The Well-Nourished Mother: Helping You Thrive in Pregnancy, Birth & Motherhood

Lauren Fortuna-Floch

Motherhood is a rite of passage. This podcast treats it that way.  Join Lauren Fortuna-Floch for honest, inspiring conversations with experts, mothers, and badass wise women — blending the head and the heart to help you nourish yourself body, mind, and soul through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

  1. May 22

    26. Everyone's Talking About Matrescence. But Is It Actually Helping You?

    Matrescence is finally getting the attention it deserves — but is the conversation actually helping mothers move through it? Naming the transition is a start. But naming it isn't the same as navigating it. In this episode, Lauren goes deeper into one of her most beloved and most studied topics: matrescence. This is part personal reflection, part teaching, and part invitation — and it's also her final assignment submission as a graduate from Jessie Harrold's Village Apprenticeship. If you've ever felt like you've lost yourself in motherhood, grieved something you couldn't quite name, or wondered why no one warned you that becoming a mother would shake you to your very core — this episode is for you. What you're moving through has a name, a shape, and an arc. And you deserve a guide who actually understands the terrain. In this episode, we explore: • What matrescence really is — beyond the buzzword — and why it matters more than ever • The history of matrescence and why it took decades for this concept to be taken seriously • Why naming matrescence isn't enough, and what it actually looks like to be guided through it • The grief that lives inside this transition — the quiet, accumulating kind that most mothers carry completely alone • Liminal space: why the messy middle isn't a problem to escape, but where the transformation actually happens • What a Certified Matrescence Educator actually does (Lauren's version of it), and how somatic, parts-work, and rite-of-passage frameworks weave together into something deeper than education • Why the final threshold of the rite of passage — being witnessed in who you've become — is almost entirely absent in modern motherhood This episode is also a behind-the-scenes look into Lauren's journey — the years of training, the certifications quietly accumulated, and the moment she stopped asking "am I ready?" and started asking "what am I waiting for?" If you're somewhere in the middle of becoming, this one's for you. —————————————————— Want to go deeper? Join the waitlist for my upcoming matrescence support space: DM @nestandnourish or sign up to the Nest & Nourish email community The Magic & The Mess to be notified when it's ready for you at www.nestandnourish.ca Listen to my previous episode with Jessie Harrold here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2145034/episodes/16399758 For the mother-care providers listening: If this episode lit a fire under your butt to deepen your skills around matrescence, here are two places to go next: Matrescence & the Nervous System course — built for anyone who works with mothers and wants to understand this transition on a deeper, body-based level. Jessie Harrold's Matrescence Educator Apprenticeship, The Village — the program that changed how I understand and hold this work... and make sure to mention **Lauren Fortuna-Floch** sent you! If this episode resonated, please share it with a friend, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or rate the show wherever you're listening — it helps this little podcast grow and blossom. I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show. Support the show Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

    26 min
  2. 10/23/2025

    24. Ancestral Medicine for Modern Mothers: Rebozo, Ritual, and Cultural Respect with Andréa de Keijzer

    How can we bring the beauty, wisdom, and deep healing of traditional practices into modern birthwork and motherhood, while honouring their roots? In this moving conversation, Lauren sits down with Andréa de Keijzer, a doula, photographer, and kinesiologist born in Mexico, whose work is devoted to preserving and sharing the ancestral wisdom of Mexican midwifery. Together, they explore the rebozo—a woven Mexican textile often described as the hug of our grandmothers—and the Closing of the Bones ceremony, a postpartum ritual that invites mothers to be wrapped, witnessed, and restored after birth and other life transitions. Andréa shares her story of loss, healing, and deep reconnection to her lineage, illuminating how these traditions offer profound nourishment for body, heart, and spirit. She also speaks candidly about what it means to honor cultural roots, practice reciprocity, and integrate ancestral care into our modern context with integrity. In this episode, we explore: The meaning and magic of the rebozo and its role in postpartum and life transitionsHow movement, ritual, and being witnessed in community can restore the postpartum period as a time of true nourishment, not just recoveryAndréa’s story of “little births,” grief, and how ceremony became a pathway to healingWhat cultural respect and reciprocity look like when engaging with ancestral practicesPractical ways to find a ceremony guide, choose a fair-trade rebozo, and approach these traditions with intention If you’re a mother or birthworker seeking deeper, more embodied ways to support postpartum care—and to do so respectfully—this episode is an invitation to return to the wisdom that’s been woven through generations. About Andréa de Keijzer: Alongside Angie Yañez, Andréa is the co-founder of Collective Rebozo. They teach rebozo workshops, offer retreats and facilitate closing of the bones ceremonies, in postpartum and other life transitions. They are passionate about creating spaces of warmth, movement, creativity and ceremony.  Learn more: collectiverebozo.com Instagram: @rebozo.collective ENGLISH | @collective.rebozo FRENCH LISTENER PERKS GENEROUSLY GIFTED BY COLLECTIVE REBOZO: Use code REBOZO2025 for 10% off November 2025 Rebozo trainings in Toronto or Ottawa. To purchase a fair-trade rebozo from Oaxaca, email rebozosequitables@gmail.com with code REBOZOLOVE for $10 off. I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show. Support the show Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

    58 min
  3. MUSINGS + MAGICK: ADHD Diagnosis Dilemmas and New Seasons of Motherhood (SEPTEMBER FULL MOON WITH LAUREN AND NICOLE)

    09/10/2025

    MUSINGS + MAGICK: ADHD Diagnosis Dilemmas and New Seasons of Motherhood (SEPTEMBER FULL MOON WITH LAUREN AND NICOLE)

    Under September’s full moon, we sit in the messy middle of it all—thresholds, tenderness, and the very human urge to know what’s on the other side. In this episode, Lauren shares the mixed cocktail of grief and excitement as her daughter starts preschool and a whole new chapter of life and motherhood (and schedule) opens up. Nicole reflects on the one-year mark of her child’s autism diagnosis and what softened in their family because of language, support, and self-compassion.  We also name the messy, nuanced terrain of exploring neurodivergence in adulthood as Lauren moves toward a formal ADHD assessment—the freedom, the grief, and the relief of finally having words for what’s been true all along.  This episode is a love letter to liminality and a reminder that rhythm beats routine, devotion beats perfection, and identity is allowed to be in flux. If you’re carrying a lot, if you’re crossing a portal you can’t yet see through, or if you just need permission to cry, rest, and still call it forward motion—this one’s for you. You’ll hear us talk about: Thresholds and rites of passage for mothers and familiesWhy language (matrescence, autism, ADHD) can create compassion, not boxesTime freedom, ambition, and not overloading a new seasonRhythm over routine, devotion over perfectionFriendship, grief, and letting the full spectrum be welcomeThanks so much for hanging out with us, if you enjoy these episodes please share them with a friend, leave a review wherever you’re listening from, and come on over to instagram to continue the conversation. Connect with Nicole on IG (@nicolepasveer)  Connect with Lauren on IG (@nestandnourish)  P.S. Are you a birthworker or mother care provider who wants to make a deeper impact with your clients? Join us inside our recent training Matrescence & the Nervous System to understand the maternal nervous system in a way most trainings don’t cover. You’ll learn how to actually meet a mother’s nervous system with compassion and depth in these times.  Receive instant access for just $66 USD (value $125). No live call. No expiration. Just 12 micro lessons (5-20 min in length) you can take in at your own pace. Click here to learn more  I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show. Support the show Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

    34 min
  4. MUSINGS + MAGICK: Matrescence & the Nervous System (JULY FULL MOON WITH LAUREN AND NICOLE)

    07/10/2025

    MUSINGS + MAGICK: Matrescence & the Nervous System (JULY FULL MOON WITH LAUREN AND NICOLE)

    Concepts like matrescence and the nervous system are getting more attention, FINALLY! But as they become buzzwords, they’re often watered down, overgeneralized, and stripped of the nuance they deserve.  In this episode, we are sooooooo excited to talk about our new upcoming training centered on the maternal nervous system. This training will explore why the maternal nervous system is the missing link in most matrescence conversations, and how the information we’re sharing with you will completely change the way you serve mothers. You’ll leave with new knowledge, perspectives, and connections that you can bring into your work to add more IMPACT and a more holistic approach to serving mothers. When you understand the unique nervous system changes that take place in mothers, you can better support them through the wildness of motherhood.  Receive instant access for just $66 USD (value $125) No live call. No expiration. Just 12 micro lessons (5-20 min in length) you can take in at your own pace. Click HERE to learn more and register for Matrescence and the Nervous System  Thanks so much for hanging out with us, if you enjoy these episodes please share them with a friend, leave a review wherever you’re listening from, and come on over to instagram to continue the conversation.. Connect with Nicole on IG (@nicolepasveer)  Connect with Lauren on IG (@nestandnourish)  I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show. Support the show Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

    20 min
  5. MUSINGS & MAGICK: Evolving Out Loud: Messy Creation, People Pleasing & Business as a Living Ecosystem (JUNE FULL MOON with Lauren & Nicole)

    06/09/2025

    MUSINGS & MAGICK: Evolving Out Loud: Messy Creation, People Pleasing & Business as a Living Ecosystem (JUNE FULL MOON with Lauren & Nicole)

    Nicole and Lauren gather just ahead of the full moon to share honest updates and reflections on life, business, and the ever-changing seasons of motherhood.  Our biggest intention for this episode is to give you a big behind the scenes peek into our process behind launching and refining our latest offering, Held—a community designed for mother-serving professionals.  We openly discuss the little pivots and  “course corrections” we’ve made, the importance of play and spaciousness in the creative process, and how responding to YOUR feedback and our own needs has shaped our business in a deeply embodied way. As usual there’s also a sprinkling of so many juicy topics waiting for you from: Our usual energy/cycle/life updates (including iron infusions, birthday months, and new kittens!)The acceptance of and identity shifts of neurodivergenceHonoring different seasons in business and motherhoodNavigating ambition, capacity, and the myth of one-size-fits-all strategyBalancing “people pleasing” with true responsiveness and evolutionFullness vs. busyness: Reframing your perception of life’s demandsThe importance of slow growth, prioritizing relationships over transactions, and letting action (not overthinking) shape the next right steps in entrepreneurshipFinally, we’re sharing our biggest piece of advice for any other space holding entrepreneurs out thereYou'll find plenty of relatable insights about honoring your own rhythm, letting go of rigidity, and building community in ways that are truly nourishing. Whether you’re here for reflections on motherhood, inspiration for your own creative ventures, or just to feel a little more connected to these 2 silly weirdos, there’s magick in this episode for you.  P.S. Are you a birthworker or mother care provider who wants to make a deeper impact with your clients? Join us inside our recent training Matrescence & the Nervous System to understand the maternal nervous system in a way most trainings don’t cover. You’ll learn how to actually meet a mother’s nervous system with compassion and depth in these times.  Receive instant access for just $66 USD (value $125). No live call. No expiration. Just 12 micro lessons (5-20 min in length) you can take in at your own pace. Click here to learn more  Thanks so much for hanging out with us, if you enjoy these episodes please share them with a friend, leave a review wherever you’re listening from, and come on over to instagram to continue the conversation.. Connect with Nicole on IG (@nicolepasveer)  Connect with Lauren on IG (@nestandnourish)  I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts and feedback... send a text message directly to the show. Support the show Join the Nest & Nourish community over on instagram to connect with your host Lauren @nestandnourish.

    47 min

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About

Motherhood is a rite of passage. This podcast treats it that way.  Join Lauren Fortuna-Floch for honest, inspiring conversations with experts, mothers, and badass wise women — blending the head and the heart to help you nourish yourself body, mind, and soul through pregnancy, birth, and beyond.