Birth of A Parent - From the beginning onward

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Birth of A Parent - From the beginning onward

An online source for info, courses, and expertise on emotional health for new and expectant parents.

02/22/2026

(I posted this Note on Substack today but thought our Instagram friends might need it too.)💕

A Self-Compassion Practice for Today:

Close your eyes and picture yourself as a six-year-old with wild hair, holes in the knees of your pants, paint splatters on your shirt.

Put each hand to opposite shoulders and give yourself a big butterfly hug. Really take your time and squeeze. Notice how that feels.

Then say out loud, “I am a delightful human.”

Say it one more time. Stay there a little longer…and when you’re ready, blink your eyes open.

Happy Saturday! 💕

02/16/2026

You’re allowed to grieve the birth you didn’t get. 
The postpartum you imagined. 
The partnership you thought you’d have. 
The mother you thought you’d be. 
All of it. Even the parts that “turned out fine.” 
New post on holding grief and gratitude in the same body. 
Link in bio. 💚 

02/09/2026

You already know more about your child than any expert ever could.

That tightness in your chest when something feels off? That’s information.

The “but...” that comes after someone else’s advice? That’s your knowing.

You don’t need permission to trust yourself. You just need to start listening.

New on the newsletter—link in bio.

02/02/2026

If you’ve ever felt like you can’t find words for what motherhood is doing to you—this is why.

The transformation is too vast for the language we’ve been given.

So writers reach for space exploration, ocean ecosystems, climate science, and light itself.

I rounded up 8 books that do this beautifully (pared down from a list of 25). Link in bio for the list. 🌊🌙

maternalmentalhealth bookstagram embodiedmotherhood motherhoodrising literarymotherhood postpartumjourney nervoussystemhealing readingmothers

01/26/2026

I’ve been asking a lot of my clients lately:
“Are you in collapse?”
Not just tired.
Not just needing rest.
Actually shut down.
The tricky part? Collapse looks like rest.
You’re on the couch, you’re “doing nothing,” you’re scrolling or watching TV for hours.
But here’s the difference: rest restores you. Collapse depletes you further.
If you’ve been “resting” all weekend and still feel worse on Monday, you might not be resting at all.
New post on recognizing nervous system collapse and what actually helps when you’re stuck there.

Link in bio.

01/12/2026

I spent 2025 teaching nervous system tools and postpartum strategies.

This year, I’m sharing more personal, reflective writing. Starting with what my own losses taught me about presence.

Read about it in my latest Substack article.

Link in bio.

11/17/2025

How do you find your way when all your familiar landmarks disappear?

I got lost on my own trail this week—the one I walk almost every day. Not because the path changed—because the scenery did.

Every marker I’d been using without realizing it was suddenly invisible.

Sound familiar? This is what transition does. In trails. In seasons. In motherhood.

New post on navigating change when you can’t see where you’re going. Link in bio.

10/13/2025

Your anger when someone gives unsolicited advice? Your system saying “My boundaries matter.”

The sadness that hits at 2 AM? Maybe grief for how you thought this would feel.

The overwhelm? Your body saying clearly: “I need help. I can’t carry this alone.”

Your emotions aren’t random. They’re information.

In my new Substack article, I write about how to actually listen to what your body is telling you—and what to do when emotions feel too big to handle.

Link in bio 🤍

09/22/2025

Your nervous system responds to touch before it processes words.

When a wave of self-criticism hits, your body needs comfort it can feel, not just thoughts it can think.

Through five touch practices, I invite you into a different kind of relationship with yourself. One where you become both the comforter and the comforted.

Your body has been holding so much. It deserves touch that says “you’re safe” instead of touch that says “hurry up and be better.”

New on my Substack: Five simple touch practices for when self-criticism hits. Link in bio.

09/15/2025

That harsh voice in your head? It’s living in your body too.

Your shoulders tense when you see other mothers who seem to have it together. Your jaw clenches when you feel behind. Your breathing gets shallow when you’re overwhelmed.
This isn’t weakness. It’s your nervous system responding to impossible cultural expectations about motherhood.

What if I told you that offering yourself compassion and kindness as a mother is actually the most rebellious thing you can do?

In a culture that demands endless giving, self-compassion becomes revolutionary.

New on my Substack: Why your body holds onto self-criticism and how to start your quiet revolution.

Link in bio.

09/11/2025

Just a quick one for today…When sensations feel intense and your nervous system is working overtime…

It really helps to pause and check in with yourself.

To support you, I put a micro-practice on my Substack: The 2-Minute Intensity Check-In

It’s a simple way to notice sensations and give your body what it actually needs in the moment. And, it only takes TWO minutes.

Because awareness comes before change, and your body has been trying to tell you something important.

Link in bio for today’s practice
What does overwhelm feel like in your body right now?

09/08/2025

Something has changed in your body since becoming a mother, and you might not understand why.

Sounds feel too loud. Touch feels overwhelming. Your body responds to things with an intensity that surprises you.

This isn’t random—there’s a reason this is happening. Your nervous system has fundamentally adapted to motherhood, and these intense sensations are actually information about what you need.

Ready to learn more?

In my latest post: why everything feels so different now, what these changes mean, and gentle practices for when sensations feel overwhelming.

🔗 in bio.

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115 W. Magnolia Street, #209
Bellingham, WA
98225

Website

http://www.birthofaparent.com/

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