In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, Matt and I reflect on what we would keep the same and what we would change if we were becoming first-time parents all over again.

We talk about unrealistic expectations, nursing and pumping pressure, sleep deprivation, paternity leave, and the identity shift that comes with early parenthood. We also share how unmet expectations affected our mental health and what finally shifted when we gave ourselves permission to adjust instead of force.

Year one humbled us. It stretched us. It forced us to adjust our expectations of ourselves and of our baby.

The first baby is the teacher. And if we could do it again, we’d give ourselves more permission, more rest, and a little more grace.

In this week’s episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I dive right back into peeling the layers of this new season of life: motherhood. Reaching for gratitude: daily, is once again at the top of the list. I share my thoughts on how not all motherhood is created equally, how wanting what we don’t have shows up even in this season, and how I want to remember these years of my life.

“Surviving, not thriving” is a phrase often coined in motherhood, and I want to challenge it. When I look back on the season spent growing our family and pouring into our littles, I don’t want to remember these years in shades of grey because I was just “surviving.” There has to be a better way, and I’m in pursuit of finding it!

In this episode of The Anastasiya Podcast, I talk about my very complicated relationship with social media after taking the entire month of January off. Like every social media hiatus I’ve ever taken (because yes, I do this often), it felt amazing. I didn’t miss it. Not even a little. Life was quieter, clearer, and somehow I had so much more time… shocking.

What’s interesting is that I’m not even consuming political or sensationalized content. I’m watching wholesome videos about families, kids, and funny moments that genuinely make me think, “Oh my gosh, I love people!” And yet, the second I put my phone down, I feel physically sick. Instant cyber sickness and real remorse over free time I somehow donated to the algorithm.

I reflect on how much content we absorb in even one minute on social media and how quickly that multiplies without us noticing. Twenty minutes goes by, and we’re maxed out long before we realize it, smiling at our phones. I don’t have a perfect solution or a polished plan moving forward. I just know I still deeply love and hate social media... and for me, there truly is no in-between!