Early parenthood can fry your nervous system.

Hello overstimulation, zero bandwidth, and snapping at your partner or kids.

In this conversation, Chelsea and parent coach Manu Brune break down what co-regulation actually looks like between partners and with your baby, and how small, body-based tools help you move from survival mode to a livable rhythm.

We name the signs of dysregulation (short fuse, shutdown, spirals), why routines can help or hurt, and how to use simple anchors—breath, movement, flexible rituals—to bring your system back online. We also talk about the pressure to do it all, and why community lets you “borrow calm” when yours is gone.

If you’ve thought, “I should be handling this better,” this episode shows you how to build capacity instead of guilt.

More about Manu and Beyond Birth Basics:

Insta: Beyond Birth Basics: Parenting Reimagined (@beyondbirthbasics) • Instagram photos and videos

Website:Beyond Birth Basics | Coaching in Columbus, OH

Preorder her book: Book | Beyond Birth Basics

Work with Postpartum Together:

Insta:Chelsea Skaggs || Relationship Coach for Parents (@postpartumtogether) • Instagram photos and videos

Current Offerings:Chelsea Skaggs Coaching

Book a free connection call : Calendly

• nervous system regulation

• co-regulation

• coregulation in relationships

• dysregulation after baby

• postpartum nervous system

• overstimulation mom

• snapping at your partner

• yelling at your kids

• survival mode parenting

• parent burnout

• postpartum anxiety

• emotional regulation for parents

• nervous system support for new parents

• nervous system reset

• nervous system healing after birth

• relationship after baby

• teamwork in parenthood

• emotional safety in relationships

• calm communication in marriage

• rebuilding connection after baby

• parenting rhythm not routine

• flexible family routines

• grounding exercises for parents

• mindfulness for moms and dads

• capacity not perfection

• borrowing calm

• modern parenting pressure

• regulating together

• early parenthood overwhelm

• postpartum mental health

Becoming a dad after a baby arrives can shake a man to his core. In this episode, Mike opens up to share fears, emotions, and invisible battles many fathers face in the postpartum season. From feeling like they’re on the outside looking in, to wondering if they’re enough, we unpack what’s really going on behind the quiet moments and unspoken worries.

We explore why presence matters more than perfection, how provision without connection can feel like absence, and what it looks like for dads to build their own parenting playbook. Whether you’re a new father, a partner trying to understand him, or someone supporting a growing family, this conversation will give you insight into the emotional landscape of modern fatherhood and how dads can thrive, not just survive, in this new role.

Listen if you’ve ever wondered:

• Why dads often feel disconnected after a baby

• How to bridge emotional gaps between partners

• What it takes to feel confident as a new father

• Why being present matters more than doing it all

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything you can for your family but still wondering if it’s enough, you’re not alone.
A quick connection call can help you figure out what’s really going on under the surface and how to start feeling like a team again.
Book your free call here, and let’s talk about what support could look like for you two.

Keywords: fatherhood, postpartum, emotional connection, presence, family dynamics, inadequacy, parenting challenges, support for dads, mental load, parenting playbook

In this second part of The Stories We Tell Ourselves series, Chelsea and Mike get into how the stories we carry in early parenthood shape connection, intimacy, and identity.
They unpack why emotional disconnection and constant stress make couples feel distant, how to rebuild psychological safety, and why nervous-system regulation is key to closeness.

You’ll learn:

• How to externalize negative stories and stop the spiral of resentment

• What “matrescence” and “patrescence” really mean for your identity as parents

• Why emotional safety is the foundation for physical intimacy after a baby

• Practical ways to reconnect and repair when you’re both running on empty

Whether you’re feeling stuck in survival mode or missing the spark in your marriage, this episode offers real talk and practical tools to help you feel like a team again.

Keywords: emotional disconnection after baby, intimacy after baby, postpartum marriage help, matrescence, new parent identity, nervous system regulation, relationship coaching, postpartum relationship advice

Mentioned past episodes and links:

Regulation and the Nervous System

Emotional or Physical Connection, Which Comes First?

Matresence

Book a connection call with us here to learn more about how we support pregnant, postpartum, and current parents in their relationships.