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.

No guest, no agenda — just us yapping. This week Catie and Danielle are back for a pure catch-up episode and honestly? We had a lot to say.

Danielle is mid-travel chaos, running on zero clean clothes and a dream, while Catie is trying to figure out how to top the Yeti Camino her husband got her for Mother's Day without buying another golf club set. We get into Father's Day gift ideas that actually land, the white button down that had high hopes and let us both down, and why our second kids are simply built different.

Plus — Jack's kindergarten graduation had us emotional, Calvin sat through a five-vial blood draw without blinking, and Danielle's son found out his mom also goes to therapy. Turns out all the cool kids are a little messed up.

Chapters

• 00:00 - We Need a Jingle
• 01:36 - Father's Day Plans & Birthday Party Collisions
• 03:43 - What Dads Actually Want
• 04:08 - DIY Golf Ball Gifts & the Malbon Hat
• 05:20 - The Reciprocal Gift Pressure
• 07:19 - Danielle's Travel Chaos
• 08:21 - Women's Empowerment Events & the "Shrill" Spiral
• 09:35 - The White Button Down That Lied to Us
• 11:10 - Jack's Kindergarten Graduation
• 12:14 - Your 5-Year-Old Is Worried About Your Work Schedule
• 13:37 - Calvin's Blood Draw: Didn't Flinch
• 14:42 - Therapy Is Normal Now
• 15:59 - Love Island vs. Big Brother

Pull up a seat. We're just here to yap.

You've got the nursery done, the registry checked off, and the hospital bag packed — but are you actually ready?

This week, Catie and Danielle sit down with Nina Spears, founder and CEO of Baby Chick, certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, and author of the brand-new The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy. With 15+ years of experience supporting 800+ families and attending over 350 births, Nina has seen it all — and she's here to talk about the one thing most moms skip: preparing for becoming a mother.

Nina breaks down why our culture obsesses over baby stuff but ignores the emotional, physical, and relational shifts that hit hardest after delivery. She shares what she wishes every mom knew before coming home from the hospital, how to navigate the identity crisis of returning to work, and why the most capable women often struggle the most.

If you've ever looked at your baby and thought "now what?" — this episode is for you.

📖 Pre-order Nina's book and enter to win over $5,500 in prizes (Halo, Mockingbird, Coterie + more): baby-chick.com/positive-pregnancy-book

Subscribe to Nina's free newsletter and explore all things pregnancy, postpartum, and early motherhood at baby-chick.com

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro & Welcome 01:35 – Nina's Origin Story: How a Childless 23-Year-Old Became a Baby Expert

05:22 – "Baby's Here, Now What?" — How Unprepared Are Moms Really?

07:02 – Why Our Culture Celebrates the Baby But Forgets the Mother

10:50 – The Most Common Thing Moms Wish They Had Prepared For

13:43 – Identity Shifts, Mom Guilt, and Learning to Ask for Help

15:34 – How Baby Chick Was Built (and How Nina Vets What Gets Published)

18:39 – The Information Overload Problem — and How to Find Trustworthy Advice

21:57 – Returning to Work as a Completely Different Person 24:12 – The Emotional Reality of the Fourth Trimester (and Beyond)

27:25 – If You Want a Village, Be a Villager

29:36 – Why the Moms Who Look Like They Have It Together Often Struggle Most

30:48 – The One Thing Nina Wishes Every Mom Knew Before Baby Arrives

33:27 – About the Book + Giveaway Details

Come catch up on life with us. For those of you that are new here, welcome. We're 2 working moms who have full time 9-5 jobs. We work remote, mostly. We also run this full time and are business partners.

Catie's kids are 3 & 4

Danielle's kids are 3 & 7

Let's get into this weeks therapy session.

Catie's three-year-old is basically blind (fine, astigmatisms, but same energy), Calvin showed up to the office in mom's sunglasses watching Peppa Pig during a live meeting, and somehow rainbow glasses are now a hill we're willing to die on. Meanwhile Danielle solo-pilgrimaged to a BTS concert in Vegas, made three new best friends in the parking lot, and is already planning her Stray Kids festival outfit down to the lightstick.

We also solve the great debate: summer bucket list vs. themed activity days, why $590 art camp is a hard no, and how drop-off logistics are genuinely a second full-time job nobody hired us for.

Chaotic. Unfiltered. Basically free therapy.

• 00:00 – Welcome to the Therapy Hour
• 00:48 – Calvin Is Basically Blind & We're Spiraling
• 07:40 – Peppa Pig, Dilated Pupils & a Very Unbothered Toddler
• 11:16 – Colton Failed the Swim Test & We're Actually Fine With It
• 12:25 – Danielle Goes Solo to Vegas (for a K-pop concert, obviously)
• 13:21 – Are We Too Old for Concert Merch? (No.)
• 17:01 – $590 for Art Camp. We Said No.
• 22:04 – Bucket Lists vs. Themed Days: The Summer Planning Debate
• 27:12 – Why Are We Still Dressing Our Kids? They're Four.
• 29:17 – Morning Drop-Off Math Nobody Warned Us About
• 31:26 – Moms Gone Wild (Nick Jonas + Stray Kids, separately)

Motherhood changes everything — including how you get dressed. But here's the thing: your style didn't disappear, it just evolved. And that might actually be a good thing.

In this episode, we're joined by personal brand stylist Nina Piccini to talk all things mom fashion — from building a wardrobe that works across every version of your life, to navigating trends without losing yourself, to finally tackling that decision fatigue every time you open your closet.

We also pull back the curtain on our own lookbook experience with Nina — what the process looks like, what surprised us, and what we absolutely loved.

What we cover:

• Why your style actually gets better after kids
• How to build a versatile wardrobe that works from drop-off to boardroom
• Using lookbooks and Pinterest to reduce morning decision fatigue
• How to shop trends without losing your personal style
• The real reason button-downs aren't working for you
• Wardrobe refresh strategies that don't break the bank
• Style myths every mom needs to stop believing

Connect with Nina: https://www.ninapiccini.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nina_piccini

Substack: The Style Brief https://ninapiccini.substack.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Personal Brand Styling

02:48 Nina's Journey to Styling

05:46 The Importance of Wardrobe for Moms

08:51 Creating Lookbooks: The Process

11:46 Incorporating Personal Style

14:20 Overcoming Fashion Fears

17:12 Navigating Trends and Personal Style

21:06 Navigating Fashion Trends

29:35 Wardrobe Refresh Strategies

34:19 Style Myths and Budget Shopping

35:12 Embracing Personal Style as a Mom

In this episode of From 9 to Mom, we’re diving into a topic that’s suddenly everywhere: plastics, microplastics, “clean living,” and the overwhelming pressure moms feel to somehow detox their entire homes overnight. 😵‍💫

We’re joined by Jessica Franklin, busy mom, health coach, and host of The Live Lightly Podcast, to break down what actually matters when it comes to plastics, toxins, and low-tox living… without spiraling into fear or throwing out every sippy cup you own tomorrow.

From plastic cutting boards and kids’ lunch gear to hidden plastics in bedding, clothing, and everyday products, Jessica helps us understand where these exposures are really coming from, what the science says about microplastics and hormone disruption, and how moms can make practical swaps without adding another full-time job to the mental load.

We also talk about:
• The truth behind “BPA-free” labels
• Why plastic cutting boards became everyone’s villain origin story
• The hidden plastics most families never think about
• Affordable, realistic swaps that actually make sense
• How to avoid fear-based wellness marketing
• The balance between awareness and overwhelm

If you’ve watched the documentaries, fallen down a TikTok rabbit hole, or stood in Target staring at “eco-friendly” labels wondering what any of it means… this episode is for you.

Because healthy living shouldn’t require a chemistry degree, a full pantry relabel, or losing your sanity in aisle 12. 💛

Sign up for the Microplastics Masterclass here: https://livelightly.myflodesk.com/microplasticmasterclass

Featuring: Jessica Franklin of The Live Lightly Podcast