Throughout pregnancy and postpartum life, I constantly turned to fellow mom friends to get advice, commiserate, or just share a ridiculous story. Having fellow moms to lean on, especially during those first few weeks, is so important for a new mother. In honor of Mother’s Day, we asked our previous guests to share their advice for pregnant or new moms out there.
Episode 1: The First Chapter with Beyond the Bookends
Kirsten Wilf and Jackie Robins, Beyond the Bookends Co-Founders
| Kirsten Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Make a plan with your spouse for a morning off every weekend – it builds confidence in your spouse and gives you a moment’s rest. While he was nervous at first to be alone with the baby, my husband ended up loving his “guy time.” He would take my son for walks, to shop, and eventually did a weekend Gymboree class with him. My kids are six and eight and my husband still takes them out one morning a weekend! Kids’ Book That You Can Recite from Memory: So many! “Jamberry” and “The Going to Bed Book” are my two favorites, but I have many more memorized! Favorite Book on Parenting: “Healthy Sleep Habit, Happy Child” by Dr. Weisbluth. His advice on sleep patterns is life-changing. Life-Changing Parenting Product: I love the Halo SleepSack. I was the worst at swaddling and that makes it much easier! I also adore the Pound and Tap Bench by Hape. |
| Jackie Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Everything is changing and will never be the same again. That is not a bad thing! Just remember how important it is to be kind and patient with yourself. Support yourself the way you would support your best friend. Kids’ Book That You Can Recite from Memory: “Goodnight Moon“, “If I Built a Car“, and “The Going to Bed Book“ Favorite Book on Parenting: “The Happiest Baby on the Block; Fully Revised and Updated Second Edition: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer” by Harvey Karp. It saved me in the first few months when I had no clue what I was doing. For the record, nobody has any clue what they are doing. Lol My Go-to Baby Shower Gift: My go-to gift is books! They last forever and provide so much joy and engagement. |
Episode 3: Pregnancy and Postpartum Nutrition and Exercise with Juna
Sarah Kuhn, Juna Founder
| Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Remember that pregnancy is temporary. Whatever symptoms or experiences you are having will pass whether they last all nine months or just a few weeks. Everything is temporary. This lesson also prepares you for motherhood. Kids’ Book You Can Recite from Memory: “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” and “Pout Pout Fish” Favorite Book on Parenting: I’ve read a lot of books and like the “The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind” by Daniel Siegel but the most life-changing thing we did was Parent Coaching with Hayley Goldberg. It made me a much more intentional parent. My Go-to Baby Shower Gift: Hakaa Manual Breast Pump + Swaddle Up in a gift bag |
Episode 4: Fall Fun with Jen Anderson of West Chester Macaroni Kid
Jen Anderson, West Chester Macaroni Kid Publisher
| Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: I would tell myself to “do parenting” my own way. We get so much unsolicited advice as pregnant women and even more as new mothers and it’s sometimes so hard to filter through it. Ultimately, you need to make the decisions that feel right and sustainable for your own family. Kids’ Book That You Can Recite from Memory: “Guess How Much I Love You“, “Goodnight Moon“ Favorite Book on Parenting: The book “Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home” by Christopher Gavigan was an eye-opener for me in many ways. It’s a bit different than a parenting book but it shaped many of my decisions after having read it. Life-Changing Parenting Product: My jogging and double jogging strollers — it gave me both freedom to get out and about and an opportunity for self-care. We logged many many miles with those strollers. It was the biggest, bulkiest baby contraption I owned but it was a lifesaver. |
Episode 7: DIY Halloween Costumes with the Chester County Art Association
Maria Tesone, Brandywine Learning Center Office Manager
| Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Invest in a recliner. I know most people have them, we do not. I had the hardest time sleeping. I am a back sleeper and once you get a bit bigger you can’t sleep on your back anymore. A recliner would have helped a lot! Kids’ Book That You Can Recite from Memory: There are a couple that are great favorites in our house: “The Little Blue Truck“, “Llama Llama Red Pajama“, and “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.” Favorite Book on Parenting: “Baby 411: Your Baby, Birth to Age 1! Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about your newborn!” and “Toddler 411: Clear Answers & Smart Advice for Your Toddler“ Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Don’t worry about it. In the end, it will all be worth it! My Go-To Shower Gift: When a baby shower guest gave me the large Aden and Anais swaddlers, I remembered thinking, “How am I going to use these huge things?” Then, we started using them and they are a life-saver! They’re great for covering the car seats, changing a diaper on the floor, swaddling, or as a burp cloth. Regular swaddles were always a touch too small for my kids and they would have them undone in 10 seconds. With these you can burrito your baby, they calm down and go out. Also, burp cloths are too small too. |
Episode 12: Postpartum Health and Fitness with Katfit
Kathrine Bright, KatFit owner
| Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Pregnancy will not ruin or break your body and when you have the baby your body does not need fixing. You will be able to come back stronger and everything you were able to do prior to pregnancy after having a baby. Give yourself time to strengthen your body. Kids’ Book You Can Recite from Memory: “Guess How Much I Love You” Favorite Book on Parenting: “The Happiest Baby on the Block” & “The Happiest Toddler on the Block“ Life-Changing Parenting Product: Gyro Bowl– it was the best bowl that worked from finger foods through 5-6 years of age for snacks in the car. |
Episode 13: One Mom’s Top Organizational Tricks to Make Life Easier
Allison Barto
| Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: Listen to your kids and always be talking with them. Kids’ Book You Can Recite from Memory: “Puff the Magic Dragon” Favorite Book on Parenting: “Oh Crap! Potty Training: Everything Modern Parents Need to Know to Do It Once and Do It Right” – Jamie Glowacki Life-Changing Parenting Product: My Nest cam, it is great as a monitor, but you can also play back the last 10 days of video as well, so it’s great for capturing memories. |
Episode 14: How (and Why) You Should Prepare for the 4th Trimester While Pregnant
Nicole Didizian, Founder of Main Line Family Education
| Advice You’d Give Your Pregnant Self: You can’t pour from an empty vessel, but once you’re a mother you’ll be tempted to try! Take a moment to refill your cup. Your children are the ones who benefit the most from your happiness. Kids’ Book You Can Recite from Memory: “I’ll See You In The Morning“ Favorite Book on Parenting: “Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts” by Karen Kleiman because it’s so honest and relatable. Go-to Baby Shower Gift: “Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, 7th Edition: Birth to Age 5” – American Academy of Pediatrics. A great, evidence-based resource to have right at your fingertips. |
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