Becoming Parents

We have been married for 23 years and have been parents for 22 years.  We managed two careers and two daughters while completing four degrees between us.   We are now parents to a teenager and a young adult.  MORE ABOUT THEM: Married couple, entrepreneurs, speakers, filmmakers, and best-selling authors Edward and Christina Sledge wrote and published their memoir, The Story of Christina and I. Their memoir is about triumph over tragedy. Both are first-generation college graduates. The high school sweethearts met in Brooklyn, NY. Their romance was predestined since they were both born in the same hospital, and their families lived within blocks of each other. They were also the first to obtain master's degrees in their families. They got engaged when Edward was a soldier in the U.S. Army while Christina was a senior at Temple University. They eloped two months later and have been married for twenty-two years. Edward and Christina founded Sledge House Media, a Maryland-based multiplatform entertainment company created to share diverse and compelling stories through books, films, TV, and digital and audio projects that highlight relationships, unique perspectives, and experiences. Together they have published seven books and produced two short films, with more on the way. FIND THEM HERE: Website: https://www.sledgehousemedia.com/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/sledgehousemedia FB: https://www.facebook.com/sledgehousemedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/house_sledge BECOMING PARENTS: Sharing stories about infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, labor and delivery, bottle feeding, breastfeeding & relactation, self-care after birth, sex to get pregnant and after kids, birth options, to medicate or not to medicate, adoption, midwife vs hospital, the struggles, surprises, joys and exhaustion, and - holy cow - you’ve become a parent! WHAT NOW?! Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 (yes - 18 kids!). She has written the blog - Mom’s Running It since 2011, has been a published author since 2016, and host of the Becoming Parents Podcast since May of 2017. She is an NLP Practitioner, Speaker, and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer. Jenn spent 12 years as a doula, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms. Jenn is grateful to be a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® to help families struggling with grief and loss, as well as an Adoption & Surrogacy Doula. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, and is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. CONNECT WITH JENN! https://linktr.ee/momofeighteen Share your experience! I answer all comments personally and will select one to read at the beginning of the next show. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

I personally missed motherhood which is why, as a Motherhood Story Coach, I am creating a movement of conversation, education, and empowerment for women who are still on their way to motherhood. The status quo silence of our culture contributes to a mindset that we are just supposed to know how to become and be moms and that we have to do it alone. I consider this a mindset "virus" that stays with us at every stage of motherhood and feeds shame.  When I talk with moms, I inevitably hear, "I wish I had had something like this when I was younger." I see your listeners as mothers of the younger generation who are desperately grasping to create their own motherhood lore and find models they can look to. - There is very little dialogue about the journey TO motherhood until we have issues - the downstream effect - The silence around this part of the journey leaves us feeling alone - Let's shed the "one size fits all" mentality when it comes to our bodies and fertility - Educating ourselves before our backs are up against the wall and emotions are high - Creating a new motherhood lore - We are humans first, then women, then mothers I am a professionally trained coach. The movement I'm starting is known as Blow Up the Clock. Its intent is to bring awareness, clarity, consciousness, and an elevated conversation to women who are CONSIDERING motherhood. Not to moms, not to women who have missed motherhood, but to women CONSIDERING. This movement can be distilled down to this simple invitation...Let's Talk About It! Because we don't. That is why I create spaces of connection so that women can break the silence, shift their inner narrative, unlock their vision, and claim the beauty, freedom, authority, and power that is their birthright. FIND HER HERE:  www.bethrivellicoaching.com https://www.instagram.com/Bethrivellicoaching https://www.facebook.com/bethrivellicoaching https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethrivellicoaching BECOMING PARENTS: Sharing stories about infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, labor and delivery, bottle feeding, breastfeeding & relactation, self-care after birth, sex to get pregnant and after kids, birth options, to medicate or not to medicate, adoption, midwife vs hospital, the struggles, surprises, joys and exhaustion, and - holy cow - you’ve become a parent! WHAT NOW?! Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 (yes - 18 kids!). She has written the blog - Mom’s Running It since 2011, has been a published author since 2016, and host of the Becoming Parents Podcast since May of 2017. She is an NLP Practitioner, Speaker, and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer. Jenn spent 12 years as a doula, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms. Jenn is grateful to be a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® to help families struggling with grief and loss, as well as an Adoption & Surrogacy Doula. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, and is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. CONNECT WITH JENN! https://linktr.ee/momofeighteen --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

* At 38, I decided that having kids was more important to me than finding a partner. * This started my journey of becoming a single mom by choice, using an anonymous sperm donor * At 40, I gave birth to my daughter! * Now, I am raising my 4-year-old, working full time, writing, and trying to find time for hobbies. * A large part of my focus has been normalizing our mommy & kid family and making sure my daughter knows her origin story IN HER WORDS:  I am a web developer at Georgetown University and, as of recently, a children's author. I wrote my debut picture book, "Sweet Little You", after struggling to find a picture book that felt authentic to our mommy-plus-donor-conceived-kid family. FIND HER HERE: * Main website: https://jhalabi.com/ * Pregnancy blog: https://jhalabi.com/blog/pregnancy/ * "Sweet Little You" on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61153715-sweet-little-you * Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonihalabi * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonihalabi/ BECOMING PARENTS: Sharing stories about infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, labor and delivery, bottle feeding, breastfeeding & relactation, self-care after birth, sex to get pregnant and after kids, birth options, to medicate or not to medicate, adoption, midwife vs hospital, the struggles, surprises, joys and exhaustion, and - holy cow - you’ve become a parent! WHAT NOW?! Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 (yes - 18 kids!). She has written the blog - Mom’s Running It since 2011, has been a published author since 2016, and host of the Becoming Parents Podcast since May of 2017. She is an NLP Practitioner, Speaker, and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer. Jenn spent 12 years as a doula, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms. Jenn is grateful to be a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® to help families struggling with grief and loss, as well as an Adoption & Surrogacy Doula. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, and is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. CONNECT WITH JENN! https://linktr.ee/momofeighteen --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

Stress from moving   Going from thinking she didn’t want kids to falling in love with being a Mom   Tandem nursing   Nursing aversion   How she realized those breastfeeding / chestfeeding past the first year need more support   After her experience with nursing through pregnancy, tandem nursing, and nursing aversion, she founded Breastfeeding Beyond Babyhood, an online event all about supporting and celebrating breastfeeding / chestfeeding past the first year.  The third annual BBB takes place April 24-28, 2023.   You can also find her at Evidence-based Mommy, where she combines science and wellness to help moms and kids thrive.   REGISTER FOR BREASTFEEDING BEYOND BABYHOOD HERE: https://doulainreno--evidence-basedmommy.thrivecart.com/bbb-fast-action-vip/  FIND HER HERE: evidence-basedmommy.com   breastfeedingbeyondbabyhood.com (we can use your affiliate link here)   https://www.facebook.com/evidencemommy  https://www.instagram.com/evidence_basedmommy/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

James and I have another fantastic conversation! PAST EPISODES: His story: https://youtu.be/LzD1IOMG83w Toxins in the home: https://youtu.be/iP0yqW3VUYY 5 Part Exercise Series: https://youtu.be/rbuWE-L-vbEhttps://youtu.be/rcFi7unrqishttps://youtu.be/Aioudsjgqrchttps://youtu.be/qwpaErMK7_Ihttps://youtu.be/V9prlDaF3A4 SOME OF WHAT WE COVERED TODAY: GENETICS & EPIGENETICS: What you need to know about Epigenetics if you're pregnant 5 Steps of the Epigenetics of Exercise for Fitness Professionals Epigenetic phenomena in pregnancy MINDFULNESS: The power of Meditation: A game-changer for fitness professionals Two more articles that are already researched & completed, just awaiting uploading to our website include: How Meditation & Mindfulness impact INFERTILITY and 5 Ways to Teach your clients to do it 6 Reasons Why Meditation & Mindfulness during PREGNANCY must become a critical part of your Prenatal Exercise Session 16-question Mindfulness Questionnaire (along with another Mindfulness & pregnancy blog, not yet titled) Our "5 Foundations" include: Breathing Movement Nutrition Lifestyle (EMF, Household Toxins, Sleep) Mind --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

I'm a stay-at-home dad to two boys under the age of 4 years. To manage my stress, I place an emphasis on mental and physical activity - basketball, beach volleyball, tennis, yoga, meditation, chess, and sleep. I do one of these activities five out of seven days a week. How I stay focused and provide a formula to this practice. How I can accomplish everything while taking care of my sons 90% of the time I have homeschooled until 3 walks around the park basketball drills  soccer chess swimming MORE ABOUT NARESH: My book FIFTY SHADES OF MARKETING: Whip Your Business into Shape & Dominate Your Competition helps people work and make money from home so they can spend more time with their families. Naresh Vissa is the Founder & CEO of Krish Media & Marketing – a full-service e-commerce, technology, development, online, and digital media and marketing agency and solutions provider. He has worked with CNN Radio, Clear Channel Communications, J.P. Morgan Chase, EverBank, The Institute for Energy Research, Houston Rockets, Houston Astros, the American Junior Golf Association, Agora Financial, Agora Publishing, Stansberry Research, and TradeStops.  He is the #1 bestselling author of FIFTY SHADES OF MARKETING: Whip Your Business into Shape & Dominate Your Competition, PODCASTNOMICS: The Book of Podcasting... To Make You Millions, THE NEW PR: 21st Century Public Relations Strategies & Resources... To Reach Millions,  TRUMPBOOK: How Digital Liberals Silenced a Nation into Making America Hate Again, and the new book FROM NOBODY TO BESTSELLING AUTHOR! How To Write, Publish & Market Your Book.  He has a Master's Degree from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business and has been featured on USA Today, Yahoo!, Bloomberg, MSNBC, Huffington Post, Businessweek, MSN Money, Business Insider, India Today, Hindustan Times, and other domestic and international media outlets.  He hosts the brand new podcast, The Work From Home Show, which is rapidly growing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. He lives in Tampa as a "stay-at-home dad and husband" with his wife and two sons. FIND HIM HERE: www.NareshVissa.com www.KrishMediaMarketing.com www.WorkFromHomeShow.com BECOMING PARENTS: Sharing stories about infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, labor and delivery, bottle feeding, breastfeeding & relactation, self-care after birth, sex to get pregnant and after kids, birth options, to medicate or not to medicate, adoption, midwife vs hospital, the struggles, surprises, joys and exhaustion, and - holy cow - you’ve become a parent! WHAT NOW?! Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 (yes - 18 kids!). She has written the blog - Mom’s Running It since 2011, has been a published author since 2016, and host of the Becoming Parents Podcast since May of 2017. She is an NLP Practitioner, Speaker, and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer. Jenn spent 12 years as a doula, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms. Jenn is grateful to be a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® to help families struggling with grief and loss, as well as an Adoption & Surrogacy Doula. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, and is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. CONNECT WITH JENN! https://linktr.ee/momofeighteen --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

Today we took a deeper dive from our first interview and discussed faith, how God gets us through, helping others, the growing FB group and lots of insight on how we can help women more. Three 2nd-trimester losses Navigating blood clotting disorders and having an incompetent cervix Scared to try again and worried as hell when I am pregnant Sharing my story and how it helps me cope I want anyone to feel safe and open to speak out about their loss. It's too common of a thing to lose a baby Her Facebook page is - Miscarriage: Breaking the silence https://www.facebook.com/psalms34.18/ FIRST PODCAST EPISODE: https://youtu.be/A0_B8gJuquw BECOMING PARENTS: Sharing stories about infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy, labor and delivery, bottle feeding, breastfeeding & relactation, self-care after birth, sex to get pregnant and after kids, birth options, to medicate or not to medicate, adoption, midwife vs hospital, the struggles, surprises, joys and exhaustion, and - holy cow - you’ve become a parent! WHAT NOW?! Jenn Taylor is Mom Of 18 (yes - 18 kids!). She has written the blog - Mom’s Running It since 2011, has been a published author since 2016, and host of the Becoming Parents Podcast since May of 2017. She is an NLP Practitioner, Speaker, and has 15+ years in the foster care sector as both a parent and a trainer. Jenn spent 12 years as a doula, lactation consultant, and CBE trainer in The Bradley Method and Birthing From Within, and ran LaLeche League meetings with a passion for supporting women who have become Moms. Jenn is grateful to be a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® to help families struggling with grief and loss, as well as an Adoption & Surrogacy Doula. She is also married to an amazing man in Reno, NV, and is a runner, minimalist, and healthy lifestyle enthusiast. CONNECT WITH JENN! https://linktr.ee/momofeighteen --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

Even as a pediatrician, I was completely overwhelmed when my daughter was born. I struggled with both the everyday chaos of being an exhausted new parent and some of the deeper pains of physical recovery and postpartum depression and anxiety. At each turn, with each new challenge, I found myself unable to find a source of guidance and support that didn’t seem to make things more complicated or give me more anxiety. The official rules from my own pediatric organizations were scientific but often rigid and unrealistic. The online, unofficial guidance was easier to follow and designed to lessen new mom guilt, but as a pediatrician, I knew there was unsafe advice being doled out with the healthy dose of big-picture perspective. I needed a one-stop-shop source to give me realistic, scientific, safe, and pediatrician-approved information, and it didn’t exist. So I decided to write it! IN HER WORDS: Dr. Rebekah Diamond is a pediatric hospitalist in New York City and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University.  She received her undergraduate degree from Yale University, and then her M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Her medical expertise has been featured in dozens of websites including Scary Mommy, Parents, Forbes, Time, ABC News, Little Spoon, The Boston Globe, Giddy, Healthline, and USA Today. Dr. Diamond is also a working mother and the founder of the website, ParentLikeAPediatrician.com, which gives realistic, safe guidance that pediatrician parents follow themselves. FIND HER HERE: www.Parentlikeapediatrician.com IG https://www.instagram.com/parentlikeapediatrician The book is available through all bookstores and online retailers! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

I was a single parent with my oldest Decided to become a SAHM when I married 7yrs later Lost my identity in motherhood and fell into depression Realized that while I loved my children..."motherhood" wasn't so great You CAN actually love your children, but hate motherhood (oxymoron...right...) Discovered purpose and ended self-sacrifice Became the woman that I loved...which made me a much better mom IN HER WORDS: I am a Certified Life Purpose & Confidence Coach and Int'l Speaker I help busy ambitious moms successfully balance motherhood and life goals withOUT burn-out and mom-guilt. FIND HER HERE: Website: www.ShelleyMechette.com IG: www.Instagram.com/ShelleyMechette FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/momswithpurpose TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@shelleymechette LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleymechette/ Free guide: www.YourPurposeGuide.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

* TTC after two years of marriage * Discovered infertility issues * Pursued foster care, international adoption, and finally, domestic infant adoption * Have adopted three children from the same birth mother (all at birth) and fostered 10 more * Wrote children's book on adoption to help fund the last adoption (but was unable to get it published at the time) * Went to work as admin/marketing/birth mother liaison for our adoption attorney and became an expert on adoption/foster care * Founded orphan ministry at our former church and led this for five years * Published children's adoption book with Ambassador International in 2017 Katie is a freelance editor/writer/marketing assistant FIND HER HERE:  www.katiecruicesmith.com FB: Katie Cruice Smith, Editor/Author IG: authorkatiesmith --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

I had three miscarriages. One lost pregnancy was at 7 months. Finally, I birthed three beautiful girls Healing from my miscarriages How to become pregnant when ovulation is only a few times a year The emotional impact of infertility Divorced children at three years, four years, six years Maintaining the father figure for my girls after divorce Experience with in-laws after divorce How to emotionally heal from an abusive childhood while parenting How to parent with 30 yrs. of migraine headaches due to childhood brain traumas The emotional and physical pains weighed on me. How not to use shame and guilt in raising my daughters. Today I am a shame guilt educator, counselor, filmmaker, and author to heal myself and now to help others heal. We can take out the shame guilt behaviors in parenting. I would be honored to be your guest to tell my story of hope and how to avoid the use of shame guilt (not shame and guilt) in infertility and parenting. Lois is a shame guilt educator, counselor, filmmaker, author FIND LOIS HERE:: lois3hollis@gmail.com https://loishollis.com https://www.imgoodfilm.com/ https://truthissimple.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/loishollis/ https://www.facebook.com/lois3hollis https://www.facebook.com/LoisAHollis https://www.facebook.com/groups/1362596790752033 https://youtube.com/user/ShameGuiltSurvival https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4sGSwpVlinOOmLO0lsJS-g https://www.instagram.com/shameguilt_   @shameguilt_ https://twitter.com/loishollis3 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

Jen grew up in dysfunction, and at 14 had her first abortion, at 15 she had her second abortion. She started dating her husband of 25 years in her Junior year of high school and married at 22. She took Jesus as her Savior about a year after they were married, and started her healing journey from those abortions. Jen now counsels through Crisis Pregnancy Center to help other women learn about Jesus’ forgiveness and works with them to heal from past abortion trauma. The movie Unplanned was the catalyst for Jen to share her experience with her girls, and that conversation with her girls drove her, even more, to dive deeper into working with women who have also struggled to heal from abortion. Jen works through Crisis Pregnancy Center. FIND INFORMATION HERE: Treion: 775-223-1035 https://renocrisispregnancycenter.com/ Or contact Jen via email: Fruechting75@protonmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

Traci Keen is the CEO of Mate Fertility, one of the fastest-growing, venture-backed fertility startups in America. They're on a mission to bring high-tech clinics to every underserved market in the US— while delivering care for a fraction of the traditional cost. While 30% of traditional clinics won't even serve the LGBTQ+ community, or single women, Mate has taken an inclusion-first approach, given that Traci and the company's founder Gabriel Bogner are both members of the LGBTQ+ community. Mate wants to shed light on the importance of fertility care, where to start your journey, why care is so complex/expensive to access, and what people can do to start a family— even if they believe they're "too" old, not "rich" enough, or face other barriers to parenthood. Traci can shed light on the reality that care is exclusive in America. Right now, the vast majority of those who receive fertility care are heterosexual, upper-class Caucasians— and why Mate is out to bring care to...everyone else. Mate Fertility is at the speartip of bringing compassion and technology to the fertility space. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

I loved this candid interview with Terry about losing his Dad and Grandmother to cancer, his incredible career, having a daughter, and teaching us all how to die from cancer himself. From Terry: I have learned many things as a parent and throughout my life that have helped me. One of those things is what I call my 4 Truths: 1. Control your mind or your mind will control you. 2. Embrace the pain and difficulty we all experience in life and use that pain to make you stronger and more resolute. 3. What you leave behind is what you weave in the hearts of others. 4. As long as you don't quit, you can never be defeated. Terry is an author and motivational speaker. FIND TERRY HERE: Motivational Check: https://www.motivationalcheck.com/ Sustainable Excellence Membership: sustainableexcellencemembership.com LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-tucker-9b5605179/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/motivationalcheck Twitter:  https://mobile.twitter.com/terrytucker201 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sustainableexcellenceauthor/ Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life - Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLGVTVS Share your experience! I answer all comments personally and will select one to read at the beginning of the next show. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message

* I married a man who had been divorced and already had 2 young children. * We talked about kids before we committed to marriage. We pretty quickly added two more kids to our blended family. * Our first baby was my first and his third baby. * I had expectations about family life and motherhood that turned out to not match my reality. Both as a mom and a stepmom. * Today I am a life coach who supports stepparents and adults in a blended family to help them get to happiness faster.  One of the things that I help people with is the emotions that go with what is called "our" babies. Amy is a life coach who supports stepparents and adults in blended families. FIND HER HERE: https://www.amysaysso.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theamysaysso/ Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-stone-8923a3124/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amysaysso_coaching Share your experience! I answer all comments personally and will select one to read at the beginning of the next show. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becoming-parents/message