Welcome to the My Best Mom Friend podcast. My name is Sandra, and I'm the virtual mom bestie you didn't even know you needed. I am here to empower you and give you permission to not love every layer of motherhood (without the guilt.) I'm here to be uncensored in my experience as a mom to help you realize what you're feeling is normal. I want every mom to feel seen, validated, and understood. Please make yourself comfortable, grab a cup and allow me to spill the tea on motherhood. Let's chat about all things motherhood. Follow along on Instagram for more: @mybestmomfriend
Toddlers And The Holiday Season
Let's chat all things holidays with little kids. From flopped traditions to forgetting about school spirit week.
Don't forget to check out our sensory play shop! www.playfullittleminds.com
Here is the sinus rinse I was talking about.
Here is the story projector I was talking about. We love it!
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12/20/2023 • 39 minutes, 15 seconds
Vacationing With Kids | Mom Hacks, Packing Checklist + A Little From Our Recent Trip
Are you getting ready to travel with your baby or toddler? Vacationing with littles isn't always a vacation, is it? It's really just parenting as usual, but with a prettier scenery. Tune in as I share tips, hacks, and some funny moments of our latest beach vacation. Don't forget to download my FREE vacation packing checklist below.
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You can find my packing checklist here - a PDF to help take the mental load of motherhood of list making off your plate! I also linked some of my favorite beach/travel products for you to easily shop via Amazon.
Everything you need for taking your baby/toddler to the beach - my full Amazon list of favorites can be found here
Sign up for my newsletter
Follow on Instagram for daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
Slumberpod Discount Code: MYBESTMOMFRIEND for $20 off your order
Tubby Todd Sunscreen this link gives you 10% off your order
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This episode features Liesel, the Labor and Delivery nurse behind @mommy.labornurse. She offers invaluable daily resources for pregnancy, labor, and postpartum and has birth preparation courses tailored to natural delivery, epidural, and c-sections. In this episode, we touch on what to expect when you're giving birth, how you know you're in labor, how to empower your birth experience, and c-sections and birth trauma. This is a great listen if you're an expecting mama.
Download my hospital bag checklist when preparing for labor
Follow me on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
Mommy Labor Nurse Resources:
Birth Classes
Birth Plan
Follow Liesel on Instagram @mommy.labornurse
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4/18/2023 • 58 minutes, 12 seconds
Mom Comparison Trap | Stop Comparing Your Motherhood Journey to Hers
Do you find yourself comparing your motherhood journey to that of other women? It's a nasty trap we can find ourselves in. Let's unpack this in today's episode.
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Follow along on Instagram for more @mybestmomfriend
And subscribe to my monthly newsletter here so we can keep in touch.
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4/11/2023 • 36 minutes, 15 seconds
From Fur Babies to Human Babies | How Our Relationship With our Pets Change
Have you found yourself overstimulated with your dog barking and trying to snuggle with you when you're a touched-out, exhausted new mom? Have you asked yourself why your dog suddenly annoys the crap out of you? Do you feel guilty about how you've been feeling towards your pet? You are not alone! This is an incredibly common feeling. Sensory overload and feeling touched out are two real things moms experience. After a long day of being "on" with our babies, we want to plop on the sofa and relax. Instead, your dog decided it's suddenly a great time to start barking, whining, and requiring your attention. Tune in as I chat with Dominika, a dog training expert who focuses on helping you create a home where both your human and fur babies feel safe and loved.
You can find the Dog Meets Baby courses here
You can find Dominika on Instagram @dogmeets_baby
Follow along on Instagram for more daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
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4/4/2023 • 45 minutes, 49 seconds
Moms vs Dads: on Guilt and the Mental Load of Motherhood
I had the pleasure of speaking with Nate and Tommy from @dadswhotry. We had such a good back-and-forth discussion from a male and female, husband and wife, and mom and dad perspective—great episode for both moms and dads to tune into to understand each other better. The mental load can be heavy, and the guilt can consume us, so communicating with your partner about where you need help is the first step to lightening the load.
Follow along on Instagram @mybestmomfriend for daily real mom life content.
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3/28/2023 • 1 hour, 1 minute, 1 second
Postpartum Body Image
When you have a baby, many things change, including your body. Perhaps you don't recognize yourself in the mirror... your belly is squishy, your breasts have changed, and you might find stretchmarks or loose skin that wasn't there before giving birth. If you're months and months out from the early postpartum days and the initial shock of the body changes, you might find it difficult to lose or maintain weight. Things change, and it can be difficult to accept. In today's episode, this is what we dive into. It's hard. I know it's hard. I'm here to tell you; you are not alone in these feelings and on this journey. I encourage you to give yourself a little squeeze right now and tell yourself that you love yourself exactly as you are. Your body brought life into the world. Mother's bodies deserve to be loved and celebrated, not criticized.
Follow along for more over on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
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3/21/2023 • 32 minutes, 25 seconds
Mom Burnout & The Mental Load of Motherhood
Motherhood consumes us with guilt, uncertainty, and doubt. The mental load of motherhood is heavy. It’s remembering everything, trying to get everything done, being there for everyone without skipping a beat, and checking everything off your never-ending to-do list. But you know what — it’s exhausting, unsustainable, and quite frankly impossible. In this episode, Inna and I dive deeper into mom burnout and what this looks like, along with some methods to cope. We want to remind you that you are not your anxious thoughts, and your “bad days” do not define you as a mother.
Download Inna’s free mom burnout PDF to help you along the way. You can find more on her Instagram @motherhoodtherapy
For more daily mom content, follow me over on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
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3/14/2023 • 51 minutes, 56 seconds
Toddler Bedtime Routine Struggles
Tune in while I share about the bedtime routine struggles I have been experiencing and the ones other moms have been encountering. Ah, bedtime...
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3/7/2023 • 32 minutes, 29 seconds
Am I One and Done, Two and Through, or Am I Ready for Another | Come Take the Quiz!
Such a big question, isn't it... I personally am one-and-done. You might be questioning if you're done or not. As someone that feels fairly confident, I thought I'd break it down for you, at least in the terms of how I think about it. Come take the quiz.
Follow along on Instagram for daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
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2/28/2023 • 25 minutes, 4 seconds
Parenting Challenges as a Couple | Marriage After Baby Part 2
There is so much to navigate as you transition from just barely surviving the transition into parenthood to actually "parenting" a toddler together. It's a rollercoaster, hold on tight. Let's unpack this journey together.
Follow along for more over on Instagram @mybestmomfriend
This episode is sponsored by Nature's Guide.
Grab a copy of the e-book: Why Mothers Feel Guilty & Why They Shouldn't. Get a copy here.
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2/21/2023 • 34 minutes, 35 seconds
Postpartum Real Talk | What to Expect After You Have Your Baby | Vaginas, Boobs and That First Poop
Okay, so you learned all the things about caring for a new baby, but do you actually know how to care for yourself after giving birth? That's the important piece of the puzzle no one talks about. I'm sharing ALL the things with you so you know what to REALLY expect, when you're expecting.
To make it easy for you, here is an easy to shop Amazon list I compiled of all the things for your postpartum healing journey *down there*
This episode is sponsored by Love & Fit. Save 10% on your order of nursing and pumping sports bras, leggings and tops designed for postpartum moms. Use my code: MYBESTMOMFRIEND10 at checkout.
Follow along on Instagram for more daily real, raw, honest mom content: @mybestmomfriend
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2/14/2023 • 42 minutes, 29 seconds
Bonus Episode: Guided Mindfulness Meditation for Moms
Mama, you do everything for everyone. Take a moment just for you. Take a deep breath and let it ALL go. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, review and share it with a friend. + head over to Instagram (@mybestmomfriend) and let me know what you thought of this guided meditation.
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2/8/2023 • 11 minutes, 49 seconds
Life as the Preferred Parent | Toddlerhood | + Never Getting to Poop Alone
Oh toddlerhood. Such a fun time, isn’t it? Being the preferred parent is exhausting. If you own this title, I bet you cringe at these three torturous words: "MOMMY DO IT!" If you're the "number two parent," then I imagine you're equally tormented because you feel like sh!t that you can't do anything right. Our littles are not yet emotionally sophisticated creatures. Preferred parents literally never get a break, no matter how much the "number two" wants to step in and take over. If you're navigating this chapter of parenthood right now, I see you and feel your agony.
Shoot me a message over on Instagram, and let me know if you can relate to being the preferred parent to your baby/toddler. Hang in there mama!!
This episode is sponsored by Slumberpod. Take $20 off your entire order using my code: MYBESTMOMFRIEND at checkout. SlumberPod is a portable, nearly blackout dark, affordable solution for any family to get a good night's sleep. Get yours here.
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2/7/2023 • 19 minutes, 48 seconds
Life After Miscarriage with Guest Morgan Martin | Healing Empty Hands
Tune in as I interview Morgan Martin for the launch of her first book: Healing Empty Hands available 1/31. Morgan shares her experience of pregnancy after a loss, tips for women currently walking this path, how this experience questioned her faith, and more.
Morgan's book is available for pre-order here and available in hardback and paperback on 1/31.
You can connect with Morgan through Instagram and Facebook.
If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe AND remember to share it with your friends!
Follow me on Instagram for daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
Affirmations Morgan shared in the podcast:
1. Today I am pregnant and I love my baby
2. I am pregnant with a healthy, growing baby until I am told otherwise
3. My past is not my future and previous losses do not mean I will have future losses
4. Just because someone else is having a loss that doesn't mean I will. Miscarriage and loss are not contagious but fear can be.
5. Hope does not make bad things happen. I cannot jinx my pregnancy by getting my hopes up or by telling someone about it.
6. There is nothing I can change with worry. Worrying about what's not in my hands does not prevent it from happening. And if it happens again - God forbid - I know I can survive.
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1/30/2023 • 50 minutes, 36 seconds
Good Moms Have Scary, Intrusive Thoughts | Uncensored Postpartum Thoughts Your Mom Friends Don't Share With You!
Tune in as I share some of the darkest thoughts moms experience throughout their postpartum journey.
Resources:
LifeVac choking rescue first aid device gives me so much peace of mind as a mom. Comes with an adult and pediatric mask. It is an Amazon bestseller - you can find it here.
A great place to jot down your thoughts is the Moments motherhood guided journal. You can find it here and use my code for 15% off: MYBESTMOMFRIEND15
Follow along over on Instagram for daily mom content @mybestmomfriend
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1/24/2023 • 43 minutes, 43 seconds
Marriage After Baby | NO, it's not just you & your partner's relationship that's rocky now!
Ah, marriage after baby... what a fun time and transition going from partners in crime to partners in parenting. For many, it's a turbulent transition and one that isn't openly talked about.
Tune in as I share experiences from my marriage and experiences other moms have shared with me. On the My Best Mom Friend podcast, there is no holding back. I get into the nitty-gritty, real, raw moments that makeup motherhood. I'm not here to sugarcoat it for you.
If you enjoy this episode, please rate, review and share it with your friends.
Follow along over on Instagram @mybestmomfriend for daily uncensored #momlife content.
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1/19/2023 • 34 minutes, 48 seconds
My Journey To Motherhood | Part 2
In this episode, I dive deeper into my postpartum mental health struggles. I touch on things like mom guilt, intrusive thoughts, D-MER, ending my breastfeeding journey only a month in for my mental health, and so much more.
If you are currently in the dark trenches of postpartum, I urge you to please seek help. You can start by contacting Postpartum Support International to be connected with a support coordinator near you to assist you in finding resources in your zip code.
You can also find free virtual support groups here.
Follow along on Instagram for more daily real, raw mom content @mybestmomfriend
If you enjoy this podcast, please rate and subscribe.
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1/17/2023 • 27 minutes, 18 seconds
My Journey To Motherhood | Part 1
Tune in to hear about my motherhood journey, from a COVID pregnancy to getting sucker-punched in the face with postpartum depression.
Follow along on Instagram for daily real, raw mom content @mybestmomfriend
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1/17/2023 • 14 minutes, 49 seconds
Trailer
Welcome to the My Best Mom Friend Podcast. I'm so happy you're here! Subscribe to be the first to tune in to all new episodes. Follow along over on Instagram for daily, real, raw motherhood content: @mybestmomfriend
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