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In this episode of The Real Mom Hub, we sit down with Jill Woller — adoptive mom of two, former IVF patient, foster mom, and woman who has walked through more plot twists on her road to motherhood than most. And the end result? So worth it.

We talk about adoption, anxiety, ADHD diagnoses (for her and her kids), ambition after kids, and what happens when you stop being afraid of hard things.

If you’re navigating infertility, considering adoption, managing anxiety, or quietly reinventing yourself in motherhood — this one will steady you.

Main Topics & Discussion

When the Plan Falls Apart

Jill takes us inside her difficult IVF journey. The surreal moment of being chosen by her daughter’s birth mother. Adoption matching, failed placements, and the emotional whiplash of preparing a nursery… and getting a different phone call than the one you expected.

We also dive into the legal and financial realities of domestic adoption, failed matches, and the over $100,000 lost across two heartbreaks. This is an honest look at modern adoption in America — the hope, the bureaucracy, the hard parts, and the miracle. She doesn't sugarcoat the difficulties; instead showing us just how worth it the end result is.

For moms exploring adoption or walking through infertility grief, Jill offers grounded encouragement: educate yourself, prepare for uncertainty, and remember that love can coexist with loss.

The Mental Load No One Sees

After the babies came, the anxiety did too. We unpack therapy, medication, undiagnosed ADHD, and the quiet reality many high-functioning moms live with. If you’ve ever thought, “Why does this feel harder for me than everyone else?” — you're likely in good company.

Motherhood as Refinement

Out of financial pressure came a side hustle. Out of hustle came a marketing career. Out of loss came clarity. Jill talks about difficult chapters as fuel, why fear shrinks when you face it, and how motherhood reorganizes your ambition.

This episode is for the growth-oriented mom who knows the hard chapters are shaping her… even when she can’t see the ending yet.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
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What happens when the “perfect life” quietly cracks—and you’re the one who has to decide whether to hold it together or let it fall apart?

In this raw and unexpectedly hopeful conversation, we sit down with our dear friend Michelle (aka Mikey) to talk about motherhood, divorce, 50/50 custody, and what it really means to rebuild your identity from the ground up.

From primary parent to shared parenting. From white-picket-fence expectations to moving back home. From imposter syndrome to “Michelle 3.0.”

We talk about matrescence after divorce, mom guilt, relinquishing control, and choosing gratitude instead of bitterness.

This episode is for growth-oriented moms, single moms, divorced moms, and any woman rebuilding her identity in the thick of motherhood.

If you’ve ever wondered: Am I still a real mom? Did I fail? Will I feel like myself again?

Press play.

Main Topics & Discussion

Divorce, 50/50 Custody & Letting Go

Michelle shares what it felt like to go from primary parent to shared custody — and how releasing control became the turning point. We discuss co-parenting, custody guilt, and why divorce doesn’t equal failure.

Imposter Syndrome in Motherhood

Living with her parents. Parenting with shared custody. Avoiding a podcast called The Real Mom Hub because she didn’t feel like a “real mom.” We unpack some of the difficult feelings and narratives many divorced and single moms carry. This mom is rewriting the stories she tells herself and we couldn't be more inspired.

Michelle 3.0: Rebuilding Through Small Habits

No dramatic breakthrough. Just small, steady shifts — gym visits, gratitude reframes, filling her calendar, building a life on purpose. A powerful reminder that matrescence can forge strength, clarity, and joy on the other side of heartbreak.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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This postpartum update is less about how the baby arrived (although that was epic)—and more about what shifted after. Cally reflects on welcoming her third baby through a home birth and experiencing postpartum in a completely new way: slower, more supported, and deeply human. We talk about radical rest, receiving care without guilt, postpartum mental health, healing in your own space, and how community becomes medicine. This conversation gently but firmly dismantles the “bounce back” narrative and invites mothers into a more honest, nourishing vision of matrescence.

Main Topics & Discussion

Home Birth & Continuity of Care
Cally shares why choosing a home birth after two hospital births changed her experience—physically, emotionally, and mentally. We talk about safety, trust, staying in your body, and how midwife-led care reshaped her postpartum recovery.

Postpartum Rest That Actually Works
From the 5-5-5 model to pelvic floor recovery, we explore what happens when a mother truly rests—and how rest directly impacts healing and postpartum mental health, especially for women who struggle to slow down.

Letting Yourself Be Cared For
This episode centers on the growth that comes from receiving—meals dropped off, laundry folded, feet washed, and emotional labor shared. We unpack partnership, village, and why motherhood was never meant to be a solo act. What happens when a mother finally believes she’s worthy of being held by her village? Only good things.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
• Share this epis...

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Cally had her Christmas baby (!!), and while she’s off snuggling a newborn, Emily is here with a New Year’s mic drop: your constraints aren’t the enemy—your “someday” mindset is.

If you’re a mom drowning in “once this season passes…” thinking, this episode is your permission slip to stop waiting for a future where you magically have time/energy/peace/a personality again.

We’re flipping the script:
What if your limited time is the exact tool you need to get clear, get honest, and get moving?

Inside this quick solo epi:

• The sneaky mom-talk-track that sounds wise but actually steals your life
• How constraints (yes, the kids, the naps, the chaos) can be jet fuel
• Why Emily is treating her 2026 priorities like a sacred, don’t-you-dare-add-to-this list
• A reframe you’ll want to text to every mom in the trenches

If you’re exhausted, stretched thin, or accidentally living on pause—hit play.

If you love a mom in this season—send this to her immediately.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
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If you’ve ever wished you could quiet the noise, trust yourself more deeply, or make motherhood decisions from a place of power… this episode is going to shift something in you. In the final installment of our Maternal Compass series, we go somewhere we’ve never gone before: we show you what it actually feels like to let your own inner wisdom lead — not in theory, but in real time. And what comes through for each of us is surprising, emotional, sometimes hilarious, and wildly clarifying.

This is not a conversation about being more disciplined, more spiritual, or more perfect. It’s a conversation about discovering what guidance has been there all along… waiting for you to get quiet enough to hear it.

What Happens When You Actually Tap Into Your Maternal Compass

Each of us brings a real dilemma and lets the Maternal Compass speak. For some, it shows up as wise, ancestral love. For others, as blunt clarity. For others still, as grounding reassurance that cuts through fear. We all have this inner resource — and it can be accessed without overthinking, performing, or forcing.

Unburying Intuition in Real Time

We work through real pressures that drown out a mother’s instincts: fear of being “crazy,” medical gaslighting, mom guilt, perfectionism, and the belief that you need a detailed plan before you can move. As we work through real scenarios, you’ll hear how inner wisdom cuts through noise and reveals the actual next right step.

The Smallest, Lowest-Lift Can Change Your Life

We practice moving from insight to action using the single most important question moms should be asking: What is the lowest-energy step I can take?

Resources & Next Steps

Download the Worksheet: Practice identifying your own internal voices. FREE resource from Caitlin.

Learn more about Caitlin: [Website/Instagram]

This podcast is educational only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
• Share this epis...

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Emily's live from the postpartum trenches with a plot twist no one saw coming—including her. After a first birth that left her feeling broken for nearly two years, her second postpartum experience is shockingly... good? We're diving into everything from waistbands to mom guilt with two kids, plus why we need to talk about difficult births without the toxic positivity filter (but also, let's celebrate with some actual positivity).

Postpartum Recovery: When Your Second Birth Rewrites Everything You Thought You Knew

Anyone else remember thinking all those moms who 'bounced back' quickly were lying to themselves? Emily did. But now, seven weeks postpartum with baby number two, she's wearing jeans, feeling like herself, noticing her pelvic floor healing daily, and swimming in gratitude. This isn't toxic positivity—it's the uncomfortable truth that birth trauma and difficult deliveries can genuinely impact your postpartum recovery for months or years. Emily opens up about spending 18 months after her first pregnancy feeling broken, and the stark contrast of actually feeling functional this time. For moms wondering if recovery should be this hard—your experience matters, your birth story affects your healing, and there's zero shame in admitting when things aren't okay.

The Reality of Two Kids: Mom Guilt, Survival Mode, and Toddler Boundary Testing

Transitioning from one to two isn't just doubling the workload—it's watching your firstborn test every boundary while feeling guilty your newborn has to wait. Emily gets real about the Velcro baby who can't always be held immediately, toddler meltdowns in public, and mom guilt that hits hard. We explore what's been working: leaving the house by 10:30 AM, separate bedrooms for sleep-deprived parents, surviving the witching hour, nursing jealousy, and why those "special activity bags" fail. This is the honest conversation about life with two littles that skips Instagram perfection.

For more honest conversations about motherhood without the filter, subscribe and leave us a review. And hey—if you're in the postpartum trenches right now and things feel hard, you're not whining. You're a human growing humans, and that deserves respect.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
• Share this epis...

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Ever wonder if doing it all is actually doing you in? In this powerful conversation, we sit down with brand strategist, entrepreneur, and mom, Katie Mleziva, to explore the unseen load modern moms carry and the transformative identity shift that arrives with matrescence. Katie shares her journey from high-intensity corporate life to entrepreneurship, parenting two teens, navigating early motherhood with zero feedback loops, and learning to recognizing comments like “I don’t know how you do it all” as the unintentional red-flag moments they often are.

We talk about redefining productivity, healing from burnout, finding joy in the daily grind, and setting boundaries that protect both your family and your health. Katie also walks us through her incredible work helping natural food brands, plus her passion project Sunbeam Kids—a nonprofit making family volunteering accessible and meaningful.

As a brand strategist, Katie shares how families can borrow principles from branding to create a strong family culture. She explains choosing “brand pillars,” using visual cues, reinforcing values through small daily rhythms, and giving kids the confidence and autonomy to make good decisions. This segment is packed with practical, actionable ideas for moms wanting a more intentional, connected home life—especially those craving structure, clarity, and shared purpose.

This episode is especially impactful for moms craving growth, overwhelmed mothers, entrepreneur moms, moms-to-be preparing for identity shifts, and anyone seeking more alignment, rest, purpose, and confidence in motherhood.

A grounded, heartfelt, wisdom-packed conversation about slowing down, tuning in, and building a family culture that truly reflects your values.

Connect with Katie:

Work: Real Food Brands | Sunbeam Kids

Podcast: Real Food Brands Podcast

Social: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
• Share this epis...

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What if that nagging fear isn't your enemy but your guide? This episode hands you the tools to stop treating anxious thoughts like prophecies and start using them as breadcrumbs to something deeper. Discover how to build your own maternal compass —and actually access her when you're spiraling. Episode four of our mini-series—catch up on episodes 1-3 first.

Main Topics & Discussion

Fear as a Trailhead to Maternal Wisdom

Learn how to stop letting fear run the show without pretending it doesn't exist. This conversation gives you a framework for separating "I'm having a fearful thought" from "this fear is the truth about me as a mother." You'll walk away knowing how to name the voice of anxiety in a way that strips it of power—and how that simple act creates space for your actual wisdom to speak up.

Building Your Personal Maternal Compass

You'll get prompts and permission to imagine your inner wisdom as an actual figure. This isn't a visualization exercise for its own sake; it's about creating a reference point you can turn to when Google isn't the answer. By the end, you'll have a clearer picture of what confident, grounded mothering looks like for you—not borrowed from influencers or parenting books, but drawn from something you already carry inside. Basically, you'll have a Patronus Harry Potter would be proud of.

Accessing Your Maternal Compass Through the Body

Discover where your inner wisdom actually lives—in your chest, your gut, your feet, your breath—and get specific techniques for tapping into it on demand. You'll learn how to create physical anchors that interrupt the spiral of indecision and reconnect you to calm.

Resources & Next Steps

Download the Worksheet: Practice identifying your own internal voices. FREE resource from Caitlin.

Learn more about Caitlin: [Website/Instagram]

This podcast is educational only and not a substitute for professional mental health care.

Links & Discount Codes:

8Sheep Organics: Click this link for 10% off your purchase!

Kindred Bravely: THEREALMOMHUB15 for 15% off!

Host & Show Info

Hosted by: Cally & Emily O’Leary

About the Hosts: We’re real moms and real sisters. We may look and sound alike, but our motherhood journeys are uniquely ours. We all do Motherhood differently, and thank goodness for that. Let’s learn and grow together.

Podcast Website: https://therealmomhub.com/

Like what you hear? Let us know!

• Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify – Help others discover the show!
• Join the Conversation – Join us on social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or send us a message at therealmomhub@gmail.com to let us know what you'd like to hear more of.
• Share this epis...