The first few months after giving birth are the hardest and the most eye-opening. You are giving every ounce of yourself and recovering at the same time. You’ll need time to adjust and that’s perfectly normal. 
"...when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work—there was only one thing left to do! 😂"
In this episode of The Motherly Podcast, the Maven Clinic founder and CEO shares how her own experience navigating pregnancy and postpartum care exposed the deep flaws in traditional healthcare for women—and why she’s made it her mission to fix them.
If you’ve ever felt like postpartum hit you like a tornado, Olivia Munn wants you to know you’re not alone.
Though the “third baby” moment was brief, it came during a larger, deeply honest conversation about early motherhood.
"Whether it's real or not, it's real to that person," she said.
“I’m going to marry him.”
“By offering to take my child, you’re putting me in ‘fight or flight’ mode,” Cox told Today.
“Being postpartum is the most sensitive time I’ve ever gone through in my life,” she said. “Learning a new version of myself is very difficult.”
You already make intelligent choices all day. These quick, low-lift money moves help you feel more in control, lower financial stress and keep family goals on track.
Your baby is learning to smile, roll, walk and talk. You are learning to trust yourself, set boundaries, ask for help and let go. Baby milestone is mothers milestone, too, they happen together.
Grandparents are the invisible scaffolding in many new families. Here is what research shows about their impact, the pressures they carry, and how parents can partner with them in safe, loving, clear ways.
That closed bedroom door can sting. Here is why distance is part of healthy adolescence and how to keep connection steady while you give them room.
The bickering you hear is often a sign of connection. Here is what research says about sibling conflict, why it can build empathy, and how to coach it into closeness without letting anyone get hurt.
Returning to work after baby is more than a schedule change. It is a shift in who you are, what you value and how you move through your day. Here is language for what you are feeling, plus a plan to make the transition kinder.
After delivery, meals do more than fill a plate. They steady hormones, fuel milk, lower stress and remind a new parent they are held. Food quietly becomes a love language in the fourth trimester; what your body needs and how to ask for help.
Your body completed a complex, whole-body event. Treating rest like a prescription, not an afterthought, protects healing, mental health and long-term well-being for you and your baby.
Time bends in early parenthood. Days can feel endless, then years flash by. Here is why that happens, plus gentle ways to reclaim pockets of ease.
Surrogates say the best journeys are built on clarity, respect and real support. Here is what they want you to know before you match, so everyone feels seen and protected.
Marking the day your family legally or practically came together can be more than a sweet tradition. Done thoughtfully, an adoption anniversary can build identity, strengthen attachment and honor every person in your child’s story.
The motherhood tax is real, and it shows up in three places at once: lower earnings, higher prices, and more unpaid time. Here is what is driving it in 2025, plus practical steps to reclaim money, time, and power.
Birth has a way of stripping life down to the essentials. Between contractions and choices, labor can reveal a kind of courage that is quieter than grit and steadier than hype, the kind you carry into motherhood long after delivery day.
When you are the one everyone calls for rides, rent and reassurance, it can feel like love and pressure at the same time. Here is what the data says about the growing squeeze on families and a practical plan to protect your well-being while you care for the people you love.
When the budget stretches thin, the to-do list gets heavier. Here is why financial strain and the mental load show up together for moms, and what actually helps.
Your inner circle often shifts when you are expecting. Here is why it happens, what it means for your well-being, and simple ways to keep the people you love close.
Nausea, secrecy, and milestone waiting can stretch early pregnancy into slow motion. Then one ultrasound, a small bump, and suddenly it is gone. Here is the science behind the time warp, plus gentle ways to steady yourself.
Your body did something extraordinary. You do not need to rewind it. Here is a gentler, truer way to measure progress after birth, with real talk and research that respects every path.
Weaning is a real goodbye, not just a feeding change. Here’s what’s happening in your body and heart, how to tell if you need extra support, and gentle ways to mark this transition.
Parental leave is not a perk. It is protective health time that safeguards recovery, bonding, feeding, and mental well-being. Here is what new parents wish every manager and HR team knew, plus practical steps to design leave that actually works.
Gestational surrogacy is never a solo act. The medical, legal, and emotional layers are real, which is exactly why building your village early protects the gestational carrier, the baby, and you.
Adoption does not just add a child to your home, it rebuilds your family’s story, routines, and relationships. Here is what changes, why it is normal, and how to navigate it with care, clarity, and support.
Bonding is not a single golden hour, and a C-section does not put you behind. With the right support, connection grows skin-to-skin, eye-to-eye, and day by day—no matter how your baby was born.
Those first 12 weeks after birth bring tidal waves of physical recovery, round-the-clock care and identity shifts. Here is why it feels so hard, and how to make the hardest love gentler on you and your baby.
Your body heals after birth, yes. Your sense of self shifts too. Here is how to understand the identity changes of new parenthood and what to do when it feels like you do not recognize yourself.
Resilience grows in ordinary moments. These seven playful, low-lift activities help kids practice coping, confidence and problem-solving with you as their safety net.
The fourth trimester is real, and many important needs fall through the cracks after that first newborn check. Here is how to recognize what your body and mind might be asking for, and what to do next.
Starting solids does not have to be stressful. These parent-tested, expert-backed ideas make the shift calm, safe, and joyful for both of you.
Sometimes the best way to connect with a teenager is to ask a better question. Use thoughtful prompts and open real conversation without putting your teen on the defensive.
Your body often whispers before it roars. Here are the most reliable, evidence-backed signs that labor is near, so you can recognize what’s normal, trust your instincts and feel prepared.
You do not need a 5 a.m. club or a color-coded command center to grow at work and feel present at home. 6 habits that are realistic, repeatable, and proven to reduce stress while moving your career forward.
Your family’s story deserves to be honored. Simple, repeatable rituals help you mark milestones, nurture connection and keep your child’s identity at the center.
A new baby changes everything, including your firstborn’s world. Simple activities help older kids feel included and connected to the tiny person they have yet to meet.
Postpartum life is full and your mental health matters as much as your newborn’s feeding schedule. These small, doable habits support your well-being while you find your rhythm again.
When progress feels slow, words can increase a child’s stress or their courage. 8 phrases lower pressure, build trust, and keep learning on track.
Maternity leave math is confusing, even when you have benefits. Here's facts that matter most and simple steps to take so your paycheck, premiums, and plans stay on track.
Grandparents are the village personified, and a steady presence matters. Here are six simple, research-backed ways to support your grandkids and their parents without stepping on toes.
The first 12 weeks after birth are tender, tiring and expensive. Simple, compassionate practices help you protect finances without sacrificing your well-being.
Tweens crave room to try, stumble and grow. Here are clear signs your tween is asking for some independence, they are ready for more say in their life.
You want snacks to fuel growth, not just fill minutes until dinner. These 15 options check the big boxes for protein, fiber, iron, and healthy fats without piling on added sugar or salt.
Ensure your go bag is working for you. A solid go bag buys you time, calm, and fewer meltdowns in the moments that matter.
You deserve food that is soothing, nutrient-dense, and ridiculously easy to get on the table. These five meals support tissue repair, steady energy, and milk-making if you are breastfeeding.
These simple, evidence-based grounding practices can help you feel more rooted. Remember your patience isn't broken, you just need some information to steady you.
The first few months after giving birth are the hardest and the…
Eight concrete ways dads-to-be can show up in the third trimester. Learn warning signs, practice labor support and prep the fourth trimester. Practical, calm and evidence-based.
Six clear signs your child’s sleep routine needs a gentle reset, plus small, doable tweaks to bring nights and mornings back into balance.
Ten mom-tested truths about C-sections, backed by leading medical guidance, to help you plan your birth, advocate in the OR and recover with confidence.
Easing back to work after baby is a big shift. These 5 expert-backed habits protect your energy, feeding plan and mental health so you can find your new rhythm.
The hunching, the one-hip carry, the floor-to-standing with a baby. Here’s what’s actually happening—and what helps.
When life with kids gets loud, gentle routines can help your nervous system settle and your home feel kinder. Here is a simple way to build calm into your bookends.
These quick, low-lift habits fit inside nap windows and night feeds, and they help you reconnect with your identity while you are caring for a new baby.
Ten simple boundaries to protect your rest, bond, and sanity so parental leave actually restores you.
The fourth-trimester--the weeks after birth can feel isolating, even with a baby in your arms. A realistic plan to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and protect your energy while you heal.
A little planning now can help you recover during the fourth trimester. Get your sleep, and bond with your baby. Keep the mental load light and your rest front and center.
Your postpartum body did something extraordinary. It does not need fixing. It needs care, awe, and practical support so you can heal, reconnect, and feel at home again
Kind, ready-to-use scripts for 7 tricky holiday moments, so you can set clear boundaries, lower stress, and enjoy what matters most.
You deserve to feel like yourself, not just what is left at the end of everyone else’s needs. These simple, repeatable practices help you protect your energy so you can show up for your family and for you.
You deserve time to heal, bond and adjust. Here are the essentials to help you plan leave with confidence, protect your job and get paid if possible.
Intimacy and postpartum sex can feel different, tender, and sometimes confusing. These gentle ideas help you find your way back to closeness at a pace that honors recovery and real life.
You are not doing it wrong. Postpartum is a season of change that touches your body, mind, relationships and routines. Here is what to expect and how to make it gentler.
Your body just did something incredible. Here is what those early postpartum hormones and changes can feel like, plus simple ways to steady yourself while you heal.
You already make intelligent choices all day. These quick, low-lift money moves help you feel more in control, lower financial stress and keep family goals on track.
Your baby is learning to smile, roll, walk and talk. You are learning to trust yourself, set boundaries, ask for help and let go. Baby milestone is mothers milestone, too, they happen together.
Grandparents are the invisible scaffolding in many new families. Here is what research shows about their impact, the pressures they carry, and how parents can partner with them in safe, loving, clear ways.
That closed bedroom door can sting. Here is why distance is part of healthy adolescence and how to keep connection steady while you give them room.
The bickering you hear is often a sign of connection. Here is what research says about sibling conflict, why it can build empathy, and how to coach it into closeness without letting anyone get hurt.
Returning to work after baby is more than a schedule change. It is a shift in who you are, what you value and how you move through your day. Here is language for what you are feeling, plus a plan to make the transition kinder.
After delivery, meals do more than fill a plate. They steady hormones, fuel milk, lower stress and remind a new parent they are held. Food quietly becomes a love language in the fourth trimester; what your body needs and how to ask for help.
Your body completed a complex, whole-body event. Treating rest like a prescription, not an afterthought, protects healing, mental health and long-term well-being for you and your baby.
Time bends in early parenthood. Days can feel endless, then years flash by. Here is why that happens, plus gentle ways to reclaim pockets of ease.
Surrogates say the best journeys are built on clarity, respect and real support. Here is what they want you to know before you match, so everyone feels seen and protected.
Marking the day your family legally or practically came together can be more than a sweet tradition. Done thoughtfully, an adoption anniversary can build identity, strengthen attachment and honor every person in your child’s story.
The motherhood tax is real, and it shows up in three places at once: lower earnings, higher prices, and more unpaid time. Here is what is driving it in 2025, plus practical steps to reclaim money, time, and power.
Birth has a way of stripping life down to the essentials. Between contractions and choices, labor can reveal a kind of courage that is quieter than grit and steadier than hype, the kind you carry into motherhood long after delivery day.
When you are the one everyone calls for rides, rent and reassurance, it can feel like love and pressure at the same time. Here is what the data says about the growing squeeze on families and a practical plan to protect your well-being while you care for the people you love.
When the budget stretches thin, the to-do list gets heavier. Here is why financial strain and the mental load show up together for moms, and what actually helps.
Your inner circle often shifts when you are expecting. Here is why it happens, what it means for your well-being, and simple ways to keep the people you love close.
Nausea, secrecy, and milestone waiting can stretch early pregnancy into slow motion. Then one ultrasound, a small bump, and suddenly it is gone. Here is the science behind the time warp, plus gentle ways to steady yourself.
Your body did something extraordinary. You do not need to rewind it. Here is a gentler, truer way to measure progress after birth, with real talk and research that respects every path.
Weaning is a real goodbye, not just a feeding change. Here’s what’s happening in your body and heart, how to tell if you need extra support, and gentle ways to mark this transition.
Parental leave is not a perk. It is protective health time that safeguards recovery, bonding, feeding, and mental well-being. Here is what new parents wish every manager and HR team knew, plus practical steps to design leave that actually works.
Gestational surrogacy is never a solo act. The medical, legal, and emotional layers are real, which is exactly why building your village early protects the gestational carrier, the baby, and you.
Adoption does not just add a child to your home, it rebuilds your family’s story, routines, and relationships. Here is what changes, why it is normal, and how to navigate it with care, clarity, and support.
Bonding is not a single golden hour, and a C-section does not put you behind. With the right support, connection grows skin-to-skin, eye-to-eye, and day by day—no matter how your baby was born.
Those first 12 weeks after birth bring tidal waves of physical recovery, round-the-clock care and identity shifts. Here is why it feels so hard, and how to make the hardest love gentler on you and your baby.
Your body heals after birth, yes. Your sense of self shifts too. Here is how to understand the identity changes of new parenthood and what to do when it feels like you do not recognize yourself.
Resilience grows in ordinary moments. These seven playful, low-lift activities help kids practice coping, confidence and problem-solving with you as their safety net.
The fourth trimester is real, and many important needs fall through the cracks after that first newborn check. Here is how to recognize what your body and mind might be asking for, and what to do next.
Starting solids does not have to be stressful. These parent-tested, expert-backed ideas make the shift calm, safe, and joyful for both of you.
Sometimes the best way to connect with a teenager is to ask a better question. Use thoughtful prompts and open real conversation without putting your teen on the defensive.
Your body often whispers before it roars. Here are the most reliable, evidence-backed signs that labor is near, so you can recognize what’s normal, trust your instincts and feel prepared.
You do not need a 5 a.m. club or a color-coded command center to grow at work and feel present at home. 6 habits that are realistic, repeatable, and proven to reduce stress while moving your career forward.
Your family’s story deserves to be honored. Simple, repeatable rituals help you mark milestones, nurture connection and keep your child’s identity at the center.
A new baby changes everything, including your firstborn’s world. Simple activities help older kids feel included and connected to the tiny person they have yet to meet.
Postpartum life is full and your mental health matters as much as your newborn’s feeding schedule. These small, doable habits support your well-being while you find your rhythm again.
When progress feels slow, words can increase a child’s stress or their courage. 8 phrases lower pressure, build trust, and keep learning on track.
Maternity leave math is confusing, even when you have benefits. Here's facts that matter most and simple steps to take so your paycheck, premiums, and plans stay on track.
Grandparents are the village personified, and a steady presence matters. Here are six simple, research-backed ways to support your grandkids and their parents without stepping on toes.
The first 12 weeks after birth are tender, tiring and expensive. Simple, compassionate practices help you protect finances without sacrificing your well-being.
Tweens crave room to try, stumble and grow. Here are clear signs your tween is asking for some independence, they are ready for more say in their life.
You want snacks to fuel growth, not just fill minutes until dinner. These 15 options check the big boxes for protein, fiber, iron, and healthy fats without piling on added sugar or salt.
Ensure your go bag is working for you. A solid go bag buys you time, calm, and fewer meltdowns in the moments that matter.
You deserve food that is soothing, nutrient-dense, and ridiculously easy to get on the table. These five meals support tissue repair, steady energy, and milk-making if you are breastfeeding.
These simple, evidence-based grounding practices can help you feel more rooted. Remember your patience isn't broken, you just need some information to steady you.
The first few months after giving birth are the hardest and the…
Eight concrete ways dads-to-be can show up in the third trimester. Learn warning signs, practice labor support and prep the fourth trimester. Practical, calm and evidence-based.
Six clear signs your child’s sleep routine needs a gentle reset, plus small, doable tweaks to bring nights and mornings back into balance.
Ten mom-tested truths about C-sections, backed by leading medical guidance, to help you plan your birth, advocate in the OR and recover with confidence.
Easing back to work after baby is a big shift. These 5 expert-backed habits protect your energy, feeding plan and mental health so you can find your new rhythm.
The first few months after giving birth are the hardest and the…
Civil rights attorney, Google alum, and mom of four Michele Jawando makes the case that parents are the most powerful force in shaping what AI becomes for the next generation.
The first few months after giving birth are the hardest and the…
The old wives' tale turns out to have some real data behind it.
A leading neuroscientist explains why that relentless voice isn't your fault—and what you can actually do about it.
Lee sits down with Liz Tenety to talk about her struggles with chronic illness, becoming a mother through adoption, and her decision to hold onto hope and joy.
The line between "my body is speaking" and "I might need a blood test" is thinner than you think.
70% of mothers say their first Mother's Day wasn't special. New Mom School founder Alex Spitz on the unmet need nobody wants to admit — and what actually needs to change.
