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The Mama Circle

The Mama Circle

Written by: Natalie K. Martin
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About this listen

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.Natalie K. Martin Parenting Relationships
Episodes
  • 77. The reality of breaking up when you have kids
    May 5 2026

    Breaking up is hard. Breaking up when you have children is something else entirely. Because you don’t just leave. You don’t get distance. And you don’t get the space most people rely on to actually process what’s happening.

    In this episode, I’m talking about the reality of separating when you have kids. The emotional weight, the practical reality, and the parts that nobody really prepares you for.

    This isn’t about how to move on.
    It’s about why it feels so different when you can’t fully step away.

    If you’re in it right now, or if it’s something you’ve never really thought about before, this will help you understand why it can feel so heavy, complicated, and hard to navigate.

    🎧 mentioned in this episode:
    👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs ⁠ a free audio guide for mothers who feel like they were never meant to do this alone.

    🫂 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.


    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • 76. You prepared for birth, but not for becoming a mother
    Apr 28 2026

    We spend months preparing for birth - the hospital bag, the antenatal classes, the birth plan. But almost no one prepares us for what comes after. Becoming a mother!

    In this episode, Nat explores the gap between preparing for a baby and actually becoming a mother, and why so many women feel caught off guard by how much changes.

    This is a conversation about motherhood as a transition, not a moment, and why it can feel so overwhelming when the practical preparation ends but the emotional, relational and identity shifts are only just beginning.

    If you’ve ever thought, “why does this still feel so hard?”, this episode will land.

    👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The 5 Villages Every Mum Needs a free audio guide for mothers who feel like they were never meant to do this alone.

    🫂 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.


    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • 75. I thought I had a village… until I really needed one
    Apr 21 2026

    This episode explores a moment many mums experience but rarely talk about, the realisation that in certain moments, you are completely on your own.

    After a chaotic IKEA run, Nat found herself overwhelmed, stuck, and unable to see a solution. What followed was a deeper recognition of something many mothers feel, the gap between having support and actually being able to access it.

    If you’ve ever thought “how am I supposed to do all of this on my own?”, this one will feel very familiar.

    Free audio 👉🏽 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
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