Show Notes
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off. During August, the Motherkind team and I try to practise what we preach by slowing down, taking some time off and making the juggle just a little easier over the summer holidays. So, throughout the month, we're bringing you some of our most listened-to episodes of the year so far. Pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding can be some of the most physically demanding experiences a woman's body will ever go through. So why are mothers expected to simply carry on afterwards? This week, Zoe is joined by nutrition scientist and bestselling author Dr Federica Amati for an eye-opening conversation about what a mother's body actually needs through pregnancy, postpartum recovery and the first years of motherhood. Federica explains why the first 1,000 days aren't only important for our babies — they're a crucial window for maternal health too. Pregnancy draws heavily on our nutrient stores, birth has an enormous physiological impact on the body, and breastfeeding can require significantly more energy than pregnancy itself. Yet this is often the exact moment mothers have the least time, energy and support to properly nourish themselves. Together, Zoe and Federica explore what to eat before and during pregnancy, the truth about pregnancy cravings and morning sickness, and why fertility shouldn't be treated as solely a woman's responsibility. But it's their conversation about postpartum depletion and recovery that every mother needs to hear. Federica shares practical advice for nourishing yourself after birth, why asking for and accepting help matters, and why we desperately need to move away from the expectation that women should simply "bounce back". They also discuss pregnancy spacing, breastfeeding, maternal burnout, the mental load and what happens when postpartum recovery begins to overlap with perimenopause. Above all, this is a reminder that your body isn't supposed to return to the woman you were before children. Motherhood changes us — physically, hormonally and emotionally — and perhaps the goal isn't to fight that change, but to learn how to support the body we're in now. 💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode What to eat before, during and after pregnancy
Why mothers can become so depleted after birth
How to nourish your body during postpartum and breastfeeding
The recommended recovery time between pregnancies
Why we need to stop expecting mothers to "bounce back"
Watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe. Loved this episode? Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode of Motherkind. It helps more mothers find the show and keeps our community growing. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy Zoe’s conversation with Feeling different since becoming a mother? Get clarity on who you’re becoming now and download your FREE Matrescence Cheat Sheet Connect with Zoe: Follow Zoe on Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok
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More from Motherkind
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge, starting 10th November 2026. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off. Do you find yourself apologising for leaving work on time? For missing the team drinks? For not always being available? You don’t need to make up for being a mother. And yet, so many of us feel we have to hide our family commitments or work twice as hard to prove we’re still capable. In this special compilation episode, Zoe brings together three powerful conversations with Vanessa Kingori, the first woman to lead British Vogue's publishing business; Emma Grede, co-founder of Good American; and Michelle Kennedy, founder of Peanut. Each shares a different perspective on motherhood and ambition, from challenging workplace double standards to protecting family time and finding the confidence to say what you need. If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting a fulfilling career, or worried that setting a boundary might make you seem less committed, this episode is for you. 💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:Why Vanessa chose to make her pregnancy more visible after being advised to keep motherhood quiet
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off. Do you ever get to the end of the day and focus on everything you got wrong, rather than everything you’ve held together? In this week’s Motherkind Moment, Zoe is joined by life coach Dior Bediako, founder of Pepper Your Talk, whose clients include Rochelle Humes and author Elizabeth Uviebinené. Dior shares a simple way to rethink how you speak to yourself: would you say those same words to your best friend? Together, Zoe and Dior explore how to take responsibility without blaming yourself, and why the moments when you find it hardest to be kind to yourself are often when you need it most. Whether you’ve shouted when you wanted to stay calm or feel torn between work and your children, this is a reminder that you can acknowledge what you’d like to do differently without tearing yourself down. 💡 In this moment, we explore: How to speak to yourself with the kindness you’d offer your best friend
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off. Everyone expects your baby to change. But who prepares you for how much you’ll change too? If you’ve ever wondered “Where have I gone?” or felt that you should have figured motherhood out by now, this solo episode is for you. Zoe shares ten things everyone needs to know about matrescence: the physical, emotional and psychological transformation of becoming a mother. She explores why your identity, relationships, priorities and ambitions can feel different, and why adjusting to motherhood can take far longer than we’re led to believe. Through her jigsaw puzzle analogy, Zoe explains what it means to rebuild your life with children in the picture. She also reflects on the loneliness of feeling different inside while everyone around you still expects the old version of you. Whether you’re a new mum or years into motherhood, this episode offers language for what you’re experiencing and a little more compassion for the woman you’re becoming. 💡 In this episode, you’ll learn: What matrescence means and why understanding it can change how you see yourself
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off. Does it ever feel like you’re the one who has to remember everything? The school dates, the appointments, the birthday presents, the never-ending list running through your head—even when you’re supposed to be resting. In this Motherkind Moment, Zoe and Jada explore the invisible mental load of motherhood, why we so often become the default parent, and how to start sharing responsibility without having to oversee everything ourselves. They also discuss the skills motherhood gives us—from clearer communication to prioritisation—and why becoming a mother can make us better leaders. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by everything you’re holding, this conversation offers a starting point for change. 💡 In this Moment, you’ll learn: Why the mental load can feel relentless, even when nobody else can see it.
Ready for a career that fits who you are now? Join my 30-day Career Pivot Challenge. Together, we’ll uncover your strengths, explore what’s possible and turn your next move into a practical plan. Join the waitlist for first access and 30% off. Do you say yes when you mean no, then feel guilty for wishing you’d put yourself first? In this heartfelt conversation, author Vex King joins Zoe to explore people-pleasing, self-worth and why caring for everyone else can leave us disconnected from ourselves. Vex shares the extraordinary story of his mum, who raised three children alone after losing his dad, navigating poverty, homelessness and racism. He reflects on what her love and resilience taught him, and why, as a child, his greatest wish was simply for her to be happy. Drawing on his new book, You Can’t Please Everyone, Vex explains the difference between making sacrifices for the people we love and losing ourselves in the process. He and Zoe explore how to recognise people-pleasing, reconnect with what matters to you and start setting boundaries, even when your voice shakes. If you’re exhausted from trying to keep everyone happy, this conversation is a reminder that your needs, dreams and happiness deserve space too. 💡 In this episode, you’ll learn: How to recognise when caring for others becomes self-abandonment