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We are back this week with another special episode. Instead of focusing exclusively on motherhood, I, Mackenzie, am presenting Part II of an incredible interview that I had the opportunity to do with my father. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Part I, be sure to tune into the previous episode, Episode 41. They say that becoming a parent allows you to see your own parents in a whole new light. In my case, that light shines and shimmers with the admiration that I have for my dad. At my wedding, my dad and I danced to the song “What a Wonderful World“ by Louis Armstrong. It has been his favorite for as long as I can remember. No matter how difficult things become or may seem, my dad always has the ability to see the world through a positive lens. This song embodies his outlook on life and the optimism that guides his spirit. In our time together behind the mic, I get to dive into my father’s past, his thoughts & reflections on his many adventures and experiences, his passions and his yearnings for the future. Scott Wesley Hopman is 77 years young as of this past August. He has nearly eight decades of life experience under his belt, and enough strong opinions to make your head spin. I hope that you enjoy listening to Part II of this wonderful interview as much as I loved being able to record it! A huge thank you, again, to my father for his willingness to record these two episodes—may your transparency, self-examination and never ending optimism be an inspiration to all who hear your passionate voice! I love you, dad ❤️ Thanks as always for listening! You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence.com. If you have a moment, please leave us a rating and review. It truly helps to grow our community and connect with other moms. 3

This episode is a special one. Instead of focusing exclusively on motherhood, I, Mackenzie, am presenting Part I of an incredible interview that I had the opportunity to do with my father. They say that becoming a parent allows you to see your own parents in a whole new light. In my case, that light shines and shimmers with the admiration that I have for my dad. At my wedding, my dad and I danced to the song “What a Wonderful World“ by Louis Armstrong. It has been his favorite for as long as I can remember. No matter how difficult things become or may seem, my dad always has the ability to see the world through a positive lens. This song embodies outlook on life and the optimism that guides his spirit. In our time together behind the mic, I get to dive into my father’s past, his thoughts & reflections on his many adventures and experiences, his passions and his yearnings for the future. Scott Wesley Hopman is 77 years young as of this past August. He has nearly eight decades of life experience under his belt, and enough strong opinions to make your head spin. I hope that you enjoy listening to Part I of this wonderful interview as much as I loved being able to record it! A huge thank you to my father for his willingness to record these two episodes—may your transparency, self-examination and never ending optimism be an inspiration to all who hear your passionate voice! I love you, dad ❤️ Thanks as always for listening! You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence.com. If you have a moment, please leave us a rating and review. It truly helps to grow our community and connect with other moms. 3

We are so excited to share this amazing interview with author, Brett Russo. Brett bravely shares her long journey through infertility, IVF, and the emotional road to motherhood in her bestselling book, The Underwear in Her Shoes. We were honored to have her join our podcast and take a deep dive into all the aspects of infertility that aren’t often talked about. In this episode we chat: - What inspired Brett to write this memoir. - The isolation involved in infertility. - How stressful infertility can be on a relationship and friendships. - Things NOT to say to women going through infertility. - Her pregnancy challenges and realities of postpartum motherhood. - Raising 2 under 2 in a pandemic. We appreciate Brett coming onto our podcast and sharing her powerful story. Her book will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for her along the way. Whether you have personally gone through infertility or have friends that have, this book is a must-read. You can find Brett @brusso18 on Instagram, visit her website on www.brettrusso.com or find her book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Underwear-My-Shoe-Journey-Unfiltered/dp/1544514638. Thanks as always for listening! You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence.com. If you have a moment, please leave us a rating and review. It truly helps to grow our community and connect with other moms. 3

Welcome back to a new episode of @abcsofmatrescence. Mackenzie and Emma are excited to be back on the mic and just catching up on life lately. This week's topics include: - What’s new, aka all things chasing toddlers. - What’s new developmentally with our newly 2-year-olds. - Catch up on Mackenzie’s pregnancy. - A quick chat on social media, the comparison trap, and why we are both working on using it in ways that make us feel good. - FINALLY being done with breastfeeding. How we weaned the boys, our feelings on it, and enjoying having our boobs back. Coming Up: We are super stoked to have a great guest on next week's episode. Emma had the opportunity to interview author Brett Russo on her IVF journey. Stayed tuned to hear that episode plus more topics on all things motherhood. You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence or email us at [email protected]. As always, we appreciate your ratings and reviews so new mamas can find us as well. Thanks for listening!

In this week's episode, Mackenzie had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessica Santana and Amarel Tomney to dive into several different topics that touch mothers from all sorts of backgrounds and circumstances. The ladies had an in-depth conversation about the world of European formula feeding. Plus, discussing a breastfeeding condition known as D-MER, which Jessica experienced with both of her children. Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex, or D-MER, is a condition affecting lactating women that is characterized by an abrupt dysphoria, or negative emotions, that occur just before milk release and continuing not more than a few minutes. The ladies also shared more about Amarel’s VBAC birth, after having endured a less than ideal birth experience via Cesarean with her first. Jessica and Amarel have created a Facebook group that supports women all across the globe in their European formula feeding journeys. Today this group is 20k members strong and Jessica and Amarel run together. In addition to discussing formula feeding, D-MER, and VBACs, the ladies talked through about the power of finding connection, support, and friendship during this season of motherhood. You can find Amarel and Jessica's Facebook group under the name “HIPP and HOLLE formulas parent". As always, thanks for listening! You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence.

2021 is here! New year, new us. Right? Err probably not. The Emma and Mackenzie's of years past might have set lofty goals that mostly focused on losing weight or getting super fit. These days? I'd say our goals are a bit more realistic and maybe a touch less self-involved. #realtalk In this episode, the co-hosts first make an EXCITING announcement! Yes, you have to listen to hear. Next, they breeze through why 2021 is off to a crappy start. New year, same 2020 insanity. Some things never change I suppose. Mackenzie and Emma also share an update on their breastfeeding journeys. In short, they are DONE! Free the nipples! Finally, the ladies share their goals for 2021. This year they are focused on family, marriage, being better mothers, self-care, and saving their sanity however necessary. As always, thanks for listening. We'd SO appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a rating and review. You can find us on IG @abcsofmatresence.

Happy New Year's Eve! In this episode, Emma and Mackenzie wrap up the bizarre year known as 2020. We share our highs, lows and a special thank you to everyone who's been with us along the way. Thanks so much for listening and GOODBYE 2020! You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence

In this week's episode, Mackenzie and Emma take a break from serious mom chat to enjoy a little Q&A fun. The girls bounce around topics to share more about themselves that listeners might be surprised by. We hope you enjoy this lighter episode and as always, thanks for listening. You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence!!

In episode 34, Mackenzie and Emma get real on the challenges of having (and practicing) patience in motherhood. The ladies take some time to examine whether they were patient people heading into motherhood. Plus, what expectations they had about how that might change once they would become mamas. Next up, the co-host discuss the various ways they are working on having patience with their toddlers, their spouses, and themselves. From strategies they implement, adjusting expectations, and having other mamas to share their struggles with. As always, they keep it real when it comes to all things matrescence. You can find Emma and Mackenzie on instagram @abcsofmatrescence.com. If you enjoy the podcast, please take a moment to rate and review. As always, thanks for listening!

We had the honor of interviewing Dr. Molly Millwood, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist, author, and mama. Mackenzie and Emma first discovered Dr. Millwood's work after reading her amazing book, To Have and To Hold. This is absolutely a must-read book for any expectant or new mother. In To Have and to Hold, Dr. Millwood shares an exploration of the emotional complexities, both internal and within marriage, women face after becoming mothers. She explores the complex terrain of new motherhood, illuminating the ways it affects women psychologically, emotionally, physically, and professionally—as well as how it impacts their partnership. Along with the arrival of a bundle of joy come thorny issues such as self-worth, control, autonomy, and dependency. And for most new mothers, these issues are experienced within the context of an intimate relationship, adding another layer of tension, conflict, and confusion to an already challenging time. We hope you enjoy this honest conversation with Dr. Millwood, as we dive into her story, research, and life-changing book. You can find Dr. Millwood and her work at https://www.mollymillwood.com Episode References: For show notes: she references an organization that support women in the postpartum period: Postpartum Support International https://www.postpartum.net/ She also mentions Psychology Today as the site to go to in order to find a therapist near you (with lots of options for filtering based on specialty and location etc): https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl Her website is: https://www.mollymillwood.com/ Insta handle: molly.millwood.phd Her book "To Have and to Hold: Motherhood, Marriage, and the Modern Dilemma" is available wherever books are sold. Specifically, if you wish to purchase the book through an Independent Bookstore, you can check out https://www.indiebound.org/ Thanks for listening! You can find us as www.abcsofmatrescence.com or on IG @abcsofmatrescence.

In this episode, Mackenzie and Emma have an open discussion on the topic of miscarriage. 1 in 4 women experience a miscarriage and even though it's common it's still rarely talked about. In this episode, the ladies chat through why many women wait to announce pregnancies until 12 weeks. The societal expectation and discomfort around hearing about pregnancy loss. Plus, how each co-host personally handled sharing their pregnancy news. Next, Emma shares her personal missed miscarriage story with the hope that other women who have gone through similar, know they aren't alone. She also shares the reality of the physical aspects of miscarriage that she knew nothing about. Plus, the emotional fears heading into her next pregnancy after loss. The ladies wrap up the episode by sharing ways people can support a woman going through a miscarriage. What you can say to be helpful and what might be well-intended but inappropriate to share. Whether you have experienced a miscarriage or know someone who has, this episode sheds light on the topic in order to make it less taboo. As always, thanks for listening! You can find us on IG @abcsofmatrescence.com or www.abcsofmatrescence.com.

In this episode, Emma and Mackenize are excited to welcome back their go-to sleep consultant, Arielle Greenleaf, of Expect to Sleep Again and Restfully Sleep. The ladies had the honor of interviewing Arielle in episode 24, where they chatted about all things baby sleep. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/baby-sleep-q-arielle-greenleaf-expect-to-sleep-again/id1500358070?i=1000488671233 In this episode, Emma and Arielle dive into a listener Q&A to troubleshoot common sleep challenges that occur during the toddler stage of development. This is a must-listen episode for anyone in depths of or nearing the toddler age of parenthood. Topics include: - Average # of hours of nighttime sleep that a toddler needs? -Toddler napping challenges: *Common age to drop naps? *How to handle skipped napped? *When should you cap naps to not impact nighttime sleep? - What age should you move a toddler out of the crib? What are the signs and do we really have to???? ;) - How to handle the separation anxiety that can occur during the toddler age? -How to work through a toddler using delay tactics to avoid bedtime? - Nightmares and night terrors? Are they a thing and anything parents can do to help resettle an upset toddler? - What to do when a kiddo wakes up saying they are hungry and/or thirsty? What to look at and how to tackle? - Any tips to keep sleep intact during potty training? - Early morning wakings: *Toddler getting out of bed and wandering? *Are “OK to wake up” clocks helpful? *Should you let them cry a little and hope they resettle? *Adjust naps accordingly? - Do you frequently see sleep regressions when baby #2 comes home? - How soon can you put baby #2 in the room with the toddler? - What is the way to deal with room sharing when baby #2 arrives? - How to balance new baby crying/sleep training etc while not waking up your toddler? You can Arielle and her sleep consultant team on IG @expecttosleepagain and www.expecttosleep.com. As always, you can find Mackenzie and Emma on IG @abcsofmatrescence. Thanks for listening!