Katie Lowes on Silent Celiac, Strong Women, and Surviving the Motherhood Mayhem

In this episode of Stacy Phillips & Friends, Stacy sits down with co-host Abbe Feder (fertility coach and  author) and the hilarious, heartfelt, and fiercely real Katie Lowe - actress, producer, philanthropist, and self-proclaimed pretzel queen. What starts as girl talk quickly becomes an honest, unfiltered conversation about health, motherhood, identity, and the unexpected plot twists life throws our way.Katie opens up about the moment she discovered she had silent celiac disease, why she’d unknowingly spent years swollen, exhausted, and in pain, and how one routine colonoscopy completely changed her health. She also shares her deeply personal journey through postpartum depression, the women who carried her through the darkest moments, and the surprising things that helped her find her way back to herself.But this episode is also a celebration of female power. The kind that shows up on set, in friendships, in marriages, and especially in the trenches of motherhood. Katie talks about being supported by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, raising two young kids while navigating Hollywood, building a not-for-profit theater company, and learning how to take her first real “me time” in years.And yes… we definitely talk about the pretzels.It’s funny, raw, and wildly relatable. A conversation for any woman who has ever tried to balance ambition with caregiving, cried in a closet between Zoom calls, or whispered to herself, “When is it my turn again?”✨ EPISODE HIGHLIGHTSHow a routine colonoscopy uncovered Katie’s silent celiac diseasePostpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, and the women who helped her feel less aloneThe support of Shonda Rhimes & Betsy Beers — and what real workplace advocacy for moms looks likeWhy Katie calls motherhood “beautiful… and also mayhem”The accidental pretzel empire she and her husband built during COVIDNavigating parenting without a local family village (and creating your own)Katie’s new commitment to self-care🔗 FOLLOWStacy PhillipsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacydphillipsesq/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacydphillips/Abbe FederWebsite: https://www.incirclefertility.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbefederKatie LowesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ktqlowes🕒 TIMESTAMPS01:12 — Katie on her early motherhood podcast and why honesty meant everything.03:30 — The shock of silent celiac and how gluten had been harming her for years.07:58 — Postpartum depression, intrusive thoughts, and finding a safe circle of women.11:20 — The genius support of Shonda & Betsy: breastfeeding breaks and safer trailers.17:02 — How a kitchen experiment became a full-blown pretzel empire.20:45 — Colonoscopies, polyps, and why women should get screened earlier than they think.24:58 — The anxiety and empowerment of working away from her kids for the first time.27:14 — Theater, fundraising, and fighting for the arts in a difficult moment.30:49 — Katie’s growing commitment to self-care — including a much-needed solo NYC trip.