The Mama's Den

A change in Felicia's co-parenting arrangement has her discovering more about who she is without being a full-time mother. This, in turn, has her wondering if the rest of the Mama's Den crew knows exactly who they are outside of motherhood and how they came to those realizations. PLUS what does it look like to try and find balance inside of motherhood with partners, fathers, and even the children?...

Motherhood is a job! No really. If we weren't doing it, and in those moments where we can't watch the kids, we have to pay someone else to do it. It is a whole job! Now why is it that it doesn't get treated that way? Today, Ashley, Felicia, and Melanie (you gotta make sure you're following the Black Love socials to find out what Codie's been working on!) are speaking on not only that, but on finan...

You will never have more patience than your child has, but you have to try. Y'all Ashley has the bars today! Codie is out doing some super secret stuff (yall just need to follow @Blacklove on IG to keep up) and the ladies are talking about these babies. Sometimes it's hard when they're yelling at you and can't communicate in the ways that we, as parents, want them to. Fee shares what she has recen...

Marlo's in the House! If you've been riding with us from day one you've heard the ladies talk about Blair, and today she's here to defend her honor. We kid! Aside from all the stories you've heard on the pod, what you might not know about Blair is that she's a mama of 2, a wife, an entrepreneur, and so much more. We know that you're going to find her to be just as dope as we do! Mama's Den village...

Okay village! We know you've peeped it on her gram, that you've heard bits and pieces on the pod, and TODAY you get to hear it straight from Fee herself! Luckily we've got Mrs. Black Love (aka Codie Elaine Oliver) here to help get all the facts, but we know you've been wondering just how she met her new boo. What was it like introducing him to her kids? What work did she need to do on herself to g...

Mama's Den village! We're headed back into our DMs to answer some of your questions. A long time Black Love fan is wondering how to balance being a woman who wears many hats AND navigating being  a first time mom with no family nearby to support her. Dani out of Los Angeles needs some bonus mama advice from Felicia, and a mama in Memphis needs help navigating what to do with the kids for the summe...

Mamas! The new movie The Perfect Find produced by our very own Codie Elaine Oliver is out THIS FRIDAY on Netflix. Today we have the film's director Numa Perrier in the Mama's Den to chat all things motherhood! If you don't know Numa, let's get you caught up! She's a multi-talented actor, director, writer, and visual artist who has emerged as a premier voice in the film and television landscape wit...

Ajike “AJ” Owens was a mother of four who was fatally shot after she reportedly knocked on the door of her white neighbor's residence to retrieve her child’s iPad, and the story has been weighing heavy on the ladies. What do you do when it feels like it's non-stop? What can we do as Black mothers to negate the feeling of hopelessness? Can we do anything? As the ladies discuss, sometimes the most r...

Whew! We spent all of May talking with our Mama's and it was amazing to hear not only what raising our Mama's Den mamas was like, but how they feel about how they are raising their little ones! If you missed it, we'll give you some links below. Today, our mamas reflect on what it was like hearing from their moms. What surprised them the most? What made them feel validated in their motherhood journ...

We are celebrating Mother's Day all month here at The Mama's Den and what better way to do it than to have our Mama's Den Mamas here! That's right we are bringing the Grandmamas into the Mama's Den all month long! Today we are wrapping up our Mama's mamas conversations with Somebody's Mama's Mama. That's right we got Felicia's mom in the Den! Mama Laurie is the youngest of our Grandmamas, but look...

We are celebrating Mother's Day all month here at The Mama's Den and what better way to do it than to have our Mama's Den Mamas here! That's right we are bringing the Grandmamas into the Mama's Den all month long! Today all the way from Columbus, Ohio is Mama Laura! And yes, you can call her Mama Laura. Does she think she and Ashley are alike? What advice does she have for parents today? Also, Ash...

We are celebrating Mother's Day all month here at The Mama's Den and what better way to do it than to have our Mama's Den Mamas here! That's right we are bringing the Grandmamas into the Mama's Den all month long! Felicia is out taking care of her babies, but guess which mama came by to defend herself? That's right! Ready to hold it down TEN TOES DOWN it's Melanie's mama: The one and only Mama Don...

We are celebrating Mother's Day all month here at The Mama's Den and what better way to do it than to have our Mama's Den Mamas here! That's right we are bringing the Grandmamas into the Mama's Den all month long! First up is Mama Renee the Mama to Codie. Mama Renee is a mama of two, and a grandmama to all boys. What are her thoughts on how Codie is parenting? What was it like to be a parent and e...

Mamas! We've got some of our favorites joining us in the Den today! Jamilah Mapp and Erika Dickerson are best friends, single mothers, and the creators of the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast! Now we can call them published authors with the arrival of their new book A Good Mom’s Guide to Making Bad Choices . Erica and Jamilah share how they met, the importance of Mom friends, their opinions on Mom Gu...

Alright Mamas we've gone from Destiny's Child to Destiny's Twins as Ashley is out working and Felicia is out sick, but Codie and Melanie are holding it down for you! Was Spring Break as long for you as it was for us? Have you figured out what you're doing to keep your children entertained for summer? Melanie and Codie discuss all the activities AND serve as your gentle reminder that NOW is the tim...

There was a moment of...need... in the Mama's Den group chat. Ashley needed some advice(?), about her next excursion with her family. And let's be real here, this isn't just a normal trip for the Cheas. When they return, they will be returning to a new home. There are a lot of new moving parts with a lot of new stresses hence the need for her Mama village! In this episode the Mamas talk not only a...

It's Black Maternal Health Week and the Mamas have brought in Kimberly  Durdin who is a Licensed Midwife, Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Childbirth Educator and Doula Trainer, Plus she's  a mother of six and grandmother of five! She and business partner Allegra Hill are co-owners and co-founders of Kindred Space LA, South LA’s only Black-owned Birth Center and hub for midwif...

You've asked and our Mama's are here to answer! That's right it's listener question time, and y'all are getting straight to the point this time around. An anonymous listener in Chicago wants to know if it's wrong to cut off a bad friend? Crys_Shine (c'mon Instagram handle!) in Wilmington, DE wants to know how to handle tantrums. A friend (or foe) from Codie's home state of Texas wants to know just...

Hey Mamas! We've got a bit of a different situation this morning. Felicia is out doing mom duties and Melanie is tending to a house emergency so Ashley's best friend Tiffany O . aka Kyla's mom to help keep the Mama's Den going! Tiffany and Ashley have known each other since they were toddlers in Columbus, OH. However, their friendship truly started in high school just so you all know how long thei...

Mamas, Felicia has a new experience with Zen and she needs to know if the rest of y'all raising little boys have experienced it... Morning wood. Don't laugh! Okay laugh a little, but today we are talking through it all! What do you tell your children when they first have those natural experiences? Is there a right time or a wrong time to talk to your children about their bodies? Have you been thin...

Codie's best friend Kim is in town (and Felicia is out for the day) and the Mamas have all the questions about building a career before children. As you may (or may not know) our Mamas all had their children very quickly into their relationships/marriages. Kim and her husband, however, waited five years before having a child.  What is it like to have children after climbing the corporate ladder? D...

Have y'all seen this Chelsea Handler video that's been going around? She basically breaks down "A Day of a Childless Woman" in a hilarious way, but had the milquetoast men of Fox News foaming at the mouth. Even though it's none of their business, it does have the ladies wondering "Is it okay for women to NOT want children?" Meaning, do we respect women who make the decision to not start a family e...

Would you let your child wave in the air like they just don't care? Did you know that is part of a type of parenting style? Listen, Ashley and Felicia have been watching this parenting show that has them wondering all the things. Is there one "good" type of parenting style? Should we as parents only stick to one way? Have we been to strict with our kids? Listen in as the Mamas discuss not only the...

A friendly conversation about Ashley's home makeover quickly  turns into how does one go about protecting the home? More importantly would any of the ladies get a gun? It's a question that is heated, genuine, and touches on not only the necessity for some, but the real fears, and the situations that have had the ladies think twice about their opinions. This is a conversation that goes there, and w...

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and the ladies of the Mamas Den are ready thanks to the help of one Felicia La Tour! Listen in to hear how the Mamas do Valentine's Day with their children, how it's evolved over time, love languages, expectations of their partners, and some last minute pick ups you can grab if you're trying to scramble to put something together for this micro holiday!   Alright Mama's...