When you’re pregnant with your first baby, the internet will happily convince you that you need approximately 400 things to survive postpartum.

A month in, I’ve discovered that we use…very little of it.

So in this episode, I’m sharing the postpartum and newborn items I’ve actually used as a holistic-minded, low-tox first-time mom—including the recovery products that got me through those first ten days, my breastfeeding essentials, the nursing bras I finally liked, the supplements and routines I’ve personally used, and the surprisingly short list of things our baby actually needs.

I’m also sharing some of the things we haven’t used: a video baby monitor, sound machine, piles of newborn gadgets, regular pumping, and plenty of other things social media made seem almost essential.

If you’re preparing for postpartum and feeling overwhelmed by everyone’s must-have lists, consider this your permission to keep it simple.

How would you live your life if you had less technology?

That question has been sitting with me lately.

Would you take more photos without worrying about the messy house in the background? Would you garden more? Bake more? Paint more? Spend more time with friends? Would you stop comparing your ordinary life to someone else’s curated version of theirs?

In this episode, I’m talking about the subtle ways technology, especially social media, can change what we think is normal. From feeling like every photo needs an Instagram-worthy background to comparing breastfeeding output, homes, phones, and everyday life, it’s surprisingly easy to start living as though everything is being evaluated.

As I’ve become a mother, I’ve found myself wanting less of that.

I want to take the photo even if my hair is messy. I want the memory even if there’s laundry in the background. I want technology to be something I use; not something that quietly tells me how my life should look.

So today, I’m asking a simple question:

How would you live differently if you had less technology?

In this episode

• Why I’m trying to stop pre-editing my memories
• The pressure to make ordinary life look Instagram-worthy
• How technology can create unnecessary comparison in motherhood
• Why Josh and I are intentionally simplifying our technology use
• The freedom of keeping phones out of the bedroom
• Why I want the messy photos too
• What we might do more of if we spent less time scrolling

Everyone talks about the “newborn trenches,” but honestly? That hasn’t been my experience.

Postpartum has absolutely had hard moments. I’ve been tired. I’ve cried. My routines have disappeared. I recently fell asleep and completely burned a loaf of sourdough I’ve made a hundred times before.

And yet, this season has been so, so beautiful.

In this voice memo, I’m sharing what I think has made the biggest difference: realistic expectations, preparing before the baby arrived, learning practical skills like breastfeeding beforehand, accepting help, communicating honestly with Josh, and remembering that just because something is hard doesn’t make it bad.

I’m also sharing some of the emotional side of those early postpartum weeks, the support I’m incredibly grateful to have, and why I think the way we talk about postpartum can shape how women experience it.

If you’re pregnant, preparing for postpartum, or currently living in the newborn haze yourself, this one is for you.