In this episode, Jacqueline speaks on the gratitude perspective in motherhood and her intentions to create a gratitude journal geared towards women dealing with infertility. She further welcomes Catherine O'Brien, a licensed marriage and family therapist with a focus on the transition to parenthood. Catherine shares insights on sharing the mental load of parenting, relationship dynamics after having a child, and the importance of offloading the feelings of overwhelm for the sake of personal and marital health. She highlights a spreadsheet available on her website as a tool for managing the mental load. They both emphasize the importance of parents doing what works best for them and their family, and not pressuring themselves to adhere to societal expectations.

•  Join the Motherhood Intended Community
•  Follow @motherhood_intended on Instagram
•  Leave a review for the podcast
• Apply to be a guest on the show
• Connect with Catherine O'Brien and grab her free organizer!

Struggling to conceive? Download this*free*Month-by-Month Roadmap to Your Fertility Successto help you stay calm and focused on your journey to baby.

This episode was made possible by the Opensoul app.
--> “What’s something good that happened with you today?”

00:00 Introduction and Open Soul App Overview

00:56 Welcome to the Motherhood Intended Podcast

01:33 The Power of Gratitude in Motherhood

04:53 Creating a Gratitude Journal for Infertility Journey

06:37 Introducing Guest: Catherine O'Brien

07:55 Catherine's Personal Journey to Motherhood

19:03 The Mental Load of Motherhood

24:17 Balancing Family Responsibilities

24:38 The Challenges of Raising Young Children

24:59 The Importance of Teamwork in Parenting

25:27 The Mental Load of Parenthood

25:39 Planning and Scheduling as a Parent

26:17 The Evolution of Parenting as Children Grow

27:31 The Bittersweet Nature of Parenthood

28:18 The Importance of Individuality in Parenting

28:59 The Role of Support in Parenting

29:22 The Impact of Health Issues on Parenting

30:42 The Importance of Letting Go in Parenting

37:10 The Different Roles in a Family

39:04 The Journey of Writing a Parenting Book

41:18 The Importance of Community in Parenting

45:51 Conclusion: The Ever-Changing Nature of Parenthood

Support the Show.

If you're interested in helping give the absolute greatest gift to deserving parents, learn more about becoming a surrogate (and earn up to $650 just for taking the first few simple steps!): share.conceiveabilities.com/hello12