Parenthood Meets Healing: Growing Up While Raising Kids with Jessica Medina

If you're a parent trying to break cycles, heal from your past, or just survive the chaos of raising a kid while figuring yourself out, this episode is for you.

More info, resources & ways to connect - https://www.tacosfallapart.com/podcast-live-show/podcast-guests/jessica-medina-7

Jessica Medina is back for the seventh time on Even Tacos Fall Apart, and this conversation is all about the wild intersection of parenthood and healing. Jessica, a licensed marriage and family therapist, is also a brand-new mom—so she’s living what she preaches in real time. We talked about what it really means to grow up while raising a kid, how parenting forces you to confront your own childhood, and why healing isn’t always a choice—it’s a necessity.

Jessica opened up about the chaos of her high-risk pregnancy, an unexpected emergency C-section, and the emotional rollercoaster of having her baby in the NICU. She shared how gut-wrenching it was to go home without her newborn and how that experience brought up unexpected grief. Even as a therapist, she wasn’t prepared for how hard those first weeks would be, especially with her son experiencing withdrawal from a medication she had been on during pregnancy. It was a reminder that sometimes, even when you know things logically, they still hit emotionally in ways you don’t expect.

One of the biggest surprises for Jessica was how easily she let go of control when it came to her baby. She had a strict birth plan, and nothing went according to it—but she didn’t care. That shift from being a type-A, control-focused person to embracing the unpredictability of parenting was huge. She also talked about how seeing her son at four months old made her process her own adoption in a whole new way. Looking at him, she realized for the first time that she had been that small and innocent once, which helped her release feelings of self-blame she didn’t even realize she had been holding onto.

Of course, balancing being a therapist and a parent isn’t easy. Jessica is back to work full-time, still breastfeeding, and juggling chronic pain, mental health, and self-care. She talked about the importance of intentionality—finding tiny moments of self-care, whether that’s a five-minute makeup routine, a quick walk with her son, or just grabbing a damn good cup of coffee. She also shared some of the tricks that help her ADHD and OCD brain handle the chaos, like rolling a D20 to decide which chore to tackle first.

We also hit on breaking cycles of emotional immaturity and dysfunction in families. Jessica recommended Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents as a must-read and shared how she sets firm, informed boundaries—without letting guilt or generational expectations get in the way. One of the most powerful moments came when she explained that kids aren’t giving you a hard time, they’re having a hard time. Reframing behavior as communication rather than defiance is a game-changer in parenting.

Her final takeaway? Don’t go at it alone. Parenting can be isolating, and healing while raising a kid is messy. But having support—whether it’s family, friends, or even an online community—makes all the difference. Also, boundaries? Not punishments. They’re necessary.

Oh, and she’s collecting magic wands like Thanos at this point. Seven down—three to go for the ultimate Even Tacos Fall Apart milestone!