Heather welcomes back Emily and Ryan Baker from Story Matters Initiative to finish their discussion of the Mother Wound and the ways that our moms may have impacted how we feel about ourselves and our bodies. Today the trio talks about the innate need we have for mom to see, know, and approve of us and how that is sensed and felt as a child. They talk about how not sensing that approval triggers a stress response in the brain and how that can impact our ability to learn. They start with a discussion of attachment theory, including the different types of attachment--both secure and insecure-- and how the attachment style can impact us even through adulthood.

Through sharing stories from their personal journeys of understanding their mother wounds, Emily, Ryan, and Heather explore what it means to name your issues so that you can tame them (not naming for the purpose of blaming!). They also give you great hope that if you are seeing or understanding your own story with mom differently, there is hope for you to find healing and peace.

Learn more about Emily and Ryan Baker here: https://storymatterscoaching.com

Learn more about Compared to Who? here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Explore all of Heather's books including the 40-Day Body Image Workbook here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/books-for-christian-women-body-image

Mentioned in today's episode:

What was mom's impact on body image issues? https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-was-moms-impact-on-your-body-image-issues

Forgiving Mom: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/forgiving-mom-or-others-for-their-roles-in-body-im

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today Heather welcomes Emily and Ryan Baker from the Story Matters Initiative to discuss the Mother Wound and the ways that our attachment to mom, attunement to mom, and our "mom stories" impact the ways we view ourselves and the world around us. Today, Heather, Emily, and Ryan begin this two-part discussion with a conversation about what story work is, how it is different than traditional talk therapy, and how story work can be the key to unlocking repressed or forgotten memories, which can tell a more accurate story about why we struggle in the ways we do.

In today's episode they introduce the concepts of story work and what it means to be attuned to someone. They also talk about what happens when our moms never had the opportunity to work on their own stories and traumas and how this can leave them with chains to their own pasts that made it difficult for them to be in an emotionally healthy relationship with their children.

Learn more about Emily and Ryan Baker here: https://storymatterscoaching.com

Learn more about the work of Compared to Who? and the 40-Day Journey to improve your body image here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Mentioned in this episode: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/what-was-moms-impact-on-your-body-image-issues

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Host Heather Creekmore is joined by Erin Todd from Intuitive Eating for Christian Women and Ashley Smith from the HA Society to explore the nuance between surrendering control and exercising stewardship. The discussion kicks off with Erin sharing her journey of conception at age 41, emphasizing the importance of faith and timing. Despite being told by doctors that she had a one percent chance of conceiving, Erin's story highlights the power of trusting in God's plan and timing, while she worked with Ashley to help support her body with what it needed to get pregnant.

Ashley delves into the nuances of AMH levels (Anti-Mullerian Hormone--the measure of the number of a woman's eggs that remain) and fertility, explaining the complexities and variances that are often overlooked in conventional fertility treatments like IVF. She underscores the significance of understanding one's body and situation, instead of making quick assumptions based on initial evaluations from fertility doctors.

But this conversation isn't just for women who are looking to get pregnant. The conversation goes deeper and shifts to the distinction between control and stewardship. Ashley explains that true stewardship involves asking God for guidance rather than bowing to fear or societal pressures. This notion is reflected in Erin's personal challenges, including a series of stressful events that led her to a place of surrender and faith in God's timeline for her family.

The trio discusses relinquishing control in various aspects of life, whether it be our bodies, children, or life's unexpected events, encouraging listeners to trust in God's sovereignty and goodness. Both Erin and Ashley provide insight into the delicate balancing act of living in faith without attaching oneself to specific outcomes, whether that's achieving pregnancy or any other life goal.

Overall, the episode offers hope and encouragement for those struggling with the desire for control, particularly in the context of fertility and motherhood, and invites listeners to lean on their faith and the concept of stewardship.

Listen to other interviews with Erin Todd here: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/real-women-real-hope-erin-todd-on-freedom-from-unh

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/all-roads-lead-to-intuitive-eating-what-we-learned

Listen to other interviews with Ashley Smith here: https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/hormones-ha-infertility-early-menopause-and-body-i

and

https://omny.fm/shows/compared-to-who/agreeing-with-the-lord-about-how-he-made-us-ashley

Learn more about Compared to Who? or join the 40-Day Journey by visiting: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today, Heather chats with Erin Todd from the Intuitive Eating for Christian Women podcast and Ashley Smith of the HA Society about how Ashley helped Erin get pregnant after 40. Even if you aren't looking to get pregnant, the trio talks about the beauty of how our bodies were made to signal and heal. They talk about perimenopause and the phenomenon of women getting diagnosed with early perimenopause. They discuss period loss, infertility, and Erin's personal story of working with Ashley to change the way she supported her body nutritionally in order to conceive. Here's what you can expect in today's show:

• Helpful information if you've lost your period or had menstrual irregularity.
• How Erin recognized that her intuitive eating had become based in habit and comfort.
• What to do if your doctor's told you you are in early menopause or peri-menopause.
• Erin's amazing story of working with Ashley, paying attention to nutrients, and getting pregnant.
• How scary it was for Erin to have to pay attention to food again and log food, and how that can be a trigger.

Learn more about Intuitive Eating for Christian Women here: https://intuitiveeatingforchristianwomen.com

Learn more about Ashley Smith and the HA Society here: https://www.thehasociety.com/

Join the 40-Day Journey here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com/40-day-challenge

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today Heather and her team continue their group chat discussion about all things pregnancy and body image. They share how they handled weight changes during pregnancy, the pressure they felt to "bounce back," and how they handled frustrations around things not going as planned with the birth, breastfeeding, or even the health of the baby. From gestational diabetes to post-partum depression to trying to "win" at being the "hot mom" - the team covers it all in today's fun and informative second half of the group chat. If you've felt pressure to bounce back (even a decade after the baby was born), or if you've struggled with how you felt during or after pregnancy, this episode will encourage your heart.

Ready to heal your body image issues? Pregnant and new moms are welcomed to join the 40-Day Journey! Come as you are, join us on zoom, with spit up in your hair and baby on your lap. All are welcomed. Learn more at: https://www.improvebodyimage.com just check the 40-Day Journey tab. It will encourage you! (P.S. Replays are always available if you miss a week because baby just wouldn't nap!) Sessions run each quarter. Next session begins March 10.

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How was your body image when you were pregnant? For some, it's freedom. For others, it's terrifying. Today, the Compared to Who? team: Heather, Tara, Presli, Jackie, and Rachel have a group chat about how they felt during pregnancy. They talk about their approaches to gaining weight, trying to do everything "right" by the doctors, the pressures they felt around how much weight to gain (or not gain), and everything in between. This conversation is real talk around the struggles, trials, and frustrations of being pregnant when you have body image issues or when you struggle with food, disordered eating, or have an eating disorder. For some women, body image issues start at pregnancy. No matter where you're at on your journey to heal your body image (how you feel and think about your body), this episode will encourage you. Both Heather and Tara share how their both more than a decade post-partum, but how healing it felt just to go back and think about these issues and what they walked through.

Learn more about Compared to Who? or join the 40-Day Journey by visiting: www.improvebodyimage.com

Other episodes mentioned today:

What is Health (discussion of BMI chart origins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReC4AtVQu2s

Pregnancy and Body Image: https://comparedtowho.me/body-image-and-pregnancy/

Blog post on the topic: https://comparedtowho.me/coveting-my-neighbors-belly-pregnancy-and-body-image-series/

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In part 2 of this interview with Dr. Dan Allender, Heather and Dan delve into what it truly means to experience a deeper, more fulfilling marriage. Dr. Allender shared profound insights into how our past plays a crucial role in shaping our present and how this understanding can guide us toward redemption and healing in our relationships.

Here are themes for our conversation today:

• Growth in Marriage: True growth in marriage is not just about comfort and convenience. It involves addressing past traumas and engaging with each other's differences to heal and understand the work of the spirit in our lives.

• The Role of Desire: Desire in a marriage is never equal, and understanding this difference can lead to greater curiosity and compassion rather than conflict. It's about exploring each other's hearts and seeking out redemption together.

• The Intersection of Shame and Delight: Our deepest areas of shame are often where we can find the most profound delight, especially in the context of marriage. Dr. Allender emphasized the importance of inviting kindness into our hearts to truly reflect this delight onto our spouses.

Stay til the very end when Dr. Allender explains why shame and food are as interconnected as shame and sex!

Learn more about Dr. Dan Allender and his new book: Deep-Rooted Marriage. (Amazon affiliate link)

Learn more about Compared to Who? or join the next 40-Day Journey to Body Image Freedom here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today Heather Creekmore interviews an author, therapist, and pioneer in the trauma and abuse world, Dr. Dan Allender. As we wrap up our month-long series on marriage, today Heather and Dr. Allender explore how our past traumas impact our marriage, how our hurts from our family of origin may have actually impacted who we chose to marry, and how we can help our spouses heal and name their own woundings so that together we can have more than just a "good marriage," we instead can grow together as a couple who is able to honor and delight in each other.

🔹 Understanding Trauma in Marriage Relationships: Dr. Allender talks about how both capital T and small t traumas can shape our behaviors and even our choice of a marriage partner. Many of us aren't aware of these subtle influences rooted deep in past experiences.

🔹 Transformational Stories: A personal story shared by Dr. Allender highlights how pivotal moments in marriage, filled with exposure and invitation, can lead to profound transformation and healing.

🔹 The Promise of Deep Connection: Through challenges and growth, marriage offers an opportunity for unparalleled joy and awe, as Dr. Allender describes his journey of delight and honor in his relationship with his wife.

Come back for part 2 of this interview on Friday.

Learn more about Dr. Dan Allender and his new book: Deep-Rooted Marriage here. (Amazon affiliate link)

Learn more about Compared to Who? or join the next 40-Day Journey to Body Image Freedom here: https://www.improvebodyimage.com

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.