The Postpartum Standard

Reclaiming Time, Body, and Identity in Early Motherhood

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni sits down with Desireé, a first-time mom who is three months postpartum, to talk honestly about the early season of motherhood, the parts that are beautiful, humbling, uncomfortable, and rarely talked about clearly. Together, they explore the identity shift that can begin even before birth, the surprising force of maternal instinct, and what it feels like to suddenly reorder your life around a baby while still trying to hold onto yourself. Desireé shares how motherhood changed her relationship with time, routine, work, her marriage, and her body. From building bedtime rhythms with her baby to protecting small pieces of self-care, she reflects on the practical and emotional adjustments that helped her move from survival mode toward something more sustainable. The conversation also gets into postpartum body image, breastfeeding after a breast reduction, the pressure to “bounce back,” and why so many women need permission to let their clothes fit their new body instead of forcing their body back into old clothes. Toni and Desireé also talk about the reality of working motherhood, entrepreneurship, asking for help, communicating honestly with your partner, and the small non-negotiables that can make postpartum feel more manageable, whether that’s a daily shower, a clean kitchen, protective hairstyles, or the right recovery products waiting at home. This episode is a reminder that postpartum is not just recovery. It is a reorientation. Around your body, your time, your relationships, your ambition, and the person you are becoming. IN THIS EPISODE Toni and Desireé talk about: * The strange identity shift from avoiding pregnancy to planning for pregnancy * Discovering maternal instinct as a first-time mom * How routines can help create stability in early postpartum * Making room for self-care without pretending life is the same * Postpartum body changes and learning to dress the body you have now * Breastfeeding after a breast reduction * Why working from home changes the motherhood and career equation * The mental load of time, sleep, and getting work done after the baby goes down * How postpartum forces more honest communication in marriage * Practical recovery products Desireé recommends for vaginal birth * Protective hairstyles, showers, and small non-negotiables for feeling human * Why accepting help is not optional, it is part of the design MEMORABLE MOMENT When asked to reframe postpartum in one sentence, Desireé described it as “a humbling time to learn who you are and what kind of parent or person you’re going to be to this new addition in your life.” ABOUT DESIREÉ Desireé is a first-time mom, entrepreneur, and founder of Desireé ESQ LLC, a law firm that supports small businesses, entrepreneurs, and individuals with transactional legal needs. Her work focuses on making legal support more approachable and predictable through project-based pricing, helping founders get the contracts, business setup, and employment guidance they need without the fear of open-ended hourly bills.

Grit, Motherhood, and Building Hone

In this special episode of The Postpartum Standard, I hand the microphone to my friend Hattie and let her walk me through my own story. We talk about growing up with entrepreneurial parents in a South Texas meat market and racetrack, how those early years shaped my relationship with work and money, and the winding path through hospitality, staffing, and health tech that eventually led to Hone. I share honestly about exiting my first business, working as a #2 to a health tech founder, and how those experiences gave me the courage to build something of my own again. We also get into therapy, reparenting my inner child, and what it has taken to show up as a calmer, safer place for my daughter. On the motherhood side, we cover my unexpectedly surgical birth after a planned home birth, the surrender that season demanded, big toddler feelings, and why I am so passionate about breaking generational patterns and changing the “tired, burnt out mom” script. I also share the boardroom pumping moment that sparked Hone, why I refuse polyester on our skin, and my vision for nursing friendly, hormone safe pieces that carry you from trying to conceive through postpartum and beyond. If you have ever wondered how I got here or needed permission to build an untraditional path through career and motherhood, this conversation is for you.

Nutrition is Fuel, Not an Afterthought: Reclaiming the Mother’s Body

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey sits down with Anayka Reilly, founder of Meal Prep with Nikee, certified nutrition coach, and former chef, to talk about the realities of motherhood across three very different postpartum journeys. Anayka shares what it was like becoming a mother at 20, navigating a premature birth and NICU stay, receiving a life-altering neurological diagnosis after pregnancy, and learning how each child brings a completely different postpartum experience. Together, Toni and Anayka explore perinatal mental health, postpartum identity shifts, C-section recovery, and the mental load moms carry when it comes to feeding themselves and their families. The conversation goes deep into practical, real-life tools, from meal prepping as self-care, macro basics without obsession, and breaking the all-or-nothing mindset, to planning schedules with a partner, reclaiming hobbies as a mom, and building routines that actually work in busy households. If you’re in the thick of postpartum life, feeling stretched thin, or trying to care for your body without adding more pressure, this episode is an honest, grounding reminder that nourishment, planning, and grace go a long way, and that you don’t have to lose yourself to be a great mother. You can find Anayka at @mealprepwithnikee and learn more at mealprepwithnikee.com [http://mealprepwithnikee.com].

Sobriety, Motherhood, and the Myth of the Perfect Parent

In this episode of The Postpartum Standard, Toni Toomey sits down with Sarah Smith for a deeply honest conversation about postpartum mental health, identity, and what it actually takes to feel steady again after becoming a mother. Sarah shares her experience navigating postpartum depression and anxiety after her first child, including long-term disability for mental health, the anger and memory loss that caught her off guard, and how sobriety, therapy, medication, and community helped her rebuild. Together, Toni and Sarah unpack why so many mothers struggle months after birth, long after the six-week checkup, and why the lack of a modern “village” leaves too many women feeling isolated and unseen. They talk candidly about planning for a second child after PPD, the importance of partner education, reclaiming identity outside of motherhood, and the power of taking life one hour, one moment, one next right step at a time. This episode is a reminder that nothing is wrong with you, your brain is not telling the truth when you’re in the dark, and support can change everything. If you’re in the thick of postpartum anxiety or depression, supporting someone who is, or simply craving a more honest conversation about motherhood, this episode is for you. ---------------------------------------- Guest Bio Sarah Smith is the Chief Innovation Officer at Iconoclast Innovations LLC, where she helps small to mid-sized businesses scale by removing friction that slows teams down. She designs practical operational systems and change management approaches that allow companies to grow without constant oversight. Sarah has supported $60M+ in revenue growth across technology startups, SaaS companies, and PE-backed firms by fixing what breaks under pressure: unclear processes, misaligned teams, and bloated systems. Her work emphasizes practical frameworks, clarity over jargon, and sustainable execution. She is also a mother of two and a passionate advocate for postpartum mental health awareness. ---------------------------------------- Connect with Sarah Email: sarah.smith@iconoclastltd.com [sarah.smith@iconoclastltd.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleasmith/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleasmith/] Website: https://iconoclastinnovationsllc.com/ [https://iconoclastinnovationsllc.com/]

The Type A Postpartum Playbook

In this episode, I’m joined by Faith Morris, an operations strategist who helps high-performing founders build businesses that don’t rely entirely on their nervous system. Faith shares her deeply honest postpartum journey, from recovering from a C-section overseas in Australia, to navigating two under two without family nearby, to later experiencing a VBAC and an entirely different kind of recovery. We talk about the quiet grief that can exist even after a “good” birth, the emotional weight of postpartum, and why postpartum doesn’t actually end, it just changes form. We also explore how Faith’s ops brain showed up in motherhood, from preparing freezer meals and systems in advance, to cutting through the overwhelming noise of online advice by following one trusted voice per category. She opens up about postpartum mental health, choosing medication without shame, sleep as a pillar for marriage and sanity, and how learning to advocate for your baby (and yourself) is something that develops over time. This conversation is for moms who are builders, planners, high-capacity humans, and anyone who has felt humbled by postpartum while still wanting a full, ambitious life on the other side of it. Postpartum isn’t linear. You’re not behind. And you’re not doing it wrong.