The Fear Many Women Feel BEFORE Becoming a Mother | The Goodmother Series Ep. 1

What happens when motherhood arrives after a life shaped by elite sport, discipline, ambition, and public achievement? In this inaugural episode of The Goodmother Series, host Ezinne Asinugo-Onyeka sits with former elite athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton for a deeply honest conversation about identity after becoming. Together, they explore athlete identity, what was lost and gained in the move into motherhood, how relocating to Dubai changed family life and friendship, and why movement became both an emotional anchor and a pathway to community. This is a culturally rooted motherhood conversation about change, embodiment, grief, belonging, and the woman you become when life no longer fits the version of you that came before.Perri reflects on the pressure of success before motherhood, the parts of her athletic mindset that still show up in family life, and the quiet reality of closing one chapter without needing to return to it. She also opens up about friendship shifts after children, the difference between childbirth in the UK and Dubai, and the loneliness that led her to create community for Black mothers through movement.As the very first launch episode of The Goodmother Series, this conversation sets the tone for what the series is here to hold, honest motherhood stories about identity, body, culture, and becoming.Guest: Perri Shakes-DraytonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/itspsd/The Goodmother Series | The Unspoken TruthA modern motherhood podcast documenting how becoming a parent reshapes identity, body, and cultural belonging across the African diaspora.Hosted by Ezinne, this series centres on lived experience over advice. These are intimate, culturally rooted conversations about maternal identity, body transformation, inherited expectations, and the emotional realities of motherhood.If this episode resonated, like, comment, and subscribe to help more women find these stories.Watch on YouTube Follow The Goodmother Series:TikTokInstagramFacebookNew episodes every Sunday at 6am GMT.Produced by APodcastGeekhttps://apodcastgeek.com/