The Untold Truths About Expecting and Beyond

This episode is a soft reflection on motherhood, womanhood, healing, and the quiet ways becoming a mother has changed me. 

In this heartfelt follow-up to last year’s Christmas episode, Jo reflects on how becoming a mother—and watching her 2‑year‑old daughter discover the holidays—has softened and reshaped her relationship with Christmas. From Jamaican roots where the season was about food, family, and warmth (not Santa or presents), to navigating the commercialization of Christmas in Canada, she shares how she’s finding a middle ground that honours her values while embracing her daughter’s joy. This episode is an honest, tender exploration of immigrant motherhood, evolving traditions, and what it means to create the family warmth you always longed for.

Listeners get a glimpse into Jody’s personal challenges, the irreplaceable value of support networks, and her hopes for future episodes: creating a space where all mothers feel seen and encouraged. This episode also touches on the inspiration drawn from Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If—” and the powerful words of poets like Maya Angelou and Rupi Kaur. Tune in and discover that no matter what, you are not alone on this journey.

In this heartfelt episode, Jo returns to share her personal journey through challenging times, emphasizing honesty and authenticity in motherhood. After taking a break to heal from a deeply impactful event, she reflects on the importance of finding beauty in life’s imperfections, drawing inspiration from Kintsugi. Jo expresses gratitude to her supportive community and highlights the strength she draws from her daughter. She hopes to inspire listeners to persevere through hardships, cherish their support systems, and remain true to themselves.

I started this podcast because I felt so alone in my ordeal; motherhood felt like an island I was stranded on. 22 months in, and I feel like I’m thriving, I’m finding myself in my new role as a mom and rediscovering myself. 

Today’s episode continues to perplex me—Mom Guilt. In our last episode, I spoke about setting intentions, that would allow for more grace and more understanding as it relates to our expectations as mothers.However, mom guilt continues to be one of those topics that I have yet to fully comprehend and conquer.  As such, I believe that mom guilt is manufactured.

Today's episode will allow us to set our intentions and desires for ourselves and our families. As new or experienced moms, these promises to ourselves as the year begins will allow us to create more positive, lasting, and empowering experiences this year. The New Year is not just a time for fresh starts but also an opportunity for incredible women like ourselves to celebrate the beauty of motherhood and its limitless possibilities. Cheers to a year of love, joy, and the incredible journey of parenthood!

Christmas is not my thing, but because I am a mom, I will continue learning how to compromise and implement some of my traditions while allowing my daughter to experience the wonders of Christmas. It has been truly amazing to experience Christmas so far through her eyes. I get to give her what I longed for all these years: family and warmth during the holidays. It is truly a blessing to have a child, and more and more each day, I get to discover and rediscover myself through my daughter’s eyes, and for that, I am grateful. Until next year, Bonne Anne  Beaucoup d’amour pour toi! Jo 

Nothing could have prepared me for the dark cloud that would soon form above me and stay there for months following my daughter's birth- A period which I called the"Mourning Period." Of all the advice I had gotten when I was pregnant, no one had mentioned that I would mourn the loss of my former self. That I would slowly go through all the stages of grief before ever feeling" "better" again.

Today's episode is very sentimental to me, so it's rather short and intimate. I hope that after you listen, you'll be inspired to reassess your life and find out if there is anything you've been wanting to or simply not wanting to do. That after today, you will—as cliche as it may sound. Life is too short and precious for us not to live up to our fullest potential.

Weeks after bringing home my daughter, “the down moments” that I was warned about before leaving the hospital were not going away and the more I tried to make it work. The less I felt like myself.  https://www.mother.ly/health-wellness/womens-health/maternal-exhaustion-chronic-illness/

Despite knowing the potential risks, there was no doubt in my mind that when the time came to decide whether or not to take the epidural, that I would because for me, it was imperative to have an effective means of pain relief during labour.  However, unlike myself, first time mother Amanda knew she wanted to go through child birth naturally. 

Joining us this week is a dear friend of mine who is like a big sister to me-Tina Oppong. Prior to becoming pregnant, I had never equated pregnancy with proposal or marriage, and although I had dreamt of one day maybe getting married. It was not the be-all and end-all for me. So the more I was asked the question, I began spiraling into a "sea" of uncertainty.

You the viewers have spoken and I have responded. Get all the answers to some of your burning questions! *Keep the comments and questions coming!!

 I did not discuss my pregnancy, and when I did, I kept conversations to a minimum. It was all so overwhelming—the small talk about gender and how I was doing or when I was due. I found it all to be much more than I wanted to discuss.

Do I continue taking my prescribed medication, and if I do, what are the implications for my unborn child? 

Finding out I was pregnant changed my life forever. I was no longer just an educator or someone trying to figure out life’s meaning and who I wanted to become. I was going to be a mom. A first-time mom. How would being a mom fit into my life’s trajectory? Could I still pursue my goals? Or was I going to have to give it all up?