In this episode, I’m joined by Julie Fisher, social worker, mom of two, and founder of Gathered in Motherhood, for an honest conversation about the transition into motherhood and why support matters so much.

We talk about the identity shift that comes with becoming a mother, why motherhood can feel isolating even when you’re surrounded by people, the pressure to do it “right,” and the importance of finding your village and asking for help.

Julie brings both her professional perspective and her own experience as a mother to this conversation, reminding us that you don’t need to have motherhood all figured out. You need connection, honesty, support, and people you can walk through it with.

Connect with Julie:
Instagram: @gatheredinmotherhood
Website: www.gatheredinmotherhood.ca

Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or treatment plan. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers or associated organizations.

100 episodes.

I thought reaching this milestone might make me want to look back at everything that has happened since starting this podcast. Instead, I find myself looking forward — because I genuinely feel like I’m standing in one of the most pivotal seasons of my life.

I’m three months postpartum, learning how to be Harlan’s mom, slowly returning to work, rethinking what I want my business to look like, and questioning some of the decisions and identities I’ve held onto for years.

In this episode, I’m talking openly about why I’ve struggled to niche down, why I’m stepping away from trying to help everyone, and why FERN Rising is moving back toward the work that started so much of this in the first place: helping women who are missing their periods, coming off birth control, and trying to understand and trust their bodies again.

I also share a realization I’ve been coming back to again and again: I don’t need another certification. I don’t need another set of letters behind my name. I need to trust that I already have something valuable to teach.

And behind all of that is an even bigger question happening in our house right now: What do Derrek and I actually want our life to look like?

Motherhood has changed our perspective on work, time, family, creativity and what we’re willing to build our lives around.

So this isn’t a perfectly packaged “100 episodes!” celebration.

It’s a real-time conversation from the middle of a transition — about motherhood, business, identity, trusting yourself, changing direction and having the courage to ask:

What do I actually want from this next season of my life?

Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or treatment plan. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers or associated organizations.

We hear it all the time: eat more fiber.

And for many people, that is great advice. But what happens when you are postpartum, healing from a perineal tear, dealing with pelvic floor tension, scar tissue, or trying to get an anal fissure to finally heal?

In this episode of the FERN Rising Podcast, I’m sharing a lesson I learned firsthand during my own postpartum recovery: stool softness and stool size are not the same thing.

My stools weren’t hard. I wasn’t constipated. I was going every day. But they were simply too large for tissues that were still healing, and the repeated mechanical stress was contributing to ongoing bleeding and irritation.

We talk about why postpartum anatomy changes the conversation around fiber, including healing perineal tissue, scar tissue, low estrogen while breastfeeding, and a pelvic floor that may be tight and guarded rather than simply “weak.”

In this episode, I cover:

• The difference between stool consistency and diameter
• Soluble versus insoluble fiber and why both can have very different effects on stool
• Why more fiber isn’t always better during certain stages of healing
• How scar tissue and pelvic floor hypertonicity can make larger bowel movements more traumatic
• The high-fiber foods I temporarily reduced during my own recovery
• How I’m preparing vegetables, fruit and carbohydrates differently while healing
• Protein and nutrient-dense foods that can support postpartum tissue repair without creating excessive structural bulk
• Bathroom positioning, breathing and pelvic floor relaxation strategies
• Why this is a temporary healing strategy, not an argument against fiber

The takeaway is not that fiber is bad. It’s that fiber recommendations need to match your tissue, your symptoms and the season your body is in.

Sometimes the healthiest choice isn’t adding more. Sometimes it’s reducing mechanical stress long enough to give injured tissue the opportunity to heal.

Because in postpartum recovery, our goal isn’t simply to have a bowel movement. Our goal is to have a bowel movement that allows our tissues to heal.

If this episode resonates with you, share it with another postpartum woman who may be quietly struggling with the same thing.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health or treatment plan. The opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers or associated organizations.