Comprehensively Supporting Parents Beyond Six Weeks: The Mama Coach Covers Top Postpartum Tips
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Episode Notes
What happens after you bring the baby home — when the hospital support ends, sleep becomes unpredictable, feeding feels overwhelming, and parents are expected to “just know” what to do?
In this episode of Perinatal and Reproductive Perspectives, Becky Morrison Gleed sits down with NICU nurse, lactation consultant, baby sleep expert, and founder of The Mama Coach, Ashli Daley, to talk about the often-overlooked gap between birth and real-life postpartum support.
Drawing from her experience working in NICUs across the country, Ashli explains why so many parents feel unsupported after discharge — and how compassionate, individualized care can help families build confidence during the early months of parenthood. Together, Becky and Ashli discuss newborn sleep, feeding challenges, bottle refusal, returning to work, car seat safety, postpartum emotional health, and the importance of asking for help instead of trying to “figure it all out alone.”
The conversation also reframes common parenting anxieties through a more compassionate lens. Ashli challenges rigid expectations around infant sleep, encourages parents to trust their instincts, and reminds listeners that babies are not “problems to be fixed.” Instead, many sleep disruptions are tied to developmental progressions, nervous system growth, feeding needs, and major transitions within the family system.
Whether you are pregnant, newly postpartum, navigating the NICU experience, or preparing to return to work, this episode offers practical guidance alongside an important reminder: parents deserve support, too.
“Don’t feel like you have to figure it out all alone. You are in a space where you have the doctor, the nurses, everyone to lean on and ask for help and questions while you are in the NICU. Don’t feel like once you’re home that support has gone away.”
Topics Discussed
The Gap Between Hospital Care and Real-Life Postpartum Support
Ashli shares how her years as a NICU nurse revealed a major gap in care after families leave the hospital — especially during the transition home with a newborn.
Supporting NICU Families Beyond Discharge
A conversation about emotional support, building a village outside the hospital, and why parents should never feel pressured to navigate early parenthood alone.
What a Baby Coach Actually Does
Ashli explains her comprehensive approach to supporting families through pregnancy, postpartum recovery, infant feeding, sleep, safety, and early childhood transitions.
Infant Sleep, “Sleep Regressions,” and What’s Actually Normal
Why baby sleep is highly individualized, what developmental progressions look like, and how social media can create unrealistic expectations for parents.
Returning to Work While Breastfeeding
Practical advice for introducing bottles, navigating pumping at work, understanding workplace protections, and preparing emotionally for the transition back to work.
Bottle Refusal and Feeding Anxiety
Ashli discusses why bottle feeding is its own developmental skill, why preparation matters, and how families can reduce stress around feeding transitions.
Car Seat Safety Without Shame
A compassionate discussion about how overwhelming car seat safety can feel for new parents — and why education and support matter more than perfection.
Hand Expression and Colostrum Collection
An overview of antenatal hand expression, why some families choose to collect colostrum before birth, and how these skills can support breastfeeding later on.
Celebrating Small Parenting Wins
Why many parents struggle to recognize progress, and how building confidence often starts with acknowledging the “small” victories.
Self-Care, Burnout, and the Mental Load of Parenting
Ashli reflects on the importance of rest, emotional regulation, and filling your own cup so you can care for others from a place of overflow rather than depletion.
Additional Resources
Postpartum Support Podcast Guide
Connect with Ashli:
Related Episodes
Postpartum Recovery Shouldn’t Be a Luxury: Rethinking Care After Birth