Your Mom Has a Podcast

1 in 4 women will miscarry a pregnancy. It’s so common you probably know someone who has lost a pregnancy to miscarriage or have experienced it yourself. And, if you’re thinking, “Hmm…actually, I don’t know anyone who has miscarried” it might be because we don’t really talk about it.

Today’s guest, Clarissa Peppers, opens up about her very easy leap into motherhood but how carrying a second child to term was fraught with loss, confusion and anxiety. In the years between welcoming her eldest son, Rivers into the world, Clarissa and her husband, Nick, suffered 3 miscarriages before finally completing their family with a second son, Remy.

We talk about the emotional toll miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage can take on one’s physical and emotional health, how it can affect your relationship with your partner or spouse and why it is important to bring these things to light. How we need to allow more women to feel held and supported during a time where they may feel very isolated, first, afraid to share the joy of being pregnant and then the quiet suffering that comes with an early loss.

I think that, once you become a parent, that new role bleeds into every other part of your life. It informs your choices, your actions and it is nearly impossible to separate your role as “mom” from every other hat that you wear in your life.

Since I started this podcast and have had the privilege of speaking with all of my amazing guests, I have found that the ties that unite us as mothers transcend race, culture, economic status, geography…there are very real threads that bind us in this exclusive club. And one of those, I am recognizing, is how each of us pulls from our learnings as mothers and feels called to funnel that into our work both the 9 to 5 variety as well as work of the capital W variety.

For today’s guest, Emily, becoming a mother and the first year of motherhood with her infant daughter, sent her on a personal growth journey and down a career path that was never on her radar.

Tune in to today’s episode to hear Emily’s story of how she went from educator to mom to postpartum doula to running her own local doula agency here in Cincinnati and how her experience with postpartum depression was the catalyst that brought her to where she is today.

This is your mom has a podcast, I’m Amanda Strong

Rachel Brown is on a mission. When I was connected to her through a mutual friend, I was immediately intrigued by her diverse work history and how her relentless hustle and desire for knowledge has shifted since becoming a mother.

It seems that Rachel has always looked to carve an alternative path and has found it even more important to her as she looks to balance her desire to be as present and available as possible for her young daughter, Frankie, but also in pursuing entrepreneurship as a practitioner of Thai Yoga Massage, Microblading and trying to build a female owned and operated wellness and beauty business.

And, while Rachel now feels like she has found her place in how she grows internally through work and educational endeavors, another big piece of defining herself in the face of motherhood is how she presents to the world on the outside. Despite how you dress or wear your hair before kids, often, when we become mothers, we feel the need to soften or tone down our appearance to look more like a mom. But is it necessary? Listen in to find our more….

Amanda reads comments she received on Instagram from fellow moms in the thick of sheltering in place and how to deal with the "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HOMESCHOOL THESE KIDS?" 

In today's episode, I talk with Julietta Ladipo about mothering in the face of living without her own mother. We talk about that grief and how it lingers still today. Julietta also shares her experiences on the three main relationships she is focused on and how she balances each - where she has opportunities to grow and where she feels she's in her groove. 

Jonelle Zachary is a FORCE. 

She entered into motherhood at a young age while climbing the corporate ladder in fashion retail. She grew and exceeded expectations working alongside seasoned colleagues often twice her age. She.was.killing.it. 

And then? Unexpected transition. Her job was being eliminated and she had a big choice to make: leave Cincinnati and her network of friends and family to continue to pursue her career OR take a chance, stay where she is and find new opportunities so that her young son would have the opportunity to know his people and foster those relationships. 

Listen in to hear how Jonelle chose to bloom where she was planted, how she followed her passion for speaking and teaching and learn some of the mindful practices she employs when it comes to raising her pre-teen son. 

Season 2 is coming in hot and I am bringing so many amazing moms into the sunroom to talk about their experiences in motherhood. 

SUBSCRIBE so that you don't miss a single one and follow along on Instagram @yourmomhasapodcast or the latest updates, photos and information about each guest.

Today’s guests, Jen and Leah Kaiser met in grade school and became friends. As young adults who were both out, and after a series of bad breakups on both sides, a mutual friend suggested the two might be a good match.

They weren’t convinced.

But, the comment planted the seed and each interaction after, they found themselves growing closer, in a relationship and eventually? Happily married.

When it came to expanding their family, Leah knew she wanted children, Jen? Jen thought it might be more fun to have disposable income and like, a vacation home.

But, after an unexpected melanoma diagnosis for Leah, the two realized what was at stake and the idea of starting a family and leaving legacy through them became a driving force in their marriage.

Listen in to hear these moms talk about their experience in becoming pregnant, parenting their two small children and what it’s like raising good humans as a same sex couple.

I don’t know if I have ever gotten into much detail here about Why I actually started this podcast but today’s guest is part of it.

In 2009 when my husband and I were trying to conceive and starting our family, we were the ONLY people in our circle of friends entering into that stage of life. It was lonely. In those early years, and honestly, still today, I have sought out a gang of Internet mom friends through blogs and social media whose online presence and transparency in their motherhood experience makes me feel a little less alone and a lot less like I am always screwing things up.

Today’s guest Hillary co-wrote a blog with a college friend called, Not Raising Brats. I gobbled up every word. They were two years ahead of me in the parenting game and, as luck would have it, Hillary and I were expecting at the same time (her son Wes born less than 24 hours after I delivered Quinn!) so not only did I get to learn from their experiences with toddlers but I also had a mom going through the exact same things as I was and it was comforting having a long distance internet friend in pregnancy.

Just like Not Raising Brats was a lifeline for me in the early days of motherhood, that’s what I hope for with this podcast. A little virtual life line that helps other mothers to feel al little less alone in whatever parenting hurdle they face.

Today Hillary and I talk about what it is like raising sons. If you ask her sons what their family motto is they will first ask if they can “cuss” and then tell you it’s to not be an asshole.

We talk about how she is mindful to open up her sons’ experiences and extra circular opportunities to things outside of their personal interests in the hopes of exposing them to things that may not necessarily be targeted to boys and men. We also talk about the importance of reading and how Hillary has cultivated a love for literacy in her home and how you can help your children love to read too.

Last week I had popped on to Facebook and happened to land on the Mom group page for our part of town. As I quickly scrolled through the most recent posts, one in particular caught my attention.

It was a local mom looking to raise funds and collect toys for a toy drive that she hosts each year in memory of her son Christian.

Christian died in 2014 at just 19 months old from a rare form of pediatric melanoma. A few months after he had passed, Tanya went to visit Christian’s grave site only to see the memorial items they had placed there were stolen.

A friend started a fundraiser to help Tanya. The outpouring of support was more than they had anticipated and so, with the extra money the formed a plan. They would purchase toys for sick children at Cincinnati Children’s, The Shriner’s Hospital and The Dragonfly Foundation.

This year will be the fourth year for the Christina Kennedy Graham Toy Drive. Listen in to today’s episode to hear Tanya’s experience as Christin’s mom and how his sunny outlook, even in the face of terminal illness, inspired her and her family to lean toward happy.