Episode #6: No One Talks About This Part of Motherhood

Where Abbey and Kayly talk about the hard stuff.
PPD, partnership shifts, and losing yourself a little.

Everyone posts the newborn photos.
No one posts the identity crisis.

Motherhood changes everything — including your relationship — and no one really prepares you for that part.

In this raw and honest conversation, we’re talking about the side of motherhood that stays off Instagram. The mental load. The quiet anxiety. The “high-functioning struggling.”

The guilt that comes with postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety — especially when you wanted this baby.

Because just because you prayed for it doesn’t mean it isn’t exhausting.

We unpack what postpartum really looks like emotionally — from survival mode days where everything gets done but you don’t remember how, to the shame around admitting you’re not okay. We talk about therapy — the misconceptions, the courage it takes to start, and how finding the right therapist can change everything. Healing isn’t weakness. Strong moms still need support.

And then there’s marriage.

We’re diving into how relationships shift after kids — why partnership feels different, why bandwidth shrinks, and why date nights don’t magically fix emotional distance. (Spoiler: conversations do.)

We also talk about identity — grieving the freedom you once had while deeply loving the family you’ve built. Missing parts of your old self doesn’t mean you regret becoming a mom. It means you’re human.

If you’ve ever thought,
“Why does this feel harder than I expected?”
“Why don’t I feel like myself?”
“Why aren’t we connecting like we used to?”

This episode is for you.

You’re not failing at motherhood.
You’re adjusting to becoming someone new.

Chapters

• 00:00 Challenges of Postpartum
• 15:10 Postpartum Struggles and Relationship Challenges
• 22:11 Identity Shift as a Parent
• 31:46 Finding Joy in Challenging Situations
• 38:43 The Importance of Support and Community
• 46:44 Relationship Dynamics After Having Children

Welcome back to The Good Shift, where we heal… but first we expose ourselves.

Abbey and Kayly unpack the petty things we’ve done in relationships, the texts we almost sent, and the group chats that tried to save us from ourselves. From “accidentally” liking old photos to drafting paragraphs we absolutely should’ve left in the notes app — nothing is off limits.

We talk about:

• The pettiest thing we’ve done (and almost done)
• The friend who always says “Stand up.”
• The delusional defender in the group chat
• The silent friend who sends one devastating sentence
• Why if three women say he’s weird… he’s weird

And yes — we play “Should She Text Him?”
He liked your story at 1:47am.
He said “I’ve changed.”
He posted “protect your peace” after causing chaos.
He replied “lol” to a paragraph.

Immediate answers. No mercy.

But beneath the jokes is something real.

Because sometimes “closure” is code for wanting one more reaction.
Sometimes the group chat isn’t messy — it’s unpaid security.
And sometimes peace feels better than proving a point.

If your group chat says don’t do it… don’t do it.

Life Didn’t Get Easier — You Got Different

We’ve all heard it: “Life gets easier.”

But… does it?

In this episode, Abbey and Kayly unpack the myth that adulthood magically smooths everything out — and why that narrative can feel comforting, hopeful… and wildly misleading.

From wishing we never had to grow up to realizing we are now the “Rugrats parents age,” this conversation moves between humor and honesty as we explore what actually changes over time.

If we were 17 right now, what would feel heavier?
Social media visibility that never turns off.
Identity pressure.
Academic anxiety.

Different age. Same insecurity.

We talk about how minimizing emotions — at any age — delays growth. Why teens shut down when they feel dismissed. Why adults feel invisible under pressure. And how gratitude doesn’t cancel out exhaustion.

Because maybe life doesn’t get easier.

This episode is for the teenager who feels too sensitive and the adult who feels too tired. For the woman who pivoted four times. For the one carrying more than she expected. For the one unlearning timelines, perfection, control, and guilt.

You’re not failing.
You’re evolving.

The good shift isn’t ease. It’s evolution.