In this episode, I’m joined by Heather Nelson to discuss her very personal story that sheds light on a topic that feels like a black box to many of us—surrogacy.

Heather is a mother, wife, business coach and podcaster who became a surrogate five years ago. Now at 43 and navigating perimenopause, she’s preparing to do it again.

Her story offers a rare, honest look at the emotional and logistical realities of surrogacy—from hormone shots to heart-expanding moments to what it means to grow a baby with the full intention of letting go.

In this episode, we cover:

✔️Why Heather became a surrogate (and why she’s doing it again)

✔️The extensive medical, emotional, and psychological screening process

✔️What makes a good match between surrogate and intended parents

✔️What it’s like to carry a baby that isn’t yours

✔️How she talks to her husband, kids and even strangers about surrogacy

✔️Postpartum recovery without a baby

✔️Compensation, contracts, and the questions everyone wants to ask

✔️Why the world needs more surrogates—and how to explore it

If you’re anything like me, Heather’s story will leave you both inspired and a little choked up.

Links and Resources:

➡️ Follow Heather on Instagram: @heathernelson.life

➡️ Listen to Heather’s podcast: Life Conversations with a Twist

➡️ Learn more about her coaching work at theconnectionhive.co

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• Your Body Isn’t the Problem—A Midlife Health Reframe
• Perimenopause (Jessica’s Version)

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

If you are a midlife woman trying to eat more protein—but you’re tired of people telling you to eat 100 grams a day, and you’re even more tired of eating chicken—then this episode’s for you.

I’m breaking down how to personalize your protein intake without bloating, burnout or boredom. I also share 5 protein recipes I make on repeat, including muffins, smoothies, and energy bites my kids devour.

I cover:

✔️Why “100g a day” isn’t right for every woman

✔️How to calculate your own protein range

✔️What happened when I ate more meat and hit 100g

✔️My favorite clean protein powder and why I chose it

✔️5 protein recipes to make midlife nutrition easier, tastier and more FUN

➡️ Recipe links:

•Mint Chocolate smoothie: join my email list and I will send you this recipe and 2 others!

•Protein Energy Balls

•Protein Herbal Coffee

•Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

•Banana Zucchini Protein Muffins

🛒 Mentioned in this episode*:

•Protein range equation: 1.4-2.2 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight per day

•Be Well by Kelly protein powder (use code BELONG for 15% off)

•Homemade cashew milk

•Dandy Blend herbal coffee

•Vitamix blender (my most-used appliance!)

•Nutribullet blender (great for protein herbal coffee)

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review! TYSM!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• 5 Habits That Improved My Sleep in Perimenopause
• Can Herbs Help My Hormones? Natural Solutions for Perimenopause Symptoms with Ashley Rocha

*Some of these links are affiliate links. I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking these links. Thank you for your support!

Disclaimer:

Belong Wellness and its members, managers, employees, contractors, and other agents or representatives are not licensed medical care providers and do not provide medical services or advice, including without limitation diagnosing, examining, preventing, treating, or curing any medical conditions. The information shared in this podcast is meant to be educational, not prescriptive. Please consult yo

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

What happens when a powerful woman gets pushed out by the patriarchy? If you’re Cheyenne Richards, you write a novel, get your captain’s license, and sail into your next chapter—literally.

In this episode, Cheyenne shares how she went from VP of Marketing at a tech startup to award-winning historical fiction author and full-time adventurer. We talk about midlife reinvention, creative courage, self-discovery, and what it really means to live authentically.

We cover:

✔️Imposter syndrome in male-dominated workplaces

✔️Getting “fired”—and being thankful for it now

✔️Letting go of Plan B and finally choosing Plan A

✔️Reclaiming creativity and writing a novel about a serial killer in her family tree (yes, really!)

✔️Starting a new relationship on her terms

✔️The power of tiny steps and confronting discomfort in building real confidence

Whether you’re navigating your own career pivot, craving more freedom, or wondering if it’s too late to chase your wildest dream—this one’s for you.

Learn more and connect with Cheyenne:

➡️ cheyennerichards.com

➡️ Get her novel: The Prisoner’s Apprentice*

➡️ Download her free novella: The Navigator

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

Advice for Taking the Career Leap from 2x Pivoter Petra Langer

From Passion to Profession: Starting a Business in Midlife with Catherine Ziegler

*This is an affiliate link. I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking this link. Thank you for your support!

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

Why do so many smart, self-aware women feel emotionally disconnected from their partners in midlife? And how do you know if you should keep working on the relationship or separate?

These are the questions I explore in this episode with licensed psychotherapist Jessie Curtner.

We discuss in depth what happens when one partner starts to grow and evolve while the other stays the same—and why that disconnect can feel so painful and confusing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✔️ The real reason women emotionally check out of relationships in midlife

✔️ How to know when it’s time to see a couples therapist

✔️ Why emotional risks—not resignation—are the key to deeper intimacy

✔️ One of the keys to a healthy midlife relationship

✔️ How to reconnect without jumping straight into sex

Whether you want to revive the spark, get your needs met, or simply stop having the same argument on repeat, this conversation is packed with insight—and heart.

📩 Have a friend who’s struggling in her relationship? Please share this episode with her. She’s not alone.

Learn more and connect with Jessie Curtner, LMFT:

https://www.jessiecurtner.com/

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo
• I Checked All The Boxes, So Why Am I Still Unsatisfied? w/Anna K. Morris

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

The Belong Wellness podcast just turned 6 months old! To celebrate, I’m taking you on a greatest-hits-style trip through some of my favorite podcast moments so far. From big laughs to aha moments, from menopause hormone therapy advice for IUD users to a goddess vision during Reiki, this “Midlife Mixtape” brings the sass, the science, and the soul.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

•a career pivot with an unexpected beginning that made me laugh so hard I had to mute my microphone

•a year-long family trip around the world (wait til you hear their first stop!)

•following the inner voice and choosing to leave a marriage and a career

•menopause hormone therapy options when you have an IUD

•what happens when you marry your same Enneagram type

•a goddess vision during a Reiki session

Whether you’ve been here from day one or you’re brand new—this is the perfect way to catch up on what midlife women are really talking about. Enjoy this trip down memory lane and please share this episode with a friend if you think it could help her!

🎧 Episodes mentioned:

Episode 3: From Passion to Profession: Starting a Business in Midlife with Catherine Ziegler

Episode 6: How Knowing Your Enneagram Type Can Make Your Life Easier w/Ali Dunn

Episode 7: A Year of Global Travel with Kids IS Possible! w/Ananda Baron

Episode 9: Advice for Taking the Career Leap from 2x Pivoter Petra Langer

Episode 17: Menopause Hormone Therapy Explained: What Every Midlife Woman Should Know with Dr. Lisa Brent

Episode 18: What is Reiki Healing—and Can It Help Stressed-Out Midlife Women?

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Please note: Belong Wellness and its members, managers, employees, contractors, and other agents or representatives are not licensed medical care providers and do not provide medical services or advice, including without limitation diagnosing, examining, preventing, treating, or curing any medical conditions. The information shared in this podcast is meant to be educational, not prescriptive. Please consult your medical doctor before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle. Further, the opinions of guests on this show do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Jessica

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

I have seen too many super smart, extremely capable women start to feel like the wheels are coming off in their 40s. But before we go blaming our hormones, our jobs, our spouses or our bodies—let’s pause.

This week, I’m joined by Courtney Townley, host of the Grace & Grit podcast and a total truth-teller when it comes to women’s health. She’s here to help us stop waging war on our bodies, stop doing everyone else’s emotional labor, and start rebuilding a life that actually works for us.

We’re talking burnout, hormone shifts, people-pleasing, body image, boundaries—and how to stop patching the cracks and start pouring a new foundation.

We cover:

✔️ Why so many women feel like they’re falling apart at midlife

✔️ How our hormones are changing and why our capacity is too

✔️ The concept of “unnecessary labor” and how to stop doing it

✔️ Why self-care has nothing to do with spa days

✔️ Why you have to be willing to disappoint some people

If your stress bucket is overflowing and you’re feeling overwhelmed—this episode is your wake-up call and your roadmap.

➡️ Learn more and connect with Courtney:

www.graceandgrit.com

@gracegrit

Grace & Grit podcast

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• The Midlife Working Mom Struggle is Real: Burnout, Guilt and Finding Joy
• How to Heal from Burn Out in Midlife w/Katie Bonarrigo
• I Checked All The Boxes, So Why Am I Still Unsatisfied? w/Anna K. Morris

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

What happens when divorce, single motherhood, turning 50, and perimenopause all hit at once? You get a full-blown midlife dumpster fire.

But today’s guest, Donna Johnsen, found a lifeline in laughter. In this episode, she shares how journaling, community, and humor helped her survive the hardest season of her life—and how her Instagram account Laugh Lines and Life Goals became an unexpected source of healing for herself and others.

We talk about:

•Being blindsided by divorce and surviving the grief

•The midlife identity remix—and how to find yourself again

•Parenting teens while falling apart inside

•Using humor as a bridge, not a bypass

•Why community can save your sanity

•The backstory behind Donna’s hilarious reels

If you feel like midlife is blowing your life up—this one’s for you.

➡️ Follow Donna on Instagram: @laughlinesandlifegoals

➡️ Read her blog: laughlinesandlifegoals.com

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

How to Help a Friend in Crisis: Real Advice from a Mom Who’s Been There with Tara Sharp

The Midlife Working Mom Struggle is Real: Burnout, Guilt and Finding Joy

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.

It’s my birthday, and we’re halfway through 2025, so I’m doing a little mid-year reflection and inviting you to join me.

In this solo episode, I’m sharing what’s felt aligned this year, where I’ve made some changes, how my word of the year is going, and why launching this podcast has felt both vulnerable and fulfilling.

Plus: I need your help with a birthday goal I’ve set for the podcast… and there’s a fun little giveaway in it for you. 🎁

I cover:

•My 2025 intentions and how it’s going so far

•Perimenopause, therapy breakthroughs, and changes to my fitness regimen

•What I’ve learned about energy, mindset, and FUN

•A giveaway to celebrate turning 48 (and how you can win!)

🎈Want to help me hit my birthday goal? Give my podcast a 5-star rating and send me a screenshot! I will personally thank you and enter you to WIN a special gift from me!

Resources & Links

➡️ Cathy Heller’s book: Abundant Ever After

This is an affiliate link. I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking this link, but rest assured I only recommend what I stand behind. Thank you for supporting a solopreneur!

Like what you hear?

➕ Follow Belong Wellness for more super smart and slightly sassy midlife conversations that blend science, intuition, and zero BS.

⭐️ If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend and leave a 5-star review!

Other Episodes You Might Enjoy 🎧:

• How I Changed the Way I Set Intentions This Year
• Perimenopause (Jessica’s Version)

I want to hear from you. Send me a text!

Let's stay in touch!
Follow me on Instagram: @belongwellness
Check out my website: belongwellness.com

Join my email list and I will send you my free guide: How to Eat for Healthy Hormones.