The Maternal Journal podcast

Join us for a deep dive into m/otherhood, journaling, creativity and mental health hosted by Maternal Journal producer, artist, writer and midwife Laura Godfrey-Isaacs.

You'll hear from ten exceptional writers who share insights about their parenting journeys and discuss how creativity can positively impact mental health and well-being. So, grab your headphones, settle in and join us to explore these inspiring stories together. 

Each episode also includes a new journaling guide designed by our guests for you to try at home or you can sign up for a free workshop and journal with a group guided by a trusted person.

Laura talks to award-winning journalist and writer Saima Mir about her feelings of obscurity and anger in the transition to motherhood. They discuss the struggle to combat conflicting stereotypes imposed on mothers and how writing and creativity can offer ways to positively affect mental health and well-being.

Laura is joined by award-winning writer and editor Sinéad Gleeson who reveals her extraordinary journey of motherhood overcoming trauma, illness and disability. She discusses the power of writing and extends valuable advice to anyone struggling to put pen to paper.

In this episode, Laura sits in conversation with Nikesh Shukla, an author, editor and screenwriter. Together, they discuss Nikesh’s memoir, Brown Baby, a love letter to his daughter, which interrogates race, family, home, and grief from his perspective as a father and explores how parenthood changes our perceptions of life, what it means to be a writer and the writing process.

Laura speaks with award-winning author, poet and activist, Jacqueline Saphra. The conversation explores love, family history, birth and relationships. Jacqueline reads two of her beautiful poems highlighting the power and resonance of poetry in processing emotions and experiences.

Founder of The Motherhood Group, a social enterprise that supports the Black maternal experience, Sandra Igwe discusses her advocacy for the importance of ‘radical peer support’ for Black mothers. Sandra is also a writer and poet, and author of My Black Motherhood: Mental Health, Stigma, Racism and the System. In her book, she uses her voice, and many other Black mothers’ experiences to demand that Black women are listened to, believed, and understood by healthcare professionals.

Artist, writer, editor, lecturer, speaker and curator Sarah Lightman discusses her graphic memoir, The Book of Sarah, which looks at her childhood, cultural history and explores her mothering experiences through text and images. She gives an introduction to graphic narrative work and cartooning, particularly the powerful history by Jewish women.

Laura and Leah Hazard both practising NHS midwives, writers and birth activists, discuss how to bring evidence-based information about midwifery, birth and women’s bodies into the public sphere in a way that’s accessible, relatable and relevant to our times. Leah’s new book, Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began, expands on the history of women’s reproductive lives interwoven with her own personal story.

Laura speaks with memoirist and bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink. They consider the power of writing for mental health, advocating for a focus on process over content. Cathy tells us how writing has helped her understand and manage traumatic life experiences. She stresses the importance of authenticity in journal writing against the partial truths often portrayed on social media.

Laura talks to best-selling author and podcaster Katherine May. They discuss the struggles she faced in pregnancy, including depression and feeling out of place. Katherine shares her insights as an autistic mother and the importance of finding your own path in parenting. We discuss her approach to writing and the positive impact of a supportive environment and open discussion.

Laura speaks to Julie Phillips, an award-winning writer, biographer, book critic and author of the influential book – Baby on the Fire Escape. They unpick the challenges and stereotypes of motherhood and creativity and the conflict between societal expectations and personal desires. Julie shares her own experiences with journaling and the importance of protecting your individuality as a parent. We discuss other important topics like the need for improved societal structural support for mothers, including paid parental leave and affordable childcare.