What if the changes in your postpartum brain and body weren’t setbacks but proof of your evolution?
Join us for an evening of guided breathwork and thoughtful conversation with Chelsea Conaboy, author of the Mother Brain, and Ruth E. Macy, PT, DPT and Courtney Naliboff, authors of Your Postpartum Body. We’ll explore how our bodies and minds evolve postpartum, including the profound neurological shifts that occur when we become parents.
“The changes you feel aren't signs you're broken. They're proof that you're expanding.”
– Unknown
Image by Jared Rice
Details
Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Time: 6 - 8:00 pm, please arrive by 6 pm
Location: The Wave Portland, 34 Romasco Lane, Portland, Maine
Fee: $60* for beverages, apps, guided breathwork, and an intimate discussion with three experts.
*As we develop different types of events, we are working on prices to make these events sustainable. If cost is a factor, we want to help. For each event, we set aside tickets just for this purpose. Please email us at hello@heldportland.com.
Cancellation policy: All sales are final and non-refundable. However, your tickets are transferable to an individual. If transferred to someone, please email us their name and email address at hello@heldportland.com.
What to expect
Opening Remarks—Tenaya and Mary Beth will kick off the evening with a warm welcome and a little backstory on what inspired this gathering—a space for women to reconnect with their bodies, swap stories, and tap back into the wisdom we already carry. They’ll introduce the evening’s flow and acknowledge the collaborators who helped bring this event to life.
Pelvic Floor Exercise Through Breath—Ruth will lead a gentle breathwork session to help you connect with your body and bring awareness to your pelvic floor. This calming practice encourages deep breathing, relaxation, and a sense of trust in your body’s natural rhythm.
Fireside Chat on Postpartum Body & Mind—Seated, we’ll dive into an insightful discussion with Chelsea, Ruth, and Courtney, guided by Tenaya and Mary Beth. Topics will include:
The role of pelvic health in overall well-being
The neuroscience behind a woman’s brain and how it transforms postpartum
How trauma and body literacy intersect in healing journeys
Practical ways to reconnect with your body and mind with compassion and curiosity
Attendees will be able to ask questions and engage with all three experts.
Mingle & Closing Remarks—As the evening winds down, take a moment to connect with others and chat with the speakers. Tenaya and Mary Beth will offer closing reflections and a reminder that our bodies and minds are not broken but resilient and worthy of care and gratitude.
Our partners
Chelsea Conaboy
Chelsea Conaboy is a health and science journalist and creative director at Strewn Wonder, a media production company. Her work has been published by The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, Mother Jones, Politico, WBUR, The Philadelphia Inquirer and others. Her first book, Mother Brain: How Neuroscience Is Rewriting the Story of Parenthood, has been called "a game-changer" and is set to be published in 20 countries. She lives in South Portland with her husband, their two children, and her own changing parental brain.
Ruth E. Macy, PT, DPT
Ruth E. Macy is a pelvic floor physical therapist with seventeen years of experience in the field. She is passionate about working with people to achieve their desired health outcomes, removing bias and exclusion in healthcare, and delivering a compassionate, patient-centered approach that eliminates shame and blame in the ownership of the human body. When she’s not at work, she enjoys smashing the patriarchy, paddleboarding, spoiling her dog, and winning board games with her family.
Courtney Naliboff
Courtney Naliboff is a teacher, writer, musician, volunteer EMT, parent, and swimming enthusiast who lives on North Haven, a tiny unbridged island off of Maine’s Midcoast, with her husband and daughter. She is a longtime reporter and columnist for the Working Waterfront and has written about Jewish parenting in small-town Maine for kveller.com, heyalma.com, and the Bangor Daily News.
