The Support Every First-Time Mom Needs: Practical Help for Overwhelmed New Moms

Host Michelle Barnett welcomes listeners to the Mommin’ Together podcast and interviews Starla Lawrence about Square One, a ministry for first-time moms. Starla shares her background as a longtime Air Force family member, mom of four, and grandmother of nine, and explains how discovering Square One in a Nordstrom bathroom in Dallas led her to bring the program to Tyler through prayer, volunteers, and church support, launching it in September 2014. She describes Square One’s six-week, low-key gatherings with weekly speakers and practical topics for new moms, including postpartum depression and anxiety, marriage changes, feeding support, pediatric guidance, and setting boundaries with family expectations. Starla emphasizes the power of community, the theme verse Proverbs 14:1, and encourages moms to care for themselves and their marriages while finding or creating supportive spaces for new mothers.

00:00 Welcome to Mommin Together

01:14 Meet Starla Lawrence

01:39 Starla Family Background

03:47 Nordstrom Bathroom Moment

05:45 What Square One Is

06:55 Bringing Square One to Tyler

09:20 Stories of Real Impact

13:52 Topics and Practical Tools

19:25 Sleep Deprivation and Anxiety

22:14 What Every New Mom Needs

23:41 How to Join in Tyler

25:27 Starting It Anywhere

28:07 Best Mom Hack Advice

31:14 Wrap Up and Encouragement

Connect with Starla

Starla has a passion to encourage women in marriage and motherhood. She founded Tyler’s Square 1 program in 2014 to support and encourage first-time moms and their newborns. Square 1 at Grace Community Church recently held their 24th session and has “birthed” multiple other groups in east Texas. She has also served as a mentor for MOPs programs and other moms groups. She’s been married to her husband Scott for 48 years and they share 4 daughters, 3 sons in law, and 9 (perfect) grandchildren. They have resided in Tyler for 27 years now. She believes it is much scarier to live in one place this long than to move every two years. Since they aren’t moving anymore, Starla and Scott enjoy traveling. Her hobbies include knitting, rug hooking, and sharing a delicious hot latte with friends.

Starla’s Email: boxo@aol.com

Upcoming Square 1 Tyler Info: A six-week session offered in February and September each year. Next session begins Tuesday September 8 (9:30-11:30) at Grace Community Church on Old Jacksonville Highway. Online registration opens in early June (gcc.org/square1) and is open to all first -time moms in our greater Tyler community. Cost for the session is $10 total.

Connect with Watermark Church to learn more about starting a Square 1 in your town: https://www.watermark.org/ministries/square-one

Resources:

Praying The Scriptures Over Your Children by Jodie Berndt

Connect with Michelle:

• Mommin’ Together Instagram: ⁠@Mommin_Together ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/mommin_together/
• Michelle Barnett Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/michelle_barnett_/⁠
• Join our ⁠Mommin’ Together Facebook Community⁠: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/1484794095771993⁠
• Podcast on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mommin-together/id1787094979
• Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hn6cFLziITGVFuSXiI4ty?si=6c7abc0f099f4230