Let's Be Real: Mama Journeys

Karen Peterson is a grateful mama and is a co-founder of a nonprofit called Couve Collective, community centers for people in recovery. Her and her husband are excited to be grandparents very soon! She worked for Boeing for years but decided she needed to give back to families who experience addiction and the effects that has on their family. She lives in Vancouver, Washington and is grateful for the sunshine when it happens! She had her son in her late 20's but she wasn't as thrilled to be a parent as her husband was and then had him 7 weeks premature. Her son tied a knot in his umbilical cord so it was good that he decided to be born early. Her daughter was born 5 years later and is now going to be a mama! Her biggest challenge was understanding the weight and responsibility of being a mom and wanting to "get it all right." Her biggest supporter was her own mom. She could count on her no matter what and literally knocked on the door and handed her son to her and said, "I need a break." Her husband has also been such a huge support and help. Watching her kids be happy has been such a joy for her. Her son has been through a lot throughout his life, leading him to be addicted to Oxycontin. She watched him become homeless because of his addiction. Her dream from that was to build a community center for people experiencing addiction and the aftereffects of it. Her daughter is an internal medicine doctor and is a huge success as well. To see them happy, healthy and as close as they are is her best mama moment. They realized that his love language wasn't being met and he "found" that when he discovered opioids. She says she wouldn't have wanted to know any of what she knows now as a new mom. The surprise is pretty important to experience as a mom! You face each step as it comes to you and as a mom, you figure it out. You can find them at https://couvecollective.org. This is a community they have created for people to be a helpful and healthy member of their community.

Jason Gibler is a psychotherapist who works with moms, dads and getting people to tap into a deeper healing. He works often with perinatal families, including before, during and after having kids. Even dads get Postpartum depression and many people don't know that. Depression and anxiety are linked and many times that affects dads because we have more conscious fathering. The old paradigm of success vs. failure also is pulling at them. The paradigm is that dads aren't always "good" at being a dad and that causes a deep anxiety and over time, that morphs into depression because they feel alone. There are many different modalities to help couples and many people don't know how to communicate properly. Historically men have been taught how to distance themselves from their own feelings. If you aren't in tune with your own emotional reality, you can't be in tune with someone else's emotional reality. Men have been taught to be disconnected with their feelings and emotions. A crying baby brings out feelings of failure and they need to stop and recognize their own emotions, be honest and be authentic. To get a dad into therapy, ask them why therapy feels "bad" and where did you learn that seeking help makes you weak? Call it "coaching" instead of therapy. Vulnerability is strength because it takes strength to admit you need help. As a partner/wife, giving that positive praise is essential to giving dads that ego boost. The Way of the Jaguar is a novel Jason is writing based around the science of human bonding, the book will be out later this summer. You can find it on Amazon Kindle. You can also find a free download for dads on his websites at aiyanacounseling.com or Jasongibler.com

Keri Henson is a 6th generation Texan and a mom of SIX kiddos! She has a brand called the "Mom'sDay Prepper." These are moments that happen when you don't see them coming! Managing relationships within all of the motherhood journey needs are instrumental in motherhood! She became a mama at the age of 24 and has had six kiddos from ages 21-7 with one of them who was diagnosed with cancer and another hit by a 1 ton truck! Her biggest challenge has been being married to an addict (and this was harder than having a child with cancer or having a child hit by a truck!). WIthout spousal support, it was like being a single parent but she was married! Motherhood is a challenge ALL the time. Most days don't look like it does on TV or in the movies! Her parents have always been a solid support from day one. With her grit as a Texan, and a very strong Christian, nothing could take away her faith as it created a strong base to build off of. We have been conditioned to let community go but we can't do motherhood without it! Her best mama moment came after a horrible diagnosis of cancer before her baby's first birthday with him making milestones that the doctors said he would never do! This kiddo will be 11 soon and has overcome all of it! We have to surrender our children to THEIR purpose and THEIR life. We cannot pave the road. We are here to teach, coach and help but we need THEM to direct their path. DO NOT pave the path for them as they NEED to struggle because that's part of life. You are here to give them the tools, the awareness and the ability to overcome these struggles. She wishes she would have listened to her mommy feelers because they are gifts that we need to listen to above and beyond everyone else's opinions and thoughts! You can find her at momsdayprepper.com!

Dr. Tamara Beckford is an ED doctor with her own weight loss business in Houston. She helps women get rid of emotional and physical weight. It's 100% online and has been an entrepreneur for years. As a mom at 36 and 38 (considered old in the birthing world) she felt the itch at 2 years and understands why so many people are 2 years apart! She started having babies later in life because she went to school "forever and ever amen." Motherhood came to her like flipping a switch and she was ready however her body didn't see it that way. It took longer than she thought it would to conceive and she also struggled that no one talked about it but once she found her "person" who was frustrated as well, they had babies 5 days apart! Another testament to having a community to support you can change your life. Her biggest challenges were that her son was a preemie and she had the NICU challenge. Two things that helped her get through was the doctor telling her to take her doctor hat off and put on her mom hat. Maternal instincts are a REAL thing. Her mother in law was a huge support while she was on bedrest for 6+ weeks before having an emergency c-section and her parents were amazing emotional supporters. She also had amazing friends who helped too. Being a NICU mom has its own set of challenges because you leave the hospital without your child. It's so hard to emotionally handle not bringing your baby home day after day. She wishes she would have known that it's all going to work out, no matter what. It may not work out the way that you THOUGHT it would but it will work out. You can find her at trulybalancedwc.com or www.urcaringdocs.com and on LinkedIn

Fernanda Shoup, originally from Argentina and turning 40 with two toddlers at home! She married her wife during Covid outside at a barn in Parker but was supposed to be in Argentina! Talk about a different environment. When she connected with her wife, she wasn't sure she wanted to be a mom but when she realized that she would parent with HER and that was what changed the whole thought about motherhood! When you have a wife, everything changes. Her wife didn't want to be pregnant and Fernanda said she was 100% on board with carrying a child but unfortunately it took 2 ½ years of all kinds of infertility issues! Her pregnancy was a breeze and it was glorious. In the 3rd trimester her legs went numb and she was in a ton of pain. She tried many different remedies but it was demoralizing because no one would listen to her. After her wife had to FORCE the hospital to listen, they did scans and found a herniated disc and kept her overnight and had to do survey for her disc issue while 36 weeks pregnant. She had immediate pain relief as soon as she woke up from surgery! Her OB wasn't the best and didn't listen so they switched offices (always advocate for YOU) and she had a c-section at 39 weeks. Her c-section was quite the experience too! She struggled with so much postpartum depression and the "I'm not worthy" feelings. Her midwife told her "is the fact that your child wasn't breastfed going to show up on their application for medical school?" Her feelings of inadequacy lasted months! Even her mom said she was a shell of herself. Her sweet life and her decided that they wanted more kiddos and her wife decided she would carry baby number 2. She got pregnant on the FIRST try! So when they came home with a newborn, they were pregnant with their second! Her wife is a firefighter and hated being pregnant and was on bedrest at 20 weeks!

Emily Hill is a hospice chaplain and licensed social worker. She developed a love for hospice when she was 7 years old because of her grandfather. She was so blown away by how hospice people change the world of the family of the person passing on. She earned a Master's of divinity and connects with death doulas and how to make people comfortable. Regardless where you fall in the spiritual spectrum, death is a kind of rebirth into the next steps. She has two children and grew up as a pastor's kid but in her head she had everything planned out with the "normal" progression of get married, have babies, move on. She has a group of college girlfriends that she can't do life without! She was the first one of the friends to have a baby and they showed up with a party size pizza because they were 24 and didn't know any better! They are her people! Her best mama moment came recently when she was asked to chaperone a field trip and when she was worried what her 10 year old would say about her going. But low and beyond, her daughter was excited to have her, it made her heart so happy! Her worst mama moment was when she had a miscarriage. It rocked her world after having a 3, and 5 year old she had a miscarriage and she was devastated. It also could have ended their marriage because of how they experienced this loss. Humans often experience experiences so differently and they can sometimes make or break a marriage. She wishes she would have known that everyday is a fresh start. We build on things day after day but really every single day can be a do-over! Emily says, "give yourself grace!" You are never going to be perfect so give yourself grace!

Deborah Mallow never thought she wanted kids but after spending time with her friends and their kids, she fell in love with the idea of being a mom. She is one of the positive, happiest people you have ever met! In fact, she has written a book called 6 Steps to Fewer Days That Suck. What a great title! She was 38 when she had her son and now he's in his 20's, living in Minnesota. She struggled with balancing it all. She was exhausted through motherhood because she was so stressed about making sure everything was "good." She wishes she would have taken more time to "chill." She says living in the moment is important. Her husband was her biggest supporter and is still the doting father. He was always a very active dad and he used to have their son strapped to him. He has always LOVED being a dad. Her best mama moment was when her son went to college! As a helicopter mom, she was so proud! She encourages you to understand that if people are not kind to you, it's not something YOU need to worry about. Disengage from toxic people. Confidence, resilience and positivity are the three life skills you need for this life. Find the things in life that are positive because all things are contagious and if you go down the negative road, that's what you will attract. You can find her at thedailydecisions.com.

Dr. Jann Blackstone is a Jan of all trades as a behavioral scientist because she studies people's behaviors. She likes to call it mediation to bring people together. She predominantly works with co-parents to get families to be able to parent in a cohesive way for everyone in the family. A bonus family is basically a step-family but she didn't like the word "step." That word was just too negative. THe biggest need of a bonus family is acceptance. All of the people in the family need to feel nurtured and accepted and that all starts with acceptance. The logistics of a bonus family are really important to make everyone feel comfortable and "at home." She coined the phrase "bonus" as how the family can all work together. Bonus means a reward for a job well done. Once you feel like you are part of the family, then you want to be involved and you will respect your bonus parents. She says there can't be too many people who love your child. Everyone is different and that's what the acceptance thing is all about. Comparing is when things go badly. You need to reach out for help to have a relationship because putting the kids first should be your priority. Using the children as the criteria for all decisions. Modeling apologies for your kids is really important. She isn't saying you can't fight in front of your kids. BUT what you can do, is disagree but then when things are calmed down, model the "I'm sorry." Using the words that you want your children to learn, and model in the real world. When you tell your kiddo NOT to do something, you need do tell them what TO do. Also, when parents are splitting up, try to talk to them together and what those kids really want to know is how this is going to affect THEIR life. Kids are egocentric and that's their job. As children get older, you are going to have to repeat yourself many times. As they grow, their cognitive ability has changed and they need reassurance. Adding children to a bonus family all comes down to communication and respect so that the unknown isn't feared. You can find Dr. Jann Blackstone at https://bonusfamilies.com/ She wrote a book called The Bonus Family Handbook and is found on Amazon and all places where books are sold!

Angela Tipton runs a website called fireyourcareer. She believes in empowering other women to live their truths. She became a mom at the age of 30 because she focused on creating her career. She had a tough time balancing her career and personal ambitions with being a mom. She didn't want to set aside her career but finding the time to be 100% at both. Her husband has been her biggest supporter and was truly her 50% parenting partner. She also has some family around her in Oregon. Her mother- in-law and aunt were two of her biggest supporters and she doesn't know how she would have done it all without them. Choosing her best mama moment was tough because she has so many great memories and times with her two boys. She took her eldest skiing for the first time and was so impressed with his tenacity and the chance to watch him enjoy a sport that she loved was a highlight in her mamahood journey. Her worst mama moment came during Covid when childcare wasn't available and figuring out all of the dynamics behind all of that was really tough. She wishes she would have known that parenting was harder than she ever thought it would be. But she also learned that she is getting through it and you can work things out. Preparenting she had lots of opinions but they didn't turn out to be very realistic. Going with the flow is so important in parenting. At Fire Your Career is all about living life on YOUR terms. The pursuit of what makes you happy is so important, especially financial freedom. She has a free ebook on her website. Check it out!

Riana Milne is a coach and psychotherapist for parents. She specializes in childhood and relationship trauma. 100% of us have childhood trauma because sometimes it comes from 3 generations. She is a mama of two very empowered ladies as a single mom. She uses the theory of mindset for success, she created a modeling agency. She has written 13 books and has a podcast all about relationships. She believes in empowering women to be healed in order to be the best mom they can be. When you know what childhood trauma is, you can change how you parent and how your kiddos grow. She teaches people about the top 10 childhood traumas: Alcohol or addiction issues, verbal messaging, emotional abuse or neglect, physical abuse, abandonment, foster care or adoption, personal trauma, sibling trauma, community and family trauma, mental health issues with mom or dad are the top 10 traumas that absolutely touch 100% of people. Understanding what traumas are in your past can help you understand your own behaviors and how you parent. The first step to healing is identifying your traumas and then working through those traumas. Parents have a direct impact on who their kids become and watching what you say and how you encourage or don't encourage makes a huge difference. Plant the positives. Riana works 100% virtually and can help any parent to help them become the best parent and human that they can be. Rianamilne.com is where you can find her. She has free book downloads and tests and quizzes. Her podcast is called Lessons in Life and Love. Check her out because her expertise can really help you.

Kim Keane is a mom of two daughters and lives in Pennsylvania who also helps women through their healing journey through sound healing and reiki. Using vibrational frequency helps healing through tuning into your chakras. She was 27 when she became a mom and her biggest challenge has been letting go of perfectionism. This was a huge issue because both girls are strong willed and arguing with "yourself" is really hard. Motherhood hasn't always been a fun journey until she healed her own trauma and could see that she couldn't expect perfectionism from them or herself. She felt she was on her own since her husband worked a ton and often struggled with frustrations of teaching Kindergarten and having kids who didn't listen at work and at home. Her husband is her biggest supporter now and all of the things that we are responsible for and transport kids where they need to be. Her mom has always been the pitch hitter in the family when she needed her. Her best mama moment is watching the sisterhood relationship that has developed with her daughters. Having them spill the tea with her makes her realize that she has done a good job to cultivate the trust. Her worst mama moments came with her lack of patience. Again, it came back to her own need to control the situation. She wishes she would have known she didn't need other people's validation or opinions. You are setting yourself up for disappointment because other people's opinions don't matter in the long run. She wants moms to know that it's ok to ask for help and it's ok to care for yourself (whatever that looks like for you). Kim wants to help moms and you can find her at kimkeane.com Find our Podcast on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gTKJ9WwE Apple: https://lnkd.in/gfcrreYg Or on our website: https://lnkd.in/gy5hf6hz

Aureen Monteiro is an author of a book called Rise Higher, to manage stress for women in higher profile positions. She became a mom at 27 with her one and only baby girl. She is a teenager now and it's been a roller coaster as a mama of a teenager! The spectrum of emotions is something she didn't see coming. She was worried she would lose her connection with her preteen but she learned that she needed to listen more and talk less. Evolving as a mom as our kids evolve is so important. Tweaking your communication methods is essential in order to continue the relationship in a positive way. Her biggest challenge as a new mom was the unintended c-section and breastfeeding. It truly takes a village to raise a child. She had a village and sometimes that wasn't enough. There are nights when you just sit and cry right alongside your kiddos. Her daughter made her proud when she was in 5th grade when she wrote her own book. She had her own book published about being bullied and how to get through that. They are both writing books simultaneously and it's a really wonderful way to connect with each other. Her least favorite mama moment was when she realized she had an identity crisis. She went from being Aureen to only being her daughter's mom. Losing your own identity is hard. Be open to listening to what your kids share without judgement. Their way of communicating might be different than the ways you expect but give them the time and space. Be willing to pivot your communication ways! She used to wish she would have had a manual but learning alongside her daughter has been an amazing 14 years. Her website is risefromtheash.com where you can learn more about her journey and how to manage stress.

Jalisa Hardy joined us from Maryland, where she is a publisher, author and all around amazing single mama. She got pregnant with her second only 6 weeks after giving birth to her first at 30 weeks! She struggled with landing in her body again. The biggest challenge she faced was the person she chose to have her kids with. She wanted her kids to grow up in a non-broken home so she and her parents moved in together and they are neighbors with her sister and her kids. Intergenerational living is amazing! Her co-parent chose to walk away from her and his three kids so she pulled herself up and did the bravest thing she could do. Her mom has always been her biggest supporter and she was right there with her through all of it. She even thought at one point that her kids would be better off without her but thanks to her mom and her therapist, she realized that wasn't true and kept putting one foot in front of the other. Monster mom comes out sometimes but she does the best she can to prove to her kids that no matter how broken you are, you keep picking yourself up and learn from it to move on. Giving yourself grace is so important and our kids give it to us so we need to give it to ourselves. These moments teach our kids that no one has to be perfect. The best apology is changed behavior. She wishes she would have known what a roller coaster mamahood can be. Embrace the moments of the ups and downs! Some days all you can feel is "I kept the little people alive," and that's more than enough! jalisahardy.com is where you can find her. She has a blog, books, webinars, and her youtube channel! Check her out! @jalisathegoldenchild

Shakila Marando Is the owner of Doulas by the Bay in San Francisco, CA. She had a tough time with breastfeeding and realized that other moms needed that help too. She started working as a nanny and then accidentally started working with a family who taught her about what a doula is and what they do. She love it and that started her journey to help other moms. She puts herself in the shoes of the other moms so she can touch the families and make a difference in their worlds. Lived experience speaks volumes as a doula and she loves to normalize the struggles of motherhood. She trains her other doulas that normalizing them and their experiences. Moms deserve support and should be the priority after birth and her organization starts with moms and also supports babies and partners. Her best mama moment is right now with grown children who are good humans who truly love one another. Her worst mama moment happened recently while the California's 2025 fires and being separated from her family on opposite sides of the state. She wishes she would have known that parenting is harder than she thought and having support is essential. She also wants moms to understand that mama guilt is normal but when you don't fill your own cup, you can't fill others. Sometimes prioritizing YOURSELF is really important.

Sara Nudd is a mama of 4 with a heart bigger than you can imagine. Her birth story with her first, at the age of 21 was traumatic and heart wrenching, on top of having no support or knowledge of what being a mom would be like. She struggled and struggled but after 3 more kiddos, she realized that she was suffering with PPD. Her life now is super full and her favorite mama moments are when all 6 of her family are together (including the senior Golden Doodle who is her soulmate!). She is almost finished with her Nurse Practitioner Degree and will specialize in Maternal Mental health. She has been a pediatric nurse for years and owns her own business called The Mama Co-op (find her here:themamacoop.com). She understands the need for good sleep and how that can completely derail your life. Her practice focuses on ensuring families have the resources they need to thrive and not just survive. You have not met a more genuine, lovely human as Sara Nudd. We are honored to have her as a YANA Board of Directors!

Julie Morey is a school social worker who does a lot for single moms because she chose to become a single mom by a donor with an unconventional motherhood journey. Her goal is to do a TEDx. She empowers women to write their own story and make decisions for themselves instead of waiting around for Prince Charming. She thought things were going to be more difficult than they were but she created a situation that worked. She believed in having a village and lived in an area that was walkable because it was important to her to have the availability of getting out of the house when she needed it. Being a 40 year old first time mom was a great choice for her because she was older, wiser and didn't sweat the small things. She had some great help along the way and was open to accepting it (which is such a great trait!). Her best friends were her biggest supporters and created an open experience for her birthing experience and allowed many friends and families to experience it with her. Her little girl is her travel buddy and they have been to numerous countries together. She also has a fear in the back of her mind that she could lose her and that causes some mama anxiety. Julie was well prepared to be a mom (at the age of 40) but things she wished she would have known was that you need to stop sweating the small stuff. You can make mistakes and your child will survive! She was rigid at the beginning but now she has learned that she has to let go of some of the things that she thought were so important. You can find her at juliemorey.substack.com or on instagram at the.unconventional.mom.

Savannah Becerril is the Assistant Program Director of the Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies program for our nonprofit, YANA. She has done a lot in the marketing world before coming to YANA including social media, websites and small business expansion. She was a teen mom at the age of 18, is currently a foster mom to a 16 year old, a mom to a 13 year old and a 6 year old. She has so many different ages and personalities in her house that her life is chaotic on a daily basis! Her biggest challenge of being a teen mom was building a mama village. Her village has come but it took some time. Being a single, teen mom was so difficult but didn't think she needed the help. As she grew in her motherhood journey, she was really lucky to marry into a family who truly stepped up and became an amazing mother-in-law, giving her the support she didn't even know she needed. She has been a mom for 18 years and finding the joy in motherhood isn't always easy to find but all the small moments of being a present parent. Her worst mama moment was when her youngest son, who was 11 months old was in the school when an active shooter was shooting up the school. Her son is the youngest child on record of being in a school shooting. This is NOT something you want to be known as and the unknown time when she didn't know where her son was or if he was safe, was the worst day of her life. She wishes she would have known that teenagers are really tough and maybe been a little more prepared even if she doesn't know what that means. Parenting in 2024 is not for the weak at heart.

Kalissa Braga is the Regional Program Coordinator for the Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies program through our nonprofit, YANA. She has quite a birthing story with her 3 babies. She was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager so she knew getting pregnant was going to be a struggle so they started with Clomid to get the process started and sure enough, she was able to get pregnant after the second round! She struggled with breastfeeding and had no support nor did she know what she was doing. She thought pumping and feeding would be such a great way to feed her new baby but boy did she realize that wasn't easier! She found out she was spontaneously pregnant 18 months later but lost that baby. After lots of fertility treatments and IUI's and after 9 rounds of IUI's, she finally found out she was pregnant, right before they were going to start IVF! They moved from Iowa to Colorado with her mom and dad, having family close by for the first time in her life! She was so excited to have a 2 ½ year old and about to give birth to number 2, was helping her mom start a business, moved to another state and her water broke! The birthing center she was supposed to deliver at didn't have the capabilities she needed so off to the hospital they went (NOT the plan!). Incompetent medical providers made it quite the story but she eventually had her second baby but she wasn't crying and it was a traumatic situation from start to finish. They started the fertility process again quickly, including IUI's and Progesterone shots. After 5 IUI's and were about to start IVF treatments when she finally got pregnant…AGAIN on the last IUI! She was almost rushed into emergency surgery to stop the hemorrhaging that happened because of a "piece of placenta that was left." She is blessed to have her 3 but was told she had to stop having babies because of her inability to stop bleeding. This was heartbreaking and sad for her but at the age of 32 she had to have a hysterectomy. Her story hopefully will encourage you that it CAN happen for you, even when you think you might not.

Jessica Jamison is a therapist and personal trainer in the eating disorder and body image space. She found herself there because of her own journey. When she couldn't get pregnant, she needed to find ways to do things differently. She specializes in women who need help finding themselves. When she finally decided to have kids, it took her over 2 years to get pregnant with her first but it took years for her to slow down and take care of herself with love and respect for her own body. The pressure of new moms to "bounce back" and get back to their pre pregnancy weight is unrealistic and ridiculous. She feels like she adjusted to her first baby really well. It took over 2 years so she seemed to "have it together" but after the second baby, she realized she was NOT ready for that. Her kiddos didn't get along from the beginning and that was hard on her mama heart. She had to be physically in between the 2 kids because she was concerned for the safety of the baby because her son was NOT happy about having another child in the mix. Sibling rivalry is a REAL thing and can derail a whole family and the dynamics in the household. She has had a lot of support from her parents as a mama and has childcare by her parents! She is super lucky to have them available to her. Her worst mama moment came with her first and only panic attack due to an irrational fear of something happening to her daughter. She had a miscarriage before giving birth to her daughter and she believes the fact that she didn't truly process the grief of her loss was a catalyst to her panic attack. She wishes she would have known how much she would change. Her beliefs, values, and priorities have all shifted. You genuinely change when you become a mom. That's NORMAL and ok. You can find Jessica at Revolutionhc.com Her Facebook group is called dumbbells and donuts and is specifically for women struggling with food, fitness and body image. Check it out.

Nicole Majik was a chemist over 16 years but almost died of mercury poisoning. She has had a business for almost 17 years to help people overcome their limiteding beliefs and step into their authentic selves. She has a genetic mutation (that she didn't know she had) that doesn't allow her body to metabolise heavy metals and the exposure to them in her job created a catastrophic situation where she couldn't even speak! She was in chronic pain and it took 18 months to get the metals out of her body and cost thousands of dollars! She had to diagnose herself and figure it out for herself. She is now healthy, happy and doing well but it was something she doesn't wish on her worst enemy. She is a mom of 4 and started having kiddos at 24. She is a mom to a 25, 22, 19 and 15 year old. She was pregnant with her first baby and the doctors told her that the baby was not "well" but they couldn't ever figure out why. She decided at that time that she couldn't control what that outcome was going to be so she was going to let it be what it was and accept it. As a parent, we have to learn that we can't control what paths our kids take and sometimes we have to just sit back and watch, hoping that what we taught our kids is enough to keep them safe, happy and healthy (however that looks for them). She believes we are all meant to follow our own divine alignment. Nicole is the Empowerment Alchemist and you can find her on all social medias with Nicole Majik or nicolemajik.com

Whitney Frost is not only the Founder and CEO of The Riley Center for Hope and Healing as well as a Board member for YANA! Her center takes all insurances including Medicaid and are on a sliding scale! Her journey has been a rough one. She had 5 losses between the 2 earth-side girls and her two pregnancies were very high risk! She has two sassy girls, who obviously get their sassiness from their dad! She is working hard at leaving her work at work and needing to be PRESENT for her girls. Being a working mom is close to impossible and we are often so overwhelmed by things like packing lunches! The jobs that moms are expected to fit into our days are never ending! Her hubby is her biggest cheerleader and biggest support but also part of the challenge (like most spouses). With postpartum OCD, she has struggled with moments of needing to be perfect even today. Traveling is the time when it tends to come out more. She wishes there would have been a handbook of things to understand. Her baby had 2 heart defects and postpartum depression is really hard. She wishes there was a playbook for motherhood. But the surprises just keep coming. You can find her at theryliecenter.com

Christi Gmyr is a mental health counselor in upstate New York who virtually specializes in helping moms with managing and understanding all of the things it takes to be a mom. She had her own Covid baby but then had a 4 year old at home with her too during the pandemic. Mothering the 2 at a time was really challenging when she expected to have her 4 year old in preschool and having one-on-one time with the new baby. She had an idea of what it would look like but life changes and is different than we think it is going to be. The unknown is one of the hardest parts of parenting because when we become moms, we realize so much about it outside of our control. Many moms have expectations of themselves even though they have never been in this place before. Moms are always expected to be supportive of others. Judgements are just opinions and the nature of opinions is that everyone has a different one. We get to decide who we get to listen to and whose opinion we want to listen to. We have expectations of ourselves AND of others. The messages we get from others can really derail us as moms. Moms struggle with losing friendships but good friends will be flexible and honor the fact that having a baby changes your availability. Life changes, people change and we need to be flexible about our relationships too. Watching her children show kindness are her best mama moments and her worst mama moments were during the pandemic when she lost her "cool." We ALL have those moments and beating ourselves up doesn't serve anyone! She is a coach of stressed out mamas who have demanding careers, helping them overcome burnout, resentment and guilt Check her out at ChristiGmyrcoaching.com

Sarah Boes is a multifaceted mama who started her own business during covid but sold it and moved into advocacy. She found out that her daughter had congenital heart disease and has 4 heart conditions! With numerous ultrasounds, she thought she was going to have a healthy, happy baby. She also found out that she had OCD and her baby became her obsession. Her daughter will have to have numerous heart surgeries as she grows. Her spouse was her biggest supporter but she also had a postpartum doula who changed her whole motherhood journey. Her daughter has had a lot of medical issues throughout the last two and a half years but she is healthy, happy and doing amazing but it has been quite the journey. She was frustrated with how the after birth process worked and the lack of support she had in the NICU. She advocates for Congenital Health Disease awareness on Capitol Hill! She has been unseen and unheard and diagnosed in her 30's with OCD after years of therapy. One in 100 babies will be born with a heart defect! She is out in the world, making sure people know about it! Find her at SarahMichelleBoes.com

Dr. Bragg is a doctor in Norfolk, Virginia who treats people with non-surgical solutions for orthopedic and spinal problems. She is a pain management physician who does comprehensive pain management with as little pain meds as possible. She isn't completely against opioids but has treated over 20,000 people. She has been working with pain management since 1995! She wrote a book after taking care of her mom and it sparked her need to help others with their pain. Women are more apt to have back pain because of their daily routines. Moms can do small things to alleviate back pain and injury. The routine changes can make or break you (and your back!). Exercise during pregnancy is really important if approved by your doctor as well and after birth you will benefit from those efforts. Her YouTube channel is called Dr. Winifred Bragg and you can hear some of her tips and tricks! You can find her website at www.knockoutpain.com and can download a chapter of her book there.

Margot Bisnow spent 20 years working for the government and then her oldest son started a company and she decided she wanted to get involved! She joined his young entrepreneurs and most of them had people who believed in them. Most of the time, that person was their mom. Her book is called Raising an Entrepreneur and she interviewed 70 entrepreneurs and their moms to learn about how the support of a mom helped shape who they became. She has learned a lot from these interviews and what parents seem to want for their kids. She is a mom to kiddos in their thirties where she travels to visit them now. She was ambivalent about being a mom and she loved her life. She didn't feel a gap and since she had done the big career thing first, she felt secure and took 6 weeks off with her first. With her second child, 20 months apart from her first son, she wanted to have them close enough in age so they could be friends. She had a nanny to help with the kids and felt great about that relationship. She tells moms that they have three choices…they can not work and feel guilty, they can work full time and feel guilty or they can work part time and STILL feel guilty! For her book, she interviewed 70 entrepreneurs and learned so much and really enjoyed learning what she could about the different family dynamics and the fact that they were all basically raised the same. ALL of them had an interest outside of school and their parents supported them in it. Supporting your kiddos looks different for each parent and however you are supporting your kiddos is best for you and them. Be proud of who you are and how you are parenting!

Susan Caso is a mom of 3 and a therapist who works with teens and adults for many years. She lives in Boulder, Colorado and is also an author of a book called the The Parent-Teen Connection. She gave birth in Denver but had such an interesting experience where the nurses took her baby to the nursery anytime she fell asleep. She wanted that baby near her! Her biggest challenge was having her third child at the age of 43! That rocked her world. To have a child later in life, you have so many different things with the older kiddos but then you have the newborn to feed during the night. Advanced Maternal Age is a horrible way to say it to a mom who may already be fragile. She has a sister who was a huge support and lots of friends but her husband is an incredible support for her. Having a spouse who understands you and is a team with you. Empathy plays such a huge role in marriage and life! Susan's mama moments are when they are all in the same house together. Thanksgiving is one of her favorite times to all be under the same roof. Her worst mama moments were when she didn't handle things better when her kids were younger. She wishes she could go back and change how she reacted to the bickering. Dropping her kids off at college was also one of the hardest part of motherhood. She wishes she would have known she didn't have to be a perfect parent. As an anxious mom, she worried too much about being perfect. Let it go mama!

Cheryl Chiasson is a mom of 3 boys with quite the story. They took in a young man who had a TON of trauma and took him in. With her first two babies, she said she struggled with PPD and intrusive thoughts. She struggled and had no idea what she was struggling with because no one talked about it. Her biggest supporters were both men. First, her husband and second, her father in law (crazy that it was two men!!!). She had the support but didn't ask for help and didn't accept the help because she thought she had to do it all herself. Her best mama moments come when she is now watching her boys be kind to other people and serve others as well as watching her son find happiness, love and when she danced with him at his wedding. How they treat others and go out into the world is both through nature and nurture and being proud of the job you have done as a mom is an important aspect of motherhood. Her biggest regret is raising her voice but because of her childhood and living in a domestic violence situation as a child, she never wanted to have this situation in her own home. When she did raise her voice, she was hard on herself because of the trauma she anticipated she extended to her boys. She wishes she would have known that perfection should not be a goal, that it's ok not to be ok, to ask for help and accept it when offered. Take the time to be with others besides your kids. You have to be a full person without them too. It's ok for their dad to be with them without you and it's ok to take some time for yourself.

Kimberly Vines lives in North Carolina with her three littles (just moved there 2 weeks ago) and is excited to start their new adventure on the east coast. She and her husband lived in an RV for a few years to climb rocks and travel around Colorado. She loves trying new recipes and exploring the outdoors. She was 30 with her first baby and although they were living it up and rock climbing and being nomads, they decided it was time to get serious about starting a family. She was doing the best she could holding onto a full time job while parenting a new baby full time and things worked out during COVID to regroup and started to find herself again. She found mom friends and then realized she wasn't living her "truth." She is doing what she can to extend herself to others and make sure she is connecting with other moms. Parenting is like doing improv every single day. WIth three kids you have to let go of the structure 100% of the time because helicopter parenting is not the answer either. As a first time mom, her sister-in-law was three months ahead of her in pregnancy and she was her biggest supporter. Peer moms are so important to the mamahood journey. Watching her baby wake up smiling from ear to ear makes her day every morning and the pride she has in her oldest daughter and her drive to be who she is makes her proud. Her worst mama moment came when she left her 3 year old son at the park when he wandered off. Who hasn't had that fear in the pit of their stomach? The identity switch you go through is a huge part of being a mom and she wishes she would have known that reaching out to other mamas is essential to your mental health. Take care of each other.

Kristin Goodwin is an amazing badass! She was a pilot as a Brigadier General and served over 30 years in the Air Force. As a woman, graduating from the Air Force Academy and doing flight school at 21, she decided she needed to think ahead to the family she wanted to have. At the age of 25, she wasn't living her authentic life and came to terms with being gay and what that meant to be in the military under Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT). She put her dreams of having a family on hold for 13 years until DADT was repealed. She was so excited to start a family, she rushed into a relationship to have all the things she wanted…being a mom! She had a lot of struggles as a new mom, working for a 4 star general as a new mom being one of them! The pressures were HUGE, the postpartum was rough and she struggled with the emotions of motherhood, unsupportive spouse AND the 12-14 hour days at work. She wanted to be true to herself but couldn't really do that with her job and SHOULD have taken the help but didn't feel like she could (for many reasons). As a new mom, her biggest supporters were her mom and step-dad who ended up staying through the COVID pandemic to help and that was a Godsend. Her best mama moments come so often but finding out she was pregnant with her second daughter was so special since she had to use IVF for that pregnancy. Her worst mama moment was in the delivery of her first baby girl. She counted 16 people in the room and realized she might lose her daughter and that was life changing. She LOVED being pregnant and was glowing and after doing an Iron Man triathlon, and being in amazing shape (and still is!), she thought she could do a natural labor and she labored for over 13 hours because her daughter got stuck. She actually had her second daughter 2 years and 1 day later and she came out in minutes! She actually had 2 babies who were exactly the same weight and length! She said she was pretty naive and thought labor was going to be a bit painful but HOLY MOLY it's way harder than she thought it would be. She also wishes she would have realized that her body would never be the same. Like EVER. She wants moms to know that they are not alone! Kristin and her wife, Dr. Traci have a coaching business called Delta-V. They can be found at thedelta-v.com where they help with one-on-one coaching, executive team building and leadership development. Check them out, because they are truly two of the most amazing badass women you will ever meet.

In this episode of HRtbeat, the Highlands Ranch podcast, Jake Freedle welcomes back Nikki Brooker, founder of the nonprofit YANA, (You Are Not Alone), for an inspiring update on her organization's work in providing vital support to new moms. YANA's program, Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies, now operates in three hospitals, offering comprehensive, year-long support to mothers, including personal outreach, community gatherings and digital resources. Nikki shares the tremendous impact of their 96% acceptance rate, emphasizing how this unique program fills a gap in maternal care, especially during the challenging first year. She discusses the importance of community and mental health support, touching on YANA's funding journey, including grants from Douglas County and encouraging donations for the upcoming Colorado Gives Day. To get involved or support their mission, visit yanamom.com and tune in to hear more about the organization's next steps and heartwarming stories. We talked about: Journey of expanding YANA's hospital partnerships, now reaching three hospitals. How Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies connects moms with weekly gatherings, an app and direct support. Role of Douglas County's grant and other funding to help sustain YANA's free services for moms. The $60 per mom cost for providing year-long, wraparound support, showcasing YANA's efficiency. YANA's goal, to combat isolation in motherhood and to build a supportive "village" for maternal mental health. Learn more about Nikki Brooker: Visit her website https://yanamom.com/ Get to know her new program https://yanamom.com/strong-mamas-program/ Show your support https://www.coloradogives.org/donate/yanam2m Listen to her podcast https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/ Find her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yanam2m/ Connect with her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yanam2m Follow her on Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@yanam2m

Bracha Goetz is an author of 42 children's books that help children's souls to shine as well as a memoir called Nourish the Soul. She has 6 grown kids and 36 grandchildren with two more on the way. Bracha was 24 when she started having kids and he's now 44 years old! She went to Harvard and medical school but went to Israel for the summer and didn't come back to medical school. She met her husband and lived there for 10 years. She came back to America to take care of her parents. She has been in the states for 30 years but they are making their way back to Israel. They had 5 kiddos in Israel and one in Baltimore. Raising 5 kids in Israel was really hard without family around but she moved to a small settlement with a great network of friends who were all settlers and pioneers of this settlement. Her best mama moment is seeing the amazing grandchildren her kids are raising. She devoted her energy, her time and her talents in her kids and now sees all of those fruits of her labor in her grandkids. She spends her time ensuring people know that you can be extremely intelligent and choose to put your time and effort into being the best mom and homemaker you can be. Her worst mama moment was way back when she dropped her first baby as an infant. She was terrified that she hurt her own baby. She had no experience as a caretaker so she was a fish out of water. Until she connected with other mothers, she was lonely and had no idea that the difficult times aren't going to last forever. Now looking back, everything was a blur and it's hard to remember all of the rough days. Take a deep breath and know that this too shall pass. She also wants you to value the little things with your kids. Cuddling and reading books were her bonding time and that lead to what she's doing now. She thinks one of the most important things to instill in kids is gratitude. This creates happiness for life. Bracha is the grateful granny! You can find her at www.growingimpactpublications.com

As a mama of 4 and grandma of 8, Susan May has been in the "mothering business" for quite awhile. She was a substitute teacher for over 20 years and she is also a writer and has published many novels including harlequin novels and a nonfiction about her son and his heart transplant. Her author name is Susan Carlisle. Her oldest just turned 40 and they share a birthday! She has been married for 42 years after attending Auburn University. She had 4 (almost) under 4 and had a busy house but didn't think that through when it came to paying for college! Empty nesting together wasn't hard on her because she was so excited to watch them fly! Her youngest son was born with a heart condition and needed surgery and possibly a transplant. He is one of the oldest people on record who is living with a heart transplant. Her biggest supporter during early motherhood was her mom, who stepped in with the other three while she spent a lot of time in the hospital with her youngest who needed the heart transplant. Her best mama moment is when the entire family is sitting at one big long table. NO kids table. EVERYONE at one table is her favorite part of being a mama and grandma. She wants mamas to know that things are survivable. Being proactive for your kids because there is no alternative. Fight for what you know they need. She wishes she would have known that being a mom is a lot of work! She did things in the "acceptable" order with school, marriage and kids but that doesn't work for everyone. She has learned how unbelievably strong you can love another human being. She also believes that everyone is going to get their season. Each kiddo will need you at different times. You can find Susan at susanCarlisle.com or susancmay.com.

Meera Ishaya is an Ishaya monk and a mom! After becoming extremely depressed, leaving her the feeling that she didn't want to be alive anymore, and that turned into a whole new world for her. She thinks that trying to prove that she was a good mom, the most depressed she became. Being a monk has opened up a whole new world. She has published numerous books but her first is about coming back to being who you are. Being authentically YOU is essential. Being a monk is about learning that we are all one. It takes away the mind chatter and grounds you. She came to this world after thinking, "there has to be more to life than this." And she found it by being an Ishaya monk. Her two kiddos have helped to keep her grounded. Aftering having her kiddos, she struggled with massive pain along with mental health issues. She had Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction which was excruciating and she was struggling to stay alive. She was on crutches and couldn't walk but then had to get back to "normal" through excruciating pain and physical therapy including having someone dress her! She was pushed to another place where she found 100% peace. When you open yourself up to the possibilities of what's out there, things come to you. Her biggest supporter was her husband and when she finally found her "people" in Spain at this retreat where she felt 100% supported. Her best mama moment was when her daughter said, "I couldn't have gotten through this without you, I love you." It feels good when you are appreciated and supported by the people you love the most. She wishes she would have known how to mediate and to not punish. Less is more and through meditation she has let go of a lot of the stress she was experiencing. You can find her at her youtube channel and website boundless-meditation.co.uk Check out her episode at https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/

Erin Barry is a divorced mom of three adult kiddos with a combined family and now a mom of 6 with a new baby granddaughter. She is a life coach working to help people find their real, authentic selves. She lives in Minnesota and is a soccer referee and enjoys doing that with her daughter. She was 27 when she had her first and has enjoyed watching them all become adults. Her biggest challenge as a mom has been mental health and chronic hives with one of her kiddos. Trying to manage those issues and having NO control of the issues is so hard as a mom. As moms, we are supposed to be the ones who "fix" things and sometimes we just can't. She had a lot of great support through her family when she was having her babies because she lived close enough to them. With a mom who was a daycare provider, she was blessed to have her as the caretaker of her kids. It was always important to her that her kids have good relationships with each other and listening to them empower each other is part of her favorite parts of being a mama. She wishes she would have known about time adjustments needed to be made when you have children. You might think you are busy now but just wait! Breastfeeding isn't natural for everyone and sometimes outside pressures made her feel like she didn't have a choice and it was terrible. She wants moms to know that creating traditions is important and those are some of her best memories. Create your own traditions and cherish them. Also, have grace with yourself, especially with life balance. You need to foster relationships, especially with yourself. You can find Erin at liveyourtruthjouney.com

Juliana Mackin is a mom of three working in PR firms and managing technology groups but has decided to open her own businesses. Her mama journey started later in life because her husband is 5 years younger but the positives of being an older mom is that she has more financial stability to work in a career first. She feels like she knows more about herself as well and that has been a huge positive. The mom guilt never goes away but has learned to accept that. Her biggest challenge has been the struggles of taking on too much and moved to the states from the UK and when she was overwhelmed with all of the mamahood challenges and hormonal changes she says that was really hard but since that was her first baby, she then knew that it was normal to feel that way with babies number 2 and 3. She didn't bond at first with baby number 3 and she realized how normal that was too. Her best mama moments are when her kids progress and are growing and showing pride in themselves. Her 5 year old got up in front of a crowd of people and played his ukulele and her daughter sang and to watch them be proud of themselves was a great feeling. Her worst mama moments are when she is frustrated with them and sometimes shows those frustrations and expresses her stress. She wishes she would have known what it truly is like to be a mom because with number three, she seems to have it more "together." But don't we learn that as we go and our kids' personalities could also be more nurture than nature. She wants you to know that anything you are feeling guilty about is probably normal and other moms are feeling the same way. Don't beat yourself up!

Suzanne Jamieson lives in Santa Monica, California and is a mom of a 9 and 12 year old. She went to school to be a performer and after being a mom, decided that chasing the audition wasn't in the cards. She couldn't find a lullaby album for her baby so she created her own! Her new album is called Love Is and is available wherever you stream music. The idea behind this album was the silo-ing of our country and the division and hate. The album explores what love is, different kinds of love and how to actionably show love to every part of our lives. Funneling the great ideas for kids into music, why not use music as a positive vehicle for it. She's a DOer and she figured out what she needed and created it. She found mama circles in LA and that changed her mama journey in so many ways because she realized how important your community is for your own mental health and parenting. Her best mama moments are all the little things like having a teacher say that her child is empathetic or other fleeting moments that she savors. Her worst mama moment is something she can laugh about now but back then it was a huge issue that made her question her own mental health at the time. She wishes she would have known that this is the LOOOOONG game…in 20 years will THIS matter? Are you teaching them your values? Are you teaching them the good? Look at parenting from a broader perspective and not just should they eat that bag of chips? Showing your kids that you care about your own life too and your passions mean something too. If you stop loving yourself and pursuing the things you care about, you take away the pot of love and show your kids that you don't matter. Self awareness is really important too. You can join her monthly newsletter by signing up through her website at suzannejamiesonsings.com

Vanessa lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as a single mom of a 9 year old. She was a therapist who decided to add spiritualism into that realm. Her website is thepsychgym.com. She is a believer of spiritual grounding in therapy and transformed her practice into intuitive counseling. She experienced unexplained fertility issues and had to learn how to NOT expect a typical mama journey. She unexpectedly got pregnant, which was an ectopic pregnancy which caused more grief but then one month later, she got pregnant again!! That's when you know you are MEANT to be a mom! She was under the impression that she needed to make this a family and although she tried her hardest, it wasn't meant to be. Single parenting for the past 5 years has been its own journey and the struggle created a deep connection and love for her daughter, knowing she is doing the best she can for her and her daughter. She has had many different supports through her mama journey and she says they all helped (and continue to help) raise her as a mom. Validation from others really made a difference in her mama journey because she needed the feeling that she wasn't alone and she felt held. Fixing things as moms isn't always the best path. Letting our kids struggle a bit won't hurt. Empowerment comes from doing things so we have to let them do it and feel brave. She wishes she would have known that she truly needed her community around her who are in the same places in her life. She kept all the old friends (hockey players) and she wishes she would have had someone to help her create the communities of people she needed as a mom and not a hockey player. She can be found on Instagram sea.stars.psych and Facebook under Vanessa Perry - Intuitive Counselor. Check out her podcast at https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/

Kyle is a strong willed parenting coach. He works with families with strong willed kids because he was a parent of SIX of those kinds of kids. He was co-parenting with his wife of 30 years but she died unexpectedly in 2021 and then he was left to parent alone. For their 30th wedding anniversary, they took a trip and that was when they decided as a couple that they needed to do more. They needed to support parents who were struggling with their own strong willed kids. Strong willed kids can be described as kids who frustrate, discourage or create worry for their future and these situations cause relationship issues and family dynamics that can make or break you. One thing they really learned was that you can't parent them all the same because they are so different. Kyle grew up with the threat of violence, so Kyle's wife decided they needed to have a better plan for their family dynamic. If they didn't have that plan, Kyle says they were either going to implode or thrive. They decided they wanted it to thrive. Kyle's wife believed in parenting through love and Kyle was a disciplinarian but after a rather frustrating situation with their non-verbal son, and praying about what he should do, he chose not to give up on his family but his wife lost faith in him as a partner and a father. After reading the Cat and the Hat, they realized they needed to have a strategy and a plan. They needed to not be focused on "winning" the argument but instead getting to a common goal together. Parenting is tough but it doesn't have to be as tough as we make it. Make a plan, make it easier on everyone in the home! Check Kyle out at kylejetsel.com for more information about his parenting help and strategies. Give a listen at https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/

She lives in northern Virginia as a poetry and creative writing coach, writer and teacher. She turned her cathartic activity (writing) into her purpose. She has a non-traditional motherhood journey. In 2019 her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and knowing she was going to lose one of the most important people in her life, she realized that we may or may not have "all the time in the world." During her acute grief and a global pandemic her relationship didn't make it through and she realized she had a huge need to be a mom. At the age of 20, she was diagnosed with a bicornuate uterus which changed everything and she didn't think she could carry a baby and also didn't have a partner she wanted to parent with but then found out she was misdiagnosed and didn't have a deformed uterus. She chose to consciously co-parent with a man who she didn't think she would fall in love with but was just going to parent together but low and behold, love did happen and they live in Virginia together and found the perfect situation for them with their 5 month old little boy. She wishes she would have known how hard breastfeeding was going to be. Her second book of poetry, Mother,(v), is all about her desire to become a mom as well as other women's stories about their journeys. You can find her at annemariewellswriter.com.

Kimberly Grustas is the inventor and owner of a skin care line that focuses on all natural skin care for all females but mostly girls to ensure they have all natural skin care, especially through puberty. Her business is called Good For You Girls. She has been creating these products since 2008 to make sure things are made and are GOOD for the consumer. Her brand is very specific in their ingredients and purposes. She started in the fitness industry (male dominated) and was envious of men for being fearless. So she embraced her tenacity and created products to help girls through puberty. Her mama journey started after being married for 10 years and after getting nervous, she got pregnant four months after starting her own advertising business. She was afraid to give up her independence and type "a" way of doing things after having babies and has always been a working mom even though she didn't utilize day care and worked from home and is self made. She admits that not asking for help is a weakness she struggles with and gets overwhelmed but is "obnoxiously happy" in the mornings, knowing that happiness is important to her. After a stressful childhood as the youngest of 5 and an identical twin. After losing her brother, her entire family changed and her parents never found their way out of that grief. With her own babies, she never hid the hard stuff. She would have them right alongside her building her business. She does regret not giving herself more time for HER. She didn't know her limits and gave and gave. She's struggling as an empty nester and although she enjoys the young adult conversations and she is always "the call" they make but not being there is hard on a mama heart. She wishes she would have made time to create her tribe! She wishes she would have known how important that tribe is to the empty nesting too. You can find all of her products at goodforyougirls.com and you can use the coupon code:YANA20 for 20% off!

Jessica has quite an amazing mama journey with the release of her new book called Breath Taking, A Memoir of Families, Dreams and Broken Genes. She left the corporate world to write her story and tell her family's story. Her journey to motherhood was long and twisty and not at all what she thought it would be. After dating her husband for 10 years, they were finally married and thought they would be pregnant right away but five years later, they were still trying. After 25 procedures, and five years they decided they needed to pivot and fell in love with the idea of adoption. They adopted through Guatemala and adopted three amazing children. They thought their struggles had hit the apex but boy were they wrong! She suspected that her middle child had health issues and she was 100% right. She had her checked by Early Interventions and they and the doctors all said she was just a "little behind, give her time." But this mama had an intuition that there was something else going on and low and below she was diagnosed with a mild to moderate hearing loss. At the age of 5 she was given genetic testing (because she was adopted) and that proved she had MERRF syndrome (a mitochondrial degenerative disease). This ultra rare disease was life changing for their entire family. Rare diseases are a challenge in every way for an entire family. When Dalia turned 9, they all went on a family vacation and a cold turned into respiratory failure with a tracheotomy and a ventilator. Dalia had to have eyes on her 24/7 and this continued for EIGHT years! Dalia lost her battle right around her 17th birthday and it changed Jessica in a beautiful and horrific way all at the same time. She wishes she would have known that all emotions are possible to be felt AT THE SAME TIME! Her journey is not like most but she has quite the story to tell and we implore you to check out her book, Breath Taking, found on her website https://www.jessicafeinstories.com Give a listen here: yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/

As a single mama of 4 kids, 2 girls and 2 boys and is the reigning Ms. Colorado Americana. She also is a Geotechnical Engineer! She is also training to be in the WINTER OLYMPICS!!! She is a Skeleton athlete (head-first flying down the ice). She had to really train hard and the email to welcome her to the olympic team, WENT TO HER SPAM account!!!! Here is your lesson for the day…check your spam! As a mama of 4, she struggled with postpartum depression and frustration as well as trying to get your body back after giving birth FOUR times! She is an olympic athlete, she really struggled with getting her body back. She decided on the second go-around of having kids (she has an age gap between the two sets of kids) that she would give her more grace because there is no trophy for bouncing back the "fastest." Her mama was her biggest supporter and continues to be. Since kids are sponges and repeat it all, when they repeat what she says she has to take a long look at what she says to ensure she isn't putting things out there that she doesn't want them to repeat. She wishes she would have known about YANA when she was a new mama. She wishes she had her community of people who "got" her that could have been there for her. She didn't look for the help and support and wishes she would have.

Karen owns Organize It, a professional organizing and move management company. Her goal is to get new moms getting their nurseries in order. Her passion is helping mamas be more organized and ready for baby. She has 2 grown children, a husband and has lived in Colorado for almost 50 years. Her biggest challenge as a mama was the depression she struggled with. She had a wise friend who said, "have a plan with your husband so that if you are not able to communicate what's going on, you make it obvious to him that you need help." The shame of asking for help needs to end and in 2024, we are at the point where you CAN say I need help. Just because you can't see it, it doesn't invalidate it. With her husband as her biggest supporter, her faith and her boys, she has thrived and is such a good person. Her best mama moment came when she asked her adult daughter what she thought her best mama moment was and her answer thrilled her because it made her realize that her "normal" meant she was being an amazing mama. Her worst mama moment was when her mental health wasn't being addressed properly. Now that she is properly medicated AND diagnosed properly, she can regulate and emplores you to go get more answers because not all doctors have the correct answers. Keep asking, keep seeking and don't give up until someone gives you the answers you deserve.

Becoming a mama in her 30s and quarantined during pregnancy was strange and difficult in so many ways. Baby number two came after the pandemic and she found out what a regular pregnancy was. She is a "famous" online personality called Law Mother with over 2 million followers! She educates people about protecting the things that are the most important to them. She had to get her husband onboard as he waffled on the idea but eventually they made it happen. With her first baby, she struggled with postpartum and wasn't prepared for that. She also was a new business owner with her first baby as well as being the breadwinner for the whole family. She really didn't get a postpartum break but with her second, she knew she had to do it differently. With her second baby, she took four months off and knew that was exactly what she needed. She hired a postpartum doula to help out but then decided to split the shift with her going to bed at 7pm and sleeping until 3am and then her husband would go to bed at 3am. This really worked for them. She had a mindset coach she worked with and they helped her with the mom guilt and prioritize her time so she could break down her day and how she spent her time to help her feel more connected since she worked outside the house.Her best mama moments are the simple ones. When her kids are expressing themselves and becoming who they will be. She wishes she would have known how much support she needed for the postpartum period and had it set up. Take her advice and GET IT! You can find her at lawmother.com. Listen to our 2 year anniversary episode here https://yanamom.com/lets-be-real-podcast/

Pouneh is a Board of Director advisor for YANA and we are blessed to have her on our team. As a stepmom, she has lots of experience in mamahood but when she had her own boys, everything changed. Originally from New Jersey, she says, "You can take the girl out of Jersey but you can't take Jersey out of the girl." As a Board Certified OBGYN, Pouneh has worked for years being the person who helps bring babies into the world but her entire care of mamas has changed now that she is a mom. Being pregnant and giving birth during her residency was close to impossible but she somehow made it through and all while her dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She looks back on that time in awe that her and her husband made it through. Because of her need to be more present, she reconfigured her entire work structure and became a traveling OBGYN where she travels for a week and gives rural OBGYN's a break and then is home for three weeks where she can give her kids her undivided attention (thus her best mama moments when she watches her kids experience the world). Her worst mama moment was when her little guy was so hurt that he threw away his painting and broke his little heart (who else can identify with that!). She is always honest with her patients and tells them that parenthood is literally "on the job learning." She also feels strongly about mamas finding and building their community. Motherhood needs to be a team activity!

Lauren is an entrepreneur and teaches nutrition and health and wellness is her world. She loves helping people. She is a bonus mom of two older kiddos but always wanted to be a mama on her own. After IVF with Conceptions, she succeeded in her goal to be a mama and had her baby right after she turned 40. She is an older mom and had it "all together." But boy did having a mama change everything. She really struggled with how to manage all the feelings she was having. How do you go from being a boss mama to covered in spit up? She experienced some jealousy with her husband who got a promotion and was doing things in his career that she wished she was doing, even though she always wanted to be a mom, this was more than she bargained for. Her biggest support came from her spouse, all the grandmas in her life and even the Facebook groups she joined. Her stories of her best and worst mama moments will blow you away and explain why I think she is such an amazing badass! Her experience has been beautiful, ugly, hard, amazing, unbelievable and down right way more than she anticipated. Her mama journey is less than a year old but she has learned more in those 10 months than she ever thought possible. She even wrote an article for the Daily Camera about her experience. You can read it HERE: https://www.dailycamera.com/2023/09/07/guest-opinion-lauren-friarson-a-holistic-practitioners-tribute-to-allopathic-medicine/ Follow her on Instagram at @lifewithlaurendanielle

Dawn has been a lifelong teacher and is taking on a new role as an Assistant Director of a school. She started her mama journey with a step child at the age of 3 (who is now 18) and now has a 6 year old. Being a stepmom has been quite a journey and being a new mom as a stepmom has been a journey she never thought she would be on. Undiagnosed for most of her life, her stepdaughter just was diagnosed with autism so that's a new challenge. She struggled being a new mom because her own mom passed away 6 months before she gave birth. Her rock was gone and she had to parent an infant all on her own. Her baby also had colic for the first year of her life. Her husband was her biggest supporter because her mom wasn't there for her and she knows how lucky she is to have her. Her best mama moment has been watching both girls grow up and become who they are. When you see yourself in your kids, it's the best part of being a mom. Being an introvert and having an extrovert child is no joke! Knowing she should have slept for years before her daughter was born!!! SO TIRED! She knows now that she needs her own unwind time before she can be a good mama. TAKE THE TIME for yourself and then you can be all the things to everyone but take care of YOU!

Our 100th episode was an in-person party with two amazing mamas as well as our Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies Program Assistant Director! It was such a great way to celebrate our 100th episode! Jeanie has two small kiddos and lived in Florida at that time but moved a lot and she had a lot of challenges because she didn't have support. She is now in Colorado and building her own support system. Meagan is also a mama of two littles (her homies) living in Colorado. They both felt the massive change they went through after having babies. The new "normal" is no longer like what you thought it would be. The lack of sleep is absolutely life changing. Family and support being nearby is HUGE and finding the people who support you and creating your own "framily" is so important. Sheesh, where have we heard THAT before? , Jeanie shared one of her best mama moments was recently watching her son thrive in an educational setting that changed everything. Meagan is finally feeling pride in her mothering and how she is creating memories for her kids as a good mama. They both think that surrounding yourself with people who nourish you is essential! So reach out to YANA if you want to be matched with another mama! Worse mama moments come as well and Meagan is working to get her daughter tested after she noticed some concerning behaviors and has struggled feeling like she is winning. Looking back, she sees the positives of her motherhood journey but it took awhile to see them Jeanie's worst mama moments is that she is truly her biggest critic and has had to learn to give herself grace. Doing it on her own is hard but she also knows there is always room for repair. As their own biggest supporters, they realized they needed to be there for themselves. There is NOTHING wrong with being your own best "person."

Kandra is a sleep expert who helps people with their sleeping journey with their children. At the age of 27, she started her mama journey after going through infertility for years. Shaping her journey as a wife and mother, infertility needs to be understood on another level. She had really hard pregnancies and was in and out of the hospitals and threw up every day all day long. Being on the other end of that journey feels really good because it was really difficult. "Being a mom is a growing journey learning who you are." Having a great childhood doesn't always mean you don't have triggers that can really throw you for a loop. She realized through her kids Occupational therapies that she couldn't regulate her needs to escape the over stimulation. She never realized she had anger issues until it happened but growing and learning as a mom is so important. As a mom, you become a different version of who you have always been. Her village was amazing and so supportive during her start of mamahood. She has 6 grandparents for her boys and has never had to pay for daycare! Her best mama moment happened this last Christmas when she planned, and completed the best movie night with her three boys and how special that was to all of them. She wishes she knew that some kids don't sleep during the day! She felt she was the only person on the planet with a newborn who struggled to sleep during the day. That's SO normal but she didn't know that. You can find her at: rockymountainsleepingbaby.com

Dina was a corporate America person but now holds space for women who are going through transitions. Her one kiddo will be 19 soon and she believes her soul was matched with the two souls who left before she could be their mother on earth. Her wisdom councils and circles change lives and give moms the permission to honor their mama journey's. Giving up some of the plan you have in mind in motherhood, both birth and motherhood is essential. Don't grip so hard! The control isn't always in your hands. Loneliness is oftentimes really difficult, especially when they can't talk and interact. She struggled with that. The empty nest issue happens when kiddo goes off to school full time and that was rough on her. The friendships that come and go can also be really challenging. She is really involved in intergenerational conversations and getting the older generation supporting the younger and vice versa. When you honor even the dark places you flow through, you can find the blessings they bring to your life. There are always opportunities in all things that happen in your life. She wants people to remember that you are the author of only YOUR story. You are not the author of your kids, your husband or anyone else. We are ushering our kids through their journey as a guide. Walk beside them. mavenandsageconsulting.com