24. Self Care While Caretaking

In this episode of The Woman Within, we’re exploring how to identify, advocate for, and meet our own needs while navigating a season of motherhood and caregiving. Inspired by our previous conversation about women’s rage, we unpack the connection between feeling unsupported, constantly putting others first, and the resentment and overwhelm that can build when our own needs go unmet.We talk about the difference between making sacrifices and self-sacrifice, why self-care doesn't always have to mean time away from your kids, and how to recognize what actually feels nourishing versus what simply helps us numb out. We also explore practical ways to meet our needs through small daily moments, setting boundaries, asking for help, communicating with our partners, and finding ways to care for ourselves alongside the people we care for.Because meeting our own needs isn't selfish or separate from being a good mother or caretaker. It's part of what allows us to show up with more patience, presence, and capacity.In this conversation, we cover:Identifying your needs during motherhood and seasons of caregivingThe difference between sacrifice and self-sacrificeThe connection between unmet needs, resentment, overwhelm, and rageRethinking self-care and finding small, meaningful moments to rechargeSetting boundaries and advocating for yourselfAsking for support instead of waiting for someone to offerBalancing your needs with the needs of your childrenLetting go of the pressure to do it all aloneA conversation about self-connection, motherhood, support, and learning that caring for yourself and caring for others don't have to be mutually exclusive.If this conversation resonates with you, share it with a woman who might need to hear it, and join us in continuing the conversation.Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stew

Why do so many women experience rage for the first time after becoming mothers? And what happens when the pressure of caregiving, overstimulation, sleep deprivation, and unmet needs finally boils over?In this episode of The Woman Within, we explore the complex reality of motherhood rage, postpartum anger, and the shame women often feel around their biggest emotions. Through honest personal stories and vulnerable shares from our community, we unpack what rage can look and feel like, why it may surface in motherhood, and what it can reveal about our needs, boundaries, and capacity for self-sacrifice.We explore the difference between anger and rage, the physical signs of emotions building in the body, and how being touched out, undersupported, and overwhelmed can push us to our breaking point. We also challenge the expectation that women should always be patient, grateful, regulated, and endlessly selfless—even when their own needs aren't being met.Rather than viewing rage as something to simply suppress or feel ashamed of, we explore how it can signal a need for change, space, support, and reconnection with ourselves. We talk about practical ways to release built-up emotional energy, recognize our limits sooner, and begin building the village so many mothers are missing.This is an honest conversation about the parts of motherhood we don't always feel comfortable admitting out loud—and a reminder that the answer isn't always to sacrifice more of ourselves.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by your own anger, struggled with mom guilt after losing your patience, or wondered why motherhood has brought out emotions you never experienced before, this conversation is for you.In this episode, we explore:Motherhood rage and postpartum angerWhy rage can emerge after having childrenThe difference between anger and rageOverstimulation, being touched out, and sleep deprivationMaternal burnout, unmet needs, and self-abandonmentMom guilt, shame, and the pressure to be a “good mother”Emotional regulation and healthy ways to release angerBoundaries, self-preservation, and learning to ask for supportThe importance of building a village and finding community in motherhoodThe Woman Within is a podcast exploring the deeper layers of what it means to be a woman, mother, wife, friend, and human navigating life in the modern world.If this conversation resonates with you, share it with a woman who might need to hear it, and join us in continuing the conversation.Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewThanks so much for listening!

The first trimester of pregnancy can feel like the wild, wild west. From nausea, extreme fatigue, food aversions, bloating, and hormonal changes to the emotional uncertainty of early pregnancy, there's a lot happening in your body, mind, and identity.In this episode of The Woman Within, we share our experiences navigating the first trimester in our first and second pregnancies, exploring everything from pregnancy symptoms and nervous system changes to miscarriage, body image, and the process of becoming a mother. We discuss the concept of matrescence, why giving yourself permission to slow down matters, and how shifting your mindset can help you embrace pregnancy rather than resist it.We also explore the less-talked-about parts of early pregnancy, including pregnancy rage, changing libido, intimacy, and the pressure to figure everything out before you're ready. Through honest storytelling, we reflect on the importance of listening to your body, asking for support, and finding connection in the uncertainty.In this episode, we discuss:First trimester pregnancy symptoms, including nausea, fatigue, and food aversionsHormonal changes, pregnancy rage, and emotional shiftsNervous system regulation and giving yourself permission to restMiscarriage, pregnancy loss, and the uncertainty of early pregnancyBody image, movement, and nourishing yourself during pregnancyMatrescence and the identity shift into motherhoodPregnancy, sex, intimacy, and changing libidoFinding the silver linings and embracing the first trimester with more compassionWhether you're newly pregnant, preparing for your first baby, experiencing your second pregnancy, or navigating the transition into motherhood, this conversation offers honest perspective and a reminder to give yourself grace through the changes.Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide medical or nutritional advice to pregnant women. Please consult your healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your pregnancy and health.New Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

Is having another baby something you truly want, or something you feel like you're supposed to do? In this episode of The Woman Within, we explore the complexities of family planning, the transition from one child to two, and why deciding whether to have another baby can feel different from one day to the next.As Sarah navigates her second pregnancy and Nicole processes life after miscarriage, we discuss pregnancy loss, sibling age gaps, breastfeeding, postpartum changes, and the trade-offs that come with growing a family. We also unpack societal pressure around family size, the question of having one child or two, and how our relationships, support systems, and personal capacity influence our readiness for another baby.Together, we explore perfectionism, the desire to control the unknown, and what it really means to feel ready for motherhood. Because maybe readiness isn't about having everything figured out, but learning to trust yourself, embrace uncertainty, and make family planning decisions rooted in your own values.Whether you're considering your first baby, deciding to have a second child, or navigating pregnancy after miscarriage, this conversation is a reminder that there's no one right timeline or way to build a family.In this episode, we discuss:Deciding whether to have another babyMiscarriage, pregnancy loss, and emotional healingSibling age gaps and only-child stereotypesBreastfeeding, postpartum, and personal capacityMotherhood, perfectionism, and societal expectationsRelationships, support systems, and finding your villageFamily planning, personal growth, and trusting your own timingNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

In this third installment of our toddlerhood series, we’re getting into two of the biggest—and often most charged—parts of toddlerhood: potty training and sleep.In this episode of The Woman Within Podcast, we share our very different experiences with potty training, including regressions, accidents, pull-ups, training underwear, bodily awareness, and learning to meet our kids where they are instead of forcing a timeline. We talk about autonomy, temperament, learning through failure, and the ways potty training has taught us more about how our individual children learn.Then we dive deep into toddler sleep—co-sleeping, sleep training, night waking, sleep regressions, breastfeeding, night weaning, and the anxiety and pressure that can surround how our children sleep. We get honest about the seasons when sleep felt all-consuming, the decisions that eventually helped, and how our perspectives have shifted from trying to “fix” sleep to understanding what our kids—and we as mothers—actually need.At the heart of both conversations is the same lesson: there isn’t one timeline, one method, or one right way to do this. Sometimes parenting means pushing forward, sometimes it means taking a break, and sometimes it means releasing control and trusting that our kids will get there in their own time.In this episode, we talk about:Toddler potty trainingPotty training regressions & accidentsBodily awareness & autonomyPotty training timelines & expectationsTraining underwear vs. pull-upsLearning through failureToddler temperament & individual differencesToddler sleep & sleep regressionsCo-sleeping & sleep trainingNight waking & split nightsBreastfeeding & night weaningSleep anxiety & parental pressureCo-regulation & independenceLetting go of controlTrusting your child’s unique timelineNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

Two months later, we’re back in the thick of toddlerhood—and realizing just how much there is still to learn.In this episode of The Woman Within Podcast, we get honest about intense toddler tantrums, big emotions, boundary-pushing, and the moments when our parenting philosophies get put to the test. We talk about holding space for our children’s emotions while still holding firm boundaries, and how to know what your child actually needs in the moment.We dive into emotional regulation, co-regulation, conscious parenting, authoritative parenting, and adaptive parenting—learning to respond to the individual child and the situation rather than following a rigid parenting philosophy. We also get vulnerable about parental rage, frustration, guilt, and repair, including what it looks like to come back to our children when we lose our patience.And of course, we get practical: navigating tantrums, transitions, car-seat battles, temperament differences, playfulness, distraction, and finding ways to hold boundaries without losing connection.In this episode, we talk about:Toddler tantrums & big emotionsEmotional regulation & co-regulationFirm, healthy boundariesGentle, authoritative & conscious parentingAdaptive parentingStaying regulated when your toddler is dysregulatedParental frustration, rage & triggersRepairing after we lose our patienceRaising emotionally resilient kidsUnderstanding your child’s temperamentPlayfulness, distraction & connectionNavigating transitions & car-seat battlesLearning to parent the child in front of youNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

What if the “terrible twos” aren’t actually terrible? In this episode of The Woman Within Podcast, we’re getting honest about the beautiful, messy, confronting world of raising toddlers—and the ways toddlerhood asks us to grow right alongside our children.We talk about tantrums, boundaries, self-regulation, co-regulation, and the constant trial and error of figuring out what works for your individual child. We explore how toddlers mirror us, why their behavior can be so triggering, and the difference between responding with intention versus reacting from our own dysregulation.We also dive into a bigger question: Are we trying to make our children well-behaved, or are we helping them become who they are? We share how we're learning to nurture our kids' individual strengths, autonomy, curiosity, and natural interests while still giving them the boundaries and framework they need to move through the world.In this episode, we talk about:Reframing the “terrible twos”Toddler tantrums and big emotionsSelf-regulation & co-regulationBoundaries without fear or punishmentResponding vs. reactingRepairing after we mess upParenting as a mirror for our own growthNurturing your child’s individual strengthsAutonomy and independenceTeaching toddlers how to navigate the worldRespect vs. obedienceModeling the behavior we want to seeGiving ourselves grace as parentsNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

What if the conversation around postpartum mental health needs to start long before a mother reaches a crisis point?In this episode, we take a wider look at maternal mental health, postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and the emotional transition into motherhood. We explore the identity shift that comes with becoming a mother, the difficulty of knowing what’s “normal” postpartum, and how sleep deprivation, anxiety, rage, nutrition, and lack of support can impact a mother’s mental and emotional well-being.We also talk about the importance of building a village, postpartum doulas, midwifery care, extended family, bodywork, rest, and creating more intentional support for mothers. Looking at postpartum traditions in other cultures, we question why Western culture often expects women to quickly return to “normal” instead of recognizing that becoming a mother is a profound physical, psychological, and emotional transition.Drawing from our own postpartum experiences, we get honest about sleep deprivation, anxiety, breastfeeding, identity, receiving care, and finding our way back to ourselves after birth—and ask what we can do individually and collectively to create a healthier postpartum experience for mothers.In this episode, we talk about:Maternal & postpartum mental healthPostpartum depression, anxiety, and rageThe identity shift into motherhoodSleep deprivation, nutrition, and nervous system regulationBuilding a postpartum villagePostpartum doulas and midwifery careCultural differences in postpartum recoveryThe six-week postpartum expectationLearning how to receive supportOur own postpartum experiencesHow we can show up differently for new mothersBooks we mentioned:The First Forty Days: https://a.co/d/0cTiRL7HThe Body Keeps The Score: https://a.co/d/044TJizFNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

Our last conversation about sex after having a baby sparked thousands of comments—and made us realize there was another side of the conversation we hadn't fully explored.In Part 2, we’re widening the lens to include both the woman’s and the man’s experience of postpartum intimacy. What happens when a woman is touched out, exhausted, healing from birth, navigating hormonal and neurological changes, and struggling to access her sexual self—while her partner may be craving physical connection and feeling rejected or forgotten?We talk about postpartum sex, libido, matrescence, emotional connection, resentment, sexual desire, boundaries, touch, and the complicated transition into parenthood. We explore why the same touch can feel loving to one person and violating to another, how couples can communicate their needs without making each other wrong, and what it means for both partners to take ownership of rebuilding intimacy.We also get into the dynamics that can develop around chores, motherhood, “mothering” your husband, masculine and feminine polarity, and the ways resentment can affect sexual connection.Ultimately, this isn't a conversation about who is right. It's about understanding that both people are going through a massive transition—and figuring out how to find your way back to each other.Because postpartum intimacy isn't necessarily about getting back to the sex you used to have. It's about discovering intimacy, desire, and connection as the new versions of yourselves.In this episode of The Woman Within Podcast, we discuss:Sex after having a baby and why intimacy can change so dramaticallyPostpartum libido and why desire may look different for women and menMatrescence and the physical, hormonal, and neurological changes of motherhoodWhy women can feel “touched out” while men may feel sexually disconnectedThe difference between sexual touch and touch as an expression of loveEmotional connection as a pathway to physical intimacyHow sleep deprivation, stress, postpartum anxiety, and hypervigilance affect desireRestraint, patience, and giving each other space during early parenthoodFinding other forms of physical intimacy when sex isn't availableResentment, household responsibilities, and how “mothering” your partner can affect attractionTaking ownership of your own desire and learning what helps you get back into your bodyLetting go of expectations about who your partner used to beRebuilding intimacy and finding your way back to each other after having a babyWhy good sex isn't about looking sexy—it's about being embodied, connected, and presentNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!

Our relationship with movement changes throughout our lives—and pregnancy and motherhood can completely redefine it.In this episode of the Woman Within Podcast, we take a deep dive into our personal histories with movement, exercise, fitness, dance, gymnastics, strength training, and yoga, and explore how the way we move has evolved as we've grown, become mothers, and moved through pregnancy and postpartum.We talk about the difference between moving for performance, appearance, and achievement versus moving for connection, mental health, strength, mobility, nervous system regulation, and simply feeling at home in your body. We also get into how pregnancy can be an invitation to slow down, listen to your intuition, and let go of expectations about what your workouts “should” look like.Then we explore postpartum movement and recovery—rebuilding your relationship with your core and pelvic floor, reconnecting with your body after birth, and learning to move again alongside your baby rather than feeling like you need to “get your body back.”Ultimately, this is a conversation about moving with your body rather than against it, and allowing your relationship with movement to change as you change.In this episode, we talk about:Our childhood relationships with movement, gymnastics, swimming, and danceHow competitive fitness shaped our relationships with our bodiesMoving from performance and achievement toward embodiment and connectionOur journeys through strength training, CrossFit, yoga, and functional movementHow pregnancy changes your body, nervous system, and relationship with exerciseWhy pregnancy may be an invitation to slow down and softenMovement during pregnancy and preparing the body for birthPostpartum recovery, core and pelvic floor rehabilitationReconnecting with your body after pregnancy and birthBody image and the pressure to “get your body back”Moving as a way to connect with your babyHow movement can support nervous system regulation and mental healthLearning to trust your intuition and meet your body where it isNew Episodes drop every Monday!Join our email list to get reminders about new episodes and future offerings⁠https://womanwithinpod.myflodesk.com/joinus⁠Follow us on Instagram@womanwithinpod @nicole_mejia @soulfully_sarah_stewIf this episode resonates with you, don't forget to like and subscribe.Thank you so much for listening!