In this episode, Jacqueline Baird speaks on the gratitude perspective in motherhood and her intentions to create a gratitude journal geared towards women dealing with infertility. She further welcomes Catherine O'Brien, a licensed marriage and family therapist with a focus on the transition to parenthood. Catherine shares insights on sharing the mental load of parenting, relationship dynamics after having a child, and the importance of offloading the feelings of overwhelm for the sake of personal and marital health. She highlights a spreadsheet available on her website as a tool for managing the mental load. They both emphasize the importance of parents doing what works best for them and their family, and not pressuring themselves to adhere to societal expectations.•  Join the Motherhood Intended Community•  Follow @motherhood_intended on Instagram•  Leave a review for the podcast• Apply to be a guest on the show• Connect with Catherine O'Brien and grab her free organizer!Struggling to conceive? Download this *free* Month-by-Month Roadmap to Your Fertility Success to help you stay calm and focused on your journey to baby.This episode was made possible by the Opensoul app.--> “What’s something good that happened with you today?” 00:00 Introduction and Open Soul App Overview00:56 Welcome to the Motherhood Intended Podcast01:33 The Power of Gratitude in Motherhood04:53 Creating a Gratitude Journal for Infertility Journey06:37 Introducing Guest: Catherine O'Brien07:55 Catherine's Personal Journey to Motherhood19:03 The Mental Load of Motherhood24:17 Balancing Family Responsibilities24:38 The Challenges of Raising Young Children24:59 The Importance of Teamwork in Parenting25:27 The Mental Load of Parenthood25:39 Planning and Scheduling as a Parent26:17 The Evolution of Parenting as Children Grow27:31 The Bittersweet Nature of Parenthood28:18 The Importance of Individuality in Parenting28:59 The Role of Support in Parenting29:22 The Impact of Health Issues on Parenting30:42 The Importance of Letting Go in Parenting37:10 The Different Roles in a Family39:04 The Journey of Writing a Parenting Book41:18 The Importance of Community in Parenting45:51 Conclusion: The Ever-Changing Nature of ParenthoodSupport the showSupport the showIf you're interested in helping give the absolute greatest gift to deserving parents, learn more about becoming a surrogate (and earn up to $650 just for taking the first few simple steps!): share.conceiveabilities.com/hello12