Pearls of Motherhood

I made a parenting decision I felt really good about. Then my daughter went and ruined the whole plan.

In the Season 5 finale, Diana realizes the person who wasn’t ready for preschool might not be her four-year-old after all. What starts with a forgotten Clifford, a rejected goodbye kiss, and way too many fake bathroom trips turns into a much bigger question:

Does changing your mind mean you got it wrong—or that you kept paying attention?

Plus, there’s one more plan Diana is changing before Season 5 ends.

You do you, mama.

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

I’ve reached a point where being given free time causes an existential crisis.

In this episode of Pearls of Motherhood, Diana explores what happens when motherhood changes not just a woman’s priorities, but what she wants from life altogether. From ambition and success to identity, mental load, meaningful work, and ordinary family life, she asks a deceptively simple question:

What do you want now?

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

“I’ve created minimum viable motherhood.”

Not the least amount of effort we can give—but the question: What is essential for this to work right now?

Sometimes nothing enormous has happened. Life just keeps asking for more, and because we’re still functioning, we assume we must be fine. But being capable and having capacity aren’t always the same thing.

In this solo episode, Diana explores allostatic load, why efficiency can’t create emotional bandwidth and the realization she had while planning her daughter’s birthday:

She’s not asking me for more. I’m asking me for more.

What if doing less doesn’t mean caring less? What if “enough” is allowed to change when our circumstances do?

The next time you think, I should be doing more, ask: Who is actually asking me for more?

Inspirations and Further Reading

• Bruce S. McEwen and Eliot Stellar, “Stress and the Individual: Mechanisms Leading to Disease”
• Bruce S. McEwen, “Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load”
• Eric Ries, “Minimum Viable Product: A Guide”

Has your capacity changed without your expectations changing with it?

Connect with Pearls of Motherhood at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com or follow @pomcasts on Instagram, Facebook and Threads.

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

What happens when you finally get everything you wanted—and discover that you’re still allowed to want more?

After waiting 13 years to become a mother, Diana believed reaching motherhood would end the wanting. But eventually, a quiet restlessness surfaced—not regret or unhappiness, but the feeling that parts of her still needed somewhere to go.

In this episode, Diana explores why mothers often put their desires on trial, the difference between making decisions and feeling like the author of your life, and why wanting creativity, rest, meaningful work, friendship, or simply an hour to yourself doesn’t make you ungrateful.

Maybe motherhood can be enough without having to be everything. Maybe desire isn’t a demand to change your life—it’s information about the person who is still living inside it.

Inspirations and Further Reading:

• Richard M. Ryan and Edward L. Deci, “Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitation of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being” — the foundational framework describing autonomy, competence, and connection or relatedness as basic psychological needs.
• Katrijn Brenning and Bart Soenens, “A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Postpartum Depressive Symptoms and Early Parenting Behaviors” — research examining psychological need satisfaction and frustration during the transition to motherhood.

What is one thing you want more of—not because your life is lacking, but because it helps you feel more present inside it?

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

Have you ever felt completely confident in a parenting decision…until another mom made a different one?

After a seemingly ordinary conversation at her daughter’s dentist appointment, Diana found herself questioning a decision she had felt perfectly comfortable with just minutes earlier.

Nothing about her daughter had changed. Nothing about her family had changed.

Only her confidence had.

In this solo episode of Pearls of Motherhood, Diana explores why motherhood can make us so sensitive to comparison and approval, why we sometimes find ourselves defending parenting choices nobody even questioned, and whether what we're really searching for isn't approval at all—but connection.

Because another mom doing things differently doesn't mean you're doing it wrong.

Maybe thoughtful motherhood doesn't require unanimous approval. Maybe it requires knowing your child, remaining open to learning, and trusting yourself enough to make the choices that fit your family.

You do you, mama.

Further Reading and Inspirations:

Festinger, L. (1954). A Theory of Social Comparison Processes. Human Relations, 7(2), 117–140. DOI

Mazumdar, K., & Kour, P. (2026). Tracing the developmental arc of matrescence: a phenomenological study of urban Indian mothers. BMC Women’s Health, 26, 331. Study

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

Why do we think getting everything we've ever wanted should protect us from struggle?

After 13 years of infertility, Diana believed that finally becoming a mother would make every heartbreak, setback, and sacrifice worth it.

Instead, she found herself navigating postpartum anxiety, questioning why motherhood felt so much harder than she expected, and wondering if gratitude and struggle could really exist at the same time.

In this deeply personal solo episode, Diana reflects on the gap between the mother she imagined becoming and the mother she was actually becoming. Together, we'll explore maternal identity, the psychology behind the "arrival fallacy," self-compassion, and why becoming a different mother than you expected doesn't mean you've become the wrong one.

If you've ever found yourself thinking, "I wanted this...so why is it so hard?" this episode is for you.

Season 5 is about one idea: Motherhood, but make it mine.

Further Reading & Inspiration

• Stumbling on Happiness — Daniel Gilbert

• Four Thousand Weeks — Oliver Burkeman

• The Birth of a Mother — Daniel N. Stern

• Psychological Processes of Childbearing — Joan Raphael-Leff

• Research by Dr. Alexandra Sacks & Dr. Catherine Birndorf on matrescence and maternal identity

• Research by Dr. Michel Dugas on intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — Postpartum mental health

• American Psychological Association — Anxiety, perfectionism, and coping with uncertainty

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

What if success isn't something you achieve...but something you redefine?

Sue Stadler thought she knew exactly what her life would look like: law school, a prestigious legal career, and a carefully planned future. Instead, motherhood rewrote the script.

In this episode, Diana sits down with her longtime friend, former attorney, entrepreneur, and mom of six, Sue Stadler, for an honest conversation about career pivots, trusting your instincts, redefining success, and building a life that truly fits your family.

Together, they explore why confidence often comes after taking the first step, how to stop measuring your life against everyone else's, and why the best roadmap for motherhood might be the one you create yourself.

If you've ever questioned your career, your parenting decisions, or whether you're on the "right" path, this conversation is for you.

Season 5 is about one idea: Motherhood, but make it mine.

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

What if the hardest part of motherhood isn't raising a child...but letting go of the mother you thought you'd be?

Before becoming a mom, Diana imagined flowers, tea parties, bows, and sparkles.

Instead, she's collecting bugs, learning about construction vehicles, and hearing passionate opinions about sword fighting from a spirited little girl who had other plans.

In the Season 5 premiere of Pearls of Motherhood, Diana explores the invisible rulebook so many moms carry—the expectations we inherit from family, culture, social media, and even our younger selves.

Together, we'll unpack mom guilt, maternal identity, parenting expectations, and the surprising freedom that comes when we stop asking whether we're doing motherhood "right" and start asking whether we're doing what's right for our family.

If you've ever looked around and wondered why your motherhood doesn't look the way you imagined, this episode is for you.

Season 5 is about one idea: Motherhood, but make it mine.

Further Reading & Inspiration

• The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood — Sharon Hays

• The Birth of a Mother — Daniel N. Stern

• Psychological Processes of Childbearing — Joan Raphael-Leff

• Research on matrescence and maternal identity

• Research on cultural differences in parenting and family systems

• American Academy of Pediatrics safe sleep recommendations

• Research on maternal guilt, self-compassion, and parental well-being

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

What happens when you can’t hold everything together anymore?

In this deeply personal Season 4 finale of Pearls of Motherhood, Diana opens up about postpartum anxiety after her C-section, the pressure moms feel to “do it all,” and the hidden emotional toll of constantly trying to stay in control during uncertain seasons of motherhood.

From obsessing over laundry and routines while recovering postpartum to the guilt, overstimulation, and emotional exhaustion so many moms silently carry, this episode explores the psychology behind why mothers over-function when life feels overwhelming—and why struggling does not mean you’re failing.

Plus, a heartfelt listener mail from a mom of two toddlers sparks an honest conversation about mom guilt, emotional regulation, mental overload, self-criticism, and the impossible expectations modern mothers place on themselves.

If you’ve ever:

• felt emotionally exhausted in motherhood
• struggled with postpartum anxiety or overwhelm
• wondered why you can’t “just handle it better”
• felt guilty for not enjoying every moment
• felt like you were barely holding it together

…this episode is for you.

Because motherhood isn’t about holding everything together perfectly.

Sometimes the bravest thing a mom can do… is stay.

✨ Topics discussed:
Postpartum recovery, maternal mental health, emotional overload, mom guilt, overstimulation, perfectionism, intolerance of uncertainty, emotional regulation, identity shifts in motherhood, self-compassion, and parenting through hard seasons.

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook: @pomcasts 💛

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls! 

Ever looked at your child in a moment and thought…
“why don’t they care?”

When your kid ignores someone crying, grabs a toy without a second thought, or says “I don’t care” with full eye contact—it can feel personal. Like you’re failing. Like something’s off.

But what if the truth is simpler… and a whole lot more relieving?

In this episode of Pearls of Motherhood, we’re saying something out loud that most moms think but don’t say:
👉 some kids just don’t care… yet.

We break down what empathy actually looks like in child development (hint: it’s not automatic), why your child’s brain might not be there yet, and how to stop feeling like a broken record repeating “be kind” all day long.

You’ll learn:

• Why empathy is a capacity issue, not a character flaw
• The 3 layers of empathy (and why most of us jump straight to the last one)
• How to teach empathy in real life—without losing your mind
• Why connection works better than correction
• What to do instead of forcing apologies
• A simple, in-the-moment formula: notice it, name it, guide it

We also talk about the emotional side of this—those moments that make you question everything—and how to reframe them with a little more compassion (for your child and yourself).

Because empathy isn’t something you can force.
It’s something you grow—slowly, imperfectly, and over time.

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio.

💌 Got something to say? We’d love to hear it! Drop us some Fan Mail here—tell us what you’re loving, share a mama moment, or just say hi! 🎧 Your words might just make it into a future episode! 💕 — Tessie & Diana 💖

Support the show

Got ideas, questions, or stories to share? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] or connect with us on Instagram @PoMCasts. Also follow our blog at www.pearlsofmotherhood.com.

Stay tuned for more fun and more Pearls!