In this conversation, Kayce Hodos shares her journey to motherhood, discussing the choices she made and the societal pressures she faced. The discussion delves into the reality of motherhood, contrasting expectations with actual experiences, and highlights the importance of community support. They explore the pressure to appear perfect and the need for honesty among mothers about their struggles. Finally, they address the trade-offs of motherhood, acknowledging both the joys and sacrifices involved in raising children. 

Takeaways

• Societal expectations can pressure women into traditional roles.
• Motherhood is a personal choice and varies for everyone.
• The experience of motherhood can be overwhelming and isolating.
• Support systems are crucial for new mothers.
• The facade of perfection in motherhood is exhausting and toxic.
• Honesty about struggles in motherhood can foster connection.
• Motherhood involves constant trade-offs.
• It's important to acknowledge both the joys and challenges of parenting.
• Emotions are transient; they come and go.
• Controversial parenting choices vary by family expectations.
• Parents should not feel obligated to explain their choices to others.
• Reflecting on intentions behind parenting choices builds confidence.
• Parenting is challenging and lacks a definitive guidebook.
• It's important to prioritize self-care and set boundaries with family.
• If you're questioning your parenting, it often means you care. 

About Kayce Hodos:

After experiencing severe postpartum anxiety with her own son, Kayce transformed her personal struggle into a mission: empowering anxious and overwhelmed women to face the challenges of motherhood with confidence. 

As a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with over 20 years of experience and one of the first 150 professionals to become certified in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), she brings a unique combination of professional expertise and raw personal experience to the motherhood conversation.

Kayce is refreshingly honest about motherhood. She explicitly rejects "sugarcoating" and magical thinking, instead focusing on evidence-based approaches while acknowledging that parenting is a process – we hardly ever have clear-cut answers, and that's okay. She's not afraid to debunk myths, challenge unrealistic expectations, and admit to her own mistakes (like that time she let her doula convince her to try placenta encapsulation).

Keywords

motherhood, parenting, support, community, expectations, reality, choices, trade-offs, honesty, perfection, mindfulness, parenting, emotions, support, family expectations, controversial choices, healthy communication, self-reflection, motherhood, boundaries