you've had a baby...not a lobotomy

Samantha Murrell
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We should be mothering amongst the stories of motherhood - its complexities, joys and challenges. We should have been supported and mentored through it, with the knowledge being passed down from generation to generation. But today we mother largely in isolation, away from our families, friends and communities. It was never meant to be this way. Without all of this we lack the reference to make sense of our own experiences and the language to express how we are feeling. It leaves mothers feeling disconnected, lost and believing there is something wrong with them. 'You've had a baby not a lobotomy' is a podcast lifting the lid on motherhood, bringing you real, raw and honest stories from real mothers - with no experts or gurus. It challenges the damaging modern narrative of the perfect mother and celebrates mothers thriving in modern motherhood, doing it their own, damn way!

  1. Aug 11

    14 - Having a Baby Doesn't Mean Derailing your Career, with Ashley Chang

    Here's a plot twist for you: Ashley Chang built a business for working parents before she was a parent herself. Ashley is the founder of Sundays — an executive assistant service that pairs working families with (mostly) mum-run support, both at work and at home. She spent years deep in the research, talking to exhausted parents, watching the drop-off that happens the second ambition meets a baby. Then she had her own son, four months before we recorded this and got to test every assumption on herself in real time. I loved this one. It's rare to talk to someone who studied the juggle or parenthood from the outside and then lived it from the inside. We get into: - Why she scrapped her plan to build an app and built a team of humans instead, because parents didn't need another system, they needed capacity - The "make impact vs. save your life" framework her husband uses, and how she's learned to slide up and down that scale instead of picking a lane forever - What actually changed for her once she had her son – it wasn’t a big philosophical shift, just a much harder line around what's worth her time at work - Taking two months fully off her own company and having to trust her team to run it without her - The coaching question that cracked her open before maternity leave - Why she went into leave trying to just be present, instead of chasing another goal to hit There's a line in here about how the messaging we get is that having a baby derails your career for years — wait until they're at school/secondary school/the kids have left home. Ashley's four months in and already proving it doesn't have to be that way. Not because it's easy, because she's decided she gets to choose. If you're in the season where you're trying to work out how much of you gets to stay you and chase your own career goals while you're also somebody's whole world, this episode is for you. You've Had a Baby, Not a Lobotomy is an independent podcast, produced by Decibel Creative.

    14 - Having a Baby Doesn't Mean Derailing your Career, with Ashley Chang

  2. Jul 28

    13 - Why Flexible Working isn't Working - solo episode

    In this episode I'm calling out the PR stunt for what it is. Flexible working policies were never going to be the holy grail on their own and the stats prove it. Careers After Babies' 2024 report found a 32% reduction in women in managerial roles after becoming a mum, alongside a 44% increase in admin roles. Brilliant, capable women, moving backwards, not because they've lost their edge, but because nothing around them was built to hold them through the change. This isn't a logistics problem and it never was. You can't fix an identity crisis with a hybrid working policy. In this episode: Why flexible working policies look great on paper but are failing mothers in practiceThe stats behind the 32% drop in women reaching managerial roles after having a babyWhat organisations need to do instead to support and nurture their working mothers and what else needs to change in order for mothers to get the support and resources they need and deserve. If you're the brilliant mother back at work after maternity leave and being managed around rather than championed, book a Clarity Call. Let's talk about what proper support actually looks like. MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

    13 - Why Flexible Working isn't Working - solo episode

  3. Jul 14

    12 - Motherhood Changed my Career Goals Forever, with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz

    I recorded this conversation with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz back in 2022, right when I first started this podcast and I didn't get to publish it at the time. I'm so happy it's not out in the world for more mammas to hear from this incredible woman who changed the trajectory of my motherhood for the better. Amy was my mentor and I trained with her for nearly three years in motherhood coaching and she's the reason Mothers' Hood exists. She was the first person who ever made me feel like what I was going through in early motherhood wasn't me failing. Amy gave me the language and understanding of it all. In this episode we go right back. We talk about the Amy before kids — fiercely ambitious ABC journalist, the "we don't need a man" generation, success and career as the whole point of her life. Then motherhood and the floor dropping out from under her. We talk about: The version of yourself that cracks open the second you become a mum, and how nobody warns you it's comingWhat it actually looks like to hit the maternal wall at work — the comments, the assumptions, the being managed out without anyone saying it out loudLeaving a career she'd built her whole identity around, and the grief that came with itWhy "I don't know who I am anymore" isn't a crisis to fixWhat she'd tell her daughters about becoming mothers themselves If you've ever felt, or are feeling, like you're standing with one foot in who you used to be and one foot in someone you don't recognise yet this one's for you. AMY TAYLOR-KABBAZ www.amytaylorkabbaz.com Instagram MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

    12 - Motherhood Changed my Career Goals Forever, with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz

  4. Jun 30

    11 - This is my motherhood story

    In this first episode of season 2 of the glammed up podcast, I'm starting with a special episode and format. I'm handing over the mic. For the first time ever, I'm the guest on my own podcast and the brilliant Laura Greenwood from Laura Greenwood Therapy is asking the questions. Laura is one of my closest, most trusted friends. We met studying motherhood and matrescence coaching and facilitating together back in 2020, and she knows my story in a way very few people do. She's also a psychotherapist with 18 years of experience, now specialising in supporting mothers to find themselves underneath all the noise of who they think they're supposed to be. She was the first person I thought of when I decided to do this episode. In this episode, I share my postpartum story for the first time in full. The anxiety that hit like a sledgehammer from day one. The intrusive thoughts. The constant internal monologue telling me I was failing at the most important thing I'd ever done. nd how, underneath all of it, undiagnosed ADHD was shaping every single part of my experience and I had absolutely no idea. We talk about: The emotional dysregulation and rejection sensitivity that I can now trace all the way back to childhood and what it meant to grow up being told I was "too sensitive" and "too dramatic"Why postpartum was the moment the mask slipped and why that was so brutal for an undiagnosed neurodiverse brainThe connection between hormones, dopamine, sleep deprivation and ADHD that made my postpartum so intenseIntrusive thoughts — what they really are, how common they are, and why my ADHD brain made them so much harder to shakeHow I've consciously parented Luna in the ways I didn't get and why repair matters as much as getting it rightWhat my ADHD diagnosis finally gave me: language, understanding, and permission to make sense of my own lifeAnd the one thing I whisper to Luna every single night, which, if I'm honest, I'm saying to that little girl in me too. This is the episode I've been building up to since I started this podcast. It's a long and deeply vulnerable share, so buckle up! FIND LAURA GREENWOOD HERE www.lauragreenwoodtherapy.com Instagram: @lauragreenwood_therapy MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

  5. Jun 16

    Season 2 Trailer - She's Back!

    She's back! And she's had a glow up. If you found your way here from the old days of The Mothers Hood Podcast, welcome back. And if you're new, I'm so happy to have you here too. Samantha Murrell is a Back-to-Work Coach and Matrescence Guide for women returning to the workplace after having a baby and Season 2 of You've Had a Baby, Not a Lobotomy is here to do what mainstream media still isn't — hold space for the real conversations about motherhood, identity, career, and ambition. This isn't about muddling through. It's about thriving. It's about the women who did everything right, followed the path, and then motherhood turned everything inside out and upside down, and now they're asking, what the f**k happened to me? It's about the transition that nobody properly prepares you for, and what becomes possible when you actually are supported through it. Season 2 is going to be honest, warm, a little disruptive, and so needed in a world that doesn't value motherhood. Hit follow or subscribe wherever you're listening and come and join the conversation. You've Had a Baby, Not a Lobotomy is an independent podcast hosted by Samantha Murrell and produced by Decibel Creative. MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

  6. 07/28/2025

    10 - It’s Not the Glass Ceiling Holding Mothers Back with Tamsin Broster.

    In this episode, I’m joined by Tamsin Broster, feminist visibility and confidence coach, former Ministry of Defence leader, mother of two and all-round powerhouse. Tamsin shares her deeply personal story of stepping away from a 20-year civil service career to reclaim her identity, rebuild her confidence and rewrite what success means not just as a mother, but as a woman navigating loss, IVF, leadership, and the complexity of modern motherhood. This is a raw, rich, and honest conversation about what it means to live through matrescence in its fullest expression. From navigating IVF treatments, perimenopause and sandwich caregiving, to ultimately choosing joy and visibility on her own terms. Listen as we we talk about: The hidden toll of IVF while holding a senior roleWhat happens when the "maternal wall" collides with career ambitionResentment, rage, and reckoning with identity after her second childThe legacy she’s intentionally rewriting for her children TAMSIN BROSTER Tamsin is a feminist visibility and confidence coach who helps women stop shrinking and become the face of their business. She works with entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders navigating body image issues, impostor syndrome, and the pressure to look or act a certain way. With a background in MoD Logistics and Commercial support, she understands the leadership challenges women face and the work required to shift identity from a long term career into entrepreneurship. Her work is rooted in the belief that the world changes when women stop waiting to feel ready and start taking up space exactly as they are. Known for her warmth, humour, and straight-talking style, Tamsin brings a powerful blend of compassion and challenge to every stage. TAMSON BROSTER https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamsin-broster-1a66a8210/ https://www.instagram.com/tamsin_broster MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

    10 - It’s Not the Glass Ceiling Holding Mothers Back with Tamsin Broster.

  7. 07/21/2025

    9 - Why Becoming A Mother Supercharges Your Career

    Listen up as I drop some truth bombs in this episode, waxing lyrical on why becoming a mother can accelerate your career like a bat out of h*ll! We’re telling mothers that they lack drive, determination, commitment and that when the baby arrives, that’s it, it’s game over for their career and they’ll just shuffle off into the background. But what if I told you this doesn't have to be the case? What if I told you that becoming a mother is a supercharged way of achieving bigger and better things in your career? It can be the beginning of realising that you can achieve success on your own terms without burnout, overwhelm or exhaustion. Giving the finger to the stuff that’s been weighing you down, shunning the outdated beliefs about motherhood and what success means is key to this. Recognising that we’re still carrying more than our fair share of the domestic/mental/emotional load at home AND living in a society that doesn’t value caregiving also comes into play is also important. MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

  8. 07/14/2025

    8 - Letting go of the Perfect Family Ideal with Robin Lynn

    In this moving episode, I sit down with Robin Lynn. Robin is a clarity coach, speaker, musician and the unapologetic host of the Gucci God podcast. As the founder of Robin Lynn Coaching, Robin guides women through life’s pivots with power, prayer, and a little bit of cosmic spice. Robin shares her journey into and through motherhood. From navigating postpartum with bipolar disorder and infidelity to being blindsided in a custody battle, to redefining what it means to be a “good mother”. We talk about the expectations we carry, the stories we inherit and how motherhood rarely, if ever, looks the way we imagined. And more than anything, this episode is a testament to what’s possible when you stop judging yourself and start building something that works for you and your child even if it doesn’t look picture-perfect on the outside. FIND ROBIN HERE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-weaver-04048182/ ABOUT ROBIN: Robin Lynn is a clarity coach, speaker, musician, and the unapologetic host of the Gucci God podcast—a bi-spiritual sanctuary for women who love Jesus and their crystals. With a Master’s in Neuroscience & Education from Columbia University and years of experience in transformational coaching, Robin empowers women to break free from people-pleasing, reconnect with their purpose, and rise into the woman God designed them to be. Her unique approach blends brain-based strategy with soul-led alignment, uniting the sacred and the stylish in every session. As the founder of Robin Lynn Coaching, creator of the On Purpose 1:1 mentorship, and leader of Clarity Club, Robin guides women through life’s pivots with power, prayer, and a little bit of cosmic spice. Whether she’s coaching clients, playing the pipe organ in church, or preaching truth on Instagram, she embodies what it means to walk holy and high-vibe—rosary in one hand, rose quartz in the other. FOLLOW ROBIN LYNN: Instagram: @robinlynncoaching Facebook: Robin Weaver Podcast: Gucci God MOTHERS’ HOOD If this episode or any other resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. Email me: samantha@mothershood.co.uk Or come and find me here: www.mothershood.co.uk Instagram: @mothers.hood Facebook: @mothershoodtribe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murrell-03966132/

    8 - Letting go of the Perfect Family Ideal with Robin Lynn
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We should be mothering amongst the stories of motherhood - its complexities, joys and challenges. We should have been supported and mentored through it, with the knowledge being passed down from generation to generation. But today we mother largely in isolation, away from our families, friends and communities. It was never meant to be this way. Without all of this we lack the reference to make sense of our own experiences and the language to express how we are feeling. It leaves mothers feeling disconnected, lost and believing there is something wrong with them. 'You've had a baby not a lobotomy' is a podcast lifting the lid on motherhood, bringing you real, raw and honest stories from real mothers - with no experts or gurus. It challenges the damaging modern narrative of the perfect mother and celebrates mothers thriving in modern motherhood, doing it their own, damn way!

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