Ep. 398: Embracing "Mom Mode"

In the special segment “Mom Wins,” Laura and Shanna celebrate their recent parenting achievements, including a clever chemistry-based solution that saved bath time and a surprising moment of jumping into action to help a stranger. Also, Shanna checks in about adjusting to a new chapter now that the kids are back at school and she must figure out what’s next after leaving her job, while Laura shares an unexpected weekend saga that took a sharp turn. Finally, the moms share their BFPs and BFNs for the week, including a full agenda “mommy camp” day and a new hobby that’s quickly becoming a kid’s entire personality. Shanna’s kids are 7 and 9.5 years old, and Laura’s kids are 7 years old and 4.5 years old. Topics discussed in this episode: Adjusting to life after leaving your job and figuring out what's next Giving yourself permission to have a “fallow period” after a big work/life shift Handling your kid's sudden and mysterious medical symptoms while far from home Solving kid “fairness” problems before they become full-blown meltdowns Citric acid: what it is, how to use it and why Laura swears by it When motherhood changes how you respond in an urgent situation Planning an all-day outing with kids to avoid a wide-open day at home Watching your kid fall in love with a new hobby Products, links, resources mentioned in this episode: Piccle P street artist Chuck E. Cheese Fun Pass Bath Bomb Potion Kit Citric Acid Trails Cafe Jesse Owens Park Zootopia 2 Guitar Ninjas Fender Squier 3/4-size electric guitar Guitar strings mnemonics Past BFP episodes mentioned in this episode: Ep. 397 - Where Laura talks about the bath potions as her BFP for the week Ep. 384 - Where Sebastian wonders why Laura didn't marry Tom York of Radiohead Connect with Us

You can listen to Ep. 398: Embracing "Mom Mode" online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Ep. 398: Embracing "Mom Mode" is an episode from Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey by Laura Birek, Shanna Micko.

This episode is 00:45:37 long.

This episode was published on Feb 16, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Big Fat Positive: A Pregnancy and Parenting Journey when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.