Mom's Mental Health: Strengthening Parenthood Through Therapy with @momwell Erica Djossa, PHM-C

Katie Ferraro (0s):

I have a baby Ezra update for you. So that's the little baby seven month old guy. I've been making all of his hundred first foods for baby-led weaning. We're heading into week four. So I can't believe it. He's almost 20 foods in. He's almost 20% of the way to a hundred first foods. And I've been sharing all the different foods that we're making five new foods a week following my five step feeding framework. So I'm actually following my own hundred First Foods daily meal plan making this baby five new foods a week. So I wanna tell you about week four in case you've just gotten started in the last month or so with baby-led weaning or you started and you're feeling stuck, like you just feel like you're feeding the same foods to your baby over and over here are the five new foods that we did in week four from the hundred First Foods daily meal plan.

Katie Ferraro (43s):

This is all part of my Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program. I've been updating the weekly menu and the grocery list, refining the recipes to offer easier and more streamlined ways to make all of these recipes 'cause this should not take a ton of time. And so my goal every week, I'm so proud, I've just been like getting less and less and less and less time on the food prep and making it easier for parents to be able to implement with their babies as well. So week four, new fruit of the week, we're doing banana. You can just do banana strips, the size of your adult pinky finger. Do not feed banana peel to you guys, to your baby. Like you guys, you don't eat bananas with the peel. Please don't offer it to your baby. It's a huge choking hazard. We have a really cool banana, nice, cream recipe that you can do a frozen banana product if your baby's teething. They love these, you do it off of a preloaded spoon or out of an open cup.

Katie Ferraro (1m 26s):

On Tuesday, we have a new vegetable. This week we're gonna be doing beets- personally, not my favorite food. I was like gagging when I was cooking it. So I kinda, my kids were like, mom, the house smells like beets, and I know you hate beets. But we do these balsamic beet strips for babies. They freaking love them even though I think they smell gross. Wednesday new starchy food of the week, we're doing corn. And so for early eaters, we don't do corn on the cob. Corn meal is a great food for your baby. I'm making these polenta strips, but polenta that you buy, the grocery store has way too much salt, but it's so easy to make it home. Then you fry 'em into these little patties and then little finger foods your babies can pick up and they try corn that way. On Thursday, the new protein of the week is chicken. I'm doing my chicken adobo recipe. We've been working on this one for years. Babies love it. Everyone, everyone in my family loves this one too.

Katie Ferraro (2m 7s):

And I hope that baby Ezra likes it as well. And then the new allergenic food of the week that we're gonna do on Friday is pasta. So that's the way that we introduce the baby to the potentially allergenic food wheat. So if you want to follow the same hundred First Foods daily meal plan that we're doing, it's all part of my Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program. I give you the exact sequence of foods to feed as well as have a weekly menu. There's daily recipes, there's a grocery list. I literally took all of the guesswork out of it for you. You can learn how to safely prepare each of the Foods very quickly 'cause I want your baby to eat a hundred foods before turning one. You can follow this exact meal plan. Try all the new foods too when you sign up at babyledweaning.co/program. Again, that's babyledweaning.co/program and I hope to see you there.

Katie Ferraro (2m 51s):

So which foods are not safe for your baby to eat? You guys know I'm usually all about sharing all of the foods that your baby can safely eat, but there are definitely some foods that we steer clear of when starting solid foods. I have a free feeding guide called 15 Foods Never to Feed. That will help you recognize which foods aren't safe. Now most of the foods inside the 15 Foods Never to Feed guide we avoid because they're choking hazards. But I'm providing you with tips on how to modify those foods so they are safe for your baby to eat. You can download the 15 Foods Never to Feed free feeding guide by going to babyledweaning.co/resources.

Katie Ferraro (3m 29s):

Again, that's babyledweaning.co/resources to download your free feeding guide. 15 Foods Never to Feed with the modification tips on how to make those foods safer. Happy feeding.

Erica Djossa (3m 47s):

We are taught societally that mothers are meant to be nurturing and endlessly kind and self-sacrificing and patient and all of these things that when we step into our role and we're sleep deprived and we actually are filled with rage when we see, you know, dishes left in the sink or when baby cries out after we just settled them 30 minutes ago or however, it provokes a lot of shame in mothers because we feel like it is the opposite of what it means to be a good mom.

Katie Ferraro (4m 20s):

Hey there, I'm Katie Ferraro, registered dietitian, college nutrition professor and mom of seven specializing in baby led weaning here on the Baby-Led Weaning Made Easy podcast. I help you strip out all of the noise and nonsense about feeding, leaving you with the confidence and knowledge you need to give your baby a safe start to solid foods using baby-led weaning. Checking in on your mental health today. How are you doing with anxiety, overwhelm, self-care, invisible load? As moms, we are so incredibly unlikely to prioritize ourselves over our babies, our partners, our spouses, or the other obligations of life.

Katie Ferraro (5m 3s):

But today's guest disagrees entirely with that narrative and she thinks we need to do everything within possibility to support moms in their transition to motherhood. My guest's name is Erica Djossa and she's a registered psychotherapist and the founder of Momwell, an online entity that provides educational resources and virtual therapy for moms. Erica is the host of the Momwell podcast where she talks about bridging the gap between expectations and realities of motherhood. Erica covers really unique topics like how to cope with mom rage or rediscovering yourself after motherhood. I was on her podcast recently talking about how to manage anxiety when starting solid foods with your baby. And I was just so taken by her approach and her model that I knew I had to have her on the podcast. Erica and Momwell run a network of licensed therapists who support and do work in the areas of like mom support, partner support, parenting support, relations support.

Katie Ferraro (5m 51s):

She's all about support and in this episode we're talking about why mom's mental health matters. Erica says something really interesting in the interview. She says that that when a mom is well the family is well. And I could not agree more. I also learned a new word from Erica in this interview. Matrescence, it's the adjustment to motherhood that encompasses the changes of becoming a mother with all the new rhythms and routines. Who knew- you learn something new every day. I'm so inspired by Erica's work and what her and her team are doing to support mothers. I hope you enjoy this episode all about mom's mental health and how we can strengthen parenthood through therapy with Erica Joseph from Momwell.

Erica Djossa (6m 31s):

Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to spend time with you again today.

Katie Ferraro (6m 34s):

I know I did when I was on your podcast, I was like, I need you to come back on my podcast. It's been a while since we chatted. I went on your podcast Momwell, we were talking about how to start solid foods and do baby-led weaning without anxiety. It was such a great conversation. Today we're gonna talk about mom's mental health and how therapy can help strengthen the parenthood journey. So before we dive in, could you tell us a little bit about your background? Why did you decide to start Momwell?

Erica Djossa (6m 58s):

Yeah, it's really interesting and one of those really roundabout journeys. I was a licensed therapist, had been in the field for almost a decade working in like a group and family private practice and then I became a mom. And I had three boys back to back in the span of three and a half years and it changed everything, which I mean by comparison to your journey it feels like you know more-

Katie Ferraro (7m 24s):

Being and it's all the same. Once you're outnumbered, you're outnumbered.

Erica Djossa (7m 28s):

Oh it was just wild and and as a therapist I went through my own postpartum depression anxiety after my third probably in retrospect from my first and sort of was untreated and built over time. And I literally help people with anxiety and depression for a living. Like how am I struggling with this and don't know how to pull myself out of it. So I had this, we joke on our team breakdown slash breakthrough where I finally admitted that something was going on. And I needed some support and called my husband sobbing and he came home from work and it was this whole dramatic story that we tell often.

Erica Djossa (8m 8s):

And I ended up starting medication for postpartum depression. I had been through seven years of school, didn't even know maternal mental health was a specialty. So to be somebody who worked with families, works with parents and had all this education still didn't even know that this was a high risk time. I felt really that I had to do something. I felt that I had to, like the general public did not know that we are at such high risk. There is a iceberg ahead for one in five moms who will hit it and who will suffer. And if we don't talk about it, if we don't spread education around it and if we don't have the uniquely trained support to work with moms and parents during this time, then we flounder and we struggle and our family and our children struggle as a result.

Erica Djossa (8m 54s):

So enter Happy as a Mother initially turned Momwell where we are a mom-centered mental health platform to help transition and thrive in motherhood.

Katie Ferraro (9m 4s):

Okay. Tell me about the switch from Happy as a Mother, which I remember you under that handle changing to Momwell. What sparked that transformation?

Erica Djossa (9m 11s):

So I still love Happy as a Mother and everyone's like Oh I love it. Why? It's so fun and witty and and there was a little bit of a grief on our whole team as well 'cause we really loved it. But ultimately what we're trying to build is a household brand, a service for parents that they, you know, get introduced to when they're trying to conceive or pregnant or postpartum and we grow with them throughout their parenting journey. And so when we're talking about raising VC funds and we're talking about integrating with payers and negotiating all these contracts, there is just a level of professionalism and clarity in the our name that was essential and Happy as a Mother was kind of like developed over a glass of wine with some girlfriends when there was no real intentional strategy in place.

Erica Djossa (9m 58s):

So it was kind of our glow up and our grow up in a way that like we're a company now that has some legs and we mean business and we got, we got some deals to close, we got some things to do around here. So it was bittersweet outside.

Katie Ferraro (10m 12s):

I am constantly in awe of all the things that you are doing at one time, like all the juggling analogies that one could make. It's literally you 'cause it's like the VC funding, the integrating with payers doing the social, and we were talking about just kinda the reticence to go onto new platforms but if there are moms that need help, I know that it's your intention that they find you so that they can get the credentialed professional help that they need. So I like the the glow up and the grow up. But I also loved Happy as a Mother but I think Momwell is an amazing brand as well.

Erica Djossa (10m 42s):

Yeah, thank you. I know we all feel that way. And, I will say that like Happy as a Mother was really like in line with my personality and like me the person as the brand where now Momwell is a platform, it is a company and it is a brand unto itself and so there was a refinement there I think that needed to happen and it's, I'm the founder and it'll always be a part of me. And I will be a part of it but there is a little bit of distinction that had to happen too I think as we shift into being a platform I know but I still, I'm gonna keep the sign and like treasure you know, all the Happy as a Mother pieces we had a whole merch line and things back in the day so I'll hold on to all of that.

Katie Ferraro (11m 22s):

So when we first met and were conversing, I love to talking to you about the differences between mothering in the United States and Canada. You're based in Canada at this time, when we were chatting you were sharing your own son's food allergy experience. You guys have been doing oral immunotherapy OIT for his treatment. We're kind of comparing what's available, not available in the US versus Canada. Like how can two countries be so close and yet so far away on some of these things in healthcare when it comes to mental health support? How do the US and Canada differ?

Erica Djossa (11m 50s):

It's really interesting. I have this conversation about the healthcare system all the time 'cause there's pros and cons to both sides of the border. I feel like we've got a system that is like our public health system particularly, which is more like our medical services that is really bogged down and overloaded and it's really hard to get the referrals you need and so it can be really difficult to navigate. But our mental health benefits fall under extended health coverage through employers. Most people have it and they are sort of guaranteed that amount, whether it's 500 a year or 5,000 a year, they are guaranteed that amount with any provider that they opt to go and see.

Erica Djossa (12m 32s):

Whereas in the states you are in-network with your provider and there's only a certain amount of providers who are credentialed to that insurer. So like your, your pool of providers that you can work with becomes a little bit more limited unless you're willing to pay out-of-pocket. And I'm also learning as we're looking to integrate with payers that insurance and, and companies will try their best to not reimburse and will try to get out of covering a lot of different things based on little nuances or however. So it is a constant, it sounds like battle to get the care you need actually covered by your medical provider, and I think mental healthcare can kind of fall in that. It's certainly not a surgery so it's a little less concrete.

Erica Djossa (13m 14s):

It can be offered via teletherapy instead of in person. Is your provider gonna cover that or your your payer your insurance or are they not? Most do now in a post covid world but some you know have clamped down and wanted to reneg some of these codes. So, I think it's a little bit less freedom of movement and yeah just really different systems all around.

Katie Ferraro (13m 48s):

Okay so there are a lot of unforeseen challenges parents experience when raising children. You teach evidence-based workshops that help parents gain the skills to overcome these challenges. What sort of topics are like the most popular or the most frequently asked questions that you as a registered psychotherapist get from parents?

Erica Djossa (14m 4s):

Yeah. So, we talk about a few really key pain points. One of the biggest ones is rage in motherhood. So anger, postpartum rage, feeling extremely angry or having negative emotions about motherhood or about your role. And this is for a few different reasons. We are taught societally that mothers are meant to be nurturing and endlessly kind and self-sacrificing and patient and all of these things that when we step into our role and we're sleep deprived and we actually are filled with rage when we see, you know dishes left in the sink or when baby cries out after we just settled them 30 minutes ago or however it provokes a lot of shame in mothers because we feel like it is the opposite of what it means to be a good mom.

Erica Djossa (14m 59s):

So, we spend a lot of time normalizing anger among other complex and negative emotions about our role and in our role. And another really big one is talking about the invisible and mental load and being the default parent and how that feels and what that looks like for mothers and how to communicate that with their partners. Which also in turn can contribute to a lot of anger and resentment as well. Like if you feel like you are the one that is gluing the entire household together, then of course anger and resentment comes with that as well. So those are just a couple of the of the topics but those are major, major pain points that come up often.

Katie Ferraro (15m 41s):

And so when people work through your workshops there's I would assume a system where they're getting guidance, they're working on things but if the solution isn't there or they just need additional help, then do they get linked in with your therapist? How do they kind of move to the therapy level after they're doing the self-paced trainings?

Erica Djossa (15m 58s):

Yeah, we have a few different ways that people interact with us. So we've got tons of free content, like 200 blog posts and podcast episodes, daily Instagram posts, like endless amounts of like digital and social support that that people interact with. And then if you're looking to build tools and have a deeper understanding, we've got like our workshops and our courses that are self-paced, they're more affordable. They may be for the apprehensive, not sure if we wanna see a therapist, not sure if like if asking for help feels a little bit vulnerable or intimidating, or maybe we just don't think that we are need that or are ready for that right now. And so they can work through self-paced resources and then ultimately if you feel like you're trying all the things or you could just really use a sounding board, a clinician who is trained to help you learn how to implement the skills or to help you troubleshoot why you keep sort of falling into the same pattern over and over again and can't seem to break out of let's say losing our cool or whatever our therapists can step in and and support.

Erica Djossa (17m 9s):

So through postpartum anxiety, depression, rage, invisible load partnership like communication conversations, yeah they really help to just take the knowledge that you'll learn and engaging with the platform and and work with you on how to actually apply it into your life in a way that works for you. And that's when the magic really starts to happen. That's when people really start to see the tangible changes for them.

Katie Ferraro (17m 37s):

So Erica, how do you select therapists at Momwell? What sort of screening process is there?

Erica Djossa (17m 42s):

We interview everybody. Right now, I have a two-part interview process for all the therapists. Lots of different questions and sort of hoops that they jump through. One of the key things that we do look for is like five plus years experience working with this population or clinical experience that they are perinatal mental health certified or trained. We are a specialist platform that understands the nuances that Moms and parents experience adjusting to their new roles and there are many important things that happen in the postpartum period like the hormone fluctuations, the sleep deprivation, the intrusive thoughts that come up that a lot of Moms feel disturbed by or feel scared to talk about like accidentally harming their baby or intentionally doing harm to their baby that they fear if they discuss with their primary doctor or with a therapist that they'll get like reported for or something like there's a lot of shame around them.

Erica Djossa (18m 47s):

Our team of specialists have the the therapy training for understanding all of these nuances that we're nonjudgmental. We are not trigger-happy when it comes to reporting. Like we can put it in context and really understand the nuances. And I feel like that's what sets us apart. A lot of people work with general providers and therapists who do not understand postpartum and all of that life stage and what that means in terms of you know, mom's body and all the identity things happening and the multi-layers that are going on at that time that they miss some important pieces even when it comes to the scary and intrusive thoughts, maybe they misinterpret them or however. So our team of specialists really it's important that we, that we keep them specialists so that they serve moms adequately.

Katie Ferraro (19m 30s):

For someone who has never considered therapy, the idea of talking to a therapist can be scary. So are there any telltale signs or symptoms like how do you know if what you're experiencing is something that you should handle and just work it out on your own, tough it out or as well this is maybe something that I should be talking to a therapist about?

Erica Djossa (19m 48s):

Clinically speaking, if there is something that you are experiencing that is interfering with your daily functioning, then that is a red flag that we need to seek help and intervene. So if we are so anxious that we're housebound and we're not taking baby out of the house, if we are so anxious that only partner can feed baby or only we can feed baby and no one else can come near baby to feed them. Like these types of things that are interfering with our relationships, interfering with our lives and how we would typically move and function before baby are really telltale signs. Now there are other things, common statements that I hear moms say like if you're saying I don't feel like myself, that is a major red flag and it'll often be, you know, told to partners or moms or mother-in-laws.

Erica Djossa (20m 39s):

If we are not feeling like ourself and it's slowly drifting and it's stayed that way for a long time, then that's, that's a red flag for us. If you're saying things like I feel like a burden, I feel like nobody cares about me, my family would be better off without me. If you feel like you can't sleep and your brain is stuck on hypervigilant and you just cannot come down from being very attuned to and like really locked-in on baby and their safety, these are some also some telltale signs. Now the reason that moms will not seek support is because we think that asking for help is a weakness or admitting that we're failing in some way because we've really started to pair this, I should know my baby maternal instinct should come out, this is my role and to ask for help means I suck at it or I'm doing it wrong.

Erica Djossa (21m 34s):

And that is a major barrier that prevents moms from actually seeking support and seeking help, 'cause I think how come I'm failing at this? Everybody seems to be doing it around me and so I just wanted to like put it out there and say hey this is a new role we're learning and we're literally learning it on the job in real time as we're doing it. And to ask for help is to simply say hey, I need more hands or something is going on here that doesn't feel quite right and that is actually the most courageous thing you could do for you and your family. That is not a weakness, that is actually you intervening early and reclaiming your enjoyment in motherhood. If we leave these things undiagnosed and untreated, they can persist for years.

Erica Djossa (22m 17s):

Like if postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety are left untreated, up to 25 to 30% will still experience symptoms at like the three year mark. So it's really important that we do seek help if we find ourselves encountering any of these red flags.

Katie Ferraro (22m 43s):

I love that Momwell offers different types of therapy. So mom support, partner support, parenting support, relations support. But I can imagine that there's a lot of overlap. You're not just a mom, you are likely also someone's partner, you are now someone's parent, you'd like to stay in other relationships. Do you see one therapist for each special area or do the therapists provide assistance with these interlocking parts of the person?

Erica Djossa (23m 8s):

For the most part, the one therapist works with the mom on any of those areas that is of concern to them, with the exception of if it is the couple that wants to come in versus just the individual because an individual therapist relationship is separate from a relationship that we would have as a couple with a different therapist. We like to keep those separate just for confidentiality and lots of other reasons. So really we break it out in that way because maybe I like sailed through postpartum but I hit the twos and these tantrums are throwing me for a loop. Now what I'm really looking for is some parenting support on how to handle my kids' big feelings and also my big feelings and reaction to their big feelings.

Erica Djossa (23m 52s):

So, we position it in different sort of stages of motherhood and from different angles to show that we can offer support throughout your journey. Absolutely postpartum when you're in the trenches and if there's been trauma and there's, you know, we feel like we're really trying to get our footing but also in these other stages and these other challenges of parenthood as well.

Katie Ferraro (24m 11s):

And for the parents who are listening who are like, yeah this is resonating, I am having a particularly hard time adjusting to X or the kind of list of you know, I don't feel like myself, I feel like a burden I I can't sleep 'cause I'm so fixated. If those are things that they're nodding their head yes to, what do you suggest they do as a first step to seek outside help?

Erica Djossa (24m 30s):

We are fee-for-service currently as we work to integrate with payers So, we encourage people to book in a free 15 minute consultation with one of our therapists to see if you know you're a good fit and if talk through what your needs are and if they would be able to support you through them. And if they can't then we also can help you find the services that you do need. And if you are in a situation where you can't pay for out-of-pocket services and you need to look in network, what I will say is you want to look for somebody who has perinatal or maternal mental health training. It is a specialty, there are nuances, and so if what you find you are struggling with is really this adjustment into parenthood and in the postpartum, the hormone shift say identity shifts, all the things that are sort of anchored and tethered to parenthood, look for a specialist who has some additional training in this area because it really does make a world of difference.

Katie Ferraro (25m 30s):

Erica, my goal with our baby-led weaning business is to make force feeding infants by spoon a thing of the past because babies can eat so many more foods on their own than we give them credit for. What do you hope for as the outcome of your life's work with Momwell in the realm of parenthood support?

Erica Djossa (25m 46s):

It's a really interesting question and the first thing that comes to mind for me is moms are tracked while they are pregnant, what every four weeks to three weeks to two weeks to every week to up till baby is born and then baby gets taken over in the care of a doctor or a pediatrician and who in the world cares for mom, right? So, I see us as being the platform that is the provider who cares for mom and the adjustment to motherhood, like a baby was just born and they need a care team and they need providers. A mother was also just born and she has no freaking clue what she's doing and is going to encounter all of these things in her adjustment to motherhood which we call matrescence that we can predict and we know will happen.

Erica Djossa (26m 37s):

She needs support to go on that journey. Somebody who really understands and can help support her through it. So I hope that by the time we are this household brand that we aim to be in this provider for parents. That we are the support system that sees moms through.

Katie Ferraro (26m 54s):

What is the adjustment to motherhood called, is there a term?

Erica Djossa (26m 59s):

Matrescence. Yes it is the becoming of a mother is matrescence and there are five key tasks that are involved in this transition time. Reconciling our expectations we had of parenthood to the reality of our role like reconciling our identity, our relationships. And so there are some really seasonal or sort of things that happen that are universal as we adjust in this role that we can predict and we know can create distress. And if we can be paired up with somebody who can help us along that way, just like a pediatrician's gonna say these are the sleep regressions or these are the milestones or these are the things to be prepared for, look out for, if we have somebody who can care for mom in that same way and say, hey week four to six, you know these are some things that happen and it can be tough but you know what, we're gonna get ahead of it by doing X, Y and Z.

Katie Ferraro (27m 51s):

Like oh my gosh, motherhood milestones. Like you're right, everyone knows all the infant and baby and children milestones but that you have milestones that are going to occur as you become a mother.

Erica Djossa (28m 2s):

Yeah and they're predictable and there's rhythms. Like we know when mom's milk drops, baby blues are gonna set in. Do we talk about that? Do we prepare mom for that when she's sobbing for no reason? Like I remember this story I tell on my own podcast where I was sobbing to my husband 'cause I just wanted pizza. And I had like family staying with us who were cooking all kinds of food that I don't usually eat. And, I was just like, I just want pizza. I'm sobbing. Like weeping because I was like my milk had come in, my hormones had crashed, it was baby blues, and we can anticipate that this will happen for like 80% of women. So being the the support system that helps mom to adjust to her new role emotionally, psychologically, so critically important and we know that children and families fare better when moms do have that support.

Erica Djossa (28m 50s):

So it's an investment in mom but it's an investment in the family also and in the family adjustment as well.

Katie Ferraro (28m 56s):

I was gonna ask you in closing, you know, what are the benefits of therapy but I think you kind of just nailed it there. Are there other benefits you did wanna include or touch on?

Erica Djossa (29m 4s):

It's so interesting, like I really want moms to get to a place where they wanna help themselves for themself and that sometimes is a hard sell. They are so used to their needs coming at the tail end of everybody else's needs that to put themselves first feels very selfish or feels unnatural and is really difficult. So a lot of times we have to talk about the ripple effects that this has on infant mental health, children's mental health, the satisfaction and connection within the relationship in order for moms to sort of see the ripple effects and the impact. But ultimately I want the fact that it meets their needs and helps 'em to be mentally well to be enough but also it does ripple out and it does have an impact on infant mental health, their children and their, their relationship and their family more broadly.

Erica Djossa (29m 58s):

We know that when a mom is well a family is well and it's so critically important that mom has a care team around her.

Katie Ferraro (30m 18s):

I love that- when a mom is well a family is well. That's so true. I, I don't like the word guilt but I used to feel not so great. I felt selfish that I always prioritize working out in the morning like it's the only thing I do for myself but I need to do it first thing or I won't do it. But I also realize that if I, when I do do it, it makes me such a better mom because it makes me be more present. I'm more focused. I have not such a quick temper. Exercise does so many things for me. It's not just for me. I try to tell my family this is actually for you that I need to spend some time away from you this morning exercising. But I found over the time that that makes me a better mom. But it is something I have to do for myself and we've talked so much about this offline, about how parents don't invest, moms especially don't invest in themselves, but I think if we can reframe it, it is you investing in you and you, you should prioritize yourself.

Katie Ferraro (31m 9s):

It's also you investing in your family because as you said, when a mom is well a family as well and so it's not a selfish thing to do to say I need to talk to someone about this. It's the thing that you need to do for your family is that you can be present and show up as a strong force as a mother if you are supported by other people because it is very challenging. And I appreciate you doing so much work to kind of bring down the stigma surrounding therapy. And I just wanted to ask in closing for our audience, like if they wanna learn more, where's the best place to go to learn about your work Erica and also to support your business Momwell?

Erica Djossa (31m 39s):

Thank you. I'd love to just note when it comes to the needs that oftentimes we feel like we have to put our needs in front of our family's needs, like we have to like do this pendulum swing of like well put myself first. I don't even advocate for that. I'm like, can you put your needs on equal playing field as your family's needs? Can they just be equally as important if your child or your partner were going through a mentally difficult time or they were struggling or they weren't feeling like themselves, would you want them to seek support? We're not talking about putting ourselves at the front of the cart here. That feels too threatening. It feels too different from what we're used to doing often.

Erica Djossa (32m 19s):

Let's just put ourselves at the table, let's put our needs as equal. Like let's just sit together and be equal in our needs and priorities as a family and that can sometimes feel like a safer, more approachable place to start. In terms of where to find us, we are sort of Momwell across all platforms. Of course we've got the Momwell podcast, which gets turned into blog posts at Momwell.com. We have have a whole learning center there, Momwell on Instagram and Facebook, kind of Momwell, Momwell all around. Wherever you're looking for us.

Katie Ferraro (32m 50s):

I love it. Well thank you so much for your time and sharing this with us. I think your platform is amazing and you're doing incredible work to help moms everywhere.

Erica Djossa (32m 60s):

Thank you so much for having me and for welcoming me into your community. I really appreciate being here.

Katie Ferraro (33m 6s):

Well, I hope you enjoyed that interview with Erica. I am always so, I'm just so inspired by her, like she has her act together. You guys, she has three boys all super close in age. They're expanding like her business is growing like crazy. She puts out an insane amount of content. I was kind of picking her brain like, how do you do so much? She has some amazing systems. So. I really admire and respect her as a professional, also as a mom, also as an expert. And the work that she's doing to help improve the mental health and the journey to and through parenthood for parents and in particular mothers I think is really admirable. So I'm gonna put all of Erica's resources on the shownotes page for this episode, which you can find at BLWpodcast.com/372. A special thank you to our partners at AirWave Media.

Katie Ferraro (33m 47s):

If you guys like podcasts that feature food and science and using your brain, AirWave has some great podcasts. We're online at BLWpodcast.com. Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you next time. If you're interested in doing baby-led weaning, but you're not exactly sure, like what does that mean? What does it look like? Where do I start? My online program called Baby-Led Weaning with Katie ferraro has everything you need to give your baby a safe start to solid foods and get them to eat over a hundred foods before they turn one. Whether you're terrified of choking or maybe you've started but you feel like you're feeding your baby the same foods over and over 'cause you don't know what to feed next or you're looking for guidance on how to prepare foods safely for your baby's age and stage.

Katie Ferraro (34m 35s):

My program has exactly what you need. There's five hours of concise self-paced video training. You can knock this thing out during nap time this week. You also get access to my hundred First Foods content library so you can see and learn exactly how to prep all of the 100 foods as well as my original 100 days meal plan. I've been refining this program for the last seven years, just today a mom wrote to me and told me that the 100 days meal plan has been a game changer for her busy lifestyle. When you join the program, you also get access to over a hundred phase two combination food recipes. So you're gonna try out the trickier textures, push your baby's palate, and what's cool about these recipes is your whole family will enjoy them. So everything you need to give your baby a safe start to solid foods is inside of the program.

Katie Ferraro (35m 14s):

It's created by me, a registered dietitian who specializes in infant feeding. If you're tired of hunting and pecking around the internet trying to piece this stuff together on your own, I put it all in one convenient place for you. I invite you to check out the Baby-Led Weaning with Katie Ferraro program that's at babyledweaning.co. Again, that website is babyledweaning.co and click on program to learn more.