Mothergood®

Has breastfeeding always been so hard? Have women always been shamed for not being able to breastfeed? Emily Kearney dives into the history of breastfeeding, why it matters, and the shame surrounding it. 

How do we prevent our children from becoming victims of child abuse? While we as parents would rather just not think about it, the reality is that at least one in seven children in the United States experience child abuse. But, we as parents can do a lot to prevent it.

Consent educator and child abuse prevention specialist Rosalia Rivera discusses how to educate our children about body safety, boundaries, and consent along with how we as parents can minimize opportunities for abuse. She also talks about how to keep an open line of communication with our children to talk about these matters so that if they find themselves in a bad situation, they can tell us parents so that we can get them out of that situation.

Although most of us think of abuse happening at the hands of a stranger, Rosalia also explains that a lot of abuse happens between children or by a trusted adult, who gain access to children by grooming. She gives many tips on what to look out for in order to avoid children getting into these situations, how rape culture affects everything, how to teach our kids about secret safety, and shares invaluable resources, plus must more.

You can find Dr. Ahmed on Instagram at @drtayahmed.

Kay founded Tinker the Robot, which is a subscription STEM activity service for kids that can be found here: www.tinkertherobot.com/

Watch the VIDEO BY CLICKING HERE

What role does the intellectual life play in the lives of mothers? Too often mothers are reduced to their emotional life which – while beautiful – does not encompass all that we are. Rachel Bulman chats about how we as mothers are more than how we “feel”, and while we are learning the value of our emotions – and of the freedom required to actually feel happiness, sadness, joy, or anger – we must not allow ourselves to be reduced to them alone. Amidst the craziness of motherhood, Rachel gives practical tips on how mothers can challenge themselves to think deeply, to be moved intellectually, to ask questions and keep looking for answers. 

Have you experienced an unplanned pregnancy?  What would you do if a friend confided in you that she was pregnant and it was not expected?  Alexa Hyman, founder of Back in February, shares her difficult, yet beautiful and inspiring, journey through an unplanned pregnancy and how motherhood is the best thing that has ever happened to her.  She talks about how to support a friend who has an unexpected pregnancy, how to create a space for negative feelings while still remaining positive and hopeful, tips for working moms and single moms, and how to support those who are navigating motherhood alone.

Do you want a big family? Or, do you want a smaller family but would like to implement some handy tips and tricks that big families have learned? Adele Collins shares her wisdom and practical advice for having more than the average size family.  She has seven children—six plus one on the way. 

Adele shares the joy and beauty of having a big family, along with the struggles and negativity. Now, this episode isn't meant to promote a big family for every single family—many families have financial, health, fertility, or other reasons for having a small family. Every family size is absolutely beautiful, whether big or small. This episode on big families is important because they are definitely a segment of our population that often gets a lot of negativity and bashing and are not always supported, so this is a way to support big families and show that big families are beautiful as well. It's obviously must more "socially acceptable" to have the average 1.9 children that most Americans have. This episode also encourages moms out there who maybe want a big family, but feel negative societal or familial pressures to not have one when they really want one. If you are a mom listening and never intend on having a big family or can't, that is 100% ok too! For those who don't want to or can't have big families, Adele shares some tips she has learned from having a big family that also apply to families of every size. So, whether you have one child, 10 children, or even no children because you are struggling with infertility, you will find this episode both inspiring and filled with practical tips you can implement in your families.

Is your child a picky eater? Are you frustrated with meal time?  Is your child always hungry and asking for a snack?  Do you want your child to have a healthy relationship with food and a healthy body image both as a child and adult?  Pediatric dietician Ashley Smith shares the best practical tips on how to properly feed your children, how to approach meal time, how to incorporate more variety and healthy foods, plus many more. Her tips are applicable for parents of children of all ages!