Welcome, dear listener, to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

In this conversation, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz speaks with Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett — journalist, author, and columnist for The Guardian and Vogue — about the profound emotional and political layers of motherhood. Through her own journey, Rhiannon reflects on the uncertainty of choosing to have children, the unspoken vulnerability that follows, and the urgent need for better systems of care and community support for parents everywhere.

Together, they explore the tension between personal transformation and societal expectation — how motherhood reshapes identity, challenges old narratives, and reveals how deeply entwined the personal is with the political.

We talk about:

• 🌸 The tender uncertainty of becoming a mother — how few of us ever feel entirely “ready,” and how the decision to have children is layered with love, doubt, and longing.
• 🌿 The lifelong vulnerability motherhood brings, and how stepping into this role opens us to both immense joy and profound change.
• 🏠 Why the nuclear family no longer serves us, and how true support is found in wider circles of care — in community, friendship, and shared responsibility.
• 💗 The importance of mental health and open conversation, breaking the silence around the realities of matrescence and the emotional demands of caregiving.
• 🔥 The political awakening of motherhood, and how naming these challenges can become a radical act of truth-telling and transformation.

This episode is an invitation to see motherhood not just as a private journey, but as a deeply collective experience — one that calls for compassion, honesty, and courageous change.

If this conversation resonates, please share it with another mama who may need to hear that she is not alone. Together, we can rewrite the story of what it means to mother in today’s world.

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a journalist and writer. She is the co-author of The Vagenda, and the author of the novel The Tyranny of Lost Things, and the critically acclaimed memoir, The Year of the Cat, about deciding whether or not to have a baby. She is a columnist for the Guardian and Vogue, and has written for Elle, Stylist, the New Statesman, the Independent and Time.

📸 Instagram: @rhiannonlucycosslett

✖️ X (Twitter): @rhiannonlucyc

CHAPTERS:

00:00 The Journey to Motherhood: A Personal Exploration

05:55 The Reality of Motherhood vs. Expectations

11:43 Navigating Mental Health Postpartum

17:46 The Need for Support Systems in Parenting

23:41 Motherhood as a Political Experience

29:40 Hope and Change in Parenting Dynamics

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back, mamas.

In this return episode, I want to share something close to my heart — a reflection on my own journey through burnout, vulnerability, and change. Over the past few months, I’ve been reminded just how hard it can be to pause, to admit that we’re struggling, and to honour our need for rest. Motherhood asks so much of us, and yet within the breaking down, there is always a quiet invitation to begin again — softer, truer, more aligned with who we’re becoming.

Key Takeawways: :

• 🌸 The courage to be honest about our struggles, and the healing that comes when we stop pretending we’re okay.
• 🌿 The necessity of rest, and how stepping back allows space for renewal.
• 🌀 The shifting identity of matrescence, and how breaking down can become a breakthrough.
• 💗 Letting go of old patterns, trusting that what falls away is making space for something more real.
• 🌈 Embracing change, and remembering that transformation is part of our rhythm as mothers.

If you’re feeling stretched, tired, or unsure right now — please know...

You are not alone.

We are most definitely in this together.

Amy is a writer, speaker, coach, and mother who has spent over a decade exploring the transformation of matrescence — the complete identity shift that happens when a woman becomes a mother. Through her award-winning podcast The Happy Mama Movement and her global coaching program Mama Rising, Amy helps women and professionals understand and honour this life-changing rite of passage with compassion and truth.

🌐 amytaylorkabbaz.com

📸 Instagram: @amytaylorkabbaz

Chapters

00:00 Relaunching the Podcast: A Personal Reflection

03:00 The Need for Rest: A Mother’s Journey

06:09 Breaking the Cycle: From Superwoman to Vulnerability

10:06 Navigating the Liminal Space: Transformation and Identity

15:07 Embracing Change: Lessons from the Journey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back, beautiful mamas, to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

In this heartfelt and deeply persona TAKE THE MIC episode, Lee Tracey — a Sex Educator, Matrescence Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Acupuncturist — shares her story of awakening, healing, and reclamation. Through her own matrescence journey, Lee uncovered not only the physical challenges of postpartum life but the profound transformation of identity, sexuality, and self that comes with becoming a mother.

Drawing on both lived experience and professional insight, Lee shines light on an often-silent truth: that up to 88% of women face changes in sexual health and wellbeing during the perinatal period. Yet so few are offered support or understanding. Her story is both an invitation and a revolution — calling us back to our bodies, our pleasure, and our wholeness.

LEE SHARES:

• The unspoken reality of perinatal sexual dysfunction and how common — and normal — these experiences are.
• Matrescence as a profound rite of passage — one that cracks us open to healing, reclamation, and truth.
• The enduring split between motherhood and sexuality, and how cultural conditioning shapes our sense of worth.
• Lee’s powerful personal story — from physical pain and disillusionment to embodied healing and liberation.
• Practical pathways to support — from pelvic floor care to open, shame-free conversations around women’s sexual health.

Lee’s solo reflection is raw, liberating, and tender — a reminder that our sexuality and our motherhood are not opposing forces, but intertwined expressions of our deepest humanity.

If this episode moves you, please share it with another mother who may need to hear these words. Together, we can break the silence and honour the full spectrum of womanhood.

Lee Tracey is a women’s health and sexual wellbeing professional. She is a trained professional Sex Educator, certified through The Sexual Health Alliance (AASECT) , a certified Matrescence Coach (ICF) certified through Amy Taylor Kabbaz & also an Acupuncturist. She is the co-founder of Reformation Studios and has been teaching yoga and leading training's for over a decade & has qualifications in multiple disciplines and lineages. She is a passionate and professional advocate for Women's Health focused on providing support & education.e.

Reformation.ie

LeeTracey.ie

📸 Instagram: @LeeTraceyLife

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

Today, I’m joined by mindfulness teacher and founder of The Compassion Project, Belinda Haan. With warmth and honesty, Belinda shares how perfectionism and self-doubt marked her early motherhood years—and how compassion, not criticism, became her most powerful tool.

We talk about:

• Unrealistic Beginnings

How the "Huggies ad" version of motherhood left Belinda isolated, ashamed, and exhausted in her early years as a mum.

• The Deepest Regret

Why self-criticism is often the harshest parenting voice in our heads—and how seeing her daughter clearly helped Belinda rewrite her own narrative.

• Practising What We Preach

How running honest, real-talk mother’s groups made Belinda realise it was time to embody self-compassion in her own life, not just teach it.

• Barriers to Kindness

The nervous system realities that make self-compassion difficult—and how to gently meet yourself when you feel most undeserving.

• Tender, Not Prescriptive

Why self-compassion isn’t a one-size-fits-all script—and how small, embodied gestures can shift your whole day.

This is a conversation full of quiet revelations and radical permission. I hope it reminds you that you are never alone in this—and that kindness, towards yourself, is not something you have to earn. If this resonates, please share it with a mother who needs to hear it too.

ABOUT BELINDA HAAN

Belinda Haan is a mindfulness teacher, creator and humble guide to the full joy, catastrophe and sacredness of life.

As an Ambassador of Compassion with Stanford University, she founded The Compassion Project—a heartfelt initiative delivering practical, research-backed tools to reduce suffering and cultivate compassion.

Its first resource, The Emotional Support for Mothers Toolkit, provides the missing piece of modern mothering with a practical how-to for nervous system support, emotional self-regulation, resilience and wisdom. Grounded in the day-to-day of parenting, it treats mothers as real people—supporting them to meet all of motherhood with more confidence, ease and self-compassion.

A mother of two, Belinda created this work to offer solace, inspiration, and meaningful tools for families everywhere.

RESOURCES:

Website: The Compassion Project

Instagram: @thecompassionproject.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this soulful and deeply honest episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

In today’s solo Mama Rising story, we hear from Dr. Angele Close — clinical psychologist, author, and motherhood coach — as she shares her personal matrescence journey.

What began with the excitement of becoming a mother to three children unfolded into a deeply transformative path through burnout, grief, intergenerational trauma, and ultimately, healing.

We’re invited into her story — one filled with honesty, insight, and a reminder that we can parent with more compassion once we learn to extend that same compassion inward.

In this episode, we explore:

When Motherhood Doesn’t Match the Map

How early expectations about parenting clashed with the emotional intensity of raising three neurodivergent children.

The Invisible Inheritance We Carry

Why our reactions to our kids’ big emotions often reflect unprocessed wounds from our own childhood.

The Name That Changed Everything

How discovering matrescence mid-pandemic gave Angele a framework that lifted years of shame and confusion.

Meeting the Self Within

How Internal Family Systems (IFS) helped her heal deep wounds and show up with more calm and confidence.

Parenting from the Inside Out

Why voicing our mixed feelings and being compassionately witnessed is one of motherhood’s most healing acts.

ABOUT DR. ANGELE CLOSE:

Dr. Angele Close helps moms navigate the transformative journey of matrescence, combining the insights of Internal Family Systems (IFS) to heal old wounds, break generational cycles, and embrace motherhood with more self-compassion, joy, and authenticity. A clinical psychologist, motherhood coach, meditation teacher, and author, Angele works with moms one-on-one, facilitates local mothers’ circles, and has an upcoming book on how to integrate IFS into the matrescence journey. Her work is grounded in personal experience and the belief that motherhood can be a powerful path to healing and wholeness.

RESOURCES

🌐 Website: www.drangeleclose.com

📸 Instagram: @drangeleclose

🎥 TikTok: @cyclebreakingmomma

📘 Free IFS Resource Guide: Available via her website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome, dear listener, to another honest and heartfelt episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

Today, I’m joined by the remarkable Stacey Erin — Social Worker, Therapist, Coach and a fiercely loving mother who works with families navigating the social and emotional wellbeing of neurodivergent children. With deep compassion and no-nonsense wisdom, Stacey names the invisible weight so many mothers carry — and offers both fierce truth and tender support in return.

• Why it’s not your fault — how Stacey powerfully names the systemic failures that leave mothers unsupported, and why recognising this truth can be deeply healing.
• Permission and grief in motherhood — the unseen grief that comes with letting go of the motherhood ideals we imagined, and how simple words of validation can make all the difference.
• The power of boundaries and micro-moments — from closing the bathroom door to dancing in the hallway, Stacey shares small, sustainable acts of self-connection for overwhelmed mums.
• Reclaiming the feminine — exploring how modern motherhood is steeped in ‘masculine doing’ and how we might return to being, feeling, and honouring our own rhythms.
• Finding your village — why it’s vital to connect with other parents of neurodivergent children, and how Stacey is creating online spaces for shared understanding and laughter through the hard.

Stacey Erin is a Social Worker, Therapist, Counsellor and Coach for mums, children and adolescents aged 3–16 years. She specialises in therapeutic intervention for the social and emotional health and well-being of neurodivergent (autistic and attention variant) clients and their families. With over 20 years of experience as both a social worker and teacher in educational settings, Stacey now offers support privately and through self-managed NDIS plans. Her approach is deeply informed by both her professional knowledge and her lived experience as a mother.

• Follow Stacey on Instagram: @stacey.therapist.mama
• Learn more and explore her resources: https://www.staceyerin.com.au

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this soul-stirring episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

Today, I’m joined by Jayde Kirchert — mother, writer, director, and Artistic Director of Citizen Theatre. Jayde’s latest work Ripening explores the complex terrain of motherhood and birth through a bold, theatrical lens — and in this deeply honest conversation, she shares her own story of labour, loss, transformation, and creative awakening.

• The Birth They Don’t Tell You About

Why honest preparation matters more than fear — and how education, mindset, and advocacy shaped Jayde’s birth experience.

• Labour as Initiation: Summoning the Ancestors

Jayde shares the powerful moment she reached beyond herself — into something sacred and ancestral — to bring her son into the world.

• Creative Rebirth: Turning Story into Stage

How her personal journey became the foundation for Ripening, and how theatre can reframe motherhood’s truths for a wider audience.

• Breaking the Medical Spell

The intergenerational ripple of over-medicalised birth, and what happens when women begin to trust their bodies again.

• From Girl to Guardian: The Making of a Mother Archetype

How birth shaped Jayde’s spiritual evolution — and how it helped her locate the deep, unwavering strength she brings to both mothering and making art.

This episode is a love letter to informed birth, artistic courage, and the sacred role of mothers as culture-shapers. May it inspire you to remember your own power and share your story — because in the sharing, we begin to shift the collective. If this conversation moved you, please pass it on. Every mother deserves to feel seen.

ABOUT JAYDE KIRCHERT:

Writer. Director. Artistic Visionary. Mother.

Jayde is a mother to a toddler, wife, writer, director, dramaturge, lecturer and Artistic Director of Melbourne-based theatre company, Citizen Theatre. She has directed and written multiple critically acclaimed productions through Citizen Theatre.

Recent projects include The Lyrebird's Voice for Victorian Opera (librettist and lyricist), Mara KORPER for Citizen Theatre (writer and director), When The Light Leaves for Citizen Theatre (director and dramaturge), and Sweet Charity for VCA Music Theatre. She is also completing her PhD, which includes the creation of a new feminist musical, Dangerous.

RESOURCES:

🎭 Ripening is playing May 28–31, 2025, at Gasworks Studio Theatre

– Approx. 90 minutes

– Showtimes: 7pm (Wed–Sat) and 2pm (Sat matinee)

– Tickets available via the Citizen Theatre website or directly through Gasworks Theatre

Follow Citizen Theatre on Instagram: @citizentheatreau

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @jaydekirchert

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Redrawing the Lines: Boundaries, Worth, and the True Value of Motherhood

Welcome to this powerful new episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.

Today, I’m joined by Gifty Enright — wellbeing and diversity expert, author, and internationally respected leadership coach. With her signature wit and wisdom, Gifty challenges the status quo and reminds us that the job of raising the next generation isn’t just important — it’s foundational to our entire society.

We talk about:

• The Lines We Draw Define the Lives We Lead Why setting boundaries starts with self-worth and how mothers can reclaim both.
• Counting the Invisible: The Unpaid Ledger of Motherhood The hidden labour of motherhood and the data-backed case for equitable living.
• Let the Children In: Raising Capable, Not Coddled How children benefit from being part of the household ‘enterprise’ and why it's time they pull their weight.
• From Homefront to Boardroom: The untapped management, negotiation, and crisis skills motherhood builds and how they should translate to the workplace.
• The Rebrand We Deserve: Why Gifty believes motherhood needs a full PR rebrand

This conversation is a call to action and a celebration. I hope it leaves you feeling grounded in your worth and inspired to start drawing clearer, bolder red lines because you're not just doing important work, you're doing essential work. .

ABOUT GIFTY ENRIGHT:

Gifty Enright is a globally recognised expert in workplace wellbeing, diversity, and leadership. As an Author and expert TV contributor with three decades of corporate experience, she has led business transformations, run her own successful business, written a bestselling book, and delivered an impactful TEDx talk. Gifty’s innovative approach blends Western science, Eastern philosophy, and African wisdom, making her a sought-after speaker and coach. She is dedicated to transforming workplaces into havens of creativity, productivity, and responsible leadership. Her holistic coaching addresses physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, providing practical strategies for personal and professional growth.

RESOURCES:

Website: https://giftyenright.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giftyenright

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gifty_Enright

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gifty.enright

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

Facebook Group: Women Pursuing Work-Life Mastery

Book: Octopus on a Treadmill – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J1WD4HR

TEDx Talk: How to Be a Corporate Superwoman Without Losing Your Sanity: https://www.ted.com/talks/gifty_enright_how_to_be_a_corporate_superwoman_without_losing_your_sanity

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.