Show Notes
As we reach the final episode of MAMA, Victoria reflects on one of the most important lessons she has learned through motherhood, anxiety and eight years of sobriety:
You do not have to get everything right.
For years, Victoria believed she needed to be a perfect mum. Organised. Patient. Calm. Successful. The kind of woman who remembered every permission slip, baked homemade muffins and somehow kept on top of the washing basket.
Instead, she found herself overwhelmed, exhausted and quietly relying on alcohol to cope with the pressure.
In this episode, Victoria shares what happened when she finally stopped chasing perfection and started focusing on progress instead. She talks about the early days of changing her relationship with alcohol, the surprising benefits that followed, and why life didn’t suddenly become easier, but became infinitely more manageable.
You’ll hear about confidence, self-trust, anxiety, parenting, brain chemistry, resilience and the power of simply showing up, even when life feels messy.
Victoria also explores how our relationship with alcohol can shape the messages our children receive about stress, emotions and coping, and why becoming a cycle breaker might be one of the most powerful gifts we can give the next generation.
Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, struggling with overwhelm, or simply trying to navigate the impossible standards placed on modern mothers, this episode is a reminder that change doesn’t happen all at once.
It happens one small step at a time and that progress will always matter more than perfection.
Resources & Links About MAMA
MAMA (Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety.) is a special podcast series from Sober Awkward, created to complement the Healthy Mum Healthy Bub program.
Developed in partnership with researchers from The University of Sydney and supported by funding from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), MAMA aims to help mums feel less alone, more informed and better supported as they navigate the challenges of early motherhood.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, struggling with anxiety, or questioning the role alcohol plays in your life, you’re in the right place.
Healthy Mum Healthy Bub healthymumhealthybub.org.au https://www.sydney.edu.au/matilda-centre
Sober Awkward Podcast, books, courses, community, events and support soberawkward.com
Victoria’s Books Mumming - A Year of Trying (and Failing) to be a Better Parent - https://amzn.asia/d/08E0CLyS A Thousand Wasted Sundays - https://amzn.asia/d/0eK3l8Bd
Sober Awkward Retreats Join Victoria and the Sober Awkward community for alcohol-free retreats, workshops and unforgettable adventures in Australia and overseas. Find out more at: soberawkward.com
MAMA: Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety.
Hosted by Victoria Vanstone, author, speaker and co-host of the award-winning podcast Sober Awkward, MAMA is an honest, funny and reassuring podcast about the realities of modern motherhood.
From anxiety and overwhelm to wine o’clock culture, identity, relationships and mental health, Victoria explores the conversations many mums are thinking about but rarely say out loud.
Created in association with Healthy Mum Healthy Bub, researchers from The University of Sydney, and funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, MAMA combines lived experience, expert knowledge and practical tools to support mums through the challenges of parenting, mental health and alcohol use.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from MAMA - Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety
When you change your relationship with alcohol, nobody really prepares you for the question that comes next:
There comes a point when you’ve read the articles, made the promises, created the rules and sworn that this time things will be different.
Every Friday night, Victoria Vanstone made the same promise to herself. Just one or two drinks. Home early. No hangover. No anxiety. No regrets. This time would be different.
Motherhood is hard. Not the cute Instagram version with matching outfits and homemade baby purées. The real version. The sleep deprivation, the self-doubt, the endless responsibility and the overwhelming feeling that everyone else somehow knows what they’re doing except you.
When Victoria Vanstone became a mum, she thought she was prepared. She imagined she’d simply add a baby to her already lovely life, pop them in a sling and carry on being herself.