In this episode, Tara dives into a raw conversation with Rebekah Higgs aka DIY MOM about her journey with overcoming adversity throughout motherhood from her birth experience to the balance of being a single mom, living with ADHD & trauma, and running a successful business & brand. Rebekah shares how she's turned her struggles into growth & triumphs. She shows that anyone can concur their dreams through determination, doing the self work, leading with a passionate heart. She also shares the tools (no pun intended) that has worked for her. This episode will give you bad-ass female energy!
About our guest:
Rebekah Higgs is a designer, entrepreneur, and the creator and star of the hit renovation series DIY MOM. Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Rebekah is the founder of Matriarch Productions Inc., a female-led production company dedicated to storytelling, design, and empowering women through creative media. With a bold pink aesthetic and fearless DIY spirit, Rebekah has become a leading voice in home renovation and interior design. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, and she offers full-service design and renovation projects for clients across Halifax. What started as a personal reinvention journey has grown into a nationally broadcast TV show and thriving business. DIY MOM is now in its fifth season, streaming on trybinge.tv, and continues to inspire women to take charge of their spaces—and their lives. Rebekah lives in a pink house in Halifax with her daughter Lennon and their rescue pup Ziggy, and she believes in the power of creativity, community, and a well-placed coat of paint. You can find Rebekah on Instagram: @diymom.ca and YouTube: diymom.ca and Facebook: DIY MOM Rebekah Higgs or her website: diymom.ca
In this episode, Tara sits down with a very special person with so much love and insightfulness on her journey of raising a child with disabilities/special needs. Tara interviews Charlene Hicks, a mother of two wonderful kiddos and she's a former Educational Assistant. Charlene gets very candid and provides us with the ups and downs she has endured while navigating the system and always being an advocate for her son. Charlene shares her very positive perspective on her son's gifts to the world and the teachable moments he has allowed her to experience. If you have a child with a visible and/or invisible disability/diagnosis, we hope this episode gives you some validation and if you need support, Charlene is open to sharing information to communicate.
TW: mention of birth trauma and mental health struggles
In this weeks episode, Sheryl Fogarty joins us to talk about Conscious Parenting and share her own insights and experiences with motherhood.
We are so excited for this special episode and know that there will be so much for anyone to take away from this!
Sheryl is a mom of two girls with an Honours Degree in Psychology and a certified Conscious Parenting Coach through Dr. Shefali's Online Conscious Parenting Coaching Institute. She wants to change the narrative around parenting that is based in fear and shame by empowering others to parent with mindfulness, confidence and connection.
You can find Sheryl on Instagram at @theconscious_ishmom and if you are interested in her services as a Conscious Parenting Coach, you can find more information on her website.
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In this special episode, Tara sits down with her husband Brandon to dive deep into the evolution of their relationship and how they've managed to (somewhat) come out the other side together. They discuss all things parenting such as how they share the load, how the difference in their upbringings impacts their parenting style, and more. They also discuss the challenges that come along when one partner is facing their own personal demons and how this impacts their relationship and family unit. Get ready to hear a transparent insight into what it's really like surviving parenthood while also sharing some laughs.
TW: postpartum mental health, PTSD, alcoholism.
In this episode, Kennedy and Tara get together to discuss their thoughts and experiences with being a "working mom" and what that term means to them. This also leads to a discussion about the double standards that they have faced or see within society when it comes to how moms and dads are viewed. They chat about their struggles with being a mom, while trying to balance their workplace job and the mom guilt that plays into it. They are here to break the narrative on conventional double standards and challenge how society views men and women differently as parents.
We want to praise all moms, whether you're at home, at a workplace, doing both, a single mom, a mom with a partner or whatever kind of mom you are! We see you and we know you try to do it all, without complaining but, it's hard and we're in it together.
Trigger Warning: Postpartum mental health
We've reached our 20th episode, wow! We are sending a huge thank you to our continued and new listeners.
In this week's episode, Tara and Kennedy join together to chat about the transition and challenges with one to two kids. Tara welcomed a new baby in October and she shares her experience on the transition opening up about the challenges that come along with it. She also shares some of the things that has helped her cope and navigate the chaos. Kennedy shares her thoughts and feelings on the idea of welcoming another little one to her family as well.
Trigger Warning: post-partum mental health.
In this episode, Tara shares her birth story with baby two! She talks about how she made this experience different and more powerful. From what practices she used for pain management and mindfulness and how her partner supported her, to her birth preferences plan and after care products. You can also listen to her first birth story and Kennedy's in our first ever episode.
Trigger Warning: Birth trauma, postpartum mental health.
In this episode, Tara and Kennedy share a long overdue life update and discuss some changes in their personal lives around mental health, work, and discuss Tara's exciting news before revisiting their favourite topic: Boundaries! They explore the ongoing struggles with setting boundaries, the generational differences that exist, and the importance of breaking cycles with their children.
Trigger Warning: We discuss mental health, postpartum, interpersonal conflicts, and other topics that may be sensitive for some listeners. Please listen at your discretion.
In this episode, Tara goes solo to share her pregnancy announcement and second pregnancy experience/journey so far. She dives into why she is calling this her "redemption era" and gives some insight on how she plans to take back control after experiencing a heavy and difficult first pregnancy/post-partum period.
TW: This episode contains conversations around traumatic birth, post-partum anxiety and depression. Please listen at your own discretion.
In this episode, Tara follows up with our previous guest, Renee Pelletier, on her journey with surrogacy. If you missed the first interview, go to Episode 10. Renee shares her experience of the second half of her pregnancy, her (very difficult) birth story, and post-partum. She opens up about her very vulnerable and traumatic experience with the medical system and out-dated system and acceptance of surrogacy in New Brunswick. Renee provides us with an appreciation for what women's bodies are capable of and she hopes to inspire other folks considering the process.
TW: Birth trauma, body-image
In this episode, Tara and Kennedy share their real and vulnerable experiences of burnout. They dissect everything that encompasses burnout, including the work-life (in)balances, carrying the mental load, their underlining mental health, and last but not least- the patriarchy. We get real about how societal norms and standards impact our roles as mothers, how we are perceived and how we perceive ourselves.
TW: This episode contains mentions of PTSD/CPTSD, mental health disorders, burnout, depression and relationship issues. Please listen at your own discretion.
In this weeks episode, we share some life updates since our last recording. And with that, we disect and dive into our very honest opinions on the Holidays. Join us as we share our individual experiences from the Holidays; from the unrealistic expectations made of us, how we maintained our boundaries, our personal values associated to the Holidays, and the precendents that we are creating for our children.
TW : This episode mentions childhood trauma, PTSD/CPTSD, mental health struggles, and opinions on Religion. Please listen at your own discretion.
In this weeks episode, we talk about what our experience returning to work after maternity leave has been like. We talk about all of it — the anxiety we felt about leaving our babies, childcare, mental health, boundaries, maternal responsibility, and how good it feels to get back in the groove of things. Whether you are back in the groove of work, nearing the date you are expected to return, or have chosen to stay home with your baby, it is important to remember that each individual experience is unique and we will always recommend doing what works best for you and your family.
TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode, there are mentions of suicide, suicidal thoughts, mental health diagnosis, ADHD, postpartum anixety, postpartum depression, and mental health extensively. If any of these topics are triggering for you, please listen at your own discretion.
In this weeks episode, Kennedy takes her first solo venture on the podcast and interviews a mental health therapist named Tiana Fusco who is based out of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, but travels throughout the province to work with people struggling with mental health and addictions and works closely with Indigenous people throughout the province. Tiana briefly shares her experience with In Vitro Fertilization, pregnancy, postpartum, and her motherhood experience overall before providing some profound insight for women who are currently in the trenches right now. We discuss boundaries, boundary setting, feeling disrespected, tips for navigating trauma while dealing with postpartum, tips for coping with trauma that resurfaces during postpartum, mom burnout, the mental load of motherhood and how to navigate that, some advice for women who may be interested in starting therapy but are apprehensive, and some advice on what partners can do to help their partner navigate trauma and postpartum. Phew! This weeks episode is a good one and we are excited for you to listen.
TRIGGER WARNING: In this weeks episode, there are mentions of in vitro fertilization, trauma, postpartum depression and anxiety, loss of a parent, and a strained sibling relationship due to substance use. If any of these topics are triggering, listen at your own discretion.
In this weeks episode, we discuss Mother's Day in its entirety. As Mamas with Trauma, we understand that there can be some big feelings that arise around celebrating this day, so we wanted to change the narrative. We talk about what we did over the weekend, the pressure, expectations, and entitlement that we've experienced, and how we felt about celebrating Mother's Day prior to the birth of our children.
TRIGGER WARNING: In this weeks episode, there are mentions of miscarriage, foster care, abuse, loss of a parent, infertility, and mental health struggles. If any of these topics are triggering for you, please listen at your own discretion.
In this weeks episode, we have a very special guest returning... Renée Pelletier, Tara's sister, to talk about her journey becoming a surrogate. Renée discusses what her experience has been like from the feedback she has received in her personal life to what the experience has been like for her overall. She explains in depth what the process of becoming a surrogate was like from choosing an agency to dealing with postpartum. If you have any further questions about the process of becoming a surrogate or if you are looking for an agency to work with to find a surrogate, please reach out to us on social media and we can connect you with Renée.
In this weeks episode, we discuss losing and finding yourself in motherhood. We talk about self esteem, default parenting, the mental load of motherhood, self care, sex life changes, and more.
TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode, we discuss disordered eating and body image issues at length. We also discuss episiotomies and caesareans. If these topics are triggering for you, please listen at your own discretion.
In this weeks episode, we talk about all things sleep — baby sleep, sleep deprivation, sleep training, unsolicited advice we've received, and our experiences with sleep.
TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode, we discuss intrusive thoughts, postpartum anxiety & depression, and sleep deprivation.
In this weeks episode, we dive into one of our long awaited topics: breastfeeding! We discuss our individual journey with breastfeeding, our experience, the effect on our mental health, the pressure we put on ourselves, things that we wish we had known prior to starting our respective journey, and the grief that comes when your breastfeeding journey comes to an end. We would like to preface with we don't care how you choose to feed your baby because we've come to understand that, regardless of however you choose to feed your baby, Mama's mental health is best.
In this week's episode, we talk about the impact that postpartum had on our intimate partner relationships. We discuss it all and, as usual, we get real and raw about our experiences with our partners, how we navigated the challenges, and what helped us come out the other side. In this episode, we have a very special guest; one of our partners agreed to answer some questions, so be sure to listen until the end to hear what they have to say about their experience.
TRIGGER WARNING: In this episode, there are mentions of c-sections. If this is triggering for you, listen at your own discretion.