Getting Grounded

This week, we are joined by the INCREDIBLE Laura Scarpati and my dog Winston for some excellent points you'll be glad you tuned in for :)...
What would change about how you live if you truly believed you could die tomorrow? For my new bestie, Laura Scarpati, host of The Woo Report, that isn't a hypothetical question.
Five years ago, at 18 weeks pregnant, Laura was sitting on the grass when a car accidentally drove straight over her. In the moments that followed, she experienced something she describes as a near-death and out-of-body experience. She saw her own body from outside of it, believed she was dying, and somehow felt completely at peace.
She survived. Her baby survived. But the person who came back was, in many ways, fundamentally different.
In this deep and beautifully reflective conversation, Laura and I talk about what happened that day, the incredibly difficult recovery that followed, and the spiritual path the experience set her on. Laura went on to create a documentary about death and dying through her work with hospice, confronting one of the things so many of us spend our lives trying not to think about.
And then, of course, we dive into motherhood. Because if your entire relationship with life and death changes, your relationship with parenting has to change too.
Laura talks honestly about the mother she was before the accident. Stressed, controlling, anxious, and often caught up in how everyone around her was doing things. And then the mother she became afterward. Not perfect, not endlessly peaceful, but more aware of her ability to choose how she shows up.
We talk about the conditioning we inherit as parents, the fear we unintentionally pass down to our children, and what it looks like to talk openly with kids about death rather than treating it like something they shouldn't know about.
This conversation also goes beyond death. It's really about presence.
About remembering that our time here is finite. About noticing the wind on your face. About choosing love when you could choose fear. About recognizing that we have more power over how we respond than we sometimes think.
And about how one of the most terrifying experiences imaginable can, in unexpected ways, become an invitation to actually live.
In this episode, we talk about:
The accident that left Laura fighting for her life while 18 weeks pregnant
Her near-death and out-of-body experience and the profound peace she felt in the moment
The difficult physical and emotional recovery that followed
How the experience completely changed her internal world and perspective on life
Why Laura began exploring death and dying through documentary filmmaking and hospice work
How losing people we love can change our relationship with death
The difference between feeling sadness around death and carrying fear around it
How Laura's experience changed the way she parents
Moving from fear and control toward presence, perspective, and choice
The conditioning we inherit from our families and society and the things we unconsciously pass on to our children
How to talk to kids about death without making it something they need to fear
Why children don't necessarily need us to hide our sadness; they need us to model that sadness doesn't have to mean fear
The power of noticing when we're triggered and choosing a different response
How our relationships can change when we remember that our time together is finite
What it means to parent- and live from an intention of love
Finding gratitude in the ordinary moments we might otherwise rush past
Laura's story is extraordinary, but the questions it raises are surprisingly everyday:
What are we afraid of? What are we teaching our children to be afraid of? And if we knew our time was limited, would we show up differently today?
Maybe that's the real gift hidden inside a story like Laura's- not that we need to experience something life-altering to change the way we live, but that we don't have to wait for one. Because we already know this life is finite. The question is what we do with that knowledge.
 
For more Laura, because who doesn't want that- tune into her show, The Woo Report, or follow along @TheWooReport on Instagram! 
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
Soul Love with Sam on Substack
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC

What happens when your job is literally understanding how kids develop… and then you have a baby of your own?
In part II of this conversation, I’m joined by one of my best friends, Dana Pagliuco, a speech-language pathologist and mom, for a conversation about the very specific experience of knowing a lot about child development and realizing that knowledge can be both incredibly helpful and completely anxiety-inducing once you become a parent.
Dana has spent the last decade working with children on speech, language, feeding, and development, so she came into motherhood with a pretty serious professional toolbox. And then breastfeeding humbled her. Feeding humbled her. Milestones humbled her. Basically, motherhood reminded her that knowing what should happen doesn't mean you get to control what actually happens.
We talk about the pressure to get feeding "right," why baby-led weaning isn't the only way, what responsive feeding actually looks like, and why so many parents carry an unnecessary amount of guilt when their child isn't hitting a milestone exactly when they expected.
We also get into speech and language development, when a delay is something to watch versus something worth evaluating, and how to create a language-rich environment without turning your entire day into a developmental therapy session.
And underneath all of it is a bigger question: How do we balance our intuition as parents with the expertise of our providers without becoming either completely dismissive or completely consumed by information?
Because sometimes you need the expert. Sometimes you need to trust your gut. And sometimes you just need someone to remind you that your kid is not a checklist.
In this episode, we talk about:
What Dana's professional knowledge actually helped with and where it completely failed to prepare her for motherhood
The breastfeeding struggles that humbled her despite having professional experience with feeding
Why knowing too much can sometimes make parenting anxiety worse
The pressure parents feel around developmental milestones and why comparison can be so unhelpful
When to trust your pediatrician's "wait and see" approach and when it's worth pushing for an evaluation
Why an evaluation doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong
Speech and language development, including receptive language and the importance of paying attention to the bigger picture
Simple ways to support language development at home through narration, repetition, and everyday conversation
Why "core words" can be more useful than simply teaching kids a bunch of nouns
The truth about baby-led weaning vs. traditional purees and why you don't have to choose the "perfect" method
What responsive feeding actually means and why following your child's cues matters more than following a feeding trend
Why feeding struggles can feel so much more emotionally loaded for parents
The guilt we carry when we assume our child's challenges must somehow be our fault
How becoming a mother made Dana a more empathetic- and ultimately better therapist
Most of all, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to know everything to be a good mom. And sometimes having the right professional in your corner isn't about being told that you're doing something wrong. It's about having someone help you figure out what's actually worth worrying about.
Dana's professional knowledge was incredibly valuable to the people around her, but motherhood gave her something her education couldn't: perspective.
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
Soul Love with Sam on Substack
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC

There are some parts of motherhood you can read about, prepare for, ask your doctor about, and then there are the things you really only learn from your mom friend texts-  “yep so normal” or the dreaded “no no. call your doctor.”
In this episode, I'm honored to spend the hour with one of my oldest and best friends, Dana Pagliuco, for the kind of conversation we’ve been having with each other for years- except this time, we did it for my show😅!
We talk about how completely unprepared we both were for the reality of becoming moms, why having a friend just a few months ahead of you can be a mom lifeline, and all the things about birth and postpartum that somehow no one adequately explains beforehand.
Pags also shares what it was really like going from one kid to two, what actually felt harder, what surprisingly felt easier the second time around, the age gap she originally imagined for her kids, and the complicated feeling of knowing your family is complete while still feeling a little sad that a chapter of your life is over.
And we have a really honest conversation about her miscarriage between her two daughters: finding out she was losing the pregnancy over Mother's Day weekend, the physical reality of miscarriage that isn't talked about enough, having to keep parenting and showing up at work while actively going through it, and how grief can seemingly fade into the background only to catch you off guard again later.
It’s vulnerable and heavy at times, but it’s also two lifelong besties, so there is plenty of laughing, oversharing, breastfeeding talk, husband stories, and the general absurdity that comes with raising tiny humans.
In this episode, we talk about:
Why nothing really prepares you for the identity shift of becoming a mom
The underrated importance of having mom friends a few steps ahead of you
The realities of birth and postpartum that no one seems to explain properly
Whether going from 0 to 1 or 1 to 2 kids is actually harder
Breastfeeding the first vs. second time around
Deciding you're done having children and why that can still come with grief
Miscarriage, including the physical experience we don't talk about enough
Having to keep parenting, working, and functioning while going through pregnancy loss
Trying to conceive again after miscarriage and the anxiety that can follow you into another pregnancy
Letting go of the age gap and family timeline you thought you'd have
The reminders of pregnancy loss that can unexpectedly bring the grief back
How moms and dads can experience pregnancy, miscarriage, and early parenthood completely differently
Friendship before and after kids and why sometimes you simply cannot understand until you've lived it
More than anything, this episode is about the value of having people you can tell the whole truth to- the scary stuff, the sad stuff, the gross stuff, the funny stuff, and the “is this normal?!” stuff.
Because so much of motherhood becomes a little less overwhelming when someone else can say: I know. I've been there too.
00:34 — Welcome to Another Mom Bestie: Dana Pagliuco!
02:29 — Postpartum, Birth & the “is this normal?!” Moments
05:16 — Why You Need Mom Friends Who Get It
09:52 — How Many Kids? Deciding When Your Family Is Complete
18:20 — Miscarriage: The Experience No One Talks About Enough
23:37 — Telling People, Going to Work & Functioning Through It
29:31 — Pregnancy After Miscarriage: Anxiety, Grief & the Age Gap
39:30 — Spirit Babies & Finding Comfort in the Unknown, Spiritual or Not
42:05 — Miscarriage, Marriage & How Partners Experience It Differently
47:35 — Closing & Thanks!
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC

Caitlin Wilder has a unique way of making you feel like you’re sitting down with a friend to chat about huge, important life things and absolutely nothing at all, all at the same time.
In this episode, we talk about the big questions that somehow take up SO much of our mental space as moms — from finding the right place to live and navigating a move, to how you actually know if you’re done having kids (and what it feels like when you and your partner aren’t on the same page).
We also get very real about the postpartum experience, the pressure of following every piece of advice from online “experts,” and how Caitlin’s own first postpartum experience completely changed the way she approaches motherhood and her work as a full-spectrum doula.
Then we get into marriage, identity, work, the pressure to “keep all the balls in the air,” and the realization that sometimes doing everything pretty okay is actually more than enough.
And somehow, in the middle of all of that, we talk about Bravo for a truly unnecessary amount of time. 😂
Caitlin is passionate about helping moms have a more realistic, grounded first-time motherhood experience, but what I love most about this conversation is how relatable and genuinely fun it is. There’s no perfect formula, no “right” way to do motherhood, and no pretending that we have it all figured out.
Just a very honest conversation about motherhood, marriage, babies, moving, identity, figuring out what matters to you — and a little Bravo along the way.
If you like a lighthearted conversation about super deep things, this episode is for you.
 
00:00:34 — Welcome Caitlin Wilder!
00:00:58 — A Little Bravo & Southern Charm Detour 😂
00:05:15 — Getting to Know Caitlin & Wilder Beginnings
00:08:26 — Moving, San Diego & Finding the Right Place to Live
00:18:03 — The Reality of Life with Twins
00:23:58 — How Do You Know When You’re Done Having Kids?
00:36:30 — What We Wish We Knew: From 1st Baby to Baby #3
00:46:00 — Motherhood, Marriage & Changing Expectations
00:52:08 — Self-Care, Work & Letting “Good Enough” Be Enough
00:59:17 — Final Thoughts & Where to Find Caitlin
 
For more Caitlin, (because who wouldn't want more?!), follow below!@WilderBeginnings
You're So Right Podcast 
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC
 

In one of the most vulnerable episodes we've shared on Getting Grounded, my dear friend Amanda opens up about the journey that brought her to motherhood, the one very few people fully saw.
 
From heartbreaking miscarriages and an unexpected diagnosis to surgery, IVF, endless uncertainty, and finally welcoming her children, Amanda shares what it was really like to live through years of infertility. Not just the medical side, but the emotional one: the grief, the waiting, the financial burden, the strain on relationships, the loneliness, and the constant question of whether her dream of becoming a mother would ever come true.
 
Whether you're navigating infertility yourself, supporting someone who is, considering IVF, or simply wanting to better understand this experience, Amanda's honesty offers something incredibly powerful: hope, practical insight, and the reminder that you are not alone.
 
We also talk about how infertility continues to shape motherhood  after pregnancy, how partners experience the journey differently, the complicated emotions that can arise when friends announce pregnancies, and what loved ones can actually do to help.
 
In this episode, we discuss:
Amanda's journey through miscarriage, infertility, surgery, and IVF
The emotional rollercoaster of wondering if motherhood would ever happen
The financial realities and hidden costs of fertility treatment
How infertility impacted her marriage and her husband's experience
Pregnancy after infertility and why the anxiety doesn't simply disappear
The isolation and stigma so many women silently carry
How to tell a friend you're pregnant when they're struggling with infertility
Meaningful ways to support someone navigating IVF or pregnancy loss
Common misconceptions about IVF and what people often misunderstand
Embryo testing, difficult decisions, and the realities behind the process
Why Amanda chose to share her story and why these conversations matter
 
If this episode resonates with you, we'd love for you to share it with someone who may need to hear it today. These conversations become less lonely when we have them together.
 
Episode Timeline
00:00:49 — Welcome, Amanda!
00:01:33 — How We Met & Why Mom Friendships Matter
00:03:14 — Parenting Styles, Community & Finding Your People
00:07:35 — Amanda's Story Begins
00:08:56 — Miscarriages, Infertility & Beginning the IVF Journey
00:15:04 — Finally Becoming a Mom
00:15:58 — The Financial & Emotional Cost of IVF
00:18:19 — How to Share Pregnancy News with Someone Experiencing Infertility
00:24:02 — The Best Ways Friends Can Offer Support
00:26:37 — IVF Myths, Misconceptions & What People Don't Understand
00:29:11 — The Hardest Question: "Will I Ever Become a Mother?"
00:32:10 — Motherhood After Infertility & A New Perspective
00:34:02 — Embryo Testing, Difficult Decisions & Unexpected Outcomes
00:36:12 — The Broader Impact and Benefits of IVF
00:39:54 — How Infertility Affected Marriage, Identity & Partnership
00:47:02 — Breaking the Silence Around Infertility
00:48:18 — Therapy, Healing & Processing the Journey
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC

Leaking when you sneeze? Pain with sex? Wondering if your core will ever feel the same after kids? This episode answers the questions every woman has, but almost no one talks about.
This week on Getting Grounded, Sam sits down with Dr. Sara Reardon, better known as The Vagina Whisperer, for an honest, empowering, and incredibly practical conversation about the pelvic floor. Together, they break down the topics so many women experience, but few feel comfortable talking about.
From pregnancy and birth to postpartum recovery and beyond, Dr. Sara answers the questions women are actually asking (and the ones they often don't know they should be asking). They cover what's normal, what's not, and the simple things you can start doing today to support your body for the long haul.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
Why pelvic floor health matters at every stage of life, not just after having a baby
Common myths that may be doing more harm than good
Leaking, prolapse, hemorrhoids, diastasis recti, pain with sex, constipation, and scar healing
How breathing, core strength, and movement all work together
The best ways to push during labor & how to practice beforehand
When it's time to see a pelvic floor physical therapist (and what to expect if you do)
Accessible exercises and practical habits that can make a real difference, even if you never see a specialist
This conversation is packed with evidence-based guidance and the kind of reassurance every woman needs: your symptoms are common, but that doesn't mean you have to live with them.
Whether you're preparing for birth, recovering postpartum, navigating perimenopause, or simply want to better understand your body, you'll walk away from this episode feeling informed, empowered, and equipped with tools you can actually use.
To learn more about Dr. Sara Reardon, visit the links below. And if you aren't already following her on Instagram...what are you waiting for?! 
The Vagina Whisperer on Instagram 
Floored: A Woman's Guide to Pelvic Floor Health at Every Age and Stage―A Comprehensive Guide for Women of All Ages
Dr. Sara's Website
The V-Hive App
 
00:00:34 - Welcome Dr. Sara Reardon aka The Vagina Whisperer
00:10:14 - What’s Normal vs. Not — Pelvic Floor Overview
00:10:55 - Sex & Postpartum Pain — Causes and Tips
00:16:54 - Hemorrhoids After Childbirth
00:29:54 - Postpartum Bleeding & Clotting
00:32:41 - Does Pelvic Floor Strength Return? Rehabilitation
00:36:07 - Diastasis Recti, Kegels & When to Seek Help
00:39:30 - Tips & Tricks — Prenatal and Postpartum Recommendations
00:40:47 - Pushing Techniques & Reducing Tearing
00:46:05 - Making Time — Practical Ways to Prioritize Pelvic Care
00:49:09 - Helpful Tools & Products (Squatty Potty, Compression, Bidet)
00:51:37 - Common Misconceptions & Surprising Connections
00:55:00 - Where to Find Dr. Sara & Resources
 
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC
 

In this week of Getting Grounded, Sam gets the chance to discuss practical, realistic approaches to baby and child sleep with Rachael Shepherd-Ohta of Hey, Sleepy Baby — covering why sleep isn’t linear, gentle bedsharing strategies, cultural differences in sleep, and tips for sleep transitions at different ages.
The conversation also moves into traveling with kids, balancing work and family, managing sibling and school separation challenges, and small relationship practices to stay connected. Rachael is so relatable, authentic, and insightful — you don’t want to miss this one!!
 
For Rachael's help and tips, follow her below! 
Hey Sleepy Baby on Instagram 
Rachael's Substack 
Hey, Sleepy Baby Website and Resources 
Too Tired to Fight: 13 Essential Conflicts Parents Must Have to Keep Their Relationship Strong
 
00:00:46 - Meet Rachael!
00:06:21 - Sleep Is Not Linear
00:07:58 - Parenting Expectations & Letting Go of Control
00:12:58 - Cultural Perspectives on Sleep & Rachel’s Book
00:15:00 - Bedsharing, Co-Sleeping & Global Practices
00:24:05 - Naps, Bedtime Trade-Offs & Schedules
00:31:00 - End-of-Night Routine & Wind-down Habits
00:32:23 - Parenting Realities — Challenges & Tips
00:33:56 - Sibling Conflict & Separation Anxiety Solutions
00:37:28 - Traveling with Kids — Expectations & Tips
00:43:02 - Relationship & Marriage After Kids
00:49:46 - Where to Find Rachel — Resources & Links
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC
 

In this episode, Sam chats with Alexandra Cole about using Human Design to parent with less guilt and more ease. They cover how different energy types and inner authorities shape parenting styles, listening to intuition, and tailoring approaches to each child’s unique design.
Alexandra shares practical examples—from morning routines to motivation and communication—and offers simple strategies for partners and families to align expectations, set boundaries, and experiment toward what works best for their household.
 
00:00:32 — Welcome Alexandra Cole!
00:01:04 — Why Human Design Matters in Parenting
00:02:56 — Meet Alexandra
00:06:50 — Parenting Guilt & How to Resolve it
00:07:47 — Managing Parental Responsibilities & Self-Care
00:12:13 — Human Design Profiles & Meeting Needs
00:18:25 — Profiles Explained (Lines 1–6)
00:24:37 — Intuition & Inner Authority
00:26:22 — Different Forms of Intuition (Splenic, Emotional, Sacral, etc.)
00:34:14 — Undefined vs Defined Centers & Picking Up Energy
00:36:49 — Parenting Different Charts — Practical Examples
00:44:15 — Family Dynamics — Husband, Kids, and Roles
00:50:39 — Resources 
 
Resources: 
For more of her incredible expertise and incredible light as a human, head over to her Substack and subscribe; it is WELL worth it!
Follow Alexandra on Instagram 
Alexandra's Website
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC

In this episode, Jennifer Wiesner, a licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist, sits down with Sam to discuss how parenthood reshapes marriage, intimacy, and identity. They explore honesty and trust after past relationship trauma, practical everyday strategies to stay connected (love lists, non-demand touch, flirting without pressure), and when couples should seek therapy.
They also cover normalizing the destabilizing transitions of parenting and accessible resources and books for couples wanting to strengthen their relationship and sexual connection. This is one of Sam's favorite episodes and gave her tools to put into practice with her husband! If you found any of these tips useful, please share with a friend :).
 
00:02:43 - who is Jennifer? 
00:03:47 - the importance of true honesty in relationships 
00:08:38 - managing trauma and trust in relationships
00:12:14 - best friend marriages and the difficulty of that dynamic 
00:21:24 - practical relationship tips: love lists & connection
00:23:08 - the reality of the destabilization of having young children and its impact on marriage 
00:27:15 - raising children on parallel paths and remaining connected
00:36:26 - when to seek couples therapy? 
00:46:34 - the shift in your sex life post-children 
00:59:42 - initiating difficult conversations
01:01:46 - resources and where to find Jennifer
 
Resources: 
Working with Jennifer Wiessner
Follow Jennifer on Instagram
Us by Terry Real
The New Monogamy by Tammy Nelson
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski
Terry Real Resources
Mating in Captivity by Ester Perel
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC
 

Welcome to the first episode of Getting Grounded, an open & honest podcast about the transition to parenthood and all its stages. To introduce the show, Sam interviews friends and future guests 4 questions to uncover what unites us all as parents, the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Let us know what you relate the most to! 
 
00:00:34 - what is the best part about being a parent?
00:09:06 - what is the most challenging part about being a parent?
00:24:19 - what is the biggest change in you since having children?
00:38:29 - if there was one piece of advice you could give yourself or another parent what would it be?
01:00:02 - welcome to getting grounded!
 
For more Getting Grounded and your host Sam Blatz, follow along at:
@soullovewithsam on Instagram
@GettingGroundedPodcast on YouTube
Produced by Getting Grounded LLC