224. This One's For the Girls!

Hey Family Brand—it's Melissa here, and this episode is just for the girls. Inspired by that old Martina McBride song (yes, I looked it up—2003!), I wanted to sit down and have a really honest chat about womanhood. From postpartum recovery to hormones, breast implants, Hashimoto's, perimenopause, and trying to figure out what wellness even means in your 40s—this is the episode I wish I had heard years ago. And honestly? I hope it's one Ivy listens to one day when she's grown. Because we don't talk about this stuff enough.

I take you all the way back to my post-baby journey—five kids in 10 years, either pregnant or nursing—and what that did to my body. I share what it looked like to start exploring functional medicine, get my hormones checked, and find out I had Hashimoto's (surprise!). I've been learning how to support my body ever since—less guessing, more intention.

And yep… I talk about my decision to get a breast augmentation after baby number five. The good, the not-so-great, and the wild hospital story that followed (spoiler alert: not my favorite memory). I also talk about how much your environment and the people around you influence how you feel about your body—and why I might have made a different choice if I were living somewhere else at the time.

Now at 40, I'm experimenting again. Weighted vests, walking, lifting heavy, gut health, and tracking my cycle—all things I'm learning about to support this season of life. I want to be strong. I want to be healthy. I want to be that 81-year-old hiking in Hawaii and wrestling grandkids on the beach. And I know that future starts now.

This isn't a how-to or a prescription. It's just my story. But if you're on your own health journey—and wondering if you're doing it "right"—I hope this reminds you that you're not alone. You don't have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep showing up.

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand!

• stan.store/familybrand

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:00 – This one's for the girls: aging, health, and real talk
• 3:00 – Postpartum recovery and learning to give your body grace
• 6:00 – Discovering Hashimoto's and changing how I approach wellness
• 10:00 – What I wish I knew before getting a breast augmentation
• 14:00 – The hospital scare that made me question everything
• 20:00 – How your social circle impacts body image and decisions
• 22:00 – Current health practices: weight lifting, sauna, and cycle syncing
• 27:00 – Period products, hormone changes, and healing my gut
• 30:00 – Meeting the 81-year-old man who gave me a vision for the future
• 33:00 – You get to choose your wellness journey—start now