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/dividing-labour-fairly-in-the-home): Start from the truth that the uneven split usually isn't your partner's failing or your nature, it's a patriarchal pattern you both absorbed. Name what's happening together, treat it as a shared prob… - [Do Dad’s experience postpartum depression?](https://www.momwell.com/blog/do-dads-experience-postpartum-depression): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Effects of COVID Vaccine on Pregnancy and Nursing](https://www.momwell.com/blog/effects-of-covid-vaccine-on-pregnancy-and-nursing): If you're pregnant or nursing, the COVID vaccine is generally considered a safer choice than risking COVID-19, which carries known risks to pregnancy. According to Dr. Perez, the vaccines went throug… - [Embracing Power as Moms: Reshaping Dynamics In and Out of the Home](https://www.momwell.com/blog/embracing-power-as-mom): If you've felt powerless since becoming a mom, you're not alone, and power may look different than you think. Author Shipman reframes power not as dominance, but as the ability to influence or affect… - [Embracing the 7 Types of Rest: Why Moms Are Exhausted and What Actually Helps](https://www.momwell.com/blog/embracing-the-7-types-of-rest): If you feel drained even after sleeping, you may be missing types of rest beyond sleep. Real rest means finding where you're depleted and pouring back into it across seven areas: physical, mental, em… - [Embracing Your Postpartum Body: Healing Body Image From the Inside Out](https://www.momwell.com/blog/embracing-your-postpartum-body): If you keep thinking you just need to get your body back, here is the truer starting point: your body never left. Learning to embrace your postpartum body heals from the inside out, not the outside i… - [Emotional Regulation Skills for Moms: Why Motherhood Causes Dysregulation and How to Regain Some Control](https://www.momwell.com/blog/emotional-regulation-skills-for-moms): You can build emotional regulation skills as a mom, but not by chasing constant calm. Start by noticing what triggers your dysregulation and how it shows up, whether emotionally, cognitively, or phys… - [Encouraging Healthy Screen Time Habits: Rethinking Our Approach in the Digital Age](https://www.momwell.com/blog/encouraging-healthy-screen-time-habits): Focus less on counting screen time and more on building a healthy relationship with technology. Let go of guilt and fear, and treat screens as tools to use responsibly rather than things to label goo… - [Encouraging Independent Play: Why Unstructured Play Matters and How to Foster It](https://www.momwell.com/blog/encouraging-independent-play): You don't have to play with your child all day to be a good parent. Independent, unstructured play is a child's highest form of learning, and the most valuable play often happens when you're not invo… - [Erica’s Husband Reflects on Sharing the Invisible Load](https://www.momwell.com/blog/ericas-husband-reflects-on-sharing-the-invisible-load): Start by separating your partner from the problem: the division of labor, gender norms, or doing too much as a family is the issue, not the person you love. From there, you can name the invisible men… - [Establishing Age-Appropriate Boundaries With Kids: How to Set Limits That Kids Want to Follow](https://www.momwell.com/blog/establishing-age-appropriate-boundaries-with-kids): You set age-appropriate boundaries by remembering the Three Cs: concrete, clear, and consistent. Pick your biggest challenge area, picture how you want it to look, and then teach, train, and practice… - [Establishing Family Values: How to Identify What Matters and Avoid Comparison](https://www.momwell.com/blog/establishing-family-values): Family values are guiding principles that shape how your family makes decisions and lives together. To establish them, you and your partner can each spend a couple of weeks writing down what matters,… - [Exploring Mommy Wine Culture](https://www.momwell.com/blog/exploring-mommy-wine-culture): Mommy wine culture has been made into a lighthearted merchandisable topic that can have serious consequences for those who find themselves trapped in it. Michelle Smith is here to share her relations… - [Fed is Best and Formula Can Save Lives: Why Rigid Breastfeeding Expectations Can be Harmful](https://www.momwell.com/blog/fed-is-best-and-formula-can-save-lives): Fed is best means a well-fed baby matters more than the feeding method. Breastfeeding, formula, pumping, or any combination can all be safe, healthy choices, and the right one depends on your baby an… - [Fostering Early Language Development](https://www.momwell.com/blog/fostering-early-language-development): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Fostering Emotional Development in Our Children: How Emotional Intelligence Can Change the Way We Parent](https://www.momwell.com/blog/fostering-emotional-development-in-our-children): Start with yourself. You foster your child's emotional development by building your own emotional intelligence first, then modeling and co-regulating from there. Notice what's happening in your own b… - [Fostering Independent Baby Sleep](https://www.momwell.com/blog/fostering-independent-baby-sleep): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Fostering Independent Play](https://www.momwell.com/blog/fostering-independent-play): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Handling Tricky Toddler Behavior: From Separation Anxiety to “Preferred Parent” Demands](https://www.momwell.com/blog/handling-tricky-toddler-behavior): Start by reframing your expectations: most tricky toddler behavior is developmentally normal, not misbehavior. Toddlers have limited impulse control, emotional regulation, and logical thinking, so ta… - [Helping Our Kids Cope With Change](https://www.momwell.com/blog/helping-our-kids-cope-with-change): Did you realize the moving from one thing to another actually drives the child’s behaviour? Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is going to help us unpack why change can be so hard to deal with and how we can ma… - [Hormone Health and Wellness for Moms: Busting Myths and Understanding Your Cycle](https://www.momwell.com/blog/hormone-health-and-wellness-for-moms): Hormones are real and they do fluctuate, but they are not behind everything you feel as a mom. A lot of cycle and hormone content online is myth or marketing. Pay attention to how you feel each day r… - [How Can Partners Help With Breastfeeding? Changing Expectations, Building Bonds, and Offering Support](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-can-partners-help-with-breastfeeding): How can dads help with breastfeeding–beyond bringing snacks or pillows? Dads can be fully empowered to contribute to nursing, forge bonds with their babies, and shape their children’s development. - [How Hormones Affect Our Mental Health](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-hormones-affect-our-mental-health): As women, our bodies are constantly experiencing hormonal changes whether it’s during our menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and so on. Did you realize there is a correlation between… - [How Intensive Mothering Creates Overwhelmed Moms: The Pressures of Modern Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-intensive-mothering-creates-overwhelmed-moms): Intensive mothering ideology, also called the perfect mother myth, is the prevailing set of beliefs telling moms to pour all of their time, energy, and mental space into their children, stay constant… - [How Our Childhood Wounds Impact Our Parenting: Unpacking Our Past, Breaking Cycles, and Moving Forward](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-our-childhood-wounds-impact-our-parenting): Childhood wounds often resurface in motherhood because caring for your child confronts you with what you didn't get growing up. Tendencies like people-pleasing and perfectionism, or a fear of harming… - [How Parents Can Avoid Information Overload: Maintaining Confidence in Our Decision-Making](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-parents-can-avoid-information-overload): Start by narrowing where you look. When you face conflicting parenting advice, pick a few trusted, evidence-based sources and set boundaries around your research, like a timer or a no-Googling rule f… - [How Partners Can Share in the Invisible Load and Reduce Mental Labour for Moms](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-partners-can-share-in-the-invisible-load): Partners can share the invisible load by treating mental and emotional labour as real, valuable work and taking an active role in it. Instead of deferring small decisions to you, your partner can mak… - [How Stressed Moms Can Cope: Understanding and Breaking Out of the Stress Cycle](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-stressed-moms-can-cope): You can cope with stress by completing the stress cycle, not just removing the stressor. Living in a constant activated state keeps cortisol and adrenaline circulating with nowhere to go, so your bod… - [How to Be a Valuable Support Person During Labor: Why Communication, Flexibility, and Planning Matter](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-be-a-valuable-support-person-during-labor): Start by talking with your support person long before labor begins. Tell them specifically how you want help, both physical and emotional, and how you want to feel during the process. Write a list to… - [How to Communicate Your Needs as a Mom: Why Being Selfless is Unsustainable in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-communicate-your-needs-as-a-mom): Start by getting clear on what you actually need before you try to communicate it. Many of us were socialized to be selfless, so we don't recognize our own needs or have words for them. Check in with… - [How To Deal With Toxic Positivity As a Mom: What To Do When Someone Invalidates Your Feelings](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-deal-with-toxic-positivity-as-a-mom): When someone meets your struggle with "just be grateful" or "enjoy every moment," name it kindly. Tell the person you trust that their words don't feel helpful, then say what would, like "I'd love it… - [How to Embrace Career Change as a Mom: Finding Your Passion and Overcoming Guilt](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-embrace-career-change-as-a-mom): Start by tuning in to the quiet whisper telling you that you want something different, then ask whether there's a change worth making. You don't have to overhaul everything at once. Often the wisest… - [How to Get Kids to Stop Whining: Strategies for Communicating With Young Children](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-get-kids-to-stop-whining): Getting kids to stop whining starts with hearing what is underneath it: whining is almost always powerlessness, a child who wants something they cannot have or has a need they cannot name. Scolding a… - [How to Get Paid During Maternity Leave in the US: Understanding Rights, Policies, and Options](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-get-paid-during-maternity-leave-in-the-us): Even though the US has no federal paid maternity leave, you likely have more options than you realize. Research three sources of potential pay: state paid-leave programs (like New York, New Jersey, a… - [How to Get Your Kids to Listen: Tips for Managing Defiance in Young Children](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-get-your-kids-to-listen): Getting your kids to listen can feel like an uphill battle. Join me as I discuss communication with little kids with Joanna Faber and Julie King. - [How to Heal From Religious Trauma: Breaking Away From Restriction and Discovering Who You Are](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-heal-from-religious-trauma): Healing from religious trauma begins with recovering from the trauma itself before seeking any new spiritual community, so you don't simply move from one controlling environment into another. Connect… - [How To Help a Child Regulate Their Emotions: Why Remembering the Good Matters](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-help-a-child-regulate-their-emotions): When your child acts out, look for the emotion behind the behaviour instead of trying to control it. Misbehaviour is usually a sign that your child is struggling to regulate a big feeling, not a meas… - [How to Help a Child With School Anxiety: Easing Worries and Promoting Resilience](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-help-a-child-with-school-anxiety): Start by focusing on the coping side, not the uncertainty. You can't take away everything your child doesn't know about school, but you can remind them they've handled tricky things before. Empower t… - [How to Know if You Have Postpartum Anxiety: Red Flags to Watch for in Pregnancy, Birth, and After Baby](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-know-if-you-have-postpartum-anxiety): The clearest sign of postpartum anxiety is worry that impairs your functioning. If your worries keep you from sleeping, eating, going out, or being present with your baby, it may be more than normal… - [How to Know When It’s Time to Seek a Postpartum Depression Therapist](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-seek-a-postpartum-depression-therapist): It is time to seek a postpartum depression therapist when symptoms like low mood, uncharacteristic anger, constant overwhelm, withdrawal, or not feeling like yourself persist beyond the first two wee… - [How to Maintain Friendships (and Make Friends) as a Mom](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-maintain-friendships-and-make-friends-as-a-mom): Start by rethinking what friendship looks like in this season: it doesn't need grand happy hours, just quality time folded into what you're already doing, like a walk or a grocery run. Reconnect with… - [How to Make Decisions with Confidence: Overcoming the Past and Learning to Trust Ourselves](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-make-decisions-with-confidence): If decisions feel overwhelming, it often traces back to never learning how. Many moms grew up in controlling or religious environments where feelings were dismissed and choices were made for them. To… - [How to Prepare Your Dog for a New Baby: Planning, Introducing, and Keeping Everyone Safe](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-prepare-your-dog-for-a-new-baby-planning-introducing-and-keeping-everyone-safe): Preparing your dog for a new baby is a big task. But with the right steps in place, you can create a plan and introduce your dog to your baby without stress. - [How to Raise Confident Kids: Breaking Cycles of Negative Self-Esteem](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-raise-confident): You raise confident kids by starting with yourself. Dr. Lapointe suggests shifting the question from "What do I do?" to "How should I be?" When you build guiding internal principles, you don't need s… - [How to Start Baby Led Weaning Without Anxiety: Overcoming Concerns About Starting Solids ](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-start-baby-led-weaning-without-anxiety): Start by waiting until your baby shows readiness signs around six months: sitting independently with good trunk strength and head support. Offer soft, finger-sized strips of whole foods they can pick… - [How to Support a Child Going Through Transitions: Strategies for Separation Anxiety, Back-to-School, and Beyond](https://www.momwell.com/blog/how-to-support-a-child-going-through-transitions): Support your child through a transition by preparing them ahead of time and showing up as a calm, in-charge parent. Get curious about the worries underneath their anxiety, then reassure them they're… - [Imposter Syndrome in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/imposter-syndrome-in-motherhood): Imposter syndrome loves to creep in when you are trying something new, different, and challenging. It can be especially prevalent in motherhood because motherhood doesn't come with clear guidelines o… - [Informed Co-sleeping: Bedsharing vs. Co-sleeping and Making the Right Decision for Your Family](https://www.momwell.com/blog/informed-co-sleeping): Co-sleeping, bedsharing, and holistic sleep–are they all the same? Learn the differences and the importance of open conversations about sleep. - [Interpreting Newborn Hunger Cues and Sleepy Signs: How to Learn Your Baby’s Needs](https://www.momwell.com/blog/interpreting-newborn-hunger-cues-and-sleepy-signs): Watch for cues in three stages. Early hunger looks like lip-smacking, mouth opening, or sucking on hands; active hunger brings fussing, squirming, and rooting toward the breast or bottle; late hunger… - [Is Breastfeeding Worth Our Mental Health?](https://www.momwell.com/blog/is-breastfeeding-worth-our-mental-health): We feel so much pressure to have our feeding experience go according to our plan. But what happens when it doesn't? Johanna Phillips, a registered social worker is here to talk with us about breastfe… - [Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten? Kindergarten Readiness Is Different Than You Think](https://www.momwell.com/blog/is-my-child-ready-for-kindergarten): Kindergarten readiness is not about ABCs and 123s. The research does not support pushing academics earlier: children do not benefit from doing more at a young age, and rising standards ask kindergart… - [Is There Such a Thing as Healthy Perfectionism? Reframing the Concept of “Perfect” in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/is-there-such-a-thing-as-healthy-perfectionism): Yes, in the sense that perfectionism carries two sides, and you hold both. Healthy perfectionism treats ideals as inspiration rather than something you must achieve, letting you keep your ambition wi… - [Kindergarten Readiness](https://www.momwell.com/blog/kindergarten-readiness): Kindergarten is always a huge transition, but this year is even more of a transition than usual. Preparing for kindergarten and making sure your child is ready has always been a source of parent stre… - [Learning How to Be a Stepmom: Navigating Competing Expectations and Embracing Your Role](https://www.momwell.com/blog/learning-how-to-be-a-stepmom): Learning how to be a stepmom means letting go of the pressure to be perfect and releasing the idea that your blended family should function like a first family. You will face contradictory expectatio… - [Learning to Fight Fair](https://www.momwell.com/blog/learning-to-fight-fair): Conversations with our partners become very high stakes after children are born. Therapist Elizabeth Earnshaw is here to introduce key skills so we can learn to disagree in a way that strengthens our… - [Learning to Love Your Postpartum Body](https://www.momwell.com/blog/learning-to-love-your-postpartum-body): After our baby is born, we are met with so much pressure to snap back and look like we never gave birth. It’s important for us to realize that how our body looks does not define who we are as a mom. - [Loneliness and Isolation in Motherhood: How to Find Your Tribe and Feel Connected Again](https://www.momwell.com/blog/loneliness-and-isolation-on-motherhood): Loneliness in motherhood is incredibly common, and you can feel it even when you are surrounded by people. It largely stems from the loss of the village, families living apart, and social media fueli… - [Maintaining Your Identity in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/maintaining-your-identity-in-motherhood): Motherhood has a way of shaping each of us. Every Mom evolves over time. It's important for us maintain our identity in motherhood through exploration, rediscovery, and prioritizing that time spent o… - [Making—And Keeping—Mommy Friends](https://www.momwell.com/blog/making-and-keeping-mommy-friends): Start by investing in a few key people rather than collecting acquaintances, and treat the lonely feeling as a signal to reach out now. Look for reciprocity, reliability, and two-way trust, and let v… - [Making Evidence Based Birth Decisions: Understanding the Research and Your Options](https://www.momwell.com/blog/making-evidence-based-birth-decisions): An evidence based birth rests on three components: accurate information about the benefits and risks of your options, a care provider who stays current on research and applies it to your situation, a… - [Making Informed Decisions About Baby Sleep](https://www.momwell.com/blog/making-informed-decisions-about-baby-sleep): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Making the “Right” Parenting Decisions: Examining Evidence, Tuning Into Your Values, and Trusting Yourself](https://www.momwell.com/blog/making-the-right-parenting-decisions): Stop hunting for the single "right" choice and instead combine solid evidence with your own family's values. Most parenting decisions have a wide range of workable answers, not one perfect one, so as… - [Managing Maternal Sleep Deprivation: Breaking the Momsomnia Habit and Establishing Healthy Sleep Hygiene](https://www.momwell.com/blog/managing-maternal-sleep-deprivation): You can ease maternal sleep deprivation by protecting your own sleep instead of trying to control your baby's. Start with small, calming habits: a consistent bedtime, a wind-down routine in dim light… - [Managing Mom Anxiety: Why Millennial Moms Are So Anxious and How to Overcome Our Fears](https://www.momwell.com/blog/managing-mom-anxiety): Mom anxiety often reaches far beyond the postpartum period, and you are not alone in feeling it. The psychologist Dr. Cook describes an approach called empowered acceptance: accept the reality of a s… - [Managing Perfectionism in Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/managing-perfectionism-in-motherhood): You can manage perfectionism in motherhood by noticing when it stops serving you and starts keeping you stuck, paralyzed, or distressed. As Dr. Douglas explains, a small dose motivates good action, b… - [Managing Screen Time Without Guilt](https://www.momwell.com/blog/managing-screen-time-without-guilt): Managing screen time without guilt starts with dropping the all-or-nothing thinking. The research does not show that moderate screen time damages children; the recommendations are built on educationa… - [Managing Tantrums According to Science](https://www.momwell.com/blog/managing-tantrums-according-to-science): The true work of parenting is being able to regulate ourselves in the face of their big reactions. To better understand what causes our children to react this way, we’ll learn about what’s actually h… - [Melissa Bernstein's Journey with Depression and Anxiety](https://www.momwell.com/blog/melissa-bernsteins-journey-with-depression-and-anxiety): From the outside, everyone saw her as a successful woman and mother. Join Melissa Bernstein and I as we talk about her personal journey with depression, how she was able to become the woman and mothe… - [Mindfulness for Mommy Rage](https://www.momwell.com/blog/mindfulness-for-mommy-rage): If you snap at your kids and then drown in shame, you are not flawed. Mom rage often rises from the limbic system, beneath your conscious awareness, where old experiences and feelings get triggered b… - [Minimizing Mental Clutter: How To Embrace Less and Find More Calm in the Chaos of Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/minimizing-mental-clutter): Start by getting the clutter out of your head and onto paper. Set a timer, write down every thought, then sort them into what you need to execute, what you need to plan, and what you're worried about… - [Modeling Consent in Parenthood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/modeling-consent-in-parenthood): You can teach kids consent—both that they own their body and are in charge of who touches and respecting others boundaries. Psychotherapist Jessica VanderWier will help us understand what consent loo… - [Mom Brain](https://www.momwell.com/blog/mom-brain): If you feel forgetful or foggy in late pregnancy and early postpartum, you are not broken. Most moms report some memory changes, and Dr. Pawluski explains that your brain is becoming more efficient f… - [Momming With ADHD](https://www.momwell.com/blog/momming-with-adhd): Dr. Melissa Shepard is going to help us understand what ADHD is and the impact it can have on our parenting. - [Mommy Burnout: How to Recognize It and Recover Before You Run on Empty](https://www.momwell.com/blog/mommy-burnout): If constant exhaustion, a creeping detachment from your kids and the moments you used to enjoy, and the feeling that you are always falling short have crept in, that is mom burnout. It is chronic exh… - [Myths About Toddler Behavior: How to Reclaim the "Terrible Twos"](https://www.momwell.com/blog/myths-about-toddler-behavior): Much of what looks like toddler misbehavior is simply normal development. Between ages one and three, toddlers are curious, still learning to communicate, and not yet able to deliberately defy you. W… - [Navigating Boundaries in Motherhood: How to Protect Your Energy and Set Limits That Stick](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-boundaries-in-motherhood): A boundary is simply how you show and tell people the way you want to be treated, and in motherhood it is what protects your energy from draining away. You cannot have real self-care without it. Get… - [Navigating Culture and Mental Health in Motherhood: Traditions, Boundaries, and Carving Out Your Own Path](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-culture-and-mental-health-in-motherhood): You can honor your cultural roots while carving out your own path as a mom. Culture shapes how you parent, set boundaries, and approach your mental health, often adding an invisible load for moms of… - [Navigating Different Sex Drives in Parenthood: What Impacts Libido and How to Reconnect](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-different-sex-drives-in-parenthood): Different sex drives after baby are common, and a new normal is possible. Recognize that desire comes in two styles: spontaneous, which arrives out of the blue, and responsive, which builds in reacti… - [Navigating Friendships in Motherhood: Why Making Mom Friends Feels So Hard](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-friendships-in-motherhood-why-making-mom-friends-feels-so-hard): Making mom friends feels hard because motherhood reshapes your time, energy, and identity all at once, leaving little room to nurture connection. The invisible load, exhaustion, and post-pandemic iso… - [Navigating Intimacy After Children](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-intimacy-after-children): Have you and your partner struggled to find your groove postpartum? So many women I speak with wonder why they have no sex drive or why they struggle with arousal. Sex is a hot topic! - [Navigating Loneliness in Motherhood: Why Moms Feel Unseen and Invisible](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-loneliness-in-motherhood): If you feel unseen and alone in motherhood, you are far from the only one: 66% of parents report feeling frequently lonely, and 75% of moms say they feel invisible. Loneliness in motherhood grows out… - [Navigating Mom Shaming: How to Lean on Your Values and Overcome Toxic Mom Culture](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-mom-shaming): When mom shaming hits, anchor your decisions in your own values rather than other people's opinions. Surveys show 80% of moms experience judgment, often fueled by social media, perfectionism, and unr… - [Navigating Stress and Relationship Conflict as Parents: How to Work as a Team After Having Kids](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-stress-and-relationship-conflict-as-parents): Start by separating your partner from the problem and treating stress itself as the shared challenge. After kids, the demands of parenting can deplete your capacity to regulate, which makes conflict… - [Navigating Tantrums and Meltdowns: Understanding Sensory Reactions and Supporting Neurodivergent Children](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-tantrums-and-meltdowns): A tantrum is usually shorter (under 10 minutes), goal-driven, and ends once the goal is met or your child moves through it. A meltdown is longer, has no clear goal, and builds from sensory overload o… - [Navigating the Medical System and Reproductive Care: From Legal Concerns to Treatment for Loss](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-the-medical-system-and-reproductive-care-from-legal-concerns-to-treatment-for-loss): Pregnancy loss is not only an emotional experience; it is a physical one that can require urgent medical treatment, and the procedures that treat miscarriage are the same ones used for abortion. That… - [Navigating the Postpartum Period: 7 Ways New Moms Can Ask for Help](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-the-postpartum-period-7-ways-new-moms-can-ask-for-help): New moms can ask for help in the postpartum period by remembering that needing support is not failing, getting clear about their needs, and communicating with their partner regularly. Practical steps… - [Navigating Working Mom Struggles: How to Let Go of Norms, Expectations, and Guilt](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-working-mom-struggles): Let go of "balance" and anchor to your values instead. Balance sets an impossible standard, asking you to give 100% at work and at home at once. Your priorities will naturally shift with your kids' a… - [Navigating Working While Pregnant: Finding Our Footing and Embracing the Changes on Our Journey](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-working-while-pregnant): Start by accepting that working while pregnant brings mental, emotional, and physical changes, and that pregnancy and your career can coexist. You get to decide what to share and when, and who you le… - [Navigating Your Relationship After Baby: How to Keep Communicating and Embrace the New Normal](https://www.momwell.com/blog/navigating-your-relationship-after-baby): Expect your relationship to change after baby, and know that change is not the same as failure. Research shows most parents notice a dip in satisfaction in the years after birth, often tied to exhaus… - [Normal Mom Worry VS. Postpartum Anxiety](https://www.momwell.com/blog/normal-mom-worry-vs-postpartum-anxiety): Anxiety shows up in many different ways. It's important to learn about the differences between normal parenting worry and postpartum anxiety, how anxiety shows up in our lives, and when you should se… - [OCD in Postpartum And Motherhood](https://www.momwell.com/blog/ocd-in-postpartum-and-motherhood): Postpartum OCD has two parts: intrusive thoughts that come out of nowhere, like a sudden frightening image involving your baby, and compulsions you do to relieve them, like repeatedly checking. These… - [Organizing All the Mess](https://www.momwell.com/blog/organizing-all-the-mess): Picking up a mess that you didn’t make is so hard and triggering. The trick is to finding some organization hacks to help you conquer all the mess in your home. - [Overcoming Anxiety About Introducing Solids to Baby: How to Trust Yourself and Your Child](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-anxiety-about-introducing-solids-to-baby): Anxiety about starting solids is common, and you can ease it by trading rigid rules for trust in yourself and your baby. Equip yourself with evidence about safe infant feeding, learn that gagging and… - [Overcoming Formula Feeding Guilt: How to Let Go of Expectations and Pressures Around Breastfeeding](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-formula-feeding-guilt): If you feel guilty about formula feeding, know that you have done nothing wrong and you are far from alone, since 75% of families use formula at least some of the time. Research confirms formula is s… - [Overcoming Gender Bias in Healthcare: How to Advocate for Our Wellbeing and Find Doctors Who Listen](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-gender-bias-in-healthcare): Start by trusting that your symptoms are real and worth investigating. Look for a provider who listens, asks questions, and respects your choices instead of dismissing you with "it's just hormones" o… - [Overcoming Gender Disappointment](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-gender-disappointment): When you first learned you were expecting a baby, did you have a preferred gender in mind? Dr. Renée Miller is here today to help us unpack gender disappointment. - [Overcoming Grief as Our Children Age: The Value of Acceptance and How to Be More Present](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-grief-as-our-children-age): Grieving your children growing older is a normal, human response, not a sign you regret your choices. As your kids need you less, old ideas that motherhood should completely fulfill you can leave you… - [Overcoming Mom Guilt: Rewriting the Motherhood Contract and Charting Your Own Path](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-mom-guilt): Mom guilt is a collection of negative feelings that make you feel you're not doing enough, as if your choices or even thoughts will harm your children. You can begin overcoming it by separating produ… - [Overcoming Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: Why Support Matters and How to Find Resources to Help](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-postpartum-depression-and-anxiety): Overcoming postpartum depression and anxiety starts with naming what you are feeling and reaching for support, well before you are in crisis. You don't need a diagnosis or a breakdown to ask for help… - [Overcoming Resentment in Our Relationships](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-resentment-in-our-relationships): While navigating your new roles as parents, it takes time to adjust our expectations of parenthood with the reality of our new roles. A lot of this resentment comes from our needs being unmet and the… - [Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts About Baby: The Role of Stress, Anxiety, and Anger](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-unwanted-intrusive-thoughts-about-baby): Unwanted intrusive thoughts about your baby are extremely common and do not mean you will act on them. They are just thoughts, not premonitions or hidden desires. The very fact that they horrify you… - [Overcoming Working Mom Guilt: Why Moms Should Never Be Ashamed to Be Ambitious](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overcoming-working-mom-guilt): You overcome working mom guilt by questioning where it comes from and reframing the beliefs feeding it. Intensive mothering ideals tell you to put yourself last, but a fulfilling career does not make… - [Overfunctioning Part 1: Do You Overfunction in Your Relationship? Recognizing the Pattern of Over and Underfunctioning](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overfunctioning-part-1-do-you-overfunction-in-your-relationship): Overfunctioning is taking on more than your share, stepping in to fix, control, or smooth over situations that trigger your anxiety, including doing things for your partner or kids that they can do f… - [Overfunctioning Part 2: How to Stop Overfunctioning in Relationships: Managing the Over and Underfunctioning Pattern](https://www.momwell.com/blog/overfunctioning-part-2-how-to-stop-overfunctioning-in-relationships): Overfunctioning creates an unhealthy dynamic in the home. Learn how to stop overfunctioning in your relationships with these management strategies. - [Pain Management During Shots for Kids: Supporting Children With Needle Phobia](https://www.momwell.com/blog/pain-management-during-shots-for-kids): You have real options to make shots hurt less for your child. Ask your pediatrician about topical numbing creams with lidocaine, use distraction like screen time, try a vibrating device like Buzzy at… - [Parenting Through Covid](https://www.momwell.com/blog/parenting-through-covid): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [PMS or Something More?](https://www.momwell.com/blog/pms-or-something-more): It is not a secret that our hormones play an important role in our overall mental health. Dr. Nichelle Haynes, a Perinatal Psychiatrist, will help us understand when those mood swings might be premen… - [Postpartum Rage vs. Parental Anger: How Social Expectations Create Overwhelmed Moms](https://www.momwell.com/blog/postpartum-rage-vs-parental-anger): Postpartum rage tends to feel pervasive, irrational, and present even in good moments, often arriving with other symptoms of depression or anxiety like hopelessness or disconnection. Parental anger f… - [Preparing for Labor and Delivery](https://www.momwell.com/blog/preparing-for-labor-and-delivery): Mommy Labor Nurse and Registered Nurse, Liesel Teen is here to help us understand what actually needs to go into a birth plan, how to advocate for yourself, and what to do when labor doesn’t go as pl… - [Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy: Unpacking Myths, Supplements, and Infertility Factors](https://www.momwell.com/blog/preparing-your-body-for-pregnancy): Start with lifestyle and evidence, not quick fixes. Take a prenatal vitamin with folic acid ideally at least three months before trying, and have your partner take one too, since half of fertility is… - [Prioritizing the Invisible Load of Motherhood: Valuing Our Own Time and Letting Go of Mental Labor](https://www.momwell.com/blog/prioritizing-the-invisible-load-of-motherhood): Start by valuing your own time and worth, because society rarely encourages mothers to do so. From there, question why you are the default parent, sort your mental clutter into what truly needs doing… - [Prioritizing the Mental Load](https://www.momwell.com/blog/prioritizing-the-mental-load): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Protecting Maternal Sleep: The Relationship Between Sleep Deprivation and Postpartum Depression](https://www.momwell.com/blog/protecting-maternal-sleep): Protect your sleep by building a night plan separate from the baby's. Aim for at least one unbroken 4-5 hour stretch, which gives your brain the restorative, deep sleep that scattered naps cannot. Sh… - [Racism and Privilege in Birth Work](https://www.momwell.com/blog/racism-and-privilege-in-birth-work): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Raising Securely Attached Kids: How to Foster Connection and Build a Lasting Bond](https://www.momwell.com/blog/raising-securely-attached-kids): You build secure attachment by creating a reliable pattern your child can trust, not by parenting perfectly. Focus on four things: light up when your child enters the room, show up for their tender a… - [Real Self-Care for Moms: Why Mindset Matters More Than Massages](https://www.momwell.com/blog/real-self-care-for-moms): Real self-care for moms isn't about bubble baths, massages, or anything you buy. According to psychiatrist Dr. Lakshmin, those temporary breaks can add to your mental load and never address what's ac… - [Rebuilding Connection and Intimacy After Baby: How Family Systems Can Help Us Navigate Relationship Challenges](https://www.momwell.com/blog/rebuilding-connection-and-intimacy-after-baby): You can rebuild connection and intimacy after baby by approaching your relationship as a team rather than letting resentment over the invisible load drive a wedge between you. It starts with building… - [Recovering From Motherhood Burnout: Holding Boundaries, Carving Out Space for Yourself, and Prioritizing Your Own Needs](https://www.momwell.com/blog/recovering-from-motherhood-burnout): Recovering from motherhood burnout starts with reducing the imbalance between your stress and your capacity. Because burnout is an imbalance of resources, capacity, and stress, you can ease it by low… - [Redefining Postpartum Fitness: Adjusting Your Goals and Healing Your Body](https://www.momwell.com/blog/redefining-postpartum-fitness): Redefine postpartum fitness around healing, strengthening, and caring for your body rather than chasing a size, a weight, or a timeline to bounce back. Start small with breathing and gentle movement… - [Rediscovering Yourself After Motherhood: How to Reclaim Your Identity and Embrace Your Passions](https://www.momwell.com/blog/rediscovering-yourself-after-motherhood): You can rediscover yourself after motherhood by giving yourself permission to want more than your roles as parent, partner, and professional. Identity loss is common, often driven by the invisible lo… - [Reducing Worry and Navigating the Health of Baby in 4th Trimester](https://www.momwell.com/blog/reducing-worry-and-navigating-the-health-of-baby-in-4th-trimester): After birth, you head home with your baby without a guide and you’re left wondering how do I navigate this fourth trimester? This episode is about all about how important the fourth trimester is and… - [Reestablishing Sex After Baby: Why Communication Matters and How to Create a New Normal](https://www.momwell.com/blog/reestablishing-sex-after-baby): Start with honest conversation, not a deadline. Sex usually changes after a baby, and even after a six-week medical clearance you may not feel emotionally or physically ready, which is okay. Talk ope… - [Regulating Your Nervous System](https://www.momwell.com/blog/regulating-your-nervous-system): Anxiety and trauma responses can cause our bodies to act in ways that may not make sense. Dr. Quincee Gideon joins us to help us understand our nervous system and manage its responses. - [Rejecting Diet Culture Mentality](https://www.momwell.com/blog/rejecting-diet-culture-mentality): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Rekindling Your Sex Life After Baby: Communication Is Key](https://www.momwell.com/blog/rekindling-your-sex-life-after-baby): Start with communication. Your sex life almost always changes after baby, shaped by physical recovery, the invisible load, resentment, and a lack of time for emotional intimacy. Rather than guessing… - [Replay of Navigating Intimacy After Children](https://www.momwell.com/blog/replay-of-navigating-intimacy-after-children): Shifts in your sex drive after having a baby are common and understandable, not a sign that something is wrong with you or your relationship. Breastfeeding, vaginal dryness or pain, stress, birth tra… - [Reshaping Mom Myths: Losing Your Identity in Motherhood and Transforming Your Mothering Journey](https://www.momwell.com/blog/reshaping-mom-myths): Feeling like you are losing your identity in motherhood usually traces back to the beliefs you were handed about what a mother should be: wiring from family, culture, and society, largely built on my… - [Resolving Conflict in Your Relationship After Baby](https://www.momwell.com/blog/resolving-conflict-in-your-relationship-after-baby): Conflict after a baby is normal and often healthy. Start by repairing instead of avoiding: when one of you feels flooded, take a 20-minute break, then return when calm. Work through it together by sh… - [Respectful Parenting as a Team](https://www.momwell.com/blog/respectful-parenting-as-a-team): Our main job as parents is to foster a secure attachment with our children. This can be done with respectful parenting where the goal is to see the real need behind the behavior and that the behavior… - [Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: Navigating the Emotions, Difficulties, and Challenges](https://www.momwell.com/blog/returning-to-work-after-maternity-leave): Returning to work after maternity leave often brings a tangle of anger, grief, guilt, and resentment, and feeling all of that at once is understandable rather than a sign you are failing. You can eas… - [Setting Boundaries With Your Mom and Mother-in-Law After Baby](https://www.momwell.com/blog/setting-boundaries-with-moms-amp-mothers-in-law): The unsolicited advice, the extra gifts, the kiss you asked them not to give. If setting boundaries with your mom or mother-in-law feels impossible, you are far from the only one, and it usually has… - [Sex As a Mother](https://www.momwell.com/blog/sex-as-a-mother): Board-certified women’s health physical therapist Dr. Sarah Reardon will help us unpack some of the vaginal issues and issues related to postpartum intimacy that may come up. - [Sharing the Load of Parenting After a Baby Is Born: Challenging Norms and Letting Go of Labor](https://www.momwell.com/blog/sharing-the-load-of-parenting-after-a-baby-is-born): Start by making the invisible load visible and questioning the beliefs behind it. The bulk of household labor falls to moms through patterns set in the postpartum period, not because you are best sui… - [Should I Have Another Baby? How to Decide What’s Right for You and Find Acceptance In Your Choice](https://www.momwell.com/blog/should-i-have-another-baby): Deciding whether to have another baby comes down to checking in with both your emotions and your logic, rather than relying on one alone. Reflect on the emotional pulls you feel, like gender disappoi… - [Sleep Training Doesn't Have To Be Scary](https://www.momwell.com/blog/sleep-training-doesnt-have-to-be-scary): Sleep is essential for babies and parents too. Aubrie is a psychologist who specializes in sleep, and she’s going to help us unpack what sleep training is and isn’t. - [Social Justice Parenting](https://www.momwell.com/blog/social-justice-parenting): Dr. Traci Baxley is here to teach us about ways we can use our parenting as a form of activism, teaching our children to show up and intervene on behalf of others. - [Support for Moms on the Breastfeeding Journey: Common Struggles and How Lactation Consultants Can Help](https://www.momwell.com/blog/support-for-moms-on-the-breastfeeding-journey): If your breastfeeding journey hasn't gone as you imagined, you're not alone. Breastfeeding is a learned skill, not an instinct, and common struggles like latching difficulty, supply worries, engorgem… - [Supporting Hormone Health with Nutrition](https://www.momwell.com/blog/supporting-hormone-health-with-nutrition): There are many hormones that each have a unique role to play. It's important to talk about the role hormones play in our body, how hormones are affected postpartum, and some basic ways to implement a… - [Supporting NICU Moms](https://www.momwell.com/blog/supporting-nicu-moms): Having a baby in NICU is terrifying and can be traumatic. Kristin Reinhart is a perinatal mental health specialist and a mom who survived 2 NICU experiences. - [Surviving the Baby Witching Hour: How to Cope With Colicky and Fussy Babies](https://www.momwell.com/blog/surviving-the-baby-witching-hour): Start by reminding yourself that your baby's crying is communication, not a sign you're failing. With an immature nervous system, crying is the only way your baby can signal a need or simply protest… - [Taking the Stress, Guilt, and Chaos Out of Mealtimes](https://www.momwell.com/blog/take-the-stress-guilt-and-chaos-out-of-mealtimes): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [The Break Tax: Why a Break Can Cost a Mom More Than It Gives](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-break-tax): You finally got the time off you needed, and somehow you came back more depleted, not less. That is the break tax: the prep you do before you leave and the cleanup waiting when you return can cost mo… - [The Data Driven Mommy](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-data-driven-mommy): Growing a whole human and keeping it alive can feel daunting! And the decisions don’t get easier once the baby comes. What if there was an easy way to make these decisions? Emily Oster is here to hel… - [The Difference Between Postpartum Depression and Postpartum Psychosis: Understanding the Signs and Risks of PPP](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-difference-between-postpartum-depression-and-postpartum-psychosis): Postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are separate conditions. Postpartum depression brings low mood, and sometimes rage or irritability, but you stay grounded in reality. Postpartum psychos… - [How to Care for Your Postpartum Vagina: An OB-GYN's Guide](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-happy-postpartum-vagina): To keep your postpartum vagina healthy, do less, not more. The vagina is self-cleaning, so skip scented washes, douches, and bath bombs, and use only water and a gentle washcloth. In the early weeks,… - [The Importance of Emotional Learning as a Mom: Breaking Cycles and Building Confidence](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-importance-of-emotional-learning-as-a-mom): Emotional learning as a mom means building the regulation skills you may never have been taught, while teaching them to your children at the same time. The biggest hurdle in breaking cycles is our ow… - [The Importance of Pelvic Floor Health: Why Moms Suffer in Silence and When to Seek Help](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-importance-of-pelvic-floor): Pelvic floor health matters because symptoms like painful sex, incontinence, or discomfort are common after birth but are not something you simply have to live with. When left unaddressed, these conc… - [The Importance of the Reproductive Justice Movement: Why Birthing Liberation Matters for All Moms](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-importance-of-the-reproductive-justice-movement): Reproductive justice is the right to have children, to not have children, and to raise children in safe, sustainable communities. It matters to you whether or not you are personally affected, because… - [The Invisible Load of Black Birth: Racial Bias and Struggles from Pregnancy to Postpartum](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-invisible-load-of-black-birth): Black moms carry an invisible load that goes beyond the one all mothers know: navigating racial bias in a medical system where Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die of a pregnancy complicat… - [The Invisible Load of Fatherhood: How Dads Can Challenge Gender Norms and Become More Involved](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-invisible-load-of-fatherhood): Yes, dads carry a mental load too. For fathers, the invisible load often centers on whether they should intervene: should you feed the baby, get up at night, or make a parenting call? You face contra… - [The Journey of a Bereaved Parent: Stefania Thomson’s Story of Navigating Grief and Loss](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-journey-of-a-bereaved-parent): If you are grieving the loss of a child, your feelings are valid and your journey matters. As Stefania Thomson shares after losing her son Jack, grief does not follow a linear path, and you cannot wi… - [The Mental Load of Deciding What to Pack for School Lunch: Letting Go of Perfection and Embracing Flexibility](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-mental-load-of-deciding-what-to-pack-for-school-lunch): Deciding what to pack for school lunch tops the list of daily stressors moms name, because it sits at the intersection of nutrition worries, picky eaters, time pressure, and Pinterest-perfect expecta… - [The Mental Load of Motherhood: How to Address the Imbalance of Household Labour](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-mental-load-of-motherhood): You can rebalance the mental load by making the invisible work visible and shifting from delegating to shared ownership. Start by naming the cognitive labour you carry, then talk with your partner ab… - [The One and Done Family](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-one-and-done-family): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [The Overstimulated Mommy](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-overstimulated-mommy): If you find yourself snapping when you're not angry, just overwhelmed, you're likely overstimulated. It happens when too much sensory input, like constant noise, floods your nervous system and your b… - [The Perfect Mother Myth](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-perfect-mother-myth): The perfect mother myth is a set of internalized expectations—drawn from your upbringing, media, social media, and culture—that say a mother should be selfless, enjoy motherhood naturally, carry all… - [The Pressure to Get It Right](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-pressure-to-get-it-right): Have you ever felt like a simple parenting decision was going to have a lifelong impact? Psychologist Dr. Jen Douglas is back to help us break free from this pressure of perfectionism and learn to tr… - [The Relationship Between Menopause and Mental Health: Symptoms, Impact, and Treatment](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-relationship-between-menopause-and-mental-health): Menopause can affect your mental health, not just your body. As estrogen drops during perimenopause and menopause, you may notice mood swings, anxiety, depression, brain fog, irritability, or trouble… - [The Relationship Between Sex and Motherhood: How Expectations Impact Desire and How to Reignite It](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-relationship-between-sex-and-motherhood): If sex has felt different, distant, or like one more demand since you became a mom, there are real reasons why. Sleep deprivation, body changes, the mental load, and the pressure to bounce back all i… - [The Rise of Stay-at-Home Dads and “Lead Dads”: How Fathers Can Take Initiative in Caregiving](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-rise-of-stay-at-home-dads-and-lead-dads): A lead dad is the go-to parent in his home: whether he stays home full time or works, he owns the caregiving and the mental labor, from tracking appointments to staying home with sick kids, often in… - [Navigating Matrescence: The Roller Coaster of Becoming a Mom](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-roller-coaster-of-becoming-a-mom): Matrescence is the transition into motherhood—building a new identity and adapting to the role—and it often feels like a roller coaster of ups, downs, and ambivalence. You may have pictured an easier… - [The Secret to a Secure Bond](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-secret-to-a-secure-bond): If we look to science, it has shown us that secure attachment is one decision that will aid in brain development and build a connection with your child. - [The Secret to Mindful Mothering](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-secret-to-mindful-mothering): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [The Self-Compassionate Mother](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-self-compassionate-mother): Self-compassion is a mindset and set of skills you can learn to treat yourself with the same care you'd offer a friend who made a mistake. Dr. Neff describes three components: mindfulness (acknowledg… - [The Stressed-Out Mom: Why Maternal Stress Matters and How to Create Support](https://www.momwell.com/blog/the-stressed-out-mom): If you feel stretched thin, it isn't a personal failing. Much of maternal stress comes from external pressures and systems, not a lack of grit. Stress management tips only touch part of it, so pair t… - [Tuning Out the Noise and Tuning into Your Child](https://www.momwell.com/blog/tuning-out-the-noise-and-tuning-into-your-child): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Under Pressure–A Recipe for Mom Rage: Why Moms Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It](https://www.momwell.com/blog/under-pressure-a-recipe-for-mom-rage): Mom rage is a growing, largely unspoken emotional crisis affecting moms across every socioeconomic group worldwide. It grows out of impossible modern expectations, the unpaid and unacknowledged labor… - [Understanding and Implementing Responsive Parenting: How to Break the Yelling/Shame Cycle](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-and-implementing-responsive-parenting): Responsive parenting means responding to your child while still honoring your own emotions, not forcing yourself to stay perfectly calm. When "never yelling" becomes the goal, every human moment feel… - [Understanding Anger Management for Parents Through a Scientific Lens](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-anger-management-for-parents-through-a-scientific-lens): When you understand the science behind parental anger, you can move from shame toward problem-solving. Dr. Siegel explains that when you get triggered, you shift from your receptive "upstairs brain"… - [Understanding Baby Temperament: How to Tune Into Your Child’s Natural Personality](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-baby-temperament): Your baby's temperament is inborn, not something you caused. Temperament is your child's natural way of responding to the world, and a more spirited or fussy baby reflects their wiring, not a parenti… - [Understanding Birth Trauma](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-birth-trauma): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Understanding Brain Development in Children: How to Supportively Approach Discipline, Meltdowns, and More](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-brain-development-in-children): Your child's tantrums, meltdowns, and defiance make more sense when you understand how their brain develops. Information flows from the bottom up, so the body and feeling parts come online before the… - [Understanding Empowered Parenting: Misconceptions About Respect, Breaking Cycles, and Parenting Differently](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-empowered-parenting): Empowered parenting means holding firm but gentle boundaries while letting your child voice emotions and assert independence. It is not permissive, and it does not mean never disciplining, never usin… - [Understanding Infertility and Secondary Infertility: What Causes the Struggle and When to Seek Help](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-infertility): If you're under 35 and have been trying for 12 months, or 35 or older and trying for 6 months, it's time to see a fertility specialist. Seek help sooner if your periods are irregular, sex is painful,… - [Understanding Insomnia: Why New Moms Struggle to Sleep—The Biological, Psychological, and Social Factors](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-insomnia): If you're a new mom struggling to sleep even when your baby rests, you're not alone. Insomnia means trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking too early at least three times a week. Pregnancy… - [Understanding Menopause and Mental Health: What to Expect and When to Seek Treatment ](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-menopause-and-mental-health): Menopause can affect your mental health, not just your body. As your hormones shift, you might notice anxiety, low mood, irrational fears, brain fog, or trouble concentrating—symptoms that often get… - [Understanding Mommy Rage](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-mommy-rage): Do you experience mommy rage? Do you ever lose it on the kids or your spouse and wonder when/how your fuse has become so short? Listen in as Dr. Ashurina Ream shares why mothers experience mommy rage… - [Understanding Options for Birth Control After Childbirth](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-options-for-birth-control-after-childbirth): Your birth control options after childbirth fall into three categories: non-hormonal (like the copper IUD or condoms), combined hormone methods (pills, NuvaRing), and progestin-only methods (the mini… - [Understanding Overfunctioning in Relationships: How to Change Dynamics After Baby](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-overfunctioning-in-relationships): Overfunctioning happens when you take on an outsized share of the household, mental, and emotional load, while your partner settles into an underfunctioning role of doing less. To shift it, treat the… - [Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance: What It Is, Why It Happens, and How to Navigate It](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-pathological-demand-avoidance): If your child reacts to everyday requests like "put on your shoes" with extreme resistance or meltdowns, you may be seeing Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). PDA is a nervous system response that p… - [Understanding Postpartum Depression in Dads and Non-Birthing Partners](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-postpartum-depression-in-dads-and-non-birthing-partners): Yes, dads and non-birthing partners can experience postpartum depression too. The signs aren't gendered: sadness, anxiety, fatigue, sleep and appetite changes, irritability or anger, poor concentrati… - [Understanding Postpartum Stress Syndrome](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-postpartum-stress-syndrome): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Understanding Intrusive Thoughts: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How to Cope](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-scary-and-intrusive-thoughts): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Understanding Secure Attachment](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-secure-attachment): Secure attachment isn't built by any single behavior like babywearing, chestfeeding, or co-sleeping. It grows over time through a repeated pattern of rupture and repair: you miss a cue or lose your p… - [Understanding Sensory Self-Care: How Overstimulated Moms Can Regulate and Regain Calm](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-sensory-self-care): Sensory self-care means noticing when noise, touch, mess, and interruption are filling you up, then using your senses in calming ways before you tip into overwhelm. Picture overstimulation as a cup t… - [Understanding the Holistic Approach to Baby Sleep: There’s More To It Than Meets the Eye](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-the-holistic-approach-to-baby-sleep): A holistic approach to baby sleep might not be what you think. Join us as holistic sleep expert Lyndsey Hookway walks us through a responsive sleep approach. - [Understanding the Mother Wound](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-the-mother-wound): The mother wound is the pain unconsciously passed from one generation to the next through your relationship with your mother, often rooted in a culture that blames or idealizes mothers rather than le… - [Understanding Your Hormones](https://www.momwell.com/blog/understanding-your-hormones): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Unpacking Gender Norms Part 1: Understanding the Connection to the Invisible Load: How Gender Shapes the Imbalance of Household Labour](https://www.momwell.com/blog/unpacking-gender-norms-part-1-understanding-the-connection-to-the-invisible-load): Gender is the strongest predictor of who carries the invisible load at home. Gender norms are the unwritten expectations tied to being a man or a woman, absorbed from childhood through family, school… - [Unpacking Gender Norms Part 2: How to Share the Mental Load: Breaking Away From Norms and Redistributing Labour](https://www.momwell.com/blog/unpacking-gender-norms-part-2-how-to-share-the-mental-load): Start by noticing the gender norms you've absorbed without realizing it, then talk openly with your partner about the beliefs underneath who does what. Sharing the mental load isn't a 50/50 checklist… - [Unpacking Mindfulness](https://www.momwell.com/blog/unpacking-mindfulness): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [Urine Incontinence in Pregnancy and Postpartum](https://www.momwell.com/blog/urine-incontinence-in-pregnancy-and-postpartum): Is it normal to pee a little when you laugh, cough or run? Is urine incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum normal? And if so, how long should it last? - [What Causes Mommy Brain? The Role of the Invisible Load on Forgetfulness and Brain Fog](https://www.momwell.com/blog/what-causes-mommy-brain): If you feel forgetful or foggy as a mom, it is rarely a sign you are less sharp. Research shows your memory often holds up well, while the invisible load of tracking appointments, feeding, milestones… - [What is Matrescence? The Transition into Motherhood (And Why Being a New Mom is Hard)](https://www.momwell.com/blog/what-is-matrescence-the-transition-into-motherhood-and-why-being-a-new-mom-is-hard): The transition into motherhood, or matrescence, often comes with struggle and shame. Discover how to avoid unrealistic expectations and ease the transition. - [What Millennial Moms Need: A Look at Maternal Mental Health, Pandemic Parenting, and Beyond](https://www.momwell.com/blog/what-millennial-moms-need): Millennial moms need empathy, support, and empowerment. According to Motherly's annual State of Motherhood survey, you're navigating perfectionism, an uneven household load, workplace inflexibility,… - [When Doctors Medically Gaslight Moms: How to Advocate for Yourself When You Feel Dismissed](https://www.momwell.com/blog/when-doctors-medically-gaslight-moms): If a doctor dismisses your concerns, trust the signals you notice during and after the appointment: feeling unheard, or catching yourself thinking your symptoms are all in your head. You can advocate… - [When Covid is triggering](https://www.momwell.com/blog/when-is-covid-triggering): Helping you cope with the load of Motherhood with a podcast, free resources, and online maternal mental health teletherapy services. - [When Mommy Rage Strikes: How to Prevent and Control the Anger](https://www.momwell.com/blog/when-mommy-rage-strikes-how-to-prevent-and-control-the-anger): If you feel mommy rage, you are not broken and you have nothing to be ashamed of. That bubbling, boiling-over anger is common in motherhood, and it is often a signal that your own needs are going unm… - [When Treatment Becomes Trauma](https://www.momwell.com/blog/when-treatment-becomes-trauma): Since so many mothers experience medical PTSD, I thought it would be a good idea to unpack what medical post traumatic stress syndrome really is and what we can do about it. - [Whole Brain Mommying](https://www.momwell.com/blog/whole-brain-mommying): Whole-brain mommying means noticing which part of your brain is steering you in a hard moment and choosing a different one. Bolte Dr. Taylor describes the left brain as the seat of language, worry, a… - [Why Does a Messy House Give Me Anxiety? How to Stress Less About Cleaning and Keep Your House Functioning](https://www.momwell.com/blog/why-does-a-messy-house-give-me-anxiety): A messy house often gives you anxiety not because of the visible mess itself, but because of the invisible load behind it, all the planning and decisions a single chore really requires. Add cultural… - [Working as a Mother: Navigating Guilt, Roles, and Sharing the Load](https://www.momwell.com/blog/working-as-a-mother): Working as a mother is really about the collision between two parts of who you are: the woman you are at work and the mother you want to be, each carrying its own pressures and expectations. Balancin… - [Working Through Conflict About Growing Your Family: What to Do When Only One Partner Wants Another Baby](https://www.momwell.com/blog/working-through-conflict-about-growing-your-family): When only one partner wants another baby, the most important step is to keep talking rather than letting one person bulldoze the decision or sweeping it under the rug, because avoidance breeds resent… - [You’re Not an Angry Mom: Why We Experience Mom Rage (and What We Can Learn From It)](https://www.momwell.com/blog/youre-not-an-angry-mom): You are not an angry mom. Mom rage is a symptom, not a flaw. It can signal mental health struggles like PPD, PPA, or burnout, point to sleep deprivation and unmet needs, or reflect mothering in a soc…