The Happy Mama Movement with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz

In this conversation, Ashley Chang and I discuss the challenges faced by working mothers in balancing their careers and family life. Ashley shares her personal experiences and insights from her research on the struggles of working parents, emphasizing the need for support systems and the importance of recognizing the mental load that comes with parenting. They explore the concept of creating a supportive environment for mothers, including the role of executive assistants in alleviating some of the burdens of family management. The discussion highlights the ongoing challenges in workplace culture and the need for more effective solutions to support working families. IN THIS EPSIODE: * Ashley was inspired by her mother's experience as a working mom. * Many women feel they have to choose between career and family. * The concept of 'perceived choice' in motherhood is often misleading. * Balancing work and family can feel like being two people in one. * Expectations placed on mothers can lead to feelings of inadequacy. * Research shows that many parents struggle with time management. * Sundays aims to help families reclaim their time together. * Executive assistants can alleviate the mental load for parents. * The emotional connection to the baby can differ between parents. * Creating a supportive work environment is crucial for working mothers. ABOUT ASHLEY: Bio - Ashley Chang is the co-founder and CEO of Sundays. She was inspired to start Sundays by her own mom, a software engineer in the 80’s who left the workforce because she felt like she had to make a choice between work and family. Ashley spent a decade prior to Sundays in early stage technology companies – as the first employee at a developer tool company, building member experience for health insurance and benefits at Collective Health, and joining Carta to help scale their Venture Capital products from $10 to >$100M in revenue. During this time she saw many of the smartest women she knows have to make the same choice between family and work, 30 years later. In the past year, she has spoken to >1,000 parents about what makes it so hard to have both a meaningful career and family. She’s on a mission to make it possible for future generations. CONTACTS: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymchang/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymchang/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/with-sundays [https://www.linkedin.com/company/with-sundays] https://www.instagram.com/with_sundays [https://www.instagram.com/with_sundays] Website Details - https://withsundays.com/utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=happymamapodcast [https://withsundays.com/utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=happymamapodcast] CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Journey of Motherhood and Career 12:51 The Reality of Balancing Work and Family 24:48 Creating Support Systems for Working Mothers ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Welcome back, beautiful mamas, to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast. In this heartfelt and deeply persona TAKE THE MIC episode, Lee Tracey — a Sex Educator, Matrescence Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Acupuncturist — shares her story of awakening, healing, and reclamation. Through her own matrescence journey, Lee uncovered not only the physical challenges of postpartum life but the profound transformation of identity, sexuality, and self that comes with becoming a mother. Drawing on both lived experience and professional insight, Lee shines light on an often-silent truth: that up to 88% of women face changes in sexual health and wellbeing during the perinatal period. Yet so few are offered support or understanding. Her story is both an invitation and a revolution — calling us back to our bodies, our pleasure, and our wholeness. LEE SHARES: * The unspoken reality of perinatal sexual dysfunction and how common — and normal — these experiences are. * Matrescence as a profound rite of passage — one that cracks us open to healing, reclamation, and truth. * The enduring split between motherhood and sexuality, and how cultural conditioning shapes our sense of worth. * Lee’s powerful personal story — from physical pain and disillusionment to embodied healing and liberation. * Practical pathways to support — from pelvic floor care to open, shame-free conversations around women’s sexual health. Lee’s solo reflection is raw, liberating, and tender — a reminder that our sexuality and our motherhood are not opposing forces, but intertwined expressions of our deepest humanity. If this episode moves you, please share it with another mother who may need to hear these words. Together, we can break the silence and honour the full spectrum of womanhood. ABOUT LEE TRACEY Lee Tracey is a women’s health and sexual wellbeing professional. She is a trained professional Sex Educator, certified through The Sexual Health Alliance (AASECT) , a certified Matrescence Coach (ICF) certified through Amy Taylor Kabbaz & also an Acupuncturist. She is the co-founder of Reformation Studios and has been teaching yoga and leading training's for over a decade & has qualifications in multiple disciplines and lineages. She is a passionate and professional advocate for Women's Health focused on providing support & education.e. CONNECT WITH LEE Reformation.ie [https://www.reformation.ie] LeeTracey.ie [https://www.leetracey.ie] 📸 Instagram: @LeeTraceyLife [https://www.instagram.com/LeeTraceyLife] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Welcome, dear listener, to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast. In this conversation, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz speaks with Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett — journalist, author, and columnist for The Guardian and Vogue — about the profound emotional and political layers of motherhood. Through her own journey, Rhiannon reflects on the uncertainty of choosing to have children, the unspoken vulnerability that follows, and the urgent need for better systems of care and community support for parents everywhere. Together, they explore the tension between personal transformation and societal expectation — how motherhood reshapes identity, challenges old narratives, and reveals how deeply entwined the personal is with the political. We talk about: * 🌸 The tender uncertainty of becoming a mother — how few of us ever feel entirely “ready,” and how the decision to have children is layered with love, doubt, and longing. * 🌿 The lifelong vulnerability motherhood brings, and how stepping into this role opens us to both immense joy and profound change. * 🏠 Why the nuclear family no longer serves us, and how true support is found in wider circles of care — in community, friendship, and shared responsibility. * 💗 The importance of mental health and open conversation, breaking the silence around the realities of matrescence and the emotional demands of caregiving. * 🔥 The political awakening of motherhood, and how naming these challenges can become a radical act of truth-telling and transformation. This episode is an invitation to see motherhood not just as a private journey, but as a deeply collective experience — one that calls for compassion, honesty, and courageous change. If this conversation resonates, please share it with another mama who may need to hear that she is not alone. Together, we can rewrite the story of what it means to mother in today’s world. ABOUT RHIANNON LUCY COSSLETT Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a journalist and writer. She is the co-author of The Vagenda, and the author of the novel The Tyranny of Lost Things, and the critically acclaimed memoir, The Year of the Cat, about deciding whether or not to have a baby. She is a columnist for the Guardian and Vogue, and has written for Elle, Stylist, the New Statesman, the Independent and Time.  CONNECT WITH RHIANNON 📸 Instagram: @rhiannonlucycosslett [https://www.instagram.com/rhiannonlucycosslett] ✖️ X (Twitter): @rhiannonlucyc [https://twitter.com/rhiannonlucyc] CHAPTERS: 00:00 The Journey to Motherhood: A Personal Exploration 05:55 The Reality of Motherhood vs. Expectations 11:43 Navigating Mental Health Postpartum 17:46 The Need for Support Systems in Parenting 23:41 Motherhood as a Political Experience 29:40 Hope and Change in Parenting Dynamics ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Welcome back, mamas. In this return episode, I want to share something close to my heart — a reflection on my own journey through burnout, vulnerability, and change. Over the past few months, I’ve been reminded just how hard it can be to pause, to admit that we’re struggling, and to honour our need for rest. Motherhood asks so much of us, and yet within the breaking down, there is always a quiet invitation to begin again — softer, truer, more aligned with who we’re becoming. Key Takeawways: : * 🌸 The courage to be honest about our struggles, and the healing that comes when we stop pretending we’re okay. * 🌿 The necessity of rest, and how stepping back allows space for renewal. * 🌀 The shifting identity of matrescence, and how breaking down can become a breakthrough. * 💗 Letting go of old patterns, trusting that what falls away is making space for something more real. * 🌈 Embracing change, and remembering that transformation is part of our rhythm as mothers. If you’re feeling stretched, tired, or unsure right now — please know... You are not alone. We are most definitely in this together. ABOUT AMY Amy is a writer, speaker, coach, and mother who has spent over a decade exploring the transformation of matrescence — the complete identity shift that happens when a woman becomes a mother. Through her award-winning podcast The Happy Mama Movement and her global coaching program Mama Rising, Amy helps women and professionals understand and honour this life-changing rite of passage with compassion and truth. 🌐 amytaylorkabbaz.com 📸 Instagram: @amytaylorkabbaz [https://www.instagram.com/amytaylorkabbaz] Chapters 00:00 Relaunching the Podcast: A Personal Reflection 03:00 The Need for Rest: A Mother’s Journey 06:09 Breaking the Cycle: From Superwoman to Vulnerability 10:06 Navigating the Liminal Space: Transformation and Identity 15:07 Embracing Change: Lessons from the Journey ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Welcome to this episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast. Today, I’m joined by mindfulness teacher and founder of The Compassion Project, Belinda Haan. With warmth and honesty, Belinda shares how perfectionism and self-doubt marked her early motherhood years—and how compassion, not criticism, became her most powerful tool. We talk about: * Unrealistic Beginnings How the "Huggies ad" version of motherhood left Belinda isolated, ashamed, and exhausted in her early years as a mum. * The Deepest Regret Why self-criticism is often the harshest parenting voice in our heads—and how seeing her daughter clearly helped Belinda rewrite her own narrative. * Practising What We Preach How running honest, real-talk mother’s groups made Belinda realise it was time to embody self-compassion in her own life, not just teach it. * Barriers to Kindness The nervous system realities that make self-compassion difficult—and how to gently meet yourself when you feel most undeserving. * Tender, Not Prescriptive Why self-compassion isn’t a one-size-fits-all script—and how small, embodied gestures can shift your whole day. This is a conversation full of quiet revelations and radical permission. I hope it reminds you that you are never alone in this—and that kindness, towards yourself, is not something you have to earn. If this resonates, please share it with a mother who needs to hear it too. ABOUT BELINDA HAAN Belinda Haan is a mindfulness teacher, creator and humble guide to the full joy, catastrophe and sacredness of life. As an Ambassador of Compassion with Stanford University, she founded The Compassion Project—a heartfelt initiative delivering practical, research-backed tools to reduce suffering and cultivate compassion. Its first resource, The Emotional Support for Mothers Toolkit, provides the missing piece of modern mothering with a practical how-to for nervous system support, emotional self-regulation, resilience and wisdom. Grounded in the day-to-day of parenting, it treats mothers as real people—supporting them to meet all of motherhood with more confidence, ease and self-compassion. A mother of two, Belinda created this work to offer solace, inspiration, and meaningful tools for families everywhere. RESOURCES: Website: The Compassion Project [https://www.thecompassionproject.au] Instagram: @thecompassionproject.au [https://www.instagram.com/thecompassionproject.au] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.