Atomic Moms

We're having a baby! Host Ellie Knaus (first trimester) consults best mom-friends Becca McHugh (second trimester) and Bridget Moloney-Sinclair (third trimester) about the ups and downs of pregnancy while toddler-wrangling at the same time. We discuss: expanding our families, “second child-itus” (it’s like my stomach was an instant pop-up tent this time), the “mini van stigma”, VBACS, IUI’s, and a bunch of other initials I knew nothing about before motherhood, and how our toddlers pressured us into making them siblings (Sabrina has convinced me that I'm the surrogate for “HER baby”). We hear Becca’s insane ZIKA-conception story, kiss goodbye to any illusions of a cocooned “4th trimester” with the newborn, and share how Sabrina broke the news to her entire preschool. After listening to this episode, our child-free sound engineer Owen O'Neill wrote Ellie: "Well, that episode was an eye opener to say the least." Leave a review on iTunes (consider it a baby welcoming present): iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Join our conversation on Facebook "Atomic Moms" and Twitter/Instagram: @atomicmoms Sign up for our newsletter on atomicmoms.com

It's time to charge up! Celeb fitness trainer SARA HALEY is here to help us excuse proof our workouts and get strong for all the right reasons. This hands-on mama chases after two young sons and is pregnant with #3. We discuss: the insane but very real pressure we feel in this celebrity obsessed culture to "bounce back", 3 things NOT to do after having a baby, postnatal surprises NOBODY talks about, how to recover from the emotional drain of being MOM, and the internal shift many of us experience as mothers. x Ellie Knaus Sara Haley, an acclaimed pre and postnatal recovery specialist, spent her pre-mothering years touring the world as a Reebok Global Master Trainer. She has been named in Shape's 50 Hottest Female Trainers in America and is the creator of the award-winning pre and post-natal workouts "Expecting More" and "Expecting More: The 4th Trimester Workout". Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms and leave a review!!! SaraHaley.com Twitter: @sarahaleyfit AtomicMoms.com @atomicmoms and Facebook "Atomic Moms" page

Spotlight on ADAM SZTYKIEL (Ellie’s decade-long starter husband, film/television comedy screenwriter, Sabrina’s favorite). We look back on 2016 and the biggest parenting lesson Sabrina has dished up for us thus far. We brace ourselves for the tornado of wrapping paper and fun as we head to the in-laws for the holidays. Plus, we re-live a humiliating moment from Ellie’s pregnancy and decide it’s time to clear out Adam's custom mug collection from his comedy writer friends, like the one that says "Tea Bag Me", now that Sabrina is curious about reading. Next week we’re off giving you the perfect chance to catch up on a recent episode you missed. x Ellie Knaus Subscribe on iTunes.com/atomicmoms and leave a review. Stream on atomicmoms.com Reach out on social media, Twitter: @atomicmoms, Instagram: @atomicmoms and @ellieinla, Facebook: "Atomic Moms".

Named one of Oprah's Super Soul 100 visionaries and "Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness" by Mind Body Green, LATHAM THOMAS is one hardworking single mama on our side. Maternity/lifestyle maven and NYC birth doula, Latham schools ELLIE KNAUS and our listeners on her philosophy of “mothering yourself first”, saying no to make room for yes, and slowing down this winter by tuning into the rhythms of nature (when it's dark at 4 pm, it's fancy pajama time!). Latham tells Ellie about her vision of radical self-care, an act that is radical at least in part because “nobody cares that you want to read a book or lay in bed or sleep in...." Nobody until now! Finally, we are recognizing for ourselves the absolute necessity of self-care in order to show up wholeheartedly for our loved ones. Latham offers advice on re-charging ourselves at least as often as our iPhones, letting go of our polarizing motherhood archetypes, and answers our "second round of childbirth" fears. She also gives Ellie marching orders for how to get her Mama Glow on in the kitchen (hint: it involves this fantastic Atomic Moms community) and you won’t want to miss her recommendation for a ritual each of us can start tonight to strengthen our relationship with our children and to prevent ourselves from getting “off-mission.” This episode is brought to you by Seedling.com, code: ATOMIC Mama Glow: mamaglow.com Latham Thomas’s Instagram: @glowmaven Atomic Moms Instagram: @atomicmoms AtomicMoms.com "Mama Glow : A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy" by Latham Thomas

You’ve seen her as a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Steve Harvey Show. Our esteemed guest Dr. Laura Berman (New York Times bestselling author, world renowned sex and relationship educator, and clinical professor of ob-gyn and psychiatry at Northwestern University) is here to help us mamas elevate our relationships with the ultimate “Jedi Mind Trick.” She swears that mastering our energy is the key to living an empowered and loving life. We = atoms. Atoms = energy. And let’s face it, most of us go about our lives unconsciously playing off each other’s energy, for better or worse. In this podcast, Dr. Laura Berman shares with host Ellie Knaus and guest co-host Bridget Moloney-Sinclair findings from her latest book, “Quantum Love: Use Your Body’s Atomic Energy to Create the Relationship You Desire.” She schools us in how we can cultivate feelings of optimism, hopefulness, and curiosity, and act from an empowered and truthful place as "a co-creator of our reality". She swears it's possible to hold onto our positive energetic state (good vibes) regardless of the cranky downers we have to interact with. And you’ll be blown away by the life-changing events that led Dr. Berman to developing this book (it was 'another freak and growth experience’ (AFGE) after another). Because Dr. Laura Berman is a leading expert in sex and love, we also talk about the first-year parenting phenomenon (ya know, the “I want to murder my partner” one) and what that’s really about. We also talk bedroom times: what sex means to men, how we can untangle ourselves from the associated shame, and also how we can raise sexually healthy children. Plus Dr. Berman shares a big-time parenting challenge she recently experienced with her impulsive teenage son and how she consciously handled it with both authority and love. Thank you to Seedling.com for supporting our podcast! Help us out by using the code ATOMIC for $10 off a +$30 order. Great crafting gifts for the whole family! The website is amazing. Quantum Love Bonus: Here’s one question to ask yourself during a challenging moment today: "What way is this experience FOR me?" Shoot Bridget a congratulations on Twitter @BridgetMoloney (she’ll get a kick out of it). DrLauraBerman.com Atomicmoms.com Do NOT forget to subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms. Please share this episode with a mom-friend or 12!!!

Nikki DeLoach’s life journey has taken her from a farm in Georgia to her most recent starring role in the new Hallmark Channel movie “A Dream of Christmas,” with plenty of WILD (!) stops along the way. Nikki sat down for a mom-date over a gift of Coor’s Light and homemade “Georgia caviar” to chat about everything from her early years in the Mickey Mouse Club (with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling and Britney Spears) to how she worked her way out of the grips of deep postpartum depression while starring on the MTV acclaimed series "Awkward". Nikki and Ellie talk about their fast-track playground friendship, how Nikki’s son Hudson is Sabrina’s male counterpart (or, “spirited,” as we like to say), and the healing journey Nikki took with her own mother. Nikki also shares the great awakening she sees happening among fellow women: “I’ve seen us all go on this journey together where we’re like, ‘We are powerful and we are strong and we are leaders but also, we are nurturers and we are lovers and messy, you know, like super messy.’” And although you know we’re Switzerland here at Atomic Moms, we dip our toes into the presidential election and what it means to and for us. This is one mom date you do not want to miss. (P.S. the Southern mamas let the S word out in this one so listen without the littles.) This podcast is supported by Seedling.com (code: ATOMIC) for $10 off a $30 order. (You'll love their site, promise!) “A Dream of Christmas” premiers this Saturday, Dec. 3, at 8 p.m. on the Hallmark Channel: http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/a-dream-of-christmas Nikki DeLoach Twitter: @NikkiDeLoach Nikki DeLoach Instagram: @NikDeloach iWe network: https://www.joiniwe.com/ Twitter:@atomicmoms Instagram:@atomicmoms Facebook: 'Atomic Moms' Contact host Ellie Knaus at AtomicMoms.com

In honor of National Adoption Awareness Month we’re diving deep with an astonishing, candid conversation with Angie Sanders, a former casting director and now-adoptive mother who opens up about her own tumultuous road to motherhood, transracial adoption, and how it felt to be on the other side of the casting equation, which Angie says is a bit “like jumping through hoops that are lit on fire.” Angie, mother to 6-year-old Mason, answers the biggies anybody who has thought about adoption might have wondered: adoption matching, navigating the post-adoption birth-mother relationship, and Angie’s definition of deep self-care. You’ll also hear from Atomic Moms listener and mother-of-two Melanie, herself an adoptee, on how she navigates the pitfalls and silent biases of race as the wonderful mother to her adopted black daughter and biological white son. This episode is brought to you by SPEAKABOOS.COM, a digital library for our children. Turn screen time into reading time. Show Notes: ATOMICMOMS.COM Subscribe or download our entire 105 episode catalogue: iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Angie Sanders' blog: mommywantsmoresleep.com Peaceful Parenting: evolving parents.com

Need a big hug and some "can do" spirit? This is your podcast. Primetime Emmy-nominated producer Randall Winston (Scrubs, Spin City, Undateable) is a towering presence in Hollywood, and not just because he's 6'6", but because he's the best in the biz. He makes you feel like anything is possible, and then he goes out and proves it! And he does it with love! In this funny and heartfelt conversation, Winston shares tips for producing a beautiful family life. We cover a lot of ground, including: how he and his husband discuss multiracial identity at home, what he loves most about creating family rituals, their adoption journey, how he ended up donating a kidney to his inspiring sister, and the simplest/most genius path to being able to communicate with our kids. The interview portion of this episode originally released January 2016. xx Ellie Knaus Check out our New York travel pics on Instagram: @atomicmoms Subscribe to our newsletter on atomicmoms.com for my "mommy brain" crib notes. Twitter: @atomicmoms Facebook: search "Atomic Moms"

Joe Newman grew up with the labels: ADHD and "problem child". Now as parenting expert and author of "Raising Lions: The Art of Compassionate Discipline," he guides parents and teachers in supporting strong-willed children. Newman promises "Firm boundaries make happy, more relaxed children." In this #AtomicMoms, mom-pal Marie Horrigan and I celebrate our children's ferocity while we learn how to create firm boundaries, how to "stay on their side" while handling impulsive or inappropriate behavior, and how we can "shift from opponent to coach". If that's not enough, Joe also explains why I no longer need to ask my child to say "I'm sorry." Listen to find out why. Support for this episode comes from SPEAKABOOS.COM, a digital library for children ages 2-6. Use the code ATOMIC for your free trial! x Ellie Knaus, Atomic Moms mom-in-chief Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Show notes and join our newsletter on AtomicMoms.com Find us on social media: Facebook "Atomic Moms", Instagram @AtomicMoms, and Twitter @AtomicMoms.

Who has a Halloween candy hangover? (I do!) Today I share a special announcement and also revisit the most mind-blowing birth story I've ever heard. Guest MARIE HORRIGAN takes #AtomicMoms friends Deanna Russo, Bridget Moloney-Sinclair, and me on a totally wild, completely unexpected, and super empowering birth journey that has changed the way Marie looks at parenting and the world at large. What makes this story extra special is how vastly different it is from her first birth experience. On Atomic Moms, we celebrate the good times and hold space for the difficult times. And we are honored Marie chose to share her "comeback birth" with us. Again, it will BLOW YOUR MIND. xx Ellie Knaus Dont forget to subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Twitter/Instagram: @atomicmoms and Facebook "Atomic Moms"

We’re discussing race: how we can talk about it with our kids and how we can talk about it with each other as mothers. Guest VANESSA BADEN KELLY and host Ellie Knaus discuss color blindness, beauty standards, modern day segregation, diversity in the classroom, code-switching, mom groups, and Vanessa's concerns about the challenges her son will face as a young black man in America. Vanessa is a new mama, community organizer, television/film actress/writer, and one busy woman. Her bio reads: As a community organizer she has worked with Community Coalition, Brave New Films, the Center for Health Environment and Justice, and Obama for America (2008). Vanessa trains organizers for the Children’s Defense Fund’s YALT initiative, and is one of the original members of the Dream Defenders. She also serves as a consultant for the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Currently she works on the new Netflix Original series Ozark (2017). Support for this episode comes from Speakaboos.com, a digital library for children ages 2-6. Use the code ATOMIC for your free trial! Subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms Show notes on AtomicMoms.com

Rev. Faith Fowler is a real life hero. Best-selling author Mitch Albom (“Tuesdays With Morrie”) shares that Fowler is “…the most important currency of our city, a loving, egoless, inspiring leader who doesn’t see color, doesn’t see class, who looks at our poorest, most neglected citizens and sees only hope and opportunity. And humor.” She cares for and empowers thousands, including homeless mothers and children. In this episode, we talk to this fierce champion of ALL HUMANS about race, breaking the poverty cycle, addiction, her non-profit entrepreneurial projects including Tiny Homes. We chat about why she goes "tire hunting", how can we be most effective with our talents, and she answers tough questions about parenting. Since Halloween is coming up, you gotta hear Rev. Faith Fowler's brilliant response to protestors (!) at the Cass Community Haunted House. Even when you’ve lost faith, there’s Faith.

100 episodes! Whoa! Thank you for sharing your lives with me. I consider this podcast my weekly moms group. And I thought it would be special this week to call up some of you. It turned out to be more than special. It rocked me in ways that I haven't fully taken in yet. In Episode #100, nine listeners share their parenting lives. We talk about their challenges, their insights, their families, and their favorite Atomic Moms moments. I cannot wait for you to hear what they have to say! We're in good company, listeners. Together, we are the most rocking moms group on the planet. love, Ellie Subscribe on iTUnes.com/AtomicMoms (please leave 5 stars and written review) Please share our website atomicmoms.com on your social media pages! So grateful for this journey we’ve been on together. And looking forward to our next 100 episodes!

Award-winning creative director Jessica Coulter and host Ellie Knaus laugh about play dates gone awry, making mom friends, and surprising details from her pre-baby past (burlesque and NFL cheerleading, what?). This year Coulter was named one of Business Insider's "30 Most Creative Women in Advertising" and we talk about what it's like being a mom-boss in the dude-centric world of advertising. Ellie also gets her to share fantastic mom hacks for getting stuff done and her personal struggle going back to work full-time. Last but not least, we bring our mutual "Hamilton: An American Musical" obsession to a whole new level. Lin-Manuel Miranda would be proud. x Ellie This episode is brought to you by LostMy.Name (you saw that right. There's no ".com" Just LostMy.Name). Don't forget the promo code ATOMIC for 10% off your order. (And so they know you got the message from us.) Free shipping worldwide! Twitter/ Instagram: @atomicmoms Facebook: search for "Atomic Moms" page www.atomicmoms.com Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms And please share with all your mom friends in person and online! Thanks for keeping us thriving! xo Ellie

How can we help a mother who has experienced pregnancy loss? What should we say? What should we not say? Our two special guests devote their lives to the wellness of mothers and have suffered pregnancy loss themselves: clinical psychologist Dr. Jessica Zucker and training midwife Georgina Blanchard. Our first guest Dr. Jessica Zucker specializes in women's reproductive + maternal mental health and serves on the Medical Advisory Council of "Every Mother Counts". She has contributed to PBS’s "This Emotional Life", and started the #IHadAMiscarriage hashtag campaign that went viral. Our second guest Georgina Blanchard is in her final year of Midwifery studies at the Midwifery Education Program at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada. After our conversations, we clear the stage to share Georgina’s exquisite essay “Still Life” published in the Canadian journal “The Walrus", read by her sister, actress Rachel Blanchard with music by Georgina's husband John Showman. October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. We hope this episode helps in some small way. Please share with your mom community. x Ellie Please subscribe on iTunes.com/AtomicMoms! Go to AtomicMoms.com for show notes and more about our guests. Sign up for our newsletter on atomicmoms.com.