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Category: leadership

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Postpartum Tools for Thriving: Maddy’s Favorites

An energized, balanced and happy mom is the most important thing for a baby’s well-being in the early stages. Postpartum is meant to be a time where mom and baby thrive. At no other time (besides pregnancy) does a mother’s care for herself translate so directly into the care she provides for her baby. A mother’s body is doing so much in postpartum to provide for her baby’s health and growth.

It’s a beautiful thing to be able to provide the BEST of nutrition and holistic tools to help postpartum mothers feel their best.

As someone who’s had 5 babies, I can tell you that I’ve had a variety of experiences. All these tools mentioned below are ones I discovered after my first postpartum recovery, which was…rough, to say the least.

At the time, I couldn’t imagine how a mom could enjoy the postpartum time, but with these tools that I have now, I can honestly say that I look forward to and absolutely LOVE the early days. Ideally, there is gentle healing/recovery, adjusting to your baby’s needs, carving out quiet and rest and a safe space for the new addition to flourish and thrive.

Because it’s so foreign to our modern sensibilities to value rest, quiet, stillness, and deep nourishment, it takes intention and planning to make this kind of postpartum lifestyle your reality.

Everything in this list I personally use (some are from my favorite brand partner) and I can vouch for the difference they make–I feel it’s my responsibility to share what’s worked for me & so many of the mommas I support/coach in PP…it is possible & you deserve to thrive at every moment of this fragile & beautiful season with baby!!

Early Postpartum Recovery Tools:

*The Every Mother Early Reclaim program is my absolute favorite. It’s changed my body forever and allows me to recover faster and stronger after each baby I’ve had and return to working out more balanced and whole than before. You can start as early as 1 week postpartum, and it’s 100% safe and doctor approved.

Get 15% of Every Mother when using my referal code MPIDEL15 at this link. You won’t regret it 😉

*Postpartum stretching and body image program. This is something I put together in my 4th postpartum, when it was essential to me to regain balance and a sense of well-being and strength before doing more intense workouts. It connected me to my PP body in new levels of appreciation and love, and I’ll share that with you in a 7 video series that you can easily fit into PP days. These are short videos and stretching guides to help you in the healing process, and to feel amazing.

Postpartum stretching series

Next Level Nutrition for Postpartum

Healing and reducing inflammation

*Vivix is my hands-down favorite for promoting/supporting the healing process in your body.

*Bone broths, and products high in collagen are key for postpartum nutrition

*New Collagen product that I throw into my shakes (after first 40 days) or into soups/yogurt/etc before that. Incredibly important for healing/reshaping your skin

*Alfalfa (also helpful for breastfeeding)…this is one of nature’s supergreens, and you can get it in tablet form…helps with letting go of that oh-so-burdensome water weight & bloating after pregnancy, and also helps with energy levels.

*These are key during first 40 days when your body is doing the bulk of the initial healing work after birth*

For more ideas & inspiration about how to design & live the first 40 days, and the following months of PP, see my new mini course, coming soon…details here.

Nutrition baseline and Energy

*Postnatal depletion is so common and so unfortunate. You’re giving the very best of yourself to baby during pregnancy & if you choose to breastfeed, it just keeps going. You need to replenish after birth with the very best, and that’s been my experience in postpartum. After my first, I found myself dragging, exhausted, it wasn’t just the sleep-less nights. My body really was running on empty. My prenatal (at the time ) wasn’t doing anything for me, it was just expensive pee.

Fast forward to now…I have crazy amounts of energy, and don’t experience that deep fatigue so often associated with postpartum early weeks…I’m careful to rest, and balance with all of the recs here, but in particular, your baseline nutrition is KEY for how you’ll both nourish baby (my infants are off the charts for weight in early weeks ;), my favorite marker)…and yourself!

Nourishment also looks like…

*Doing things that bring you joy each day

*Taking tasks/housework/childcare off your plate & mental load–letting yourself be pampered & cared for the way you’re caring for baby

*Making choices about what you want each day to look like; clear boundaries, rituals that support you & baby, and trusting your intuition.

Here’s my 2 favorite recs. I actually mix & match, doing the meology packs and vitalizer strips alternating since I love both programs immensely & can’t choose one over the other….my meology pack has alot of omegas for example for brain health/mood balancing, and the vitalizer has those oh-so-beautiful combinations of nutrients designed to help mommas thrive and feel better than ever!!

Vitalizer Women: A best-in-class complete pre/postnatal plan with a daily strip you can throw in a diaper bag or take anywhere–it’s simple, comprehensive (80 bio-optimized nutrients from Bs, D’s and vitalea w iron, to a powerful probiotic). You’ll never go back once you start.

Me-ology: (It’s a totally personalized nutrition program where you put in your 3 main health goals and it creates a special nutrition pack just for your needs). I love this one, and it can vary alot in cost based on the goals you have and the supplements included. Play around with it, try it for 30 days, and the nice thing is that you can also adjust the pack as your health goals change, which is common in the 9 months following baby.

If you’re not sure which one to focus on, or have questions when looking at the details, email me hello@maddypidel.com….the meology will also prompt me when you’ve taken the quiz so we can discuss your results 🙂

Digestion

Any mother can tell you–digestion is one of those tricky things after birth and can be the difference between a pleasant & unpleasant first few weeks, as the body re-adjusts, organs move back into proper place, swelling & inflammation go down, and the body’s metabolism & digestion is natural sluggish right after birth when establishing the breastfeeding/milk production routine…

*Optiflora DI–a best-in-class probiotic with 4 strains that are highly studied & proven to work well together for not only gut health (which ties in with mood) but also for immunity boosting–something every new momma needs 😉

*Ez-Gest–digestive enzymes are key for maintaining a proper digestive pace, and especially in PP, these can play a key role when digestion can sometimes be sluggish. Helps break down food that can also keep baby from having tummy upsets (as does optiflora).

Garlic Complex–can be a useful aid; nature’s anti-biotic and helps kill off bad bacteria in the gut (while kombucha can help replace with new positive organisms). I take it on occasion.

Breastfeeding Support

A beautiful gift to baby & incredible for bonding/establishing strong mother-baby connections–but obviously something that isn’t the right choice for everyone, so no judgement. For me…it’s been a cornerstone of establishing my own postpartum rhythms & mood balancing, and is one of the reasons that I’ve defaulted to co-sleeping primarily during the first 3 months when milk production is getting established. Whatever you choose, we all know the whole gamut of leaking/cracked nipples/clogged ducts (ugh), and even breast infections. Here’s what I keep on hand to make breastfeeding as smooth as possible—along with a good quality pump which can help in times of engorgement/clogging when baby isn’t up to the challenge.

*Hydrate/Performance Electrolytes. Staying hydrated while breastfeeding, especially in warmer months, can be challenging. The all night feeding sessions take their toll, and we need electrolytes to replenish, not just water. This is my favorite formula, and I love the lemon lime, mixed with the energizing tea & chia seeds–the ultimate PP midday pick-me-up.

*Alfalfa–helps as a galactagogue (milk increase) but also in my experience, this blend with peppermint helps balance if there’s an oversupply issue…also amazing for baby (obviously, as a super green).

*Lecithin is key for thinning milk/unclogging ducts. This particular one works like a charm for me…take 1-3 when I feel a clogged duct issue & it resolves itself quickly with baby/pumps’ help. No time for that nonsense 😉

*Stress relief complex. Because stress can be tied to milk production, or lack thereof, always good to keep this handy. I rely on it in the early weeks to keep off my “edge” & to help both baby & I relax & enjoy the moments we have.

Sleep!

A good night’s sleep is literally magic for a new mom. And the beauty of these supplements is that they pass through (in small quantities) to baby so you can ensure you’re both getting optimal support for your rest.

PM Recovery–this, along with the epsom salt baths, will be a key piece of your early recovery & reducing soreness in the days/weeks following birth. It serves as a muscle relaxer & sleep inducer (with tart cherry) & I love how effective it is. Don’t do postpartum without it. Designed for athletes, and yes, momma, you’re a super star athlete in PP.

Sleep gummies. These have become a favorite in our household since I began using them right before Nellie–it’s always good to have toddlers & other siblings sleeping well at night too. I LOVE how fast these kick in, and how well they knock you out–without a drowsy side effect if you do end up getting some interruptions to a stretch of sleep.

Gentle Sleep complex. Another formula of various herbs to promote restful sleep. I don’t use it as often as the other 2, but it’s equally effective & can be combined with the others—1 tablet of each 😉

Enjoy those precious hours of sleep…and…for the first 3 months, whenever possible…nap!

Hormone Balancing & moods

A very real part of postpartum life. This can really add a challenging dimension to caring for self, for baby, and for basic life stuff when moods are everywhere…even the basic things can feel overwhelming and then the guilt can set in that we aren’t enjoying this time the way we want to be. Here’s a secret….rest, rest, care for momma’s nutrition & mental well-being & the rest will work itself out. These tools can help ALOT & I start taking them in larger amounts (the GLA) in late pregnancy to help begin the process.

*GLA complex (A miracle worker for postpartum moods). It’s so simple & yet so real…these crucial healthy fats help us as we transition from birth through the first 40 days, and beyond.

*Cal-Mag. Not only does it serve the purpose of providing magnesium but it also gives us that crucial calcium boost (esp if you live dairy free like me).

*Magnesium supplements (there are a bunch on the market…I’ve been happy with these calm gummies, & sometimes give them to my kids too)

*Mood lift complex (St.Johns Wort & natural herbs) can be beneficial if you’re more prone to postpartum depression (I’m more prone to PPA, hence mag & stress relief). If you don’t know, have both on hand, and experiment to see if you can get yourself balanced.

*Epsom salt baths (also serve for purposes of relaxing/better sleep)…when we have a depletion of magnesium, we can experience more mood swings, and more swings towards postpartum anxiety. Take it from me, it’s not a great way to experience life with baby…Here’s the PP bath salts I use for healing & mood & sleep.

*Please don’t construe this as medical advice or taking the place of speaking with a counselor or psychologist if you’re having extreme mood swings or having trouble getting emotional balance in PP. You have every right to seek professional help if things feel too far “off” your normal.

Healthy weight in PP

I don’t like the idea of diets in PP–it’s truly a 4 letter word. We’re focused on deep nourishment & nutrition to balance the body, and supporting digestion….naturally, weight loss will follow. Dieting can also mess with moods/balance (deprivation will trigger anxiety in many mommas with good reason…you and baby need all the healthy nutrition you can summon…) But that also doesn’t mean you can’t care for yourself & lose the “baby weight” in simple, safe & effective ways…

Here’s a few things that can aid in feeling great, providing the best healthy snacks & meals in a pinch when mom has only one hand (but can start a blender)…I have many more tips & suggestions from my many years of baby recoveries & getting back to an ideal weight/fitness level…that I’ll share in my upcoming mini course.

*Life Shake plant protein: a simple & delicious meal replacement. I don’t suggest doing them as meal replacements until after 2.5 months, or when baby is established in feeding routines & their own weight gain…you don’t want to jeopardize baby’s caloric intake 😉 It’s So nice & easy to whip up a shake at lunch time, and depending on what you add in, it can be a nice caloric punch & also a treat, that tastes amazing.

*Metabolic boost: recommended for use after 3 months PP, for similiar reasons as above….establishing milk supply, etc, firmly first.

If weight loss is a priority for momma I do have some healthy programs & tools that I can offer you after a quick consult. I have modifications for a 7 day healthy cleanse that is totally safe for mom & baby, and works great (after first 3 months)…as well as other elements of the 180 program that may be tailored to your specific needs. Email me hello@maddypidel.com, and we’ll chat about how to get you to your ideal weight, without dieting or deprivation or reducing baby’s nutrition/milk supply…

My hope for you, momma, is that postpartum is a time of deep rest, deep grounding in the blessings of this season, of this incredible baby that you’ve been gifted with caring for, and that the bonding time is front & center, along with your own care & well-being. You will need to gather a support team to help you along this journey, and you’ll welcome all forms of next-level care that appear. This list of my favorite things is meant to transform your experience of postpartum, and to share all that I’ve learned and benefitted from in my experiences…(things I wish someone had told me or given me when prepping for my first;))…we all have our own unique experiences, but there are many shared elements of postpartum that mommas can connect about, and support each other with. You’re not alone in what you’re going through.

So here we are, sharing the mom tribe wisdom, and of course, if you have questions or want additional support in your postpartum journey, I highly encourage you to check out the mini-course I’ve been working on for you…it does touch on many of these areas & goes much deeper into other areas such as fitness, postpartum productivity & life design,

All my love,

Maddy

Reach me at hello@maddypidel.com with comments, questions, or just to say hello 🙂

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10 Lessons about Transformation from Our Experience Renovating an Old Home

*Shout out of gratitude for my sister Annie who faithfully edits & improves these posts!*

Exactly a year ago, we signed the papers & grabbed the keys for our very own fixer upper home project, one that we knew would stretch & challenge us. In some ways, it’s a very good thing we didn’t know just how in over our heads we would feel last fall as we rushed to renovate most of the main spaces before moving in. We had no idea how it would all unfold, but we were excited & ready.

The good news is, here we are, a year later…so happy, so grounded and at home in this space that’s both old and new. It’s been a shelter & our true happy place during the turmoil of 2020. We’re thrilled with the progress we’ve made and always neck deep in the next project. Currently working on Phase II which is finishing the large basement & creating our ideal rec room, and finishing the mud room (garage entrance) and laundry space.

I sketched the outline for this post a year ago when I was fresh out of the late nights—staying up painting trim, welcoming crews each morning, and just generally in the thick of it. Even at that time, I could tell the experience was changing me and changing our family. But as with all things, it’s taken time for this post to go from a seed in my mind to germinated thoughts & experiences in full bloom.

Now, a full year later, I’m excited to take this anniversary as an opportunity to share some of these thoughts about our #pidelprojecthome (@pidelprojecthome).

  1. Transformations require massive amounts of patience.

We live in a world of quick updates & slap-dash before/afters bombarding us from social media. Not everyone likes to acknowledge the slow process, the messy middle, the curveballs, the two-steps-forward-one-step-back that comes with real, beautiful, timeless transformations…of homes and of our hearts & selves.

2. It often has to look worse before it looks better. 

Picture any house after the demo process of ripping everything out—piles of dust & old radiators, moldings, junk everywhere. We literally had four dumpsters for our project over the span of four months, slowly carting away old layers of the house to replace it with new.

It’s a bit like someone in the middle of a KonMari de-cluttering when all their belongings are laid out in piles on their floor. It can be hard to start these kinds of excavations of spaces and selves because we’re fearful of this element of the process. It quickly becomes larger than our control, and we have to surrender to the process itself, until with the lack of tidiness comes a true sense that big things are happening here. That’s when we have to lean in.

3. People won’t undertand the process and that’s okay. 

During our intense nine-week timeframe for renovation (yes, we did it as a major sprint because we didn’t have to be living there during the time), I felt like we were in a bubble, a completely all-engrossing cloud, that others couldn’t really reach us in.

That was hard for me at first, and then I became at peace with it. Sometimes, when you’re committed to making big changes in your life, and you set out to take those actions, it will feel lonely at first. Things are shifting & the relationships in your life may change too. Not everyone will be able to relate to where you are and why you’re doing it. That’s okay. Once you move past the grief of this, it can be incredibly freeing.

And these times of intense growth can still allow for powerful relationships, it just has to be based on a new kind of communication and an acknowledgment of just how different things are. You need people who can love you where you’re at, as you evolve. Anyone who can relate to & stick with you through an intense growth phase is a keeper, a friend you will value more deeply than ever. 

4. The vision is what will enable you to carry through the tough moments.

I talk a lot about vision boards. There’s something so important and powerful about creating a clear vision of where you’re headed. With design, it’s obviously an essential step to creating the new space, but it has a similar importance when we’re considering the future life that we’re creating for ourselves (and how our own personal work ties into that life vision).

It’s scary, but so powerful to put a visual up on a wall (yes, I’m a big believer in doing it old-school style for maximum daily connection) to remind yourself every day where you’re headed. Keeping eyes on that vision is your best chance to pulls through the tough moments when we wonder whether it’s all worth it. 

5. The result of hard work is always beautiful, and you’re forever changed. 

This one is so simple, but so powerful. When we sat up & rubbed the dust off (and took off our painting clothes), we looked at each other, my husband and I, and marveled at just how much we had changed, alongside the spaces we were working on.

Our hearts & our eyes can see when work has been poured into a space (or a personal transformation). The love and care & detail that went into it becomes its spirit. Same with our own inner work: the results show up in who we become and enter into every future interaction we have. It’s the BE-DO-HAVE model, lived out. In order to be ready to welcome our abundant beautiful life in our new home, it required us to allow ourselves to change first, before having what we had desired & envisioned. (More on this in my life design program if you’re intrigued)

6. Simplicity is always a good idea. Complicating things creates more excuses, mental clutter, & reasons for it not to work. Keep it simple. 

This is just as true with personal growth as with an old home. Don’t overcomplicate things. Stay focused on the vision & the clear path that can get you there. Over-complicating things is usually a form of resistance—our brain & ego keeping us from just GOING FOR IT and going all in.

7. You will NOT do it alone.

Yes, you may experience loneliness as you realize that your former relationships aren’t carrying you in the same way on this courageous journey you’re on. But in reality, there will be key people who serve as inspiration, as mentors, as coaches, as friends, and you will be amazed by the NEW help & relationships that come into your life when you undertake this kind of journey. We absolutely learned this during our project, and we were blown away by the people that stepped up & truly saw this project out to its conclusion, even when the going got tough and the deadlines were real. 

8. The effort is transformative in itself because we learn to work hard for things that matter to us.

This one was a hard one for me, and boy did our home renovation teach us this. It’s easy to focus on the glamorous side of a reno: picking out the tiles, materials, and colors. But then you hit the nitty gritty: the late nights, encouraging workers to meet their deadlines, hauling materials in every weekend, the millions of runs to Home Depot, bringing out boxes and boxes in an ice storm as part of project clean up…these are the experiences that make us love & value our home even more. The lessons learned from the hard work can be seen as their own reward…and they add to the beauty of the final product!

9. Break it into simple, doable steps, day by day, so as not to get overwhelmed.

This is very true in reno life. It’s literally, one thing at a time, one layer at a time, overlapping trades needed for certain moments, building upon each other’s work. The over-arching goal remains, but the steps & focus for each day is bite-sized. The way we kept ourselves from being overwhelmed in moments with this huge house project was to focus on what we could accomplish just in that day or week. Then the next. And soon…you realize it’s nearly complete!

It’s true in our personal work too. It’s why I coach my clients not to set too many goals or priorities…feeling overwhelmed will keep you from moving any of them forward. Same thing goes for setting stretch or unreachable goals—we need to be working on something that we can see to the end of, and then we go a bit further the next time, building momentum & confidence as we go. Set yourself up to have frequent, small wins, and soon you’ll be addicted to the stretch & growth of personal development.

We moved in 4 days before Christmas so this felt like a true Christmas miracle.

10. Stay humble and make gratitude the focus.

Loving attention to detail, bringing order & beauty, and new life & vision out of old & worn out habits/patterns/ways of life is the great gift we are all called to discover & live. Transforming an old home last year drove home all these lessons that I’ve been learning in my own work in personal development, my own journey, as well as coaching others through transformations in their health, life, and businesses. 

The gift of living in a home that has been transformed through a vision made reality by daily sweat, communication, logistics, and effort, that we had the privilege to shape, design, and put intentional effort is a great reminder of a deep truth about all transformations. Namely, we must trust the process, build patience, stay open to all the ways that change, once begun, will be out of our control and will take us to places we’ve never even imagined going.

However, the initial choice is always ours—to take a chance and begin to tear down old walls, so that new ones can be built. 

Are you ready to tear down some walls? To embrace a journey of transformation that encompasses all aspects of mindset, facing resistance to change, and powering into a place of inspired momentum, check out my life design course, enrolling now for fall 2020, the last time it will be open until spring 2021! 

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Summer School for Entrepreuners: Learning Traffic Secrets

*This is a sponsored post: all opinions are my own*

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Summertime as a business owner: a time to take a deep breath, switch gears, and get into a new rhythm that allows for more creativity & focused work on passion projects, things that may be on the back burner normally, and alot of big picture and stepping back from the normal pace—and looking at what worked for the first part of the year, pivoting as needed, and, preparing for the remainder of the year ahead. When I heard about the chance to learn from Russell Brunson, who has helped hundreds of thousands of small business owners through his work with the company clickfunnels, about his concepts on driving traffic to websites and funnels, I was intrigued and ready to dive in and learn more. His brand new book (3rd in a series) was just launched, and I was given the opportunity to join a community of bloggers, influencers and biz owners who are reading the book and taking action on its lessons in real time, to test the principles of the book, learn a ton from it, and see some new success in our businesses as a result. The book is called Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers. From the minute I picked up the book, I knew I was in for an exciting and stretching experience, that would test my complacency, and help me get into growth mode and see things with a totally new perspective.

In completing the 30 day challenge, we’re invited to actually radically change the amount of traffic viewing and connecting with our own sites and offerings too.

With everything swirling around in this world of ours right now, there were moments in early June when it felt like this was hardly a topic that we could focus on. But the reality is–to make an impact and reach a wider audience; to be able to continually connect with and serve new clients and a bigger community–no matter what it is that you do, or offer; these insights and truths plumbed from his incredible experiences are so relevant, and as the world goes more and more online in 2020, we all need to hear what he has to teach us.

Russell’s premise of the book is just brilliant. You could have the best product or service in the world! But if no one is looking at it or finding it, you’re still stuck at square one. Traffic is a key element for an entrepreneur’s success, and he has all the knowledge, experience, tips and ways for us to “hack” these traffic lessons to make them work for us.

I am sharing this short clip of Russell in action to give you a sense of the energy, power and no-nonsense approach of this book. I found it inspiring and it lit a new fire under me.

I’m dreaming bigger, and implementing the lessons from the book to streamline my offerings, create more personalized & effective funnels and engagement, and keeping in mind that every single relationship matters…you never know who is going to lead you to your next set of dream clients…(the dream 100 list is probably the most crucial lesson of the book, and something that he said he’s seen is behind EVERY 8 figure business he sees created with his methods…).

He is incredibly detailed and specific, with everything from cultivating dream 100 relationships before making a pitch, to how to manage & schedule your social platforms, what to post where for maximum effectiveness and engagement, and your head will be spinning in a good way with every page you read.

Here’s 5 main takeaways from the challenge & the book (what I’ve read so far) that I’m implementing in my brand & business:

*Go after those big relationships–the ones that scare you, from your dream list. There are already so many like minded and “dream customers” of yours already congregating around their content. It’s scary and exciting to think about communicating with them and even being featured on their platform–or using one of his strategies to leverage their existing lists–you can basically get in front of thousands to millions of your dream customers by cultivating 10-100 top “dream” partners! So brilliant and simple, so why not try it. He shows exactly how it does it, and it’s entirely about making the relationship real and having it be a win-win.

*Share stories…offers and serving and selling all comes out of this. In other words, being vulnerable (something that I’m not always good at across platforms or on social). People want to connect with the real you, the whole you, and particularly your pain points if you share and then lead them into a solution…

*Traffic is everything. I mean, this is so obvious. But for me, I look at different things when measuring my business growth, and this metric is just far and away the most important one–massive growth is not only possible, but it’s important and even essential. He helped me strip away some mindset stuff & excuses around that, and I’m so pumped to see what’s on the other side of this breakthrough for me.

*Traffic means scalability…along with this, comes the wake up call and realization–to be ready. To build smooth systems/clear funnels, and step back from certain elements of the biz so that they can scale, sometimes I’m probably shooting myself in the foot because of how I like to do things…high touch is fine but extremely flexible and scalable is great too…from this book, I’ve pretty much become clear that the life design course needs to be my signature, evergreen course with a strong funnel, and my niches & other offerings can flow around that…pretty pumped about what this looks like as I work on a website re-design/upgrade too!

*Finally, authentic & meaningful growth is about every single relationship…it’s about the details; and really being intentional and planning how you want someone to get to know you, and engage with your brand and offerings, as well as reaching out to connect with those that inspire you as mentioned above (the dream 100). It’s a relationship you want to have last for a long time and be incredibly rewarding for both; so everything we create, curate and share should have the OTHER in mind. I LOVE this focus, and it’s helping me to actually think through many new things I can put into place to care for and nurture and support my current & future clients even more!

Want more? Check out the FB page or grab your copy too!

As mentioned, I shared more of my day-by-day journey through this challenge of this book on my FB page, and I’m also doing a giveaway–of 1 free copy of the book! Want it? Just go to my FB page for details on how to enter, or my instagram story (highlights)…the winner will be chosen on July 1. It will be an honor and joy to talk about this book and cheer you on as you have some of the “AHA” moments and breakthroughs that I know you will when it’s in your hand.

Thanks to Russell for knocking it out of the park and just sharing absolutely everything you know, in an actionable way. I actually am eager to pick up his other books now: DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online and Expert Secrets: Find Your Message, Build a Tribe and Change the World.

What about you? Is it time to dig into the new Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers as part of your summer reading?

(the link above gives it to you for only the cost of shipping!)

Cheers to summer time and stretching our minds, hearts and possibilities with books like this one.

*This is a sponsored post: all opinions are my own*

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Postpartum life series: reflections at the 2019 NAMI women to women brunch

I had the honor of speaking at this beautiful event earlier this month. It was a privilege and I was thrilled to speak about a topic that is so near to my heart, and which I’m currently living–namely, finding balance & thriving in postpartum, and bringing awareness to the many challenges faced during this beautiful, fragile and absolutely life-changing season. Of course we focus on the milestones of a babies first months, but we must similiarly acknowledge and celebrate/support a mother in all her milestones of postpartum, and what she’s experiencing. I have seen all too often that women “suffer through” these tiring months without support, balance, joy or healthy habits that make them at their best. And as a culture and society, sadly PPD and PPA instances are on the rise, as we pressure women to get “back” to their perfect body, their normal levels of activities, and to rush back into work away from baby. Basically–to ignore the special needs, pace and blessings of this phase of life. Let’s change all of this. We’re flipping the script on postpartum life, I know as a community and society, that it’s important and possible.

*So, if you were there, you’ll know that this is NOT the speech I actually gave word for word—I always find in the moment that speaking from my heart rather than reading is the way to go, but since I prepped these notes, I wanted to share, and get your reactions to them. I know it takes a village and we’re all finding ways to voice just what we, our friends, and the mothers around us, truly need in postpartum. All of our experiences and stories deeply matter. The world needs to hear and be shaped by them*

Blaise made his stage debut with me, it meant so much that I could have him there as part of my presentation–the very representation of what I’ve become so passionate about advocating for and modeling; mothers can be mothers AND make an intentional impact, it’s not an either/or. It’s time for society to recognize and embrace these new models for work & mothering.
A captive audience…
Beautiful and inspiring friends whose own paths and work (and friendship) brought us together; they are wonderful advocates for healthy motherhood, prevention, and a focus on the whole person.
I’m always and continually inspired by courageous women–mothers and now grandmothers–who have forged the path of courage and authentic truth-telling. Their legacy is where we pick up, and their important work is echoed in all that we undertake. Barb is a true hero of mine in women making a huge impact through their work and business ownership, nutritional counseling–it was an honor to precede her on stage.
Indeed we are.

Talk given at the Woman to Woman event, Saturday, May 18, 2019

Event supporting NAMI (National Alliance Mental Illness)

Tomorrow Starts Today…with how we flip the script on thriving motherhood in postpartum

Good morning, my name is Madeleine Pidel, I’m a wife and mother of 4. I am also a health and business coach, and my postpartum experiences have completely transformed my outlook on life, my own career, and the trajectory of my life and our family. I want to share some reflections about why I believe that we can flip the script on mothers thriving in motherhood (which begins in the fragile days of postpartum), and thus create a better tomorrow, today.

I will start with my experiences in postpartum, and draw out some important conclusions based on stories that many of you here may be able to relate to, or know someone in your life who’s going through this.

With my first daughter, born 9 years ago this summer, I was working hard at a job I loved in NYC, when all of a sudden, it was time for her to be born, and maternity leave started…

…After a challenging (and beautiful) natural birth experience, I found myself completely overwhelmed, exhausted, life upside-down, no way of knowing how to care for this little human in my arms, or myself. I remember some days I didn’t get dressed, didn’t leave the couch, but I had a super supportive husband, and community of first time moms, so it wasn’t too lonely or tough (comparatively). But I definitely struggled with my identity, my feelings of self-worth (when I was focusing all my time on a baby, which didn’t feel “productive” to my career driven self). I had tinges of postpartum depression, and by 8 weeks, was actually relieved to have found an amazing nanny and to be going back to work part time–my brain needed it, and I needed a reason to get dressed and feel like a normal human. Of course, once I was balancing part-time (almost full-time) work and a child, I was getting frayed thinner than ever before. This is the reality for so many women. And rather than asking for more help, I just pushed harder and began to experience burnout when I was around 1 year postpartum. I had a health crisis, was very nutritionally depleted, no extra energy to workout or “care for myself” which I had decided was “selfish” at this point. It was my own crisis and wake up call I needed. I was fired from the job that was draining me, and I was given the gift of time to focus on being “just mom” while looking for another job.

At this point, my friend Melinda reached out to me and supported me, and shared this opportunity of business ownership that she was just discovering as a new mom like me. I was given a ray of hope to create a beautiful future for our family, and to dream again, all in an instant. What a gift to give a mother—to believe she can be truly present to her babies and kids as they grow, while being fully ambitious and pursuing beautiful things that matter to her too. It’s our lean-out, best of both worlds reality, that I feel so privileged to live, and to share.

This time, I had a strong sense that while my baby (turned toddler) could thrive without me around, I needed to be more a part of her life, and I was inspired to prepare to leave my desk job life. So in preparing to conceive and give birth to my 2nd child, I started my own business with this amazing tribe of women you see all around you, and I choose to work in finance in an environment with better work-life balance, and I knew I would be saying goodbye to office life after my 2nd was born, so my husband and I did everything we could to prepare financially for this transition. I had these incredible nutritional tools that are being shared (with my 2nd pregnancy) and felt amazing (no GD, worked out until 37 weeks), and my birth to a 9lb 11 oz baby girl was a beautiful experience, and my recovery was swift, I felt amazing just days after birth. I went on the road and traveled when she was 3 weeks old; to our global conference and our families. Balancing postpartum with a toddler was challenging but I wisely put myself into situations (the homes of my aunt, my mom, my mother in law) where I could rest and be cared for in those early weeks. But when I was preparing to go back to work at 8 weeks (to finish up a project then give my notice), the familiar deep dread set in. It’s just against everything in our hormonal and natural makeup to leave our babies so young and be sitting in an office, often doing work we could do remotely. Pumping and bottle prep takes women sometimes up to an hour each day/evening, and it’s just draining. My child didn’t take a bottle well at all, so I was going home on lunch breaks to feed her, then rushing back to work, pump, work some more, all knowing that things would shift soon enough. When she was 3.5 months old (and I’d been working for 6 weeks to complete an audit project)–I brought her in, in a carrier, and gave my notice to my boss, one of the moments I’ll always remember. I focused on my littles and worked on growing my at home business. The challenges of self-care, and balance remain, but with the empowering community of business owners, no one judges you for bringing babies to meetings, to conferences, and I felt so empowered and grateful. I had mom friends commenting to me–“you’re so lucky you get to have time with your babies and still use your brain”, and this beautiful reality drove me to share this gift with many other mommas. The work-life balance we desire, and which our babies need from us in their first years of life, is possible with some creativity and grit.

I LOVE seeing the women of my generation–from all walks of life and careers, rise up and take a stand for better balance in their work, in the baby’s first year and beyond. We’re continuing to show that we’re more valuable in our careers of choice BECAUSE of being mothers, not in spite of it. And with enough women doing just this important balance, the general culture can shift towards being more understanding of flexible working, a win-win situation.

I have now had 2 other postpartum experiences, as a business owner, and it’s incredible beautiful and freeing. I have had to learn to be better about asking for help, outsourcing everything except the most precious roles that only a mother can fill, and learning “radical self-care for radical service” which is my tagline for mommas. It’s not selfish to make sure our bodies, hearts and minds are working at their best to care for and raise these humans. It’s essential. And we need to rise up and create a stronger culture of care and support, enlisting folks who truly understand what is happening (and needed) in postpartum to provide that for mommas.

Of course, dropping off meals and baby clothes is a kind gesture, and appreciated, but even more appreciated or needed is taking the other kids away for an hour so mom can nap, or, when she’s ready, coming over to provide company to the new mother, or just hold the babe while she gets a moment to herself.

Additionally, all the nutritional and hormone balancing tools we offer are a crucial part of the puzzle for me. I use the foundational nutrition tools that the women in this room all use and rave about–I don’t know about you, but I want to age with grace, and alot of energy. I’m healthier now in my mid 30s, after 4 kids, than I was in my mid 20s, and I know it’s thanks to these daily vitalizer and daily shake. I literally can’t imagine going a day without them.

I’ve had 3 incredibly healthy pregnancies, with perfect health markers, high energy, the ability to workout, and this sets up for a smoother postpartum experience–less “baby weight” to lose, more energy, easier time transitioning into postpartum fitness habits, and of course it takes discipline and a strong WHY, but this is something all new moms crave and need more of, to be uplifted and reminded that they too, are allowed to thrive. Even the age old “sleepless exhausted” momma of a newborn doesn’t have to be that way. I had 1 baby (before Shaklee) who was the classic collicky, gassy, fussy, not a good sleeper, and I have since had 3 larger (healthy birth weight) Shaklee babies who sleep well for me from day 1, and not only that, we have tools like the cal mag and the pm recover to ensure mommas get the most out of their crucial rest.

With my 3rd postpartum, even though I was very healthy and had a good recovery, I began to experience some signs of adrenal fatigue and PPA, which is less diagnosed, understood or talked about. For me it looked like being super busy, keeping my super mom cape on too much, and getting frayed/fried around the edges. Getting exhausted easily, snappy at my kids (too easily anxious or angry) and I had to work to reset my nervous system, with tools like the stress relief complex, B’s, valuing sleep more, and I also discovered the incredible healing art of reflexology, and regular massage, etc, to support my body and give it extra doses of self-care, for all that I was expecting of it. This is when I embraced the concept of “radical self-care for radical service”–when we know WHY we want to be at our best, and who we’re doing it for (in addition to ourselves) it rises from the level of “extra” to essential.

This time around, in my 4th postpartum with Blaise, I wanted it to be as peaceful and restful as possible, and I called on my mom and family/sisters to come and stay with me for the first full month. I cooked very few meals, did almost no driving or caring for the kids, and this allowed me to have my best, fastest recovery, which amazed my midwives, considering it’s my 4th. I used Every Mother throughout the pregnancy and in the weeks following to prevent any additional separation and to continue healing my DR–which is a huge challenge for many moms, and I know SO many folks who’ve seen huge improvements in their back pain, posture, core strength and more.

I also did the extra resting/focus on support in those first weeks to balance my mood and ensure I didn’t develop early triggers for adrenal fatigue. It’s about giving mom permission (and value) to deeply REST, and in doing the very important work that she and baby are doing. We need communities and a society that support this understanding of postpartum, and as I look around this room, I can see that all of you are inspired by, and working towards, and can commit with me towards that.

I’ve become so much more aware of what my body needs in postpartum, with the phrases “intuitive eating” and “mindful movement” shaping much of my daily habits, and I’m so grateful for the incredible set of nutritional tools at our disposal. I’ve gone on to run a half marathon at 6 months postpartum with my 3rd, and things that would have been unthinkable to that original sleep and energy deprived me of 9 years ago. The GLA complex helps with balancing hormones and I take it whenever I’m feeling my mood is out of whack, along with lots of healthy (mindful movement, walking, stretching), socializing with those who lift me up, and epsom salts are hugely healing for postpartum nerves, afalfa for breastfeeding, vivix for reducing inflammation and of course, healthy digestion with optiflora DI. I eat a hormone balancing diet and have learned so much about the nutrition of postpartum not only through coaching other women through it from all walks of life, and living it myself deeply, but also through this wonderful resource called “the first 40 days” (A perfect book to give to someone you know who’s expecting a babe) (linked below). It’s about committing to a self care routine and knowing you’re doing it for you, and for baby. Doing things that bring us joy each day are crucial–it can be as simple as reading a book you enjoy while baby naps on you in the mornings with your favorite tea, laying out on a blanket in the sun in our yards while babe is napping, or grabbing a coffee at your favorite local spot, and sitting in a park (getting OUT with babe for our best mental health)…these things build up our level of joy and gratitude during this season which is also so ultimately demanding of us. The balancing act is challenging, but so beautiful when each mom finds her postpartum groove.

These babies are our future, and caring well for their mommas in those crucial, vulnerable, fragile first weeks & months (which are also the most beautiful), is our gift to the future of our world.

Action item: Can we all reach out to a new mom in our life today; let her know she’s valued, loved and supported? Share with her that postpartum can be a thriving, energized and truly happy and wonderful experience, and that want to be there for her, to support her in experiencing just that, with your presence, deep caring, and all the tools and ideas mentioned here.

Thank you!

More resources:
*First 40 days, a guide to nourishing the new mother (book)
*Facebook Postpartum community
*Other postpartum blog posts–here and here.
*Support NAMI (Putnam county chapter) here.