The age old question: how does one juggle work and family? In today’s episode: not another ordinary mom, our guest Mridvika talks us through almost a decade of mothering twin boys. Mridvika is a high powered career woman, also a podcaster passionate about bringing stories of Indian mothers in her own podcast just an ordinary In fact, I had the privilege of appearing as a guest on her podcast and tell my story as well. (Find it here) 

In the episode today, Mridvika shares her experiences during a grueling pregnancy which saw her bed bound for months, to having premature babies and the heartache that brings. We talk about how much has changed from the 90’s where parenting challenges were hushed up to now where we are moving towards being more vulnerable about the experience. Mridvika is a wise old soul and her clarity and conviction as she shares her candid experiences are not ordinary at all!

I hope you find some extraordinariness in this honest story.

Have you ever worried about that conversation you had while your child was in the room, wondering if they heard? In today’s episode, In the Same Room, guest Nishevita Aiyer takes us on an interesting journey, from the child’s point of view. We talk about some difficult questions like regret and the harm parents may unintentionally cause their children. Nishevita has a unique vantage point in this discussion, and the amount of thought she has put into each of these questions will give you so much food for thought! This episode is called in the same room, not just because we are talking about the conversations children overhear but also because this was the first episode I recorded in the same room with my guest and for that this is a really special episode for me as well. I hope you enjoy the many questions this episode raises.

Have you ever avoided going to a social occasion dreading the questions about having a child? In today’s episode When is the good news? Psychologist Shama Shah talks to us about consent or the lack of it when individual’s reproductive choices are discussed in families and social functions. We talk about being therapists in the Indian context and how our various identities play a role in the kind of therapists we are. We share our journey of coming to terms with the label feminist and explore the way it has changed over the years. Shama is so good at articulating the complex, nuanced aspects of life and she brings all of to the episode today. We discuss the value of the journey over the finality of a decision and the power of having a choice. I hope you this episode brings more choices to your awareness.

What is it like for a non-binary person to explore the possibility of being a parent? Can we learn to separate gender from parenting and the parent themselves? In today's episode: Beyond the Gender Binary we explore how gender interacts with parenting with our guest Tanushree.

Tanushree is a 26 yr old Queer-Trans Sexuality Educator in Delhi. While their academic background is in political science, growing up as a queer trans person in Gurgaon sexuality and how individuals experience their own gender and sexuality in a society that enforce cisheteronormativity always fascinated them. To them it was no surprise that sexuality education became their calling cause it allowed them to express themselves in their most authentic sense while also creating spaces where others could do so.

In this episode, they have been so open and generous with their story that you folks are up for a real treat! If you have ever had questions about gender, this episode will fill you with deeper questions!

TW: explicit language and graphic descriptions of medical condition and trauma

We all come from a long line of mothers. A lot of our mothering also comes from the way we were mothered. In today’s episode, Mother and The Divine Feminine we look beyond the here and now and reflect on how the past impacts the way we mother. We talk to spiritual entrepreneur Neelam about the principles of the divine feminine, ancestral trauma and the mother wound. Today’s episode is slightly different from our usual stories of mothering. We explore spiritual questions and talk about larger narratives of societies and cultures, about our ancestors and their ways. Neelam is a powerful truth teller; her passion, wisdom and authenticity shines through her strong and beautiful voice. If you have ever wondered about where we come from, this episode is just for you.

What is it like to mother twins, one who is neurotypical and one who is neuro divergent?  In today’s episode, Gopika Kapoor, neurodiversity consultant, author of 5 books, Podcast Host and mother of twins shares how having a spiritual perspective has helped her in her almost 18-year-old mothering journey. We talk about the time it takes to fall in love with children and slowing growing to enjoy them for the persons they become. We discuss the challenges of seeking help, the empty nest syndrome and of course – Mom Guilt. This conversation with Gopika was reflective, warm and full of nostalgic elements. You definitely want a fragrant cup of tea to go with this one.

Gopika's latest book: https://www.amazon.in/Beyond-Blue-Love-Life-Autism/dp/1636697186

What is the story you are telling yourself? This is a question I often use to reflect on difference between events in our life and what we make it mean. And todays podcast guest, Shruti Bharath demonstrates how the power of choosing one’s life narrative can impact one’s mothering experience. Join us as we unpeel layers of the mythology of motherhood and the reality of it in the modern Indian context. Both of us identify as Highly sensitive people – a genetic trait that refers to increased sensitivity to sensory, social and emotional cues. In short, HSPs experience life in HD. Shruti owns her HSPness and all of her mothering actually through this lovely heart warming sharing. We talk about difficult things like the insecurities of having hired help , rage towards partners and the mental load of being a wife and a mother. Shruti has shared so much insight packed into a single conversation! I hope you relish this one!

Shruti's Blog: http://honest.ly/

We live in times of information overload, everything you can imagine exists on the internet including the how to be a good mother. But is all of that right and most importantly right for us? In todays season finale: Internet Mothering, our guest is the amazing Dr. Ashlesha Bagadia, a perinatal Psychiatrist and mother who sits down with us to make sense of this chaos. We talk about her very personal mothering journey and hop in and out of the expert role analyzing the parenting during the pandemic and the impact of mom bloggers who seem to have found the answers to everything can have on us. Dr. Ashlesha is so refreshingly honest about her own mothering style and values and having her on this episode reinforced why having her as a mentor is a dream.

If you have ever felt drowned in parenting advice and felt more lost than ever, this episode is just for you.

Culture often tells mothers that making art and having children are incompatible pursuits. But is that really true? Our guest on today’s episode, Lavanya Shanbogue has proved them wrong by example. She wrote her first novel when her son was a year old and lives to share the tale with us. In the episode she kindly shared with us her interesting trajectory and how she translates the academic ideas of feminism into the practical realm of mothering. We also explore some other common tropes: the hum do and humare do requirement and the recipe to defy it, maintaining coupledom while parenting and the sticky business of advising our past selves on mothering.

Like she says: Each of us has unique ways of making meaning of the things that happen to us: for some it’s a joke, or a novel or a gorgeously decorated home. In many ways, this podcast is also a way to do just that. Finding a way to ask questions and express ourselves. Lavanya brought all of herself to this freewheeling conversation I hope you enjoy her articulate thoughts as much as I did.

Did you know breastfeeding can make you orgasmic? 33% to 50% of breastfeeding mothers described breastfeeding as erotic, showing that these feelings are completely normal and common.

In today’s episode: Pleasurehood we talk to Apurupa (IG handle: @inapurupriate) a lawyer-turned-sexuality educator about two seemingly antithetical areas: motherhood and pleasure. We begin by talking about the calling in and calling out culture and discuss what it means to be a bad feminist. We discuss the complex nature of mother-daughter relationships and explore non-normative ways of sexuality and relationships. This is hands down been my favourite episode to record because Apurupa is AMAZING, the thoughtful way in which she responds to my questions and asks me some as well is a delight through and through. She shares her personal narrative and most importantly for those listening, she shares very concrete steps to practicing pleasure in your own lives. You see we don’t take pleasure lightly.