Hey friends! In this episode, I reflect and wrap up season 3: the guests, stats,  memories, and shout-outs to our patrons and supportersI also share some fun facts about me (Brittany), your host and some challenges I've had behind the scenes of this podcast. Listen in to a few funny bloopers at the end. Thank you so much to everyone who has listened and supported this podcast in seasons 1, 2, and 3. I am taking a much needed break from the podcast for the time being and am not sure when I will resume interviews and episodes. In the meantime, catch up on episodes you have missed--there are over 60!If you have any questions or would like to communicate with me, please contact me at brittanyameng@gmail.com Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Erin Eileen Leigh is married to her college sweetheart, and she is the proud mother of three sons and one daughter. She practiced health care law for over ten years before becoming a stay at home mom.  She published her first book earlier this year: Navigating the Newborn Months and Beyond: A Mother's Guide to Routine, Sleep, Fussiness and Self-Care and is also a contributing writer for Her View From Home, Motherly, and Motherzing magazine.Erin and I talk all things postpartum in this episode, the period directly after you have a baby, and what a transformative and often challenging period that can be. We share our stories, difficulties, what boosted and shattered our confidence, and our best advice for new moms in navigating postpartum life. Find Erin's book here!Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Whitney Fleming is a mom of three teen girls and married to one of the most patient men on Earth.  She is the co-manager of the popular blog Parenting Teens and Tweens, and writes musings on her Facebook and Instagram at Whitney Fleming Writes.  She brings an authentic and realistic voice to topics such as marriage, mid-life, and mental health, and believes being vulnerable and sharing your story is the most powerful way we can help others.Whitney and I dive into all things raising teens in this episode! The teenage years can be a huge transition for mothers and can leave us feeling like we are in the goop all over again, wondering who we are as women and who we are becoming as our kids grow up. We talk about transitions and vulnerability, the power of going first, feeling lonely and trying to find community during the teen years, growing into new versions of ourselves, and growth as women even as our children begin their journey out of the home. Beautiful, honest, and encouraging conversation. Don't miss this (even if you aren't in the teen years yet!)Find Whitney here:  www.parentingteensandtweens.com Whitney Fleming WritesSupport the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Jillian Benfield is a former news anchor and reporter with a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. She and her husband got the surprise of their life when they found out their unborn son was rockin' an extra chromosome- also known as Down syndrome. Jillian's writings about living an unexpected life have been featured on Good Morning American, The Today Show and Her View From Home.  We dive deep into Jillian's story of the Unexpected: losing her career in TV after a military move; a surprise pregnancy and Down Syndrome diagnosis for her son, Anderson; and other unexpected left turns in her story of motherhood. During our conversation, she shares her wisdom and faith with honesty, thoughtfulness, and authenticity. Jillian shares how she felt bitter and stuck and how she found her light and hope again in life. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed speaking to her! Find Jillian here:WebsiteFacebookInstagramBuy here book here  Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Got 5 minutes? This is the perfect "I see you" moment for your Monday morning.This chapter, When you can't embrace it, is an excerpt from my audiobook Unexpected: Learning to love your unpredictable story. For this month, anyone who signs up to be a $3 patron on Patreon will received a free Audible download of the whole book. If you become a $5 patron, I will send you a signed hard copy of the book.  Thanks for listening! If you’d like to receive an audio version of my book or a hardcopy, please visit patreon.com/themotherhoodmetamorphosisAbout Unexpected: Learning to love your unpredictable storyAre  you going through the unexpected right now, this very moment?  I've been  there too: From an unexpected twin  pregnancy;  Autism and ADHD diagnoses for my sons; a devastating  miscarriage; the  loss of my career; dealing with depression and  anxiety; being a  military wife, and so much more. With honesty and  compassion, I  explores themes such as grief, anger, rest, waiting,  community,  patience, supporting others through difficult circumstances,  and loving  others when it is hard.  Each chapter contains a  brief reading, scripture  to meditate on, and challenge questions to  ponder, pray over, journal  about, or discuss in a group. My hope and  prayer is that as you are  going through this unexpected season, my  story will encourage you and  provide comfort and support as you bravely  walk this unfamiliar path.NOTE:  I write about my faith so this book may not speak to you in your  personal journey. However, I strive to be inclusive and encouraging (and  NOT preachy) and women who are not Christians have enjoyed reading it  as well. Thanks for listening! If you’d like to receive an audio version of my book or a hardcopy, please visit patreon.com/themotherhoodmetamorphosisSupport the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Shannon Brescher Shea is a writer, environmental activist, and mom of two awesome kids who are obsessed with rabbits and elephants. She lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington D.C.Shannon and I have a delightful conversation about parenting and being green. She raised the question, "When does being green conflict with being a good parent? Why does nobody else struggle with this except for me??" Um, Me. ::raises hand:: I struggle with this. I love Shannon's enthusiasm, joyfulness, passion, creativity, and practical ideas. Most of all, though, I love that she is all about assuaging the guilt that we often feel as moms, whether it be mom guilt or green guilt. Don't miss this episode! It's a good one. Check out Shannon's book here: Growing Sustainable Together: Practical Resources for Raising Kind, Engaged, Resilient Shannon's blog: We'll eat you up we love you soSupport the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

CW: Discussion of miscarriage April Leiffer Henry is the owner and founder of Pregnancy & Birth Stories, a company that creates digital content for birth centers, community midwives, lactation consultants, and other health professionals. Since experiencing three miscarriages, April views all of her writing work through the lens of loss, holding space for grief and joy, which often collide during the parenting journey. She and her husband, Mike, have three living children — two sons and one daughter.April and I discuss her journey with secondary infertility, a struggle that may not be familiar to everyone. We explore loss and acceptance, grief and embracing a story that you may not have ever chosen for yourself. We also talk about what to say (and NOT to say) to a friend who may be going through secondary infertility and loss and how to be there for people who are in pain. Sometimes these topics are hard, but there is beautiful growth, both inner and outer, that happens when we educate ourselves and learn how to practice compassion in new and heartfelt ways. Find April here: https://pregnancyandbirthstories.com/  Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Brianne Edwards is the author of A Thousand Pounds. She is also a wife, mother of six, physician assistant, and founder of Lach's Legacy, a nonprofit created in memory of her son.Losing a baby to SIDS is a heavy topic but my conversation with Brianne is embracing, loving, and full of practical wisdom and hope. So many parents have walked the path of loss: this conversation is for you. Many of us will know someone who has lost a child or baby: this conversation is for you too. We talk about the practical ways to support someone who is in deep pain. Brianne narrates her story of losing her son Lach and how she began to live again afterwards, including how she began  her nonprofit to support others who were walking the same path she has. I hope this podcast encourages you as much as it encouraged me. Find Brianne's book, A Thousand Pounds, here Find Brianne here: https://www.lachslegacy.org/FacebookInstagramSupport the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Esther and Sarah are mother and daughter and just decided this week that they make a great team. Whether it’s preparing flowers for a wedding; organizing one of their spaces; figuring out how to be better women and moms in a culture that is confusing, exciting, and needs lots of healing; or writing on their blogs processing their own struggles and strengths. They love being mom and daughter, but they even more love now being friends. They could not have picked better people to spend their lives with.As moms, we always want to do our best and we often wonder if we are doing things “right” in motherhood. The truth is, we are going to make mistakes as moms, and sometimes we don’t see the consequence of our mistakes until many years down the road. I asked Esther and Sarah to come on the podcast to talk about their mother/daughter relationship, second chances, and laying a new foundation when we realize that our motherhood choices may not have produced the relationship we want with our kids.  Resources: Boundaries Book Find Esther on FB and IG at Moms of BigsPodcast: Deconstructing MamasSupport the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Are  you going through the unexpected right now, this very moment?  I've been  there too: From an unexpected twin  pregnancy;  Autism and ADHD diagnoses for my sons; a devastating  miscarriage; the  loss of my career; dealing with depression and  anxiety; being a  military wife, and so much more. With honesty and  compassion, I  explores themes such as grief, anger, rest, waiting,  community,  patience, supporting others through difficult circumstances,  and loving  others when it is hard.  Each chapter contains a  brief reading, scripture  to meditate on, and challenge questions to  ponder, pray over, journal  about, or discuss in a group. My hope and  prayer is that as you are  going through this unexpected season, my  story will encourage you and  provide comfort and support as you bravely  walk this unfamiliar path.NOTE:  I write about my faith so this book may not speak to you in your  personal journey. However, I strive to be inclusive and encouraging (and  NOT preachy) and women who are not Christians have enjoyed reading it  as well.This is an excerpt from my audiobook Unexpected: Learning to love your unpredictable story. For this month, anyone who signs up to be a $3 patron on Patreon will received a free Audible download of the whole book. If you become a $5 patron, I will send you a signed hard copy of the book.  Thanks for listening! If you’d like to receive an audio version of my book or a hardcopy, please visit patreon.com/themotherhoodmetamorphosis Regular interview episodes will be back Jan 2, 2023! Thanks for supporting this show!Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

For listeners who would like to listen to the whole story in one sitting, here it is! It is broken into parts 1, 2, & 3 but there's no need to wait or switch to a new episode with this one. Mary's Story: A Birth Story is a special Christmas series on the Motherhood Metamorphosis. I’m your host, Brittany Meng, and this week, I’ll be reading my fictional account of what I think the first Christmas may have looked like, if Mary had written down her birth story for all of us to read.  I wrote this story in 2017, though it had been in my mind since my youngest son Elijah was born in 2014. His birthday is just 2 days before Christmas and while I was pregnant with him, I just couldn’t help but think about Mary, about what it must have been like for her—as a woman—to give birth to Jesus. What did she feel? How did the birth go? Did she really give birth in a dark, cold barn, surrounded by animal with only Joseph to assist?  This is a work of fiction but it is based on the Biblical accounts in Mathew and Luke, as well as a lot of research I did on ancient middle eastern culture and hospitality practices and really came up with a different narrative than the one that we’re so used to seeing in our modern Christmas culture where Mary is this pristine, clean, unruffled person dressed in blue and white, with no hint of a belly with her arms crossed over her chest kneeling beside a wooden manger.  So this is quite a different Christmas story than you may have heard before, or that has been portrayed in our culture through paintings, Christmas songs, and nativity scenes. But I hope that this un-sanitized, real, and authentic birth story will inspire you to view not only Mary in a new way, but your own motherhood as well as you move through your own metamorphosis and spiritual journey.  So welcome to Mary’s StoryBy Brittany MengHave a happy holiday, everyone! Regular episodes will resume on January 2, 2023Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Welcome to Part 3, the final episode, of Mary's Story, a special Christmas series on the Motherhood Metamorphosis. I’m your host, Brittany Meng, and this week, I’ll be reading my fictional account of what I think the first Christmas may have looked like, if Mary had written down her birth story for all of us to read. Have a happy holiday, everyone! Regular episodes will resume on January 2, 2023Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Welcome to Part 2 of Mary's Story, a 3 part special episode of the Motherhood Metamorphosis. I’m your host, Brittany Meng, and this week, I’ll be reading my fictional account of what I think the first Christmas may have looked like, if Mary had written down her birth story for all of us to read. Have a happy holiday, everyone! Regular episodes will resume on January 2, 2023Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Welcome to this special episode of the Motherhood Metamorphosis.  This week, I’ll be reading my fictional account of what I think the first Christmas may have looked like, if Mary had written down her birth story for all of us to read.  I wrote this 3 part story in 2017, though it had been in my mind since my youngest son Elijah was born in 2014. His birthday is just 2 days before Christmas and while I was pregnant with him, I just couldn’t help but think about Mary, about what it must have been like for her—as a woman—to give birth to Jesus. What did she feel? How did the birth go? Did she really give birth in a dark, cold barn, surrounded by animal with only Joseph to assist?  This is a work of fiction but it is based on the Biblical accounts in Mathew and Luke, as well as a lot of research I did on ancient middle eastern culture and hospitality practices and really came up with a different narrative than the one that we’re so used to seeing in our modern Christmas culture, where Mary is this pristine, clean, unruffled person dressed in blue and white, with no hint of a belly with her arms crossed over her chest kneeling beside a wooden manger.  So this is quite a different Christmas story than you may have heard before, or that has been portrayed in our culture through paintings, Christmas songs, and nativity scenes. But I hope that this un-sanitized, real, and authentic birth story will inspire you to view not only Mary in a new way, but your own motherhood as well as you move through your own metamorphosis and spiritual journey. So welcome to Part 1 of Mary’s StoryBy Brittany Meng(If you just can't wait for the next installment, you can read the rest of the story here)Have a happy holiday, everyone! Regular episodes will resume on January 2, 2023Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Lisi Lopez is a mother to three incredible kids and a wife to her college sweetheart. She worked as an industrial engineer before her middle son was born with Down Syndrome and she was promoted to 'stay-at-home mom'. She has now been figuring out the journey of motherhood and enjoying all its fun surprises. In this episode, Lisi shares how she learned that she was going to have a baby with Down Syndrome and how her son changed her life. She shares her fears and challenges as well as when she knew things were going to be okay. Lisi is a beautiful advocate for her son and all people with Down Syndrome. This is a wonderful, educational conversation full of honesty and hope. Visit Lisi's advocate Instagram account for her son, @ourextraluckyworld and a blog https://ourextraluckyworld.wixsite.com/blog. Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Emily Solberg is a writer, soldier, military spouse, mom of two, and fierce advocate of women supporting women. The goal of her writing is to help others feel less alone in their parenting journeys, and she isn’t afraid to share the hard parts of her own. You can find more from her over on Facebook and Instagram at Shower Arguments with Emily Solberg.Emily and I talk about her journey as a military spouse and mom and how the intensity of parenthood increases when you are the default parent. She discusses the tough decisions she and her husband have made for both career and mental health and the good and hard consequence of those decisions. Emily offers honesty and hope in sharing her story of strength and resilience in a difficult lifestyle. This conversation is real and vulnerable and is for anyone in the trenches of all-consuming parenthood, whether you are a military spouse or not. Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Sara Springer is an aspiring writer, mental health advocate, and mom to 5. She is co-founder to Love Will Foundation; a grass roots non-profit organization that offers financial assistance for counseling services in St. Louis, MO.  During the day she works as a nurse practitioner and in her spare time she blogs under the name Rebel Housewife. I LOVE this conversation with Sara! We tackle the holiday pressure to be and do "all the things" as mom and how it can be absolutely crazy making and exhausting. We share our experiences, mess-ups, and things we've found that bring us joy during this season as moms of five kids each. We hope that this conversation can give you permission to say no to what makes you crazy, say yes to what brings you joy, and a deep breath to embrace your personal peace and sanity during this holiday season. Remember: You are a person in your family who deserves to have peace and joy at the holidays too. Do not miss this episode!This episode is sponsored by wellness coach Melissa Davis. Melissa specializes inWeight managementStress managementSleep hygieneNutrition coachingVirtual supportContact her at m.davis.cpt@gmail.com for your FREE 30 minute session!Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

I had a beautiful, curated solo episode planned for you...in my head. But life is happening here in full force and I'm exhausted. So, for the solo episode today, I present to you "What's on my mind Monday", a 25 minute podcast on self care, meaningful work, what makes your heart come alive, and accepting help with stories and encouragement from me, Brittany Meng. To listen to the whole episode, click here! (The password is Monday)My favorite tension release yoga routinePS. Today is episode FIFTY for The Motherhood Metamorphosis! Let's celebrate!! Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Kelly is privileged to be stepmom to two amazing kids and biological mom to twins.  She’s a post-secondary housing professional that’s taken her passionate approach to parenting into her work.  In her downtime she loves adventuring and experiencing the beauty of the West Coast Island her family calls home.zKelly and I dive deep into the delightful and challenging journey of having twins! We both share our amazing and hilarious stories of how we found out we were having twins, as well as the unique  and sometimes difficult aspects of preserving the twin bond while also promoting individuality. We also discuss how having twins has shaped our hearts and priorities as mothers and women. If you have twins or have ever been curious about what it is like to parent twins, I hope you will find this conversation as wonderful as we did. Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee

Amy Cirksena is a freelancer and single mother living in Maryland  A self-proclaimed watermelon slicing expert- and firm believer that coffee is its own food group - when she isn't spending time chasing around her two bubbly little boys she can be found writing about love, grief, and renewed hope. Her articles can be found on Still Standing Magazine and Her View From Home. Amy and I talk about the challenging path of going through a divorce with young children and how this journey has transformed her as a mother and woman. We discuss the hardships, grief, things she didn't expect, and how she's reclaiming her joy. This episode is sponsored by wellness coach Melissa Davis. Melissa specializes inWeight managementStress managementSleep hygiene Nutrition coachingVirtual supportContact her at m.davis.cpt@gmail.com for your FREE 30 minute session! Support the showI’d love to hear your thoughts! leave a comment below or head over to the podcast Facebook page and leave a comment there. Your words encourage me so much. Support the podcast here on Patreon and Buy Me a Coffee