Thriving Parent-ing

In this special 100th episode of Thriving Parenting, Jen looks back on the motherhood moments that shaped not only her parenting journey, but the passion and purpose behind this podcast and the community it has become.
From becoming a mum at 26, navigating an emergency caesarean, postpartum anxiety, and feeling deeply unequipped in those early days, to raising three very different children and learning the power of connection, energy, and nervous system safety, Jen shares her story with honesty and compassion.
This episode isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about showing up.
About seasons of loneliness, growth, and learning to ask for support.
And about why thriving parenting always starts with a thriving parent.
Jen reflects on:
Her early motherhood experiences and birth stories
The realities of postpartum support (and the lack of it)
Learning to trust intuition over noise and doom-scrolling
How connection, humour, and energy shaped her parenting style
Why perfection isn’t the goal, and why rupture and repair matter
How her journey as a nurse, mother, and practitioner led to the work she does today

She also shares more about her current work supporting families through sleep, nervous system regulation, emotional wellbeing, and airway health, and why a multidisciplinary, compassionate approach matters so deeply.
Above all, this episode is a reminder that you matter too.
Your needs, your wellbeing, and your nervous system are just as important as your child’s.
Whether you’ve been listening from the very beginning or you’re new here, this episode invites you to feel less alone, more seen, and supported in your parenting journey.
Would like to access tailored 1:1 sleep support but don’t know where to start? Jump on a FREE sleep clarity session with Jen here https://sleepthrivegrow.com/
For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 100 Show Notes
And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.
And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!
To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here.
Until next time, Thrivers

Postpartum rage is rarely spoken about, yet so many mums quietly carry it with shame. In this episode, Jen sits down with Beth Caniglia business owner, brand strategist, speaker, and mum of two to share her lived experience of postpartum rage after her second baby.
Beth opens up about the brutal shift from one child to two, the sleep deprivation that tipped her from “thriving” into survival, and the moments that left her feeling scared of her own reactions. Together, Jen and Beth unpack what postpartum rage can look like, why it can feel like it comes out of nowhere, and how awareness and the right tools can help you interrupt the spiral before it explodes.
This conversation is honest, warm, and deeply normalising. If you’ve ever thought “What’s wrong with me?” after yelling, snapping, or feeling like you’re about to lose it, this episode will help you feel less alone and more supported.
About Beth Caniglia
Beth is a business owner, mother of two, speaker, storyteller, and brand strategist. She runs Firesauce Creative with her husband and is passionate about speaking honestly about the highs and lows of blending entrepreneurship and motherhood.
Find Beth here: Firesauce Creative (firesauce.com.au)
In This Episode, We Cover
Why the jump from one to two kids can feel like being “split in two”
How sleep deprivation shrinks your capacity and fuels reactivity
The shame spiral that often follows rage, and why it keeps mums stuck
The “bottling it up” pattern: why anger can feel sudden, but isn’t
How postpartum rage can be a nervous system signal, not a character flaw
Tools that helped Beth rebuild regulation and widen her window of tolerance
Why community, support, and honest conversations matter more than ever

Would like to access tailored 1:1 sleep support but don’t know where to start? Jump on a FREE sleep clarity session with Jen here https://sleepthrivegrow.com/
For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 99 Show Notes
And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.
And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!
To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here.
Until next time, Thrivers

In this gentle, baby bite-sized episode of Thriving Parenting, Jen explores one of the most powerful and often overlooked parenting tools: the pause.
When our baby cries or our child becomes upset, the instinct to fix, stop, or intervene immediately can feel overwhelming. And that instinct exists for a reason. Our nervous system is wired for protection. But when hypervigilance runs the show all day, every day, parenting can start to feel harder rather than easier.
This episode unpacks how pausing is not ignoring your baby. It is choosing to respond from safety rather than reflex.
Jen explains how a brief pause helps bring our adult brain back online, giving us access to perspective, choice, and intuition. From newborn sleep to toddler emotions, pausing creates space to observe, gather information, and decide what support is truly needed in that moment.
You will hear why:
Hypervigilance is a normal part of becoming a parent, but can become exhausting when it stays switched on constantly
Pausing helps regulate your nervous system so you can co-regulate with your child
Babies and toddlers often surprise us when given a small moment to settle, adjust, or problem-solve
The pause supports sleep by avoiding unnecessary overstimulation
Our own past experiences shape how we respond to crying, anger, and frustration
Awareness and compassion are key to breaking reactive cycles

Jen also shares a simple, tangible practice she uses herself, placing a hand on her chest and breathing, to interrupt knee-jerk reactions and return to intentional leadership.
This episode is a reminder that you are not doing less by pausing. You are choosing presence, wisdom, and connection. And that choice matters for both you and your child.
🎧 Listen now to learn how the pause can help you parent with more calm, confidence, and trust in yourself.
Would like to access tailored 1:1 sleep support but don’t know where to start? Jump on a FREE sleep clarity session with Jen here https://sleepthrivegrow.com/
For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 98 Show Notes
And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.
And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!
To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here.
Until next time, Thrivers

In this episode of Thriving Parenting, Jen is joined by Dr Bianca Mastromanno, perinatal clinical psychologist, for a compassionate, grounding conversation that helps new mums feel seen and less alone. Together they unpack what postpartum anxiety can actually look like, why a degree of hyperawareness is expected, and how to tell the difference between normal maternal vigilance and anxiety that needs extra support.
They explore maternal preoccupation (Winnicott’s term for the brain shift that happens in motherhood), explaining why your mind may feel intensely focused on your baby’s safety, needs, and environment, especially in the first 6–12 months. Bianca reframes this hypervigilance as functional, evolutionary, and often temporary, while also acknowledging that for some parents, anxiety can become self-fuelling and get “stuck” in ways that interfere with daily life.
A big focus of the episode is intrusive thoughts: unwanted, automatic thoughts that often involve harm, safety, or worst-case scenarios. Bianca normalises how common they are (often close to universal), why they show up more when you’re sleep deprived, and why having intrusive thoughts does not mean you want them to happen. Jen and Bianca share real examples to reduce the shame and silence so many parents carry.
They also discuss modern triggers, including how social media can intensify fear and expand the “library” your brain pulls from, feeding postpartum hypervigilance. The conversation offers reassurance, practical tools, and clear guidance on when to reach out for support, especially if thoughts become frequent, intense, or start changing your behaviour in avoidant or compulsive ways.
This one is for the parent who’s quietly wondering, Am I okay? You’re not broken. You’re not alone. And help can be gentle, accessible, and deeply supportive.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Why the question Is this normal? is almost universal in postpartum
What maternal preoccupation is and why hyperawareness is expected
How postpartum anxiety can show up as vigilance, scanning, and constant mental checking
What intrusive thoughts are, why they happen, and what they do not mean about you
The difference between noticing a thought and acting as if it’s a fact
How sleep deprivation can worsen intrusive thoughts and nervous system sensitivity
The role of social media in amplifying postpartum fear and threat perception
Practical ways to “step back” from intrusive thoughts (without battling them)
When professional support is recommended, and why it’s safe to seek help
Resources like PANDA for support, information, and referral pathways
Small nervous system supports postpartum: hydration, nutrition, sunlight, movement, music, micro-moments

Would like to access tailored 1:1 sleep support but don’t know where to start? Jump on a FREE sleep clarity session with Jen here https://sleepthrivegrow.com/
For more...

Welcome back to the Thriving Parenting Podcast, where we explore the parent behind the act of parenting itself.
In this episode, Jen dives into one of the most accessible yet overlooked parenting tools we all already have, even on our most exhausting days: humour.
If parenting feels heavy, serious, or like you’re just pushing through the afternoons, this episode is a gentle reminder that laughter doesn’t have to be loud, performative, or natural right now to be powerful. It’s not about being funny or entertaining your child. It’s about using small, playful moments to regulate your nervous system, support your child’s emotional world, and bring connection back within reach.
Humour, even in its tiniest form, is nervous system medicine.
Jen explores how laughter helps complete stress cycles, supports emotional regulation, and brings the prefrontal cortex back online for both parents and children. When we laugh, we soften separation, ease transitions, and remind our children through our bodies that they are safe and supported.
This episode offers practical, real-life examples of how humour can be woven into everyday parenting without adding more to your plate, including:
Using playful connection during bedtime, mealtimes, and transitions
Gentle humour for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers
How silliness supports emotional regulation and rupture and repair
Why laughter models safety more effectively than lectures
Ways to access humour when it doesn’t feel natural or safe for you yet

Jen also speaks honestly about why humour can feel vulnerable, especially if you didn’t grow up with it, and how to rebuild your “humour muscle” slowly and compassionately. From shaking stress out of your body, to laughing at parenting mishaps, to building a “funny bank” of memories, this episode invites you to reconnect with the playful part of yourself without pressure.
Because parenting doesn’t need to be serious all the time.
Your child doesn’t need perfection.
They need your presence, and laughter helps you return to it faster than almost anything else.
Would like to access tailored 1:1 sleep support but don’t know where to start? Jump on a FREE sleep clarity session with Jen here https://sleepthrivegrow.com/
For more information on this topic, head to the show notes: Episode 96 Show Notes
And I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Come and connect with me on Instagram at @sleep_thrive_grow.
And click the +Follow button to never miss an episode. New episodes are released every Tuesday!
To find out more about how I can support you, visit my website here.
Until next time, Thrivers