Welcome to 'Mama You Belong' - a podcast for moms in the thick of it. We delve into the need for belonging and connection that mothers often face alone and help you feel seen. We acknowledge the dissonance between societal expectations of motherhood and the realities of managing our mental and physical load, with science and trauma-informed support. Co-hosts of 'Mama You Belong' are Kirsten Desmarais, PT, DPT, OCS, CD(DONA) a physical therapist, birth doula, and mother of three, and Molly Hilgenberg, MSW, LICSW, a psychotherapist, singer/songwriter, and new mom.
Kirsten and Molly were both kids who collected rocks, hugged trees and grew up in different towns in Minnesota. They met only a few years ago when Kirsten became Molly's PT and then her birth doula. They bonded when they both realized they could pretty much share anything without judgment and text each other about the moon.
Through shared stories and expert insights, 'Mama You Belong' seeks to empower mothers by creating a supportive space for connection and understanding in their unique journeys. Each episode aims to provide validation, education, and some laughs. By sharing our stories and inviting expert guests in future episodes, we aspire to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for moms.
Publisher
Kirsten Desmarais, DPT and Molly Hilgenberg, LICSW
Category
health & fitness · health & fitness · kids & family
Type C Mom Survival: Mom Burnout, Messy Homes, and Parenting an AuDHD Kid
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the invisible load of motherhood... This podcast is for you. Today, Kirsten and Molly talk about the messy middle of motherhood, from spring energy and cluttered homes to the reality that “finishing everything” is a myth: • spring transitions and the pressure to do it all • "Type C" mom life, executive function, and choosing what actually matters • the invisible stress of clutter, and the mental load • Molly loses "preferred parent" status ...
6 Mar 2026
Mother Trees, Witnessing Each Other, and Creating the Matriarchy We Need Now
Kirsten and Molly trace how micro self care rituals, witnessing a transformative birth, and the mother tree metaphor point to a different way of caring and showing up for each other and our children. We share how mutual aid led by moms keeps communities alive while we practice radical acceptance and parenting through ongoing societal collapse and crisis. • micro choices that steady nervous systems • returning to sleep, books, and play • witnessing Molly's sister's transformative and supporte...
10 Feb 2026
Inside Minnesota’s Operation Metro Surge: Fear, Solidarity, And The Fight To Be Seen
This episode is a brief glimpse into our upcoming interview with Marsh Naidoo on her amazing podcast Raising Kellan. Please subscribe now to her podcast so you can listen to our full interview when it is released. Raising Kellan Website here for more info! "Empowering, connecting and educating parents raising a child with a disability. For parents. By parents." In this episode on Mama You Belong: Molly updates for listeners outside of Minnesota that the occupation in the Twin Cities is ...
18 Jan 2026
The Protector In Every Mother: Rage, Grief, And What We Choose Next Within Authoritarianism
We sit with the dissonance of parenting during a state crackdown in Minnesota, holding mother rage and grief while trying to protect childhood for our children. Stories from Minneapolis, a terrifying night terror, and our feelings as mothers. • naming the split between normal routines and escalating state force • how algorithms, media gaps and proximity shape what we know • whiteness, safety as illusion and why change is allowed • anger as data, grief underneath and redirecting hate into lov...
28 Dec 2025
Daycare: Where Germs Get Their PhD And Parents Lose Their PTO
In this episode, we talk openly about updates to toddler sleep struggles, no more night drives just to get a child to sleep, the decision to retire the crib, and how co-sleeping in a king bed changed everything. We unpack how loving, clear boundaries reduced bedtime chaos and how letting go of the “perfect” 7 p.m. bedtime helped ease our own mom guilt, shame, and anxiety around sleep. From there, we move into the daily reality of daycare life: big feelings at pickup, sensory over...
14 Dec 2025
He Clapped At A Lamp And Other Seasonal Survival Tips
Winter presses in and everything gets louder, especially the expectations placed on moms during the holidays. In this episode, we return from a hiatus to talk honestly about the mental load of motherhood in December, the pressure to create holiday magic, and how easy it is to perform joy while running on empty. We swap stories, a road trip that dodged snowstorms, a surprise porcupine encounter, and a partner who literally clapped at a lamp.... But beneath the laughter is a deeper truth many o...
9 Oct 2025
Unlearning Sleep Rules: Choosing Connection Over Shoulds (Transforming Our Sleep Practice) - Part Two
We follow Kirsten’s path from noticing things about her child to an autism + ADHD diagnosis, showing how clarity changed home life, school decisions, and self-trust. We talk sensory needs, high masking in girls, 504 vs IEP, and choosing connection over forced resilience. • trusting instincts alongside expert guidance • sensory needs hidden as quirks and stims • second child as context for nervous system differences and what's "typical" • pandemic chaos • teacher concerns - they finally see w...
Kirsten traces the journey from pressure-filled, sleep training newborn days to a more child-centered and connected approach to sleep. Together, we share how postpartum rage became a compass, how sensory needs shaped real rest, and why prioritizing relationship over rules brought relief. • check in: school strain reaches a tipping point and home education is considered; Molly pursuing an amazing creative endeavor! • Kirsten's experience as a first time mom. The sleep "shoulds" were HEAVY • p...
22 Aug 2025
Nighttime Nurturing: Who decided children should sleep through the night? (Baby Sleep Regression & Mom Guilt)
Why do so many moms feel like failures when their baby won’t sleep “the right way”? In this honest and vulnerable conversation, we dive into the guilt, shame, and societal pressure surrounding baby sleep regression and the unrealistic standards parents face. When one of us went through a sudden 15-month toddler sleep regression, she tried every sleep training tip recommended by experts and well-meaning friends. Nothing worked—until car rides became the only solution. But even then, the mom gu...
1 Aug 2025
A Pearl from Pain: How Infertility Shaped One Mother's Journey
What happens when motherhood collides with unexpected challenges? Meet Kathleen—craniosacral therapist, licensed massage therapist, breathwork teacher, entrepreneur, founder of Smoke Perfume, and mother to 15-month-old daughter, Pearl—as she navigates a perfect storm of overwhelm. With her husband temporarily incapacitated after breaking both arms, her chronic pain intensifying since childbirth, and the demands of running two businesses, Kathleen offers a raw glimpse into the often invisible ...
19 Jul 2025
Your Pelvic Floor Matters More Than You Think
Pelvic health specialist and physical therapist Kirsten Desmarais, PT, DPT, OCS, shares her journey into pelvic health and explains the interconnectedness of our body systems to the pelvic floor. She details common reasons people seek pelvic floor therapy while debunking myths about what's normal versus common. • Kirsten's path to specializing in pelvic health began through working with perinatal patients • The pelvic floor connects to multiple body systems including hips, spine, and viscera...
4 Jul 2025
Midnight Dread and Hot Dogs
The hosts discuss the challenges of transitioning to summer routines with school-aged children and the struggles of early motherhood, focusing on sleep deprivation and nighttime parenting.
20 Jun 2025
Breaking the Silence: Perinatal Mental Health with Celleste Schnellbach, MS, LMFT, PMH-C
Celleste Schnellbach, MS, LMFT, PMH-C, a perinatal mental health expert, discusses the realities of maternal mental health, sharing her expertise and personal experience with postpartum OCD in an interview.
15 Jun 2025
Dada / Papa, You Belong Too: Stories from Phil Desmarais and Chad Hilgenberg about Becoming Fathers
Phil Desmarais and Chad Hilgenberg share their personal journeys into fatherhood, revealing the challenges and joys of becoming dads in an interview with Kirsten and Molly.
1 Jun 2025
Motherhood is Political: Finding your voice
This episode explores the intersection of motherhood and socio-political issues, highlighting the emotional burdens mothers carry and the importance of open dialogue.
28 May 2025
What is Nervous System "Regulation" When You're a Mom
This episode examines nervous system regulation for mothers, revealing societal pressures and contrasting curated social media portrayals with the realities of parenting.
10 May 2025
Introduction to Mama You Belong: Exploring Kirsten and Molly's personal experiences with Matresence
In this inaugural episode of the Mama You Belong podcast, we examine the complexities of motherhood and the emotional landscape mothers navigate. Kirsten, a physical therapist and birth doula shares her personal experiences with perinatal mental health challenges, including the impact of a traumatic pregnancy loss and parenting a neurodivergent child. Molly, a mental health therapist, offers insights from her journey through infertility and the realities of postpartum life. We discuss t...
Who has been a guest on Mama You Belong
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Celleste Schnellbach
Phil Desmarais
Chad Hilgenberg
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
Contact Mama You Belong
Guest appearances
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