MAMA, UNLEASHED! - Thrive in Motherhood

As we go through matrescence – the transition from woman to mother – there are times when we will be plagued by subconscious negative thoughts: 

For example, what if my baby stops breathing in the night?

Or: I should get the kids off their devices and outside more.

Or: I am a bad mother!

These thoughts will come. However, we must be aware that they are there. Otherwise we give our subconscious negative thoughts the power to ruin our lives. You must take control of your mind and thereby change your brain.

In this this episode of The Tough Mothers Podcast and Tough Mothers TV you will learn:

-       Our constant internal chatter dictates the quality of our life

-       What subconscious negative thoughts are

-       To identify your true thoughts - fact vs fiction

-       How subconscious negative thinking is destructive

-       The 5 evidence-based steps you can take today to change your subconscious negative thoughts

For more information, links and tips visit www.ToughMothers.com/ep7

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson

Lydia Nicholson had all the support a mother could ask for when she had her first baby. Although her birth was traumatic – as first births so often are – she was surrounded by family, friends and a tight and incredibly supportive mothers group. She felt held, understood and supported.

When she was six months pregnant with her second baby Lydia, her husband and their 15 month-old moved to Paris, France, for her husband’s work. Ooh là là!
Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it?

It wasn’t.

In this episode of The Tough Mothers Podcast and Tough Mothers TV Lydia shares with us the challenges of giving birth and raising children in a foreign, non-English speaking, country. How her experience shaped her and changed her, and how she used her isolation and loneliness to go inwards to get to know herself and find what she needed, and how this allowed her to grow as a woman and mother.

In this episode of The Tough Mothers Podcast and Tough Mothers TV you will learn:

• The importance of resourcefulness – What to create for yourself if you are having/raising your baby away from your support network 
• Tips on how to combat sadness and loneliness in a foreign country
• How to look for the silver lining in every cloud
• The importance of meeting your own needs as a mother

For more information, details and show notes go to www.ToughMothers.com/ep6

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson

“You are going to lose your baby.”

What happens when your worst fear in pregnancy comes true?

In this very deep and personal interview Kara Peel, mum of three, talks about the tragic loss of her first baby, Lucy. 

Lucy was born at 20 weeks. 

In this episode of The Tough Mothers Podcast Kara delves into her grief of Lucy’s death. She very courageously speaks about everything from how she felt leaving the hospital, to the all-consuming grief she experienced, to how she personally grew out of the trauma of losing her only daughter.

As baby loss, including miscarriage, is so common, I would like to advise that this episode may be triggering from some viewers and listeners. Kara really wanted to share her true journey with you as she is an advocate for talking about baby loss, the grief it brings, and the awareness we need to help raise to better support parents who have lost their child. 

This is a must-listen episode if you have experienced baby loss or love someone who has been through it, or is currently experiencing it.

For more information, resources and show notes head to www.ToughMothers.com/ep5

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson

Every woman goes through a developmental transition as she becomes a mother.
This transition is physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social.
Women are transformed when they become mothers.
This developmental transition is called matrescence.

For some reason we don't talk about matrescence. So, often women undergo this life-changing transition fearful that something is wrong with them.

In today's episode I answer the question of Laura, about her feelings during her postpartum period, and why everyone must know what matrescence is.

This episode is part of the series Q&A Wednesday. For further information about this episode or to ask a question yourself please go to www.ToughMothers.com/ep4

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson

Hands up if you want lose baby weight?
Most mothers focus on getting back to their pre-baby figure or weight, after they have had a baby. 
In today's episode internationally-recognised dietitian Rachael Wilson joins me to talk about how our bodies change when we have a baby, and how we can learn to embrace our new figures. 
Rachael believes that we should throw out all the scales and measuring units, and instead focus on nourishing ourselves in a kind way - which leads to far better results.

For more information and show notes please go to www.ToughMothers.com/ep3

Note: There are 2 sharp tones at 17 minutes and 23 minutes into the interview. I apologise for these and hope they don't give you a fright.

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson

For more information please go to www.ToughMothers.com/ep2

I was lying on the couch wrapped in blankets. It was December in Australia, so it was hot! Yet I was shivering; my anxiety had total control of me. 

My third baby was only a couple of months old, and unlike with my first two, the transition into motherhood pulled the rug out from under me. Literally.

I was in the middle of a severe postpartum breakdown.

In hindsight I totally see the perfect storm that was brewing. With 3 other kids under 3.5 years, no family nearby, a husband that travelled a lot for work, a terminally ill father in-law, and a baby that never slept for more than 20 minutes at a time, it was chaos.

I suffered.
And then I grew. And from my own personal battle Tough Mothers was born. 

In this very special and private interview with my husband, Marcus, we deeply discuss my own personal postnatal breakdown. 

We delve into what caused my breakdown, the lead up to it, and what Marcus and I implemented to not only save me, but create an amazing life for ourselves. 

My method made me a better mum, a better wife, a better person, and lead to the development of Tough Mothers, to support mums in a practical, evidence-based way during their challenging transition into motherhood.


For more information and show notes please go to www.ToughMothers.com/ep2

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson

Rebecca Anderson is mum to a spirited three year-old boy. She has lived with depression for most of her life, and thought she had the postpartum period sorted when it came to her mental health. However, after she had her baby, postnatal depression had other plans. 

In this episode Bec shares with us her story of deep depression and anxiety, and how she attempted to take her own life. She shares how her depression has affected her motherhood journey, and techniques she uses along the way to help herself thrive.

Bec is a wonderful, bubbly woman. You wouldn’t know she is depressed. Which is why this episode is so important. You will learn why it is so critical to speak up if you are not feeling OK, how common it actually is to struggle in motherhood, and what you can do about it. 

This episode is not just for mothers. If you have a new mother in your family or inner circle, please listen to Bec’s story to see how integral close connections are. 

For show notes please go to www.ToughMothers.com/ep1

Thanks so much for listening and for your interest in becoming a happier mother.

Be sure to subscribe to MAMA, UNLEASHED! on your favourite podcast channel, and follow me on Instagram or Facebook for more information and tips @DrJenHackerPearson