Is Motherhood Rewiring Your Brain? The Neuroscience behind Motherhood with Alexi Neal

Welcome to the Real Life Momz podcast. It is time to take a break from all our to-dos and carve out this time to focus on ourselves. I'm Lisa Foster, and I am here with fellow mom and somatic healer Alexi Neal. And we are exploring the neuroscience of becoming a mom and reframing the challenges.

Our nervous system for growth and health. So, hi, Alexi, how are you today? Hey, I'm so good. Thank you so much for having me, Lisa. Well, I'm excited to have you. I love another. Nervous system specialist out there because that's something I work on too.

And I know that you do a lot of somatic healing and mm-hmm. So excited to hear about your work. Yeah. Yeah. I'm excited to dig into it too. And I've been really feeling into this space of how do we reframe all of the changes that happen in our bodies and our minds [00:01:00] to look at the strength that it gives us.

Because I think when we're, when we're in it early on. Like, I mean, we feel like we're losing our minds a little bit, right? Yes. Yeah. But what the science is showing us is that very feeling is actually changing our minds in really cool ways. Ooh, okay. Well, let's, let's start on that, like, okay, what does the science show as we are becoming moms and, and losing our minds?

Yeah. Okay. So recent research is showing that parenthood is actually causing. Neuroplastic changes. So there's increasing gray matter in like the actual good stuff of the brain, right? In areas related to empathy, to emotional regulation, and to threat detection. This is, this is the third period in our life that this really big jump happens.

The first one is infancy, the second one is adolescence, and the third one is this transition into parenthood or for, for mothers, we call this [00:02:00] period trece, you know, which, I don't know if that's a a word that you're familiar with. No. Um, so Matress Essence is essentially talking about that transition into motherhood and all of the ways that we are impacted by it, from our physical bodies to our careers, to our brains, our hormones, our emotions, um, and just looking holistically at that as a period of time that deserves as much attention as we give to infancy and adolescence in terms of our development as human beings.

And what I'm hearing is, well, in infancy and adolescence, there's a lot of support around that development, right? Yes, exactly. There's parents, there's school, there's, so what do we do as moms? What support should we be having during this time for our brains?

So a lot of it is practice. And so I, I relate this to a lot of my work is based in polyvagal theory. Mm-hmm. , and so I relate this to polyvagal [00:03:00] theory in the sense that the more that we practice shifting into difficult emotions, shifting into places where, we're juggling a million things and trying to remember all of the stuff to put in the diaper bag and then calming down and reregulating.

Mm-hmm. Or, you know, hearing our babies cry and getting that sense of activation that moves us to do something, and then sitting down with the baby and resting and regulating. The more that we do that we're actually increasing resilience in our nervous systems. Now, where we often need support is that sometimes.

That slide does not happen as easily as we would hope it does. Sometimes we get stuck in those places of, I gotta remember everything. I gotta think of everything. I gotta make sure I'm not forgetting. I gotta do this thing right? And getting really attached to everything being a certain way because it helps us to feel safe.

And so all of these patterns that we see that can lead to postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, , [00:04:00] feelings of isolation. Our brain is working and our bodies are working quite hard to integrate a new reality. Mm-hmm. And so then sometimes we need some tools to like help us regulate. But then the magic of it is that if we can get those tools or get really fluid shifting in and out of those states so frequently, I mean, this is a skillset that we will use.

For the rest of our lives. I don't know if you feel this like being a little bit further on in the motherhood journey, like do you feel like you have more resilience in your nervous system and like ability to cope with hard situations? I. Well, yes and right. Okay. Yeah, sure. I feel that there's more space in my day.

So like when the kids are young, there is no space, right? To almost take that breath, take that step back. Like even in the bathroom, like sometimes they're there, right? Like it's [00:05:00] everywhere. So true, right? So you don't have that space. So I have a one in college and one in, high school.

So I have a lot of. Space that when I'm hit with things, 'cause things are still happening in those, those periods. Right? Of course. And sometimes there are bigger things that we're dealing with, but there's a space to step back. They're not right there, they're not on top of me. I can take a pause, I could take a moment and I think I've learned that in my life.

Mm-hmm. That I can take that breath and then react. So I think that's what's kind of different. Totally in the phases. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And there's so many moments in my life and my relationship with my kiddos right now where the chaos is the overwhelming is the overwhelming feeling. And I think what's really interesting when we're looking at the brain science is it's actually saying like, yeah, those experiences are what is creating growth.

Our brain and in our [00:06:00] nervous system because when we're not used to coping with those kinds of circumstances, we, we haven't built the skills up yet. And so as we become mothers, like at first it's, and we, we make jokes about the, the mom brain, right? And like, feeling really forgetful. It's actually a really brilliant adaptation because our, our brains are.

Are learning to focus on what matters most in the moment, and so letting some things go. But then as we get really established in that bond and that relationship with our kiddos, now we have this brand new skillset. Mm-hmm. And then we start to remember where the keys are too. You know, we could do both.

Yeah. So then we could do both. Exactly. There's layers to it. And I think, if there are moms that are listening right now that are like, I, I feel like it's crazy to think that there could be a good. Coming out of the way [00:07:00] that my brain feels right now or how intense it is, learning to take care of a whole other human.

Like, I just wanna really validate that because it, it is like you're not imagining it. It is as hard as it feels it, we can let that be okay and notice when it's time to, to get some support in navigating it for sure. Yeah. Because I'm also hearing like this is a big change in our brains, right? Right.

Because we have these new things that we need to learn, you know? Mm-hmm. How to cope, how to, how to multi, how to take care of a new person. Yes. Like lots of things. Right. Um, but, and I'm hearing practice, but what if you don't know what to practice , how do you learn what to practice?

Yeah. And there's a lot of different approaches to this. You know, my, my approach is working with the nervous system where there are some really low. Energy interventions [00:08:00] that can make a really huge difference when we're working with the vagus nerve. So, um, just for anyone who isn't familiar with the vagus nerve, so this starts in our head and particularly at the base of our skull, but this nerve, it's sometimes called the nomadic nerve because it goes.

Everywhere in our body, it connects to our digestion, to our lungs, to our heart, to our pelvic floor, to our face. And so when we are doing things that can stimulate and work with the vagus nerve, we are accessing every part of our body essentially, and can send signals from the body up to the brain that.

Hey, we're actually safe. Hey, even though the baby hasn't stopped crying for a really long time and you haven't been able to figure out what to do, hey, this is actually okay. , and so one of the things that I think is really supportive about Polyvagal theory too is that it acknowledges that we usually exist in.

A [00:09:00] fluid space between activated intense hard places to be where we might feel stressed and we might feel anxious, or we might feel stuck. We might feel sad and low energy, but that. We can move between these states with the right tools, and those tools don't have to be an hour long yoga class. I created this little menu, which I know we can, we can link that I actually put on my fridge above where I fill up my water bottle.

And this is five things that you can do with, with one hand while filling up a water bottle or holding a baby and takes 30 seconds to a minute. And can start to rewire what's happening inside of your body and create those felt feelings of safety. So I think sometimes people get kind of stuck and there's nothing I can do about it because I can't reach for the same type of self-care that I used to before I became a mom.

And it's true. We, we have to learn how to get real efficient with our, you know, we don't always have the [00:10:00] luxury of. Longer experiences, and if you do have that luxury, I mean, take it, , but also having some tools in your back pocket that can come in and just. A pinch in those moments where everything is crazy,

right. I have a, a 15 month old and a three and a half year old right now, and it's incredibly fun and the energy is high all the time. Whether the feelings are good or the feelings are bad, the feelings are loud, you know, and it's just constantly overstimulating, and so I need. Many points of contact with regulating my nervous system throughout the day,

And I'm far from perfect at it, but every single time you move between that state of activation and being more calm and connected, you're building what's called vagal tone, which is another, another word for resilience in your nervous system, essentially. I love the idea of having these.

Simple activities to do because that's [00:11:00] really realistic. Right. As a busy mom, especially with little toddlers or infants. Mm-hmm. We don't have the time to just kinda do it right a lot of the time. So doing something just with one hand while you are. You know, filling your water bottle or something is so much more realistic.

I just wanna make sure people are understanding, 'cause I know we mentioned polyvagal mm-hmm. Theory and things like that. , and not everyone knows what that is. So maybe if you could just like, in a small way, I know it's, it's not, it's a big thing. Yeah. But in a simple way.

Totally. Tell us what polyvagal theory is. So this, first of all, I'll just name that this is coming from Steven Porges is the creator of Polyvagal theory. Uh, sometimes I, I call Deb Dana the translator because she's the one who came in and made it, actually helped us actually understand what to do with all of the science that Steven Portis was pointing us towards.

So if you. Are a, a geek like me, you can go look up those names. , so essentially polyvagal [00:12:00] theory is taking the, our, our usual conception of the nervous system is these two branches of the sympathetic and the parasympathetic and splitting the parasympathetic into two. So actually to rewind even a little bit more parasympathetic nervous system, you might have heard this, called the Rest and Digest system.

The most common time that this is activated is when we sleep, but it's also the activation of this nervous system that helps us to calm down when we're feeling activated. That helps us, uh, that we might activate when we meditate or do yoga or do restful activities, but also when we sit down to have a chat on the couch with a beloved, you know?

We get into that restful place where our body can do some incredible work inside of us to heal and to grow. And then you've got the sympathetic, nervous system. , which sometimes gets simplified into fight or flight mode. So most people are familiar with that feeling of activation when we either need to, do something very urgently to [00:13:00] fix a problem in our surroundings, or we need to run away from it because whatever it is does not feel safe.

However, it's important to acknowledge like this part of our nervous system also gets activated during positive times, like play, like exercise, those sorts of things. So those are the two branches that we have sort of traditionally worked with in neuroscience. What Polyvagal theory did was it came in and said, Hey, that parasympathetic branch is actually two different branches.

One is the ventral vagal, which is that space of calm, connected openness where we feel like. At ease, peaceful, grounded, and centered in ourselves. Just that feeling of like, huh, and sometimes this happens when we sit down with a dear friend. You know, the fact that the vagus nerve comes through our faces like they're interacting with each other, even through a screen like you and me right now.

Our nervous systems are communicating through our facial expressions. It's an incredible thing. And then the other [00:14:00] branch of the parasympathetic is what's known as the dorsal vagal, which gets activated in very intense and profound ways around traumatic experiences. Um, which I work with the definition of, of trauma being anything that is too fast, too soon, or too much.

So not necessarily only what we might think of as like. Really big traumas. But this dorsal, vagal piece of us that can get activated causes us to shut down, to block off. You might think of this in like really common ways of, if somebody were to like, say something to you that we're, that was a little mean or harsh, and just that feeling you get in your gut, like, ugh.

And like everything just kind of shuts down, you know? And we're, we're protecting ourselves. We're shutting down to protect ourselves. . But again, this also can be less intense, and we get into this state a little bit when we meditate. You know, like there's an element of stillness that has like a flavor, a dorsal vagal flavor [00:15:00] you might call it, even if we are also feeling calm and connected.

So they organize these on a ladder. With dorsal, vagal being at the bottom, sympathetic being in the middle, and ventral vagal being at the top. And that's a helpful visual because oftentimes if we're in a dorsal vagal state where we might be feeling really low energy, kind of depressed, kind of shut down, it's gonna be really difficult to jump into a space of being open and connected.

And so. If we are feeling some of that and our baby needs us. It can be really helpful to have some tools to move through the sympathetic state. So we are actually going to activate a little bit in order to then be open to connecting. And sometimes you hear this talked about as like moving things through your body or generating some energy, you know, like we have like, like, um.

More common language. We, we know what this feeling is. It's like when you just need to dance it out or something like [00:16:00] that, you know, like we, we can all be kind of familiar with this. It's like, oh yeah, that does, that does make sense, you know? So how did that, I sometimes I feel like I get going on that and I like, I loved it.

This, I mean, I'm kind of like geeky that way, but I, I know loved it too. I love the ladder because I actually haven't heard it that way actually. Like, and moving through the sympathetic, I love that. Yeah. And that's what I was picturing, like the movement running, doing mm-hmm. Like exercise to get to that other, you know, side.

Yes. Other. And so one of the key tools in, in Somatics is acknowledging that movement. Depending on where you're at. Movement can be very small. Movement can be very subtle. Movement can be mostly internal. The breath counts as movement. The breath is an enormous tool in working with the nervous system and moving through these different states.

And also healing physically, postpartum, , the way that the breath moves in the body through the pelvic floor, all of it has really profound impacts. And [00:17:00] so working with that can. Be building this nervous system skillset, you know, and this nervous system strength and resilience. Yeah. So that brings me to tools because mm-hmm.

It sounds like this is great. We understand, okay, our brains are changing, is what I'm hearing. Yes. Our brains are changing in motherhood. There's lots going on. We can learn good things from this change, but we might be moving through this kind of system, right. From, parasympathetic and sympathetic.

Mm-hmm. And what are these tools that can help us, regulate the chaos. Yeah. Learn new things, but also help that nervous system kind of like be in a more balanced place. Yeah. Um, I'm gonna pick two, maybe three to go through. So the first one is, is the breath. And one of the ways I really like to work with this for, um, moms especially, is in connection to the womb space.

And the, the literal organ of. Of the uterus in addition to that [00:18:00] like energetic space in our bodies. , and so if, if you're in a space that you can close your eyes, then you can do that or soften your gaze. If you're driving or something like that, maybe just breathe and don't do that. , if you have a hand free, you can put one or both hands on your lower belly in between your belly button and your pubic bone, and take a moment to just like.

Feel into that space a little bit and notice what it's like. 'cause we very often are moving without any connection to this part of our bodies. And then as we start to work with the breath here, we want to breathe from the top all the way down into the pelvic bowl. So, um. The pelvic bowl is actually a second diaphragm, so if you wanna start your inhale in your chest filling up your lungs, it's going to push the diaphragm down into the internal organs.

And as you continue to fill up, those organs are going to press down into the pelvic bowl. And the pelvic [00:19:00] bowl is going to relax and deepen and widen and soften. And so we call this 360 breathing. Then as you exhale, the reverse happens where everything starts to kind of come in and a slight lift back up.

This isn't like a Kegel, it's just a really gentle, like return to neutral. And then we'll do that a few more times, breathing from the lungs down through the diaphragm, through the belly, into the womb space, in the pelvic bowl, and then exhaling, letting everything come back together, hip points towards each other, pelvic floor lifting as you empty all of that air out.

And this is something that can be done. You know, really early postpartum breathing is safe pretty much immediately after giving birth. And is a beautiful way to connect to your body as well as to regulate your nervous system. One little nuance to that, in addition to just feeling the womb spaces that you can drop in.

And if [00:20:00] you're feeling that space, just ask it. Is there anything that you want me to know right now? Sometimes it has a very quick and clear message and it can be. Beautiful in its simplicity, chocolate, a banana, and like, I mean, really these cravings can be linked to our nutritional needs, postpartum, chocolate, magnesium, bananas for potassium.

, or it might be like, I need more rest, or I need to sit down, or, something like that, that our womb can just sort of tell us like, Hey, I wanna keep being in this creative life force energy with you. And in order to do that, I need a little something. So that's the first one. Nice. And I would say listening to that kind of first thing that comes to mind when you're asking, because a lot of times, it feels kind of funny to ask and like listen, and we kind of question what we've heard.

Mm-hmm. Like chocolate, is that just me wanting chocolate? But yeah, I think when it comes that quickly, I feel like that's really, that subconscious thought is [00:21:00] popping into your. Yeah, and just trust it. It's weird, but yeah, it works. Trust. Yes. That's what I always tell people is like, trust whatever comes up.

Don't second guess it. Yeah. Even if it feels weird or like too simple, you know, like, yeah, we need those simple little ways of caretaking ourselves. They can be really profoundly beautiful. Yeah. Someone once told me in my training that the body doesn't lie. So if it's like something comes up, like why? Why would I make it up?

Mm-hmm. Like why would it lie? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So I love that. And frankly, even if you do just want chocolate, okay, that's chocolate. It's exactly. So the second one I wanna share is somatic shaking. , and so this is something that I like to do. Standing, you can do it sitting if you're a little bit limited.

And this can be actually quite fun if you have a little baby, assuming they're awake. They might not appreciate the jostling if they're trying to sleep. Mm-hmm. Um, but it can be a fun way of like connecting while also doing something cool for you. So starting with your feet. Doing [00:22:00] what we call heel drops, where you just very slightly lift your heels and then drop them down to the floor with a little bit of heaviness and just starting to let that pulsing kind of move up into the legs and then into the pelvis.

And then as you do that, and especially if you're standing, you can really get a good little. A good little wiggle going. Um, it's wonderful when you can do this by yourself and have zero self-consciousness about it, because really, like, as we're building that movement, you wanna let the muscles just wiggle off the bones, just let it get super duper floppy.

Um, and this is just an incredible thing to release and discharge energy from our fascia as well as create some energy. And so, coming up then. Into the upper body. Um, flicking your hands, like you're flinging water droplets off of them. And again, like this can be super small and subtle. This can be with just one hand, you know?

Mm-hmm. Like, it doesn't have to be a big thing, but then if you have the space to do it, a big thing, make it [00:23:00] really big, give it some force and some drive. So this is gonna be particularly good if you're feeling low energy, if you're in that dorsal vagal state. If you're feeling a little bit shut down and you're like, I gotta move some of this.

And I'll say that sometimes what we need is like also what sounds the hardest. And so that's why I like to make these so simple. If what feels accessible is to fling your hand three times, amazing. If it's to drop your heels a few times, amazing. If it feels accessible, to do a whole body shake and just let your yourself go wild for a minute.

Amazing. You know? Mm-hmm. Start with, start with where you are. The jaw is also a really nice place to just, ugh. Let it, mm-hmm. Let it wiggle. Is it also good if you're kind of in that sympathetic state where you're just feeling very like riled up and you know that fight or flight? Totally. Just almost like just get it out of you.

Yeah. It'll really help with that space too, if you're like kind of stuck in anxiety because when we can get some movement and some sensation [00:24:00] happening in our bodies, it really helps our brain to like. Sh for a minute, you know? Yeah. Quiet down. And create some sensation that just captures the awareness in a different way through some, through some big movements, for sure.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And then, yeah, again, to your point, discharging some of that fight or flight energy can be really helpful too. Great. Yeah. I love it. So I think the last one I'll, I'll offer here, and there's a couple more, , in the, in the menu, but , is working with some tapping and some mantra.

So for this, you wanna have really relaxed fingers, really loose fingertips, and then you'll start to just. Gently tap along the top of the chest right underneath the collarbones, but then also down a little bit towards the breastbone, out to the sides, all the way over to the tips of the shoulders as well.

And so this is just activating several different, pressure points within the body. Tapping into, yeah, different places where [00:25:00] that vagus nerve. Attaches and connects. And then I like to pair this with a mantra and you can do whatever feels resonant to you. But this is a really helpful one for me when I'm feeling like, gosh, I just wish that like a big giant could scoop me up and take care of me.

The way that I take care of my baby, is I'll just say, I am loved and I am love and repeating that three times as you tap in this space. I am love, I am loved. I am love. I am loved,

and then you can let it go and just see how you feel after that. You know, it's good stuff, right? Good stuff. I love it. Mm-hmm. Now you're stimulating the vagus nerve, is that correct? Oftentimes, yes. But I, I think a, a, a better way of saying that might be that we are sending messages through the vagus nerve.

So, uh, one of the things we know from the nervous system is that, um, [00:26:00] 70, I can't remember right now if it's 70 or 80% of messages actually come from the body up to the brain. Hmm. They're remaining from the brain down to the body. And so it's actually a, a much easier pathway to access to go from the body up sometimes, rather than trying to get the brain to communicate things to the body and regulate the nervous system from the, from the mind, from the language centers, from those places.

So, um, yeah, so we're, so going back to that, we're communicating with the brain through. Sensation in the body, whether that's sensations of ease or safety, sensations of movement or activation. The safety piece of things is always a really big one though. And so, yeah, that's, that's a big part of what we're wanting to.

Yeah. Tell the body and the brain in some way, Hey, you are actually safe. Yeah, you, I mean, 'cause we always think of it as like the top down, [00:27:00] right? Mm-hmm. Like we always think about the brain is the computer and it Yes. Controls all of it, which is Yes. You know, let's face facts. That is true. Yes.

There is that communication. Mm-hmm. Right? Mm-hmm. That goes right to the, to the brain as well. Mm-hmm. And it works both ways and you're right, there's a lot more going on in our body. Yes, for sure. And that's the somatic work that you do with people Right. To, to get that going. So that's so great. Now, is there an environment that

moms can do like something at home that creates this environment that is more supportive for their nervous system. I think working with music is a, is a really, is a really helpful one. You know, we can't always control how much clutter there is. We can't always control how much noise is coming from the kiddos.

But we can usually control the kind of music that we have on and introduce music into a [00:28:00] space in, in difficult moments. And so I think finding music that, um. Lights you up if you need a little joy or music that is soothing and just reminds you that you're, that you're safe and loved, , can be super helpful.

Smell is another one. Although I think for early postpartum that can be a tricky slope. Yes. That that can be a tricky thing to find smells that are like a, a real big Yes. But especially as you get further away from those intensely hormonal periods, that can be a lovely way to signal to the nervous system like.

Hey, you're not running from a tiger. There's a pumpkin spice candle burning. Like know. Yeah. Or just a pumpkin spice latte right next to your, that's even better. Yes. But yes, I happen to love both of those music and, smells. Like if I just wanna like, chill out, just, ugh, just putting on a smell just changes the whole environment for me.

Does, does it changes the mood, even if it doesn't change [00:29:00] anything about like. What's actually happening in the relationship dynamics or what's going on with your kids that day? You know, we can have these little tweaks in our environment to help our bodies know you can settle. Yeah. . So what is one thing you really want parents to start doing after listening to this podcast?

I would love for parents to think about the ways that this transition into parenthood has actually made them stronger and more resilient humans. I think that's a really awesome exercise to just look through and see. I know for me, I'm, I'm like coming back into my business after some time away, having my kiddos and I feel like a completely different human than I did.

When I was running my business previously, for five years, I was doing this work and, stuff like this, doing podcasts, being in front of people, guiding experiences for larger groups, like it felt so hard. I. [00:30:00] And so stressful. I had like a hangover afterwards, you know? And, and now it's like, wow, this feels so different.

And all I can attribute it to is the shift. I mean, I haven't been doing much except being a mom in this time, you know? Mm-hmm. Um, so it's like, that's all I can really attribute it to is like my brain and my nervous system have changed in ways that have made me. Stronger and more resilient. And I think that that's probably true for most parents out there.

Whether or not we're really aware of it or whether or not we have such an obvious, uh, comparison like I do. So I think taking some time to consider that could be really powerful. Yeah. When I became a mom, the first and second time I was doing pediatric physical therapy. Mm. And working as a therapist.

And it's interesting because I did not come back as the same therapist. Yeah. That I went and I mean, part of it was like. I became a mom and realized what I was giving [00:31:00] to poor families, yes. Was way too much and could not handle. So that was a little course in itself, but I also think for me, I became more creative.

Right. Yeah. And. More flexible and being able, 'cause I used to be much more routine. I needed to do it this way and this is how I work. Right. It all had to be perfect and now I'm like, it got done man. We're, yeah. And now it's like, oh wait, no it doesn't.

And yeah, and, and just being more flexible with everything and the way I think and just, and I feel like it made me a better therapist for sure. Much more on top of my game. So yeah, I think if people really just take a step back and go, oh wow, yeah, I have changed. And look at how much I've implemented from just learning to be, you know, a parent.

Yeah, for sure. And then I think alongside that, taking a moment to thank your body and your nervous system for helping you make that transition and get stronger in that way. 'cause it did, even though at times [00:32:00] it might have felt like it wasn't on the same team as you. It was doing work in the background.

Now you do so much wonderful stuff. So tell us a little bit where we can find you, what you offer and Yeah. , so my business is called soulful Somatics. Soulful has two Ls, um, and my website is soulful somatics.com. Um, and so I do one-on-one work with people in person in home, if you're in the Colorado, Denver metro area, as well as virtually if you're not.

And then I also do, some community gatherings and have some postpartum, , circles coming up. Then I would love for everyone to know too about this amazing resource bundle called Gather. Myself and some other providers, got togethers to create this free resource kit for, for moms, and it's particularly geared towards that motherhood threshold, so pregnancy and to postpartum.

. But there's seven really incredible free resources in there, including the [00:33:00] full somatic reset menu, as well as, a video that walks you through each one of them. , but then also there's a resource from a pelvic floor PT and a nutritionist and an attachment, um, parenting coach. And so it's, it's a lovely little, little bundle.

You can get that link. Great. And we'll have that in the show notes so that everyone can just grab it. And I do know some of those people that worked on that too. And they're all incredible practitioners. They are. So, yeah, they're, I mean, it's free. Yes. Grab it. Yes. I mean, there's, it's a no brainer, really.

Send it to anyone you know, who's pregnant or postpartum. Just gather some resources around anyone in that period. 'cause we. We really do focus so much on, on the baby in that time and it's really difficult to turn the lens on us. But yeah, hopefully we can carve out just a little more room. I. To take care of our nervous system so that we can co-regulate with our babies too.

Yeah. Because when we're regulated mm-hmm. [00:34:00] So are they. Yes. Right. Our systems actually help their systems regulates. It's a really hard lesson to learn, but. But learn it. We do one way or another. Yes. Yes. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing your wisdom. Wisdom. Yes. And we learn. I learned so much and I loved all of it.

And I'm gonna grab that free download so that I can do all the steps with you. Awesome. Awesome. All right.

Thank you for joining us today. Alexi was such an amazing guest, and if you wanna get in touch with her or see what else she has to offer, just click on the link in the show notes. And until next week, keep carving out time for yourself. Try some of these easy tips and tricks that Alexi shared with us today, and make sure you put yourself on top of your to-do [00:35:00] list.