When 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. It’s produced by Kimmie Regler and Peter Bresnan. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. M ..read more

Harper 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 will never see her as a real mom. CREDITS Motherhood Sessions is a production of Gimlet and Spotify. I ..read more

Cassie 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 mixing by Emma Munger. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for medical treatment. If you or some ..read more

When 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’s produced by Peter Bresnan and Kimmie Regler. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Mus ..read more

When 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 Spotify. It’s produced by Peter Bresnan. Our editors are Devon Taylor and Nazanin Rafsanjani. Music and mixin ..read more

Dee 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 difficult upbringing—generosity, compassion, and gratitude. Show transcript: http://bit.ly/2NozrUH CREDITS Moth ..read more

When 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 Emma Munger. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or anxiety during pregnancy, or in t ..read more

Camilla 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. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or anxiety during pregnancy, or in the postpartum ..read more

Brittany 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 music by Emma Munger. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or anxiety during pregnancy ..read more

Margot 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 or anxiety during pregnancy, or in the postpartum period, contact Postpartum Support International at ..read more