The Grieving Mamas Club

The official definition of anticipatory grief refers to a feeling of grief occurring before an impending loss. Typically, the impending loss is the death of someone close due to illness.  But as those who have experienced it know, it's not just one singular feeling. It's a mess of confusing, tangled feelings that can come up before a loved one is even gone. In this week's episode, C...

This week's #MoreThanGrief episode topic was borrowed from The Mom Hour , a podcast about all stages of motherhood. A few years back they did an episode called " The Life-Changing Magic of Opting Out. " It is about how as a mom, there are things you have to give yourself permission to NOT do, simply to survive. Grab your glass of wine and listen to Cara and Rashida tick through the...

The latest edition of the DSM-5, sometimes known as “psychiatry’s bible,” includes a controversial new diagnosis: prolonged grief disorder. In this episode, Cara and Rashida tackle a recent New York Times article that details this diagnosis. There are pros (few) and there are cons (lots) and per usual Cara and Rashida have a lot of thoughts on tangents on this topic. Show Note Links Maintenance Ph...

Cara and Rashida took to the very scientific method of an IG poll to ask listeners what topics they wanted to hear from us and given the timing mother's day rose up as an immediate tackle. Cara is coming up on her third Mother's Day without her mom while Rashida has had quite a few more. Cara talks about what it was like to lose a mom so close to Mother's Day and Rashida discusses h...

After a decent amount of tangents (no one is surprised), Cara and Rashida talk about what it means to welcome a new baby during a grief journey. Welcoming a new baby is a time of joy (and exhaustion) but when that joy is mixed with the sadness of missing the person you lost, it can get a little complicated. For Cara, this has meant having one baby that will remember her mom and one who has never m...

In this episode Cara and Rashida rattle on a bit more, as they do! We continue to discuss Cara and Baby Brooks plus hit on Rashida's new job position and her brush with Covid. Along the way, we digress to nail art, the audacity of second children and blue Powerade. We'll be returning to our more in-depth grief chats in our next episode, but we hope you enjoy these catch-up eps. :)  When...

Rashida and Cara take 45 minutes to catch up on all things Baby Brooks and a new phase of Cara's grief journey as she welcomes her son and becomes a mama of two! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One more prerecorded ep before we're back shooting the shit as we do. In this episode, we talk about going from one kid to two and how the transition for some of us (some of us is Rashida) was rough! While going from zero to one kid was definitely a lifestyle change for Rashida, one to two knocked her on her ass.  How was the transition for you? Let us know on our IG post.  When times get tou...

We're back (ish) from a longgg winter break. We prerecorded two More Than Grief episodes right before Cara gave birth to baby boy. SPOILER ALERT - Baby boy is here and mama and baby are out here crushin it in deez streets! In the first of our two prerecorded episodes, we talk through postpartum - the good, the bad, and the really ugly. We talk about the highs of being done with pregnancy and...

In the last episode before the holiday season, Cara and Rashida cover just that...grieving during the holidays. The first few holidays seasons without your loved one are really hard and while Rashida explains they do get better, there's still anxiety. Heading into every holiday season Rashida explains how she feels a sense of doom that often keeps her from feeling the joy of the season. Why i...

This episode is one of our favorites! Cara and Rashida meet their new grief bestie, Janet Gwilliam-Wright. Janet is a career coach, a depression survivor, and oh yeah a fellow motherless mama. Having lost her mom over 20 years ago, Janet is no stranger to the grief process. Through years of work on herself (and the patience of her wonderful, amazing wife, Meg), Janet has overcome all obstacles put...

In this episode, Rashida & Cara sit down with Diana Waldman, a TGMC community member, who experienced first hand how Alzheimer's stole her beloved Grandma. She also digs into a whole lot more loss that she experienced within the same timeframe and how she keeps the memory of her loved ones alive with her children today.  When times get tough just remember, you're a bad ass B and you...

This one's for our homies who need some guidance on what to say and what not to say to someone who's grieving. And if you know us by now, you already know that we have opinions and WE GOT YOUR BACK SIS!  When times get tough, just remember, you're a bad ass B and you got this mama! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we dive into a lighter side of grief but still a grief journey nonetheless - mourning the loss of our pre-baby selves. The year is 2015 and Cara and Rashida are living their best pre-kids lives. The drinks went down easy, the hangovers were nonexistent, and gravity had not yet gained control of our boobs. Fast forward six years and we're three (soon to be four) kids between us and t...

Whether you’re new to your grief journey or have been on one for a while, you may not have known that there are stages of grief. Like 5, maybe 7…some say 12. Whatever the case, grief sure isn’t linear. In today’s episode, Rashida & Cara talk about all of them and how identifying the emotions helped with coping. The Five Stages of Grief: https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/#:~:text=The%2...

**Trigger Warning** October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month so we wanted to make sure to cover this type of grief before closing out the month. Cara recounts miscarrying her sweet angel baby before her current pregnancy with baby boy. Miscarriage is a grief that can lead women to feel isolated and alone in their pain when the reality couldn't be more the opposite. 1 in 4 women...

In today’s episode, we chat with our friend Elizabeth (aka Ebeth) who lost her Dad in May 2019 & talk about how she & her family have honored her Dad throughout the years and how that’s changed.  Check out EBeth’s Mama’s cute home goods & decor store, Murphy & Co, located in Decatur, IL! You can also follow them on Insta @MurphyCoDecatur When times get tough, just remember: you’re...

It's #SpookySzn and we're here for it. Well 1/2 of us, anyway. In this episode, we dig into why Rashida hates Halloween. Also, was Rashida's bday on 10/7 so get over to Insta and wish her a belated #HBD!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rashida sits down with Ryan Schwartz from Mental Health Match (@mentalhealthmatch; https://mentalhealthmatch.com/) and Jessica Eiseman from Ajana Therapy (@ajanatherapy; https://ajanatherapy.com/) to discuss grief and motherhood, coping with triggers and how you can find a therapist that fits your needs.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's April 2020 and literally everyone's world is turned upside down. The pandemic is in full swing and no one knows what the hell is going on. Hand sanitizer and Lysol fill the air. Everyone is quarantined and WFH with their kid(s). Life was about taking a step back, re-evaluating, going for long walks in the evening, making banana bread & figuring out the newest TikTok dance to The...

Well, Mama, you made it. Another day stronger, whether you believe it or not. Cara + Rashida are your new besties in navigating grief & motherhood with a side of sarcasm.  Consider yourself an official member of The Grieving Mamas Club.  WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE!  When times get tough, just remember you're a bad ass B and you got this, Mama! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

It's September 2005 . Fall Out Boy is blasting on Rashida's CD player on her way to Forever 21 to pick out a new 'fit for her high school homecoming weekend. But before she can sport that cute new top, she's suited up in her cute lil' marching band uniform, ready to perform with her closest gal pals in the Hazelwood Homecoming parade. As she rounds the corner, she hears he...

Another sneaky peeky before we set this whole thing live! We will be launching with F O U R  F U L L episodes shortly but wanted to give you one more little preview.  Hang in there, sis! You got this! Cara + Rashida Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Grieving Mamas Club Podcast is launching oh so soon and we can't wait to share it with you. We'll let you know as soon as episodes are live but until then we hope you like this short clip.  Hang in there, sis! Cara + Rashida Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.