The From Within Podcast

A few episodes ago, I told you about two strange interactions: one man asked me if my baby was real, and a woman at Petco told me she could never imagine running errands with a baby.Well…there’s an update.I ran into the same woman at Petco again, and this time we actually talked.What she shared got me thinking about how many women spend years saying, “I could never,” while also carrying a real desire for children somewhere underneath that.And I get it, because I used to be that woman too.In this episode, I’m talking about changing your mind about motherhood, how much our expectations shape the way we experience it, why I think the version of motherhood we’ve been shown is often more frightening than motherhood itself, and what it can look like to honestly ask yourself what you actually want.If you’re on the fence, this isn’t me telling you what decision to make.It’s just permission to examine the desire honestly.

Is my baby sleeping through the night?Kind of.She still wakes to eat, but she doesn’t really have long wake windows in the middle of the night and that distinction has made a huge difference for us.In this episode, I’m sharing what sleep actually looks like in our house at almost three months postpartum, how my definition of “tired” has completely changed since becoming a parent, and why bedsharing became part of our nighttime rhythm after I originally planned to use a bedside bassinet.I’m also talking about the importance of realistic expectations around newborn sleep and why I think parents should learn about safer sleep practices even if they never intend to bedshare.This is not a “how to get your baby to sleep through the night” episode.It’s just an honest look at what’s working for us and why I’m not chasing some perfect version of baby sleep.

This episode is a little more niche than usual, but if you are planning a Little House on the Prairie birthday party, I truly think this one will be everything you need.My niece grew up loving the books and show just like I did, and when she asked for a Little House-themed birthday, I wanted to make it feel like more than just prairie decorations.So we built the whole party around the world of Little House.The girls decorated galvanized lunch pails, packed old-fashioned lunches, went on a farm scavenger hunt, bartered their findings for access to Olsen’s Mercantile, shopped for party favors, ate cake, visited a petting zoo, and took pony rides.We also got completely rained out at the last minute, which meant shifting almost the entire party into the barn—and somehow it still turned out better than I imagined.In this episode, I’m walking through exactly what we did, what worked, what I would change, what the girls loved most, and a few backup ideas we never even needed.If you’re planning a prairie, pioneer, homestead, or Little House on the Prairie birthday party, save this one.

A stranger recently leaned out of his car window and asked me a question I never expected:“Is your baby real?”Then, a few days later, while I was pushing my daughter through Petco and carrying a dog crate in the other hand, the woman checking me out looked at me and said, “Oh my gosh. I could never.”Those two tiny interactions got me thinking about the way our culture talks about babies, inconvenience, and motherhood.Because I understand the fear.There was a season when I deeply wanted children and simultaneously convinced myself that having them would be too hard, too disruptive, or simply something I wasn’t ready for. Eventually, I stopped trying to talk myself out of that desire.And now, a few months into motherhood, I can say this: it has been one of the greatest joys of my life.In this episode, I’m talking about realistic expectations, the skills that made newborn life less overwhelming for me, why I experienced more of a “newborn bubble” than “newborn trenches,” and what I would say to the woman who wants children but is afraid of what motherhood might cost her.Motherhood changes your life.It is inconvenient sometimes.It is also so much better than I was afraid it would be.

When you’re pregnant with your first baby, the internet will happily convince you that you need approximately 400 things to survive postpartum.A month in, I’ve discovered that we use…very little of it.So in this episode, I’m sharing the postpartum and newborn items I’ve actually used as a holistic-minded, low-tox first-time mom—including the recovery products that got me through those first ten days, my breastfeeding essentials, the nursing bras I finally liked, the supplements and routines I’ve personally used, and the surprisingly short list of things our baby actually needs.I’m also sharing some of the things we haven’t used: a video baby monitor, sound machine, piles of newborn gadgets, regular pumping, and plenty of other things social media made seem almost essential.If you’re preparing for postpartum and feeling overwhelmed by everyone’s must-have lists, consider this your permission to keep it simple.

How would you live your life if you had less technology?That question has been sitting with me lately.Would you take more photos without worrying about the messy house in the background? Would you garden more? Bake more? Paint more? Spend more time with friends? Would you stop comparing your ordinary life to someone else’s curated version of theirs?In this episode, I’m talking about the subtle ways technology, especially social media, can change what we think is normal. From feeling like every photo needs an Instagram-worthy background to comparing breastfeeding output, homes, phones, and everyday life, it’s surprisingly easy to start living as though everything is being evaluated.As I’ve become a mother, I’ve found myself wanting less of that.I want to take the photo even if my hair is messy. I want the memory even if there’s laundry in the background. I want technology to be something I use; not something that quietly tells me how my life should look.So today, I’m asking a simple question:How would you live differently if you had less technology?In this episodeHow social media changes what we consider “normal”Why I’m trying to stop pre-editing my memoriesThe pressure to make ordinary life look Instagram-worthyHow technology can create unnecessary comparison in motherhoodWhy Josh and I are intentionally simplifying our technology useThe freedom of keeping phones out of the bedroomWhy I want the messy photos tooWhat we might do more of if we spent less time scrollingI’m not suggesting that technology is bad. I’m just asking whether it has become too influential. There’s a big difference.

Everyone talks about the “newborn trenches,” but honestly? That hasn’t been my experience.Postpartum has absolutely had hard moments. I’ve been tired. I’ve cried. My routines have disappeared. I recently fell asleep and completely burned a loaf of sourdough I’ve made a hundred times before.And yet, this season has been so, so beautiful.In this voice memo, I’m sharing what I think has made the biggest difference: realistic expectations, preparing before the baby arrived, learning practical skills like breastfeeding beforehand, accepting help, communicating honestly with Josh, and remembering that just because something is hard doesn’t make it bad.I’m also sharing some of the emotional side of those early postpartum weeks, the support I’m incredibly grateful to have, and why I think the way we talk about postpartum can shape how women experience it.If you’re pregnant, preparing for postpartum, or currently living in the newborn haze yourself, this one is for you.

I thought I had weeks left to prepare more voice memos.Instead, I’m recording this one from bed with my five-day-old daughter asleep on my chest.In this episode, I’m sharing the full story of her unexpectedly early arrival, from my water breaking at 38 weeks while I was eating pizza on the living-room floor, to baking sourdough and finishing postpartum meal prep, laboring quietly through the night, advocating for my birth preferences at the hospital, and eventually delivering her naturally with my grandmother there to catch her.I’m sharing what helped me through an unmedicated labor, what it felt like when my body began pushing on its own, why I chose to push slowly, and the moment I went from thinking, I cannot do this, to realizing I already was.Her birth did not unfold exactly when I expected it to, but it became about as close to the birth of my dreams as I could have imagined.

Building a low-toxin wardrobe doesn’t have to mean replacing everything overnight… or spending hundreds of dollars on every outfit.After years of slowly swapping out my closet, I’ve found some surprisingly affordable places to shop for natural fibers like cotton, linen, and wool. In this episode, I’m sharing exactly where I shop, what certifications I look for, which brands have surprised me, and a few lessons I’ve learned along the way.If you’ve wanted to reduce your exposure to synthetic fabrics but haven’t known where to start, this episode should help!If you have any questions or recommendations of your own, send me your own voice message @allisonsueelliott on IG or email me at [email protected].

This week, I’m sharing a conversation Josh and I recently had after one of the busiest weeks of our lives: a week filled with board exams, our baby shower, a maternity shoot, family visiting, and preparing for our daughter.It ironically summed up an important question we’d been asking ourselves recently:Are we creating a life that allows us to actually be present… or are we staying busy simply because that’s what we’ve always done?In this episode, I talk about slowing down, making decisions that align with what matters most, and why not every opportunity is worth the presence it costs you.If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, constantly behind, or like you’re always waiting for life to slow down, this conversation is for you.