I Was Terrified of Birth—But Losing Myself Scared Me More.

I was in my third trimester when the panic really set in.

After months—and I mean months—of prepping for birth, designing the perfect nursery, and choosing a name, my excitement about becoming a mom started mixing with fear. I started wondering: Am I actually ready for this? I’d cared for plenty of little ones before, but I always got to give them back.

How was I supposed to take care of a baby, myself, my relationship, my home, and my career?

SPOILER ALERT

(It wasn’t a $1,500 bassinet or another baby care course that put my mind at ease.)

85% of new moms are blindsided by postpartum recovery

The more I researched, the more I realized:

there is a significant gap between the care for newborns and care for new moms.

No one really talks about what comes after birth—how to actually care for ourselves while we’re learning to care for our babies.

So I got to work. I identified the areas of health that made the biggest impact and outlined the strategies that actually worked. And call me selfish, a control freak, or just a tried-and-true Leo—but learning how to care for myself postpartum was the greatest gift I gave my family.

Core Care Cultivate was born and now postpartum life will never be the same.

There I was—mid-shower, post-hot yoga class (if you know, you know!)—when it finally clicked. This was the difference. This was why I wasn’t drowning in exhaustion and overwhelm like so many of the horror stories I’d heard. I swear I couldn’t rinse the shampoo out of my hair fast enough before grabbing my phone and dumping all my thoughts into the Notes app.

That brain dump turned into hundreds of pages of insights, strategies, and real-life experience—which is now the mom-tested, expert-backed Core Care Cultivate Methodology.

MOTHERHOOD

doesn't HAVE

TO MEAN losing

YOURSELF

In fact, I’d argue the “best” moms aren’t the ones who do it all—

they’re the ones who don’t lose themselves in the process.

We teach you how to approach postpartum

self-care in 3 essential phases:

01 Identifying

Core Needs

Prioritizing yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. A well-cared-for mother teaches her child the importance of self-respect, balance, and emotional well-being.

02 Selecting

Care Habits

Your well-being shapes your child’s world. When you feel grounded and confident, they feel safe, nurtured, and supported.

02 Selecting

Care Habits:

Your well-being shapes your child’s world. When you feel grounded and confident, they feel safe, nurtured, and supported.

03 Expanding

to Cultivate

You are more than motherhood. Embracing your full identity creates a rich, balanced environment where your child learns the value of self-expression and fulfillment.

"Think of this as a gift to give yourself when you're expecting and don't know what to expect."

noel, mama of 4

Core Care Cultivate Founder &

Host of Postpartum Better Podcast

Meet Your Newest Mom Friend

Chelsea Barbine is a postpartum health coach dedicated to helping fellow moms create personalized postpartum plans that allow them to best care for their babies without sacrificing their own well-being. Drawing from her personal experience, background in integrative nutrition, and evidence-based coaching strategies she helps moms enjoy better sleep, sanity and self-identity—without the mom-guilt—so they can recover, reconnect, and be the mom they always dreamed of being.

Before coaching moms, Chelsea refused to accept exhaustion and depletion as the norm. Instead of just pushing through, she prioritized herself and documented everything—the habits, routines, and mindset shifts that made her postpartum life smoother. She has now used this same approach to support moms in 46 countries/territories and is just getting started. Chelsea lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and their fur babe, Mack, always finding new ways to make life a little calmer and more connected.