Dinky

Welcome back to the Regretful Parents series. This episode tackles what motherhood does to women’s bodies, mental health, and sense of self.

Erika and Kristen read a post from the Regretful Parents subreddit titled “Never Felt as Ugly as I Do Now as a Mom.”

A woman reflects on how pregnancy, postpartum life, chronic sleep deprivation, stress, and mental load have aged her physically and emotionally — and how devastating it feels to no longer recognize herself in the mirror. From "saggy apron bellies to lifeless eyes", celebrity “bounce-back” culture, Botox discourse, and why men somehow escape all of this entirely, the conversation spirals (as it should) into a full-blown rant about how cruel, unfair, and deeply misogynistic the expectations placed on mothers really are.

Topics include:
Postpartum body changes no one warns you about
Why stress and sleep deprivation visibly age womenThe lie of “bouncing back” after pregnancy
Celebrity beauty standards are fully rage-inducing
Why motherhood drains women and barely touches men
And the eternal question: why do we keep doing this to ourselves?

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Find childfree friends, connect with other fence-sitters, and join our next trip at dinkypod.com.
And as always: don’t get pregnant.

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In this episode, Kristen and Erika dive into a wild Reddit post from a working mom dealing with a stay-at-home husband who refuses to actually parent their 28-month-old (that's 2 years and 4 months, people!).

What We Cover:
A stay-at-home dad who won't take his toddler to the playground, feed her, or play with her
Why OP hired a house cleaner because he couldn't handle the basics
The depression and isolation that can come with being a full-time parent
Why men often aren't equipped to handle what women do every day
The importance of community and adult friendships for stay-at-home parents
Our thoughts on why this relationship is doomed

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Key Moments:
The math rant about calling kids "28 months old" instead of just saying their age in years
Discussion about whether this dad was always terrible or if parenthood changed him
Why the wife can't leave even though she "could care less about him anymore"
The hypocrisy of stay-at-home dads vs stay-at-home moms and societal expectations
This episode tackles the reality of regretful parenting, gender dynamics in childcare, stay-at-home parent depression, and why some people should never have kids.

 

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What happens when the love you’re promised as a parent never shows up?
In this episode, Erika and Kristen dive into one of the most taboo and honest conversations about parenthood: regret, ambivalence, and not loving your child the way society says you should. Reading directly from the Regretful Parents subreddit, we unpack a post from a mother who admits she doesn’t love her baby and can't figure out why. 

From postpartum expectations and hormonal myths to comparisons between loving pets vs. children, this episode explores:
Why some parents don’t feel instant love after birth
The difference between love as a feeling vs. love as an action
Postpartum depression, trauma, and emotional overstimulation
Why mothers are rarely allowed to admit regret
The pressure to perform “good motherhood” even when you’re struggling
Whether love can grow later — or never come at all

🎧 Listen if you’re:
✔ Questioning parenthood
✔ Childfree or on the fence
✔ A parent struggling with regret or guilt
✔ Tired of toxic positivity around motherhood
✔ Interested in honest, feminist conversations about family, choice, and autonomy

Join the discussion:
Do you think parental love is biological, hormonal, learned — or optional? Let us know in the comments.

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Keywords / Hashtags:
#RegretfulParents #MotherhoodRegret #PostpartumReality #NotLovingYourChild #HonestParenting #Childfree #DINK #ParenthoodTruth #PostpartumDepression #RedditStories #TabooTopics #Feminism #DinkyPodcast


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SMALL BUSINESS OF THE WEEK: Shop Herself Collections to snag you or someone you love a gorgeous gift this Valentine’s Day!! 

It’s the listener question episode!

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Welcome back to the Regretful Parents series. This week, Erika and Kristen read and react to a post from the Regretful Parents subreddit titled “Feel Like I’ve Ruined My Life.” Spoiler alert: he kind of has. A 29-year-old man agrees to an ultimatum — have a baby before 30 or never — and now finds himself exhausted, resentful, intimacy-deprived, and being pressured for more kids he absolutely does not want. The hosts break down the red flags, the insanity of reproductive ultimatums, and why choosing hypothetical future children over your actual partner is… deeply unwell behavior. Along the way, they discover one of the smartest parenting arrangements they’ve ever seen, question why people keep doing this to themselves, and remind everyone (once again) that ultimatums are not love.

Topics include:

• Reproductive ultimatums 🚩
• Regret after agreeing to parenthood
• Why “one and done” is a complete sentence
• A surprisingly genius split-parenting strategy
• And yet another reminder to PLEASE use your brain

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And as always: don’t get pregnant.

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We're sitting down with Rachael Eckles. In this conversation, Rachael shares her journey to becoming child-free, her career evolution from law and bioethics to fiction writing, and her advocacy for women's health. She discusses the impact of her education and health experiences on her life choices, the importance of diverse voices in publishing, and her desire to empower women through her writing and publishing platform. Rachael Eckles discusses her journey as an independent author and publisher, emphasizing the importance of providing access to publishing for others. She shares her experiences in building Aphrodite Books, her motivations for writing, and the impact of her childfree lifestyle on her creative process. Rachael also highlights the significance of empowering diverse voices in literature and the freedom to choose one's own path in life.

Connect with Rachael on Instagram 

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Erika is taking a group of childfree travelers to VIETNAM — and it’s an artsy adventurer's dream itinerary! Buy your tickets while they last. 

Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show.

Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.

If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, Erika and Kristen dive into a jaw-dropping Reddit post titled “I Am A Roller Coaster Of Regret And Acceptance.” From religious guilt to missed abortions, dating struggles as a single parent, and the crushing realities of living with family, this story sparks one of our most chaotic discussions yet.

We unpack:
Why people banking on miscarriage is not a life plan
The real statistics about pregnancy loss
How religion traps people — especially women — in unwanted parenthood
Why telling single parents to “just make more money” is useless advice
The myth of “plenty of good men who will raise your kid”
Dating with kids and the harsh math of shrinking romantic options
What realistic support actually looks like for regretful parents
Why child support and 50/50 custody are not as simple as Reddit makes it sound
How societal expectations sabotage women’s independence

Plus:
Erika threatens to hand out abortions like Oprah gives out cars
Kristen Googles miscarriage stats mid-episode
Speculation on whether these Reddit commenters are bots
A brief detour into Europe trips, face masks, and alleged co-host hatred
A public reminder: STOP GETTING PREGNANT

Perfect for listeners who:
Are childfree or childfree-curious
Love dark humor, honesty, and chaos
Want a realistic look at the consequences of accidental parenthood
Enjoy commentary on Reddit’s wildest regret-parent stories

💬 Have a regretful parent story?
Email us at [email protected] — we might read yours on a future episode.

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Check out upcoming trips at dinkypod.com.
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Find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Final reminder:
Don’t. Get. Pregnant.


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In today’s Regretful Parents episode, Erika and Kristen dive into a viral story from the I Regret Having Children Facebook page — and this time, it’s not a confession but a financial horror story. An Ohio mom’s TikTok exploded online after revealing the NICU bill for her premature quadruplets: $4.04 million. 
Erika and Kristen unpack the wild reality of childbirth costs in America, why one medical complication can financially ruin a family overnight, and how unpredictable — and brutally expensive — pregnancy and birth can be. 

Inside this episode:
• A NICU bill for quadruplets that hit $4 million
• Why childbirth and complications are financially catastrophic in the U.S.
• Parents of twins facing $11 million in NICU charges
• How insurance actually works (and doesn’t) for medically complex births
• Hidden hospital costs, nonsense itemized charges & billing scams
• Why “just have kids” ignores medical and financial reality
• The emotional toll of raising premature or medically fragile infants
• Why the childfree movement keeps gaining traction
• The fear, uncertainty, and chaos behind “miracle baby” stories
• Why influencers oversimplify parenthood into “children are a blessing”
• U.S. healthcare vs. Europe’s systems — and who ends up paying

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Thanks, Dink Squad — and remember: don’t get pregnant.

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Today we are joined by the hilarious Liza Treyger, otherwise known as Glitter Cheese on social media. Liza is a comedian you may know from Netflix’s The Degenerates and Survival of the Thickest or her hit podcast That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, where she dives deep into Law & Order episodes, true crime, and pop culture. She’s hilarious and if you love Dinky, you’ll love Liza.

Connect with Liza on Instagram.

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\Erika is taking a group of childfree travelers to VIETNAM — and it’s an artsy adventurer's dream itinerary! ONLY 12 SEATS REMAIN AT TIME OF PUBLICATION!

Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show.

Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.

If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

Welcome back to our Regretful Parents series. In this episode, Kristen and Erika react to a Reddit post titled “Motherhood Has Been Hell As An Anxious Person,” where an overwhelmed mom explains how becoming a parent completely destroyed her mental health, sleep, and sense of stability. This is one of the most honest Reddit parenting stories we’ve covered. Before having kids, the original poster felt her anxiety was under control. She had routines, sleep, self-care, time for exercise, friendships, and a stable lifestyle. But motherhood brought sleep deprivation, overstimulation, constant responsibility, and the loss of basic personal freedom. Her anxiety returned with a vengeance, leaving her controlling, exhausted, and unable to maintain her own mental or physical health. 

We discuss:
• What happens when anxious people become parents
• Sleep deprivation and the mental health collapse it can cause
• The myth that motherhood is always fulfilling or “worth it”
• Why self-care is not selfish, especially for parents
• How societal pressure pushes people to have kids they aren’t prepared for
• The fear of being labeled selfish for prioritizing mental health
• Why so many parents feel regret but cannot say it out loud
• Neurodivergence, overstimulation, and sensory overload in parenting
• How childfree people often avoid these struggles by choice

If you’re exploring the childfree lifestyle, questioning parenthood, managing anxiety, or looking for honest conversations about modern parenting, this episode dives into the real challenges parents face—but aren’t allowed to talk about.

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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:17 Why anxiety and motherhood often collide
02:00 How sleep deprivation destroys mental health
05:00 The motherhood myth and societal pressure
07:00 Why parents don’t expect the loss of freedom
10:00 Self-care vs. “selfishness”
13:00 Neurodivergence and sensory overload
18:00 The fear of constant danger
20:00 Final thoughts

Keywords: motherhood anxiety, anxious mom, regretting motherhood, regretful parents, parenting burnout, sleep deprivation mom, overwhelmed mom, childfree by choice, should I have kids, mental health and parenting, Reddit stories, Dinky Pod, Kristen and Erika, parenting regret, motherhood expectations, anxious parents, overstimulation parenting

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