In today’s episode, I’m taking a step back to reflect on the gifts motherhood has given me through my son, Jackson.

This is the softer side of the story... the one where motherhood gives more than it takes. From clarity and courage to the kind of love that remakes you from the inside out, these are the lessons that changed me.

It’s not a sugarcoated list, either. Some of these “gifts” came wrapped in exhaustion and tears. But they’ve all shaped me into someone stronger, softer, and more grounded than before.

If you’ve found motherhood to be both a teacher and a test, this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• The five gifts motherhood gave me

• Why “barely making it” can still mean you’re winning

• • How love redefines your standards for everything else
  • What it really means when motherhood gives back

• 
  

  Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

  We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

  ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

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You know that feeling when you’re wiped out but can’t explain why? You’ve been running on autopilot, juggling birthday gifts, nap schedules and meal plans, but it’s not just the doing that’s exhausting. It’s the thinking about everything.

In this episode, Nat dives into the real reason mums are exhausted: the mental load. She unpacks how it quietly drains mothers, how gender roles and social conditioning created it, and what to do when you feel like the household project manager instead of an equal partner.

You’ll hear:

• What the mental load actually looks like day to day

• Why it’s not about doing too much, but holding too much

• How gender roles and conditioning keep mums overloaded

• The resentment loop that creeps into relationships

• How to start sharing the load without another argument

🎧 Listen if you’ve ever felt like the manager of your household instead of a partner in it.
Because it’s not just you, and it’s not what you think.

🤩 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

So many of us feel blindsided by how much motherhood changes our relationships. Nobody warns you how having a baby can completely rewrite the dynamics between you and your partner...the exhaustion, the resentment, the unspoken mental load.

In this episode, Nat reads two Reddit posts from mums whose marriages started crumbling after having kids and reflects on why it really happens. From the invisible load to unmet needs, shifting identities, and structural cracks that existed long before the baby, this one’s a deep, honest look at why modern motherhood leaves so many couples struggling to stay connected.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just us?” — you’re not alone.

In this episode:

• The difference between structural vs. circumstantial relationship strain

• Why unmet needs (sleep, rest, connection) turn into resentment

• How the mental load creeps in and erodes partnership

• When to question if staying together is helping or harming

• Why separation isn’t failure, and what rebuilding support looks like

Listen if you’re:

• Feeling unseen or unsupported in your relationship

• • Wondering if your marriage can survive early motherhood
  • Craving validation and a reminder you’re not the only one

• 
  

  🤩 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

  We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠

  
  

  Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

  
  

  ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin

  ⁠⁠

  📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode