477: Postpartum Depression, Identity Loss and Rethinking Beauty Standards

Sarah Hoover is a bestselling author, art historian and cultural critic whose memoir, The Motherload: Episodes from the Brink of Motherhood, offers a brutally candid account of pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum depression and the complicated realities of becoming a mother.In this episode, Sarah joins me for an honest, funny and at times uncomfortable conversation about the parts of motherhood women still aren’t supposed to say out loud. We talk about her traumatic first birth, struggling to bond with her son, postpartum depression, rage and resentment, and what it feels like when the experience you were told would be the happiest of your life is anything but. We also get into maternal ambivalence, the pressure to be endlessly grateful, losing your identity after having a baby, and why admitting that motherhood is incredibly hard doesn’t mean you don’t love your children.But this conversation is definitely not all heavy. We also get into beauty standards and how they’ve changed, our complicated relationship with aging and wanting to look good, makeup, personal style, the aesthetics we’re collectively tired of, and what our beauty choices say about the culture we’re living in. Sarah has such a sharp, funny perspective on the expectations placed on women—from how we’re supposed to mother to how we’re supposed to look—and we talk about all of it.It’s ultimately a conversation about motherhood, beauty, identity, culture and the things women are often thinking but don’t always feel comfortable saying out loud.Thanks to my sponsors:Go to CLEARSTEM.com/WELL and use code WELL at checkout to get 15% off your first order.Use code ARIELLE15 for $15 off your first purchase at thirdlove.comVisit http://get.justthrivehealth.com/pages/well for a free 90-day supply of their new Digestive Bitters when you start a 90-day Just Thrive probiotic subscriptionHead to dose daily.co/WELL to get 35% off your first subscriptionDownload the Vinted app for free and start listingOrion is offering our listeners 15% off at Orion.com/well.This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.