In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm finally saying something out loud that's been sitting in my Notes app for a while: I don't love the baby phase. You know, when they're past the newborn stage but not quite a person yet and you're just kind of there with them, trying to figure out what to actually do all day. As I navigate this season I share the guilt of splitting myself between Dimitri and Bram. I talk about the moment Dimitri told me he was sad because I wasn't playing with him anymore and how I spent months rushing through feeding and holding Bram just so I could get back to my toddler. My friend Jess joins the conversation too, and her take on favorite ages, plus the line about wiping asses that had me dying. In this episode I get real about: Why I'm finally admitting I don't love the baby phase, and the guilt that comes with saying that out loud The moment Dimitri told me he was sad because I wasn't around him after Bram was born Spending months rushing through time with Bram just to get back to bonding with Dimitri, and feeling like I was failing both of them What do you actually do with a baby once they're past the newborn stage and not yet a "little person" Jess's take on her favorite age with her daughter (18 months, in case you're wondering) and why the toddler years surprised her The moments kids actually remember — hint: it's never the big trips Jess's promise that once you're done wiping asses, a whole new world opens up New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts.  Join the Snatch Chat community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher  "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum Plectrum Episode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm taking you through the family trip to Florida that I thought was going too smoothly and then, of course, it wasn't. Matt and I had been in a rut, ships passing in the night with his travel schedule, and I went into this trip already touched out and running on empty. Then add two stepdaughters, a toddler, and an eight-month-old to a solo airport run, and somehow it still wasn't the hardest part of the week. I talk about the guilt of feeling like I couldn't enjoy myself while everyone else was catching shrimp at backyard hibachi, the moment I finally lost it in a bathroom because I just needed five minutes alone, and full on family meltdown the night before our flight home with a screaming baby, a feverish toddler, a stepdaughter in tears from an earache, and an alarm set for 3:15 AM. And I wish that was it. But, I also share about the cement pole I hit in my husband's SUV, and what my mom said to me in the car that snapped me right out of my spiral. In this episode I get real about: Why I went into this trip already running on empty  Traveling solo through the airport with two stepdaughters, a toddler, and an eight-month-old, and the plan I had to pull off to make it work Crying in the bathroom because I just needed five minutes to myself, and why moms are so bad at asking for help The resentment of holding a screaming baby through backyard hibachi while everyone else got to enjoy the night The last night of the trip: two ear infections, a spiking fever, and a baby who would not settle until 2:30 AM The 3 AM Uber chaos trying to get two kids, two car seats, and a mountain of luggage to the airport Denting my husband's SUV in the parking garage, hiding it for days, and what my mom said that snapped me out of my spiral Urgent care, amoxicillin, and the sweetest thing my toddler said about his ear drops that made the whole trip worth it If any part of this show helped you feel seen I invite you to join my community of moms who get it. Join the Snatch Chat community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts.  Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher  "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum Plectrum Episode Production by KNWN 

I had the best conversation with Kail Lowry over on Coffee Convos, and I loved it so much I had to bring it to the Hot Mom Shit feed. Kail had me on to catch up since my last appearance on Barely Famous, and what started as a check-in turned into one of the most honest conversations I've had about motherhood since starting this podcast. We get into everything from being a mom of two under two after three stepkids, the chaos of toddlerhood, and why I think the internet owes new moms a serious apology for the way we judge each other. We talk about the pressure to keep a perfectly curated house and body while you're drowning in sleep deprivation, why "fed is best" should be the whole conversation around breastfeeding, and the panic attack I had because I was weaning off pumping. Kail gets really real about perinatal depression during her fifth pregnancy, and we both go there on gender disappointment, postpartum body image, and the moment you realize love for a second kid doesn't divide, it multiplies. In this episode we got real about: Living in the "and" how you can love your kids completely and still be touched out, overstimulated, and missing your old life The guilt and pressure around breastfeeding, exclusive pumping, and why "fed is best" needs to be the whole conversation Whether I'd ever go back to WWE, and what it would mean for my boys to actually see me out there  Gender disappointment why it's okay to feel it and why nobody should be shamed for it Going from zero to one kids vs. one to two, and why toddlerhood is actually the hardest stretch  Why "your mom hat never comes off" and the therapy session that finally made that make sense to me New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts.  Join the Snatch Chat community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher  "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum PlectrumEpisode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm getting real about what’s been happening behind the scenes for this momma.   I'm talking about weaning off exclusive pumping after nine months, the panic attack that came out of nowhere, and the sleep deprivation that has me wondering if every other mom out there is secretly a zombie too or just better at hiding it than I am. In this episode I get real about: Why I'm finally weaning off pumping after nine months of exclusively pumping for Bram, and why I wish I had stopped sooner for my own mental health The terrifying panic attack that hit out of nowhere the day my supply started dropping, and the emergency therapy session that talked me off the ledge Why nobody talks about weaning the way we talk about postpartum depression, anxiety, and rage The hormone specialist inside of Snatch who helped me get back on track with nutrition and supplements The bedtime epiphany that finally happened after eight straight months of putting two kids down solo My official rant on sleep deprivation, the pink sock superstition, and why I need to know if other moms are walking around as zombies too New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts. Join the Snatch Chat community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher  "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum PlectrumEpisode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm catching you up on my European vacation with Matt, our first real trip away from the boys, ever. I'm talking eight nights, two countries, and the kind of mom guilt that hit me so hard at the airport I was sobbing. To add to my guilt, I get into the pumping disaster that had me standing over a sink in the Delta lounge with two broken pump sets and a true moment of panic, the text my mom sent me that I think every mom needs to read, and what it  felt like to remember who I am outside of being someone's mother for the first time in years. Also, I have a Bravo story for you. I accidentally became paparazzi in Sicily, and I have some thoughts about Real Housewives of Rhode Island, Summer House, and the Netflix show that spoiled the ending of the book I was reading on the plane home. In this episode I get real about: The eight nights away from my kids and the anxiety attack I had at JFK before I even left the country The text my mom sent me that made so many of you cry when I posted it on Instagram The pumping nightmare in the airport lounge Why the trip wasn't really about getting away from my kids, it was about remembering who I am as a whole person The moment I accidentally went full paparazzi on a Bravo couple in Taormina The Netflix show that spoiled my book on the flight home and why I will never forgive Kate Hudson My Real Housewives of Rhode Island hot takes, because we are due for a reality TV catch up New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts. And join the Snatch Chat community to get first access to new episodes and meet a community of women who get it. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher  "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum Plectrum Episode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, Dr. S is back and this time we took questions straight from the community and went deep on three things that I think every mom is quietly carrying: screen time guilt, the permission to hide in the bathroom when you need a minute, and the mental load mothers carry.  In this episode we get real about: Screen time and how much is too much, what content matters, and why it starts with what we're modeling ourselves The 90s TV method that eliminated meltdowns in my house  The mental load and why Dr. S doesn't believe equality between moms and dads will ever be achieved  The three H's: the one tool Dr. S gave us to teach our partners how to actually support us How becoming a mom changes every relationship in your life Momma, we're all figuring this out together. And Dr. S is proof that even the experts are navigating this in real time. Join Snatch Chat and meet a community of women who get it. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher  "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum Plectrum Episode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm going somewhere I've been stewing on for a while, because there is zero accurate depiction of real motherhood anywhere. Not in movies, not on reality TV, not on social media. Nowhere.  I'm not coming for anyone. But I am coming for the beige outfits, the timestamped morning routines, and the 47th Amazon haul of the week because, momma, it's making all of us feel like we're failing, and we're not. In this episode I get real about:  Why The Valley might actually be one of the only shows doing it right and what Secret Lives of Mormon Wives missed the mark on The social media scroll that's leaving us feeling like garbage (and why it's literally designed to do that) Amazon hauls, storefronts, and the closet full of clothes I bought and never wore two months postpartum The timestamped morning routine content that makes me want to throw my phone across the room Why I'm in my "unfollow everything that makes me feel like sh*t" era The 2018 concealer confession you didn't know you needed to hear What my actual nighttime routine looks like…and it includes a toddler slapping my butt This one's for the mom who opened Instagram today and closed it feeling worse than when she opened it. It’s not you, the content is not reality. Join the Snatch community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. Listen to new episodes of Hot Mom Shit dropping every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum PlectrumEpisode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I get real about something I've been sitting with my entire life…the eye bags that have followed me since birth. Yes, I am talking about my lower bleph surgery today.  But, don’t come at me and do not hear me say to fix your face. This is my story and something I’ve wanted to do for decades. But do hear me say, momma it’s time to stop waiting to do the thing you’ve been waiting to do.  In this episode I get real about:  The acting class moment that stuck with me for 22 years (and why a grown a$$ woman had no business saying that to a 16-year-old girl) What a lower bleph actually is and what I had done Matt's reaction: skeptical going in, full nurse mode coming out My pre and post-surgery non-negotiables Why this wasn't about changing my face it was about feeling like myself  The PSA every mom needs to hear: stop putting it off, the time is gonna pass anyway Momma, do what makes you feel good. Whether that's plastic surgery, a gym membership, or just lunch with a friend. I'm four weeks out and I feel like a different person in the best way.  Join the Snatch community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts.  Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum PlectrumEpisode Production by KNWN

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm introducing someone who is going to become a regular around here, Dr. Sanam Shamtobi or as we like call her, Dr. S, a maternal mental health psychologist and a mom herself. And we're jumping straight into the deep end. I came in with a breastfeeding question. I left with a completely different way of thinking about mom guilt, identity, and why the mental load feels so invisible to the people we live with. In this episode we get real about: Why partners aren't clueless, they just need a different kind of direction (Dr. S literally makes handouts for husbands in therapy) The mental load and why it's so hard to explain to someone who isn't carrying it How to hold onto your identity when it feels like "mom" swallowed everything else Do dads love their kids the same way moms do? Dr. S gets into it Pumping six months in and wanting to quit, Dr. S gives me the permission I didn't know I needed Why mom guilt will always find a new target no matter what you do Want to hear the full conversation? Join Snatch Chat and get access to the whole episode along with a community of women who get it.  Momma, we're all figuring this out together. None of us have every box checked and Dr. S is proof that even the experts are navigating this in real time. See you inside. When you join the Snatch community you get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher

In this episode of Hot Mom Shit, I'm bringing on my very first guest — my husband, Matt — and we're getting into one of the most honest conversations we've had about what postpartum and our marriage. If you caught the first episode, you know about the Bluetooth incident. But this one is about what happened after. The conversation we had when I walked upstairs from the gym, three months postpartum, completely undone, and tried to explain to my husband that I felt like I was stuck at the bottom of a well. And he said: I feel like I'm flying around in the air and I don't know where to land. That one exchange cracked something open. Because we weren't just in different rooms — we were in completely different atmospheres. And this episode is us unpacking what that actually looked like, and what it's taken to close some of that distance. In this episode I get real about: The infamous Bluetooth incident — Matt's side of the story  The hormone science behind why you don't want sex when you're breastfeeding Why "I want my wife back" is triggering  The sushi analogy — the best way I've found to explain postpartum to a man What couples therapy has taught us about being heard vs. being fixed The three H's: Held, Heard, or Help — and why naming what you need changes everything What we'd tell any couple heading into the postpartum season This one's for the couple in the car who needed to hear that they're not alone. Play this one loud. New episodes of Hot Mom Shit drop every Tuesday. Follow along wherever you listen to podcasts. Join the Snatch community to get first access to new episodes, behind the scenes content and so much more. Follow me on Instagram: @theleahvandale Join the Snatch community: snatch.co Follow Snatch on Instagram: @snatchforher "Top Tier Matriarch" — written and produced by Quantum PlectrumEpisode Production by KNWN