Doula Talk: Postpartum, Babies and the Battle for Sleep
Doula Talk is a podcast for parents navigating the real, often messy middle of postpartum and early parenthood.
Hosted by Doula Deb, a birth, postpartum, and sleep doula with over 15 years of experience, this show offers compassionate guidance, honest conversation, and practical support for the first year and beyond. We talk about postpartum recovery, newborn care, sleep, nervous system regulation, and the emotional load that so many parents carry quietly.
This isn’t about quick fixes or perfect routines. It’s about understanding what’s happening beneath the surface and building steady, supportive foundations that help both parents and babies feel more regulated over time.
Through solo episodes and thoughtful conversations with trusted experts, Doula Talk helps you make sense of sleep struggles, feeding questions, recovery, and the constant mental load of early parenthood, without shame, pressure, or panic.
If you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, or deep in the exhaustion of caring for a baby, this is a place to slow down, feel less alone, and remember that you’re not doing this wrong.
Doula Talk: Postpartum, Babies and the Battle for Sleep
28 - Relationship Changes After Baby: How to Protect Your Family Bubble in Postpartum (Guest: Angharad Hollingworth)
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In this heart-opening episode, Deb sits down with Marriage and Family Therapist and birth worker Angharad Hollingworth to dive deep into the relational shifts that come with becoming a parent — the ones nobody really warns you about.
Together, they explore the emotional, physical, and neurological changes that happen when a baby enters the family, not just for the birthing parent, but for the entire relational system. This conversation offers a raw and real look at why becoming a parent is so much more than just "adding a baby" to your life.
Key Topics Include:
✨ How to prepare your partnership for the shifts ahead — and avoid resentment traps
✨ Building a "new family bubble" and setting loving, firm boundaries with relatives and friends
✨ How to shrink and adapt your old self-care and relationship routines to fit the postpartum season
Angharad also shares powerful tools like the Parenthood Mapping Exercise — a free, easy-to-do-at-home practice to help you and your partner uncover your unconscious beliefs about parenting before they create conflict. (Deb also has a free printable handout version based on this — check the link below!)
This episode is packed with insights, actionable tools, and heartfelt validation for anyone navigating the messy, beautiful transformation that comes with bringing a new life into the world.
🌟 Free Resources Mentioned:
- New help setting boundaries? Grab my free Let’s Talk About It! Worksheet here as a guide.
- Want a tool to help with exploring how to make your family bubble? Grab my free Me We Us Worksheet here
✨ Want more support on your journey?
- Explore Doula Deb’s Preparing for Parenthood Workbook
- Check out her Postpartum Meal Planning Workbook & Guide
- Sign up for Doula Deb’s monthly newsletter for more free resources, tips, and heartfelt support right here!
🔗 Connect with Angharad Hollingworth:
- Website: angharadhollingworth.com
- Instagram: @angharadhollingworth
- Learn about her therapy offerings, 4-hour intensives, and The Playground support group for moms at Thresholds Collective.
If you’ve ever felt like no one warned you just how much parenthood would rock your world — and your relationships — this episode is your permission slip to stop "powering through" and s
Thank you for listening! Tune in next time for more insights and support on your parenting journey.
Contact Information:
Doula Deb: www.DoulaDeb.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doula.deb/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/debdoula
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doula.deb
Twitter: https://twitter.com/doula_deb
Disclaimer:
The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for personalized advice and information.
