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Join co-hosts Laura Todd and Carina Lane as they sit down with Armi Grace Petersen, a pediatric occupational therapist and the founder of Motivated OT Mama. Together, we unpack how the early developmental journey of a baby is intertwined with the postpartum mental health and emotional well-being of the parent.Shifting away from the stress of rigid checklists, Armi Grace shares her compassionate, home-based approach to pediatric care. We explore how providers can move beyond "wait and see" tracking to actively build parental confidence, tackle feeding and sensory hurdles, and design practical developmental routines that actually fit into a family's real life.In this episode, we unpack:The Confidence Crisis: How the endless noise from family, internet searches, and professionals leaves new parents feeling uncertain, and how to ground yourself in your own caregiving intuition.Meeting Families Where They Are: Armi Grace's home-based therapy model that focuses on practicing skills alongside parents and adapting guidance to fit a family's true capacity.The Hidden Layers of Feeding: Why feeding is a complex dance involving oral-motor skills, sensory inputs, positioning, and environment—and a reminder that parent and baby are learning this dance together.Watch and See vs. Wait and See: Shifting our perspective on developmental milestones to view them as a broad, fluid reference guide rather than a strict, anxiety-inducing deadline.Village Building Without a Diagnosis: The vital importance of early intervention and community-based parent-and-baby groups that provide absolute connection and education without needing a clinical label.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura’s Recommendation: Abbott Elementary Carina’s Recommendation: The Real Housewives of Potomac Armi Grace’s Recommendation: A Weighted Lap Blanket Timestamps:[00:00] - Introducing pediatric occupational therapist Armi Grace Petersen[03:51] - Parent confidence and development: Navigating advice overload[07:23] - Supporting parents alongside children: The home-based approach[08:46] - Mental health and warm referrals: Checking on parental well-being[17:14] - Feeding challenges: Oral-motor skills, sensory factors, and positioning[24:20] - Shifting the lens: "Watch and see" rather than "wait and see"[27:35] - Early intervention, community support, and parent-baby groups[34:26] - Main takeaway: You don't have to have it all figured out[36:10] - Weekly recommendations beginConnect with Armi Grace Petersen:Website / Practice: https://www.motivatedotmama.com/Instagram: @motivatedotmama Hit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

Join co-hosts Laura Todd (representing California) and Carina Lane (representing Indiana) as they to examine how different state laws directly dictate the terms of your pregnancy, your postpartum recovery, and your child's early development.Recorded amidst the midterms, Laura and Carina demonstrate how motherhood is inherently political. From the disparities in state maternal mortality rates to the breakdowns of paid leave, childcare waitlists, and workplace lactation rights, we explore how policy decisions either support families or leave parents more stressed and overwhelmed.In this episode, we discuss:The Geographical Care Divide: Exploring how OBGYN and labor/delivery "deserts" are forcing pregnant people into dangerous, long-distance commutes just to access basic medical care.The Policy Disparity: Comparing California's 18–20 weeks of state-paid bonding leave and strict workplace pumping rights against Indiana's lack of private sector paid leave.Maternal Mortality & Systemic Silencing: Looking at the stark difference between California’s low mortality rate (10.1 per 100,000) and Indiana’s critical rates (30.1 per 100,000)—and why stripping specific racial identifiers from legislative language leaves Black maternal health disparities completely unaddressed.Environmental Safety & Early Health: Addressing how proximity to oil refineries, data centers, and lead exposure in cities like Chicago and Santa Clara County quietly compromises fetal development and early childhood wellness.Survival Before "Serve & Return": Why safe housing, reliable transportation, and basic food security are the absolute baseline for healthy parent-infant attachment—because a parent cannot co-regulate a baby when they are trapped in survival mode.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura’s Recommendation: The Policy Center for Maternal Mental HealthCarina’s Recommendation: The Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance (MMMLA) Timestamps:[01:08] - Why motherhood is inherently political: Policy vs. daily parental resources[03:50] - Access to care: Navigating the rising crisis of OBGYN and labor deserts[07:00] - Medical privacy, abortion access, and the withholding of mortality data[10:00] - Environmental safety: Toxins, data centers, and regional lead testing for kids[13:27] - Black maternal health disparities and a call for Black perinatal therapists[16:08] - The massive gaps in perinatal mental health training for therapists[18:40] - Comparing state numbers: The alarming reality of maternal mortality rates[20:23] - The paid leave comparison: The haves vs. the have-nots of parental bonding[29:02] - Lactation, pumping at work, and the legal right to a dignified space[32:31] - Postpartum depression screening mandates and maternal home visiting programs[35:51] - The childcare crisis: Waitlists, subsidy freezes, and the trap of zero sick leave[43:34] - Basic needs come first: Why secure attachment shouldn't be a luxury for high-income families[46:44] - Weekly recommendations begin[47:07] - Laura's recommendation[48:37] - Carina's recommendation[49:41] - Wrap upHit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

Join co-hosts Laura Todd and Carina Lane as they sit down with Betty Flores, a Latina therapist, mom of two, and the founder of Perinatal Wellness in Utah. Together, we put on our clinician lenses to examine how immigration-related stress, systemic family separation, and the complexities of cultural identity directly shape perinatal and infant mental health.While stripping away the political headlines, we dive into the reality of what happens to early bonding, attachment, and nervous system regulation when families lack basic safety, language-accessible care, and a stable village. Betty shares both her clinical background on the impact of stress, fear, and trauma from harmful immigration policy on pregnant and postpartum mothers and their infants and toddlers. She explores how we can honor and love our cultural roots while setting boundaries around inherited, harmful patterns.In this episode, we unpack:From Lived Experience to Specialty: How Betty’s personal battle with postpartum OCD and depression shifted her clinical path from child psych to maternal mental health.Immigration is Not a Diagnosis: Understanding how systemic stressors, like language barriers, fear of deportation, and forced separations, intensify trauma and disrupt early attachment during critical developmental windows.Basic Needs Before Therapy: Why practical resources like food, housing, and legal safety must always come before traditional talk therapy when supporting vulnerable families.The Power of Cultural Match: Why clinical language often gets lost in translation, and how representation reduces shame, fosters deep trust, and eliminates the need for families to "over-explain" their reality.Loving Your Culture, Breaking the Cycles: Navigating the complex "identity earthquake" of modern motherhood while choosing which generational expectations to carry forward and which ones to break.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura’s Recommendation: Siren Immigration RightsCarina’s Recommendations: Hoosiers Rise & Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee RightsBetty's Recommendations: Zero to Three, Parents for Children, Comunidad MaternaTimestamps:[00:00] - Introducing Betty Flores and her work in perinatal wellness[01:14] - What brought Betty into this field[02:32] - Lived experience, identity, and culture in therapy[04:20] - Intrusive thoughts, stigma, and cultural misunderstanding[05:00] - Why immigration and perinatal mental health belong in the same conversation[06:29] - Safety, language barriers, and access to family support[07:37] - Why young children need parents, protection, and representation[08:40] - Separation in the postpartum period and attachment disruption[10:36] - How lack of resources affects immigrant and perinatal families[12:55] - Meeting basic needs before therapy[14:49] - Trust, language access, and white-presenting providers[16:02] - Why bilingual clinical communication matters[17:08] - Fear, grief, and traumatic stress during pregnancy and postpartum[20:06] - Early attachment and the impact of being placed with others[21:50] - Showing up as a Latina woman in perinatal spaces[23:00] - Holding culture with love while rejecting harmful expectations[26:58] - The biggest takeaway from the conversation[28:45] - Where to find Betty Flores[29:54] - Podcast recommendations and community resources beginConnect with Betty Flores:Website / Practice: https://www.perinatal-wellness.com/Instagram: @perinatal_wellnessHit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Remembrance Day (October 15th), co-hosts Laura Todd and Carina Lane hold space for a necessary conversation about pregnancy and infant loss.As maternal and infant mental health specialists, Laura and Carina pull back the curtain on why this specific type of grief is so deeply misunderstood in our society. Sharing both professional clinical insights and personal reflections, they unpack the ambiguity of miscarriage and stillbirth.This episode acts as a gentle roadmap for navigating attachment, subsequent pregnancies, and family dynamics after a loss. Whether you are a grieving parent, a supportive friend, or a provider carrying your own triggers into the therapy room, this conversation offers validation, advice, and practical tools for honoring real grief without running away from it.In this episode, we explore: The Invisible Village: Breaking down society’s deep discomfort with grief, the severe lack of systemic workplace protections, and why pregnancy loss is so isolating.The Imagined Baby: Exploring how bonding and attachment can begin the moment a parent learns they are pregnant, making any loss real regardless of the timeline.Ditching Harmful Platitudes: Why common phrases like "you can always try again" or "at least you already have a child" minimize a family's experience of grief.Grief in Early Childhood: Practical guidance on how to navigate the heartbreaking task of explaining death and pregnancy loss to young children based on their developmental stages.Holding Both Joy and Devastation: Navigating the emotional weight carried by therapists who support clients through loss while managing their own grief triggers.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura’s Recommendation: The Great British Baking Show Carina’s Recommendation: Loss of a Sibling Due to Termination For Medical Reasons by Katrina VillegasTimestamps:[01:08] - Opening the episode and naming Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month[02:31] - Why society struggles to support grief and loss[03:17] - Why pregnancy and infant loss can feel especially sudden and hard to explain[04:07] - The ambiguity of miscarriage and the pain of not knowing why[05:28] - Harmful platitudes that dismiss real loss[06:57] - The imagined baby and the attachment that begins during pregnancy[08:30] - Why grief has no timeline and keeps returning over time[09:22] - Why acknowledgment, naming, and rituals matter after loss[09:57] - Pregnancy after loss and the anxiety of trying again[10:33] - Explaining death and loss to young children[12:41] - How developmental stage shapes a child’s understanding of loss[13:34] - Parenting through grief while still caring for living children[14:38] - The impact of loss on partner relationships and family attachment[15:30] - Cultural beliefs, traditions, and support around pregnancy loss[17:18] - Setting boundaries with family when support feels harmful[19:09] - Therapists’ own grief, triggers, and emotional reactions in session[20:38] - Holding both celebration and devastation with clients[21:24] - The emotional weight of grief work for therapists[22:49] - Weekly recommendations start[23:06] - Laura’s recommendation: The Great British Baking Show[24:16] - Carina’s recommendation: children’s grief books for pregnancy and infant loss[25:27] - Wrap up and closing remindersHit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

Join co-hosts Laura Todd and Carina Lane as they dive into the world of The Secrete Lives of Mormon Wives, from the lens of perinatal mental health, early childhood development, and the pressures of sudden internet fame on motherhood and parenting. They explore what happens to partnership, maternal mental health, and family dynamics when private life becomes public entertainment. From navigating pregnancy and breastfeeding demands on a production schedule to analyzing how therapy is portrayed on screen, we look at the systemic impacts on the moms, dads, and children caught in the middle.In this episode, we unpack:Fame as a Mother: How becoming famous after having children strips away the time needed to learn how to protect family privacy and public image.The Shrinking Village: Analyzing whether viral fame, contracts, and audience attention erode authentic female community and push away a real-life support network.Postpartum on Camera: The emotional toll of navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding under intense production demands and shooting schedules.Shifting Family Roles: How partners adjust when sudden fame flips the financial script, leading to unequal childcare loads and potential partner resentment.The Impact on the Kids: Broader, crucial concerns about children growing up in the age of internet exposure, where adult conflict and family trauma become permanent public data before a child can consent.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura’s Recommendation: Ms. Rachel's I am so Happy AlbumCarina’s Recommendation: Curious Kids PodcastTimestamps:[01:08] - Introduction to The Secrete Lives of Mormon Wives[01:49] - Content warning for trauma and abuse discussions[02:45] - Navigating fame and motherhood[04:07] - What authentic community looks like after viral fame[05:06] - Family support, filming, and the shrinking “village”[06:54] - Pregnancy and postpartum while the cameras are rolling[08:10] - Breastfeeding ending early because of shooting demands[09:51] - Fertility, pressure, and whether producers shape storylines[10:49] - How partners experience the sudden shift in family roles[11:20] - Dads, bottle-feeding, and resentment around childcare load[12:45] - Mormon beliefs, traditions, and values under public scrutiny[14:41] - Communication, conflict, and whether arguments are staged[15:27] - The mental load of filming, travel, and parenting logistics[16:49] - Therapy on the show, including trauma work and consistency challenges[18:00] - How parents’ healing affects how they show up for their children[19:46] - The impact on kids, even when they are not directly filmed[21:40] - School-aged children, peer relationships, and public exposure[23:36] - Kids growing up online and the long-term identity question[24:46] - Final reflections on reality TV, entertainment, and harm[25:42] - Weekly recommendations begin[25:53] - Laura's recommendations: Ms. Rachel I am so Happy album[27:29] - Carina's recommendations: Curious Kids Podcast[29:34] - Wrap up and Thank youHit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Bonded from the Start Podcast!Every great partnership has a beginning, and ours starts right here. In this inaugural episode, we give you the inside scope on our "meet cute" story . We talk about how our paths crossed online, into how we bonded (literally bonded from the start!) from the world of early childhood development and perinatal mental health, and the exact moment we realized we needed to build this podcast together.We discuss why bridging the gap between parental mental health and infant development is so vital and why we are so passionate about destroying the separate silos of parenting support.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura: Any Emily Henry BooksCarina: Dad Brain by Darby SaxebeTimestamps:[00:01] - Welcome to the first episode and the “meet cute” setup[00:34] - How Laura and Carina connected on Instagram[01:07] - Their first Zoom call and shared professional path[02:51] - Meeting in person at the PSI conference[05:30] - Why perinatal and infant mental health need to be connected[09:02] - The LA networking-event adventure[11:10] - How the idea for the podcast came together[15:42] - Weekly recommendations begin[16:17] - Laura’s recommendation: Emily Henry books[17:49] - Carina’s recommendation: Dad Brain[20:11] - Wrap-up and thank youHit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

In episode two, co-hosts Laura Todd and Carina Lane discuss pressures affecting parents, from limited support and postpartum mental health struggles to social media comparison and parenting guilt. Drawing on their professional work in perinatal and infant mental health, and their own parenting experiences, they explore why families need more accessible, individualized support.In this episode, we unpack:The Solo Parenting Trap: Connecting the unrealistic expectation that parents should manage alone with the reality of deep burnout and limited support networks.Competing Demands: Navigating the constant juggle of career decisions, family relationships, financial strain, and social media scrutiny.Our Personal Stories: Carina shares her raw experience with postpartum anxiety and early attachment struggles, while Laura reflects on postpartum anxiety, grief, and isolation.Mending Systemic Gaps: A call for better access to perinatal mental health support, including screening, clear referral pathways, language-accessible care, and cross-disciplinary training.Understanding Your Baby: How gaps in child development guidance and online misinformation leave parents anxious, and how to shift toward values-based choices rather than social media guilt.Resources & Recommendations Mentioned in This Episode:Laura’s Recommendation: The Invisible String by Patrice Karst Carina’s Recommendation: If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff Timestamps[00:06] - The episode’s focus: unmet needs in perinatal and infant mental health[01:22] - Why families need more caregiving support[03:08] - Parenting under conflicting demands and public scrutiny[05:04] - Finding a village when family relationships are strained[08:48] - How postpartum mental health struggles can affect bonding[10:34] - Carina’s postpartum anxiety and Laura’s pandemic-era experience[13:56] - Where families encounter gaps in maternal mental health care[15:52] - Language access and a provider response that missed the need[18:02] - Why early childhood programs need screening and referral pathways[20:27] - Building perinatal mental health into professional education[22:24] - How cross-disciplinary knowledge can support families while they wait for care[24:00] - Developmental guidance, misinformation, and learning to observe a baby[27:50] - Fitting parenting methods to your child: Social media guilt, daycare, and values[29:40] - Weekly recommendations begin[29:55] - Laura’s recommendation: The Invisible String[31:01] - Carina’s recommendation: If You Give a Pig a Pancake[32:21] - Wrap up and Thank youHit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson

Welcome to the Bonded from the Start Podcast!Feeling lost in your postpartum or parenting journey? Tired of feeling like you are missing information as a provider when you are supporting new families? Wish more people were having honest conversations about motherhood, parenting, pregnancy, and postpartum? Well, you are in the exact right place!Join co-hosts Carina Lane and Laura Todd as they explore the connection between pregnancy, postpartum mental health, and infant/early childhood development. Raising our children, managing our own mental health, and protecting their emotional development are not separate silos, they are an interconnected ecosystem.In this quick trailer, we give you a sneak peek into what this podcast is all about, including:Deep-Dive Conversations: Expert insights on pregnancy, postpartum, and infant/early childhood mental health.Solo & Co-Host Episodes: Raw, honest reflections exploring our favorite topics and clinical concepts in this field.Curated Recommendations: Our top picks for books, TV shows, movies, professional resources, and parenting products.Real Talk: Learning something new while making sure we have plenty of laughs along the way.Don't miss Episode 1!Hit that FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE button right now so you never miss an episode!Connect with us online:Instagram: @bondedfromthestartpodEmail: [email protected] Laura Todd:Website: lauratoddlpcc.comInstagram: @the_infant_therapistTikTok / YouTube: @the_infant_therapistMeet Carina Lane:Website: mindfulstarts.comInstagram: @mindfulstartsTheme music composed by: Kevin Bryson