Good Inside with Dr. Becky The Thoughts New Parents Don’t Say Out Loud
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Apr 28, 2026 
Leah Smart, an executive coach and new mom, briefly shares her experience with perinatal anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Caro Chambers, writer and chef and mother of four, describes the moment motherhood permanently shifted her daily life. They talk frankly about late-night worries, hypervigilance, bodily surprises after birth, and how intense early parenthood can feel.
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Prebaby Routine Became Her Identity
- Caro Chambers remembered pre-baby life as structured mornings where exercise, shower, and being ready by 9 a.m. signaled productivity and worth.
- At 29 she had ~9 years of that routine, so the sudden disruption of newborn care felt like losing the core identity tied to those reps.
The 6:30 A.M. Wakeup That Changed Everything
- Caro describes a 6:30 a.m. morning in Carmel when her newborn woke and she realized her whole life had changed and she couldn't just sleep in or go to the gym.
- The moment shifted her from half-asleep nursing to fully awake parenting and sparked the thought, was I ready for this life change.
Feeling Rattled Is Usually A Phase
- Newparent feelings often feel permanent but are usually phase-based and transient, moving through stages like newborns learning day rhythms.
- Caro learned to reframe moments as phases lasting hours or weeks, not forever.