Motherhood is chaos — beautiful chaos, but chaos nonetheless.

In this episode of From 9 to Mom, working moms Danielle and Catie get real about the whirlwind of back-to-school season: strep throat within the first week, an epic band-aid shortage, and the emotional gut-punch of a kid starting kindergarten for the first time. They swap practical back-to-school and kindergarten prep tips for moms, share the story of a 7-year-old's first "breakup," and give an honest update on toddler eye patching for lazy eye (amblyopia).

The conversation turns into real talk about mental load and burnout for working mothers — and an attempt to "romanticize your everyday" as moms, from Starbucks runs to chaotic family dinners.

They also dig into potty training struggles, toddler bathroom chaos, and a genius home-organization hack using ChatGPT for decluttering and interior design.

If you're a working mom juggling a 9-to-5, a side hustle, and the beautiful mess of raising little kids, this episode is your permission slip to laugh at the chaos with us.

This episode was brought to you by Social Med Consultants .

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Okay but can we talk about how Katie Holter went from a chaotic pediatrician's appointment to founding an entire baby product brand??

Katie, mom of three and founder of August & Ivy, sits down with Catie and Danielle to spill literally everything.

She takes us behind the scenes of building a product from scratch — patents, tech packs, factories that ghost you, and why "bamboo fabric" is not the eco win you think it is. Zero industry background, all figured out along the way.

But this isn't just a business episode. Katie gets real about developing severe preeclampsia postpartum, leaning hard on her village while juggling three kids and two full-time jobs, and why she believes every mom with an idea should just take the first step already.

Total self-starter energy, and we are here for it.

Want to try the Ivy Go bag for yourself? Use code 92MOM20 for $20 off.

Follow along with August & Ivy:

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Summer went by way too fast and somehow it's already time to talk backpacks, school supplies, and meet the teacher gifts. In this episode Danielle and Catie catch up from two different houses (long story, it involves strep throat) and dive headfirst into all things back to school.

They talk through the backpack debate (Spidey backpack or big kid plane backpack, does it fit a binder), the never ending list of school supplies and spirit week swag, and why meet the teacher gifts have officially spiraled out of control. Danielle shares her plan to survive Colton's second grade shopping list including a very expensive Messi jersey situation, while Catie preps for kindergarten and preschool at the same time and drops a genius Kohl's Cash hack you need to hear.

They also get a little nostalgic, swapping stories about their own back to school shopping memories growing up, and get real about that weird mix of excitement and sadness that comes with summer ending. Plus some very funny camp stories from the kids that you don't want to miss.

Chapters:

00:00 Danielle and Catie catch up from two different houses
01:06 Counting down to the first day of school
02:23 School supply lists, spirit week, and meet the teacher gifts
05:10 The backpack debate: Spidey backpack vs a new big kid backpack
09:57 Target school supply obsession and the girls section jealousy
11:16 Back to school shopping memories from their own childhoods
17:30 The Kohl's Cash hack you need to know
20:42 Kindergarten prep, the bus, and public school talk
21:26 Funny camp stories that had them laughing

Ever feel like your body is sending you signals you or your doctor keep brushing off? In this episode we sit down with Inna Topiler, a clinical nutritionist and thyroid expert who's basically the Hashimoto's whisperer. She's spent over 20 years helping people (including herself!) get to the bottom of their thyroid issues, and she is dropping so much knowledge in this one.

We talk about what Hashimoto's really is, why so many moms are getting diagnosed and nobody's really explaining why, and what to actually ask your doctor so you stop getting the "let's just wait and see" treatment. Inna also shares her own wild diagnosis story, from unexplained symptoms on Wall Street to finally getting answers. If you've ever felt dismissed, tired for no reason, or like something is just off, this episode is for you.

Connect with Inna on Instagram

Get the FREE Thyroid Audit

Check out more of Inna's thyroid, hashimoto's and hypothyroidism programs over on her website, and use code 9TOMOM for 10% off!

Chapters

01:04 Mom life chaos: strep, PANDAS, and autoimmune stuff in kids
06:43 What Hashimoto's actually is (and why doctors miss it)
12:49 Inna's story: mystery symptoms and feeling dismissed
18:14 Getting diagnosed, told to wait, then finding real answers
24:33 Why so many moms are getting diagnosed right now
30:10 The full thyroid panel you should be asking for
38:31 Stress, people pleasing, and advocating for yourself at the doctor

Catie and Danielle kick things off celebrating a major win: the crying drop-offs are officially over (mostly). From there it's a full download on summer survival — ditching the color-coded camp spreadsheet, surviving soccer-night meltdowns, and a therapy confession about laying out matching outfits (still counts as controlling, apparently).

They talk about what a "90's summer" really means for today's overscheduled, overtracked, overwatched kids, plus the ongoing bribery campaign to survive one more day before Jack gets his pet fish. Spoiler: the fish will fight the mirror and lose, and everyone's doing a better job than they think.

Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome back & surviving the crying drop-offs
04:25 – Toddler chaos vs. the pressure to fill every summer minute
05:36 – Ditching the camp spreadsheet for a happier, freer kid
08:44 – First-kid hovering vs. second-kid feral independence
19:07 – Underwear pajamas and the death of matching sets
21:19 – 90's summer memories: capture the flag, sleepovers & disappearing into the bushes
34:17 – Monkey bar blisters, fish bribery, and the incoming beta fish duo

Maternity leave shouldn't feel like a second full-time job, but here we are. This week Catie and Danielle sit down with Akiko Thayer, founder of Maternity Leave 411 and certified leave management specialist, to break down what nobody tells you about FMLA, state leave laws, and getting paid while you're out. Akiko got into this work after her own employer botched her leave by eight weeks, and she's been fighting for parents ever since.

We cover when to tell your employer you're pregnant, the difference between job protection and paid benefits (they are NOT the same thing), why HR usually doesn't know as much as you think, what dads and partners are actually entitled to, and why "maternity leave" isn't even a real legal term. Plus: should you trust ChatGPT with this stuff? Akiko gives it to us straight.

If you're pregnant, planning to be, or just want to know your rights before you need them, this one's required listening.

Find Akiko with Maternity 411 on Instagram: @maternityleave411 or at maternity411.com

Chapters:

00:00 – Cold open (Danielle can't get through the intro)
00:53 – Meet Akiko Thayer, founder of Maternity Leave 411
01:15 – Quick catch-up: kids, ages, and summer camp chaos
04:50 – Akiko's origin story: how a botched leave turned into a business
07:53 – Why maternity leave is so confusing (FMLA + state laws + employer policy)
09:37 – Why HR isn't always the expert you think they are
11:01 – Does Akiko work with companies, not just individuals?
13:32 – When to tell your employer you're pregnant (and why earlier can help)
16:52 – Short-term disability vs. paid family leave, decoded
21:53 – The #1 mistake: confusing job protection with getting paid
25:21 – How employer pay and state benefits work together
26:54 – Paternity leave for dads and partners is underused — here's why it matters
29:02 – Catie and Danielle share how much leave their partners actually took
33:04 – How to prep for leave: get it in writing
35:12 – Bed rest and how it eats into your FMLA weeks
38:11 – The legal terms you should actually use (hint: "maternity leave" isn't one)
40:03 – Akiko's #1 piece of advice: research, research, research
41:24 – Should you use ChatGPT for leave questions? Where it helps and where it fails
44:03 – Where to find Akiko and get her help

This week Catie and Danielle are catching up after a whirlwind stretch of guest episodes — trading summer camp chaos, girls' trip stories, and real talk on the friendships that carry you through motherhood.

Danielle recaps her 20-years-strong girls' trip to Islamorada with her "LST" crew — boat days, a stray dog named Murph, and the now-infamous "Dick Pick David." The two dig into what it actually takes to keep friendships alive through decades of life changes — breakups, weddings, kids, moves — and why showing up for each other (not proximity) is what makes it stick.

Then Catie gets real about a hard week: Jack's tearful camp drop-offs, the mental load of the transition from meetings to mom-mode, and finding relief in a Diet Coke and a good cry with a friend. Plus: Calvin gives up his binky (unprompted), Catie's new gig as an assistant soccer coach tests her control issues, and both moms share how they're squeezing the most out of summer before school prep creeps back in.

A lighter, more personal one this week — grab your coffee (or Diet Coke) and join the village.

Everyone panics about the ABCs. Brittany Brady — school social worker turned founder of Bright Starts Co. — is here to tell you to put the Target workbook down.

This week we get into what kindergarten readiness actually means (spoiler: it's emotional regulation, independence, and grit, not reading at five), why preschool doesn't automatically guarantee a smooth transition, and how to survive the drop-off meltdown without crying in your car. Brittany breaks down routines vs. "rhythms," the kissing-hand goodbye ritual, prepping kids for the bus, and her 5-minute night-before reset that working moms swear by. Plus: the one thing she wants every guilt-ridden millennial perfectionist mom to stop stressing about.

Real talk, real chaos (melting popsicles included), and a roadmap to send your kid in confident.

Find Brittany on Instagram @brightstartsco and at brightstartsco.com.

🎁 Listener offer: Use code 9TOMOM20 for $20 off her Ready Set Learn course. And through July 2, the Calm Mornings Toolkit is bundled free with course purchase.