#139: How to Transition Back to Work After Having a Baby | Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton ND

Have you ever pumped milk in an airport bathroom while your boss texted you about a meeting?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jaclyn Smeaton, a naturopathic doctor, past president of the AANP, speaker, author, and mom of five. She’s lived every version of the working-mom juggle, from returning to work at four weeks postpartum to running national organizations while nursing on red-eye flights.

We unpack what “going back to work” really looks like when you’re healing, pumping, leading, and trying not to lose yourself in the process. The sleep deprivation, the daycare colds, the guilt, the wins, and the systems that make it survivable. It’s raw, funny, and painfully real.



You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[04:44] What going back to work at four weeks postpartum really feels like

[09:33] When breastfeeding becomes a mental and physical breaking point

[19:37] The reality of pumping and traveling while balancing leadership roles

[28:34] Simple ways to prep your baby’s immune system for daycare

[42:44] How an au pair can completely change family life and sanity

[48:49] The real cost of help versus trying to do it all alone

[53:41] Creating your village and finding real mom friendships

[58:38] The energetic shift between ambition and motherhood

[1:00:17] Why having it all never means doing it all at once

[1:04:52] What happens when motherhood and work collide

Resources Mentioned:

All supplements can be found through Fullscript (save 15%)

Electric flosser | Amazon

Learn more from Dr. Jaclyn on her website. You can also follow her on LinkedIn.

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Find more from Dr. Leah:

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Find more from Dr. Morgan:

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