Honesty and Support in Motherhood and Beyond with Kavita

Send us Fan MailHost Elsa introduces an episode of the It’s a Circus podcast featuring Kavita Tisdale, a corporate leader at Airbnb and mom to her nearly three-year-old daughter, Alia. Kavita shares her journey to motherhood, including years of trying to conceive, the emotional toll of fertility challenges, and advice to seek fertility education and support earlier. She describes the shock and joy of learning she was pregnant, the importance of community during fertility struggles and postpartum, and how personalized support can look different for different people. Kavita talks about a difficult pregnancy marked by constant vomiting and ER visits, her labor experience including a negative interaction with a nurse, and surprises after birth—including her daughter’s blonde hair and blue eyes and assumptions others made about their relationship. The conversation covers postpartum realities: painful breastfeeding, pumping every two hours, guilt around feeding, switching to formula, and the relief and improved well-being that came with changing her approach. Kavita also discusses the impact of her husband losing a close friend postpartum and how it shaped his focus on her mental health. She reflects on returning to work after a short maternity leave at Wayfair, challenges re-entering a role, layoffs, and how she ultimately found a supportive remote culture at Airbnb, including leadership that prioritized humanity during family crises. Kavita and Elsa discuss what makes working parenthood sustainable—intentional career choices, remote work, supportive managers, and an equal partnership—along with parenting goals centered on creating a safe, loving environment, teaching boundaries, and modeling empathy. Kavita shares that she and her husband strengthened their relationship through therapy early in marriage and ends with reflections on empathy as her word for motherhood, myths she questions about parenting language, and pride in building a joyful, present family life.00:00 Fertility Fears and Dreams00:19 Podcast Circus Intro00:42 Meet Kavita and Her Journey02:55 Trying to Conceive Reality05:29 When Hope Gets Hard09:26 Advice and Early Testing12:40 The Positive Test Moment16:15 How to Support Friends25:22 Pregnancy Was Brutal30:13 Birth Plan and Hospital Drama35:03 Postpartum Feeding Struggles45:23 Formula Choice and Mental Health49:11 Returning to Work Challenges50:44 Dropoff Guilt51:39 Chasing Remote Work52:26 Post Leave Whiplash53:47 Airbnb Kindness Culture55:44 Leading With Empathy59:01 Equal Partnership Balance01:02:17 Why Keep Working01:07:33 Raising A Daughter01:12:10 Boundaries And Bullying01:15:45 Marriage Takes Work01:22:42 Motherhood Is Empathy01:29:34 Myths And Mom Guilt01:35:08 Being Present Wins01:38:13 Closing ThoughtsThanks for listening to It’s a Circus Podcast — Unfiltered stories of motherhood, identity, and the art of Self careThese stories remind you that you’re not alone in the chaos. And if you’re ready to take the next step from conversation to transformation, explore Svea – The Beauty Edit. It’s my signature service that helps women edit the noise, simplify their routines, and reclaim confidence through radiant, effortless self-care. 🎙️ More stories: https://www.chernerbroscircus.com/podcast 💄 Your Edit awaits: https://www.chernerbroscircus.com/beauty-editEmbrace the chaos. Reclaim yourself.