If You Want To Get Out Of Shame When It Comes to Motherhood, You Should: Take small daily steps to learn how to listen to your own inner wisdom Trust yourself and the process of motherhood Be gentle with yourself   Being a mother is not for the faint of heart. Being responsible for the health, safety, and wellbeing of another human can be overwhelming in the best of times, but when you experience shame and judgment from your community, it can make everything feel impossible.   Releasing Shame and Embarrassment With Bailey Gaddis Bailey Gaddis is the author of Asking for a Pregnant Friend and Feng Shui Mommy. She is passionate about helping new moms address the misunderstanding and taboos around pregnancy and motherhood so that they can enjoy this new journey. Bailey is a childbirth preparation educator, birth doula, hypnotherapist, and regular contributor to various media outlets. She offers women holistic support while providing a space where women can be vulnerable and release the shame and embarrassment that can come from motherhood.   Addressing the Fear of the Unknown A lot of the anxiety that comes from motherhood stems from the fear of the unknown. When women can get quality answers to their questions, Bailey has seen firsthand that their fear is reduced, and their shame around their struggles is met with support.  Everyone under the sun seems to have an opinion about how you should care for your baby. The stress and shame we experience from the external influences pull us away from our intuition and make it difficult for us to trust our instincts. But when you can learn to trust yourself, you will find what works best for your family.   You Hold the Answers Inside of Yourself Rarely will there ever be a perfect answer for any situation, especially when it comes to parenting. But, when you can listen to your inner wisdom, you will most likely be given an intuitive answer that will be the best fit for you and your family. Nothing that you feel, experience, or think during this journey is wrong. This is a wild and complex journey with a lot of challenges, which is why you need to give yourself grace and forgiveness and be gentle with yourself as you navigate this wild, wonderful time. While new motherhood can be scary, it can also be a magical journey with the right support. Are you a new mom, or know someone who is about to become a new mom? Share how Bailey’s tips on motherhood resonated with you in the comments section of the episode page.   Quotes: “I am putting in a lot of work to have that clear emotional slate going into the birth experience, but for the most part, I am so grateful I have so much more knowledge and experience going into it this time around, and I am able to appreciate it more.” (9:16) “It might be really hard, and that is okay.” (15:51) “I really believe all mothers are the experts on their baby. More so than the pediatrician, your mother-in-law, your mother. You know what is best for your baby. But when we are shrouded in that shame and distracted by that shame, it is harder to tap into that wisdom that we innately have.”  (19:04) “Almost always our instincts and our intuition will give us the answer that more often than not is the best one for our unique situation.”  (24:56) “There is a lot of misinformation out there, and it really confuses us and can create a lot of conflict as we navigate this which for a lot of women really is a big piece of mothering.”  (30:50)   In This Episode Why there are so many women who experience shame and fear around pregnancy (10:50) Addressing anxieties and the struggles surrounding postpartum life (14:28) When women typically get more comfortable owning their decisions around their babies (21:14) How to tap into your own innate inner wisdom when you feel like you have lost your path (24:04) The most common questions that women have surrounding breastfeeding, postpartum, and more (26:02)   Resources Mentioned: Use Promo Code ‘drmariza’ for 15% off Organifi’’s