Will I Ever Feel Like Myself Again?

I Wanted to Be a Different Kind of Dad

Becoming a dad can bring up a surprising thought: “What if I become my father?” Dr. Becky talks with writer Aymann Ismail about the emotional reality of early fatherhood — the parts men are rarely encouraged to say out loud. Aymann opens up about wanting to be a different kind of dad than the one he grew up with, the panic and shame he felt during those first exhausting weeks with a newborn, and how quickly parenthood forced him to confront old patterns, identity shifts, and fears he didn’t expect. Together, they explore partnership strain, emotional inheritance, and the complicated grief of losing parts of your old life while trying to build a new one. Aymann Ismail [https://www.aymann.com/] is a staff writer at Slate and the author of Becoming Baba. Dr. Becky put together a list of resources for non-birthing parents who want to feel helpful in the days and weeks following baby's arrival. You can read those on the Good Inside blog [https://www.goodinside.com/blog/5-things-every-partnership-needs-to-know-first-few-months-with-baby/?utm_source=podcast_baby&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=traffic_evergreen_podcast&utm_content=shownotes_20260604_ismail]. * Looking for more support navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and life with a new baby? Good Inside Baby [https://www.goodinside.com/lp/baby/?utm_source=podcast_baby&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=traffic_evergreen_podcast&utm_content=shownotes_06042026_Ismail] gives you practical tools, scripts, and expert guidance for the moments that can feel most overwhelming in early parenthood. Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: * Once Upon a Farm: [https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/] Use the code GOODINSIDE for 40% off your first subscription * Pipette [https://www.pipettebaby.com/]: Get 15% off Pipette’s line of SPF products with the code GOODINSIDESPF at pipettebaby.com [http://pipettebaby.com/] * LMNT [https://partners.drinklmnt.com/free-gift-with-purchase?utm_medium=sponsor&utm_source=goodinside&utm_campaign=agwp&utm_content=&utm_term=&rfsn_cn=EXCLUSIVE+GIFT+FOR+Dr.+Becky%27s+COMMUNITY]: Get a free 8-count sample pack with your purchase at LMNT.com/goodinside [http://lmnt.com/goodinside] * Airbnb [https://click.pscrb.fm/2f]: Host your home or book your next stay on Airbnb Learn more about Good Inside [https://www.goodinside.com/]. Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside/]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I Needed Proof I Was a Good Mom

You love your baby more than anything. So why does it sometimes feel like your baby… doesn’t like you? In this episode, Dr. Becky talks with therapist, author, and mom of two Erin Schlozman [https://www.erinschlozman.com/] about the moment early motherhood cracked open everything she thought she knew about competence, control, and what it means to be “good” at something. Erin came into motherhood as someone who always hit the milestones: good grades, grad school, career, marriage. Then came a one-month milestone photo with her newborn son — and instead of the sweet picture she imagined, both she and her baby ended up crying on the nursery floor. Together, Dr. Becky and Erin unpack the disorientation of new parenthood: the feeling that your baby’s crying is somehow a reflection of you, the pressure to “get it right,” and the clarifying realization that motherhood doesn’t follow a linear path. Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: * Once Upon a Farm: [https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/] Use the code GOODINSIDE for 40% off your first subscription * Coterie [https://www.coterie.com/]: Get 20% off with the code GOODINSIDEBABY20 * Airbnb [https://click.pscrb.fm/2f]: Host your home or book your next stay on Airbnb Looking for more support navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and life with a new baby? Good Inside Baby [https://www.goodinside.com/lp/baby/] gives you practical tools, scripts, and expert guidance for the moments that can feel most overwhelming in early parenthood.   Learn more about Good Inside [https://www.goodinside.com/]. Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside/]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Will I Ever Feel Like Myself Again?

Morgan Radford thought she knew herself before becoming a mom: adventurous, ambitious, always chasing novelty and new experiences. Then motherhood arrived — along with postpartum pain, brain fog, fear, comparison, and the shocking feeling that her body and mind no longer belonged to her. In this deeply honest conversation NBC News anchor and author Morgan Radford [http://www.morganradford.com/] talks with Dr. Becky about the parts of new motherhood nobody prepared her for: the physical recovery, the mental disorientation, the pressure to “bounce back,” and the panic that the hardest parts might last forever. But this episode is also about what emerges on the other side: creativity, connection, healing, and the realization that the parts of ourselves we fear we’ve lost may still be alive underneath — just taking a different shape. If you’ve ever wondered, “Will I ever feel like myself again?” this conversation is for you. Learn more about Good Inside Baby [https://www.goodinside.com/lp/baby/?utm_source=podcast_baby&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=baby_babylaunch&utm_content=shownotes_052126_morgan].  Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: * Pipette [https://www.pipettebaby.com/]: Get 15% off Pipette’s line of SPF products with the code GOODINSIDESPF at pipettebaby.com [https://www.pipettebaby.com/] * Airbnb [https://click.pscrb.fm/2f]: Host your home or book your next stay on Airbnb * LMNT [https://partners.drinklmnt.com/free-gift-with-purchase?utm_medium=sponsor&utm_source=goodinside&utm_campaign=agwp&utm_content=&utm_term=&rfsn_cn=EXCLUSIVE+GIFT+FOR+Dr.+Becky%27s+COMMUNITY]: Get a free 8-count sample pack with your purchase at LMNT.com/goodinside [https://partners.drinklmnt.com/free-gift-with-purchase?utm_medium=sponsor&utm_source=goodinside&utm_campaign=agwp&utm_content=&utm_term=&rfsn_cn=EXCLUSIVE+GIFT+FOR+Dr.+Becky%27s+COMMUNITY] * Once Upon a Farm: [https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/] Use the code GOODINSIDE for 40% off your first subscription Learn more about Good Inside [https://www.goodinside.com/]. Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside/]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

I Love My Baby... and I'm So Bored

Myleik Teele thought she’d thrive in new motherhood. She was organized, capable, ambitious, and great at figuring things out. But after her baby arrived, she found herself feeling something she never expected: bored. In this episode, Dr. Becky and Myleik talk honestly about the monotony of early parenting, the loss of spontaneity and identity, and the shame so many parents feel when reality doesn’t match what they imagined. Together, they explore why the newborn stage can feel especially hard for people who are used to moving fast, solving problems, and finding meaning through competence. If you’ve ever thought: * “Why am I not enjoying this more?” * “What’s wrong with me?” * “Why does this feel so repetitive and isolating?” …this conversation is for you. Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: * Once Upon a Farm: [https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/] Use the code GOODINSIDE for 40% off your first subscription * LMNT [https://partners.drinklmnt.com/free-gift-with-purchase?utm_medium=sponsor&utm_source=goodinside&utm_campaign=agwp&utm_content=&utm_term=&rfsn_cn=EXCLUSIVE+GIFT+FOR+Dr.+Becky%27s+COMMUNITY]: Get a free 8-count sample pack with your purchase at LMNT.com/goodinside [https://partners.drinklmnt.com/free-gift-with-purchase?utm_medium=sponsor&utm_source=goodinside&utm_campaign=agwp&utm_content=&utm_term=&rfsn_cn=EXCLUSIVE+GIFT+FOR+Dr.+Becky%27s+COMMUNITY] * Airbnb [https://click.pscrb.fm/2f]: Host your home or book your next stay on Airbnb Learn more about Good Inside [https://www.goodinside.com/]. Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside/]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What If I Don’t Feel a Bond With My Baby?

What if you don’t feel that immediate rush of love after your baby is born? In this episode, Dr. Becky sits down with writer and mom Ruthie Ackerman [https://www.ruthieackerman.com/] to talk about something many parents experience—but almost no one says out loud: what if the bond doesn’t come right away? Ruthie shares what those early weeks actually felt like for her—watching her husband connect easily with their baby while she wondered, Will I ever feel this? She opens up about the quiet fears, the self-doubt, and the stories she told herself about what it meant. Together, they unpack: * Why bonding doesn’t always happen instantly (and why that’s more common than you think) * How anxiety and expectation can make it harder to feel what’s already there * The pressure of “natural” parenting—and what happens when things don’t feel natural at all * How connection can build slowly, in small, everyday moments This conversation is a reminder that there is no single “right” way to become a parent—and no timeline your feelings have to follow. Ruthie Ackerman's book is called The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us. [https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Code-Story-Myths-Shape/dp/0593730119] Learn more about Good Inside Baby [https://www.goodinside.com/lp/baby/?utm_source=podcast_baby&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=traffic_evergreen_podcast&utm_content=shownotes_050726_Ruthie].  Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: * Pipette [https://www.pipettebaby.com/]: Get 15% off Pipette’s line of SPF products with the code GOODINSIDESPF at pipettebaby.com [https://www.pipettebaby.com/] * Airbnb [https://click.pscrb.fm/2f]: Host your home or book your next stay on Airbnb * Coterie [https://www.coterie.com/]: Get 20% off with the code GOODINSIDEBABY20 * Once Upon a Farm: [https://onceuponafarmorganics.com/] Use the code GOODINSIDE for 40% off your first subscription Learn more about Good Inside [https://www.goodinside.com/]. Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside/]. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.