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In this unforgettable episode, we're revisiting a conversation that blew our minds—and helped reframe everything we thought we knew about ADHD, motherhood, and what it means to be “too much.”

Tracy Otsuka is the host of the wildly popular ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast and author of the book by the same name. A former attorney and certified ADHD coach, Tracy has become a global voice for women who are tired of being pathologized—and ready to celebrate what makes them different.

In this conversation, we cover:

• Why ADHD in women is often misunderstood, masked, and misdiagnosed
• How “smart girl syndrome” leads to high achievement—and high self-doubt
• The difference between the default mode network (DMN) and task positive network (TPN), and why they matter so much to ADHD brains
• The real reason motherhood can feel like Groundhog Day for women with ADHD
• How to get out of your head and into aligned action
• The truth about trauma, shame, and learned helplessness in ADHD women
• Why perfectionism and creativity often co-exist in neurodivergent women
• How Tracy’s approach brings humor, empowerment, and healing to thousands of women

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a reframe. If you’ve ever felt like the “too much” girl who couldn’t keep up with motherhood, or like you’re sitting on a pile of potential you just can’t access, this episode is for you.

Featured Guest:
Tracy Otsuka is a certified ADHD coach, former SEC attorney, and the creator of the ADHD for Smart Ass Women podcast and book. Her podcast has over 5 million downloads and reaches listeners in 160 countries. She’s been featured in Forbes, ADDitude Magazine, and The Goal Digger Podcast, and moderates a Facebook group with nearly 100,000 members.

Resources & Mentions:

• Tracy Otsuka’s Podcast: ADHD for Smart Ass Women
• Dr. Sharon Saline
• Dr. Christine Li (The Procrastination Coach)

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Steph sits down with writer, academic, and fellow ADHD-er Wendy Robinson to talk about how she wrote an entire novel in six months—while working full time and managing ADHD. This is a must-listen whether you're a writer, a creative, or just someone juggling a big project with a neurodivergent brain. Spoiler: it’s not about willpower—it’s about systems, self-compassion, and knowing your brain.

• Wendy wrote her novel in 6 months (!), thanks to structure, support, and knowing what works for her ADHD brain.
• They talk about the real executive functioning challenges that come with ADHD and how women especially are impacted.
• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is real and so relatable—especially when launching creative work into the world.
• Steph and Wendy bond over the “good girl” ADHD diagnosis story—how so many women go undiagnosed because they weren’t disruptive, just “daydreamy” and perfectionistic.
• Wendy shares her systems for getting big projects done: think writing retreats, body doubling at coffee shops, and her trusty “go bag.”
• The Parking Lot and Forward Only strategies are game-changers for staying focused and avoiding perfection paralysis.
• Why many ADHD women procrastinate by being too productive—but only for other people.
• Writing accountability groups are magic. External motivation > internal guilt.
• How Wendy redefined success: It’s not about the book deal. It’s about keeping promises to yourself and finishing the damn manuscript.
• Substack, querying, and how to cope when rejection stings like a wasp.
• “You don’t have to do it. But you’ll regret it if you don’t.” —On choosing your pain and finishing creative work.
  
  🧠 Quote of the Episode:
  “You’re seeing the scaffolding, not the reason the scaffolding is there.” — Wendy, on why high-functioning ADHD can still be deeply challenging.
  
  Wendy Robinson is a writer and higher ed nerd. In addition to working on a novel, she writes personal essays about parenting, life as a woman in middle age, pop culture, and more at her Substack Open Water (https://wendyrobinson.substack.com/).
• She also writes about all things higher education with a focus on the college admissions and financial aid processes to help parents of high school students feel less stressed at her other Substack, College Sanity (https://collegesanity.substack.com/).

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This replay features one of the most pivotal episodes in the history of the Mother Plus Podcast—a conversation that sparked a major shift in the show’s direction.

In this episode, hosts Stacey and Steph sit down with licensed clinical mental health counselor Leah Barnes to explore what ADHD actually looks like in adult women, especially mothers. At the time, they were just beginning to uncover how different ADHD presents in women—and how often it goes undiagnosed or misunderstood. The response to this episode was overwhelming, with listeners flooding their inboxes saying, “I’ve never felt so understood.”

This powerful conversation helped launch a deep dive into ADHD in women, eventually leading to interviews with top experts including psychologists, hormone specialists, coaches, and authors. But this episode? This is where it all started.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

• Why ADHD symptoms in women are often overlooked or misdiagnosed
• The emotional toll of masking, perfectionism, and people-pleasing
• How motherhood intensifies executive function struggles
• The shame spiral of unfinished tasks and sensory overload
• Why recognizing and naming ADHD can be profoundly healing

If you've ever wondered why simple things feel impossibly hard—or why you constantly feel like you're falling short as a mom—this episode will leave you feeling seen and validated.

Links & Resources:

• Listen to Part 2 of the Leah Barnes conversation

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If the thought of summer break has your nervous system clenching—hi, you’re not alone. In this honest and unfiltered solo episode, Stacey shares what she’s doing differently this summer as an ADHD mom. Spoiler: it has nothing to do with sticker charts, schedules, or rhythms & routines. Instead, it’s about trusting her gut, working with her energy, and building her capacity to handle the chaos that comes with summer.

You’ll hear:

• How a book (How to Choose by Tara McMullin) cracked something wide open for her
• What Human Design is, and how it’s helped her stop trying to “do summer right”
• Why ADHD moms can fall into the trap of thinking they’re too fragile for this
• How capacity work (inspired by @Raquel_the_capacity_expert) is helping her shift out of that mindset
• A mindset shift for those of you who strongly dislike imaginative floor play
• Her personal mantra for this summer—and how you can borrow it
• What you can expect from the Mother Plus Podcast this summer

This episode is your permission slip to stop forcing and start feeling. You’re stronger than you think, and you don’t have to reinvent yourself this summer. You just have to stay with yourself.

Find your human design here: https://humandesignblueprint.com/

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Today’s episode is a love letter to the overwhelmed, over-achieving, screen-time-guilty mom. Stace and Steph get honest about their screen time journeys—from Baby Einstein and Mickey Mouse & Lara Bars to curated slideshow nights and learning the Thriller dance with their kids.

We unpack why the all-or-nothing approach to screens doesn’t work, especially for neurodivergent moms. We talk about the real cost of guilt, the need for rest, and how to make screen time work for you instead of feeling like it’s happening to you.

Plus, we’re introducing our first-ever sponsor, Lingokids—an app that blends learning, creativity, and independence in a way that finally feels good. No guilt. No ads. Just permission to take a break while your kids explore a screen that actually teaches.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How “no screen time” became a badge of honor—and a fast track to burnout
• The truth about parenting in the 2000s vs. today
• Why guilt-free screen time is a form of self-preservation
• Ways to balance tech with bonding
• Our favorite educational and nostalgic screen-time moments
• How the Lingokids app has become a saving grace in our homes

Links + Resources:

Use code MOTHERPLUS to get 30% off the Lingokids app.

Join the convo:
What’s your screen time strategy? Do you have a “Mickey Mouse and Lara Bar” routine or a “Thriller Dance Break” of your own? DM us or tag us on Instagram @motherpluspodcast with your stories

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In this deeply personal episode, we talk about something that never gets talked about in the ADHD world: breast implants.

Stace sits down with listener and friend Lauren Ungar to unpack her 20-year journey from getting breast implants at 21 to having them removed after a dangerous rupture. But this isn’t just a conversation about cosmetic surgery—it’s about ADHD masking, body shame, and the pressure to become someone you’re not just to feel "okay."

Lauren shares:

• Why undiagnosed ADHD shaped how she saw her body
• The truth about breast implant safety (and what most women aren’t told)
• What happened when she removed them—and finally saw herself clearly
• How ADHD played a role in ignoring her body’s signals
• Why she’s never felt more confident, even with “imperfect” boobs

This episode will challenge you to think differently about beauty, confidence, and what it really means to come home to yourself.

TW: This episode discusses body image, plastic surgery, and disordered eating.

👉 Share this with a friend who’s ever considered a "mommy makeover." This might change their mind.

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We’ve talked about ADHD from a psychological perspective, and we’ve talked about trauma and emotional dysregulation. But in this episode, we’re exploring a different root cause: nutrition. Julia Ross—psychotherapist, pioneer of amino acid therapy, and author of The Mood Cure—joins us to explain how protein, neurotransmitters, and even your blood sugar may be behind your mood, focus, and energy struggles.

You’ll learn:

• The five key amino acids that regulate mood, attention, and cravings
• The real reason so many moms feel out of control with food
• The difference between ADHD and hyperactivity—and what amino acid might help with each
• Why Julia doesn’t recommend a specific supplement brand—and how you can start exploring this on your own

Resources Mentioned:

• Julia’s website: www.juliarosscures.com
• Take the Mood Cure Questionnaire: Mood Cure Quiz
• Julia’s books: The Mood Cure, The Craving Cure
• Julia’s YouTube channel for live reactions to amino acid therapy

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In this episode, we cover:

• What a 504 plan actually is
• Why Steph chose to pursue one for her daughter before high school
• The emotional toll of being a “good girl” in a broken system
• How to stay in your body during uncomfortable meetings
• The difference between being lazy and needing accommodations
• What her daughter’s plan includes—and why it matters
• Encouragement for any parent wondering if they’re “overreacting” or “asking too much”

This one is for the ADHD mom who's tired of her kid feeling like they’re failing in a system that wasn’t built for them.

Have questions about this? Have a personal experience you'd like to share? Email us hello@motherplusser.com or DM us on Instagram.

Craving a tool that will help your good girl tendencies chill out as you work through ADHD motherhood? Download our ADHD Good Girls Survival Guide HERE.

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