The Sage Mother Podcast

60. Season 2 Finale: What We've Learned, What's Next, and Why This Journey Matters

We did it—Season 2 of The Sage Mother Podcast is a wrap! 🎉 In this special finale, Andrea and Kristin take a heartfelt look back at the evolution of Sage Mother Co., what’s worked (and what hasn’t), and how conversations with real moms have reshaped their mission moving forward. From humble beginnings to launching a tech-enabled tool for postpartum care, this episode is part reflection, part behind-the-scenes, and part vision-casting for what’s next. You'll also hear what moms told us were the hardest and most rewarding parts of motherhood—and how that feedback is shaping our future. Whether you've been with us from the start or just found the podcast, this is a real, raw, and deeply hopeful episode you won’t want to miss. In This Episode:⏳ 00:00 – Why we started Sage Mother Co.⏳ 03:00 – The early vision: education and community for moms⏳ 06:00 – What we got wrong—and what we’ve learned⏳ 08:00 – The friction points moms face in accessing support⏳ 10:00 – How discovery calls transformed our understanding⏳ 13:00 – Why physical recovery is a huge unmet need⏳ 15:00 – What we’re building next: a text-based postpartum support system⏳ 17:00 – Our hopes for funding, reach, and impact⏳ 18:00 – The top struggles moms shared in Season 2⏳ 20:00 – The most rewarding parts of motherhood ⏳ 24:00 – Our personal reflections and tears (yes, actual tears!) ⏳ 26:00 – What’s ahead for Season 3—and how you can be part of it Links:📸 ⁠Follow Sage Mother Co. on Instagram⁠📬 Want to share your story or be a guest? Reach out to us via email [support@sagemotherco.com]. 👉 Loved this episode?Be sure to subscribe to The Sage Mother Podcast and leave us a review! It helps more moms find the show—and reminds us why we do what we do. 💛

59. Your Brain on Motherhood

You walk into a room and forget why. You mix up your kids’ names. You feel like your brain hasn’t been the same since giving birth. But what if “mom brain” is more evolution than failure? In this episode, Andrea and Kristin get into the science behind mom brain—what actually happens to the brain during pregnancy and postpartum, why it affects memory and emotional regulation, and… what surprising advantages these changes may offer. From hormone drops and amygdala growth, to synaptic pruning and how motherhood may literally keep your brain younger—we’re reframing what we think we know about this foggy, frustrating, and fascinating mental state.   In This Episode: ⏳ 00:00 – What the science says about how motherhood changes the brain ⏳ 03:00 – Real-life mom brain moments we’ve cringed through ⏳ 06:00 – The three core causes of mom brain ⏳ 08:00 – Why emotional regulation gets harder—but empathy gets stronger ⏳ 10:00 – The amygdala, fear, and how evolution may have shaped hypervigilance ⏳ 11:00 – Motherhood and emotional intelligence ⏳ 12:00 – Learning + memory-building capacity ⏳ 13:00 – Why moms’ brains may age slower ⏳ 16:00 – The cognitive workout ofmotherhood ⏳ 17:00 – Synaptic pruning and why matrescence may be a window for healing ⏳ 18:00 – Easy doesn’t equal good Links: 📸 Follow Sage Mother Co. on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sagemotherco/]   👉 Loved this episode? Make sure to subscribe to TheSage Mother Podcast and leave us a review! It helps more moms find the show and feel supported during the most transformative season of life. Sources: Modern Counseling San Diego: The Science Behind 'Mommy Brain' [https://www.moderncounselingsandiego.com/the-science-behind-mommy-brain/] Time: Is ‘Mommy Brain’ Real? What Happens to Your Mind and Body When You Become a Mom [https://time.com/6978104/is-mommy-brain-real/] CBC Radio: 'Mommy brain' might be a good thing, new research suggests [https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/mommy-brain-might-be-a-good-thing-new-research-suggests-1.6773695#:~:text=Postpartum%20'mommy%20brain'%20is%20familiar,better%20memory%20later%20in%20life.] Greenlight: Parenting 101: The science behind mom brain [https://greenlight.com/learning-center/parenting-and-family/mom-brain] 1-800 Flowers Petal Talk: Why ‘Mommy Brain’ Is Another Reason to Celebrate Moms [https://www.1800flowers.com/articles/celebrate-occasions/mommy-brain-how-motherhood-changes-the-brain] Houston Methodist: The Mom Brain Phenomenon: Blasting the Myth of the Perfect Mom [https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2023/apr/the-mom-brain-phenomenon-blasting-the-myth-of-the-perfect-mom/#:~:text=six%20years%20postpartum.-,Dr.,as%20they%20did%20before%20pregnancy.] Mylicon: Pregnancy Brain & Its Hidden Benefits [https://www.mylicon.com/advice-item/is-pregnancy-brain-real/#:~:text=A%20Few%20More%20Surprising%20Benefits,and%20stocking%20your%20diaper%20bag.] Newborn Mothers: 15 benefits of baby brain [https://newbornmothers.com/blog/15-benefits-of-baby-brain#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20there%20are,healthier%20and%20better%20at%20parenting.] NIH: Neuroprotective Effects of Motherhood on Brain Function in Late Life: A Resting-State fMRI Study [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7906778/]

58. Living Next Door to Your In-Laws with Jessy Dengler

What happens when you move in with your in-laws two weeks before giving birth… during a pandemic… in the middle of a hurricane? In this episode Jessy Dengler—working mom of two, Iowa native, and creative problem solver— shares what it’s really like to raise a family right next door to your in-laws. From daycare decisions and postpartum realities to building a home on family land and navigating remote work with young kids, Jessy brings humor, honesty, and practical wisdom to the mic. She also opens up about her dream to stay home with her kids, how she convinced her boss to let her work remotely, and what it looks like to prioritize your mental health in the thick of it all.   In This Episode: ⏳ 00:00 – Giving birth, COVID and a derecho: the wild timing of moving in with her in-laws ⏳ 03:00 – Why she left her in-person job—and how she got hired back virtually ⏳ 05:00 – The emotional and financial toll of daycare ⏳ 09:00 – Building a house on family land: what it’s really like to live next door to your in-laws ⏳ 12:00 – The unexpected beauty of multigenerational living ⏳ 17:00 – Who helps with childcare, and what’s changed since her mom retired ⏳ 20:00 – What a real day in the life looks like with two young boys and part-time remote work ⏳ 25:00 – The struggle to prioritize yourself and your marriage when everything else is loud ⏳ 27:00 – Saying no to negativity, and building better habits one small choice at a time ⏳ 30:00 – Toddler hands, framed memories, and why the little things matter most Links & Resources: 📸 Follow Sage Mother Co. on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sagemotherco/]   👉 Loved this episode? Make sure to subscribe to TheSage Mother Podcast and leave us a review! It helps more moms find the show and feel supported during the most transformative season of life.

57. Food, Feeding, and Finding Yourself Again with Samantha Byington

Description: What do birth trauma, bone broth, lactation cookies, and career pivots have in common? For Samantha Byington, they all played a part in her journey to becoming a postpartum doula and certified lactation counselor. In this episode, we talk with Samantha about the miscarriage that changed how she viewed maternal care, the home birth that followed, and how postpartum rocked her in ways she didn’t expect. She opens up about what it really felt like to transition into motherhood—and how feeding others, both as a chef and as a mom, became her way of healing and supporting women through that same transition.   In This Episode: ⏳ 00:00 – Rethinking “safety” in birth and parenting: What does it really mean to be safe? ⏳ 03:00 – Sam’s path from ceramics to cooking to postpartum care ⏳ 05:00 – The miscarriage that changed everything ⏳ 09:00 – Home birth after loss: what shifted her mindset ⏳ 14:00 – “I just did that for 27 hours... and now I have to feed a baby?” ⏳ 18:00 – Why postpartum hit harder than expected ⏳ 22:00 – How food became a love language ⏳ 24:00 – The “I get why people stop” moment of nursing ⏳ 32:00 – Food as care: what she loves to cook for new moms and why it matters ⏳ 35:00 – Her favorite things to deliver, what she’s learned about lactation, and how she wants to support other mothers Find Samantha: 🌐 Postpartum Nurture [https://postpartumnurture.com] – Samantha’s site for food, doula care, and lactation support 📸 Follow Samantha on Instagram [https://instagram.com/postpartumnurtureco] – Her evolving journey and postpartum offerings Links & Resources: 📸 Follow Sage Mother Co. on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sagemotherco/]   👉 Loved this episode? Make sure to subscribe to TheSage Mother Podcast and leave us a review! It helps more moms find the show and feel supported during the most transformative season of life.

56. [Just You Wait] The Phrase That's Doing More Harm Than Good

“You think this is hard? Just you wait…” We’ve all heard it—maybe from a well-meaning family member, a stranger in the checkout line, or even another mom. But what is the just you wait comment really doing? In this episode, Andrea and Kristin unpack the layered meaning behind one of the most common phrases in motherhood and explore how just you wait moments might actually be missed opportunities for connection and support.   In This Episode: ⏳ 00:00 – When “just you wait” shuts down instead of builds up ⏳ 07:00 – How venting often gets disguised as wisdom ⏳ 09:00 – Why shared stage friendships are so valuable in early motherhood ⏳ 14:00 – Kristin’s “who cares” filter: what she asks before she speaks ⏳ 17:00 – How personality plays a role in how we support other moms ⏳ 22:00 – The pressure to “be helpful” when you’re still just surviving yourself ⏳ 25:00 – Supportive alternatives to “just you wait” ⏳ 27:00 – Celebrating differences in our kids without comparing ⏳ 31:00 – The trap of competitiveness in motherhood—and how to resist it ⏳ 33:00 – Making space to say the right thing (even if it’s nothing at all) Links & Resources:   📸 Follow Sage Mother Co. on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sagemotherco/] 📖 The Color Monster (Kids Book) [https://www.amazon.com/Color-Monster-Anna-Llenas/dp/1454917296] – A favorite emotionalawareness tool for young children mentioned in this episode 👉 Loved this episode? Make sure to subscribe to TheSage Mother Podcast and leave us a review! It helps more moms find the show and feel supported during the most transformative season of life.