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Artwork for The Mama Circle: Why Motherhood Feels Like This
Kids & FamilyParenting

The Mama Circle: Why Motherhood Feels Like This

Natalie K. Martin

You can love your kids and still hate what modern motherhood asks of you. The invisible labour, financial squeeze, relationship strain, overwhelm and the feeling that somehow, you’re the problem. There’s a name for everything motherhood quietly costs women: The Motherhood Debt. And this is where we say it out loud.

Each episode puts words to the parts of motherhood you’ve felt but couldn’t explain. More honesty, less pressure, and space to find your way towards a motherhood that feels supportive, joyful and sustainable for you, as a woman and a mum.

Hosted by Natalie K. Martin.

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  • 24 episodes
  • Avg 24 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • #76
    April 28 · 19 min

    76. You prepared for birth, but not for becoming a mother

    We spend months preparing for birth - the hospital bag, the antenatal classes, the birth plan. But almost no one prepares us for what comes after. Becoming a mother! In this episode, Nat explores the gap between preparing for a baby and actually becoming a mother, and why so many women feel caught off guard by how much changes. This is a conversation about motherhood as a transition, not a moment, and why it can feel so overwhelming when the practical preparation ends but the emotional, relational and identity shifts are only just beginning. If you’ve ever thought, “why does this still feel so hard?”, this episode will land. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs a free audio guide for mothers who feel like they were never meant to do this alone. 🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days. We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliek.martin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

  • #75
    April 21 · 25 min

    75. I thought I had a village… until I really needed one

    This episode explores a moment many mums experience but rarely talk about, the realisation that in certain moments, you are completely on your own. After a chaotic IKEA run, Nat found herself overwhelmed, stuck, and unable to see a solution. What followed was a deeper recognition of something many mothers feel, the gap between having support and actually being able to access it. If you’ve ever thought “how am I supposed to do all of this on my own?”, this one will feel very familiar. Free audio 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days. We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠@nataliek.martin⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

  • #74
    April 14 · 20 min

    74. Is it just me, or is motherhood actually this hard?

    Motherhood can feel overwhelming, even when nothing is “wrong”. In this episode, I talk about why motherhood can feel so hard, especially when you’re juggling sleep deprivation, financial pressure, relationship strain, and the mental load all at once. I share two personal moments where everything felt like too much, and what I realised looking back. This episode is for you if you’ve ever thought: why am I finding motherhood so hard? is it just me, or does everyone feel like this? why does everything feel like too much? A reflective conversation about overwhelm, pressure, and the reality of modern motherhood. 🎧 listen, and share with a mum who might need this 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days. We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok ⁠⁠⁠@nataliek.martin⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

  • #70
    April 7 · 18 min

    73. Going back to work after maternity leave? This is what nobody tells you

    Most of us expect that going back to work will make things easier, but for many mums, it doesn’t. Costs increase. Illness increases. The mental load expands. And suddenly, you’re holding a job, a household, and a child at the same time. In this episode, I’m unpacking why going back to work often feels harder than expected, and the structural tension behind it. Because the issue isn’t your ambition. It’s the conditions you’re working inside. 🎧 If this resonates, the free audio guide The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs explores the kinds of support that are often missing in moments like this: 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days. We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok ⁠⁠@nataliek.martin⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes