The Mama Circle

Natalie K. Martin
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  • PARENTING

I love being a mum. What I don’t love is what modern motherhood has become: the overwhelm, the invisible labour, the financial squeeze, the loneliness. This is what I call The Motherhood Debt, and this podcast is where we get real about all of it: This is honest talk for women who love their families, but want a version of motherhood that feels more sustainable, more joyful and more supported. Hosted by writer and educator Natalie K. Martin, every episode mixes lived experience, social insight and practical permission to do things differently.

  1. 4H AGO

    73. Going back to work after maternity leave? This is what nobody tells you

    Most of us expect that going back to work will make things easier, but for many mums, it doesn’t. Costs increase. Illness increases. The mental load expands. And suddenly, you’re holding a job, a household, and a child at the same time. In this episode, I’m unpacking why going back to work often feels harder than expected, and the structural tension behind it. Because the issue isn’t your ambition. It’s the conditions you’re working inside. 🎧 If this resonates, the free audio guide The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs explores the kinds of support that are often missing in moments like this: 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok ⁠⁠@nataliek.martin⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    19 min

  2. MAR 31

    72. Living together after a breakup (the part of separation we don’t talk about)

    Living together after a breakup is one of the least talked about stages of separation. You’re not fully together.You’re not fully apart.And you’re not fully independent. From the outside, everything can look the same.Same house. Same routines. Same family structure. But internally, everything has shifted. In this episode, I’m naming what actually happens in that in-between space: The emotional tension of sharing space while detachingThe constant nervous system activationWhy the mental load and division of labour suddenly feel sharperHow the “contract” of your relationship quietly disappearsWhy home can stop feeling like homeAnd why this stage, as hard as it is, can also bring clarityThis is a relationship debt episode, with threads of emotional and identity debt running through it. If you’re in this stage, or heading towards it, you’re not imagining how hard it feels. And you’re not the only one living it. 🎧 If this resonates, the free audio guide The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs explores the kinds of support that are often missing in moments like this: 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok ⁠@nataliek.martin⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    19 min

  3. MAR 24

    71. I Can’t Make My Money Stretch (But I’m Embarrassed to Ask for Help)

    Today, I’m talking about something that feels deeply uncomfortable for a lot of us, needing help when the numbers stop adding up. Through the lens of motherhood, separation, and navigating finances, I share what it’s been like to realise that I can’t actually do this alone. Not because I’ve done something wrong, but because the reality of modern motherhood often doesn’t add up financially. I talk about the shame that can come up when asking for help, especially financial help, and where that shame actually comes from. This isn’t just about money. It’s about identity, independence, and the stories we carry about what it means to be someone who “should be able to manage”. In this episode: what happens when your income and expenses stop aligning in motherhoodwhy asking for help can feel so uncomfortablethe difference between personal failure and structural realityhow cultural and class conditioning shapes our relationship with money and supportwhy systems like benefits and subsidies exist in the first placeIf you’ve ever felt like you shouldn’t need help, this episode is for you. 🎧 Free resource: The 5 Villages Every Mum NeedsA short audio guide exploring the types of support modern motherhood requires, and where those gaps often are. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 Want to share your thoughts on this episode? TikTok @nataliek.martin Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or 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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    25 min

  4. MAR 17

    70. The Motherhood Debt: The Hidden Costs of Becoming a Mum

    In this episode, I’m sharing the idea that sits underneath so much of this podcast: the motherhood debt. It’s the hidden cost of becoming a mother, not just financially, but emotionally, relationally, mentally and practically too. I talk about the moment I realised I felt like I was drowning, why so many mums end up blaming themselves, and what I started to notice in conversations with other women. Different struggles. Same underlying weight. I also break down the different debts so many of us carry, from identity and relationships to time, energy, support and money. This episode is the foundation for everything that follows. If motherhood has ever felt heavier than you expected, this will put language to it. 🎧 Mentioned in this episode:The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs, where I talk more about the support structures modern mothers are navigating. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    17 min

  5. MAR 10

    69. We Don’t Need Mother’s Day Cards. We Need Support.

    In this episode, Natalie reflects on how expectations around Mother’s Day can quietly shift after children arrive. What was once about celebrating your own mum can suddenly become multi-generational, bringing different traditions, assumptions, and sometimes tension about how the day should be spent. Natalie also explores a deeper question: do mothers actually need one day of appreciation, or something more consistent than that? Flowers, cards, and breakfast in bed are lovely, but they are not the same as everyday support. In modern motherhood, the small, practical moments of care and shared responsibility often matter far more than symbolic gestures once a year. This episode looks at how resentment in relationships often builds through tiny moments over time, and why the opposite is also true. Small acts of support can quietly strengthen a partnership and help mothers feel less alone in the weight of family life. Natalie also introduces the idea behind her Five Villages Every Mum Needs framework, which explores the different forms of support mothers need in modern life. If Mother’s Day has ever felt more complicated than joyful, this conversation will likely resonate. If this resonates, you can download my free audio guide, The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs, where I talk more about the support structures modern mothers are navigating. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    26 min

  6. MAR 3

    68. I stopped negotiating with my toddler - FAFO Parenting

    You’re told to stay calm. Keep explaining. Offer choices. Negotiate gently. But what happens when you’ve repeated yourself ten times and nothing changes? In this episode of The Mama Circle Podcast, Nat shares a shift she’s been experimenting with during the toddler years: stepping away from endless negotiation and allowing safe, natural consequences to do the teaching instead with FAFO (F*ck Around, Find Out) parenting. This isn’t about abandoning gentle parenting or becoming stricter. It’s about recognising that much of modern parenting advice assumes unlimited patience, time and emotional capacity, conditions most parents simply don’t have. Because parenting doesn’t happen in ideal circumstances. It happens when you’re tired, running late, overstimulated, and trying to hold an entire household together at the same time. Drawing from real-life toddler moments, Nat explores what changed when she stopped trying to control every outcome and started getting curious instead of exhausted. Inside this episode: why negotiation stops working with some toddlers parenting strong-willed children without constant conflict the exhaustion of endless repetition boundaries versus “being soft” in modern parenting culture letting go of control without becoming harsh or reactive why toddlers often learn through experience rather than explanation If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing because parenting feels harder than it’s supposed to, this episode offers a different perspective. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re parenting inside real constraints. If this resonates, you can download my free audio guide, The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs, where I talk more about the support structures modern mothers are navigating. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    29 min

  7. FEB 24

    67: Love is not a custody plan: why parenting prenups matter

    When we fall in love, we don’t sit down and map out how we’d separate. We assume love will carry us. But love is not a custody plan. In this episode, I talk about something that might feel uncomfortable at first: what if we treated parenting like the structural commitment it is? What if we had the hard conversations about childcare, money, mobility and decision-making before resentment, betrayal or grief enter the room? Because most couples only negotiate structure once they’re already hurt. I share how navigating co-parenting after separation opened my eyes to how much of family life is built on hope. And how quickly hope collapses when structure hasn’t been defined. This is not about predicting failure.It’s about protecting children from the worst versions of adults in pain. We talk about: Why breakups become so volatile once kids are involved The emotional weight behind child maintenance Mobility, relocation and parental responsibility Why clarity is not unromantic How systems like custody law shape what’s possible If motherhood creates invisible debt, then relationship debt is one of the most expensive. And pretending love alone will carry it is what leaves so many families fighting when they’re already bleeding. If this resonates, you can download my free audio guide, The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs, where I talk more about the support structures modern mothers are navigating. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    42 min

  8. FEB 17

    66. Leaning Into a Maintenance Season

    This week, I’m recording from my bed, feeling that familiar end-of-day heaviness where you’ve done a lot but couldn’t neatly list what it was. Life doesn’t feel chaotic.It just doesn’t feel spacious either. In this episode, I talk about what a maintenance season actually looks like in motherhood, especially after separation, when logistics increase and capacity doesn’t. Waking at 5am when it works, not forcing it when it doesn’t.Batch cooking to reduce decisions.Letting non-urgent emails sit.Filling out government forms in fragments.Choosing structure over spontaneity. Not because ambition has disappeared.But because time and energy are finite. We talk about: • The difference between growth seasons and maintenance seasons• How separation quietly increases admin, responsibility and mental load• Why structure can feel stabilising instead of restrictive• The pressure to advance or reinvent• Maintenance as consolidation rather than stagnation This episode sits in time and energy debt, with a quiet thread of identity shift underneath. If this episode resonates, start with my free audio guide: The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs — a free audio guide naming the kinds of support modern mothers are missing, and why love alone isn’t enough. 👉🏽 ⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs⁠⁠⁠ 🫂 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 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 New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

    25 min
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About

I love being a mum. What I don’t love is what modern motherhood has become: the overwhelm, the invisible labour, the financial squeeze, the loneliness. This is what I call The Motherhood Debt, and this podcast is where we get real about all of it: This is honest talk for women who love their families, but want a version of motherhood that feels more sustainable, more joyful and more supported. Hosted by writer and educator Natalie K. Martin, every episode mixes lived experience, social insight and practical permission to do things differently.

Information

  • Creator
    Natalie K. Martin
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Natalie K. Martin
  • Show Website
    The Mama Circle

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