The Lumpy Mother: Recent Episodes
Natalie Mills & Sarah Stark
The Lumpy Mother is an unapologetically parent-centered podcast that focuses on how parents can show up better for their kids by prioritizing showing up for themselves. The way the show works is each week Natalie and Sarah share a yes, a no, and a hello about their respective parenting journeys or, in other words, they share something good, something bad, and something random. Topics range from coping strategies that help you regulate your emotions during a day of nonstop toddler meltdowns to how many teeth you can expect to lose after pregnancy.
Sarah gives advice about her new trick to finding joy everyday and Natalie complains about some movies that annoy her.
Sarah and Natalie talk about being tired all the time and the distribution of household tasks.
Sarah and Natalie talk about the ongoing lists they keep to not have more children and some of the awkward things kids say loudly in public.
After a (not so relaxing) break, Sarah and Natalie are excited to be back at it again with their 31st episode! In this episode they talk about their holiday seasons and all the changes in their lives! Don't forget to rate, subscribe, and share The Lumpy Mother with someone who might enjoy it!
Sarah and Natalie talk about their favorite children's books in this episode of The Lumpy Mother! If you want to share your favorite books, or have anything else to add to the conversation, you can email The Lumpy Mother at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com.
Sarah talks about co-regulation strategies and Natalie babbles on in an exhausted state about the first week of school. Email us your stories (lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com) and we might read them in our next episode!
It's an After Hours Bedtime Episode, which means the topics covered might not be great for sensitive or young listeners. Sarah and Natalie talk through their birth stories with their firstborns!
Some topics in this episode may not be appropriate for sensitive listeners. In this episode of The Lumpy Mother, Sarah talks about how scary the internet can be for your children and the importance of making smart choices for/with them. Natalie makes an announcement and talks through the preparations they are making! We want to hear from you! Email your funny stories, tips, and fun topic ideas to lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com. Make sure to follow on Instagram and Facebook @lumpymotherpodcast and on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1
On this episode of The Lumpy Mother, Natalie talks about the ups and downs of their trip to the fair this year, and Sarah reveals a new parenting secret she tried (and it worked!) Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, and on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1
It's our 25th episode! Sarah talks about raising your kids to be happy vs. raising them to be resilient. Natalie shares a list of 7 things every kid should hear from their parents. You can email us your thoughts and stories at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com!
Natalie and Sarah talk about being unbelievably lazy and how being a stay at home mom can affect, or even cause, depression.
In this episode of The Lumpy Mother, Sarah and Natalie talk about trying to maintain a positive attitude while parenting and debate the pros and cons of getting pregnant again. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @lumpymotherpodcasts, and on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1. Email us about your parenting wins and fails! Send us your stories to lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com and we might read yours in our next episode!
Natalie and Sarah are mixing things up for the summer! In these new shorter episodes, they will each be covering one topic-whether it's a yes, no, or hello is up to them! In this episode of The Lumpy Mother, Natalie talks about keeping goals for herself outside of motherhood, and Sarah spills some unbelievable facts about moms past and present. Email YOUR yes, no, or hello to lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com, and maybe we'll read your episode! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, and on twitter @lumpymotherpod1.
It's a mini-sode! Natalie and her husband Nick talk through one of the more memorable medical issues they have come across as parents. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, and on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1
Sarah and Natalie talk about summer beach days, being financially dependent, the long game of parenting, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your wins from the week!
Sarah and Natalie talk about becoming more assertive as a parent, a major mom fail, going to prom, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes', no's, or hello's from your week!
Sarah and Natalie talk about Sarah's recent gallbladder surgery, having zero mercy on your kids during board games, mom brain, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with the yes', no's, or hello's from your week. Listen to The Lumpy Mother wherever you get your podcasts, or visit https://lumpymother.captivate.fm
Sarah's gallbladder decided this was it's time to shine, so while she recovers from surgery Natalie's husband, Nick, decided to step in as co-host! Nick and Natalie talk about driving a minivan, the end of the school year, being plant-parents, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. We want to hear from you! Email us your yes' no's, and hello's from the week, or let us know what you thought of this week's episode! Send your stories to lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com, and maybe we'll read them on the next episode. You can listen to this episode of The Lumpy Mother wherever you get your podcasts, or follow this link: https://lumpymother.captivate.fm
Natalie and Sarah have a conversation with Kelsey from @coachingwithkelsey about body image, the death of dieting, and more in this special episode of The Lumpy Mother. We want to hear from you! If you have any thoughts or questions for Kelsey you can email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com.
Natalie and Sarah talk about how comforting Spanx can be, time traveling to meet your ancestors, mom code, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here: https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ (https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
Sarah and Natalie talk about being a sports mom, the struggles of solo parenting, why they believe in saying 'no', and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here: https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ (https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
Natalie and Sarah talk about Natalie's recent backpacking trip, apologizing to your kids, the mental load of being a parent, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here: https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ (https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
In this special edition episode of The Lumpy Mother, Sarah and Natalie talk about breastfeeding. This is the very first Bedtime Afterparty episode, which means a lot of the conversations might not be appropriate for kids! You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here:https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ ( https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
Natalie and Sarah talk about horrible spring break experiences, being constantly interrupted by your kids, being in family photos, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here:https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ ( https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
Natalie and Sarah talk about life insurance, snacking, why kids lie, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here:https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ ( https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
Natalie and Sarah talk about why they don't feel guilty about screen time, short book recommendations, rebranding self care, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Articles mentioned in this episode: https://bit.ly/3u3oNFQ (https://bit.ly/3u3oNFQ), https://bit.ly/3u5cclr (https://bit.ly/3u5cclr), https://bit.ly/3sB4pf0 (https://bit.ly/3sB4pf0), https://bit.ly/2QQL63i (https://bit.ly/2QQL63i), https://bit.ly/3m4OaV1 (https://bit.ly/3m4OaV1). You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Listen to the episode here: https://lumpymother.captivate.fm/ (https://lumpymother.captivate.fm)
Natalie and Sarah talk about recurring nightmares, swearing in front of your kids, their favorite toys as kids, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Resources mentioned this week include the following articles: Let Toys Be Toys: https://bit.ly/315WCth (https://bit.ly/315WCth) How Toys Became Gendered: http://bit.ly/2PiF76u (http://bit.ly/2PiF76u) You Are Enough: http://bit.ly/3rccPry (http://bit.ly/3rccPry) Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Parents: http://bit.ly/3scAklz (http://bit.ly/3scAklz) You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
Sarah and Natalie talk about being a responsible example in front of your kids, loving your body, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Resources mentioned this week include an article and podcast about Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez. The article can be found at http://bit.ly/38J5wBq (http://bit.ly/38J5wBq) and the podcast is Episode 257 from My Favorite Murder. Also mentioned is the Instagram @theworkspaceforchildren You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
It’s The Lumpy Mother: Covid Edition. Because Natalie has Covid-19. Sarah and Natalie talk about sunshine, being sick when you’re a parent, amazing moms from history, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Resources mentioned this week include thewellmomco.com. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
Sarah and Natalie talk about Natalie’s favorite kitchen gadget of all time, the horrible things that happen to your body after you have kids, how hard it is to come face to face with your own emotions, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Resources mentioned this week include the Instagram page @coachingwithkelsey. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
Sarah and Natalie talk about impactful antiracist educators, the importance of date nights, how to disrupt the negative self talk that fills our heads, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Resources mentioned this week include Instagram pages @evolvedteacher, @firstname.basis, @drbeckyathome, and @biglittlefeelings; plus TikTok account @brian_fretwell and the book “What To Say When You Talk To Yourself” by Shad Helmstetter. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
Natalie and Sarah talk about how damaging perfectionism can be, using public restrooms with small children, celebrating the Korean holiday Seollal, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother! Resources mentioned this week include the book Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and Jeff King on TikTok @jkvaluaddr. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast, on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1, and on TikTok @lumpymotherpodcast. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
Sarah and Natalie talk about sleep deprivation, trusting your parental instincts, new fashion trends they are absolutely bitter about, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother. Resources mentioned this week include the Instagram account @drbeckyathome and the podcast Sleep With Me. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast and on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share!
Natalie and Sarah talk through their big and small New Year’s Resolutions, why mornings are the worst, redefining success when you’re a stay at home parent, and more in this episode of The Lumpy Mother! Resources mentioned this week include the Instagram account @coachingwithkelsey You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast and on Twitter @lumpymotherpod1. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes’, no’s, and hello’s, or anything else you might want to share! Transcript: Natalie: Hi, I'm Natalie Mills! Sarah: And I'm Sarah Stark! Natalie: And you are listening to the Lumpy Mother, the podcast where we share the joys and terrors of motherhood. Sarah: We are two best friends and Moms who love learning and laughing together. I have an 8 month old son and a 2 1/2 year old daughter. Natalie: and I have 4 kids, and 8 year old daughter and 3 songs who are 7, 6, and 18 months. Sarah: So, if you fiercely love your kids but also fiercely love when they leave for school in the morning... Natalie: Then you have come to the right space. Sarah: The way this works is that Natalie and I will have a yes, a no, and a hello for the week. Or, in other words, something good, bad, and random that has to do with our week in parenting. Natalie: Sarah and I have a feeling that you will relate to our experiences. Sarah: But if you can't relate, tell us about it! Email us at Lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com! We love to learn and we want to know what you think about the topics we cover. and we just might share it in an episode. Natalie: Every week we want to talk just for a few minutes about the things we talked about in the previous episode as a little update. Sarah do you want to go first this time? Sarah: Yes. So last week my no was about power struggles and the main thing was doing my 2 1/2 year old daughter, Evie's, hair because she hates it! and I want her to have bodily autonomy but yeah, she gets so many things in her hair, so I almost force her every time to put her hair up. Anyway, I've been trying to be more relaxed about that this week. Today, Evie's hair was covered in cream cheese, she had a popsicle so she's sticky. It was really bad. We decided that we're going to cut her hair but I still want to wait because of covid and we don't go anywhere unless we absolutely have to so until then I"m just going to have to play with it or maybe only do her hair when other people come over. Letting go is really hard because it looks bad. She looks so dirty and she just had a bath yesterday. I gave her another bath today...I guess she's just going to have to have more baths. She loves baths, maybe that will mix things up. Natalie: I vote that you just do it in your kitchen with a pair of scissors. Sarah: Gasp Natalie: I cut all of our kids hair and Nick's hair. Sarah: nice, you probably save so much that money that way! I guess I was thinking I wanted her first hair cut to be a picture/video experience. But only one of us can go in with her, so maybe it'd be better with both of us there for the experience. Natalie: I feel like it's just as special of a memory if Mommy does it. Sarah: Yeah and we can save a bunch of her locks. Maybe that's what we'll do. So that's where we are with that. and then for my hello last week I talked about how I tried to escape zip ties based on this guy who is an ex-royal marine that I found on instagram. He does all these escape videos and one of them was escaping zip ties. and I tried it unsuccessfully again. The zip ties were just too heavy duty I think. Well anyway I said he's from the U.K...but he's probably, DUTCH in the USA since his handle is @dutchintheUSA. How about you, Natalie, any rewinds? Natalie: I talked to my Mom and she listened to the episode where I mentioned she was my yes and we laughed about how I followed her around the house. She said you could have just sat down at relaxed. It just feels weird letting...
Natalie and Sarah talk about bad advice for new moms, how to handle it when kids choose a favorite parent, and whether or not our kids (or us) will ever grow out of potty humor. Resources mentioned this week include the Instagram accounts: @drbeckyathome, @biglittlefeelings, @ourmamavillage. You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast or Twitter @Lumpymotherpod1. We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes, no's and hello's, or anything else you might want to share! Welcome and thank you for checking out the first episode of The Lumpy Mother Podcast! The Lumpy Mother is a space where parents can feel less alone in their day-to-day struggles while also learning along with the hosts as they navigate this vigorous undertaking that is parenting. Let's celebrate the joys and terrors of parenthood together while making sure to laugh at ourselves and how ridiculously hard it all is at the same time. Each week, Natalie and Sarah share a yes, no, and a hello about something going on in their parenting experience. In other words, they share something good, something bad, and something random each week. They have a feeling you'll be able to relate to all the ups, downs, twists and turns they discuss. Episode 1 premiere's with Natalie's yes--the advice she gives to a first time parent. Traveling down this path brought with it all the horrible advice Natalie received before she had her first baby. Sleep when the baby sleeps is one such piece of horrible advice. No matter how well meaning this advice may be, it doesn't work! Not to mention, if you sleep when the baby sleeps and are still exhausted (which you will be!) it feels like there is A LOT of room for error. This common piece of bad advice is plain silly when you consider that the only time you CAN sleep is when the baby sleeps. There is also, the common saying floating around social media that accurately represents this advice which states, "fold laundry when the baby folds laundry." A truer rebuttal may yet to be revealed. The best advice Natalie received as a new mom was actually advice that was given to her friend, Nora. Nora's older sister told her she needed to go over every week and clean for Natalie after she became a mom for the first time. Nora fulfilled this and Natalie couldn't have been more thankful, especially since she struggled with postpartum challenges. Taking care and paying attention to your Mental Health is the advice Natalie now believes is the most important to convey to anyone who is about to become a new Mom. Especially when it feels like you're supposed to be happy when you have a new baby, which is certainly not the case when so many things are going on with your body in addition to the mental load that comes along with the unforgiving sleep deprivation and such a major life transition. Natalie also advises not to compare yourself to other moms as a way to protect your mental health after you become a new Mom. It's important to remember that all of our motherhood experiences are unique to our lives and our children. It's impossible to be accurate when comparing yourself to othe Moms and isn't helpful in the least let alone realistic. Sarah weighs in on what advice she provides someone who is about to become a new Mom and suggests being RELENTLESSLY kind to yourself! You don't have to believe the terrible thoughts that may come into your head. Those are thoughts, and you can choose whether or not you believe them. You are not alone in those terrifying thoughts that can come to you during the postpartum period. You are not a bad Mom if you have these thoughts, though it may be a sign, as it was for Sarah who had Postpartum Depression (PPD), that you need to seek help, and that's okay! Everything is going to be okay. Sarah's turn to share her parenting yes of the week. Sarah has been attempting to practice mindfulness. Her understanding of mindfulness is that it can help...
Sarah and Natalie talk about about coping strategies you can use to help you stay calm while your toddler has meltdown after meltdown, survival skills, what happens when your kids sleepwalk, and more in this episode! Resources mentioned this week include: -Survival strategies by @dutchintheusa -Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, found on instagram @dr.tracyd and on the podcast “I am not your shrink” You can also learn more about Dr. Tracy Dalgleish by visiting her website: https://drtracyd.com (https://drtracyd.com) -TikTok account @celinaspookyboo -Tiger Lady retractable self-defense claws: tigerlady.com You can follow Lumpy Mother on Facebook and Instagram @lumpymotherpodcast and Twitter @lumpymotherpod1 We want to hear from you! Email us at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com with your yes’, no’s, and hello’s, or anything else you might want to share! Detailed Show Synopsis: Welcome to the Lumpy Mother! The podcast where we talk about the joys and terrors of motherhood. Natalie and Sarah are two best friends and Moms who love learning and laughing together. Sarah has two kids, an 8 month old son and a 2 1/2 year old daughter and Natalie has 4 kids, an 8 year old daughter and 3 sons who are 7,6, and 18 months. And because they need to remind themselves of this sometimes, Natalie and Sarah are people too! And as a person, Natalie likes to read books, especially ones that aren't about counting elephants or wishing a dump truck good night. She is also passionate about collecting crafting supplies she will probably never use. And Sarah, as a person, enjoys sleeping 8 hours without interruption and values quiet, peaceful mornings sipping hot coffee while reading a book. Oh, and loud, repetitive noises are a personal pet peeve of hers. If you want consolation in the fact that you're not the only parent who is so mentally exhausted you accidentally called a lawn mower a yard vacuum, then you've come to the right space! The way this works is each week, Natalie and Sarah have a yes, a no, and a hello for the week. In other words they will share something good, bad, and something random that happened to them during their week in parenting. They have a feeling you will be able to relate to their experiences! And if you can't relate, they still want to hear from you. Email them at lumpymotherpodcast@gmail.com and tell them what you think about the topics they cover! Natalie and Sarah start of this episode by sharing how they got to know each other and become such good friends. It all started on the 2000s in Northwest Indiana where the two attended the same high school. They had a few mutual friends but did not connect until years later when they randomly ended up working at the same nonprofit together. It was such a special moment. In fact, Sarah still remembers the exact shirt Natalie wore that day. The hosts then go on to update us on the topics they covered in the last episode. Natalie called her mom to gain some reassurance that she didn't always have a hot meal on the table like Natalie remembers. Natalie reflects on why she hates cooking so much and she realized that it is all of the planning and organizing that goes into it. She hates having to plan out what her and her family are going to eat every night. Sarah's rewind takes us back to her discussion of mindfulness in last week's episode. Sarah looked into mindfulness a bit and shares the definition she found online. She learned about mindfulness and emotional regulation from Taylor Study method, a behavior health company (https://blog.taylorstudymethod.com/mindfulness-and-emotional-regulation/ (https://blog.taylorstudymethod.com/mindfulness-and-emotional-regulation/)). According to the Taylor Study method's blog, "Mindfulness can help regulate emotions was suggested by Dr. Ron Siegel’s in his video “The Science of Mindfulness” below. Dr. Siegel, who is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, explains that often our approach to...
Meet Natalie and Sarah, two best friends, moms, and the hosts of The Lumpy Mother, a podcast about the joys and terrors of motherhood. Join them every Tuesday as they laugh about the hiccups that come with parenting, encourage each other through the moments that make them want to hide away, and talk through exactly what it means to be a Lumpy Mother.