Our host Casey interviews an entrepreneur, former farm owner, health coach, yoga teacher, fitness instructor, and mom of four in a blended family. Mandi describes discovering a surprise pregnancy at 46 while experiencing perimenopause symptoms, her family’s shocked reactions, and what it was like navigating an “advanced age” pregnancy with both Western medical care and a midwife/doula team. She describes choosing a home birth, receiving support from her husband, sister, doula, and midwife, and the emotional impact of immediate skin-to-skin. Mandy discusses the isolating early months, breastfeeding struggles, grieving her career identity, returning to part-time work, and leaning on her partner’s active parenting. She also reflects on managing older kids’ transitions, prioritizing self-care to reduce household stress, naming Allove as “all of our love,” and encouraging moms to find a supportive village.

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https://sophiamedia.co/MyFirstYear

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In this episode of My First Year as a Mother, host Casey Georgi speaks with Tara Beasley-Stansberry, a small business owner in Vallejo, California, about becoming a mom through fostering and adoption with her wife, Rhonda. After unsuccessful IVF and insemination attempts, they pursued foster-to-adopt and received an emergency placement of three sisters — Mikah, DaRonae and Dezire — just before Christmas during COVID. Tara describes navigating the foster system, the girls’ trauma and neglect, and advocating for their education, health, and stability, all while running for city council and running a restaurant. Over the years in their care, Tara and Rhonda built trust, community, and structure, supported the girls with therapy and encouraged connections to biological family. Last year, they made the adoption official.

🌐 Learn more:
https://sophiamedia.co/MyFirstYear

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Sophia sits down with Ann Cecil-Sterman, musician, master acupuncturist and teacher, artist, author and mother of two. (Find out more at AnnCecilSterman.com.)

Ann shares how meeting her husband, Andrew, unexpectedly awakened her desire to become a mother, and reflects on pregnancy, her extraordinary 49-hour labor with her first child, Ravi, and the strength she discovered through giving birth.

She also opens up about breaking generational cycles, the importance of connection in early motherhood, and what she calls “the loving gaze”—the profound bond created by simply holding your child and looking into their eyes.

A conversation about birth, resilience, unconditional love, and the strength we discover through motherhood.

Ann’s husband, Andrew Sterman, was also the very first guest on our companion series, My First Year as a Father. Hear Andrew’s perspective on fatherhood and their family’s story:

🍎 Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-first-year-as-a-father/id6798906988

🎵 Listen on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0342KedHU37th2BZlvN6yA?si=5a8fb97f64c6449f

🌐 Learn more:
https://sophiamedia.co/MyFirstYear

❤️ Subscribe for honest conversations about motherhood, identity, and life's biggest transitions.