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I enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Jennifer Ford Berry, Life's Expert Organizer and bestselling author, at The 29 Minute Mom Podcast. I share some of my favorite tips from Happy With Baby: Essential Relationship Advice When Partners Become Parents on communication and staying connected with littles.

We talked about it being difficult to find time to make for your partner, and I shared how we make sure that we can do so in my family. 

Give it a listen and comment below on how you make time…

Parenting is never easy. There is a never-ending list of things to do, which is so overwhelming. 

Do you find yourself struggling to share your needs with your partner? Listen to my conversation with Emily @Mothergood Podcast. I share tips on effective communication to work together as a team. Making sure your needs as an individual, as a couple, and as a family is met.  

Check out Self Care & Improving Communication With Spouse After Baby and share with us how you find time for your self-care…

Parenting is never easy. There is a never-ending list of things to do, which can be overwhelming. 

Do you find yourself struggling to share your needs with your partner? Listen to my conversation with Emily @Mothergood Podcast. I share tips on effective communication to work together as a team. Making sure your needs as an individual, as a couple, and as a family is met.  

Check out Self Care & Improving Communication With Spouse After Baby and share with us how you find time for your self-car…

I hear from mothers all the time about succumbing to the pressure of becoming a supermom to the point that they end up losing their identity in the process. We are busy giving our children the utmost care, we worry whether we are doing a good job, doubt ourselves and the choices we make and all of our focus ends up revolving around what we're doing instead of how we’re feeling and the relationships we’re building.

Remember, your baby isn’t the absolute center of your world, but rather a part of…

Are pandemic silver linings a thing? 

There has been very little about this last year that has been easy.

If I look for the silver linings I would have to say how it has simplified things in my life. 

When you rarely leave the house, your world, and what you do in it, becomes artificially small. I haven’t taken my kids to school and all of their extracurricular activities have decreased or have even straight up disappeared.

Given how my world, our worlds, have shrunk, I think the most diffic…

I had a great opportunity to speak with Peter Lap, Post-natal Expert at the Healthy Post-natal Body Podcast and we discussed how staying happy after having a baby, is much easier said, than done.

We talked about the difference between expectations and reality, feelings of "grief" for your old life, how each parent has their own learning curve and negotiating your new roles as parents while simultaneously honoring the importance of your relationship.

While Peter and much of his audience is bas…

The other day, I had a meltdown about not getting to leave the house.

Yes, meltdown, full on crying, face wet, red eyes, dripping tears. In the midst of it all I realized my body was communicating on high and had been for a while. 

The only problem is I had not been listening. 

I had been too busy with daily chores, getting my kiddos through distance learning, tending to my marriage and nurturing my growing business. 

It seems as though there aren’t any breaks in my life at the moment. 

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Kristen Wheeler at The Supermom Wannabe Podcast about all the things no one told us before entering new motherhood.

The conversation started with why I gave up trying to be a Supermom and opted to be Batmom (check out the Chapter 7 in my book for the full explanation).

Kristen was so easy to talk to and I love the way she normalizes how difficult it is to be a parent. Like me, she loves finding the humor in life, black coffee and dry shampoo.   

Don…

I have to admit, the desire to communicate doesn’t always come easy, especially when feelings and emotions get mixed in.  

One thing I am certain of though…

“communication is key”.

This phrase is on repeat in my personal life, in my professional life and in my work with my clients.

It is so easy to say, it rolls right off my tongue, and yet it isn’t always easy to live by. 

When I sit down with individuals or couples in my office, these are some of the common tips I recommend as we work tow…

Sometimes I pick a word of the year.

The word I pick is a word that I will call on to keep me grounded and focused.

This year my word is NOURISH.

I’ve needed this word a lot these first couple of weeks of 2021. 

The reality is, I know deep down that this year isn't the time for a major overhaul. 

But what I know I need to do is to gradually make small changes to foreground the things that are important to me.  

So here is how I will use NOURISH:

I want to make sure I am NOURISHING m…

We are going on ten months, friends. Ten months of this pandemic affecting our daily lives.

I know we all want this to end. I know that time feels fast and slow, all at once. I also know that we are resilient, full of ingenuity and determination. If we weren’t, our species may have very well gone extinct some time ago. 

I think masks are going to be a part of our lives for quite some time. I am dreaming of a time when heading out for a Friday night drink with my love, meetups with our friends,…

Happy New Year!

I cannot believe it’s 2021.

I always think of the new year with such newness. There is always a push to make changes and to be a new you! 

Every year, I set out with what goals I want to accomplish and last year was no different. I had high hopes, and to say I experienced disappointment is an understatement. Regardless of the challenges, I also received unexpected benefits. I gained perspective. I had an abundance of time with my family. All of this came with an opportunity to…

Times have been so heavy and hard and there are days I feel like I can’t do any of it. There are days when I don’t want to do any of it. And if I’m being honest, I have imagined hiding and crying under my blanket, with the hope that my kids won’t find me. 

My initial instinct is to wallow in the depths of the heaviness. But, when I give into that impulse, I become stuck. I end up wasting time worrying about feeling bad, sad or angry. 

What really feels supportive for me is allowing myself the …

Have you been thinking about having another baby and are not sure if you should take the leap?

After having our son, I clearly remember being totally unsure if we should “risk” having another. He was pretty easy. He started sleeping through the night at 11 months, he ate his vegetables, he was mild-mannered and super social so he actually helped my husband and I meet new friends and our neighbors. He made us laugh and brought a lot of joy to our lives. And laughing is always good.

You can’t ge…

Doesn’t it seem like every time you log on to the internet, whether it be Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, whatever…there is always something someone is telling you what you need to do with your children. There’s a technique for handling any situation. A research study supporting this or that philosophy. 

And a recent one that I’ve encountered many times--and I’m sure you have too--is teaching resiliency to our kids.

“Shoot,” you think! “I’m just trying to raise  happy, healthy, and well-adj…

I’m not perfect….but, I am enough.

It seems like a day doesn’t pass--shoot, who am I kidding--an hour doesn’t pass that I don’t think about all the things I HAVE to do. I am such a busy person. I have two kids, a husband, my own business, all of which need nurturing and demand my undivided attention. I have parents and in-laws and friends to stay connected with and support with my love and friendship. I have to-do lists and goals and…and…and…. Right? We all do. I’m not unique in all I have …

I hear this all too often. A struggling mother will say that she feels misunderstood or that she's failing. A partner, family member, or friend says the wrong thing with the best intentions or is unsure of what to say at all. Do you want to know how to support a struggling mom?

Check out this video to hear my take on it. (Audio transcript is below.)

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzBW7kXGonM&w=640&h=480

I've been getting a lot of the same question over and over again, this week…

Is new motherhood not looking or feeling the way you thought it would? 

If you find yourself asking questions like: How in the world do other moms get things done? Why is this so hard for me? Am I doing it all wrong? I love my baby, but why do I feel so alone? 

It’s no secret that having a baby changes everything—and not just our physical bodies! 

Having a baby can change our relationship to ourselves, our partners, our friends, our work, our sense of time and priorities. 

The solution t…

Happy Father’s Day!

Yes, I’m talking to you.

I just wanted you to know that we do notice all the things you do. We might not always say thank you or acknowledge your support. Your encouragement. Your fun and crazy ways. But we do appreciate you.  

We know that you make this parenting job easier.  

We know that our children adore you. We know that your ways are different, but that’s perfectly alright because no 2 people are alike and our children will encounter all sort of differences in …

Maternal Mental Health Awareness month (May) is over now, but I have another wonderful guest blogpost from my amazing intern, Elizabeth DeFazio. Not only is she a mom, partner, and Marriage and Family Therapist Intern, but she also has a unique background of being a RN, so her perspective is invaluable. 

Guest Blog By: Elizabeth DeFazio, RN, MFT Intern

As Maternal Mental Health Awareness month ends we are reminded of the toll pregnancy and childbirth can take on a woman and her family. Som…

Guest blog by Anna Osborn, licensed psychotherapist and relationship specialist

With May being Maternal Mental Wellness month, I decided to share a big secret with all of you. One that folks aren’t talking about enough. One that we need to share with each other. One that we need to have open dialogue about. One that needs to be shouted from the rooftop so that others aren’t hiding in shame and fear.

Having kids is hard on your relationship!  What? 

I know you’re thinking, well of course I…

May is Maternal Mental Health awareness month. At HappyWithBaby.com we know it isn't always easy being a parent. But with support, encouragement, and education things can be easier. We are so exciting to be collaborating with some excellent clinicians, sharing some amazing articles, that offer just those things.

Guest Blog by: Shana Averbach, LMFT

"I love the idea of knowledge as power. When I was pregnant with my now 7-month-old son, I thrived on learning the functions of my symptoms. Nau…

Week 2 of our momma interviews. This week I want to share two of them. What I love about these moms is that they had opposite exercise. The point I want to note is that they are both amazing mommas.  

We all have different experiences and I think it is important to embrace our differences.  

It's what makes us unique!

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phKs8JLET9U&w=854&h=480] [youtube=://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTux-ua1TVs&w=854&h=480

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Guest blog by: Mercedes Samudio, LCSW

When I think of maternal mental health, I think of more than just mental illness and postpartum depression. I think of the stereotypical super mom who is trying to do it all and ends up neglecting herself. I think of the pressures places on mothers in our world and how impossible those expectations are for mothers to reach. And I think, how can we support the notion that mothers are humans who have strengths and weaknesses and can’t do everything?

One …

May is Maternal Mental Health awareness month. At HappyWithBaby.com we know it isn't always easy being a parent. But with support, encouragement, and education things can be easier. We are so exciting to be collaborating with some excellent clinicians, sharing some amazing articles, that offer just those things.

Guest Blog by Bridget Bertrand, Psychotherapist, LMFT 83020

Emotions: the invisible and yet powerful experiences we all have. What is an emotion? Merriam-Webster calls it an “...af…

I distinctly remember being told (more times than I can count) that everything would change when I had a baby.

WHOA…they weren’t kidding!!!

I’ve gotten a lot of gifts from being a mom. And one of them is that I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grow up. 

Don’t get me wrong I was already a therapist, and had wanted to be a therapist since as long as I could remember. 

But when I became a mother, I finally figured out what direction my practice would go. I finally figured out …

Being a parent takes us to a whole new level of busy, because now we are actually responsible for someone else’s life. 

I talk with parents all the time about how to best manage their schedules. In Part 1 of this 3 part series (3 parts as I post this, it could be more by the time I’m done with this), I discuss picking your priorities that will positively impact your family.

Take a listen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c62XhOX6-4k&w=640&h=480

(Transcript of video)

Hi, This is Catherine…

So things have been ca-RAY-zyyYY busy in my neck of the woods lately. Not all work stuff. It has also been what I call “birthday season” in our house.

Somehow I managed to have kids with birthdays 2 weeks apart, plus both my parent-in-laws, brother-in-law, and my own mother all have birthdays. It’s hard to keep up.

But it really had me thinking. (Actually, I think about this every year at this time and many times in between.) About all the things I’ve learned…and am learning since I had my…

Valentine’s Day is a chocolate candy, and florist’s dream day, but it’s really about the heart and the thought. It is making sure your loved one’s know you care and love them. If it takes a holiday to get you to stop, that is fine. However, it is MORE important to make sure that you take the time to tell your partner, your children, your parents, whoever it is, how you feel about them all year long!

Believe me I know how hard it is to make special time to do the “Valentines Day” things. So …

In this edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three ways to increase your intimacy.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYyyWZ9gW5I&w=640&h=480

As parents of young children, it can be particularly challenging to find time to make that intimate connection with your partner. We would love to hear from you about what you and your partner do to make sure that your relationship stays strong. Please share in the comments below!

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In this edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three ways to increase communication.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiNHhx9gkqY&w=640&h=480

We’d love to hear from you about your communication with your partner. Please share your great connection tips below.

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In this edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three ways to cope with your in-laws.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TdibIyYdLQ&w=640&h=480

We would love to hear from you about what you do when you have particularly challenging family members, please share your great tips in the comments below.

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As I put away the last Thanksgiving decorations and start to hang the Christmas lights, my heart is very heavy. As I usually find the holidays a “wonderful time of year”, this year it is especially hard for many of my relatives and dear friends. 

It’s that thing called grief. In the last 2 weeks, I’ve had 4 deaths in “my inner circle.” Some were expected due to age, and some very unexpected. But I know it doesn’t matter if it was expected or not -- grief is grief. 

It. Is. Hard. 

Even if…

In this edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three ways to create family traditions.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BODLnZ6Xhyw&w=640&h=480

Please share in the comments below what you are doing to create new family traditions.

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As promised, here’s Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” where we're talking about three ways to support Dad when baby comes home.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjl7ymrdHQE&w=640&h=480

Please share in the comments below what you found most helpful as a new Dad, or how you support the new Dads in your life.

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In this edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three ways to support Mom when baby comes home.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZOyfkLe9H4&w=420&h=315

Please share in the comments below. What things did you find most helpful when you came home with your baby? What are some things you do now to support friends or family with their new babies? And don’t worry Dad’s…I know you need support too, so the next video is going to be just for you!

S…

In this first edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three date night ideas.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIVUtc0V9u4&w=420&h=315

Please share in the comments below your favorite date night ideas.

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Oh my goodness!

It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced the “back-to-school” hustle and bustle. If you’re on my email list then know that my oldest child just started kindergarten. It’s only been four weeks, so we’re still getting used to the routine of making school lunches, getting to bed on time, drop-off/pick-up, and doing the dreadful homework! Yikes, I don’t remember doing homework in kindergarten 

Last Friday, after what seemed to be an unusually long week, my husband (who’s…

In this first edition of Happy with Baby's “3 Tips in 3 Minutes,” we're talking about three ways to say “I Love You.”

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7CpeTYzLzQ&w=420&h=315

Please share in the comments below how you let your partner know you love them.

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What is it about becoming a parent that all of sudden we think we shouldn’t get to do things for ourselves? This can be especially true for moms...right? 

So many times we compare ourselves to other people, to other mothers…enter in Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. This creates feelings of inadequacy. This can be because we feel bad for not being at home with our children, or we feel bad for not “working.” I think we can often get so caught up in how to do things right, that we get to…

My plan for this shortened week has me doing a lot of things in a short amount of time. One of those things is editing this blog post.

As anyone with small children knows (I suppose anyone with children of any age knows), the “best­ laid plans of mice and men oft go astray”.

First, my son woke up 3 times throughout the night with what seemed to be growing pains in his legs, and so I ended up rubbing his legs and soothing him back to sleep ­3 times. Then of course my daughter woke up for he…

With the New Year comes lots of resolution making and breaking. Often people forget these resolutions by the time February arrives. So what can you do to make them last? Since the point of this blog is family and being happy with baby I want to focus on resolutions that emphasize creating a healthy and happier family.

1) To take care of yourself. Remember, it is very hard to take care of your family if you are being neglected. Maybe one of your resolutions could be to go to bed earlier. Whe…

You’re constantly on the go…going to appointments, going to work, getting groceries, taking your child to day care. The list goes on and on. What we often forget in our never-ending to-do list is that one of the best ways to manage the stress in our daily lives is to take time out for self-care.

Part of the difficulty with finding this balance as a parent is the enormous amount of tasks that we have to do. It can become very overwhelming.

First off, you need to be able to identify what you…

Until I had a child myself, I did not value “date night." I find this to be an important tip that seems rather simple, but often is overlooked as children enter into your relationship. It may not look the same as it once did. However, making sure that you can get a couple of hours a week to spend time with your partner is ideal. This will give you time to connect, which is key to working through the challenging times. If you are able to connect with your partner in a positive way the things …

If you have a child you are no stranger to finding that making time with your partner can be almost impossible at times! It can be so hard to find time to talk to each other let alone trying to connect on a deeper level.

Many couples struggle during the first year of their baby’s life to maintain their groove with each other. This can lead to dissatisfaction with the relationship.

There are steps can you make to keep your relationship with you partner strong, and even to make it stronger t…

When you have a baby there are countless things to worry about. What type of laundry soap should you use for their clothing? What diapers are best for the baby? The worries even extend to should the baby be sent to daycare or should one of us stay home? Then there is the ever-present issue of breastfeeding versus formula. The questions are endless and the answers are many, but one important thing that often gets forgotten in the pursuit of raising a happy child is the relationship with your …

Is the summer heat stressing you out?

Do you seem to have less patience for you partner?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Having children often leads to a higher level of dissatisfaction in your relationship. The heat does not help, along with the stressors of work, childcare, housework, planning vacation, etc, etc, etc.

That’s why this months Just Between Moms Educational and Support Group we will be discussing:

- tips for understanding your partner
- ways for getting the emotional and practical supp…