If you’ve ever looked at your baby and wondered how to feel more connected, you’re not alone. The early weeks can feel busy, emotional and a little uncertain. You’re feeding, settling, changing and doing your best, but sometimes it still feels like something is missing.

And then you hear about baby massage. Some people say it’s essential. Others say it’s just a nice extra. It’s hard to know what’s real.

In this week’s episode of The Science of Motherhood, Dr Renee White chats with Vicky O’Rourke, founder of Connect Baby, experienced occupational therapist and mum of three. Vicky blends 14 years of paediatric clinical experience with the gentle practice of infant massage, offering parents a simple, evidence-backed way to support their baby’s development while strengthening their bond.

Vicky breaks down what baby massage actually is, what the research says, and why touch is one of the most powerful tools you already have.

Renee and Vicky talk through what matters, what parents often misunderstand, and how you can build more confidence in the early weeks with small, simple moments.

You’ll hear about:

• How baby massage supports bonding, regulation and early development.
• Why cue based touch helps you understand your baby’s signals more clearly.
• The role of oxytocin and how it benefits both you and your baby.
• Practical ways to use touch during unsettled days, sleep struggles or sensory overload.
• Why connection matters more than perfect technique.

You’re allowed to slow down, follow your baby’s lead and use touch as a way to reconnect when everything feels overwhelming. This episode will give you grounded, evidence based guidance so you can feel clearer and more confident moving forward.

Resources and Links

📲 Connect with Renee on Instagram: @fillyourcup_

🌐 Learn more about Dr Renee White and explore Fill Your Cup Doula services

🍪 Treat yourself with our Chocolate + Goji lactation cookies

📘 Connect with Vicky O’Rourke:

Website: www.connectbaby.com.au

Instagram: @connectbaby__

✨ This episode is proudly brought to you by Fill Your Cup. Head to our website to learn more about our birth and postpartum doula offerings.

If this episode helped you feel more supported, share it with a friend who needs it. And hit subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode of The Science of Motherhood.

Disclaimer

The information on this podcast presented by Fill Your Cup is not a substitute for independent professional advice. Nothing contained in this episode is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional's advice.

[00:00:30] Dr Renee White: Hello and welcome to episode 202. This is The Science of Motherhood, and I am your host, Dr. Renee White. In today's episode, we are discovering the incredible power of nurturing touch in those early weeks with [00:00:45] your baby. Have you ever wondered if there's something more you could be doing to connect with your bubby beyond feeding and changing nappies?

[00:01:22] Dr Renee White: You are in the right place, mama. I'm joined today by Vicky O'Rourke, founder of Connect [00:01:30] Baby, and she's also an occupational therapist with over 14 years of experience in pediatrics. She's also a certified infant massage instructor and mum of three who brings both clinical expertise [00:01:45] and lived experience to her work with families.

[00:02:37] Dr Renee White: And if you are pregnant, congratulations or if you've just had a new bubby, again, congrats. [00:02:45] We have some gorgeous doers across Australia ready to nurture and nourish you in. Melbourne, Geelong, Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, gold Coast, Hobart, and Perth. Feel free to reach out via the link in the show [00:03:00] notes.

[00:03:10] Vicky O'Rourke: Thank you. It's so nice to be here. I am. Oh, I'm quite [00:03:15] tired. So if I'm not very coherent, you'll know why my little two had a party last night.

[00:03:28] Dr Renee White: So that's okay [00:03:30] with us. Makes it very, very authentic. I think my previous guest had a couple of dogs in the background. My dog's gone upstairs, thank goodness. So. Yeah, that's lovely. This is, this is just, uh, this is just us, so don't, don't worry about it. Vicky, [00:03:45] I would love to kick off the podcast with you talking to us about your journey from an occupational therapist to founding Connect baby.

[00:04:05] Vicky O'Rourke: Huge,

[00:04:05] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah.

[00:04:14] Vicky O'Rourke: Okay. [00:04:15] Yes. Well, as you said, I'm an OT by background and I have been practicing for, I think, 14 odd years, um, in pediatric disability and sensory disability in, in that sector.

[00:04:45] Vicky O'Rourke: Mm-hmm. So everybody immigrated. So I came to Australia for what I. Presumed would be a year until the embargo lifted. That was my sort of plan at the time. But fast forward many years later and I'm back again. [00:05:00] So plan changed many times. Yes. But yeah, so I guess I. I love, I love all things occupational science, you know, human design, [00:05:15] what makes us tick as human beings.

[00:05:48] Vicky O'Rourke: You know, when, when we really. Give that space time and attention. Mm-hmm. The benefit in the long term for parents and babies is so long lasting [00:06:00] and so profound. So whether there's developmental or medical issues and you know, potentially grief and trauma and all these things going on at the start, or whether there isn't, it's just still so important.

[00:06:14] Vicky O'Rourke: So [00:06:15] fast forward, um, I. I've been thinking, I had been thinking about infant massage and how it weaves with OT for years. Um, so my oldest, I'm a mum of three and my oldest is nine. So I did an infant massage, [00:06:30] uh, course a group with him when he was a baby. And I just loved it. I loved it from a parent's point of view, and it was a lovely way to meet other mums.

[00:06:57] Vicky O'Rourke: So it took me a few years [00:07:00] to then go and do infant massage training. So I did that when my middle child, while I was on maternity leave with my middle child, who's now two and a half. So yeah, I did a couple of courses and I guess through that extra [00:07:15] learning, there were bits that I. Picked and thought, yes, this aligns and there were things that I felt were a bit outdated or that perhaps I had a different slant on coming from an OT perspective.

[00:07:43] Vicky O'Rourke: There was so much [00:07:45] going on in my mind as I was doing all this sort of added professional learning, and it was all adding together in my mind. And yet that's where Connect Baby came out of. So I only launched this year, early this year. Mm-hmm. But it's been, it's been manifesting for a [00:08:00] while.

[00:08:09] Dr Renee White: Yeah. Or like, where did this passion come from? And there is this general theme of like, [00:08:15] I've always had this interest, but I, it, it's almost like. Like the timing just wasn't right.

[00:08:21] Dr Renee White: But you know it's coming, right?

[00:08:23] Dr Renee White: It's ruminating.

[00:08:24] Dr Renee White: the entire time and you're just like, yep. It, it's on there. It's, it's on the to-do [00:08:30] list, but I just haven't got to that yet.

[00:08:32] Dr Renee White: And like, you know, having three children is, you know, that's a big to-do list right's.

[00:08:44] Dr Renee White: Yes.

[00:09:08] Vicky O'Rourke: I want to share this with other parents. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, my youngest is nearly 10 months old, so I'm [00:09:15] freshly navigating postpartum again. Yeah. And yeah, just, yeah, really in tune with that early parenting stage myself. But yeah, so that's where. That's where Connect Baby came from. So Connect Baby, everything that I do in Connect Baby professionally is rooted in lived [00:09:30] experience and clinical practice.

[00:09:36] Dr Renee White: can you explain to people like, I guess, uh, maybe some tangible examples of what that connection is like [00:09:45] how, how does your OT training like really enhance, like your approach to baby massage? Yeah, because I know we've spoken offline before about uh, baby massage is obviously, you know, it, it, it's a [00:10:00] course that you do very similar to like a doula course or something like that. But, you know, what are some of the, I think, you know, uh, like those connections and enhancements that you kind of can draw on from your OT experience?

[00:10:39] Vicky O'Rourke: So typically each family unit has their own variation of techniques and, and strokes that are [00:10:45] passed down through the women of the family, from grandmother to mother to baby. Yeah and, and I suppose there is, there is a huge wealth of knowledge and wisdom that comes that feeds infant massage techniques and [00:11:00] approaches that's coming from ancient cultures all around the world.

[00:11:32] Vicky O'Rourke: And so the way that we also care for our babies has changed rapidly in the last several hundred years. And so while there's really important learning, I think to have from how things [00:11:45] have been done for you know, so long. We also need to top up that knowledge with how we actually parent now. So the techniques that I, that I teach are informed by research areas, really the evidence-based behind touch, movement, [00:12:00] parent infant interaction, and how that supports development, regulation, and bonding.

[00:12:30] Vicky O'Rourke: And then some of the ancient practices that inform what we do alongside those science backed areas are a Ayurvedic principles, Indian massage, Swedish massage, some reflexology, and also our understanding of how energy [00:12:45] flows in the body and how touch can impact that. So there's a lot of, there's a lot of things feeding how we use touch therapeutically and how I teach techniques, some of which have a very robust research base and some of which [00:13:00] are based on sort of tacit knowledge that's been handed down and both are so valuable.

[00:13:25] Dr Renee White: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:13:40] Dr Renee White: yeah, absolutely. Yeah. But I find. I [00:13:45] find some of the best things are the product of multidisciplinary kind of subjects that collide together.

[00:14:11] Dr Renee White: Mm. And you have effectively an, like a [00:14:15] cricket team or soccer team worth of people on the publication. Like beautiful things come from, you know, people with all different thoughts and mind processes. So I, I, I, I'm really keen to like, see this actually [00:14:30] flourish, which I think it is it's a really interesting concept to me.

[00:14:55] Dr Renee White: Um, what, what is, what, like what's the setup? Like, walk us [00:15:00] through like, I guess a session, uh, from a mum and maybe a baby's perspective of what that looks like.

[00:15:22] Vicky O'Rourke: So creating space to tune in and get to know how your baby responds, and that really helps with early bonding [00:15:30] and helping parents feel really confident in their parenting role. But that is the key foundation of infant massage. So it's not something that we do to the baby, it's something that we do with the baby.

[00:15:58] Dr Renee White: Put the music on lather me in oil [00:16:00] let's do this.

[00:16:20] Vicky O'Rourke: So we go through techniques and strokes for all the different body parts. But what I spend a lot of time doing is talking about why. So, this technique is for [00:16:30] this, and this is why it's beneficial, so that by the end of the block, whether it's two weeks or four weeks, or if you're self-paced, learning online, hopefully the parents come away with a real understanding of how different touch works on the body.

[00:17:03] Vicky O'Rourke: Discomforts, ailments, whatever you wanna call it. Yeah. So whether that weight gain for premature babies, whether it's colic, wind, constipation, immunity, so we can use massage [00:17:15] therapeutically for other things as well as just bonding and relaxation. You know, and, and all touch, all touch that you give to your baby as a parent boosts their development in terms of, you know, their, their brain [00:17:30] development, their emotional development.

[00:17:38] Dr Renee White: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:50] Vicky O'Rourke: That's where the magic happens. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:18:17] Dr Renee White: We've like supported families through Fill Your Cup. And even myself, to be honest with you, like I, I, I didn't have that see your child for the first time and instantly fall in love thing [00:18:30] like that just wasn't, that just wasn't a thing for me. And so I think perhaps, you know, a baby kind of massage course would have been really helpful because yeah, it's, it's, it is, it's kind of like you've been [00:18:45] introduced to this person that you have grown, but you have don't really know yet.

[00:18:56] Vicky O'Rourke: on top of all the other things like your breath [00:19:00] recovery and you know, your. You're probably sleep deprived and there's all these hormones going on, and it's an awful lot to navigate.

[00:19:26] Vicky O'Rourke: So if we can give space for parents to [00:19:30] find that together with their baby, it's the foundation for, you know, huge benefits down the line for both of them. There's actually also really interesting evidence around infant massage and maternal mental health, and I say maternal because the [00:19:45] research hasn't really caught up with the diverse blends of families that we see today.

[00:20:08] Vicky O'Rourke: And it has, infant massage has been shown across the board to be a protective factor for mothers experiencing [00:20:15] postnatal anxiety and depression. But beyond that, research also tells us that other significant caregivers who massage the baby, so it could be the non birthing parent, or it could be a close grandparent or a person who's very involved in the day-to-day of that baby's life, also [00:20:30] experiences lower cortisol levels and improved mood.

[00:20:45] Dr Renee White: Yeah.

[00:20:52] Vicky O'Rourke: And you know, it literally is as simple and primal as touching your baby. Mm-hmm. It's incredible, incredible.

[00:21:36] Vicky O'Rourke: Yes.

[00:21:38] Vicky O'Rourke: That's a huge focus of my classes too. So in the in-person classes, there is. We hold [00:21:45] space for real conversations every time, so we always stop in the middle and have a nourishing snack and a cup of tea and a chance to chat because the babies need a little break as well.

[00:22:13] Vicky O'Rourke: So when we prioritize [00:22:15] that, we support the whole family. It's not just about the baby thriving from the therapeutic benefits of the massage we're giving to them, but it's about parents feeling seen and supported as well. Yeah. And there is, I can tell you that every single class I run, you can [00:22:30] feel the oxytocin level rise in the room as the massage starts and parents and babies are really starting to tune into each other and they've got a beautiful flow going.

[00:22:57] Dr Renee White: Oh, beautiful.

[00:23:11] Dr Renee White: Yeah. That's so good.

[00:23:15] Dr Renee White: I know, right? Yeah. It's kind of like doula work. Yeah. Like I turn up and I'm like, I get to cook your meals and hold your baby. It's like, and people like you do that for a job. Yeah. I'm like, yeah, it's awesome. It's the best job ever.

[00:23:28] Dr Renee White: Vicky, so you've obviously mentioned [00:23:30] that you know, you're a mum of three yourself.

[00:23:57] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah, I mean. I [00:24:00] think for me this is, this is based on I, I think it's very difficult. I find it very difficult to unpick what, what's coming from a professional learning point of view and what's coming from parenting because I was an OT before I was a parent, so a lot of these, [00:24:15] yeah, these concepts were ingrained in me.

[00:24:24] Dr Renee White: Yeah.

[00:24:42] Vicky O'Rourke: Like I said before, for whatever life's twists [00:24:45] and turns. Maybe later down the line, if you've got that strong connection together, you're both bolstered. Um, and building that attunement with each other in the very beginning is the start of, of [00:25:00] navigating challenges that come up through life. So I think I just, I feel that there is so much noise in the parenting space and particularly in the younger years.

[00:25:35] Vicky O'Rourke: You know what you're. What helpful or unhelpful advice is coming your way? Just stepping away from it all now and again or often and [00:25:45] tuning into your baby or your child and how they tick. How you tick and how that synergy feels, how the balance feels in your family. And I think you know, if you can start tuning into them on that level from when they're really [00:26:00] tiny, you've started the platform for how you're going to read them for their whole life.

[00:26:15] Dr Renee White: I, I, I think so. I, I totally agree. Like, I have this conversation with my daughter all the time, like, you know, and it's basic stuff. Like I'll kind of walk in, I'll be like, did you brush your teeth?

[00:27:04] Dr Renee White: With body language, even when you don't say the words. So I know when you are lying and telling me that you've brushed your teeth when you haven't. And she's like, oh. And [00:27:15] I'm like, okay, well one day when you have kids, if you want kids, you'll be able to have that superhero strength as well. So until then, please go brush your teeth.

[00:27:27] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah. But trying to, I guess if you were coming [00:27:30] at that as a brand new parent who maybe hasn't been around that many,

[00:27:34] Vicky O'Rourke: That many children. How do you start to read your baby? As you said, they arrive, they're quite new.

[00:27:59] Vicky O'Rourke: [00:28:00] And I don't know why, because professionally and, and you know, from experience as a parent, I know this, but it took me by surprise each time just how different they were and how the way I responded to them. Needed to change and adapt every time. So literally [00:28:15] from the way that they wanted to be held to the way they like to feed, to the way that they like to fall asleep, you know, to the way that they, yes, have fun and you know where the tickles are, and just literally everything is completely different.

[00:28:52] Vicky O'Rourke: Like the whole family dynamic. Yes. And your partner, if your partnered, how the energy flows between the whole family.

[00:29:00] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah. Really, really interesting. Between siblings, all that.

[00:29:40] Dr Renee White: But it can be like really frustrating for them.

[00:29:43] Dr Renee White: And just be like, I nailed this [00:29:45] last time. How is this not happening again? Yeah. And that's when you have to ask for help right. And go, okay, hold on a minute. Like maybe I need some external, like assistance with that.

[00:30:14] Vicky O'Rourke: But [00:30:15] I always say to parents that I'm working with that it's, it's my go-to rest and reset. And I think because as I said, it's free. All you need are your hands and yourself and your baby. You don't need any, any fancy things. If you want to add an oil or a lotion, you know, that's lovely, but you don't have to, [00:30:30] all you need is you and them.

[00:30:45] Vicky O'Rourke: You've that a goal, you know, you've nothing to lose. Yes. It's a great rest and reset when things are awry, whether that's because there's something going on like a, a pain or a teething or lack of sleep or whatever, or whether it's just that things are chaotic and the family and everybody [00:31:00] needs to just simmer down.

[00:31:21] Dr Renee White: Do your kids still like, do, do they like to be, you know, massaged or touched? Yeah. Like, is that their, do they kind of [00:31:30] lean into that and I would, yeah. I don't know. I kind of, I kind of, as you were talking about that regulation kind of point, I would imagine that children who had infant massage early on, like, you know, if you [00:31:45] see them spiraling a little bit, they might just kind of wander over and be like mum, can you massage my back or my tummy, or whatever it is.

[00:31:54] Vicky O'Rourke: yes. I think it's less explicit, I would say, but I think because they have [00:32:00] learned how touch feels and how, how responsive touch helps them feel better for whatever is going on. They'll seek that out as they get older, but maybe they don't.

[00:32:31] Vicky O'Rourke: Mm-hmm. So they will seek that out. Mm-hmm. And that's, I mean, what a gift, really, to give children. Yeah. I guess, yeah. It changes a bit with older kids. He will love to lie there and throw his feet up on me when we're lying on the lounge and have a little foot [00:32:45] massage. He doesn't ask for it, but he just knows that I know what he needs.

[00:32:50] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah.

[00:32:50] Vicky O'Rourke: Or that he, when he needs to feel, you know, a little bit grounded, he's gonna come in for some deep pressure and that's going to look like the form of a, a deep cuddle or like [00:33:00] wrapping up in a blanket or, you know, those sort of things. And he knows without, we don't have to exchange words.

[00:33:21] Dr Renee White: I love that.

[00:33:29] Dr Renee White: How [00:33:30] beautiful is that for children to be in tune with their own needs and wants? Because I feel like, you know, that again is a huge, uh, piece that lots of society is talking about. Mm-hmm. [00:33:45] And I think, you know, generations before we've had a lot of, you know. Your very minimal understanding of connecting with self.

[00:33:57] Dr Renee White: Yeah. And that's kind of cast aside and [00:34:00] things like that. So what a beautiful, I think opportunity for our children to be like, you know what, I'm not feeling, I'm not feeling my best. I need massage. Gimme a massage, mum. I love that. Yeah, so much.

[00:34:30] Dr Renee White: Yeah.

[00:34:36] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah. Do a bit of a body scan and then look for what they need.

[00:35:00] Dr Renee White: Because she was engaged from a very early stage. She was a long baby, so it's no surprise. But her feet would just like kick up into my ribs and it was like, it gives me the eeb gies just thinking about it now. I [00:35:15] think it's really interesting how when she needs comfort or like she's feeling a bit unsure about something, like she will, she will like pop her feet up, like, you know, we'll be sitting on the couch or she'll come in [00:35:30] for a snuggle in the bed and she'll curl up and she'll like put her feet like right on me, like really dig in.

[00:35:54] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah. We all have different goodness, different sensory preferences and that's a whole area of OT in itself. [00:36:00] Sensory processing, how those senses interact with each other, how our brains make sense of sensory input around us, all of that. Mm-hmm. And massage is a lovely, a lovely blend with sensory processing I think.

[00:36:37] Vicky O'Rourke: Yeah. It's about looking at how the whole body, your whole baby or your whole child is, is looking or reading right now in this [00:36:45] moment, and then how we can respond to their needs. So it's, yeah, it's very hard to put into words when I, you know, tell people about baby massage glasses. I just, yeah, it's, it's hard to articulate.

[00:37:17] Dr Renee White: I find this a really fascinating topic as well. So, alright, so our first question in our rapid fire is, what is your top tip for mums?

[00:37:43] Vicky O'Rourke: How you're going to be as a [00:37:45] parent, think about what you need to fill your cup. That very relevant that we're talking about. Yeah to fill your cup.

[00:38:01] Dr Renee White: I'm like, I swear to God I, there was no payment made for these types of things

[00:38:21] Vicky O'Rourke: I, I don't just mean financially and from a material thing point of view, but the less clutter in our lives mentally and physically, the better I think. Yes.

[00:38:53] Vicky O'Rourke: Hmm. Interesting. I don't know. I've read a lot of, i've read a lot of books. There was one [00:39:00] my middle, my middle child mm-hmm. Was I hand on heart, adore her, but she was a really challenging baby. Mm-hmm. And brought me to the, the edge of what I thought I could cope with in every possible way. [00:39:15] And yeah, really made me reevaluate everything about myself as a parent.

[00:39:44] Vicky O'Rourke: But when [00:39:45] you're in the fog of it, in the thick of things yourself, it's very difficult to pull yourself out and to see things for how often typical they are.

[00:39:58] Dr Renee White: yeah. [00:40:00] Perfect. Amazing. Thank you. Um, last question, which is a little bit left field and we borrow this one off Brene Brown. What do you keep on your bedside table?

[00:40:26] Vicky O'Rourke: So my, my bedside table looks like carnage the [00:40:30] night, the morning after. Um, but the night before, I set up my AirPods, Kindle. Mm-hmm. Water. Yeah. Sometimes a hot drink if I know we're going be in on it in force, so I've got something ready to go to sip as we're waking [00:40:45] through the night. What else is there?

[00:41:01] Dr Renee White: do you sleep with white noise?

[00:41:09] Dr Renee White: Yeah. Okay.

[00:41:12] Dr Renee White: Yeah. Yeah, I know the one. Yeah, [00:41:15] well versed on that one.

[00:41:29] Vicky O'Rourke: Mm-hmm. [00:41:30] So a bit of a party in our house, yeah. I find that

[00:41:35] Vicky O'Rourke: a hundred percent. I love it actually. It's a great tool for everyone to get some good sleep. Yes. I find that if one is waking, it's also a good way to drown out any murmuring and noise that [00:41:45] might potentially wake the other.

[00:41:51] Dr Renee White: Perfect. No, my daughter still has like her little red light Yeah. Thing on every night. Yeah. Absolutely loves it. It's her [00:42:00] thing now. Yeah. I think we've graduated from White Noise to We now. We've subscribed to this new thing on, I think it's on, well it's on Spotify and the Apple Podcast, but Coco, Coco Moon, I think it's

[00:42:14] Dr Renee White: [00:42:15] Gorgeous older lady and she sounds like your nana and she reads you a story. Yeah, my daughter loves it. Like every night. Okay. What's on Cocoa Moon tonight?

[00:42:24] Dr Renee White: And they recently, um. Started a new kind of series [00:42:30] on, it's got, uh, capybara. Oh. Which my daughter is absolutely obsessed with as an animal.

[00:42:45] Vicky O'Rourke: It's sort of a meditation, isn't it? It's, yeah.

[00:43:04] Dr Renee White: And so it starts off like, as perhaps as maybe a little adventure and then. Just, you know, beautiful talking and like, you know, it sounds like your nana's reading it too, which is awesome. [00:43:15] So yeah, so, so good. Vicky, it's been so wonderful to have you on the podcast and thank you so much for enlightening me about infant massage.

[00:43:42] Vicky O'Rourke: Thank you. It's been so lovely chatting as [00:43:45] always.

[00:43:54] Vicky O'Rourke: Yes. So I run in-person classes in Sydney in a few different locations, so you can check out [00:44:00] where there's a class near you if you're in Sydney on my website. Mm-hmm.

[00:44:24] Dr Renee White: amazing.

[00:44:40] Dr Renee White: Wow.

[00:44:49] Dr Renee White: that's amazing. I love that. We're gonna have all of those links and everything in our show notes so people can just have a look on the episode show links. Thank you again. It's been absolutely amazing. So [00:45:00] good to have you.

[00:45:01] Dr Renee White: Alright everyone, until next week, we'll see you.

[00:45:20] Dr Renee White: You've just listened to another episode of The Science of Motherhood proudly presented by Fill Your Cup, Australia's first doula village. [00:45:30] Head to our website, I fill your cup.com to learn more about our birth and postpartum doula offerings, where every mother we pledge to be the steady hand that guides you back to yourself, ensuring you feel nurtured, informed, and [00:45:45] empowered, so you can fully embrace the joy of motherhood with confidence.