Happy Mama Movement With Amy Taylor-kabbaz

Welcome Back, to the Happy Mama Movement PodcastIn this heartfelt conversation, I met with Hayley Smith to discuss the often hidden experiences of motherhood, particularly in the face of grief and illness.Hayley shares her journey as a mother of three, focusing on the harrowing diagnosis of her daughter, Elsie Rae, with cancer. They explore the emotional turmoil of navigating a child's illness, the lack of support for parents, and the importance of normalizing conversations around grief. Hayley emphasizes the need for emotional tools and community support, reflecting on her own experiences with grief and the cultural stigmas surrounding it.We Discuss:Normalizing motherhood includes discussing grief and illness.Motherhood expectations often differ from reality.The diagnosis process can be overwhelming and chaotic.Emotional support for parents is often lacking in medical settings.Cultural practices around grief can provide valuable insights.Advocacy for better support systems is essential for families.Community

WELCOME BACK TO THE HAPPY MAMA MOVEMENT PODCAST.In this weeks episode, I speak with Emily Mitchell to explore the concept of matrescence, our grand transition into motherhood, and the importance of support systems during the postpartum period.Emily shares her personal journey, including the trauma of her first birth experience and how it shaped her understanding of motherhood. We discuss the creation of resources aimed at educating new mothers about matrescence and the collaborative efforts with healthcare professionals to improve postpartum care. Our conversation emphasizes the need for community support and the empowerment of mothers through knowledge and understanding of their experiences.WE DISCUSSMatrescence is a transformative process that impacts mothers deeply.Emily's first birth experience was traumatic and unplanned.Understanding matrescence can provide relief and validation for mothers.Support systems are crucial during the fourth trimester.Preparation for a second birth can lead to a more positive

Welcome back, Mama's.This week, Amanda Jackson and I explore the profound journey of motherhood and Matrescence, discussing the emotional and physical transformations that come with becoming a mother. We delve into the struggles of adjusting to new identities, the importance of self-care, and the need to listen to one's body. Amanda shares her personal experiences and insights from her book, emphasizing the significance of community support and the healing power of sharing stories among mothers.Some takeaways from our conversation:Writing a book is a vulnerable process.Matrescence is often unrecognized in motherhood.Motherhood can challenge our expectations and identities.Breakdowns can lead to breakthroughs in self-awareness.Listening to our bodies is crucial for well-being.Self-care should be about tuning into our needs.Creating support systems is essential for mothers.The experience of motherhood is shared across generations.Healing comes from sharing our stories.Empowerment in motherhood comes from unders

Welcome back to The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.In this Take the Mic episode, I’m honoured to share the voice of Kirsten Calloran — a Mama Rising coach and lactation consultant from County Wicklow, Ireland — whose story reaches straight into the heart of motherhood’s deepest transformations. Kirsten invites us into her journey through post-diagnosis motherhood — the moment her son’s autism diagnosis opened a second matrescence, a new becoming that reshaped everything she thought she knew about identity, strength, and love.This is a story of grief and grace, of survival and softening. Of finding language for what once felt unspeakable. It’s an offering to every mother who’s ever wondered where she went — and to those slowly remembering themselves, one tender breath at a time.She talks about:How a child’s diagnosis can awaken a second transformation in motherhood.The invisible weight and isolation many caregiving mothers carry.Grief, rage, love, and identity — all existing side by side.The need for spaces that

WELCOME, MAMAS, TO THE MAMA MOVEMENT PODCAST.In this conversation, Today Dr. Margot Lowy and myself delve into the often overlooked topic of maternal ambivalence, exploring the complex emotional landscape of motherhood.Dr. Lowy emphasizes the importance of acknowledging both the loving and bitter feelings that come with being a mother, advocating for open discussions about these emotions to foster genuine connections and understanding. The conversation also addresses common misconceptions about ambivalence, clarifying that it is not indifference but rather a rich tapestry of feelings that mothers experience.We cover the following:Maternal ambivalence encompasses all feelings of motherhood.Acknowledging dark feelings is crucial for genuine mothering.Societal expectations make it hard to discuss negative emotions.Finding a safe space to talk about feelings is essential.Ambivalence is often misunderstood as indifference.Mothers experience both love and bitterness simultaneously.Dark feelings can lead to personal

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.Today I’m joined by Lucy Wylde — coach for women and mothers, matrescence guide, personal trainer, and perinatal wellbeing specialist.With raw honesty and poetic strength, Lucy shares the story of her early experiences of motherhood — from medical trauma and personal betrayal to powerful reclamation — and how she rose from the fire to support others in doing the same.WE TALK ABOUT:The Birth She Never ExpectedHow five days of labour and a traumatic emergency C-section shattered her sense of safety and control.When the Body Breaks and the System FailsWhy we need to stop asking new mothers about their babies and start seeing them — especially when the system doesn’t.Rage, Burlesque, and ReclamationThe healing power of movement, performance, and allowing the primal truth of our motherhood stories to be expressed.Shame, Affairs, and the Myth of the Perfect MotherWhy Lucy believes we need a new language for survival — and how finding comfort isn’t a

In this conversation, Ashley Chang and I discuss the challenges faced by working mothers in balancing their careers and family life.Ashley shares her personal experiences and insights from her research on the struggles of working parents, emphasizing the need for support systems and the importance of recognizing the mental load that comes with parenting. They explore the concept of creating a supportive environment for mothers, including the role of executive assistants in alleviating some of the burdens of family management. The discussion highlights the ongoing challenges in workplace culture and the need for more effective solutions to support working families.IN THIS EPSIODE:Ashley was inspired by her mother's experience as a working mom.Many women feel they have to choose between career and family.The concept of 'perceived choice' in motherhood is often misleading.Balancing work and family can feel like being two people in one.Expectations placed on mothers can lead to feelings of inadequacy.Research sho

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 crac

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: :

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:

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 BeginningsHow the "Huggies ad" version of motherhood left Belinda isolated, ashamed, and exhausted in her early years as a mum.The Deepest RegretWhy 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 PreachHow 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 KindnessThe nervous system realities that make self-compassion difficult—and how to gently meet yourself when you feel most undeserving.Tender, Not PrescriptiveWhy self-compassion isn’t a one-size-fits-a

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 MapHow early expectations about parenting clashed with the emotional intensity of raising three neurodivergent children.The Invisible Inheritance We CarryWhy our reactions to our kids’ big emotions often reflect unprocessed wounds from our own childhood.The Name That Changed EverythingHow discovering matrescence mid-pandemic gave Angele a framework

A fresh perspective for the overwhelmed motherWelcome, 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.We talk about: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-conn

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.We discuss:The Birth They Don’t Tell You AboutWhy honest preparation matters more than fear — and how education, mindset, and advocacy shaped Jayde’s birth experience.Labour as Initiation: Summoning the AncestorsJayde 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 StageHow her personal journey became the foundation for Ripening, and how theatre can reframe motherhood’s truths for a wider audience.Breaking the Medical SpellThe intergenerational ripple of over-medicalised birth, and what

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

A Quiet Moment Together on The Happy Mama Movement PodcastIn this solo episode, we're joined by one of our incredible Mama Rising® Movement Facilitators, Claire Holloway—a devoted guide for women on the journey of matrescence and the founder of The Centre of Bright Beginnings. Claire opens her heart and shares her personal story of becoming a mother, what surprised her, what healed her, and how she now supports others navigating their own bright beginnings.We talk about:Shifting Expectations of Motherhood: When conception doesn’t come easily, even for those who’ve always been surrounded by babies, it can challenge deeply held beliefs about how motherhood begins.The Turning Point: Sometimes the journey to parenthood starts with slowing down, letting go of structure, and making intentional space—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.The Invisible Load of Pain: Chronic pain and isolation in pregnancy and postpartum can go unseen, yet they shape the entire experience of early motherhood—and highlight the need

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.This week’s guest is Ilyana Yahdav — a certified grief educator, storyteller, and advocate for reimagining our relationship with grief, especially during the profound identity shift of motherhood. In this deeply affirming conversation, we explore the powerful intersection between matrescence and grief, and how validating our emotions can lead to profound healing.We talk about:The transformative power of grief: Ilyana shares how the loss of her father plunged her into a decade-long journey through grief, and how discovering grief recovery changed the course of her life, helping her validate her feelings and eventually support others through their losses.Grief and matrescence as deeply intertwined: Ilyana reflects on the layered grief of becoming a mother—especially during the pandemic—and how discovering the concept of matrescence helped her finally name what she was experiencing. She emphasizes that grief is not just about death, but any signif

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast. Today, I’m joined by Gayane Aramyan, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in perinatal mental health.With warmth, wisdom, and lived experience, Gayane helps us explore what’s really happening beneath the surface of anger, conflict, and overwhelm in early parenthood and how we can begin to heal and reconnect.We get deep into the weeds:The Calling Shaped by Experience:How Gayane’s journey into therapy began in her teens, and how her early exposure to anger management and mentorship shaped her path into perinatal mental health.The Wake-Up Call of Postpartum:Why becoming a mother during the pandemic—and navigating exhaustion, depression, and an unexpected diagnosis—deepened Gayane’s understanding of what new parents truly need.The Urgency of Prenatal Preparation:Why so many parents seek help only after things unravel—and how shifting the timeline to include mental health preparation before birth can change the postpartum experi

Welcome to this Light-filled episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast.Today, I'm thrilled to be joined by the remarkable Amy Molloy—an award-winning journalist, editor, author, and the creative force behind the hit podcast The Space, which has garnered over 6 million downloads. Amy's dedication to "words that move the world forward" has led her to craft compelling narratives that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.In Our Conversation, We Explore:Why Matrescence is a profound and often overlooked transformation, akin to adolescence, that affects every part of a woman’s identity—emotionally, physically, spiritually, and professionally. Recognizing and naming this shift is essential to understanding the full scope of motherhood.The invisible load mothers carry, describing the emotional weight of being the “sun” around which everyone else orbits, and the expectation to keep life running smoothly, even when mothers themselves are falling apart.How maternal anger is a signal, not a failure—a sign that somet

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast!In this heartfelt talk, Melissa Blum, the founder of Into Full Bloom, a coaching service dedicated to supporting mothers takes the mic and shares with us her story.Melissa is a Mama Rising Facilitator, a soon-to-be certified life coach, an engineer, and a mother herself. She brings a rich blend of experience in environmental engineering, psychology, and grief work to her practice, helping mothers navigate both the joy and the loss that can come with motherhood.Melissa discusses:The gap between the expectations of motherhood and its realityHow discovering the word “matrescence” felt like coming homeThe life-altering transformation that motherhood bringsThe power of creativity as a tool for emotional explorationHow Melissa holds space for mothers processing griefI hope this conversation brings you comfort and clarity. If it resonates, please share it — the more we talk about the realities of motherhood, the more we can support one another through