The Latched Mama Podcast

We often have this picture of the postpartum experience as beautiful – but moms are often left feeling broken and alone. Melissa and Lindi have a very raw discussion about post partum hormones and emotions.

We’re celebrating our 100th episode! Lindi and Melissa play a fun game, reflect on some of their favorite moments from the podcast, and chat about an awesome giveaway!

Why do Siblings Fight? Who knows, because we certainly don’t. Melissa and Lindi talk about sibling fights and what they do in their own families.

Lindi and Melissa sit down to talk about setting boundaries around the Thanksgiving holiday. Melissa’s lesson: “Set you boundaries. Don’t let it ruin you. And this is still the beginning of the holiday season.” The main point is to level set your expectations and enjoy time with your family this Thanksgiving week!

Often, the first step in finding the right nanny or babysitter is simply recognizing and accepting you could use some help. For many of us moms, this is easier said than done. Finding the right person to care for your children can seem like an impossible task but Lindi and Melissa chat over their experiences and drop some helpful tips

Melissa and Lindi contemplate the pros and cons of modern technology in the lives of our kiddos. They discuss screen time, cell phones, internet access, youtube, and much much more! All while adjusting to a new aesthetic in the podcast studio.

Kids get sick- a lot. The Mayo Clinic estimates about 12 times a year*. Melissa and Lindi talk about having sick kids and tips for prevention and care when it does happen. https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/parenting/the-constant-cold-why-kids-are-always-sick-and-what-to-do-about-it/

With three kid’s birthdays in the month of October, Melissa is the midst of birthday planning overload. Lindi and Melissa talk birthday party hacks and lowering birthday planning expectations.

Lindi and Melissa talk about Mom Burnout- a deep level of exhaustion that comes from unending caregiving demands. It comes down to making choices and setting expectations that being a mom isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. If you can, prioritizing yourself from time to time can work wonders!

Lindi and Melissa talk about all the fun fall things- pumpkin patches, apple picking, and Halloween costumes. #lowerexpectations #lazymompodcast

Trigger Warning- Lindi and Melissa have a very raw discussion about the loss of a pregnancy. https://latchedmama.com/pages/podcast-sign-up

Lindi is joined by Karen Baker (Podcast Coordinator) to react to recent Mom Blooper call ins. Laugh along with us as we talk about postpartum body odor, wine display catastrophes, and more! Show Notes: Make sure to join our Latched Mama Podcast Facebook Group

inding out your infant needs to be in the NICU can be scary. Knowing what questions to ask and what to expect can be empowering. Lindi and Kori discuss their personal NICU experiences. https://latchedmama.com/pages/podcast-sign-up September is NICU Awareness Month: https://www.nicuawareness.org/

There are a lot of great benefits to having your kids involved in activities-but sometimes all that activity can feel overwhelming. Melissa and Lindi discuss sports and other activities and how to balance it all! https://latchedmama.com/pages/podcast-sign-up

Navigating Educational Needs in the Public School: With the end of summer begins the start of school for many kids. Kimberly Handsome (PhD in Special Education) joins Melissa and Lindi to talk about navigating unique educational needs for kids in the public school system. Specifically, Kimberly explains the differences between 504 plans and IEPs and how parents can advocate for

In honor of the 10th Anniversary of Black Breastfeeding Week (August 25-31, 2022), Carmen and Deshanti (Latched Mama Employees) talk about the significance of Black Breastfeeding Week and their own breastfeeding experiences. #BBW22 #BBW10YEARS Learn more about Black Breastfeeding Week and its inception here: https://blackbreastfeedingweek.org/

Melissa is joined by Jen Douglas, PhD, a licensed psychologist, Stanford Clinical Assistant Professor, Executive Coach, Consultant, Wife and Mother. Dr. Jen specializes in helping high-achieving inclined individuals overcome their own perfectionism. In this podcast, Melissa and Jen talk about perfectionism as it relates to motherhood. Show Notes: Dr. Jen’s Definition of Perfectionism: “Anxiety or fear of doing something imperfectly.”

Melissa is joined by pelvic floor physical therapists Meghan Swenck and Reihle Kash to have real talk about reasons sex might be painful post pregnancy and ways that it might be treated. They also discuss topics such as incontinence during sex, low libido, and sex after c-sections.

Real talk with Lindi and Melissa about breastfeeding in honor of 2022 World Breastfeeding Week. Word to the Wise: “We all need to know about compounding interest and how our bodies work.” – Melissa Wirt #empowerwomen

This week we’re bringing you a mash up of some of the best moments from the first half of 2022!

Lindi and Melissa tackle the very tough topic of a mom’s body image. The biggest takeaway – we need to support and encourage each other. #everybodyisbeautiful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smc91OZA4Vs

Toilets, Stairs, and needles, oh my! Lindi and Melissa talk about important life skills they learned growing up, things they wish they had learned but didn’t, and things they want to make a point to teach their own kids. Listen as Melissa and Lindi cover random topics from perennial bulbs to periods to aging lawnmowers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04kcBTUssP0

It’s been a long time since Melissa and Lindi tackled Potty Training and they give some great perspective and awesome pointers (i.e. “Salt water is a Natural Enema.”)

Melissa is joined by Eryn and Lindi as they talk about what it was like re-entering the workforce after being a stay at home mom (SAHM).

Most Latched Mama fans have heard of Kennedy- our videographer, content creator extraordinaire, and longest LM employee to date. Melissa sits down to interview Kennedy about what it’s like behind the scenes of Latched Mama. Show Notes: Mother’s Day Project: https://blog.latchedmama.com/2020/05/06/video-project-m/

Perfectionism is a sneaky thing- it is a form of avoidance and a true impossibility. Melissa and Lindi talk with Cat Dillingham, an educator and counselor, about how to embrace failures, how to focus on character vs. competencies, and the importance of a true authentic community.

With summer fun underway, Lindi and Melissa discuss water safety for kids.

Melissa interviews Amanda Gorman, a child birth educator and podcast host of Finding Your Village. Listen as they discuss some ideas on transitioning to motherhood, the postpartum stage, and ideas on how to find your own village. Resources: www.findingyourvillage.com https://pregnancy-to-preschool.myshopify.com/

Moving from structured days to free summer play, Lindi and Melissa cut it up and talk about some ways to survive summer with your kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKu9A8LZnA0

Lindi and Melissa talk about traveling with kids: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Listeners call in with their questions and different hacks for traveling. So, if you are thinking of traveling with kids, this is a must listen!

Melissa and Lindi answer listeners’ questions on how to navigate meal time and picky eaters.

Have you ever heard the saying “good help is hard to find?!” It can be – especially when it comes to finding someone to watch your kids. Lindi and Melissa talk about practical ways to find and keep good child care help.

This episode is all about whether you are “done” (or not!) having kids! Listeners call in with questions that Melissa and Lindi answer and discuss candidly. They also share their own personal stories and how they knew they were done.

Melissa and Lindi open up about sex and intimacy and answer listeners’ questions in a fun, informative way. It’s the conversation you wish you could have with your girlfriends! Some of the biggest takeaways: Be creative and communicate! (Hint: There is a lot of talk about sex, so you might want to listen without little ears around :P)

N’Jameh Russell- Camara, founder of the Pandemic Pregnancy Project, joins Melissa for this week’s podcast. N’Jameh set out to collect stories from people all across the country who experienced pregnancy and birth during the pandemic as a way to archive these historic experiences. Her hope is that in sharing these stories, it will create authentic connection, freedom, and celebration. Ways

Lindi and Melissa chat through their journey into Therapy. How to find a therapist for you, how it can help regardless of your current health status, how to reach out and start, and other little nuggets from their personal experience.

Melissa and Lindi sit down with Dr. Jim Holland, a local Richmond area chiropractor, to discuss the entire cycle of conception, pregnancy, and post natal/breastfeeding with Chiropractic care. https://hollandfamilychiropractic.com HOPE Perfect Prenatal Part 1 & Part 2

Latched Mama is here for those mommas in the trenches, and often, being in the trenches means dealing with those dreaded temper tantrums. Melissa and Susan Townsend Holt (family life coach) talk about how to navigate big emotions and the different tools we can use as a family to help our kids.

Melissa sits down with Meghan and Reihle, 2 amazing physical therapists, to talk all things pelvic health.

Sleep Training is not for everyone*, but if you are at the point where you are saying I.JUST.NEED.SLEEP, then this episode might be exactly what you need! Melissa is joined by Certified Child Sleep Consultant Diana Flutie from Big Sky Lullaby to discuss healthy sleep habits, how sleep deprivation can impact maternal mental health, and debunk some common misconceptions about

Melissa and Linda quote what “scientificy” people talk about as it relates to Mom Brain. They share some of their own Mom Brain stories and some stories from the Latched Mama Community.

In the honor of Black History month, Ebony Allen – Birth in Color RVA Doula, NurtureRVA Facilitator, and Homeschooling mom of 5 – joined the Latched Mama Podcast to bring attention, support, and awareness to the black breastfeeding community. Resources: Birth In Color RVA: https://birthincolorrva.org Nurture RVA: https://nurturerva.org

Melissa sits down with mother of two and professional interior designer Leah Walder. They discuss tips and tricks for designing a home that functions around your needs as a mother.

Part two of You Asked, We Answered series: We sourced some questions from our Latched Mama Love Facebook Group, and Lindi and Melissa sit down to discuss. Some topics they discuss include: Our Nursing Journeys; Weaning Your Child; Working Moms; and Mom Brain. *Here’s your chance to be featured on the podcast!* Mom brain is real! Did you know that

We sourced some questions from our Latched Mama Love Facebook Group, and Lindi and Melissa sit down to discuss. Some topics they discuss include: Making Mom Friends; Small Business Ownership; Mom Hacks; and Homeschooling PSA: Melissa talks about her foray in to TikTok Mom Hack – Emesis Bags

Melissa and Lindi have real talk around Covid and the effect it has had on mothers specifically, even two years into the pandemic. They acknowledge that Covid can be a very polarizing topic, but despite that, they felt like they needed to have an honest, raw conversation. At the end of the day, they want moms to feel seen, heard,

Building Boundaries Cat Dillingham, with a background in Education and a Masters in Counseling, joins Melissa and Lindi on the podcast to discuss the topic of boundaries. We see this topic brought up a lot in our Latched Mama Love Facebook group, and we wanted to provide resources for setting up appropriate boundaries. Setting Boundaries as Adults: Willingness to be

Melissa and Lindi are joined by Alison Opel, Burn Bootcamp personal trainer, to discuss health, wellness, and fitness. #babysteps

Melissa has three Latched Mama workers, Brittany, Caroline, and Carmen, sit down to talk about their parenting styles and some amazing mom hacks. #survivalwithasideofJesus #cancelChristmas #momhacksurvivalstory #pickyourbattles #misspaperplates #loweryourstandards

Melissa sits down with Jordi and Christie to discuss mothering in the outdoors. They talk about the benefits of getting outside with your kids, share personal stories, and drop some tips and tricks for those who may be intimidated by the idea of taking young ones outside.