In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby zoom in on the partner’s side of the story and talk about all the unknowns of becoming parents. Bobby shares a passage from the book about what it was like to find out Jill was pregnant and realize how much was “up in the air.” Even with some understanding of the birth process, nothing could fully prepare him for what it would actually feel like to step into fatherhood. Together, they unpack why it so often feels like nobody is completely honest about what to expect and why every story you hear still can’t predict your own. They reflect on the swirl of advice from “50 different people,” the gap between head knowledge and lived experience, and the emotional and mental shifts that happen for both parents when a baby enters the picture. If you’ve ever felt unprepared, blindsided, or like you somehow missed a memo everyone else got, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Bobby’s perspective on finding out Jill was pregnant and realizing how much he didn’t know
• Why even good childbirth education and well-meant advice can’t fully prepare you for parenthood
• The unpredictability of pregnancy, birth, and parenting, even when you “know the process”
• How each person’s experience is unique, no matter how many stories they hear ahead of time
• The emotional and mental shifts that come with becoming a parent for both the birthing and non‑birthing partner

You’re not behind because you feel unprepared. You’re just human, stepping into something no one can fully map out for you. If this conversation sounds like your life right now, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community.

If this conversation hit home and you want to stand with moms in a real, practical way, join me for the Hope Is Here 5k. You can walk or run with Team Mama Outspoken, or donate from wherever you are. It’s one simple way to tell moms, “You’re not alone in this.” All the details are at www.mamaoutspoken.com/teammamaoutspoken.

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

In this episode of the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby take aim at a phrase so many moms hear: “You knew what you were signing up for.” Jill shares a powerful passage from her book about why that line hits so hard and why, in reality, most of us had no idea what we were walking into. From postpartum depression, anxiety, and rage to the everyday shock of how much motherhood asks of you, they unpack the myth that moms-to-be “know” what they’re getting into simply because they chose to have a baby. Together, Jill and Bobby talk about the silence around postpartum, the way expectations get shaped by half-truths and highlight reels, and what it would have meant for Jill to have “a Jill” when she was pregnant: someone telling the truth before she stepped into motherhood. If you’ve ever thought, “I should have known better” or “Everyone else seems to be handling this just fine,” this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why “You knew what you were signing up for” is such a harmful, inaccurate phrase
• How Jill’s real experience of postpartum clashed with what she’d been taught to expect
• The lack of honest, detailed conversations about the postpartum period and mental health
• The quiet shame many moms carry when motherhood feels harder than they were led to believe
• Why it’s not your fault if you didn’t “research more” or see it coming
• What it could look like to have more truth-telling voices for pregnant and new moms
• How Jill and Bobby are trying to be that voice now through the podcast, the book, and the Mama Outspoken Village

You didn’t fail because motherhood hit harder than you expected. You weren’t given the full story. If this conversation feels a little too familiar… if you’re walking through pregnancy or postpartum carrying guilt that you “should have known better,” you don’t have to untangle that alone.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community.

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.

If you’re ready to get clear on what you actually want your life and business to look like, come dream it into reality with me here.

If you’re a new or future mama who wants a real work‑from‑home option, the internship that taught me virtual assisting and helped me land my first client is this.

If you’re craving an entrepreneur village where you can build relationships, learn core strategies, and grow a business you own (not one that owns you), you’ll want to check out this.

In this honest return to the Mama Outspoken Podcast, Jill and Bobby share why the show has been on a break and what brought them back to the mic.

They talk about losing Jill’s dad, walking through confusion around a possible miscarriage, and then finding out she is, in fact, pregnant again. Now around halfway through this new pregnancy, Jill opens up about intense symptoms, shifting capacity in her business, and what it’s like to feel the life being “sucked out of her” while people expect her to be glowing and grateful.

Together, Jill and Bobby sit with the questions: “Is it okay to hate being pregnant even when everything goes ‘right’?” and “Why don’t more women talk about the discomfort of pregnancy?” They unpack the pressure to appear joyful, the emotional dissonance of wanting the baby but struggling with the experience, and how grief and pregnancy can collide in the same season. If you’ve ever felt guilty for not loving pregnancy, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why the podcast has been on a break and what’s changed since the last episode
• How Jill is navigating grief over her dad’s passing while carrying a new baby
• The reality of intense pregnancy symptoms: morning sickness, fatigue, insomnia, GERD, and more
• The pressure to “look happy” and glowing while your internal experience feels anything but
• The emotional dissonance of deeply wanting the baby but suffering through pregnancy
• How environment and community shape the pressure to perform joy (in‑person vs virtual life)
• The decision to shift into a once-a-month cadence and release guilt around doing less
• Reassurance that you’re not the only one who doesn’t feel comfortable in their pregnant body

You can be grateful for your baby and miserable in your body. You can be excited and scared. Hopeful and exhausted. Two things can be true at once.

If this conversation feels a little too familiar… if you’re walking through pregnancy or postpartum while also carrying grief, burnout, or a shift in what you’re capable of right now, you don’t have to process that alone.

Explore the Mama Outspoken Resources, and check out postpartumny.org for support and community.

We hope you'll join us next time!
—Jill & Bobby

You are invited to find community with us, check out the Mama Outspoken Village here. To learn more or grab your copy of the book, head here. Remember, you’re not alone in this. One of our favorite resources is the Postpartum Resource Center of New York - you deserve support that sees you.