In the Middle of It

OCD, Intrusive Thoughts, and Motherhood: What Nobody Talks About

Most people think OCD is about cleaning rituals and checking the stove. What they don't know is that there's an entire side of OCD that goes completely unseen — and for a lot of moms, it shows up postpartum in ways that are terrifying to admit out loud. This episode is the conversation I've been wanting to have for a while. I got my OCD diagnosis at the Women & Infants Day Hospital program — which I mentioned in last week's episode — and I said it deserved more than a fleeting mention. So here it is. I'm sharing what OCD actually is beyond the stereotypes, what harm OCD and intrusive thoughts really feel like from the inside, and why so many moms carry this completely alone because the shame of it feels unsurvivable. I also talk about the "just right" OCD subtype that I honestly thought was just my personality for my entire life — until I learned it wasn't. My goal is simple: if even one mom hears this and recognizes herself, and it gets her to talk to someone, then this was worth recording. In this episode, you'll hear me talk about: * What OCD actually is — obsessions, compulsions, and why the compulsions make the cycle worse * Harm OCD and intrusive thoughts: what ego dystonic means and why the horror you feel is proof you're a good mom * The moment I finally told my provider Stephanie what I had been experiencing — and what happened when I did * "Just right" OCD, what it looks like in real everyday life, and why it's so easy to write off as just being particular * The OCD IOP program, ERP therapy, and what it actually looked like to work through this * How OCD showed up postpartum specifically around control and letting other people care for Leon Mentioned in this episode: * Women & Infants Day Hospital Program, Providence, RI * Episode 23 — The Signs I Missed: A Postpartum Mental Health Story and What I'd Do Differently Stay Connected! * 🌐 erinleech.com [https://erinleech.com] * 📸 Instagram: @iamerinleech [https://instagram.com/iamerinleech] * 🎵 TikTok: @erinleech [https://tiktok.com/@erinleech] postpartum OCD, intrusive thoughts postpartum, harm OCD moms, OCD and motherhood, postpartum mental health, maternal mental health, just right OCD, ego dystonic thoughts, OCD intrusive thoughts, postpartum anxiety, new mom mental health, OCD diagnosis story, ERP therapy, OCD IOP program, postpartum intrusive thoughts, mom guilt OCD, postpartum rage, fourth trimester mental health, mental health awareness month, Women and Infants day hospital, OCD treatment postpartum, am I a bad mom, intrusive thoughts new mom, postpartum identity, ambitious mom mental health, obsessive compulsive disorder moms, postpartum control issues, perinatal mental health, OCD subtypes, postpartum support Rhode Island

What Marriage Really Looks Like When You're Raising Babies and Building a Business

Nobody's posting the 2am feeding fight or the "whose turn is it" standoff on their Instagram grid. But that's the stuff that's actually happening — and it's the stuff worth talking about. This week's episode is airing on my wedding anniversary, and even though Scott didn't end up joining me, I still wanted to mark it with something honest. I'm sharing what marriage actually looks like for us right now — in this season of two kids, two businesses, and all the beautiful mundane chaos in between. And then I'm getting into what I genuinely believe it takes to stay connected to your partner when life is this full. In this episode, you'll hear me talk about: * What our marriage really looks like day-to-day — the real version, not the anniversary dinner version * Why the "roommate era" of early parenthood is real, temporary, and doesn't mean anything is wrong * The difference between little things and real things — and the question I ask myself before I open my mouth * Why Scott and I started couples therapy when nothing was "wrong" — and what that taught me about investing in what's good before it breaks * What it's actually like when both partners are building online businesses at the same time, and how we navigate the tension around bandwidth and who carries what Mentioned in this episode: * Scott Leech — my husband, who also has his own coaching business, podcast, courses, and membership Stay Connected! * 🌐 erinleech.com [https://www.erinleech.com] * 📸 Instagram: @iamerinleech [https://www.instagram.com/iamerinleech] * 🎵 TikTok: @erinleech [https://tiktok.com/@erinleech] marriage and motherhood podcast, raising babies and building a business, marriage in the newborn phase, entrepreneurial couple, stay connected to your partner, roommate era marriage, couples therapy for healthy marriages, intentional marriage, co-parenting and business, ambitious mom marriage, female entrepreneur relationship, default parent burnout, marriage mindset, both partners building businesses, newborn season marriage, choosing each other, work life balance marriage, postpartum relationship, mindset for moms, in the middle of it podcast

The Signs I Missed: A Postpartum Mental Health Story and What I'd Do Differently

Nobody warns you about week six. I'm sharing my own postpartum mental health story in this one — specifically the signs that my mental health was unraveling that I missed, explained away, or flat out ignored because I thought I was just supposed to be able to handle it. I waited way too long to ask for help. And I really believe that if I had understood what was actually happening to me earlier, things would have been a lot less hard for a lot less time. This episode is the one I needed someone to record when Scott went back to work and the support all disappeared at once. In this episode, you'll hear me talk about: * Why the six-week mark — not the newborn days — is often when things fall apart, and why no one prepares you for it * The five signs my mental health was unraveling that I didn't recognize at the time (including one that's really quiet but really real) * Why I waited so long to ask for help — and the beliefs underneath that made asking feel like failure * How the Women & Infants Day Hospital program came into my life and what finally pushed me to say yes to it * What I would do differently, including how to build your support scaffold before you actually need it * Why you do not have to be in crisis to deserve support — struggling is enough Mentioned in this episode: * Women & Infants Day Hospital Program, Providence, RI — the postpartum day program that changed everything for me Stay Connected! * 🌐 erinleech.com * 📸 Instagram: @iamerinleech * 🎵 TikTok: @erinleech postpartum mental health, maternal mental health, signs of postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum rage, new mom mental health, fourth trimester, week six postpartum, postpartum support, asking for help as a mom, mom guilt, OCD postpartum, perinatal mental health, postpartum identity, functioning but not okay, postpartum isolation, default parent, ambitious mom, entrepreneurial mom, mom burnout, postpartum intrusive thoughts, postpartum resources, Women and Infants, day hospital program, mental health awareness month, new mom struggles, postpartum story, what I'd do differently, village for moms, support for new moms

Redefining Your Identity After Motherhood: There's No "Bouncing Back" (And That's the Point)

There is no bouncing back from becoming a mom. And honestly? That's kind of the whole point. This episode is the wrap-up of the informal series I've been building since the beginning of the year — and I wanted to bring it all home in one place. We've covered the grief of losing who you were before kids, the mom guilt around ambition, the mental load, the martyr mindset, all of it. Today I'm connecting all the dots and landing on the thing I keep coming back to: you were never lost in motherhood. You got overshadowed. And there is a massive difference between those two things. You don't need a brand new identity. You need to reclaim the fullness of the one you already have — and build a life that's actually structured to hold her. In this episode, you'll hear me talk about: * Why "bouncing back" after kids was never actually possible — and why that's something to celebrate, not grieve * The difference between being erased by motherhood and being overshadowed by it (and why it matters) * Why every planner, productivity system, and course hasn't moved the needle — and what actually has to happen first * The martyr mindset that quietly sets the norm for self-sacrifice, and how it leads to losing yourself entirely * Why the inner work has to come before the strategy if you want anything to stick sustainably * What it looks like to pair your softer, intuitive side with real left-brain strategy — and why that's the bridge I'm building in 2026 Mentioned in this episode: * Episode 10: You Are More Than Mom — 3 Truths for the Ambitious Mother Redefining Herself * Episode 17: From Martyr to Matriarch — Redefining the Mental Load to Create Space for Your Business * Episode 20: The Postpartum Mental Health Factor Nobody Talks About: Fulfillment for Ambitious Moms * Matriarch Rising — Erin's 1:1 coaching program: erinleech.com [https://www.erinleech.com/coaching]/coaching Stay Connected! * 🌐 erinleech.com [https://www.erinleech.com] * 📸 Instagram: @iamerinleech [https://www.instagram.com/iamerinleech] * 🎵 TikTok: @erinleech [https://tiktok.com/@erinleech] identity after motherhood, redefining yourself as a mom, mom identity loss, bouncing back after baby, ambitious mom, entrepreneurial mom, default parent, mom guilt and ambition, postpartum identity shift, matrescence, inner work for moms, mindset for moms, female entrepreneur, mompreneur, mental load, martyr mom, reclaiming yourself after kids, identity-led pivot, work life balance for moms, business and motherhood, postpartum mental health, new mom entrepreneur, coaching for moms, In the Middle of It podcast, Erin Leech

The Postpartum Mental Health Factor Nobody Talks About: Fulfillment for Ambitious Moms

You don't just want more than motherhood. You need it. And there's research to back that up. I've been building toward this episode for a while — it's the one that ties together everything I've been talking about in this series on ambitious motherhood, and honestly, it's the reason I do this work at all. Today I'm getting personal about my own postpartum experience, the identity loss I didn't see coming, and why I believe fulfillment isn't a nice-to-have for women like us. It's a protective factor for our mental health. And the absence of it has real consequences. In this episode, you'll hear me talk about: * Why fulfillment is a genuine mental health need — not a luxury — for ambitious, entrepreneurial moms * What the research actually says about purpose and identity outside of caregiving as a protective factor against postpartum depression and anxiety * My personal postpartum story, including the moment the fog lifted and what I know now that I didn't then * Eve Rodsky's concept of "unicorn space" and why it matters for women like us * What our kids are actually learning when we advocate for our own purpose and go after what we're called to do * Why wanting more than motherhood is not selfish — it's survival Stay Connected! * 🌐 erinleech.com [https://www.erinleech.com] * 📸 Instagram: @iamerinleech [https://instagram.com/iamerinleech] * 🎵 TikTok: @erinleech [https://tiktok.com/@erinleech] postpartum mental health, ambitious mom, fulfillment for moms, mom identity loss, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, entrepreneurial mom, mompreneur, unicorn space Eve Rodsky, purpose outside motherhood, identity shift postpartum, mental health for moms, ambitious women, female entrepreneur, work from home mom, postpartum identity crisis, building a business with a baby, mom guilt, postpartum support, fourth trimester, new mom mental health, postpartum entrepreneur, self-worth for moms, thriving in motherhood, women's mental health, business and motherhood, female founder, mindset for moms