The Re-Imagining Motherhood Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Welcome to episode ELEVEN of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Michaeleen Doucleff, Ph.D., author of "Hunt, Gather, Parent".   As a science journalist for over a decade, Michaeleen studies and reports on cross-cultural parenting,  psychology and neuroscience, primarily for NPR. Michaeleen began her career as a research chemist, completing her postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health. In this episode, Doucleff and I unpack what it really means to be a mother—through both the lens of Western, patriarchal ideals and the wisdom of cultures that approach parenting in entirely different ways. We deconstruct the myth of the “village,” offering tangible, realistic ways to begin rebuilding one for yourself.  We also explore the pressure to do parenting “right,” the myth of the “good” mother, and how these ideals quietly fuel guilt and isolation for so many women.  I’m deeply grateful for her work and perspective—this conversation left me wanting to read her book all over again.

Episode Summary:
In my work supporting mothers over the years, I’ve witnessed time and again how guilt, shame, and loneliness quietly shape a mother’s sense of self. From endlessly researching the latest parenting trends to second-guessing how they “should” mother in public, so many women are carrying the invisible weight of doing it right—according to standards they never consciously agreed to.

That’s why Doucleff’s book, and this conversation, feels like such a breath of fresh air. It doesn’t offer another checklist, another strategy, or another way to perfect motherhood. Instead, it invites you to pause. To get curious about why we parent the way we do. To see that much of what we call “modern motherhood” is rooted in systems and norms that disconnect us...from ourselves, our children, and our communities.

What Doucleff offers is not a new set of rules, but gentle permission to ease up—to remember that there is no single “right” way to raise a child, only a way that honors your humanity too.

Additional episode resources:
To purchase Hunt, Gather, Parent: https://michaeleendoucleff.com/hunt-gather-parent/ 

To learn more about Doucleff's work: https://michaeleendoucleff.com

Doucleff’s full bio:
After earning her PhD in Chemistry from UC Berkeley, Michaeleen Doucleff spent a decade working in labs before realizing her true passion was storytelling. In 2012, she joined NPR’s Science Desk, where she’s since reported from three continents—covering everything from the Ebola outbreak in Liberia to ancient pathogens in the Arctic and early warnings of a coronavirus pandemic in Borneo.

As an award-winning science journalist, Michaeleen’s work bridges neuroscience, psychology, and parenting, combining her scientific training with a deep curiosity about human connection and culture. Her unique background allows her to translate complex research into meaningful, relatable insights for everyday life.

She’s written for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and her reporting with NPR earned a Peabody Award for coverage of the Ebola outbreak. With degrees in biology, horticulture, and chemistry, Michaeleen brings a rare blend of scientific rigor and heart to her exploration of how we live, learn, and parent.

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Welcome to episode TEN of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Lucy Jones, investigative journalist and award-winning author of the incredibly inspiring book, “Matrescence”. In this episode, Jones and I explore the theory of matrescence - from both personal lived experience to that of the larger cultural narrative. Jones put the concept of matrescence on a much larger map - she has popularized this term, helping give Mothers the words to finally talk about their otherwise silent experiences. She has helped to normalize the messy, painful, growth-producing and awe-inspiring complex sides of Motherhood. I am so grateful for her contributions to this space. This conversation felt like meeting up with an old friend. 

Episode Summary:
Talking about matrescence is something I do nearly every day—I can’t get enough. It's a theory that feels truly alive, continuously inspired and reshaped by each mother’s unique lived experience. I’m constantly moved by the activists, authors, and artists who offer their interpretations, planting seeds of new consciousness and fresh perspectives on what it means to be a mother—and on motherhood as an institution.

The raw authenticity in Jones’s writing is why so many women have been drawn to her book. She has a way of making you feel instantly at home, as if you belong somewhere. Her words don’t just see you—they validate you and, even more importantly, empower you to create your own meaning out of your experience of motherhood. Who would have thought that a book—or even a single word—could have such a profound impact?

From exploring her personal connection to the word "matrescence" to diving into its cultural implications for motherhood, this conversation is rich and thought-provoking. This episode gives me hope that, together, we can reimagine motherhood by embracing the fullness of matrescence and using it as a tool for collective change.

Additional episode resources:
To purchase Matrescence: https://www.amazon.com/Matrescence-Childbirth-Motherhood-Lucy-Jones/dp/0593317319

To learn more about Lucy’s work: https://lucyfjones.com/

Lucy Jones’ full bio:
Lucy Jones is an award-winning author and investigative journalist. Jones was educated at University College London and since has written extensively on culture, science and na­ture. She is the author of four books. Her first book, Foxes Un­earthed, received the Society of Authors’ Roger Deakin Award. In other writings, her articles have been published on BBC Earth and in The Sunday Times, The Guardian and the New Statesman. Jones is a sought after speaker too, having given talks at various organisations, including TATE, LSE, NHS, UBS, Forest School Association, 5x15 and for universities and local authorities. She’s talked at festivals, including Hay, Edinburgh, Cambridge Literary Festival, Greenbelt, End of the Road and many more. 

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In this short episode, I bring you the summarized,  "bite sized" version of episode 1 with Andrea O'Reilly. 

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Welcome to episode ONE of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast!

I am thrilled to bring you Andrea O'Reilly, Ph.D., founder of Motherhood Studies and Matricentric Feminism.  In this episode we talk all things patriarchal Motherhood and Matricentric Feminism. She is a wealth of knowledge and has so much to offer mothers everywhere! 

Episode Summary:
We dive into the concepts of the "Good Mother" myth and why so many Mothers never feel "good enough" in their mothering - HINT - it isn't "you"...it's the greater Motherhood culture of which we mother within. And now, after this episode, you will have words to talk about it!

From mom rage to mom burnout, from traditional gender roles to the lack of social supports, Mothers today are feeling the intensity of the motherload. The good news is that we, as Mothers and those that support them, can take small steps to find community and work towards empowered mothering.

Additional episode resources:
In (M)otherwords: Writings on Mothering and Motherhood - O'Reilly's latest book is NOW available for purchase!
Register for the virtual book club here - Mothers, Mothering and Motherhood in Contemporary Fiction.
Demeter Press publications available here.

Dr. Andrea O'Reilly full bio:
Dr. Andrea O’Reilly is internationally recognized as the founder of Motherhood Studies (2006) and its subfield Maternal Theory (2007), and creator of Matricentric Feminism, a feminism for and about mothers (2016) and Matricritics, a literary theory and practice for a reading of mother- focused texts (2021). She is full professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at York University, founder/editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Motherhood Initiative and publisher of Demeter Press. She is co-editor/editor of thirty plus books on many motherhood topics including: Maternal Theory, Feminist Mothering, Young Mothers, Monstrous Mothers, Maternal Regret, Normative Motherhood, Mothers and Sons, Mothers and Daughters, Maternal
Texts. She is author of three monographs including most recently Matricentric Feminism: Theory Activism, Practice, the 2 nd Edition (2021). In spring 2024 a collection of her essays, In (M)otherwords; Writings on Mothering and Motherhood, 2009-2024, will be published and in fall 2024 her next edited book, The Mother Wave: Theorizing, Enacting, and Representing Matricentric Feminism will be published.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
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• And check back later this week for this episodes "take-aways" for the bite-sized version of this episode and quicker listening!

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Welcome to the Trailer for the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

The idea of starting a podcast has felt overwhelming for a long while, but this knowledge and these incredible people are too important not to share.

Mothers, and those that support them, need this education, these perspective shifting conversations and hope for the future.

Most importantly, Mothers need words to describe their experiences, as Dr. Aurelié Athan suggests.

My hope is that this podcast does just that - gives you new words to be able to talk about your identity as Mother, the profound transition of matrescence you have been experiencing, the work of mothering and Motherhood - ALL of it.

And that through the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast, we begin to take off our "Masks of Motherhood" (Maushart) and create safe spaces for ALL mothers to show up vulnerably with one another - for that is when we can have REAL conversations with each other that have the potential to change the way we experience Motherhood together.

It's time to Re-Imagine Motherhood.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
• Make sure to check out: www.mamasmodernvillage.com for my Becoming Mama groups and The Matricentric Way professional training! 
• Sign up for my newsletter to stay in the know of all my latest happenings AND tips to support you in all things matrescence and Motherhood on the website. 
• Plus - follow me on IG @mamasmodernvillage. 
• Make sure to subscribe to stay in the know of all future episodes!

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Welcome to episode NINE of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Jessie Harrold, coach, doula and author of her most recent book, “Mothershift - Reclaiming Motherhood as Rite of Passage”. In this episode, Harrold and I explore the concept of matrenscence - both personally and professionally. Harrold shares personal experience and professional expertise that leaves me feeling inspired that we can re-imagine Motherhood together - if only we center the Mother and bring this one word, “Matrescence” to every Mother (and human) we know. 

Episode Summary:
This is one of my most favorite topics - matrescence. It’s a gamechanger; it’s amazing the power that one word can have on a Mother’s experience and self-definition. That’s this conversation and we geek out as much as two matrescence educators can. In this episode, Harrold and I explore her own journey of discovering the theory and where it has taken her in her work supporting Mothers through this lens. Harrold’s background as a doula makes her perspective on the theory come alive - for it isn’t just about the birth of the baby; the birth of the Mother matters too. From discussing the importance of Rites of Passage and grief in Motherhood to MotherPowers, this episode gives me hope that we can re-imagine Motherhood together.  

Additional episode resources:
To purchase MotherShift: https://www.jessieharrold.com/mothershiftbook/
To learn more about Jessie’s work: https://www.jessieharrold.com

Jessie Harrold’s full bio:
Jessie Harrold is a coach and doula who has been supporting women through radical life transformations and other rites of passage for over fifteen years. She works one-on-one with women and mothers, facilitates mentorship programs, women’s circles and rituals, and hosts retreats and nature-based experiences.

Jessie holds degrees in Neuroscience and Health Promotion, and her research on women’s experiences navigating health and wellbeing has won multiple awards and been published in peer-reviewed journals internationally.  Her writing and work has been featured in Spirituality & Health, Green Parent, Expectful and Explore Magazine, among many others.

Jessie specializes in matrescence, or the transition to motherhood.  She is the founder of the internationally acclaimed matrescence support program MotherSHIFT, and its sister program for postpartum professionals, The Village.  She is the author of Mothershift:  Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage (Shambhala 2024).

Jessie is also the author of Project Body Love: my quest to love my body and the surprising truth I found instead, and the host of The Becoming Podcast.  Jessie lives on the east coast of Canada where she mothers her two children, writes, and stewards the land.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
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Welcome to episode EIGHT of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Moira Mikolajczak, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, and a Professor of Medical and Health Psychology at the University of Louvain in Belgium, co-creator of the Parental Burnout Scale. In this episode, Mikolajczak and I explore the field of parental burnout and how her research carries significant implications for mothers and those that support them professionally. “Parental burnout is a syndrome that affects parents exposed to chronic parental stress in the absence of sufficient resources to compensate,” she writes. Our conversation is validating and encouraging - it truly illustrates that burnout is a “WE” problem, not a “ME” problem and leaves me feeling inspired that we can re-imagine Motherhood together.

Episode Summary:
The rates of burnout are on the rise. With Mothers doing more with less, there is a clear recipe for burnout. Between systemic failures, unrealistic cultural expectations, and our own personal history and the personality of our child, burnout lurks just around the corner for so many Mothers. Is there a way to prevent it? How do we treat it? Who is most at risk? This conversation is NOT intended to shame anyone - rather to bring awareness to the potential outcomes of parental burnout when left unaddressed and unsupported (clinically and otherwise). This conversation is full of research, hope and validation through and through, with the overall intention that parental burnout becomes more than another trendy, self-care marketing tactic in the Motherhood space - and instead is seen and understood with nuance, complexity and holistically…as it so much a symptom of being a mother, mothering within Patriarchal Motherhood today. This conversation is crucial to better understanding our mothering experience today. It’s from this knowledge and Mikolajczak’s research, that we can re-imagine Motherhood together.  

Additional episode resources:
https://www.burnoutparental.com

Moira Mikolajczak’s full bio:
Mikolajczak is the mother of a little Louise, a Doctor of Psychological Sciences, and a Professor of Medical and Health Psychology at the University of Louvain in Belgium. Moïra is a leading figure in the field of parental burnout, a subject she has been studying since 2015 in collaboration with Isabelle Roskam. Together, they initiated a large research program aiming to shed light on the nature, causes, consequences and treatment of parental burnout. They founded the IIPB, an international research consortium on parental burnout that now includes 50 countries. With the collaboration of their team, the consortium and many researchers (and parents!) around the world, they have developed this field of research and published the results of their work in numerous scientific articles and several books for parents and professionals. They also co-direct the Training Institute for Parental Burnout and the Parental Burnout Research Lab, reference centers for parental burnout.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
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• Sign up for my newsletter to stay in the know of all my latest happenings AND tips to support you in all things matrescence and Motherhood on the website. 
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Welcome to episode SEVEN of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Tracy Sidesinger, PsyD a clinical psychologist, trained in Jungian and relational psychoanalysis, that is bringing a feminist lens into psychotherapy.  In this episode, Sidesinger and I explore the concept of matrescence as opportunity versus a potential experience of trauma for a mother. We examine the invitation that such a period of transformation can have on us, as Mothers and as women more holistically - thus then diving into the concept of maternal subjectivity. Our conversation inspiring, thought-provoking and reconnecting - she left me believing that there is opportunity for wholeness as Mothers and indeed, we can re-imagine Motherhood together.

Episode Summary:
The question of identity often is paramount in matrescence. Who am I? What kind of a Mother am I? How can I reconnect with myself outside of being a Mother? In this episode, Sidesinger explains the theory of maternal subjectivity and the invitation that is, becoming a Mother: one that allows for us to reflect on our own past experiences, see ourselves as part of and apart from our children and how we exist outside of Motherhood. We tend to have a very narrow view of Mothers, especially as defined by patriarchal Motherhood - so what would it look like to see Mothers as full humans - capable and deserving of entire fulfilling lives outside of being Mothers? What does it mean for Mothers to explore this expansion themselves and then furthermore, bring their children into this idea as well? Sidesinger is a wealth of knowledge and truly brings a deeply reconnecting and feminine lens to this space. This conversation further challenges the constraints of Patriarchal Motherhood and indeed, allows us to…re-imagine Motherhood together.  

Additional episode resources:
https://nycdepthpsychology.org/publications
https://www.instagram.com/nycdepthpsychologist
https://nycdepthpsychology.org/
Stay tuned for future writing retreats: https://nycdepthpsychology.org/writing-retreats

Tracy Sidesinger’s full bio:
Tracy Sidesinger, PsyD is a clinical psychologist in New York. She earned her doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary studying the intersection of psychology, religion, and attachment. From there she went on to study Jungian and Relational psychoanalysis in New York at the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association and The William Alanson White Institute, respectively. A mother herself, she also uses personal experience along with thousands of hours with patients to bring a feminist lens back to psychotherapy.

In her writing, Dr. Sidesinger challenges gender norms in culture and psychoanalysis and she has also been invited to speak across the country on the new frontier of psychoanalysis from a feminist critical, community-based lens.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
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• Sign up for my newsletter to stay in the know of all my latest happenings AND tips to support you in all things matrescence and Motherhood on the website. 
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Welcome to episode SIX of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Christine Carrig, M.S.Ed. a Montessori educator and writer in residence with Khora Lab.  In this episode, Carrig and I explore the intersection of child-development and maternal development and what it could mean for us, individually and collectively, to bring mothers more into focus. Carrig’s unique perspective as a Montessori educator and administrator brings into curiosity how child-centered we really need to be in order for our children to develop healthy attachments with us as Mothers - as well as how much we need to give of ourselves to our children. Our conversation was validating, normalizing and encouraging - she left me believing that indeed, we can re-imagine Motherhood together.

Episode Summary:
“If only I would have known…” say so many mothers as they reflect on their initiation into Motherhood, “Maybe I would have had more grace for myself, more compassion.” Carrig’s honest account of her own matrescence will leave you feeling validated as you reflect on your own experience becoming a Mother - not to mention, her experience was so much a catalyst for further exploring the theory of matrescence for herself (like so many of us!). Bringing in her expertise of child-development, Carrig suggests that Mothers need a focus of their own - from research and policy to culture change. If Mothers are centered, then, ultimately, children are too. We further explore the nuances of attachment and gentle parenting - leaving you, hopefully, with a breath of fresh air and an expanded perspective - maybe even more grace for yourself. I believe these are the crucial conversations we need to have that challenge Patriarchal Motherhood and indeed, allow us to…re-imagine Motherhood together.  

Additional episode resources:
You can subscribe to her Substack or follow her on Instagram@christine.m.carrig.

Christine Carrig’s full bio:
Christine Carrig, M.S.Ed, is the founding director of Carrig Montessori School in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. With a background in early childhood development, she has been a Montessori educator and administrator for the past 18 years. After studying under Dr. Aurelie Athan she became the Writer in Residence for the Khora: Maternal and Reproductive Psychology Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University where she focuses on the intersection between maternal development and child development. Her writing has been featured in Postpartum Support International, Scary Mommy and Business Insider. She lives in Queens, NY with her husband and their four children.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
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Welcome to episode FIVE of the Re-Imagining Motherhood podcast.

I am thrilled to bring you Miriam Liss, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist who has studied maternal guilt and shame AND so much more.  In this episode, Dr. Liss and I explore the difference between guilt and shame and WHERE it comes from for so many mothers. We also explore the main parenting ideology deeply influencing maternal shame today - intensive mothering. What happens when being a “good enough” mother is a moving target and yet, we continue to attempt to live up to it? Our conversation left me with hope - hope that shame doesn’t have to be an experienced norm of Motherhood if we can continue to Re-Imagine Motherhood together. 

Episode Summary:
Liss is one of the contributing developers of the Intensive Parenting Attitudes Questionnaire looking at how parents are impacted by this central patriarchal normative Motherhood ideology - intensive mothering. Stemming from her research, we discuss how shame contributes to mothers feeling deeply alone in their lack of “enoughness” in their role as Mother. Additionally, we look at how incorporating compassion into our experience as Mothers might help us alleviate the shame we feel. We dabble into many feminist off-shoots of this broader conversation, looking at traditional gender roles in parenting and feminist mothers and some of their experiences. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss as we continue to Re-Imagine Motherhood together. 

Correction: "Pamela" Hays is Sharon Hays re: "The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood" and Annette Lareau coined “concerted cultivation” and Peggy Orenstein uses the term “Half Changed World” in her book Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids & Life in a Half Changed World. 

Additional episode resources:
Maternal Guilt and Shame: The Role of Self-discrepancy and Fear of Negative Evaluation

Development and Validation of a Quantitative Measure of Intensive Parenting Attitudes

Dr. Miriam Liss’ full bio:
Miriam Liss, Professor of Psychology at University of Mary Washington. She is a clinical psychologist and has conducted research on feminism, body image and objectification, parenting, division of labor, work-family balance. She is the co-author of Balancing the Big Stuff: Finding Happiness in Work, Family and Life, published by Rowman and Littlefield press. She is the co-author of a forthcoming textbook on the Psychology of Women that will be published by Norton.  Dr. Liss has also published research in the area of autism and developmental disorders as well as sensory processing sensitivity, and self-injurious behaviors. Many of Dr. Liss’ publications and presentations are with UMW student co-authors, and she enjoys mentoring students to do research that is of publishable quality.

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• If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5 star rating, a glowing review and make sure to share this podcast with all your friends and family. 
• Make sure to check out: www.mamasmodernvillage.com for my Becoming Mama groups and The Matricentric Way professional training! 
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