New Mom Talk: A Resource for Pregnant, Expecting Moms & New Moms & Pregnancy

If you're pregnant in California and you haven't looked into your maternity leave benefits yet — this episode is your sign. California has some of the most comprehensive maternity leave protections in the country, but the system is confusing, the deadlines are strict, and most moms don't find out what they were entitled to until it's too late.
Mariela sits down with Shelly Yehuda, a maternity leave advocate who helps California women navigate the system so they can maximize every benefit, protect their job, and actually be present with their baby in those early weeks — without the financial stress hanging over them.
This is practical, empowering, and honestly overdue. Every pregnant mama in California needs to hear this one.
In This Episode, We Cover:
💛 Every benefit available to California moms on maternity leave — and the exact steps to make sure you're getting every dollar you're entitled to
💛 The most critical deadlines you need to know before you go out on leave — and what happens if you miss them
💛 How job protection works in California, what your employer is legally obligated to do, and what to do if you feel your position is being threatened while you're out
💛 Lesser-known programs, additional benefits, and employer negotiations that moms regularly leave on the table simply because they didn't know to ask
💛 What to do in the months before your due date to lock in your benefits, secure your position, and avoid any gaps in pay
About Our Guest:
Shelly Yehuda is a California maternity leave advocate who helps women navigate one of the most overwhelming systems a new mom can face. Her mission is simple: make a confusing process feel clear, manageable, and fully supportive — so moms can focus on what actually matters. She specializes in helping women maximize their benefits, protect their jobs, and go into leave feeling prepared and confident.
Connect with Shelly Yehuda:
Official Website: www.parentalleaveadvisors.com
IG: @californiaparentalleave
Email: shelly@parentalleaveadvisors.com
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www.NewMomTalk.com
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IG: @NewMomTalk.Podcast
YouTube: @NewMomTalk
Mariela@NewMomTalk.com
Interested in being a guest? Shoot us an email!

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This episode is brought to you by Legendairy Milk. Use code NEWMOM15 at checkout to get 15% off She's Flowing.
Join us for an honest, practical conversation with Courtney Boylan, founder of Le Lolo, who’s on a mission to beautify postpartum care. Courtney reframes postpartum self-care as more than quick fixes or Instagram-ready moments — it’s about dignity, functionality, and building sustainable routines that honor new parents’ needs. She shares design-minded solutions, mindset shifts, and real-life routines for parents juggling newborn care, limited sleep, and other responsibilities.
What we cover
A broader definition of postpartum self-care beyond “sleep when the baby sleeps”
Cultural expectations that block sustainable postpartum recovery
Practical, non-negotiable self-care routines for busy new parents
How partners, family, and healthcare providers can better support individualized postpartum needs
Small mindset shifts and daily practices to rebuild identity, confidence, and agency
The design thinking behind Le Lolo’s products and why beauty + function matters in postpartum essentials
Who this episode is for
New and expecting parents
Partners and family members supporting someone postpartum
Postpartum care advocates, doulas, and clinicians
Parents who want practical self-care strategies that actually fit real life
Guest
Courtney Boylan — Founder of Le Lolo; creator of thoughtfully designed, beautiful postpartum essentials inspired by her experience as a mom of three.

Connect with Courtney Boylan:
Official Website: https://wearelelolo.com/
IG: @wearelelolo 
TikTok: @wearelelolo
Key takeaways
Postpartum self-care is practical, individualized, and dignified — not just errands and baths.
Design and aesthetics can improve how postpartum products are used and how parents feel while using them.
Small, consistent routines (tailored to your life) beat idealized, unsustainable “self-care” strategies.
Support systems—partners, family, clinicians—play a crucial role when they recognize and validate individual needs.
Rebuilding a sense of self starts with small daily practices and permission to prioritize care.
Giveaway
We’re giving away a Le Lolo postpartum care set! To enter, answer the giveaway question in this episode and submit your response on Instagram: @newmomtalk.podcast. Winner announced on the show’s IG.
Resources mentioned
Le Lolo — postpartum essentials designed by Courtney Boylan
Legendairy Milk — use code NEWMOM15 for 15% off She's Flowing
Subscribe for more episodes about postpartum health and practical parenting. Follow @newmomtalk.podcast on Instagram to enter the giveaway and keep up with episode extras.
postpartum self-care, postpartum essentials, Le Lolo, Courtney Boylan, postpartum products, postpartum recovery, new mom self-care, sustainable postpartum routines, partner support postpartum, postpartum mindset shifts, postpartum dignity, postpartum design, postpartum giveaway, Legendairy Milk, Legendairy Milk nursing supplements, Legendairy Milk prenatal products, Legendairy Milk postpartum supplements, nursing supplements, prenatal supplements, postpartum products, She's Flowing discount, NEWMOM15
www.NewMomTalk.com
Buy Me A Coffee
IG: @NewMomTalk.Podcast
YouTube: @NewMomTalk
Mariela@NewMomTalk.com
Interested in being a guest? Shoot us an email!

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This episode is brought to you by Legendairy Milk. Use code NEWMOM15 at checkout to get 15% off She's Flowing.
Aly Wente — fifth-generation winegrower and Chief Revenue Officer of Wente Family Vineyards — joins us to talk real strategies for reconciling a demanding career and a thriving family life. Drawing on leadership at America’s oldest continuously family-owned winery and a modern, sustainability-minded approach, Aly reframes the idea of “balance,” shares systems that actually work, and names the practical supports that help prevent burnout while preserving what matters most.
What we cover
Whether “balance” is realistic or needs reframing as priorities, rhythm, or boundaries
How to distinguish non-negotiable commitments from habits driven by guilt or expectation
Concrete approaches to managing the mental and logistical load of career + household
Boundary-setting tactics for work and home that hold up under pressure
High-impact systems, routines, and outside supports that make day-to-day life manageable
Where to start when you feel overwhelmed: small, sustainable first steps
Who this episode is for
Working parents navigating career and caregiving responsibilities
Moms returning to work or climbing the ladder while raising children
Partners, managers, and HR leaders who support working families
Anyone seeking practical systems to reduce stress and increase presence at work and home
About our Guest
Aly Wente — Fifth-generation winegrower and Chief Revenue Officer, Wente Family Vineyards. Aly leads brand, hospitality, and customer experience strategy while honoring a 140+ year family legacy and applying a modern, sustainability-focused perspective to California wine.

Connect with Aly Wente:
Official Website: https://wentevineyards.com/
IG: @wente & @alywenteoneal
Key takeaways
Balance is often less about perfect equality and more about clarity of priorities, boundaries, and rhythms.
Audit your commitments: identify what truly needs your time versus what can be delegated, delayed, or dropped.
Share the mental load by naming tasks, assigning ownership, and using simple systems (calendars, shared lists, routines).
Boundary-setting requires clear communication, predictable routines, and consistent follow-through — both at work and at home.
Start with one small system (e.g., weekly planning session, shared family calendar, or a dedicated self-care appointment) and build from there.
Outside supports (childcare, flexible work arrangements, professional networks) compound impact — ask for them early and often.
Practical tips mentioned
Run a weekly 20–30 minute family planning huddle to align priorities and shift logistic load.
Batch work and family tasks into predictable blocks to reduce context switching.
Use a shared digital calendar and task list so responsibilities are visible and transferable.
Normalize asking for help and negotiate flexible solutions at work with specific proposals.
Protect at least one non-negotiable recovery routine (sleep, movement, or a weekly reset) to reduce burnout risk.
Resources mentioned
Wente Family Vineyards — company and hospitality information
Suggested tools: shared calendars (Google Calendar, iCal), shared task apps (Todoist, Trello), family planning templates
Subscribe for more stories from working parents and leaders balancing career and family. Share your best practical tip for work–mom balance on Instagram and tag @newmomtalk.podcast — we may feature listener tips on a future episode.
work mom balance, work–mom life balance, Aly Wente, Wente Family Vineyards, working parents, mom career balance, managing mental load, boundary setting for parents, family logistics systems, burnout prevention for moms, parental support strategies, sustainable routines for parents, shared family calendar, weekly family planning, flexible work for parents, leadership and parenting, winery leadership, California wine and family business, Legendairy Milk, Legendairy Milk nursing supplements, Legendairy Milk prenatal products, Legendairy Milk postpartum supplements, Legendairy Milk products, nursing supplements, prenatal supplements, postpartum products, She's Flowing discount, NEWMOM15
www.NewMomTalk.com
Buy Me A Coffee
IG: @NewMomTalk.Podcast
YouTube: @NewMomTalk
Mariela@NewMomTalk.com
Interested in being a guest? Shoot us an email!

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This episode is brought to you by InspiraSpark — thanks to Shannon Davis and the Little Balance Box for supporting the show.
Join us as Shannon Davis — mom, physical therapist, and inventor of the Little Balance Box — breaks down practical, research-informed ways parents can reduce the risk or impact of developmental delays at home. Shannon explains what “developmental delay” really means, reveals common baby gear and routines that can unintentionally hinder motor development, and walks through how the Little Balance Box was designed differently to support natural movement and balance. This episode is full of compassionate, actionable advice for caregivers who feel worried or guilty: how to shift your mindset from fear to advocacy, simple daily activities to do while waiting for specialist care, and ways to support both children and parents through early development challenges.
What we cover:
What developmental delay means and everyday baby gear that can interfere with development
The design goals behind the Little Balance Box and how it supports natural movement
Reframing parental guilt into empowered advocacy and practical next steps
Ways the Little Balance Box supports entire families — not just kids with delays
Immediate, safe at-home strategies for families without immediate access to specialists or early-intervention services
Who this episode is for:
New and expecting parents
Caregivers and early-childhood educators
Pediatric therapists and clinicians
Anyone interested in practical, movement-based tools to support early motor development
About Our Guest:
Shannon Davis — Mom, licensed physical therapist, and inventor of the Little Balance Box (InspiraSpark)
Connect with Blair Mohr:
Official Website: https://inspiraspark.com/
IG: @inspiraspark
TikTok: @inspiraspark
Key takeaways:
Simple changes at home can protect and promote healthy motor milestones.
Gear and positioning matter — some popular products can restrict movement and delay skills.
Small, consistent play and balance activities build resilience and motor confidence.
Parents can take meaningful, safe actions even before specialist evaluation.
Tools designed with developmental principles can support the whole family.
Resources mentioned:
Little Balance Box — designed by Shannon Davis (InspiraSpark) (Note: This episode is sponsored by InspiraSpark.)
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Legendairy Milk: Use code NEWMOM15 at checkout to get 15% off She's Flowing.

developmental delays, baby motor skills, early childhood development, Little Balance Box, Shannon Davis, InspiraSpark, at-home therapy, infant milestones, prevent developmental delay, parent advocacy, early intervention alternatives, pediatric physical therapy, baby gear and development, Legendairy milk, she's flowing, nursing, pumping, milk production, breastfeeding
www.NewMomTalk.com
Buy Me A Coffee
IG: @NewMomTalk.Podcast
YouTube: @NewMomTalk
Mariela@NewMomTalk.com
Interested in being a guest? Shoot us an email!

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This episode is brought to you by Legendairy Milk. Use code NEWMOM15 at checkout to get 15% off She's Flowing.

You've fed the baby, done the laundry, remembered the pediatrician appointment, mentally scheduled tomorrow's daycare drop-off, and somehow still feel like you're forgetting something. Sound familiar? That's the mental load — and for new mothers, it rarely gets talked about the way it should.
In this episode, Mariela sits down with Dr. Minisha Ghimire, physician in internal medicine and obesity medicine, and founder of Momkinz, to have an honest, eye-opening conversation about the invisible weight so many mothers carry — and what it's actually doing to their health.
This one hits different. Whether you're in the thick of the newborn stage or years into motherhood and still feeling it — you'll want to listen to this.
In This Episode, We Cover:
🧠 What the mental load actually is — and why it's so much deeper than just being busy or exhausted
🧠 Why new mothers so often become the "default parent" — and whether that's a choice or something that quietly happens over time
🧠 The real long-term impact of carrying the mental load on a mother's mental and physical health — from a physician's perspective
🧠 Why "just ask for help" doesn't work — and what kind of support actually moves the needle
🧠 Realistic things moms can do to lighten the load — plus the bigger systemic conversation we can't ignore
About Our Guest:
Dr. Minisha Ghimire is a physician training in internal medicine and obesity medicine, and the founder of Momkinz. She is a passionate advocate for postpartum mothers and believes that supporting moms goes far beyond the six-week checkup. Her work sits at the intersection of medicine and maternal wellness, and she brings both clinical insight and genuine compassion to every conversation about motherhood.
Connect with Dr. Minisha Ghimire:
Official Website: www.momkinz.com
YouTube: @momkinz
mental load of motherhood, new mom mental health, default parent, postpartum mental health, invisible labor motherhood, emotional labor moms, postpartum anxiety, mom burnout, maternal mental health podcast, postpartum support, what is the mental load, fourth trimester mental health, mom overwhelm, Dr. Minisha Ghimire, Momkinz, motherhood and mental health, postpartum physician, internal medicine postpartum, new mother support, breastfeeding, legendairy milk, nursing, pumping, milk production
www.NewMomTalk.com
Buy Me A Coffee
IG: @NewMomTalk.Podcast
YouTube: @NewMomTalk
Mariela@NewMomTalk.com
Interested in being a guest? Shoot us an email!

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