In honor of Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month this May, we will be featuring guest bloggers, each of whom brings their own unique expertise and perspective to the discussion. It is my hope to help educate and normalize the experiences of ALL moms.

Guest Blog Post: Understanding Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

By Staci Lee Schnell, M.S., C.S., LMFT

Any woman can develop a perinatal mood disorder; however, here are some risk factors to be aware of:

• Personal or Family history of Depr…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week we are hearing from a first-time momma, who is seven months in and struggling with a feeling of yearning for her "old life" again. Postpartum depression is very real and she is certainly n…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week's interview comes from a momma who is blocking out the haters! First-time mothers get lots of advice and Nakita is figuring out how to handle the constant comments from the peanut gallery!…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week's interview comes from a momma who knows, "it takes a village to raise a child." Kim is fortunate enough to have family close and friends who are in the same stages of parenthood and they'…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week's interview is brought to you by military momma, Michelle Casey. Michelle does her best to split the parenting responsibilities with her hubs, a stay-home dad, 50/50. Cheers to this mom…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

WE ARE KICKING OFF APRIL WITH A MOMMA OF TWO NAMED BRYNN. BRYNN IS FINDING THE BEAUTY IN THE MOMENTS OF CHAOS THROUGHOUT MOTHERHOOD AND TRYING TO APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, BECAUSE IF YOU …

There is so much to be excited about when you're expecting a baby. All the new little outfits and room decorations. Who is this little creature going to be like? Will they have your laugh? Will they have your partner’s knack for numbers? Will they have blue eyes or brown? Will their hair be curly or straight?

And then, they arrive.  And it tends to be less exciting than we imagined. Oftentimes, I hate to say it, but it can even be boring and the tasks mundane.  

We feel like we are more …

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week we are hearing from a mother of three, who stopped trying to separate her life as a mom, as a wife, and as a professional and found out how all three can really complement each other!   

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week we are hearing from a momma who is learning how to juggle her business with the joys of family in a culture very different from where she grew up! 

I'd like to introduce you to Katie Cl…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences, and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

Each week, I've been bringing to you real stories from real mommas that are truly "in the thick of it" with their babies or young children. This week I'm excited because, for the first time in this…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere.  

How do you balance the mom, work, and relationship roles?

I don't.

Just …

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week's momma, Amanda, has so many good nuggets of wisdom to offer. I love her trick for managing overwhelm. And her favorite quote? So perfect.  

How do you balance the mom, work, and relation…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week's momma asked that I refer to her as Bee. Like her name, this interview is short and sweet, but undoubtedly charming. I love her ability to keep it simple--especially in her advice to ne…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week’s momma is Ashley Robillard. She has three kids with her high school sweetheart and is a Licensed Acupuncturist at Firefly Acupuncture in Plymouth MN. She gives a refreshingly honest self-…

Featured on PsychCentral.com

PsychCentral recently published "5 Self-Care Tips for New Moms", featuring an interview with Catherine O'Brien, LMFT. In it, she gives her best advice on simple, yet crucial ways that any new mom can add in some much-needed "me time" into her day. 

Why prioritize self-care when you have a new little human that needs so much more than you do? Because, as O'Brien states in the article, "If you are tired and stressed out, honor yourself and take some time to ‘fill…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

This week's Momma Interview is with Jessica Flannigan, Editor of Livethefancylife.com and ohboystyle.com. She's a busy work-from-home mom of two boys with some great advice on staying present and weig…

The Momma Interviews is a new blog series by Catherine O'Brien, LMFT highlighting the thoughts, experiences and wisdom of a unique real-world mom each week, to normalize and validate the struggles and triumphs that are a part of the universally human experience of motherhood for women everywhere. 

Kicking off our inaugural post in this series, we have Niki, a 35 year old momma of one in Minneapolis, MN. Check out our interview below....

How do you balance the mom, work, and relationship role…

There is so much we do to prepare for our sweet baby's delivery. But what have you done to prepare for after baby comes home? Watch the video as I share our poor planning for our first child. FYI, it doesn't have to be that way. (Don't have time to watch a video...read the transcript below!)

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62PgO4RnChY&w=640&h=480

It's been six years since that fateful day; the day that I think really changed so much for me and the way I look at things and the …

Life transitions seems to be happening everywhere.  

I have friends who kids are off to college, someone I know is getting ready for retirement, some are welcoming new job positions, new babies, a new sibling added to the the mix. And then, there is the new school year. So many kids have already started. My son started back 2 weeks ago, but this week is is first full week--he's in 1st grade. 1ST GRADE!!!!!! How in the world is that even possible? I don’t know.  

And, though there are times…

We’re moving.

Well, hopefully, we’re moving. We’re putting our house on the market.

I told my husband last night that I’m scared of not knowing exactly what is to come. I’m sad that this part of our life is ending, but also excited to see what this new phase brings us.

I’m not sure what’s going to happen. What our next house is going to look like, if it will be set up the way I want, or whether we will have to adjust any expectations we are trying not to have. While my overwhelming feelin…

 Starting a weekly series for the rest of May. These are just quick interviews with different mommas (a different 1 or 2, each week).  

What I love about them, is that they are all amazing moms with different answers.  

Not one is better than the other.     

They are perfect examples of how different and unique we all are, but wonderful just the same.

Watch Here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsnbL4vyRqQ&w=560&h=315

Subscribe

Sign up to get the latest weekly blogs sent straight to…

To all the mothers, moms, mommies, mamas, mommas, grandmothers etc. Happy Mother’s Day!

To the mom that has lost your child too soon, Happy Mother’s Day!

To the mom that has adopted her child(ren), Happy Mother’s Day!

To the foster mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

To the aunt that is also a mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

To the grandmother that is also a mom, Happy Mother’s Day!

To the mom who is missing her own mom, Happy Mother's Day!

To the mom that is still yearning to bring a baby home, Happy…