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In this episode, Chelsea connects with Dr. Sandra Fernandes, a family physician turned burnout coach, for a candid conversation about how motherhood shattered her carefully planned life. Sandra opens up about her experience with multiple ectopic pregnancies, breastfeeding struggles, pandemic-era burnout, and the quiet expectations that nearly broke her.

As a physician, Sandra knew the risks. As a mom, she felt every loss. Her story is one of strength, identity shifts, and learning to sit with discomfort when the path forward isn’t clear. From navigating postpartum pressure to discovering nervous system regulation, this episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, get honest, and remember: you are not alone.

To learn more about Sandra, visit her website or Instagram.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Perfectionism and checklists don't prepare you for the emotional chaos of parenthood.
• Ectopic pregnancies are rare but deeply traumatic—Sandra experienced two.
• Breastfeeding challenges can consume the postpartum period and trigger feelings of failure, even in medical professionals.
• Burnout can be physical, mental, and emotional—and it often goes unrecognized until it’s overwhelming.
• Nervous system regulation and mindset work can provide real tools for healing, even outside of a clinical diagnosis.
• Social media can be both a blessing and a source of deep comparison and anxiety.
• The “village” doesn’t always exist—you have to build it, and it often comes from unexpected places.
• You are not failing. You are overwhelmed by a culture that asks too much of parents—especially mothers.

🔊 Soundbites:

• “Motherhood is a crash course in learning to let go of control.”
• “I didn’t have postpartum depression—but I wasn’t okay.”
• “There’s this whole group of moms who don’t meet the criteria for a diagnosis, but they’re still silently struggling.”
• “We say it’s just a season—but that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it alone.”
• “Start feeling comfortable with the uncomfortable. That’s where the real growth happens.”
• “I knew all the things as a doctor—but I was drowning as a mom.”
• “It wasn’t until I lost my job during COVID that I realized I was already burnt out.”

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 Special Thanks to Steve Audy for the use of our theme song: Quiet Connection

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