The postpartum period is often misunderstood and underestimated. Many people believe it lasts six weeks—just enough time to recover physically from childbirth—but in truth, postpartum is a journey that can extend well beyond the first year, even up to a decade after giving birth.
To help moms navigate this incredibly transformative season, Caroline, certified health & wellness coach and founder of Mother Hen Coaching, has created a space where mothers can feel seen, heard, and supported from day one and well beyond. Through personalized virtual coaching offered in all 50 states, she helps moms rediscover confidence, embrace their evolving bodies, manage stress, and create balance in the beautiful chaos of motherhood.
In this interview, explore Caroline's story, her coaching philosophy, and the powerful role that nutrition and mindset play in postpartum wellness. We’re excited to feature Mother Hen Coaching as a trusted voice in holistic care for moms.
Caroline is a certified health & wellness coach and the founder of Mother Hen Coaching, specializing in postpartum and motherhood support. She works with moms from day one through the first 10 years after birth, helping them rediscover confidence, embrace their evolving bodies, manage stress, and create balance as they navigate the beautiful chaos of motherhood. Through personalized virtual coaching, she empowers mothers to prioritize their well-being and thrive in this transformative season with strength and self-love.
Her work is inspired by both personal experience and a deep desire to change the narrative surrounding postpartum care. Caroline shares that she suffered from postpartum anxiety at 9 months postpartum after her first pregnancy. Despite having the support of a loving wife, a wonderful family, and friends, she felt alone and depleted. She realized she wasn’t eating enough or prioritizing her health, and that opened her eyes to the silent struggles many new moms face.
That awareness helped her have a more balanced pregnancy with her second daughter, and ignited a passion for helping other women navigate the same transition with greater support. She notes that postpartum depression and anxiety can arise at any point during the first two years, and ongoing coaching can make a significant difference in emotional and physical recovery.
Caroline chose to focus on postpartum support because this community is often underserved in the health and wellness field. Her favorite part of her work? Witnessing the "aha" moments—when a woman begins to speak to herself with more love, compassion, and trust.
Caroline describes her coaching philosophy as realistic, supportive, and grounded in a growth-mindset. She believes in empowering women with small, sustainable shifts that build long-term transformation. Her goal is to help moms thrive in every season of motherhood—not just survive it.
Each coaching journey begins with a one-on-one consultation where moms create a clear vision of who they want to be as a parent and individual. Caroline offers three customized programs based on where a client is in their journey:
Sessions begin with grounding meditations and a focus on positivity. While many women work with Caroline for several months, some continue coaching for over a year or more.
Although she supports moms of all ages, Caroline primarily works with clients prior to perimenopause. Her focus is on managing stress and cultivating balance amidst the unpredictable nature of motherhood.
One of the most common misconceptions Caroline encounters is the belief that motherhood is linear—many women think, “Once I fix this one thing, everything will fall into place.” But motherhood ebbs and flows. It’s a journey with highs, lows, and moments in between. She also debunks the myth that everyone else “has it all figured out.” In reality, no one does—and that’s okay. Caroline reminds her clients that it’s normal for kids to spill coffee on laptops or cry during meetings. These things don’t make you less capable. Her message is simple but powerful: you are not alone, and you don’t have to be perfect.
The most common struggles Caroline helps moms navigate include:
She emphasizes that the postpartum body is not something that needs to be “fixed” or returned to a pre-pregnancy state. Instead, she guides women in learning to love their body as it is now.
Instead of setting rigid “goals,” Caroline invites her clients to set “experiments.” This lowers the stakes and keeps the coaching process flexible and fun. If something doesn’t work, they can easily pivot without judgment.
The one thing she wishes every mom could hear?
Your needs matter just as much as your child’s.
Caroline emphasizes a few crucial keys to nutrition and wellness in the postpartum period:
These principles are backed by both traditional wisdom and modern nutritional science. For example, warm foods have long been promoted in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine for their healing effects on the uterus. Spices like turmeric and cayenne offer anti-inflammatory benefits through their phytonutrient content.
For more information on the benefits of warming foods and spices, including a few recipe ideas, take a look at this article from Feel Good Therapies.
Protein is vital during all stages of womanhood—whether prenatal, postpartum, or beyond. It supports neurotransmitter function, hormone production, muscle maintenance, and healthy weight management. Caroline and I both recommend aiming for 1 gram of protein per pound of ideal body weight, or at least half that amount as a baseline. For someone whose ideal weight is 150 pounds, that means consuming 75 to 150 grams of protein per day, ideally spread across meals with 25–50 grams per meal.
Perhaps most importantly, moms need to eat enough. Many women don’t realize that pregnancy depletes their nutrient stores. The body prioritizes sending essential nutrients to the baby, which can leave the mother vulnerable to deficiencies—especially during breastfeeding, which places further demands on energy and nutrient levels.
When nutrient needs aren’t met, moms may face issues like fatigue, anxiety, depression, and delayed healing. Severe deficiencies can even impact baby’s development and increase risk of postpartum mood disorders. A research article published in PubMed by Bowers and Corwin directly links deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin D, and the key trace minerals: zinc and selenium with postpartum depression. This is why balanced, healthy nutrition is so vital for postpartum women.
Both Caroline and I want to dispel the dangerous myth that new moms should focus on losing weight immediately. Many women feel guilty about eating or worry they’re consuming “too much.” In reality, this is a time of major healing and stress, and food is fuel, as well as a key component of healing. Proper nutrition is the foundation for your well-being—and your baby’s.
Caroline’s favorite postpartum meals include crock pot and Instant Pot recipes. These warm meals are easy to prep, comforting, and supportive of healing. Her go-to snacks for busy moms include beef jerky, eggs, cheese, and yogurt—quick, protein-rich options that nourish both body and brain.
If you’d like personalized support with postpartum nutrition, please book a free discovery call to learn more about how Rose Natural Wellness can support your nutritional needs during this important life season.
Caroline believes that wellness professionals can better support moms by creating spaces where they feel safe, seen, and heard. Moms know their bodies better than anyone else—and they deserve to be trusted and respected as the experts of their own experience.
Caroline collaborates with other professionals to provide whole-person care for her clients. She regularly refers women to:
Both Caroline and I believe strongly in building a trusted network of experts who care deeply about supporting the long-term health of women.
Caroline also stresses that postpartum doesn’t end at six weeks—or even after a year. It’s a long-term phase of transformation. For many women, the challenges of postpartum shift and evolve throughout the first decade of motherhood. Wellness professionals should be educated and sensitive to this fact in order to offer both comprehensive and compassionate care.
Caroline offers these heartfelt reminders for moms navigating the early days of postpartum:
So often, the first question new moms hear is, “How’s the baby?” But Caroline gently asks, “How are you?” Because your needs matter too.
She encourages moms to “come as you are,” reminding them that there is no finish line in motherhood. There are seasons, there are setbacks, and there is beauty in the mess. Comparison is the thief of joy, and no one truly has it all figured out.
Caroline also emphasizes positive self-talk—not just for moms, but for their children. She shares a touching story in which a negative comment she made about her appearance was echoed by her two-year-old daughter hours later. That moment shifted everything for her. Now, she prioritizes uplifting language and self-compassion in her daily life and teaches her clients to do the same.
Because little ears are always listening.
To connect with Caroline, visit:
Join the movement of moms supporting moms—through nutrition, mindset, and community.
