
Hosted by Suzanne Warye · EN
Have you wondered if that wine might actually be making motherhood…harder? Maybe you’ve questioned your relationship with alcohol, but you don’t want to go to AA and spend time in dark church basements. The Sober Mom Life is for YOU. Suzanne (@suzannewarye) is sharing all about her sobriety and what she’s learned in the 5+ years since saying farewell to alcohol. She’ll also have funny, open, honest conversations with other moms who have chosen to live an alcohol-free life.

A girl’s trip is unlike any other kind of vacation, and the pressure of going on your first sober girl’s trip can feel intense. These women might have known you when you were drinking. You might feel worried about being judged or making them feel judged because of your choice to stay sober. Yet, with a little preparation, this girl's trip could actually be the best one yet. Today, we’ll cover how to prepare for your first sober girl’s trip. We’ll talk about how to decide if you’re ready for a trip like this, the sober preparations you can make to set yourself up for success, and who to lean on in moments when the girl’s trip might feel hard. Get more of my thoughts on your first sober girl’s trip over on my Substack, Sober for Good: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! There’s one spot left for this October’s Sober Mom Life retreat in Arizona! Claim your spot here. Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s real sober mom Chelsea grew up in a home where alcohol wasn’t seen as a problem. As the child of two drug addicts, Chelsea was raised to view alcohol as a ‘safe choice’ in comparison to hard drugs. So, when Chelsea began drinking at age 14 she thought nothing of it. Chelsea went to work in retail right out of high school to be there for her family. After meeting her future husband in New York, she pivoted into becoming a funeral director - a career path rife with alcoholism due to the emotional heaviness of the job. Things took a very challenging turn in 2020. Shortly after the birth of her son who had congenital defects, Covid arrived and Chelsea’s work became extremely intense. The circumstances took a toll and she began experiencing worrisome health issues. Tests revealed she had muscular dystrophy. Shortly after, Chelsea received a call. Her father had OD’d. Facing her father’s death and the changes in her own life, Chelsea realized she never wanted to put her children through anything like what she’d experienced with her parents. She was looking for a change. All of this led to a casual plan with her husband to take a short break from alcohol in December of 2023. During this brief window, Chelsea had a massive wakeup call. She learned alcohol’s impacts on our bodies and lives, and how big alcohol was preying on moms to get them addicted. Chelsea realized - big alcohol had scammed her! She wasn’t going to let that stand. Chelsea is now 2 ½ years sober! She wants you to know there is never a ‘perfect’ time to begin sobriety. The best time to start is now. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Join me on Substack! https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve arrived at mid-summer, which means you’ve made it halfway through your first sober summer! You badass, you. Let's reflect on how your sober summer is going so far. In this episode, I’ll give you five midsummer check in questions that you can ask yourself to help you root into your wins, your struggles, and what you’ve gained along the way through this summer of sobriety. Go deeper into my midsummer check in questions over on my Substack, Sober for Good: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sobriety and parenting writer Sydney Allen was still in her 20s when she chose sobriety. She hadn’t had a rock bottom. She hadn’t experienced all of the terrible things that could happen with alcohol. Yet she could still tell - her gray area drinking was unhealthy, and alcohol was going to take more and more away from her if she continued to drink. So, she cut it out of her life in 2022. Explaining her sobriety to her friends and family, though? That felt like a challenge. People didn’t understand. She didn’t look like she had a problem… why did she need to quit? Today, Sydney shares how she navigated her emotions and the emotions of others through the different stages of her sobriety, why boundaries and honesty have been instrumental to solidifying her sobriety in a way that uniquely fits her, and the things she loves to do (and doesn’t love to do!) in sobriety. Plus - Sydney is our first Gen Z sober mom on the show (we’re spanning generations here)! We’ll talk about how Gen Z drinking culture differs from the other generations and her experience of still being quite young as she navigates sobriety. Read more from Sydney on her Substack, This Is Not Okay. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You’ve made it deep into your first sober summer when everything in your daily life is about to shift: it’s time for your first sober vacation. The change in scenery, the days of travel, and the upending of your daily routine can feel daunting. You might also be worried if a vacation can even feel fun without alcohol (spoiler alert: the answer is yes!). Today I’ll walk you through how to prepare yourself before, during, and after your first sober vacation. We’ll talk through how to navigate the airport, integrating community support into your days, types of places and situations to avoid, and what you can intentionally build into your travel itinerary to support you. Get more ideas on how to navigate your first sober vacation in this Sober Mom Life episode from 2023. Get more of my thoughts on your first sober vacation over on my Substack, Sober for Good: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Sober Mom Life is 4! Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or this is your first time listening to the podcast (welcome!) I just want to say thank you. Thank you for making my dreams come true, for creating this incredible community of sober moms with me, and for trusting me with your stories. It has been an honor every step of the way. In celebration, today I’m bringing back the very first episode! Please enjoy little baby Suz as she climbs into her closet to talk into a microphone for the very first time back in 2022. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we enter the 4th of July weekend I want to remind you that no matter how hard it feels right now, your sobriety is bigger than one weekend, or one holiday, or one party. The choice you’re making to leave alcohol behind will absolutely feel hard in some moments - let it feel hard! You can face the discomfort, I promise. And also - let yourself also feel the joy of the freedom, clarity, and hangover-free mornings you’re giving yourself by choosing sobriety. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women.Get more of my thoughts on your first sober summer over on my Substack, Sober for Good: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My sober podcasting pal Casey Davidson, host of the Hello Someday Podcast, is back on the pod! Together we’ll tackle a common sober first: your first sober work conference. Casey has had tons of experience at work conferences, both while she was drinking and while she’s been sober, and she’s full of advice. Casey will share about the conference experience that served as a wakeup call for her drinking. We’ll talk about how unsafe women can be at these events when alcohol is in the mix. And Casey will share how she prepares for and navigates work conferences sober. Remember: a lot of time at conferences is your time! You don’t have to go to every planned event. There are so many ways that you can create your own wonderful and unique sober conference experience. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the biggest sober firsts of the summer is the 4th of July. In a society that turns to alcohol for celebration, it can feel challenging to swim against the tide and choose sobriety this Independence Day. But I promise - you’ve got this! This episode is special! It was my very first solo episode of the entire podcast in 2022. I was so impressed with the tips that little baby sober Suz shared that I’m bringing it back for you today. You’ll find tips that will help you feel supported and confident on your first sober 4th of July. It’s possible that today might be more than just bearable - it might also be so fun! Get more of my thoughts on your first sober 4th of July over on my Substack, Sober for Good: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Real Sober Mom Erin’s childhood revolved around her father’s alcohol addiction and she made a promise to herself: that would never be her. Amidst her parents divorce during high school, though, she developed a new opinion: Alcohol felt like it gave her control. And that felt good. From the beginning, Erin knew that she drank differently than others. Once she started she didn’t want to stop. And so, she developed a reputation of a party girl, and the party didn’t slow down until motherhood. Motherhood gave her a sense of purpose, but as her kids got older and her relationship became more dysfunctional, alcohol crept back into the driver’s seat of her life, until she received her second DUI. The probationary period around her DUI resulted in nine months of sobriety, and she truly believed that she could manage alcohol after that. What she didn’t know was that the shame and negative effects of alcohol could roar back into her life two-fold. She knew then - she needed a permanent change. Grandmotherhood gave her the final push she needed to change her life. Sobriety for Erin began one day at a time, through faith, community and accountability, and she doesn’t regret a single sober day. Every day that she wakes up clear headed is another reminder that she’s done the right thing. Community makes all the difference. Join The Sober Mom Life Cafe for 6+ Peer Support meetings each week and a private Facebook group to connect with sober and sober-curious women. Sign up for our next ‘Fresh 30’ and ‘Beyond 30’ cohorts. Learn more here! Get Your Copy of my book! The Sober Shift Join me on Substack: https://suzannewarye.substack.com/Follow on Instagram @thesobermomlifeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.