What happens when the emotional, hormonal, and cultural shifts of perimenopause intersect with the daily realities of motherhood? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Cristina Cavezza - clinical psychologist, certified Motherhood Studies practitioner, and mother of twins - for a powerful conversation on the complexities of midlife mothering.

Cristina shares her clinical and lived experience of working with mothers during the menopausal transition, exploring how body image, eating habits, and emotional wellbeing are shaped by both personal history and broader systems of power. We talk about the role of objectification theory, the impact of internalised shame and societal shoulds, and the importance of approaching our inner worlds with compassion and curiosity.

Cristina brings a trauma-informed, feminist lens to her work - blending schema therapy, EMDR, and therapeutic re-parenting to support women in understanding their emotional needs and reclaiming a more connected relationship with food, their bodies, and themselves.

She also offers a beautiful reminder about the importance of play - not just for our children, but for us too.

CONNECT WITH DR. CRISTINA CAVEZZA

📍 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_cristina_cavezza/?hl=en

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573518659491

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cristina-cavezza-222441209/

In this episode I’m joined by Jessica Tomich Sorci, LMFT - a Level 3 Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, Certified Perinatal Mental Health Professional, and the creator of “Mom Parts.” Jessica brings decades of experience in maternal mental health and introduces us to the profound concept of parts work within the context of motherhood. We explore how IFS offers a radically compassionate lens through which to understand maternal distress, not as pathology, but as a protective and adaptive system.

Jessica shares how her own postpartum years “blasted apart her psychological infrastructure,” and how discovering IFS brought the structure and depth she needed, both personally and professionally. We talk about her groundbreaking book When Good Moms Feel Bad (forthcoming in 2026 from Hachette Balance), which helps mothers reconnect with their inner wisdom through compassion, creativity, and curiosity. From rage and reactivity to grief, shame, and intergenerational wounds, this conversation holds space for the full range of the emotional experiences of mothers.

Connect with Jessica:

🌿 Website: https://www.instagram.com/jessicatomichsorci/

🌿 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicatomichsorci

🌿 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.sorci.14

I explore the emotional complexity that motherhood brings in the context of post-Mother’s-Day – and how we can feel both deep love and deep exhaustion, often in the same breath.

I speak to the invisible labour mothers carry, the craving to be seen, and the cultural expectations that shape how we think we “should” feel.

You'll hear some of my own reflections about ambivalence, overwhelm, tenderness, identity, and what it means to take up space as a mother.

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If this conversation resonates with you and you're curious about what it looks like to bring this lens into your current or future mother-care work, tune in to the previous episode: Ep 121 - A Free Training + A Final Invitation: The Next Wave of Motherhood Studies. I share details about the free Missing Piece training and the final days to join The Motherhood Studies Certification - https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies

Get your free training: https://motherhoodstudies.newzenler.com/courses/the-missing-piece-in-mother-care-work/buy?coupon=missingpiecefree

Enrol in the certification: https://motherhoodstudies.newzenler.com/courses/thenextwave/buy/plan/150986

Enrolment for the certification closes this Wednesday, May 14th.

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In this episode, I’m giving you a short and clear overview of the Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification - a globally recognised training that equips you with the frameworks, language, and tools to transform the way you support mothers (and see your own motherhood, too).

We are in the final days of enrolment – with the certification beginning May 19th

In this episode you’ll hear what makes this certification truly different (and why it’s still so rare), how it supports your personal growth and your professional work, and some of the outcomes you can expect - from increased clarity and confidence to ready-made client resources.

I’ve also created a free training for you to explore this work: The Missing Piece in Mother-Care Work: An Introduction to Motherhood Studies and the Sociological Lens. You’ll learn the foundational models and paradigm shifts we explore inside the certification.

Join us for a groundbreaking conversation with Professor Andrea O'Reilly, the internationally renowned pioneer who founded the field of Motherhood Studies. In this powerful episode, Dr O'Reilly shares her 40-year journey from questioning motherhood's absence in Women's Studies as a pregnant undergraduate to establishing an entire academic discipline dedicated to mothers' experiences. She discusses the creation of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative, Demeter Press (which has published nearly 200 titles), and concepts like "Mother Outlaws" and Matricentric Feminism. Key themes explored include the difference between patriarchal motherhood and empowered mothering, the ongoing struggle for legitimacy in academia, raising "outlaw children" against patriarchal norms, the vital importance of community for resistant mothers, and her vision for making mothers "the before thought, not the afterthought." Andrea reflects on the costs and joys of feminist mothering, the need for a mother-centered lens in all disciplines, and why mothers need their own feminism. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in understanding how motherhood shapes our world and how we can create more supportive spaces for all mothers.

Demeter Press Website: https://demeterpress.org/

In (M)otherwords (Prof O’Reilly’s essays) book: https://demeterpress.org/books/motherwords

The Mother Wave collection: https://demeterpress.org/books/the-mother-wave

Journal of the Motherhood Initiative, open access: https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm

For those inspired to dive deeper into this field, you can be trained in the sociology of motherhood through the Motherhood Studies Certification. The next wave of this certification has been directly inspired by my chapter in "The Mother Wave" book, helping to contribute to Dr O'Reilly's ground-breaking work, and turning Motherhood Studies concepts into practical application for professionals working with mothers - https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies

Listen to free training on The Missing Piece in Mother-Care Work here: https://motherhoodstudies.newzenler.com/courses/the-missing-piece-in-mother-care-work/buy?coupon=missingpiecefree

Content note: perinatal suicidality

In this episode Sophie speaks with midwife and Research Fellow Dr Laura Biggs, and CEO of PANDA Australia, Julie Borninkhof about the Making Sense of the Unseen partnership between the Stronger Futures CRE and the Murdoch Children’s REsearch Institute, PANDA Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia, and James Cook University.

In the episode you’ll hear discussed key findings from ground-breaking research conducted by the team on experiences of perinatal suicidality, the first study of its kind ever to be carried out. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in Australia and other high-income countries and yet so far, we’ve known little about women’s experiences of suicidality at this time in their lives. As discussed in this episode, the research identified that perinatal suicidality is driven by experiences of shame, and feelings of being disconnected and ‘defective’ as a mother.

We talk about how societal pressures and the perfect mother myth narrative profoundly impact women’s mental health, and share stories from the research that demonstrate the profound importance of compassionate care and rehumanising relationships and care experiences for mothers. This episode is an especially important listen for all of those who work in healthcare and/or with mothers.

We want to acknowledge the 139 women who shared their experiences of perinatal suicidality with the research team, as without their generosity, this research and this conversation on the podcast sharing these important findings would not be possible.

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Episode webpage: https://drsophiebrock.com/podcast119

Connect with Laura on Twitter @l_biggs

Follow PANDA on Facebook at facebook.com/pandanational and Instagram @pandanational

Laura Biggs’ email: [email protected]

Learn more about Making Sense of the Unseen: https://www.strongerfutures.org.au/making-sense-of-the-unseen

Read the journal article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10497323231164278

Support lines

Australia - www.panda.org.au/ - 1300 726 306

@pandanational @lifelineaustralia @13yarn

UK - pandasfoundation.org.uk/ - 0808 1961 776

USA - www.postpartum.net/ - Text “Help” to 800-944-4773 (EN)

The EU/EEA - Mental health helpline - 116 123

I share some updates and some talks I’m giving soon, along with the recording I took of when I was practicing my talk for the Matrescence Festival, organised by Claire Tonti and Lizzy Humber. In the talk I share about where the ‘perfect mother myth’ often starts in our own lives, what it is, how it connects to the broader ‘tank’ of motherhood that we’re all ‘swimming’ around in, and how mothering can be a catalyst for our own growth and development. Here are the links mentioned in the episode -

Parental Brain Summit - presenting on “Understanding the Care Career Conundrum: A Sociological Approach for Professionals" - https://info137--newbornparents.thrivecart.com/the-parental-brain-summit/

Breastfeeding Conference (May 9, 2025) presenting on "Beyond 'Good Mothers' and 'Good Babies': Sociological Insights on Cultural Ideals"

https://www.breastfeedingconferences.com.au/about/Broken-Sleep-Insights-and-evidence-based-approaches-to-infant-sleep?ref=XARAHE

Publications - Journal of Motherhood Initiative - 25th Anniversary Issue

https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/issue/view/2324

https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/issue/view/2324#:~:text=Maternal%20Legacies,Marie%20Porter%2C%20AM

The Mother Wave - https://demeterpress.org/books/the-mother-wave-theorizing-enacting-and-representing-matricentric-feminism/

The Next Wave of The Motherhood Studies Certification - https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies email [email protected] ‘enrolment’ if you’re interested in enrolling and would like the enrolment link

In this episode, I speak with mother of two and writer Tehla Bower about her book, "A Mother's Space: Permission to Pause." Tehla candidly shares her experience of disconnection after becoming a mother and her journey to shed both external and internal expectations, ultimately drawing on her maternal experience to reclaim space and redefine herself. She describes pivotal health events affecting her and her children that prompted a significant life shift. Tehla reflects on her formerly career-centric identity and how motherhood surprisingly reconnected her with forgotten parts of herself. We discuss societal judgment of mothers, including the dismissive "what a waste" comment she received while pregnant after completing her MBA, and examine how institutions reinforce oppressive structures impacting mothers. Tehla's story illustrates how mothers live within the 'tank,' subject to rules, expectations, and judgment, but can learn to 'mother against motherhood' (O'Reilly; Rich) and reclaim a space of their own. Learn more about Tehla and get your copy of “A Mother’s Space” here – www.tehlajane.com

https://www.instagram.com/tehla_jane/

https://www.facebook.com/tehla.jane/

In this episode with leadership facilitator and founder of Matermorphosis, Babette Lockefeer, we explore the powerful intersection of motherhood and leadership. Drawing from her experience in corporate leadership development and as a mother of three young boys, Babette shares her journey of discovering how matrescence mirrors the path of authentic leadership. The conversation explores how the changes that come with becoming a mother can create unique opportunities for growth and learning, and we discuss the importance of reclaiming our role as mothers as an asset rather than a liability in professional spaces. Babette reflects on the power of mothering as a catalyst for transformation in both our personal and professional lives.

Connect with Babette:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/babette-l-85693326

Babette's leadership development company: https://www.theoryy.org/

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

Resonated with Babette's 'mountains' analogy from the episode? Check out her program - The Mother Mountain: https://www.matermorphosis.org/

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Ready to transform how you support mothers in paid work through their biggest challenges? Join Dr Sophie's professional development training - Mothers at Work - a program that equips coaches, consultants, and leaders with evidence-based sociological frameworks and practical tools to help mothers navigate guilt, the mental load, and workplace challenges while building lasting confidence in both their careers and mothering journeys. https://drsophiebrock.com/mothersatwork

Use coupon code - podcastmothersatwork - for a 10% discount. Coupon code valid until Feb 7th 2025

Julia Jones has over 15 years of experience as a postpartum doula, educator, and best-selling author and has trained over 1500 postpartum professionals in over 60 countries through her worldwide leading education training for postpartum professionals. In this episode Julia shares about her entry into the space of postpartum support, differences in postpartum support practices around the world, and the development of her long-term vision in revolutionising postpartum care practices through Newborn Mothers. Julia’s initial interest in ayurvedic practices led her down the path of offering postpartum care, but there was a lack of formal training options when she started 15 years ago. Julia shares her journey in filling this gap through her business and community. We talk about boundaries, working from data rather than assumptions, and making intentional choices. We discuss the professionalisation of postpartum care and hear Julia’s vision of a world where postpartum care is understood as integral to the health and wellbeing of families, and postpartum care professionals are given the recognition, support and respect that they deserve.

Connect with Julia:

Website: https://newbornmothers.com/

Postpartum Education and Care Professional Training: https://newbornmothers.com/training

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewbornMothers

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

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If you work in mother-care and have trained in any of Dr Sophie's professional development programs or would like to, check out her upcoming in-person event: Evolve 2025 on Saturday February 22nd: https://drsophiebrock.com/evolve2025