Mighty As A Mother

Becoming a mother is such a fundamental shift in our identity, and one of the most significant physical and psychological changes a woman will ever experience. On today’s show, we have Lauren and Megan — the founders of The Matrescence. The Matrescence was born out of a desire to help other women navigate their personal experiences with motherhood while providing a community to support, uplift, and empower one another.

They have a desire to sift through the overwhelming opinions of today’s digital world and curate an intimate and personalized experience for each woman who comes to this space with a promise that all guides and support will come directly from experts.

And this is personal for both of them. After experiencing bouts of anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, and rage, Lauren and Megan felt called to create a digital community to connect and educate women, grounded in the belief that mental health and wellness should be a priority for women who too often put themselves last.

Join us for today’s conversation as we discuss:

• Loving our kiddos, but not loving motherhood all the time.
• How to find a sense of community in motherhood.
• Understanding postpartum depression (PPD) and how to know if you have it. And if you do, what to do next.
• Evidence-based exercises and activities to build resilience and make space for more joy in motherhood.

Links:

1. The Matrescence
2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/08/well/family/the-birth-of-a-mother.html?_r=1
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9765384/#CR31
4. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300076523/the-cultural-contradictions-of-motherhood/

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

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Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

We’re kicking off American Heart Month with our first MD and OBGYN, Dr. Tasha Kalra! By the end of this episode you'll feel inspired and ready to make some small tweaks to your daily habits in order to live a healthier life. Tasha is a busy mama to two toddlers and just 'gets it' - there's not enough time, not enough energy, and sometimes not enough resources to prioritize your own health. But she serves up some helpful and realistic tips and tricks to ensure you're identifying and implementing super simple ways to live well and nurture yourself as you nurture your kiddos.

Join us for today’s conversation as we discuss:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women - what can we do to prevent illness?
• How to be an advocate for your own health
• The feel-better effect of movement on your mood and mindset - even during pregnancy
• Reaping the benefits of exercise without having to “fix” your body
• Creating sustainable health habits that stick
• How, as a busy mom to two toddlers and as on-call physician, Dr. Kalra prioritizes herself and her well-being
• Low libido and painful sex
• The one health hack Tasha says anyone can start today for a healthier tomorrow

Links

• Eat Everything: How To Ditch Additives and Emulsifiers, Heal Your Body, and Reclaim The Joy of Food by Dr. Dawn Harris Sherling
• Dr. Tasha Kalra bio
• All About Women's Care Instagram

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

In today’s episode we sat down with the multi-faceted, multi-talented Rachel Mansfield! As the co-founder of grt sht ventures, food entrepreneur, cookbook author and podcast host, Rachel has merged her love of food, business and family. She is known for her engaged cult following, easy recipes that taste delicious, lifestyle tips and tricks, and raising her three adorable boys in New Jersey.

In this episode, we chat with Rachel about:

♥️ How getting fired from an uninspiring corporate career catapulted her into successful entrepreneurship

♥️ Rachel’s personal journey with infertility and why she’s always chosen authenticity and transparency in sharing her story to hopefully help others

♥️ The ways we can find balance and fun in the food we make and serve our families

♥️ Maneuvering food variety and healthier options with our littles

♥️ Why striving for what’s next is needed to keep us constantly evolving and growing

♥️ At the end of the day, we’re all just mamas doing the best we can, and that’s more than enough

Links:

• Rachel’s Blog: RachLmansfield
• Rachel’s Book: Just The Good Stuff: 100+ Guilt-Free Recipes To Satisfy All Your Cravings: A Cookbook

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

If you’ve ever been forced to return to work so soon after welcoming a child, or taken unpaid maternity leave, or wondered how you’d juggle your career and caring for a human, we see you.

Frankly, American societal infrastructure is stacked against mothers and caregivers, which is why we sat down with esteemed author, columnist, and fellow mom Jess Grose to discuss why it feels so hard to be a mother in America. Jess is an opinion writer at The New York Times who often writes about women, parenting, and culture. She was named a Glamour Game Changer for her realistic coverage of parenting during the pandemic and is the author of several books including Sad Desk Salad, Soulmates, and Love, Mom, and most recently a book appropriately titled Screaming on the Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood - which was voted by People Magazine as one of the best books of 2023.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jess’ own motherhood journey and the motivation behind her column and best-selling book
• The history behind American parenthood, and how we are now in a modern world with an antiquated infrastructure that leaves working parents and caregivers hanging
• How to embrace being a “good enough” mom and avoid feelings of failure

Jess is kind, humble, and brilliant. This episode on motherhood is one you surely won’t want to miss!

Links:

• Screaming On The Inside: The Unsustainability of American Motherhood by Jess Grose
• https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/next-question-with-katie-couri-131117/episodes/the-parenting-deep-dive-part-1-156582216/transcript
• https://www.nytimes.com/by/jessica-grose
• https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/04/opinion/women-men-work.html

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!

If you’ve ever experienced anxious thoughts, feelings of burnout, or moments of self-doubt, you are not alone and this episode is the one for you.

We know that more moms are feeling MORE anxious and burned out than ever, with more than two-thirds of mothers reporting feeling of burnout and overwhelm. So in this episode, we decided to enlist the help of a renowned expert to help us understand where to go from here.

Today we are joined by a guest with expertise in maternal mental health - by the way of her Ivy League education but also in her role as a mother and therapist to mothers - Dr. Carolyn Rubenstein PhD. Dr Carolyn is an accomplished psychologist and author - and today she is all ours as we hear how us as busy, overwhelmed mamas might consider managing our own thoughts and expectations (of motherhood and of ourselves!).

Join us as we discuss:

• High Functioning Anxiety in Motherhood: We unpack this often referred to phrase and learn how to recognize and manage anxiety amidst the seemingly endless demands of motherhood.
• Redefining Success on Our Own Terms: Initiating the process of redefining success beyond societal norms and what we may have expected for ourselves when we were younger.
• Integrating Research into Practice: Incorporating research findings and the latest data sets to help us manage our own anxious and stressful thoughts more effectively.
• Overcoming Self-Doubt and Fear of Failure: Actionable advice for combating the oh to common struggles many of us face around “letting someone down.”

We hope this episode serves you and reminds you that while there is no perfect parent, you are exactly the mom your kiddo(s) need.

With love - Jenn & Laura

Links:

• Dr. Carolyn Rubenstein website
• Dr. Carolyn Rubenstein Instagram
• Dr. Carolyn Rubenstein Book: Perseverance: How Young People Turn Fear into Hope-and How They Can Teach Us to Do the Same

For more authentic and honest motherhood conversation, subscribe to Mighty as a Mother:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify Podcasts | Google Podcasts

Join in on the conversation and follow along with us on Instagram: ⁠@mightyasamotherpodcast⁠!