Motherhood Unfiltered 2021 Event Recap!

Our Motherhood Unfiltered event on October 7th was a blast! We shopped, we mingled, we asked the real questions about motherhood, and we connected with one another in such a fun way. 

We can’t wait to plan the next mom’s night out! 

Here’s a recap from the night. 

Thanks to the fabulous Karly Schefter Photography for capturing the evening. 

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Motherhood Unfiltered was brought to you in part by Midwest Surrogacy!
Midwest Surrogacy LLC is a Fargo/Moorhead based agency used to match people who want to become parents with the kind-hearted women who are willing to carry the pregnancy for them. They provide one-on-one attention to each person we work with to ensure you always feel important and valued.

PLATINUM SPONSORS

apex physical therapy fargoApex Physical Therapy & Wellness Center is here for all your postpartum physical health concerns! Our highly trained Women’s Health therapists treat Diastasis Recti closure, pelvic pain, incontinence, c-section management, prolapsed uterus, digestive issues, and many other aches and pains associated with pregnancy and postpartum. 

One of their fabulous Women’s Health PT’s was on our panel to discuss the realities of our post-baby bodies and tips to help!

ima

At ima Healthcare, their integrated, whole-person approach includes providing routine wellness checks, diagnostic testing, x-rays, lab work and teamwork among physicians in differing specialties all in one convenient clinic location. Instead of simply treating a symptom, we work to find the source of that symptom and what it means to your overall health. 

We had a women’s health Nurse Practitioner there to answer questions related to our health, hormones, and other physical ailments. 

DRINK SPONSOR

Zen sleep fargoZen Sleep Consulting is helping us provide you with a custom cocktail or “mocktail” called “Calm as a Cucumber.” Zen owner Annie Schlecht is an Occupational Therapist and Certified Pediatric and Adult Sleep Consultant. As a sleep expert, it is her mission to help people of all ages feel calm (or Zen, if you will) and confident in their ability to sleep through the night.

Annie, our resident sleep expert, was on hand to provide special “Calm as a Cucumber” drinks to everyone and talk all about the importance of sleep on our own health. 

SPECIALTY SPONSORS

These sponsors made our event even more special for moms! 

The first 100 guests received either $50 to Athleta or a pass for 3 classes to Lucent Yoga & Fitness. 

Windsor Waffles provided a delectable custom waffle for each guest, along with yummy appetizers from Chef’s Table Catering. 

sanctuary events

fargo photography

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS FOR THE EVENING!


Natalie Reiter, MEd, LPC/LPCC, CCS, PMH-C

Natalie started counseling in 2009 and owns Prairieland Counseling ServicesShe specializes in reproductive mental health which includes peri-natal, post-partum, infertility, infant loss, paternal mental health, and the impact on couples. Her work as a child birth educator and mother of two children sparked her passion to work with reproductive mental health. She has specialized training and am certified in perinatal and postpartum mental health from Postpartum Support International. Natalie works with adults and couples, is licensed in North Dakota and Minnesota, and is board certified in Telehealth. 

Susan Hanson, PA-C

Susan Hanson is a Physician Assistant at ima Healthcare who specializes in women’s health and prevention of diseases including a special interest in diabetes education and management. She is also a certified insulin pump trainer and an exercise specialist from the American College of Sports Medicine. Susan has worked at IMA Healthcare for over 17 years and lives in the FM area with her husband and 2 children. They are very active in their church and children’s activities, including a busy hockey schedule.

Brooke Erstad, PT, DPT, WCS 

Brooke is a Board-Certified Women’s Health Clinical Specialist at Apex Physical Therapy & Wellness, with advanced training in pelvic rehabilitation for females, males and children. Brooke has a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science and a Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Mary. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association section on Women’s Health. Brooke is also highly trained in Visceral Manipulation and Neuromanipulation, which can treat digestive issues, chronic headaches/migraines, kidney diseases, and many other chronic conditions. She also has experience treating pre– and postpartum issues, incontinence, pelvic pain, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and other chronic pain syndromes unique to females and pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, and post-prostatectomy dysfunction in males. Brooke also has advanced training in Pediatric Pelvic Floor Dysfunction including incontinence, bedwetting, constipation, encopresis, and many others. Brooke & her husband Bryan have 4 children, Blake, Brogan, Bradie & Beckett.

Annie Schlecht

Annie, owner of Zen Sleep Consulting, is an Occupational Therapist, Certified Infant Massage Instructor, Certified Reiki Practitioner, and Certified Sleep Consultant. As a sleep expert, it is her mission to help people of all ages feel calm (or Zen, if you will) and confident in their ability to sleep through the night. She is extremely passionate about pediatric sleep as it is a crucial component in pediatric brain development. 

Dr. Caitlin Pollestad is a licensed psychologist providing cognitive behavioral interventions to adults. She provides treatment for a wide variety of presenting issues like anxiety, depression, adjustment disorders, and interpersonal problems. Dr. Pollestad became certified as a sex therapist through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). She works with a broad range of sexual health concerns including but not limited to: questions and concerns related to sexual and/or gender identity, pain with sex, low libido, infidelity, sexual trauma, concerns in monogamous and consensual non-monogamous relationships, sexual exploration and sexual dysfunction. She is passionate about offering sex positive therapy which is vital for individual and relationship wellness. She presently works as a full-time practitioner at Knowlton, O’Neill & Associates, PC offering in-person and telehealth services.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Kelsey Buell, Burnout Prevention Project

Kelsey is a risk-taking, socially poised, and motivating team builder who is not afraid to color outside the lines.  She is also an accomplished violinist and singer having performed in front of audiences as large as 20,000. She has given hundreds of (IMPERFECT) presentations on preventing burnout, talent optimization strategies, and behavioral assessments. She has a strong passion for training and development. As a corporate recruiter, she has conducted over 2,000 candidate interviews. And through her experience, she uncovered the fact that many people are disengaged in their jobs, and in life. This lead her to found The Burnout Prevention project. Our mission is to help women do what’s possible, even when it feels impossible.

Keynote: Paralyzed by Perfect

Confucius once said, “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” Yet, why do so many women feel confined by our world’s definition of perfect? Why are we so afraid of putting something imperfect into the universe?

Perfectionism has haunted Kelsey’s personal and professional life for ever since she can remember. When she was in third grade, Kelsey’s parents went to a parent-teacher conference expecting a glowing review. Instead, her teacher expressed a deep concern: “Kelsey spends too much time perfecting every assignment. This behavior could profoundly impact her education and may keep her from reaching her full potential.”

From that day forward, Kelsey’s teachers and parents worked diligently to help her overcome her fear of failure while still pursuing excellence. She has learned simple strategies that have helped her in her personal and professional journey. Kelsey’s goal is to motivate women to overcome their fear of failure as they strive for excellence.

In our session with Kelsey, we talked about how to re-define winning, re-direct your negative self-talk, and embrace being perfectly imperfect.

OUR FABULOUS VENDORS!

Our vendors provided a fun shopping and sampling experience for our moms!

power plate meals

healing point massage

kota botanics

lovelace co

navy oaks

charlies chow

cookie krums

toadally therapeutic

jade and jasper

fargo dermatology

SWAG SPONSORS

Our swag sponsors helped make a special gift bag for each attendee! 

apex physical therapy fargo

swanson

real good

cookie krums

gosili

enchantasys

natural grocers

fargo dermatology

GIVEAWAY SPONSORS

ergo

clubhouse

gosili

natural grocers

Thanks to everyone who attended and made the night so very special!

Previous articlePrioritizing Your Needs by Saying “No”
Next articleFargo Moms to Know: Meet Cassie Kasowski!
Kathy Schommer
Kathy Schommer is the Owner and Founder of Fargo Mom. She is a (nearly) lifelong North Dakotan, married to her college sweetheart, and has 3 rambunctious girls. Kathy is passionate about connecting moms, advocating for maternal mental health, and giving back to this wonderful community any way she can. She loves all things crafting, attempting to read books not related to parenting, and drinking hot coffee every chance she gets. When Kathy’s not attempting to work with her kids yelling in the background, you might find her at one of the local breweries or coffee bars in the area or attempting to find unique treasures at a local thrift store.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.