Embark on a transformative journey through motherhood with the Entering Motherhood podcast, hosted by Sarah Marie Bilger. As a mom of two, wife, certified birth and postpartum doula, and passionate advocate for intentional motherhood, Sarah Marie brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to every episode. Join us as we delve into mindful healing, holistic parenting practices, and reflective exploration of generational impacts. From preconception to postpartum, Sarah Marie guides us through intentional conversations, sparking curiosity and empowerment during pregnancy, birth, and the often-overlooked postpartum period. Our mission is to equip you with the tools you need to heal, thrive, and embrace motherhood while staying true to your own individual identity. Join us as we empower you to become the mother you aspire to be, with confidence and authenticity!
Episodes
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Hello and welcome to day Two of “Heal Your Trauma, Mama” over the next 30 days my hope is for you to become more aware of yourself and the strength that you have in motherhood. I hope this allows you the time to look deeper and heal so that you can be more present and look at motherhood in a whole new way.
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Wednesday Jun 02, 2021
Hello and welcome to day one of “Heal Your Trauma, Mama” over the next 30 days my hope is for you to become more aware of yourself and the strength that you have in motherhood. I hope this allows you the time to look deeper and heal so that you can be more present and look at motherhood in a whole new way.
Monday May 31, 2021
Monday May 31, 2021
In this episode we talk with April Hall Gill about different ways you can use your placenta after the birth of your child.
Monday May 24, 2021
Monday May 24, 2021
Jennie Boone, owner of Tiny Duck Parenting, and I discuss ways to improve your child's sleep and how it can provide you with more freedom in motherhood. Every mother knows how challenging it can be to have a sleepless night and the stress it puts on everyone. Jennie helps parents learn ways to manage bedtime more efficiently and provides continuous support during this learning process.
Every child is different and friends and family can let you know what worked for their child but they may not have the understanding or experience when it comes to your unique experience. It’s all about looking at the big picture and finding what works best for you and your child specifically.
Age definitely matters and every month is different because each developmental stage makes a huge difference in the sleep process. You can search all over the place for answers but some resources may not have the information you need because they do not specialize in it, this is why it makes sense to work alongside someone like Jennie to really help along this transition.
Follow Jennie for tips on sleep and connect with her if you’re looking to get that extra added attention so that your child can successful enjoy bedtime and you as the mom are able to get the sleep you deserve and need to feel your best.
Contact Jennie Boone:
Website: https://tinyduckparenting.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinyduckparenting/
Monday May 17, 2021
Monday May 17, 2021
Sarah Weeger, the creator of Hey Weegs, and I chat about what her journey was like early postpartum and how it compelled her to start selling her greeting cards. Sarah was already creating cards of her own for friends and family and transitioned to selling them so she can continue to spread the joy of her unique words and absolute attention to any situation for so many people.
May is mental health awareness month and this episode is so fitting due the sensitivity and realness in which we discuss postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression. Sarah shares her own personal struggles as well as ways to help new moms navigate the difficult mental aspects of motherhood.
We also discuss amazing ways of how you can show a new mom you care by asking open ended questions and sending them words of encouragement even in situations you may not have any personal experience with. Sometimes all it takes is to simply be along side a new mom and let her know you are there to support her and listen.
Contact Sarah Weeger:
Website: https://heyweegs.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyweegs/
Monday May 10, 2021
Monday May 10, 2021
In this episode we speak with Layne Stowell who is a health coach who specializes in busy mamas who are looking for ways to prioritize their health. We discuss our own personal struggles of dealing with toddlers and newborns and how it’s still important to find time for ourselves.
Layne is a mom of two herself and was diving into health ever before her kids but noticed just how much help us mamas need and discovered ways that she was finding to improve her own health so she was set on sharing that with others and helping fellow mamas along the way in an absolutely fun and supporting way.
We talk about habit stacking and also about how these new ways of improving yourself should be realistic and something you can maintain for years to come. We know there are so many different products and methods floating around and how hard it can be to know which is right but listening to yourself and understanding your body and what you’re capable of incorporating into your life is key. Also, understanding that you deserve this and you are worthy of having a healthy lifestyle.
She is just such a fun person to talk to and she’s super passionate about health and being a mama. If you loved this episode and enjoyed hearing this conversation please share with a friend and feel free to reach out to her and let her know you heard her on the podcast.
Contact Layne Stowell:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laynestowell/
Monday May 03, 2021
Monday May 03, 2021
For those of you that do not know I lost my mother at a very young age, I was only 9 when she passed away from cancer. My dad remarried years later and I also then lost my stepmom from cancer when I was in college. This for sure has completely changed the way I have entered motherhood and the way I parent my daughter.
In this episode you can hear clips from an episode I did on another podcast called Daughters Without Moms, you can catch the full episode here. There are also clips from friends and family of their favorite memories from both my mom and stepmom.
Special thanks to those who shared their memories in this episode:
Kathy Bademan
Melissa Lehr
Danielle Schagrin
Kate Gallen
Lauren Appolonia
Kathy Galliher
Kay Bademan
Contact Beth from DWOM (Daughters Without Moms)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daughterswithoutmoms/
Daughters with out Moms Mother’s Day Circle
May 4th 2021 at 7:00PM
Monday Apr 26, 2021
Monday Apr 26, 2021
Courtney has been through preeclampsia and a caesarean and is here to share her story with us through it all. We talk about what it was like for her to start tracking her blood pressure at 32 weeks and how she really wasn't even informed why or what was going on. Then at 33 weeks she had hit the number the doctors told her about went in, had to wait a few hours, and then was admitted for 24 hours of monitoring. Her stay ended up turning into 3 days and it was determined that she had mild preeclampsia.
She was able to return home but then at 35 weeks headed back to the hospital because she was experiencing contractions and when she arrived it was determined she was already 3-4 cm dilated. She talks about what this was like and her feelings of anxiety and how she wasn’t sure what was going on. The caesarean rate at this hospital was low and the doctor tried to have her remain in labor for as long as possible but when her babies heartbeat started to drop it was time to head to the operating room.
As soon as her baby was born she was sent off to the NICU and Courtney couldn’t even get to see her daughter until 27 hours after she was born. She doesn’t remember much due to the medication she was on for the caesarean but she shared her feelings of failure and hate towards her daughter for having to go through so much. She talks about how she still felt so alone and afraid at around 8 weeks postpartum and was asking her doctor what was going on.
Her daughter is now approaching 2 years old and their connection has drastically improved. She has also discovered that in sharing her story with others she has found tremendous healing and gained some serious empathy. I am so appreciative of this conversation and the courage Courtney has to talk about the hard side of motherhood and the things most keep hidden.
Feel free to check out her blog Knock on Motherhood or the podcast her and her husband have started called Knock on Parenthood.
Contact Courtney Smith
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knockonmotherhood/
Monday Apr 19, 2021
Monday Apr 19, 2021
We talk about what it was like for Kelli to enter motherhood for the first time and what it’s been like since. When first looking into foster care her coordinator had said if it’s meant for you it will work out. She had always wanted kids so she found a way to make that possible even though she was single and hadn't had kids of her own yet. Even though it took a bit longer to finally be placed with a child, in less than 3 months she worked hard and made it possible to become eligible to be a foster mom. Kelli needed to prepare for any age and all the potential trauma that that comes with fostering.
Like many new moms, she still faced the fears of ‘can I actually do this?" and "I don’t know what I’m doing!” and she also took part in getting to share the news with her family. She realized that there was a lot of learning and growing in her journey and that she was now responsible for things like doctors appointments and setting rules, but overall she said she has never felt more purposeful and more fulfilled than when she is a foster mom. She soon realized she needed to put everything she had into someone else day and night and later learned how to find ways to still find time for herself. She suggests that other new foster moms learn to say yes to people that offer to help you and find things that the kids can do that are fun for them so you can have some time for yourself.
The transition of sending them back to their family is what you hope for but its still hard and very bitter sweet. Her family has been supportive and her nieces and nephews also love the idea but they also feel the separation when the kids transition back to their family. Some might say it’s hard to see them go but Kelli reassures us that It’s hard to let them go but these kids need this love and they need people to hold that space for them, the whole point is to care too much.
If you’re looking into being a foster parent yourself reach out to other foster parents in the area and get to know the steps that are needed specifically for you. If you know a foster mom be sure to take a moment to appreciate them, be empathetic, and support them where you can. After all, we are all mothers coming together on this journey of Entering Motherhood.
Recommended Books
The Connected Parent by Lisa Qualls and Karyn Purvis PhD
The Connected Child by Kryn Purvis PhD
The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene
Contact Kelli Boyce
Instagram @fosteringsolo
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Hannah and I talk about our cesarean section experiences and what it was like for us during postpartum. If you didn’t know, April is Cesarean Awareness Month and we are so passionate about sharing our point of view and what we personally went through on such a relevant topic, and we're not afraid to speak out about the parts moms typically don't talk about.
After Hannah’s second child she felt like she had a lot to say and wanted to share it with other moms so she started a blog called Keeping it Peachy. We highlight parts from her one post “The mental recovery post-Caesarean section that nobody talks about” and dive deep into how we felt physically and more so mentally after a cesarean section.
We both agree that it’s just so awesome that even though we’re on different sides of the world we can still connect and have these amazing conversations about motherhood. We are certainly not alone and there is so much goodness that can come from sharing our stories and expressing how we’re feeling in each stage of being a mom.
I hope this conversation helps make you feel more connected and feel normal in those early moments as you are entering motherhood. Be sure to join us in the Entering Motherhood Facebook Group and share your thoughts on this episode.
Contact Hannah Lantry:
Website: https://keepingitpeachy.com.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepingitpeachytheblog/