You may view the idea of yet another parenting podcast with scepticism, what with Ask Lisa already having established its mark prominently within the genre, followed by a spectrum of versions offering their unique spins on the daily trials and tribulations that many of us doggedly navigate.
Nonetheless, ‘Mother’, the latest offering from prolific content producer Keelin Moncrieff, holds something worthy of your time and ear. With just three episodes out, it presents a fresh perspective on the kaleidoscope of motherhood, highlighting the genuine need for candid commentaries that manoeuvre beyond the idealised representations of parenthood often presented on social media platforms, particularly if you’re relatively new on this meandering journey.
Her approach is decidedly relaxed: Moncrieff, a mother at 24 and two years into her parenting journey, engages with high-profile guests, who are predominantly writers and internet personalities, to discuss their personal motherhood experiences. While she anchors each chat with the same trio of questions, the rest of ‘Mother’ is a free-spirited exploration of the multifaceted joy, chaos, beauty and grit inherent in motherhood.
The maiden episode featuring Louise McSharry couldn’t have been a more apt launch, unpacking McSharry’s experiences alongside a mother battling alcoholism, and an early childhood adoption by an aunt and uncle. McSharry candidly chronicles the heartache of longing for her birth mother and applauds her adoptive parents’ decision to shield her from the harmful influence of her mother’s addiction.
In addition, the storyline traces McSharry’s unexpected pregnancy that followed a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 31, a time when she had been forewarned about potential fertility issues post-treatment. The subsequent mental shift upon learning about her pregnancy, originally planned as a trip with her spouse, and her struggle with postnatal depression, dismissed by the medical fraternity, serves as a glaring testament to the persistent systemic failure of women’s healthcare.
Therefore, ‘Mother’, Keelin Moncrieff’s latest podcast, is a candid, unrestricted exploration of the myriad aspects of motherly life in its entirety.
Melanie Murphy, a renowned author and content producer, imparts her wisdom upon us about coping with panic attacks and anxiety as a parent. She encourages transparency about mental health issues with offspring, while maintaining a protective shield around them from specific aspects of the struggle. Murphy’s crucial reminder to all parents is to recognise and appreciate their efforts, a message that everyone could benefit from, especially amidst the pyroclastic flow of information suggesting that our actions are compromising our children.
Every facet of parenting life gets addressed – the transformation of bodies, finding equilibrium between career and home, battles over self-perception, the pursuit of perfection as a parent, the overwhelming sensation of failure, self-nurture, the necessity of mothers’ circles of friends, and the appalling experience of breastfeeding all get a much-needed airing. It’s refreshing to hear all of these topics voiced openly and without reservation, a refreshing change for those living highly visible lives online.
‘Motherhood’s Interpretation in a Society that Underestimates, Scrutinises, and Regulates it.’
The discussions are not tautly structured or preformulated – they meander at their own pace. You can envision the solace it might bring to an isolated new mum to find herself sharing a conversation with women whose lives, while idealised online, house the same maternal woes, leaky breasts and guilt as everyone else. This is, in a way, a snapshot of Gen Z motherhood. It seems that it has a good deal in common with all preceding generations despite the superficial differences: feelings of condemnation, overwhelming pressure, feeling lost and bored, guilt, and the terrifying unravelling and joyous exultation that motherhood brings.