The Happy Mama Movement with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz

We're told that matrescence is the transformation from Maiden to Mother - but do we really leave the maiden energy behind? Once we're a mother, are we never again able to connect to that young, free, creative side of ourselves? The answer, of course, is no. Of course we must honour and connect with that free and creative side of ourselves, even when we are deep in the role of Mother. In fact, perh...

Yes, of course you're a mother. And that role affects every single part of your life. But we don't just show up fresh to mamahood, without our own stories, traumas, dreams and hopes. Underneath our role as a mama, we're also a whole woman... and unless we allow the time and space to consider what's underneath the day to day reality of mamahood, we often aren't even aware of how our own stories aff...

So if we accept we're not meant to do this alone, then why don't we ask for more help? If we understand, on a conscious level, that the Motherload and the Third Shift is unfair and unbalanced, then why don't we speak up more often and lean on those around us? This is something I've been contemplating a lot lately. I've needed more help in my own life over the past few months, and I've also been wi...

What does it mean to be a 'good mother?' When we actually pause and ask ourselves that question, it can be scary what answers we here: Always there, always available. Never grumpy or angry. Maybe even, self-sacrificing. This is what we've been told, for many many decades: to be a good mother, we need to be perfect. And even if you don't think you carry that belief, scratch the surface, and you'll...

Matrescence isn't about birthing a child. It is about the whole journey of nurturing and raising children. It is about the way lose ourselves and find new versions of ourselves in and around our role a Mother. And in today''s podcast episode I am sharing with you the amazing story (so far) of an incredible mother of 3, Melissa Christian. Melissa is currently an adoptive mum of 3 beautiful children...

"I should know how to do this" - it's the catch cry of so many mamas as they navigate motherhood. We have grown up with The Maternal Mandate - an assumption that because you are aa woman you should a) want to have a baby, b) find it easy and natural to become pregnant, birth naturally and breastfeed easily, and c) love every minute of it. And it's something every single woman out there has had to...

"Our greatest suffering comes from our attachment to our fantasies." Annie had wanted to be a mum since she was a little girl. Before she had her children she had a very clear idea of what motherhood was going to look like. But her fantasy was a long way from the reality she experienced. As a mum of three sons, the youngest of which who was born with Down Syndrome and then having to navigate two o...

For the one hundred and fiftieth episode of the Happy Mama Movement Podcast, I wanted to reflect on the journey a woman must make in her life - and the three elements she needs to be able to sustain her in that journey. Many years ago, I first came across the work of Maureen Murdoch and The Heroine's Journey. And after many years and many thousands of mama's experiences, I can see that motherhood...

Katie Rose is an inspirational powerhouse, making ancient yogic and Ayurvedic wisdom accessible for busy modern-day women. She has weaved in and out of my life over the last decade and to say I am grateful for her knowledge and influence. We are currently working together and sharing resources through yoga, Ayurveda and essential oils. I'm thrilled to share Katie with you today - she has a beautif...

We worry we're not doing enough for them, then we worry we're doing too much for them. We feel bad we don't play enough with them, and then we worry about all the other things we need to get done while we play with them. Motherhood is full of contrasts - and doubt. But what if we dropped all of those expectations of perfection, and actually began to see what our children really need: connection. A...

Our bodies are the source and creator of motherhood. They are the vessel for the gifts of our children. But what happens when our body doesn't follow the 'plan' of pregnancy and birth? What happens when you feel your body let you down, or is now changed forever? Dr Rebecca Ray is one of the most beautiful and insightful writers on instagram at the moment - and is known for her radical self-accepta...

For many years after my first child was born, I struggled with trying to find the balance between who I was before my children arrived, and being a mama. It was as if I was a mass of contradiction - on the one hand, I wanted nothing more than to give myself to my children, dedicated to their wellbeing and happiness. But on the other, I craved my space, my independence, the dreams I had worked so h...

It's the space in between. It's the not who you used to be, and not quite who you will be yet. It's the darkness and the opportunity. And as my guest in this episode describes it: it's the liminal space in motherhood. Jessie Harrold is a couch, doula and author. She has been working with women for more than a decade, supporting them through the rites of passage of womanhood - especially motherhood...

Sometimes, the most profound changes in our life come from the most simple ideas. This week's podcast is a living example of that. Allison Kate is a mama of two girls. When she found herself pregnant with her second baby while still trying to understand the realities of the physical challenges her first baby was born with, Allison says she entered a time of deep darkness. Without her usual support...

If matrescence is the transformation of a woman as she becomes a mother - is there something called 'patrescence' for the dads? Do men go through a similar identity shift? This is something I am constantly asked. Of course, the transition a woman goes through is unique - her transformation is physical, emotional, economic, social and spiritual. There is nothing it does not touch. But if we are to...

Many years ago, I began to explore postpartum support, the fourth trimester and motherhood with Julia Jones. At the time, she was running a pilot training of her postpartum doula training, and I was all in. Years later, this work still influences me in so many ways. Julia is a pioneer in the way we honour the transition into motherhood. But more than that, she reminds us that the way we honour mot...

Matrescence is universal - no matter who you are or where you are in the world, motherhood brings a transformation of identity. However, within matrescence, and the transition from woman to mother, there are many factors we must acknowledge, including race, background and support. It is deeply important that on this podcast, we not only bring to light the universality of matresence, but also highl...

Mamahood is filled with so many questions: how do I help my child with their emotions? why do they have so many meltdowns? am I doing something wrong? Is it me? Through in a really tough year on top, and you have mamas all over the globe questioning who they are and whether they're doing it 'right'. This podcast, and all my work, is dedicated to answering those questions that keep mamas awake, and...

Thanks to the work of Dr Oscar Serrallach, we now know about Post-Natal Depletion: a physical and mental deterioration caused not just by the process of giving birth and breastfeeding, but by the stresses and strains of modern parenthood. It has been a breakthrough in how we view mothers, and how we can better support mamas. I would like to suggest a new term for us to consider right now - a term...

Balance is all BS, right? We're mamas and women, we've chased that dream and realised it was a pipe dream. Right? It seems many of us are still not 100% clear on this. Even though we've heard the stats and know the reality, many of us are still believing that if we worked harder, got more organised, woke earlier or finally started meditating, we might find that balance we were promised. Enter Feli...

We're meant to gather in a village, hearing from the elders, passing down our own knowledge and receiving wisdom from others. But we've lost that village - and that wisdom. So, what happens when you move through motherhood without an understanding of what's happening to you, and how you are changing? And what happens when you get to the other end of motherhood - your children leaving home and spac...

A big part of my work with mamas over the past six years has been online group coaching and online women's circles. We gather together, sometimes monthly, sometimes weekly, to reflect, learn and grow together - it has been one of the greatest gifts of my work. In these calls, mamas get to know one another - and get to know themselves. We share our wins and our fears, and we grow together. As part...

As lockdowns begin to change around the world, and as isolation rules slowly begin to ease, there is a call for us all to return to 'normal' life. But what if the 'normal' we were living isn't what we want anymore? What if, during these weeks of isolation, we've liked slowing down, saying no to all those extra curricular activities? And what if, now we've slowed down, we resist the rush back to no...

Pregnancy and childbirth can bring its own special type of worry - so much of what is to come is unknown. In fact, in many ways, preparing for birth is a lot like preparing for motherhood: a daily practice of surrendering the need to know, and trusting your instincts. But pregnancy and birth in the time of isolation, lockdown and infection brings a whole new level of unknown. In this special CALMC...

Over the past few weeks, I have listened to hundreds of mamas' experience of isolation - what is stressing them out, and what they are loving. And one of the worries that is coming up a lot is: relationships and intimacy. When everyone is packed into a home, and the kids are underfoot all day long, how do you connect with your partner? When they are stressed about work, and you're stressed about t...