What if motherhood isn't about becoming the "perfect mom"—but about becoming more yourself?

In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with Elyse Hamidi—people leader, tech professional, storyteller, and mom to a one-year-old daughter—to explore the invisible expectations that shape modern motherhood and how we can begin letting them go.

Together, we talk about the first year of motherhood as a profound transformation—not just of our daily lives, but of our identity. We discuss why the concept of matrescence deserves to be part of every pregnancy conversation, how cultural and social expectations influence the way we mother, and why intentions can be far more empowering than expectations.

We also dive into the realities of being a working mom, navigating family boundaries, chasing the impossible ideal of the "perfect mother," and learning to trade control for self-compassion.

In this episode, we explore:

• What matrescence really means—and why every mother should know this word
• The first year of motherhood as a developmental journey rather than a pause in life
• The pressure to "bounce back" and why moving forward matters more
• Expectations vs. intentions: what's the difference and why it changes everything
• The invisible leadership of motherhood and becoming the CEO of your household
• Returning to work after birth and redefining success as a working mom
• Setting boundaries with family without apologizing for them
• The emotional cost of trying to be the "ideal mom"
• Social media, comparison, and the myth of motherhood perfection
• Letting go of control while reclaiming agency where it truly matters
• Why asking questions is more powerful than offering unsolicited advice
• Building self-respect after birth instead of waiting for it to magically appear
• Creating a life that reflects your authentic self—not other people's expectations

Whether you're pregnant, in the thick of early motherhood, or years into your parenting journey, this conversation is a gentle reminder that you don't have to return to who you were before becoming a mother. You are allowed to grow into someone new.

Because motherhood isn't about becoming less of yourself—it's about becoming more of who you truly are.

Connect with Elyse: 

https://www.instagram.com/for__elyse?igsh=cHJ3eTYwMmp5dzFr

Description of the episode

When we become mothers, we're often told to trust the experts—but what if one of the most important voices we've lost is our own?

In this episode of the Mamingo Podcast, I sit down with Twyla Kowalenko—somatic educator, founder of Inside Mothering, and mother of three—to explore what it means to reconnect with ourselves during pregnancy and motherhood.

Together, we discuss why so many women feel disconnected from their bodies, overwhelmed by endless parenting advice, and pressured to meet impossible expectations. Twyla shares how developing body awareness and self-trust can help mothers make decisions that are right for their unique families instead of chasing the illusion of the "perfect" parent.

We also dive into the emotional impact of birth stories, why unresolved birth experiences can shape motherhood for years, and how self-compassion isn't a luxury—it's an essential parenting skill. This conversation is a gentle reminder that motherhood isn't about getting everything right; it's about building the capacity to return to yourself, again and again.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why trusting your body matters during pregnancy and beyond
• How to make parenting decisions with confidence instead of fear
• The pressure of modern motherhood and unrealistic expectations
• Social media, comparison, and the myth of the "perfect mom"
• Building self-trust and emotional capacity
• The importance of boundaries and learning to say no
• Why birth stories deserve to be processed—not ignored
• How self-compassion helps us become more resilient parents
• The difference between surviving motherhood and truly experiencing it
• Why you don't have to have motherhood figured out before your baby arrives

If this conversation resonated with you and you'd like to learn more about Twyla's work supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, you can connect with her here:

🌿 Website: somaing.ca
📷 Instagram: @inside.mothering

If this episode spoke to your heart, please subscribe to the Mamingo Podcast, leave a review, and share it with another mom who needs this conversation. Your support helps more mothers discover these honest, meaningful discussions.

Because the most important relationship you'll build in motherhood isn't only with your child—it's also the one you rebuild with yourself.

Motherhood asks us to become flexible in ways no workplace, calendar, or five-year plan ever could.

In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie De Santis, my friend, an experienced educator, PhD and a mom of 2 boys to talk about raising a 2-month-old and a 3-year-old while navigating a world that often expects mothers to fit into rigid systems.

We explore:
What “being a mom” means in this season of her life
The experience of being denied workplace flexibility when she needed
How motherhood constantly teaches us to let go of control and adapt
Why flexibility is often treated as a weakness at work—but becomes a superpower at home
The emotional weight of trying to meet impossible expectations
How becoming a mother reshaped her identity, strength, and definition of leadership

One of my favorite takeaways from this conversation is that flexibility isn't giving up—it's learning to respond to life with resilience, compassion, and courage.

If you've ever had to rewrite your plans because of your children, felt unseen by systems that weren't built with parents in mind, or discovered a new version of yourself through motherhood, this episode is for you.

Connect with Stephanie:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/parentteacherpod/

What if the hardest part of parenting isn't raising our children—but learning how to understand ourselves?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Juli Fraga, psychologist, writer, and co-author of Parents Have Feelings Too, for an honest conversation about the emotional side of modern parenthood.

We explore why today's parents are doing something no previous generation has had to do quite like this: learning to re-parent themselves while raising their children. We talk about the impossible standards placed on mothers, why "mom guilt" dominates the parenting conversation while dads rarely experience the same level of shame, and why so many of us struggle to admit when parenting doesn't feel the way we expected.

Together, we discuss:

• Why we crave emotional connection more than perfect parenting
• The hidden shame behind feeling disappointed in ourselves—or even in our parenting experience
• Why perfection keeps us disconnected from our children and ourselves
• How emotional awareness (or the lack of it) shapes every interaction with our kids
• Why emotions are experienced in the body—not solved with the "right" words
• What it means to begin healing from within so we can show up more authentically for our families

This conversation is a gentle reminder that children don't need perfect parents. They need emotionally present ones.

If you've ever wondered whether you're doing enough, carrying invisible guilt, or feeling alone in your parenting journey, this episode is for you.

Connect with Dr. Juli Fraga

📖 Parents Have Feelings Too
https://www.amazon.ca/Parents-Have-Feelings-Too-Navigating/dp/B0DSKDFS7H

Juli's Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/parentshavefeelingstoo/

Juli's Psychology Today Profile
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/contributors/juli-fraga

Connect with Mamingo

Website
https://mamingo.ca

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thatverykate/

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another parent who could use this reminder: you have feelings too—and they matter.

In this thoughtful and deeply honest episode, I sit down with Shyanne McPherson, Director of Power4Teens, to explore what empowerment really means in a culture that constantly tells women to do more, achieve more, and somehow "have it all."

Together, we unpack the hidden cost of always striving, the fear many of us feel when we consider slowing down, and why letting go of expectations can feel both terrifying and liberating.

Shyanne shares her own experience of reaching burnout and making the courageous decision to step away from her work for a period of rest and reflection—a choice that challenged everything she thought strength was supposed to look like.

In a world that often equates empowerment with productivity, success, and endless resilience, we explore a different perspective: perhaps true empowerment is giving yourself permission to be human rather than superhuman.

We also talk about:
– why the "have it all" narrative can become exhaustion in disguise
– releasing control and embracing uncertainty
– navigating life without having all the answers
– the courage it takes to rest, pause, and reassess
– giving yourself permission to evolve and learn who you are becoming
– creating freedom from expectations—both others' and your own

This conversation is an invitation to soften, to trust yourself, and to remember that your worth is not measured by how much you can carry. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop, listen, and allow yourself the space to become.

Learn more about Shyanne and Power4Teens:

Power4Teens: https://power4teens.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/power4teens/

Learn more about my work:

https://mamingo.ca

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with author Katie Thomas to explore the story behind her beautiful children’s book The Flamingo That Lost Her Pink.

Through the gentle and symbolic journey of a flamingo mother who loses her vibrant color while caring for her baby, we open up a powerful conversation about motherhood, identity, and what it really means to give so much of yourself. This story resonates deeply with so many women who, at some point, feel like they’ve lost a part of who they are—only to discover that nothing is truly lost.

We also explore why this story, told through a bird, feels so deeply true. Animals don’t perform. They don’t curate or present a version of themselves to the world. They simply are. In that way, the flamingo becomes an honest reflection of a phase so many mothers move through—one that is rarely shown or spoken about openly. There’s something profoundly real and disarming in that image, which is why it resonates on such a deep, almost instinctive level.

In our conversation, Katie and I talk about:
– the emotional reality of motherhood behind the picture-perfect moments
– identity shifts and the quiet grief many women carry
– self-reconnection and reclaiming your “pink” 

– why it’s hard to give yourself permission to care for yourself
– why stories like this matter for both children and parents

This episode is a gentle reminder that you are still there—whole, worthy, and evolving.

Explore Katie’s work:

Book: The Flamingo That Lost Her Pink
https://www.amazon.ca/Flamingo-That-Lost-Her-Pink/dp/1918097305/https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-flamingo-that-lost-her-pink/katie-thomas/shaun-russell/9781918097306

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theflamingothatlostherpink/

Learn more about my work: https://mamingo.ca

In this episode we will dive into moms' burnout. Did you know that the word 'burnout' was not considered to be related to parenting at all till a couple of years ago?

Did you know burnout has a very particular feature we don't usually think about?

Let explore moms' burnout together so we can support ourselves and other moms much better and on time.

Becoming a mom is a the most powerful transformation and change in your life. And after a huge change and challenge there is a recovery.

Recovery is a discovery of YOU.

Recovery takes time. Have you given yourself this time? Acknowledged the transformation on psysical, mental and emotional level?

Have you personally recognised what your body did? Did you show your respect to it?

Let's dive into these questions together.

Who am I now… and where did I go? 

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and barely recognized the woman staring back—this episode is for you.

In today’s podcast, we’re diving into mom identity:
💭 What it means to “lose yourself” in motherhood
💭 How the role of mom can quietly take over everything
💭 And how you can reclaim your sense of self—not by going back, but by embracing who you’ve become

Being a mom changed you—but it didn’t erase you.
You didn’t lose your color—you’ve evolved into a richer version of you.

In this episode, we’re diving deep into a powerful and often overlooked truth: the way you talk to yourself matters. As moms, we’re used to listening to everyone else — our kids, our partners, our responsibilities — but how often do we pause to truly listen to ourselves?

Join me as we explore the importance of self-talk and how becoming a better listener to yourself can be the first step to feeling more joyful, empowered, and like you again. We’ll talk about the different types of self-talk, how to recognize what’s really going on inside, and simple ways to reconnect with your inner voice.