Motherhood Sessions
24 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 862 ratingsBeing a mom is hard—everybody knows that. But usually we only hear about sleepless nights and diaper changes, not the profound identity shift that accompanies becoming a mother. Motherhood is a psychological big bang. And yet it’s rare to find emotionally honest conversations about it. On Gimlet Media’s Motherhood Sessions, Dr. Alexandra Sacks, a renowned reproductive psychiatrist, sits down with mothers and lets us listen in on conversations that are hard to have outside of a therapist’s office. Each episode features a woman struggling with some problem or question—from career uncertainty to sex to ambivalence about even being a mother—and she and Dr. Sacks work it through together.
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Episodes
Rethinking Your Roots After Motherhood
May 18, 2023 21:52 - 29 minutesJulia was born in South Korea but was adopted and raised by a white family. Since giving birth to her own children—the first biological relatives she’s ever known—she’s become curious about where she came from, and is on a search to find her birth mother. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan, Molly Donahue, and Lauren Silverman. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Mixing and music by Emma Munger. If you or someone you kno...
Blurred Lines
March 19, 2020 08:00 - 31 minutes[Season Finale] Two years ago, Penelope had a baby on her own. To save money and to create a stable environment for her child, she decided to move back in with her mother Rosa. But living together under the same roof has become increasingly challenging. Penelope appreciates her mom's support, but at the same time she's trying to find a way to assert her own independence and establish boundaries. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotify. It’s produced by Kimmie Regler ...
Mom's Not There When I Need Her
March 12, 2020 08:00 - 30 minutesMiranda works at one of the top consulting firms in the country. She also has three young kids. After years of trying to balance the needs of her career with the needs of her family, Miranda is finally at a breaking point. She is physically and mentally exhausted, and worried about what will happen to her kids if she continues to prioritize her career. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotify. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan and Kimmie Regler. Our editors are Devon Tay...
Introducing: Love Letters
March 05, 2020 09:00 - 33 minutesDr. Sacks introduces one of her favorite podcasts: Love Letters, hosted by the Boston Globe's Meredith Goldstein. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Alternate Universes
February 27, 2020 09:00 - 14 minutesLast year we met Julia, a woman who was adopted from South Korea when she was just a few weeks old. She was raised by white parents who never encouraged her to explore her roots. However, after having her own children—the first biological relatives she’d ever seen—Julia began an active search to find her birth mother. Dr. Sacks spoke with Julia about this experience in a previous episode (“Rethinking Your Roots After Motherhood”). Then, over the summer, Julia told us that she'd actually booke...
A Little Black Kid Like Me
February 20, 2020 09:00 - 34 minutesWhen Regina and her husband decided to start a family, she took care to prepare him to be the father of a child of color. But when her daughter was born with blonde hair and light skin, Regina was caught completely off guard. Now, Regina is trying to help her daughter navigate increasingly complicated questions of race and identity, but is struggling to connect with her daughter's radically different experience of Blackness. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotify. I...
Imposter Syndrome
February 13, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutesHarper met her second husband through a Facebook group called “Young, Widowed, and Dating.” The two connected through their shared grief—she’d lost her first husband in a car accident, and he’d lost his first wife to brain cancer. Now Harper is helping to raise her new husband’s five year-old daughter, and is struggling with the sense that she is an imposter in this family. Harper is afraid that she will always be overshadowed by the memory of the woman who died, and worries that her daughter...
Two Years Without Sex
February 06, 2020 09:00 - 27 minutesCassie and Ray haven't had sex since the birth of their son, who's now two years-old. But becoming new parents has thrown their sex life into a brand new kind of turmoil. Now, they're trying to find their way back to one another—and to seeing themselves as individual sexual beings rather than just Mom and Dad. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotify. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan and Kimmie Regler. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Music and mixin...
Just Sh*t Luck
January 23, 2020 09:00 - 34 minutesWhen Audrey was pregnant for the first time, she asked a doctor about genetic testing; he told her it wasn’t necessary. But after giving birth to her second son, she learned that she’d passed a rare genetic disease down to both her children. Now, she’s wracked with intense feelings of guilt, and trying to figure out how to be the best mother she can be for two kids with special needs. Show transcript: http://bit.ly/383unwO CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotify. It’...
I Don't Trust His Ex
January 16, 2020 09:00 - 38 minutesWhen Tom and Sandra got married, they both came with complicated personal histories. Tom brought three kids and a contentious relationship with his ex-wife. Sandra brought long-simmering feelings about her own parents’ messy divorce. Now, they are trying to navigate their complex dynamics of this new family, and trying to make sure their children are protected from the tension and conflict. Show transcript: http://bit.ly/35NPK3N CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotif...
Will She Be a Good Human Being?
January 09, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutesDee grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Kenya, where her family struggled to make ends meet. After racial violence flared up in her hometown, she came to the U.S. seeking asylum. Now she lives in a middle-class suburb of D.C. with her husband and her two year-old girl. But she’s unsure of how to raise a daughter in an environment so different from the one she grew up in. She’s worried that her daughter will become spoiled, and won’t learn the values Dee herself learned during her difficul...
Season 2 Announcement + How's Work?
December 18, 2019 10:00 - 50 minutesMotherhood Sessions is returning with brand new episodes on Thursday, January 9th! Plus, a new podcast from renowned couples counsellor Esther Perel.
We're Looking for Volunteers!
September 09, 2019 19:11 - 1 minuteAn exciting update from Dr. Sacks.
Loneliness in Single Motherhood
June 27, 2019 08:00 - 27 minutesWhen Joni was 40 years old, she was financially independent, enjoying her life as a single woman, and feeling strong enough to have a baby on her own. But now that her daughter is seven months old, Joni is struggling with intense loneliness. She feels like a failure, and is surprised and embarrassed by her longing for a partner. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Mixing and music by ...
Does Biology Matter?
June 20, 2019 08:00 - 27 minutesMia and Laura had always imagined they would each carry one of their children. Laura delivered their first child, but as they approach planning for their second child, Mia—who presents as masculine-of-center—is afraid of how pregnancy will disrupt her body and her sense of self. She wonders if it even matters if she has a biological relationship to her child. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin R...
When Being a Mom Isn’t Enough
June 13, 2019 08:00 - 32 minutesCamilla was a PhD student struggling with a feeling that she didn’t belong in academia. Then she got pregnant. Seven years and two children later, she’s never finished her dissertation. She’s feeling frustrated as a stay-at-home mom and angry at herself for abandoning her professional aspirations. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan and Molly Donahue. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Mixing and music by Emma Munger. I...
Setting Boundaries With a Toxic Grandparent
May 30, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutesBrittany has always had a troubled relationship with her father, and the two have been estranged for years. After the birth of her daughter, he reconnected and is pushing to spend time with his grandchild. Brittany’s unsure if she should continue to maintain her distance from her father, or consider a new beginning. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan and Lauren Silverman. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Mixing and m...
Feeling Complete With One Child
May 23, 2019 08:00 - 26 minutesMargot and her wife always imagined having more than one child. But Margot’s first pregnancy was physically and emotionally exhausting, and she’s not sure she can go through it again. Now she’s afraid of disappointing her wife. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan, Molly Donahue, and Lauren Silverman. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Mixing and music by Emma Munger. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression...
Parenting Through Trauma
May 16, 2019 08:00 - 31 minutesCari gave birth to twins when she was only 23 weeks pregnant—the edge of viability for newborns. Four years later, the kids are still dealing with medical complications, and Cari and her husband Jay are struggling with residual guilt and an ongoing sense of helplessness. They wonder if parenthood will ever feel “normal.” CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan, Molly Donahue, and Lauren Silverman. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Raf...
Can I Handle a Second Child?
April 25, 2019 08:00 - 29 minutesWeeks before the birth of her second daughter, Leigh is counting down the time she still has alone with her firstborn. She's feeling guilty about how the arrival of a new baby will impact her relationship with her older daughter. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan, Molly Donahue, and Lauren Silverman. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Engineering and music by Emma Munger. If you or someone you know is experiencing dep...
Not Cut Out For Motherhood
April 18, 2019 08:00 - 33 minutesAnne never wanted to be a mom. Now that she actually has a kid, she’s worried that she made a mistake. Her guilt and perfectionism is getting in the way of having a motherhood experience that might leave more room for herself. Credits Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Lauren Silverman, Peter Bresnan, and Molly Donahue. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Music and mixing by Emma Munger. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression ...
Coparenting With Your Ex
April 11, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutesZoe recently separated from the father of her two-year-old son, and now she feels stuck. She’s struggling to get past the anger she feels toward her ex and her shame about being a single mom. Credits Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet Media. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan, Molly Donahue, and Lauren Silverman. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Engineering and music by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger. Special thanks to: Sarah Abdurahman, Caitlin Kenny, and Jenny...
A Note About Therapy from Dr. Sacks
April 11, 2019 07:00 - 1 minuteA quick introduction to the show from Dr. Alexandra Sacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trailer
March 25, 2019 00:28 - 3 minutesConversations with therapist Dr. Alexandra Sacks about the challenges and joys of motherhood. Premieres Thursday, April 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices