It the end of a mother effort era! The girls talk about all of their favorite episodes, favorite guests and favorite moments of the past four years with the Mother Effort Podcast. 

In this episode Ilana and Beth sit down with Stay at Home Dad Frank to talk about how stay at home parenting differs when you are a guy and what parts of parenting cross gender lines and are a mother effort for us all. 

Did you carry low but end up with a girl? Have terrible heartburn during pregnancy just to end up with a hairless baby? Are you eating an apple a day to keep that doc away? Ilana and Beth join their friend Allison to talk all things Old wives' tales...and why we should or should not buy into them.

On this episode find out what it was like for Beth to give birth at the height of the pandemic one year ago. Beth finally feels ready to tell Jake's birth story, and boy is it a story!  It was scary, sad and joyful all at the same time and even full of the stereotypical movie trope birth scenes! 

Ilana and Beth sit down for a conversation about cheeto fingers and facetime babysitting, playground etiquette and how difficult it might be to properly socialize when we all emerge from this pandemic.

Ilana has a major mom fail then tells a tale of a Facebook Feed gone terribly wrong. Beth has an epiphany when it comes to the motherhood mental load. Beth also might have to sage her house...tune in and hear why!

When our babies are small, it can be natural to fantasize about a time when they become independent.  One day, you turn around and your infant is feeding themselves, sleeping out at friends and going off to college.  The struggle is real for Ilana so she calls on friend Amanda Fries for advice on what to expect and how to stay relevant as a parent of "big kids".

A blow out or glitter, which would you rather clean up? Beth gives an update on the sleep situation and then they girls go 13 rounds in Ilana's “Would You Rather" Mom Edition game.   

I've got 99 problems...and pooping, sleeping and bra wearing are some! This week Beth tells Ilana all about the issues going on in her house in the last 10 months. Spoiler alert, the potty is not our friend and another bed change is needed! Ilana gives some much needed support and advice to help Beth, and all of you, feel less alone through these trying times!

I've got 99 problems...and pooping, sleeping and bra wearing are some! This week Beth tells Ilana all about the issues going on in her house in the last 10 months. Spoiler alert, the potty is not our friend and another bed change is needed! Ilana gives some much needed support and advice to help Beth, and all of you, feel less alone through these trying times!

Are we hopeful for the future? Absolutely! However, after 10 months off from recording and living through a pandemic we needed 40 minutes to vent!  Catch up with us and see how the remainder of our 2020 was!

What has it been like to be pregnant or anxious during an epidemic?  Ilana and Beth discuss how life has changed and a few positive outcomes from this whole awful situation we are all living through. 

In these uncertain times most of us are overwhelmed, experiencing stress, anxiety and even sadness.  Ilana and Beth talk to Maryland based Psychologist Dr. Melissa Lean about how to cope and decompress, healthy social media usage, communicating with friends and family and more. Dr. Lean also gives insight on finding virtual help during this time if you need to reach out and talk to someone.  We hope this episode gives you some comfort and some tangible steps to help you get through this...

The entire country is shutting down one town and city at a time and most of us are now shifting into a new normal.  Working from home, kids at home, partners at home, it's a lot!  Ilana and Beth discuss some of their fears and then more importantly they discuss what to do to combat these fears and beat the boredom at home with the kids!

This last week was a real mother effort for Beth and Ilana.  To lighten up the week Ilana creates a game show for Beth testing her knowledge of the Saturday morning cartoons of our past.  Are they still on and making new episodes, or did they die out back in the 80s and 90s?  Beth goes head to head with a VERY special surprise guest!  Tune in to see who wins and find out which cartoons you can still watch, with or without your kids!

As Beth hits the single digits of weeks left on her pregnancy Ilana offers some advice for any mom adding to her brood.  What can you expect when the motto of motherhood is really to expect anything and nothing at the same time?

Sleeping strange, in your babyhood, who you gonna call? Lolo Lullaby!  Today the girls call in the professional when it comes to everything sleep training related! From what to do with an infant who won't nap, a "defiant climbing out of their crib" toddler, travel, and the 5 year old who has developed bad sleep habits that need to be broken before your sanity! Lolo Lullaby's Lauren Wolf talks about it all and more on this episode! Contact Lauren www.lololullaby.com Insta @lololullaby...

Beth has hit some snags with her childcare in the last week and needs to make a lot of decisions for her future family of four.  In order to lighten the mood, Ilana gets the inside scoop on middle school and quizzes Beth on her knowledge of today's teen slang. 

Happy Mother Effort New Year! In the first podcast of this decade Ilana and Beth talk about their New Years resolutions, some broken, some accomplished, but all well intentioned. Ilana discusses what she has learned after her 6th winter birthday party has been thrown. They also discuss the best holiday and birthday gifts their kids received this year.

Ilana asks Beth if she is buying into and following all the pregnancy myths and rules.   Find out Beth’s secret weapon when experiencing a head cold while pregnant and what foods she is and isn’t eating.

Ilana celebrates her 5 year anniversary of being a stay at home mom, something she never anticipated.  Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, raising kids is a mother effer!  Ilana and Beth discuss the perceptions versus the reality of being a stay at home mom as well as the good and the not so good moments that Ilana wouldn't trade in a million years!

What do you get when you cross a mom with two kids, a dog, a spouse and impending meal time?  Hopefully something edible!  When your a mom time to cook a meal is all but non-existent so the girls discuss some hacks to keep your pantry fully stocked in order to make a meal in a pinch.  They also discuss how to save time using the Instant Pot, an airfryer, make ahead meals and one pot meals when little ones are hungry and also trying to open a hot oven!

After a hiatus due to the day to day chaos of living with littles the mother effort girls are back! It has been a whirlwind of a month, Beth and Ilana discuss how "back to school season" has been going and how Beth is handling being back at work full time.  Doctor's trips for all!  Beth also makes an exciting announcement that shocks Ilana! 

Ilana reaches out to her facebook mom group to figure out how to deal with the anxiety of sending her child to kindergarten for the first time! Beth shares her fears about going back to school and being   a mom and how to juggle these two careers with only enough time to do one full time. The girls wrap up the episode by sharing the best moments of their summer.  Happy Fall Everyone!