The Sober Mom Life

Growing up, Kara felt like her father had chosen alcohol over his family. He was in and out of rehab for alcohol addiction when she was young, which ultimately led to her parents divorce. Kara’s mom remarried when she was four and Kara grew up in a blended family of six kids. Though it was a great family life, with so many kids in the house there was no space for her parents to support her emotional needs. Kara had social anxiety, and she began to lean on alcohol to support her in social situations. Then, as she became an adult, alcohol became the go to coping mechanism she reached for at the end of a long day. Once Kara became a mom, though, the shame began to mount. It didn’t matter how much she drank… the simple act of drinking made her feel like she was choosing alcohol over her kids. This was not a cycle that she was willing to repeat. Yet, no one seemed to understand the reasons why she wanted to quit. She didn’t have a physical addiction… Why did she need to quit drinking? It took some time for her to push the opinions of others out of her mind, but as she neared 40 she realized that giving up alcohol could help her reach everything she hoped to achieve. She was going to quit for herself. Other people’s opinions did not matter. Kara is now one year sober and she is not looking back! She wants you to know: It’s okay to quit drinking, even if you don’t have a ‘problem’. Would you like to join us for the next Sober Mom Life retreat on Oct 10-13 in Asheville, NC? Step one is to join The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the ability to join the retreat, and the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lifestyle reporter Rachel Paula Abrahamson recently penned the article Sober Moms are challenging wine mom culture one playdate at a time for Today.com, and I am honored to welcome her to the show for her first podcast conversation about her own sobriety.We’ll talk about how drinking became central to her life, the reasons she ultimately chose to quit, how we talk to our kids about alcohol, and the need for society to abandon the idea that a ‘rock bottom’ is required for sobriety. Follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelpaulaWould you like to join us for the next Sober Mom Life retreat on Oct 10-13 in Asheville, NC? Step one is to join The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the ability to join the retreat, and the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/Follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s real sober mom, Aimee, is a dietician who spent years educating others on the dangers of alcohol… all while struggling to find her own way to sobriety. Alcohol became Aimee’s primary way to cope after she became a mom. She leaned on it to get her through sleepless nights, a job she despised, and the fear and stress of working in healthcare during Covid. Due to her expertise as a dietician, Aimee knew that her relationship with alcohol was problematic, but she couldn’t envision what a path to sobriety could look like for her. In the summer of 2023, Aimee decided to give it a try. Between a vacation, fitness goals, and a surgery, she quit for months. Yet, when she let alcohol back into her life… she went right back to drinking a bottle of wine a night. She knew then that what she needed was support. Aimee joined the Sober Mom Life Cafe and began coming to peer support meetings while she was still drinking. She saw through the stories of other women that sobriety could actually stick! With the support of a community, Aimee tried again. She has been sober since last fall, and she feels like she has so much more time in life! Her trust in herself has also skyrocketed to the point that she left her job and began her own business. Aimee wants you to know that sobriety has so many benefits - Give yourself a chance to experience them! Connect with Aimee here - www.aimeedempsey.comAnd on IG @aimeedempsey.rdWould you like to join us for the next Sober Mom Life retreat on Oct 10-13 in Asheville, NC? Step one is to join The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the ability to join the retreat, and the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We just returned from the AMAZING Sober Mom Life retreat! The laughter, the tears, the hugs (!!!) and the connection with other IRL sober moms in our community was so much more meaningful than we could have ever imagined. We left elated, renewed, exhausted, and full of stories. Join me, Audrey and my mom Susan as we recap our personal highlights from this incredible weekend! This whole experience truly made us realize: alcohol was never the magic… We are the magic. Would you like to join us for the next Sober Mom Life retreat on Oct 10-13 in Asheville, NC? Step one is to join The Sober Mom Life Cafe! For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the ability to join the retreat, and the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! We also have The Sober Mom Life Community for just $5.95/month - In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, our monthly book club, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of Emily's life, she only knew one way to drink: ‘Wisconsin-style binge drinking’. (I can relate. We grew up in the same town!) After becoming a nutritionist, however, a subtle sense of guilt about her drinking began to bubble beneath the surface. She didn’t think much of it, though, because she had no idea how toxic alcohol was - they never addressed it in her nutrition classes! After becoming a mom, Emily’s weekend binges became 5pm glasses of wine, and year over year her guilt grew. Still, quitting never crossed her mind. In fact, in 2019 she was mindblown to learn that a friend was trying Sober January. The concept didn’t even make sense to her! Emily now realizes that that conversation planted the seed for her sobriety journey. By the end of 2020, Emily was seeking sober curious content. Her curiosity got the better of her when she tried a 21-day sober challenge. It was then that she experienced a terrifying wake up call - alcohol withdrawal symptoms. From there, she began to pay attention. When she returned to drinking, she could taste the ethanol and see the effect her hangovers had on her life. Six months later she took her next break, and this one ended up sticking. She is still sober to this day! She is now starting to learn what she enjoys outside of drinking, and is working to fill her life with fulfilling self care. While she doesn’t say ‘forever’, she cannot think of a single thing that would make drinking worth it again. Check out Emily’s nutrition and food blog at www.myeverydaytable.com! You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You made it! 365 Days have been marked off the calendar. You are officially one year sober! …Now what? Today my mom & our resident therapist, Susan Knower, is here to talk about this unique point in the sobriety journey. We’ll chat about the thoughts that arise when the novelty of sobriety wears off, how to deal with the emotions that lie beneath your drinking, the importance of community in all stages of sobriety, and even what you can learn from the ‘gift’ of boredom. Resources from today’s episode: Blackout: Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget by Sarah HepolnThe Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here:  https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!!  Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s Real Sober Mom, Erin, is here with a story that is so relatable. In high school, alcohol gave Erin her first taste of ‘fitting in’. She leaned on it to socialize on the weekends throughout her teens and early 20s, and she never gave it much thought. Her drinking always seemed ‘normal’ when compared with those around her! Once she began having children, though, alcohol slowly started to seep into her weekday life, as wine became a ‘reward’ for making it through the intense days being a working mom. In 2016, things took a turn. Erin experienced a devastating pregnancy loss at around 20 weeks. In the aftermath, therapy and community support did not feel like enough. She began to lean on alcohol to cope. The progression of her drinking was slow, but she eventually found herself often drinking a bottle a night, and something within her began to whisper… was she an alcoholic? But the term didn’t quite seem to fit. Erin felt stuck in a pattern of questioning and moderation. Then, last fall, she found the Sober Mom Life community. This space helped her see a path forward! She has now been sober since January 1st, and in that time she has experienced so many big sober milestones. Erin is slated to run The Boston Marathon on her 100th day of sobriety, and she can’t wait to experience how good she will feel on that day! Erin wants to share words of wisdom that a longtime sober friend told her: The elevator stops at every floor, and you can get off at any floor. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!! Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a massive blind spot within the medical community when it comes to the dangers of alcohol. Dr. Kara Pepper is on the podcast today to help us understand why.Dr. Pepper is an Atlanta-based Internist who has been practicing for over 16 years. Before sobriety, her own biases and internalized shame led her to often avoid the topic of alcohol with her patients. She is now two years sober, and it has completely changed her approach to patient care!Today, she shares her sobriety journey, how sobriety has changed the way she speaks to patients regarding alcohol, what can be done to better educate the medical community on the dangers of alcohol, and how to manage disordered eating in the wake of fresh sobriety. Dr. Kara Pepper is licensed in 17 states and specializes in eating disorder care. She is also a certified life coach who supports medical professionals! Learn more about her offerings at www.karapeppermd.com or on Instagram at @karapeppermd Resources: Are You a Gray Area Drinker? with Jolene Park My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!! Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this replay from last February, we're talking a big first: Your first sober vacation. It's a big milestone! You might be wondering: can a vacation be fun without alcohol? I'm here to assure you that the answer is yes. Honestly, vacations can be even more enjoyable when you leave alcohol out of the equation. If you’re gearing up for your first sober vacation, I’m here to help. Today I’m sharing steps to help you discover what a vacation without alcohol can be like. You can do this! Resources: My How to Take Your First Sober Vacation blog post: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/02/how-to-take-your-first-sober-vacation/My How to Enjoy Disney World Without Drinking blog post: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/02/how-to-enjoy-disney-world-without-drinking/My Kind of Sweet - What I learned in two years of sobriety: https://mykindofsweet.com/2022/01/what-ive-learned-in-2-years-of-sobriety/#/Huberman Lab Podcast - What alcohol does to your body: https://hubermanlab.com/what-alcohol-does-to-your-body-brain-health/The sober drinks I had on vacation! https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co78Ikusb1C/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=The 4th of July episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-mom-life/id1631208632?i=1000568719357The Witching Hour episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-mom-life/id1631208632?i=1000583666938The Dry January episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sober-mom-life/id1631208632?i=1000591884992Books to support you (affiliated links): This Naked Mind: https://amzn.to/3PaCM7VQuit Like a Woman: https://amzn.to/3Qnk6lSMy mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $40/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting. If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!! Check it out here!Love this show? Let me know by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bookstagrammer Hailey Conroy is on the pod today! Hailey had been a weekend binge drinker through high school, college, and even law school, despite her Irish family history of alcohol abuse. She quit during pregnancy, but when her twins were born at 23 weeks, the bottom fell out. Her son passed after 3 days, and her daughter fought to live in the NICU for 9 months. Her 2 glass habit was also born. Alcohol was no longer a social tool for the weekend. It became a daily tool to bludgeon away the feelings so they didn’t swallow her up.Several years and several kids later, Hailey still had her daily mommy wine. She regularly swore off of it, and then caved in the Target alcohol aisle because “two drinks isn’t really a problem.”It was. Hailey quit the day after finishing Holly Whitaker’s book, Quit Like a Woman, and soon noticed that her anxiety decreased, her nightly insomnia disappeared, and the redness around her nose vanished. Now 7 months sober, Hailey wants to bust the myths around “healthy” alcohol moderation. Hailey is a book blogger who shares quit lit recommendations, sober firsts, and fun reels! Check her out on Instagram @hconroybooks. My mocktail recipe book, ‘No Ethanol Needed’ is finally here! Grab your copy here: https://mykindofsweet.com/2024/01/the-no-ethanol-needed-mocktail-ebook-is-here/You now have two ways to connect with other sober moms in the sober mom life world! The Sober Mom Life Cafe: For just $25/month, you get access to 8 weekly peer support meetings, the exclusive Cafe social feed (like Facebook, but better!), our monthly book club, the monthly Q+A, the chance to share your story on The Real Sober Moms, and merch discounts! The Sober Mom Life Community: for just $5.95/month! In the Community, you’ll receive access to the exclusive Community social feed (like Facebook, but better!), the exclusive community chat, and one free weekly meeting.If you’re looking for a community of wonderful sober moms to support you while you build your own sober life, join us inside The Sober Mom Life Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542852942745657We have merch!!!!  Check it out here!Click here to follow The Sober Mom Life on Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices