Motherhood Q&A: Finding Yourself After Baby and New Mom Anxiety

Pursuit of Wellness

Mari Llewellyn & Pursuit Network

Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Nutrition, Fitness

4.7 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2026

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Being a new mom is beautiful and messy and sometimes completely overwhelming. In this episode, I'm getting real about the mental side of early motherhood. From the fear of driving Cai alone for the first time to pulling over on the side of the road in downtown Austin while he screamed, I'm sharing the moments that knocked my confidence and the small wins that slowly built it back up. I talk about the pressure I put on myself to get out of the house, the guilt I feel when I take time for myself, and how hard it is not to compare my experience to what I see other moms doing on social media. I also open up about the resentment I didn't expect to feel toward Greg, the biological differences that hit you like a truck postpartum, and why I had to learn to accept that our roles just aren't the same. We're also diving into the little things that are helping me feel more like myself again, working out three times a week, going to baby music class, saying yes to outings even when they scare me, and reminding myself that every rep counts. I answer your questions about formula, sleep routines, guilt, and how I'm handling Cai's fussy moments without losing my mind. This episode is honest, unfiltered, and full of the stuff I wish someone had told me before becoming a mom. If you're postpartum, struggling, or just trying to find your footing in this new identity, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone and that it's okay to still be figuring it all out. _____ Leave Me a Message click here! (https://sayhi.chat/pursuitofwellness) For Mari's Instagram click here! (https://www.instagram.com/marillewellyn/?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU%3D) For Pursuit of Wellness Podcast's Instagram click here! (https://www.instagram.com/pursuitofwellnesspodcast/) For Mari's Newsletter click here! (https://marillewellyn.com/) For Mari's TikTok click here! (https://www.tiktok.com/@marillewellyn?lang=en) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	And when we first got home, I kind of set a challenge for myself and said, okay, each week I want to check something new off the list and do something that scares me.
0:09.4	And it's really hard not to unless you fully log off the app, but you end up comparing your experience or your baby to other parents and babies.
0:19.9	It's like the first time in your life where you're like,
0:22.2	wow, we are so biologically different. I tried to time it as perfectly as I could, but it
0:28.1	ended up being right at the beginning of a nap time. I start freaking out. I call Greg. I'm like,
0:32.6	this is a disaster. He's screaming. I can't even hear Greg because Kai's screaming so loud.
0:37.8	This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Marie Llewellyn.
0:45.6	Hi guys. Welcome back to the pursuit of wellness. Today we're just going to have a casual chat
0:52.3	about motherhood and mental health and kind of like
0:56.3	things I've been doing to inch back into normalcy, maybe not full normalcy, but into like
1:04.1	my new life, my new identity and things that are making me feel good. That can be a tough challenge when you are postpartum.
1:13.2	I think finding yourself and getting out of your baby bubble can be really challenging and
1:19.7	like scary. And I've kind of been pushing myself and getting some reps in to kind of get more comfortable going out with the baby,
1:31.5	kind of embracing this new lifestyle. And I wanted to talk about it because it's been something
1:36.8	that has had like a big impact on me lately. And just kind of share some of the things that
1:42.6	have been making me feel good right now and
1:44.3	maybe it will be inspiring if you're a new mom or i don't know if you can relate in some way one thing
1:51.1	someone said to me with having a baby is that it really is about just getting in the reps and the more
1:57.5	you do it and the more you challenge yourself, the easier it becomes. So, for example,
2:04.2	I was terrified to drive Kai for the first time. And that might sound crazy if you don't have a
2:10.0	baby. But driving with the baby by yourself is really scary. You, first of all, they're like
2:17.4	these precious, perfect, it's like your heart
	...

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