How will sex be impacted after child birth?

Navigating Sex After Childbirth: Insights and Honest Conversations

In this episode of the Milk and Madness podcast, Dee and Nhi delve into the challenging and rarely discussed topic of sex after childbirth. Sharing personal experiences, they talk about the physical recovery post-birth, emotional well-being, and relationship dynamics that may shift during this period.

They emphasize the importance of communication, understanding, and managing expectations with your partner. With a mix of humor and heartfelt advice, they hope to reassure listeners that every journey is unique and it's essential to move at one's own pace. The discussion also covers practical aspects like contraception and the mental load, highlighting that rebuilding intimacy takes time and patience. Tune in to gain insights and reassurances on navigating intimacy after becoming parents.

What we discussed:
00:00 Welcome to the Milk and Madness Podcast

00:20 Navigating Postpartum Intimacy

01:44 Personal Experiences with Postpartum Recovery

03:38 Emotional and Physical Challenges

06:28 The Importance of Communication

14:56 Contraception Considerations

20:01 Maintaining Connection Through Date Nights

20:46 Adapting to Changes in Sex Life

21:05 Balancing Parenthood and Intimacy

21:51 Communication and Emotional Connection

24:20 Navigating Expectations and Pressures

27:06 Supporting Your Partner Post-Birth

29:03 Practical Tips for Reigniting Intimacy

35:03 Understanding Different Arousal Patterns

36:11 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Connect with us:

Email us and let us know how you’re going at contact@milkandmadness.com

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Remember, you’re doing a great job!

With love,

Nhi & Dee

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Navigating Identity Shifts in Parenthood
Will our identities continue to evolve throughout the rest of our lives? Why did we think we were done?

In this episode of the Milk and Madness podcast, we discuss the evolving nature of identity as a parent, how the weight of becoming a parent initially shaped our sense of self and how our children's growth has continually impacted our own identities. The episode emphasises the importance of personal time, self-reflection, and open communication with others, including professional help if needed.

Key takeaways:
Balancing Personal Identity and Parenthood: We often struggle to maintain a sense of self that's distinct from being a parent. While parenting is a crucial and beloved role, it’s vital for us to hold onto the parts of us that aren't entirely defined by motherhood If we don't, it's easy to feel lost or overly dependent on the children's achievements or struggles.
Remember- It’s easy to feel like you’ve lost ourselves when our lives revolve around playdates, school projects, and finding lost socks. But we're still in there somewhere, underneath the layers of sunscreen and baby wipes.

The Emotional Impact of Independence: As our children grow more independent, we might feel a mix of pride and a sense of loss, as our role shifts and diminishes over time. This gradual detachment can hit us hard, making it all the more important to foster our own growth alongside the growth of our children.
As our kids grow and change, so do we. We might start off as the human milk machine or the snack b!@ch, but soon we're the homework helper, career advisor, or the one teaching them how to do laundry (one day!). Each of these new roles comes with its own challenges, but also a chance to rediscover ourselves. Just when we’ve nailed the art of bedtime stories, suddenly we’re fielding questions about the meaning of life or navigating the horrors of teenage social media use. Every new stage they hit is a new stage for us too.

Shifting Identity: Our identity is constantly evolving, especially when intertwined with the ever-changing roles of motherhood. The continuous changes in our children’s development and personal experiences inevitably contribute to ongoing shifts in our identity. Life is dynamic, not static.
Embrace the madness! Our identity will keep evolving, we think of it as a new adventure rather than an identity crisis. When we feel lost, we remind ourselves that everyone’s just making it up as they go along, and that’s okay. Celebrate each new version of yourself—even the ones that wear cereal-stained pyjamas as a badge of honour.

Your kids are not just growing up—they’re growing you up, too.

00:00 Welcome to Milk and Madness

00:20 Exploring Identity in Parenthood

01:17 The Constant Evolution of Identity

02:09 Balancing Personal Identity and Parenthood

03:49 Navigating Identity Shifts with Growing Children

04:34 The Emotional Journey of Identity and Parenthood

18:51 The Role of Partners in Identity Shifts

24:03 Finding Support and Resources

30:30 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with us:

Email us at contact@milkandmadness.com and let us know how you’re doing!

Follow us on:

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Youtube

Remember, you’re doing a great job!

With love,

Nhi & Dee

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Food fights: I don't want to eat that!

In this episode of Milk and Madness, we dive into the complexities of feeding children, especially picky eaters. We'll share our personal experiences and challenges, from dealing with food aversions to creating healthy eating habits. The discussion covers the emotional stress of mealtime, strategies for introducing new foods, the impact of family dynamics, and managing expectations when dining out. We highlight the importance of reducing stress, maintaining a balanced approach, and educating children about food. Let the food fight begin.

Key takeaways:
Fluctuating food preferences:
Ever had your child demolish a dish one day and then think it's the most disgusting thing the next? We have! And unfortunately, its normal. Just like adults, kids' food preferences will evolve (sometimes overnight), which doesn't make it easy for us. It's one of those things where we have to pick our battles and move on.

Exposure, exposure and more exposure:
Kids may need to be exposed to new foods multiple times (10-15, or even more) before they consider trying them. When you think about it, this might be a defense mechanism from the cave days when not all ingredients had been tried and tested and deemed safe to consume. One thing is for certain, it required patience, patience and more patience.

Strategies for Encouraging Eating:
Encouraging kids to try new foods without pressure is important. Techniques like involving them in food preparation, using positive reinforcement, and avoiding special meals just for them can help. However, reducing stress around mealtimes is crucial, as children pick up on parental anxiety.

Brumotactillophobia (Broo-mo-tack-till-oh-FOH-bee-ya):
An irrational fear of different food items touching each other. Its severity can vary from person to person, but in general, it's considered a mild manifestation of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This may explain why your child doesn't like different food items to touch and probably not because you compartmentalised their meals.

00:00 Welcome to the Milk and Madness Podcast

00:19 The Challenges of Feeding Kids

02:14 Personal Experiences with Picky Eaters

08:09 Strategies for Encouraging Kids to Eat

12:53 Educating Kids About Food

14:31 Balancing Autonomy and Nutrition

17:28 Teaching Kids About Sugar

17:54 Encouraging Healthy Eating

18:48 Food Preferences and Environment

19:44 Dealing with Picky Eaters

25:06 The Struggles of Eating Out with Kids

31:01 Managing Stress Around Kids' Eating Habits

32:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with us:

Email us at contact@milkandmadness.com and let us know how you’re doing!

Follow us on:

Instagram

Tiktok

Youtube

Remember, you’re doing a great job!

With love,

Nhi & Dee

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