Ep.23- Approaching Whole Body Wellness from All Sides of You

Are you truly aware of the subtle nuances of movement and how they might be affecting your body? How we feed, move, and notice sensations in our bodies can pave the way for remarkable whole-body wellness. Today, we have Lauren Mages from Mind and Body Vitality guiding us through an exploration of the pelvic floor. She'll reveal how movement influences various parts of our body and the importance of nourishing ourselves, especially during the postpartum season.

One of the things you'll notice about the conversation Lauren and I have is that we begin by talking about movement but seamlessly transition to discussing nutrition. When we think about the wakeful window, we realize that nourishing our body and moving our bodies during this time significantly impacts how we sleep.

Depending on the professional or provider you consult, you might be told that certain sensations or experiences are normal. It's  intriguing to delve deeper into what is considered normal and to understand the root causes. 

Join us as we dive into these essential insights, approaching our health and well-being with renewed awareness and vitality!

Key Loving Lessons Learned in this episode: 

🟣 What's the difference between a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist and a Movement & Health Specialist?

🟣 What are normal vs. common symptoms for the pelvic floor that might not be normal?

🟣 Who should seek support for their pelvic floor?

🟣 Understanding how someone moves their body 

🟣 Exploring the root cause of pain

🟣 Passive vs. active movement: How do we move our bodies?

🟣 How do we navigate functional medicine vs. traditional medicine?

🟣 How do we treat and understand the pain in our body?.

🟣 What are nutrient-dense foods and phytonutrients that support the body? And why are they important for postpartum recovery?

🟣 Understanding nutritional depletion

🟣 What foods should be eaten for postpartum recovery?

Resources mentioned to help you keep learning & growing: 

⭐Blog Post with Lauren’s Nutrient Dense Beef Casserole- Quick and easy recipe

⭐ Learn more about Lauren  for  1- 1 Movement coaching,  Virtual Health coaching, Group Classes. 

⭐ Fill out the Contact Form and ask for the Postpartum Guide

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💜 Irene 💜

Transcript

Lauren Mages of Mind, Body, & Vitality and Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Learned Podcast-

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
All right, welcome to the Loving Lessons Learned podcast. I'm super excited to introduce you to my guest today.

I have Lauren Mages with Mind, Body, Vitality, and she is a movement and pelvic floor health specialist and wellness coach. She has over 10 years of experience in Division I athletic training, sports medicine, physical therapy, and Pilates training under her belt. Don't mess with her!

She completed her functional medicine health coaching certification also in 2022.

Lauren believes in approaching physical health in an integrated way, remembering that lifestyle factors, emotional blocks, traumas, and movement pattern dysfunctions all play a role in physical pain and symptoms.

Lauren really believes in guiding women and their families toward physical freedom and autonomy in order to thrive and be well.

Lauren Mages:
Hmm.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Thanks so much for being here with me.

Lauren Mages:
Oh, thanks for having me. I love podcasts. I just got goosebumps as you were finishing reading that. I'm like, Oh, we're in a good energetic space here.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Well, I was blessed to get to know you when we met through Lyla when she was a baby.

Lauren Mages:
Yes!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
We did some sleep coaching work together, and I was able to learn a little bit about the amazing work you do.

I think you know that in the sleep principles I share with families, we really talk about those wakeful windows—what we do when our kids are not sleeping so that they can sleep well.

I'm wondering if you can tell us a little bit about what it means that you're trained as a movement and pelvic health specialist.

Lauren Mages:
Yeah, so a lot of my movement background is not just geared to pelvic health; it's whole-body musculoskeletal and neuromusculoskeletal work. But then, as I progressed in my career and realized, Wow, women have a lot of pelvic health issues that are considered normal, and that's just not the case.

Having my own child and experiencing my own pelvic health challenges, I thought, We need more access to this information for women. So I dove even further into specific pelvic floor work, corrective exercises, and so on, so I can give women the tools to manage their whole body while also understanding, Look, if we subtly do this while you move, squat, or whatever, how does that feel on your pelvic floor?

Oh, you don’t feel the heaviness anymore.

Oh, jumping feels okay.

We’re not worried about having a little urination into our pants anymore—great! Because of the specific pelvic health work that I’ve learned.

It’s interesting because when you see someone who does pelvic health work, they usually have a background in whole-body movement first. The pelvic health aspect can get specific, but sometimes it’s just about really simple shifts and tweaks in overall movement patterns.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
So you mentioned something about "normal" pelvic health issues.

What would you say are things that most people think are normal versus what they actually need to have some awareness around?

Lauren Mages:
That’s a great question.

Any kind of heaviness sensation—I wouldn’t say doctors call that normal, but I think sometimes it’s talked about very casually. It’s something that we’d want help with because, as women, we don’t want to feel heavy, like we’re going to lose an organ while walking with our children.

Peeing your pants is a big one.

A lot of women pee their pants when they sneeze. I’ve had women come in before who say, I had a moment with my child. I got frustrated, and when I yelled, I peed all over the floor.

That’s the kind of thing that I think healthcare providers sometimes dismiss with, Oh, that’s so normal after you have kids.

But normal and common are different things. Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s okay—or that we shouldn’t try to address it.

Incontinence issues are probably the biggest area where women are gaslit—if not totally gaslit. Pain during sex, pain with bowel movements—all of those things can be, and probably are, pelvic floor related, too.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
You know, it’s interesting. I think recently, I’ve been learning a whole lot more about the pelvic floor, but I still feel like I have quite a bit to learn.

Lauren Mages:
Hmm, me too.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
I was like, Wow, nobody was talking about this!

My mom was actually on a cancer journey, and I think a lot of the issues she ended up having in that area were pelvic floor-related. She needed to do some recovery work, but that was literally when I was at the very beginning stages of learning about this.

So should all women, after they’ve delivered and given birth, explore pelvic floor support?

Lauren Mages:
Oh, yeah! 100%!

Whether you have acute or long-lasting symptoms or not, your pelvic floor is always going to be influenced and affected by pregnancy. That is normal.

What’s not normal is not taking active steps while you’re pregnant—honestly, even during pregnancy but especially postpartum—to make sure that:

• Your diaphragm and rib cage are expanding and working nicely.
• Your pelvic floor is able to withstand load, jumping, and acceleration.

All these things that we do every day, whether you're athletically inclined or not.

Lauren Mages:
Oh, I just totally lost track of the question! Can you restate it?

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
It was just about why someone would want to explore pelvic floor support after birth.

Lauren Mages:
Oh, yes! Because you want to be able to move and not think about it.

Even if you didn’t have an issue with leaking, feeling heaviness, or getting up multiple times at night to pee, I can guarantee that every woman experiences some type of shoulder or low back pain if they’re breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.

Constantly having the child in one arm—all of that is going to be connected to the pelvic floor in some way.

Pelvic floor issues aren’t just isolated to the pelvic floor. Everything is connected.

So if you’re a woman who has given birth—honestly, whether vaginally or via C-section, because C-sections come with their own challenges—you absolutely need to be thinking about how all of this is going to impact your pelvic floor and the rest of your body moving forward.

Because symptoms can show up in ways you wouldn’t even think are pelvic floor-related—but they absolutely are.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
That’s really interesting because I often talk to parents when I’m observing them on a postpartum doula shift—how they’re feeding, how they’re holding their baby.

I’ll ask, Are you comfortable?

If you’re not comfortable and feeling supported, that really takes your body away from a place of rest.

Lauren Mages:
Yes!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
It sounds like that’s what you’re talking about—those little nuances and shifts that we can make to improve our overall health and well-being.

Lauren Mages:
Yeah, totally.

A tangible example—I breastfed, and I’ve also had left shoulder blade discomfort ever since that time. And I haven’t breastfed in well over a year now.

What’s interesting is that my left shoulder blade was bothering me because my rib cage was stiff on that side. And because my rib cage was stiff, my pelvic floor on the left side of my pelvis wasn’t able to work in tandem with my diaphragm.

So, yeah, it can get complicated, and I understand how the body is all connected.

But in terms of actually treating it, it can be really simple!

It could just be, Let’s do some exercises where you breathe into your left shoulder blade.

And by doing that, it actually affects your pelvic floor, too—because everything is connected.

Lauren Mages:
And I know you might ask this question later, but this can also be the difference between seeing a pelvic health movement specialist versus a pelvic floor physical therapist (PT).

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
So what is the difference?

Lauren Mages:
Yeah, well, legally, I cannot do internal exams. Only pelvic floor PTs can do that, and sometimes that’s incredibly appropriate.

I’ve referred people out before because I wanted to really understand what was going on inside their body. Pelvic floor PTs do wonderful manual work.

But in my experience—and this is not all pelvic floor PTs—but they tend to focus only on the pelvis.

They might do manual work while you do a Kegel or an exercise to help you feel the muscle activation, or the stretching sensation, which can be really helpful.

But they tend to focus just on the pelvis.

Whereas when I see someone, I ask, Why is that happening down there in the first place?

Pelvic floor symptoms rarely originate only in the pelvis.

There’s a whole system above and below.

For example, I’ll check:

• Are your arches moving?
• How are your feet affecting your pelvic floor?
• Is your rib cage moving well?
• If you’re not breathing properly, how is that affecting your pelvic floor?

So when you work with someone trained in movement, it’s a whole-body approach, rather than just looking at the pelvis.

This is why working together with pelvic floor PTs can be a beautiful, symbiotic relationship.

They do things I legally and educationally cannot do, like internal exams.

But then I can look at the whole body and say, Oh, I noticed something about their left foot, their left big toe, their breathing pattern, etc.

And we work together. It’s so cool when that happens!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Yeah! Lauren, as you’re saying that, I’m wondering—when you work with someone, do you see them in person, or can you assess them virtually?

Lauren Mages:
Yes, I do both!

I have an entire assessment process, similar to what you’d experience in a PT appointment.

But then I move straight into watching them move.

I’ll see, Okay, passive range of motion looks like this, but when they actively move, they’re doing it differently.

So I start putting the puzzle pieces together.

Assessment work is great—it gives me information, but it’s not the whole picture.

I need to see how someone moves against gravity in different ways.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
It’s interesting, the things you’re saying.

My son worked with a PT, and we were this close to going into surgery.

Turns out, his hips were just misaligned!

Lauren Mages:
Oh, wow! That happens all the time.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
It was so fascinating! It was a year-and-a-half-long journey going to all these doctors, trying to figure it out.

So I’m wondering if you can dive into the functional medicine portion of what you do.

Because I think that’s something that’s helped me—understanding how to ask more questions, get curious, and recognize what the body is experiencing.

Lauren Mages:
Yeah!

We know that physical pain can have a musculoskeletal or neuromusculoskeletal origin.

But we also have to look at various lifestyle factors.

That’s what I love about functional medicine—it’s different from traditional Western medicine because it looks at:

• Stress
• Circadian rhythm
• Nutrition & food sensitivities
• Medical testing beyond what insurance covers

It’s so much more holistic.

For example, if you have a food intolerance, we don’t just say, Okay, don’t eat that food.

We ask, Where is that intolerance coming from?

• Is it gut health?
• Is it inflammation?
• Can we heal it so you can eventually eat that food again?

And then, how does all of that impact physical pain?

So I didn’t want to go to medical school—I had zero desire for that! But I still wanted to understand functional medicine concepts.

So I completed my certification through FMCA (Functional Medicine Coaching Academy) while I was pregnant. It’s a year-long program that teaches you how to coach people who work with functional medicine doctors.

Now, while I cannot order labs or diagnose, I do know the lingo.

So if someone comes in and says, Every time I drink 2% milk, I get indigestion, I can say:

• Okay, let’s talk about dairy and pasteurization.
• What if we remove dairy for a while and slowly reintroduce it?
• Could that milk be affecting your digestion, which then affects your pelvic floor or back pain?

See how it all connects?

If we only look at the body through a physical lens—like, Oh, you have pain? Let’s stretch it!—we might miss the root cause.

That’s why I love functional medicine. It helps us zoom out and see the full picture.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Yes! That’s exactly why I wanted to do this podcast series—talking to different practitioners and seeing the wealth of knowledge that’s out there.

A lot of times, when people come to me for sleep, they think, Okay, we’re just going to talk about sleep.

But I’m like:

• Let’s look at how you’re eating.
• Let’s look at wakeful windows.
• Let’s talk about connection and stress levels.

And they’re like, Wait! I thought we were just talking about sleep?!

Lauren Mages:
Right! And how are you connecting with your child when they’re awake?

I remember you asking me that!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Yes!

I think it’s hard sometimes because Western medicine tends to separate everything.

And there’s a place for specialization, but we also need people like you—who look at the big picture.

Lauren Mages:
Exactly.

And it’s so important to have a network of providers to refer people to.

For example:

• This client might work well with this provider because of their approach.
• This other client might need someone different because of their personality.

I love connecting people with the right provider—it makes a huge difference.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Yes!

One thing I love about what you do is how you also share nutrition—like recipes and ways to support your body through food.

How does that fit into your practice?

Lauren Mages:
That’s a great question.

So as a functional medicine health coach, I cannot create meal plans. That’s for registered dietitians and nutritionists.

However, I can educate people on:

• What nutrient-dense foods look like
• How to grocery shop effectively
• How to read food labels

Because the goal is to help people feel confident about food.

Unfortunately, what should be basic knowledge—how to cook, how to choose whole foods—is not basic anymore.

We’re so far removed from understanding nutrition.

So I educate people on:

• How does your plate look?
• What nutrients are you getting?
• How does food impact your energy, mood, and recovery?

And I share some of my favorite recipes that I personally use.

For example, I might say, Try this recipe! But also, Here’s how you can tweak it to fit your needs.

Ultimately, I want people to feel empowered about food choices—because marketing is really good at misleading us!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
So when you say nutrient-dense food, why is that important for someone recovering postpartum?

Lauren Mages:
Oh my gosh—because we give everything to those babies!

Even before birth, most of us are already nutrient-depleted.

For example, if you’ve been on birth control for years, we know from research that it depletes nutrients.

Then, we grow a child, and they take everything from us to survive.

So we need to replenish those nutrients—especially postpartum!

The best ways to do that are through:

1. Food (prioritizing nutrient-dense, whole foods)
2. Sunlight (for natural vitamin D and circadian rhythm support)
3. Electrolytes & minerals (because hydration is more than just drinking water)

Postpartum depletion can affect everything:

• Energy levels
• Mood (postpartum anxiety & depression)
• Inflammation (which can affect brain function)
• Hormone balance

It’s all connected.

And if you’re breastfeeding, you’re continuing to give nutrients to your baby—so you need to replenish.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Yes! And sleeping, too!

Lauren Mages:
Oh my gosh—YES!

Not sleeping just makes everything harder.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
I think it’s interesting because that’s one of the newest things I’ve been hearing—about the nutrient piece.

I’ve been trying to help postpartum families think about ways to have better meals delivered to them—especially in those early weeks.

Even something as simple as having someone come over to chop fresh food so it’s easy to grab and eat can make a huge difference.

I always recommend that.

Lauren Mages:
Yes, yes, yes!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
It’s really hard to do that yourself when you’re recovering from birth and taking care of a newborn.

Being able to be loved on and supported in that way can be so impactful.

Lauren Mages:
Totally.

That’s why I stress food prepping with my prenatal clients.

I tell them, I know it might feel annoying, but it is a MUST.

Especially if you don’t have family or a community around to bring you food, you have to set yourself up for success.

And there are ways to do it that aren’t super time-consuming or tedious.

Honestly, I wish we had a meal service for postpartum moms.

Because first and foremost—a woman needs to eat.

I remember when I was in the newborn stage, there were entire days where I didn’t eat for hours.

By the time my husband got home, I was a total emotional mess—because I hadn’t eaten!

So first priority: eat.

Then, once we establish that, we can talk about the quality of food we’re eating.

If you’re already nutrient-depleted, dealing with hormone fluctuations, and possibly gut imbalances from medical interventions during birth, the last thing you want is to eat inflammatory foods that make everything worse.

Inflammation in the gut can travel up to the brain—which can affect mood, emotions, and overall well-being.

So we have to prioritize quality food postpartum.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Absolutely. Food is medicine.

Okay, I’m wondering if you can help me help the families I support.

I usually suggest that postpartum families have someone prep meals for them.

What are some foods that should go on that list?

Like, if there were a top five or ten foods they should try to incorporate daily, what would you recommend?

Lauren Mages:
Oh, I love this question!

First, I want to mention an amazing resource—a book called The First Forty Days.

I bought it for myself and used it to prep so many of my meals before giving birth.

It’s a fantastic book.

The author’s grandmother was a practitioner of Eastern medicine, so she shares a whole postpartum approach, including:

• A pantry list with staple foods
• Fresh produce and protein recommendations
• Bone broth recipes
• How to properly nourish yourself postpartum

She even talks about Eastern traditions, like staying inside for forty days to focus on rest and healing.

Now, in our culture, we don’t necessarily do that—but her nutrition information is gold.

So that’s my first recommendation.

Now, in terms of actual foods to prioritize postpartum:

1. Brazil nuts – Just one Brazil nut a day gives you your entire daily selenium needs, which is crucial for thyroid health.
2. Healthy fats – Avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter help with hormone regulation and brain function.
3. High-quality proteins – Grass-fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, and wild-caught salmon provide essential amino acids for recovery.
4. Leafy greens – Kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are packed with iron, magnesium, and fiber for digestion and energy.
5. Bone broth – This is a game-changer for healing your gut and replenishing collagen postpartum.
6. Fermented foods – Sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir help support gut health (which is often disrupted by medical interventions during birth).
7. Slow-cooked meals – Casseroles and crockpot dishes are great for batch cooking and getting in nourishing meals without extra work.
8. Ginger & turmeric – These are anti-inflammatory and help with digestion and immune support.
9. Electrolytes – Staying hydrated isn’t just about drinking water; adding trace minerals or natural electrolyte sources can make a big difference.
10. Colorful fruits & vegetables – Different colors provide different phytonutrients, which support overall healing and energy.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Wow, those are great recommendations!

And I love that you emphasize making simple, batch-cooked meals.

Because you’re right—when you’re postpartum, you do not have time to cook fancy meals.

Lauren Mages:
Exactly.

That’s why casseroles and crockpot meals are my go-to for postpartum moms.

One of my favorite easy recipes that I always recommend is a simple pasta casserole:

• Jovial brand pasta (it’s gluten-free and doesn’t have harmful additives like Banza pasta)
• Grass-fed ground beef
• Buffalo mozzarella & Pecorino Romano cheese
• Chopped kale
• Organic pasta sauce

You mix everything together, pop it in the oven, and it lasts several days!

If you have someone who can come over and make it for you—great!

Or, if the baby is sleeping and you have a quick moment, you can throw it together yourself.

Either way, it’s nourishing, easy, and delicious.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
I love that! We’ll include the recipe in the show notes so listeners can try it out.

So if you’re listening to this podcast, check out Lauren’s blog post to grab that recipe!

Lauren Mages:
Yes! I still make it every single week.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Also, I think it’s so interesting that you brought up The First Forty Days.

Stephanie Gleason, a postpartum doula I interviewed, also recommended that book!

Lauren Mages:
Oh, it’s SO good!

She shares bone broth recipes, meal prep strategies, and just real, honest advice about the newborn stage.

And she presents it in a way that isn’t negative or fear-based—just realistic.

She encourages conversations between partners so that the reality of the newborn stage doesn’t feel so jarring.

I think she does an amazing job of balancing hard truths with gentle guidance.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
I love that! I need to add it to my favorite resources list for new parents.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Lauren, if someone is looking to get connected with you, how can they work with you?

Lauren Mages:
I work with clients in a few different ways:

1. One-on-one movement sessions – These are in-person in my studio, where we work on movement, pelvic health, and functional recovery.
2. Virtual health coaching – I offer online sessions for those who aren’t local but still want support.
3. Group classes – Sometimes, I host movement-based group classes, which can be a great way for people to get a feel for what I do before committing to one-on-one sessions.

If someone is interested, they can go to my website contact page, type in a message, and I will respond within 24 hours—because I am super committed to never leaving people hanging!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
That’s amazing! And do you have something you’ll share with them if they reach out?

Lauren Mages:
Yes!

If someone reaches out to me about working together, I’ll send them a section of my Integrated Postpartum Guide.

This includes:

• Recipes (nutrient-dense meals for postpartum recovery)
• Facts about phytonutrients and how they support healing
• Pelvic floor exercises (for both prenatal and postpartum)
• Mindset and journaling prompts (to help with emotional processing)
• Breathing techniques to support core and pelvic floor function

I’ll send them one recipe, a nutrition fact sheet, and a pelvic floor exercise.

And if they’re experiencing specific symptoms, they can let me know, and I’ll tailor the exercise to what they need.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
That’s amazing!

I’ll share a link to your contact page so that people can get connected with you and figure out what they need.

You are such a wealth of knowledge and an incredible resource!

Lauren Mages:
Oh, thank you! And I’m still learning—so stay tuned!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
I love your learning mindset.

When we worked together, I could see how you embraced the process of learning and growing, both as a practitioner and as a mom.

And I still see that in you today—it’s really cool to witness!

Lauren Mages:
Aww, thank you! That means so much to me.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Okay, I could talk to you all day, but I want to wrap up with our Top 5 Loving Lessons Learned.

So first, do you have a favorite parenting product or service?

Lauren Mages:
Oh my gosh—you!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Haha, what?!

Lauren Mages:
I’m serious!

Sleep has always been my kryptonite—my biggest stressor.

And I was very against traditional sleep training.

So finding you was a godsend.

This is why I’ve worked with you multiple times—because every time Lyla’s sleep changes, I have a moment of panic!

But now, after working with you so much, I can actually say to myself, What would Irene say?

Then I go, Okay, I got this. I know what to do.

So honestly, you are my favorite parenting resource!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Oh my goodness, that means so much to me!

I love hearing that because I remember where you were when we first met, and now, seeing how confident you are in your approach—it’s amazing.

And I’m just going to throw this out there:

I saw a reel of you nap-trapped with Lyla, and you were just embracing it!

You’ve really grown into trusting the learning and growing process, and it’s so cool to witness.

Lauren Mages:
Yes! Thank you!

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Okay, next question: What’s your best self-care tip?

Lauren Mages:
Ooooh.

Okay, here’s what’s resonating with me right now in this season of motherhood:

I know I only have a limited amount of time each day for myself.

And there are so many things I could do for self-care.

But instead of asking, What should I do? I’ve learned to pause and ask:

What does my body need today?

Not my brain—my body.

That has changed everything.

Because sometimes, self-care isn’t a workout.

Sometimes, it’s a nap.

Sometimes, it’s laying on the floor in silence for five minutes.

Sometimes, it’s crying it out and releasing stress.

When I listen to what my body is actually asking for, I feel so much more replenished.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
That’s so powerful.

And I’m assuming when people work with you, they learn how to tune into that?

Lauren Mages:
Yes!

We talk about it a lot—especially if someone has a history of ignoring their body’s signals.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
I love that.

Okay, next question: Is there something you never thought you would do or say as a parent?

Lauren Mages:
Oh, that’s a great question!

Okay, check back with me in five years because I am very anti-smartphone for kids right now.

We’ll see if I cave. 😂

But for now, I would say… introducing TV time before the age of two.

I was dead set on no screen time before two years old.

And then this past spring, Lyla had:

• A sleep regression
• Two ear infections back-to-back

It was rough.

And there were some Saturday mornings where my husband and I just needed to survive.

So we said, Okay, Moana is going on.

And you know what? It was fine.

She’s not ruined. Her brain didn’t melt.

We needed that little break, and that’s okay.

Irene Gouge - Loving Lessons Sleep Solutions:
Haha, I love that.

Okay, last question: What’s one thing you want all parents to know after today’s conversation?

Lauren Mages:
Oh, wow.

I think it’s this:

From ages 0 to 7, children are in their most formative years.

That’s when they develop:

• Their sense of safety and security
• Their emotional regulation
• Their confidence in the world

So as parents, we need to focus on:

1. Making them feel safe and secure
2. Allowing them to express their emotions
3. Helping them feel confident in themselves

And the best way to do that?

Take care of yourself first.

Because if we’re running on empty, it’s hard to show up as the calm, present parents our kids need.

We’re going to mess up—that’s normal.

But when we take care of ourselves, we can repair, reconnect, and keep growing.