Early motherhood can feel like a beautiful upheaval. Your routines shift, your body changes, your identity stretches, and the relationships you rely on most are suddenly under pressure.

In this episode, we talk honestly about relationships in early motherhood. The ones with partners, with others, and especially with yourself. We explore practical communication strategies when patience is thin and needs feel hard to name, how loosening the grip on control can create more connection, and what it means to find yourself again after feeling lost in the postpartum fog.

This conversation centers the often overlooked truth that your most important relationship during this season is the one you have with yourself. If you’re navigating resentment, disconnection, or the quiet question of “who am I now?”, this episode offers compassion, language, and steadier ground to stand on.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Jacob Ambrose for a deep and compassionate conversation about navigating complicated family dynamics—especially during the holiday season. We explore why boundaries are essential, what healthy ones actually look like, and how to honor your needs without burning bridges.

Dr. Jay also walks us through why cutting off family isn’t always the only—or healthiest—solution, and how forgiveness, nuance, and emotional maturity can help guide our decisions. Together, we talk about repairing relationships, protecting your peace, and the importance of connection and community when things feel messy or overwhelming.

Whether you’re heading into the holidays feeling anxious, hopeful, or somewhere in between, this episode offers grounded, realistic guidance to help you show up authentically and care for yourself along the way.

In this episode, we dive into Ana’s very real and very scary experience in the NICU—and what it took for her family to survive it. She shares what those early days looked like, how she coped in the moment, and the ways the NICU journey continued to shape her life in the years that followed. We’re also joined by Dr. Celeste Poe, NICU psychologist at Stanford, who offers expert insight into the emotional impact of NICU stays, why parents often feel the way they do, and the tools that truly help families get through one of the most overwhelming chapters of their lives. Whether you’re currently in the NICU, supporting someone who is, or seeking to better understand this experience, this episode provides validation, guidance, and hope.