When Mom's Nervous System Sets the Tone

Cake Cravings, a Curveball, and Learning to Slow Down

Fast Five Biggest pregnancy craving — cake. All cake. Cake pops, sheet cake, any cake. Dinner was optional. Worse to run out of — diapers over wipes, because her mom's philosophy was to wash the baby every time anyway. One word for labor — hard. One word for parenthood — emotional. Can't-live-without baby product — the Solly Baby toddler wrap, small enough to fit in a palm, sturdy enough to carry a 90th-percentile toddler up a thousand steps in Italy. Most unexpected joy — watching her daughter realize in real time that she's learned something new. Topics Covered Going into labor expecting her mom's experience and getting the complete opposite. Contractions starting one minute apart at two centimeters — her cervix hadn't dropped but the baby was already pushing. Making the decision to have a C-section in under fifteen minutes after the doctors left the room. Using alcohol swabs to stay awake during surgery because she was convinced falling asleep meant dying — it doesn't, but the fear was real. Having an easier recovery from the C-section than she expected and wondering if it was actually easier than full labor would have been. Walking into motherhood certain she would not breastfeed — no pressure, no guilt, fully prepped for formula — and then her daughter latched immediately. Breastfeeding for a full year without a single bottle of formula after expecting it wouldn't happen at all. The week-long hospital stay where different nurses taught her different techniques and how she learned to take what worked and leave the rest. The "I have no idea what I'm doing" moment — not being able to figure out how to switch her newborn from one arm to the other, and her husband looking at her like he had no idea either. Going from type A to what she calls type C — type A intentions with type B follow-through — and learning she can't control every situation. Changing her daily mindset from a ten-item to-do list to asking herself "if I can only accomplish one thing today, what is it?" and building from there. Mentioned in This Episode Solly Baby toddler wrap — palm-sized, travel-friendly, carried a toddler through cobblestone streets in Italy. The football hold and other breastfeeding positions — and why Jacqueline stuck with the basics that worked for her. Sponsored by Oxford Baby and Soho Baby — Beautifully crafted cribs, dressers, gliders, and nursery furniture designed to grow with your child. GREENGUARD Gold Certified. Built to the highest safety standards. Visit OxfordBabyAndKids.com or SohoBaby.com. Use code PODCAST10 for 10% off your total purchase plus free shipping on orders over $799.

Fix Yourself First, Watch Your Family Follow

Topics Covered Why trying to "fix" your child's behavior usually backfires, and what to do instead. The real reason parenting tools don't work in the moment — your nervous system is running the show. Priyanka's personal story of ignoring her three-year-old at the kitchen sink and what her parent coach helped her see about that moment. How unresolved childhood experiences show up in everyday parenting — feeling disrespected, unheard, invisible — and why those triggers hijack your response before you even realize it. The PAWS framework — with Awareness and Understanding as the foundation for showing up differently. Why "practice makes permanent" matters more than "practice makes perfect," and how reflection builds new neural pathways over time. What it actually looks like to parent your inner child — having conversations with that younger version of yourself, validating their experience, and checking in daily. Why connection with yourself is the prerequisite for connection with your kid. The difference between surviving parenthood and thriving in it — and why investing in yourself first creates a ripple effect for the whole family. Key Takeaways Your child's behavior is often a mirror of how you're showing up — not a problem to solve. You can't implement parenting tools from a triggered state. Knowledge doesn't matter when you're in fight or flight. Awareness starts with reflection — even after the fact. Looking back at a moment honestly is what builds the new neural pathway for next time. Parenting your inner child isn't a one-time exercise. It's a daily check-in — at the mirror in the morning, before bed at night, not just when you're activated. The quickest "fix" for your family isn't a five-step list from Instagram. It's three months of doing your own work. Prioritizing yourself is the last thing most moms do and the first thing that actually changes the family dynamic. Mentioned in This Episode Priyanka's PAWS acronym and reflection worksheet. The concept of conscious parenting — showing up intentionally by doing your own internal work. Inner child work as a daily practice, not just a therapy tool. Sponsored by Oxford Baby and Soho Baby — Beautifully crafted cribs, dressers, gliders, and nursery furniture designed to grow with your child. GREENGUARD Gold Certified. Built to the highest safety standards. Create the nursery of your dreams at oxfordbabyandkids.com and sohobaby.com. Links: https://linqapp.com/priyanka_venkataraman?r=link The PAUSE Tool: https://wayfindingmoms.com/pausetool

From the Positive Test to the Teenager Years

Megan opens up about her pregnancy journey, the advice that actually helped versus the stuff she wishes she'd ignored, the books she read (and the ones she threw across the room), and how she prepared for a baby while working in an industry that doesn't exactly slow down for anyone. She talks about the birth, the early days at home, the nursery decisions that felt impossibly high-stakes at the time, and the safety rabbit holes every first-time parent falls into. Now a mom to a teenager, Megan has the benefit of hindsight — and she's not afraid to share what she'd do differently, what she'd do exactly the same, and what she wishes someone had told her before the baby arrived. This one's for every parent who's ever stood in a nursery at midnight wondering if they're ready. Spoiler: nobody is.

Surprise, It's Two

Kristen gets honest about what nobody really prepares you for: the postpartum hormones that hit like a wall, the emotional rollercoaster that comes after delivery when your body is trying to recover and your brain is telling you something's off. She talks about what postpartum really looked like for her — not the version you see on Instagram, but the raw, unfiltered reality of healing while keeping two newborns alive at the same time. She shares the advice she got that actually mattered, the stuff she read that helped versus the stuff that made her spiral, and the safety decisions that kept her up at night. But more than anything, Kristen talks about what it means to walk into motherhood thinking you have a plan — and having that plan doubled overnight. This one's for every parent who's ever felt like they were figuring it out in real time. Because with twins, that's not a phase — that's the whole experience

When Mom's Nervous System Sets the Tone

In this episode of Baby Steps, MaKenzie takes us back to the very beginning — finding out she was pregnant, what her pregnancy looked like, and the moment everything shifted after her baby arrived. She talks about the early days that no one really describes accurately — the overstimulation, the emotional flooding, the feeling that your body and brain have been completely rewired overnight. But the real core of this conversation is what MaKenzie discovered about nervous system regulation and why it matters from day one. Not as a trend. Not as another thing to add to the list. But as the understanding that your baby is reading your energy before they understand a single word you say. That the emotional temperature of your home starts with what's happening inside you. And that learning to regulate yourself isn't selfish — it's the foundation of everything else. MaKenzie shares the advice that actually landed, the stuff she had to unlearn, and why slowing down made her a more present, patient parent — not a less productive one. This one's for every mom who's ever snapped at her kid and immediately thought, "Where did that come from?" You're not broken. Your nervous system is just trying to keep up.