Explore every episode of the podcast Bloodline & Backbone

The mental health of parents is now a public health crisis. Moms are tired—not just tired, bone-deep weary—from carrying the invisible weight of modern parenting. In this episode, we zoom in on the reality of what it means to mother in 2025. From mom-shaming and societal pressure to the mental load and cultural narratives that tell us motherhood is something to survive—we dig deep.

But this isn’t a pity party. It’s a call to rise.
Because the problem isn’t motherhood. It’s what we’ve been told to believe about it.

 In This Episode:

• The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2024 advisory on parent mental health
• Why women are delaying or opting out of motherhood
• The myth of “doing it all” and the truth about invisible labor
• The mental health toll of mom-shaming
• And the radical idea that… maybe we can stop performing motherhood like it’s a job interview 

Referenced Clips & Media*:

Expert Commentary & Research

• Lyman Stone on Marriage & Birth Rate Decline
• Erica Djossa on Maternal Mental Health & Invisible Labor

Mom Voices Montage & Cultural Clips

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Listen & Share:

We’re not here to romanticize motherhood—or burn it down. We’re here to tell the truth, so we can build something better.
If this episode made you feel seen, send it to the friend who needs to hear that what looks like breaking… might actually be becoming.

*Disclaimer:
Referenced materials, interviews, and external media featured in Bloodline & Backbone are included for educational and contextual purposes. Their inclusion does not constitute endorsement or agreement by The MomCo or its affiliates.

For more from Bloodline & Backbone and The MomCo:

Website: www.themom.co
Instagram: @themomco
Facebook: facebook.com/themomco
YouTube: youtube.com/@themomco
Join a local group: themom.co/find-a-group

Like what you heard?
Leave a review, share the episode with a friend, and help us tell the story of motherhood the world forgot to write down.

Motherhood didn’t just happen. It was shaped—by centuries of culture, war, religion, medicine, and control. In this premiere episode of Bloodline & Backbone, we walk through the first door of motherhood—the one every human passes through—and trace its evolution from ancient birth rituals to modern parenting norms.

This isn’t a history lesson. It’s a reckoning. Because once you understand the forces that shaped motherhood, you start to see why so many of us are exhausted, stretched thin, and second-guessing everything.

If you’ve ever wondered why motherhood feels the way it does today, this episode pulls back the curtain. And it’s only the beginning.

In This Episode:

• A sweeping oral history of childbirth and parenting norms across the centuries
• How survival, superstition, and societal control shaped early motherhood
• The rise (and cost) of medicalized birth in the 20th century
• Why modern motherhood feels like “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”
• A call to reframe motherhood not as a crisis, but as an initiation into power

Featured Media & References:

🎥 Historical & Documentary Clips

• Labor and Childbirth (1950)
• Reclaiming Birth – Birth Practices Through the Ages
• Great Women’s Rights Movement Footage
• What Happened to Hitler’s Family After World War 2?

📱 Modern Motherhood Commentary

• @themindfulblonde on TikTok
• @yeli.heidecker on TikTok
• “A Mom’s Work is Never Done” | YouTube Short
• @thatmoneymum on TikTok

🎧 Subscribe, Share & Review
If this episode shifted your perspective, share it with another mom who needs to hear it. And if you haven’t already, hit “follow” so you don’t miss what’s coming next. The door is open. Walk with us into what comes next.

For more from Bloodline & Backbone and The MomCo:

Website: www.themom.co
Instagram: @themomco
Facebook: facebook.com/themomco
YouTube: youtube.com/@themomco
Join a local group: themom.co/find-a-group

Like what you heard?
Leave a review, share the episode with a friend, and help us tell the story of motherhood the world forgot to write down.