Wellness Isn’t Optional: The Real Red Flags Busy Mothers Can’t Ignore
Insights from the Musings of a Geriatric Mama Podcast where in my conversation with Dr. D (Dr. Francesca Alcide), we named what so many women live through: moms are often the last to get care. And that delay has consequences. This blog is your permission slip and your wake-up call wrapped in grace.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Kedna Amey
2/23/20264 min read
There’s a version of motherhood no one fully prepares you for.
Not the baby shower motherhood. Not the cute onesie motherhood.
I’m talking about the motherhood that quietly pulls you to the back of your own life.
You’re still functioning. Still showing up. Still producing. Still holding everyone together.
But somewhere in the middle of being the cornerstone—wife, mother, professional, friend, daughter—you start to realize:
You’re taking care of everybody… and leaving yourself thirsty.
In my conversation with Dr. D (Dr. Francesca Alcide) on the Musings of a Geriatric Mama Podcast, we named what so many women live through: moms are often the last to get care. And that delay has consequences.
This blog is your permission slip and your wake-up call—wrapped in grace.
The most common health issues Dr. D sees in moms
As a board-certified family medicine physician, Dr. D shared her “top five” conditions she regularly sees in mothers—from late 20s through older adulthood:
Anxiety
Depression
Obesity
Prediabetes
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
This matters because these aren’t rare edge cases. These are patterns—and many are influenced by lifestyle, stress, sleep deprivation, lack of preventive care, and years of putting yourself last.
And here’s the part that hit hard:
Some moms show up only when the kids are older—when they finally have space to focus on themselves—and that’s when the diagnoses are caught.
Dr. D sees it all the time:
“I’m tired of taking care of everyone else. It’s time for me.”
And my question is: why does it have to get to that point?
Preventive care is not a luxury—it’s protection
If you’re a mom in your 30s or 40s, especially juggling work and little ones, it’s easy to push your appointments out another month, another season, another year.
But the simplest preventive care can change your future.
The basics matter:
annual check-ups
blood pressure checks
basic labs
screening for diabetes risk (like A1C)
mental health check-ins
The goal is to catch things early, tighten up lifestyle habits, and reduce long-term risk.
Dr. D also emphasized something that can relieve a lot of fear:
Medication isn’t always a forever sentence.
Sometimes it’s a bridge—while you change habits, stabilize health markers, and strengthen your body. Many people can de-escalate care when they stay consistent.
Why moms struggle to prioritize themselves
Dr. D explained it plainly: motherhood is a new territory.
Even if you babysat. Even if you raised siblings. Even if you’ve been the “strong one” your whole life.
It’s different when you become the mother.
You’re balancing:
healing (from delivery, C-section, postpartum changes)
the emotional shift
a baby’s needs
partnership or marriage needs
work and financial pressure
identity changes
sleeplessness
mental load
And then people say, “Just find balance.”
Dr. D said what many women feel but don’t always admit:
Balance doesn’t exist.
Some people prefer the word “harmony,” but the core truth is: you can’t give 100% to everything at the same time.
So the real wellness goal isn’t perfection—it’s sustainability.
High-achieving women struggle because we’re used to control
This episode also spoke directly to ambitious women.
Before motherhood, you had systems. Routines. Lists. Control.
Then motherhood comes in and laughs.
Dr. D said she used to be Type A.
Now she’s like: “Girl, I’m getting through one month at a time.”
And that’s not failure. That’s real life.
But the danger is when high achievers interpret normal motherhood disruption as personal deficiency.
You’re not failing because you can’t do it all the way you used to.
You’re adjusting to a new season.
The “empty cup” is not a metaphor—it’s a warning
When you pour and pour and pour, eventually you become depleted. And depletion is not just emotional—it becomes physical.
It shows up as:
fatigue that doesn’t lift
frequent headaches
feeling anxious but also numb
constant irritability
low motivation
cravings and blood sugar swings
weight gain or weight loss
sleep disruption
feeling disconnected from yourself
That’s why wellness isn’t “extra.” It’s essential maintenance.
Fitness as a non-negotiable appointment
Dr. D talked about the turning point: the moment she realized she didn’t want to just exist.
She went to a gym, in scrubs, and said:
“Sign me up for six months.”
That wasn’t about aesthetics. That was about energy, clarity, identity, and healing.
She said something every mom needs to remember:
“Before everybody wants to drink, I’m going to drink first.”
That’s not selfish. That’s wise.
And she treats fitness like an appointment—because if it’s on the calendar, it’s real.
Your wellness must become something you schedule, not something you “try to squeeze in.”
The recommended movement minimum (simple + realistic)
Dr. D shared the evidence-based guidelines:
150 minutes/week of moderate aerobic activity
Strength training 2 days/week
That can look like:
30 minutes of brisk walking, 5 days/week
two days with weights, resistance bands, or strength-focused training
a lunch-break plan: eat for 30, walk for 30
It doesn’t have to be extreme. It has to be consistent.
Food as fuel (and the honesty moms need)
Nutrition is where many moms get stuck, because we’re busy and we’re tired.
Dr. D said:
You cannot out-train a bad diet.
And she talked about “starvation culture”—how women sometimes believe weight loss means skipping meals and pushing through on caffeine.
But the body needs fuel.
Practical “busy mom” nutrition strategies:
pack protein snacks
keep fruit and yogurt ready
protein shakes in lunch bags
read labels
meal prep when you can
avoid waiting until you’re starving
And her mindset shift was powerful:
“Every meal does not have to be an experience.”
That one line alone could change how a mom navigates emotional eating, comfort eating, and decision fatigue.
The deeper truth: your kids are watching your wellness legacy
One of the most meaningful parts of this conversation was the reminder that wellness creates legacy.
When your kids see you:
move your body
take walks
choose rest
protect your mental health
set boundaries
care for your body
…they learn that adulthood doesn’t equal depletion.
They learn that motherhood includes the mother.
Faith-forward encouragement for the mother who feels forgotten
Dr. D said she would tell her first-time mom self:
God didn’t forget you.
And if you’re reading this in the thick of it—please hear me:
You are not alone.
Support is allowed.
Therapy is allowed.
Rest is allowed.
Movement is allowed.
Your health is allowed to matter.