Drafting Motherhood

Drafting Motherhood

por Micaela Burnham

Paternidad Diarios personales

Temporada 1

Building the Village | Modern Motherhood

Motherhood can be beautiful, but it can also be incredibly isolating. In this personal diary-style episode, I'm sharing my journey of building a village from scratch, navigating life far from family, making mom friends, strengthening my marriage after kids, and realizing that community isn't just important for our children, it's essential for us, too. We'll talk about the realities of modern motherhood, the loneliness so many moms quietly carry, how apps like Peanut helped me find connection, and why my family is making the decision to move closer to our support system. If you've ever felt like you're raising children without a village, struggled to make friends after becoming a mom, or wondered how to create meaningful community in this season of life, this episode is for you. Show email- draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Purpose, Paychecks, and the Mental Load of Motherhood

Motherhood is expensive. Mentally, emotionally, and literally. So I asked myself: if moms got paid for everything they actually do… what would they be paid? And how much does a working mom realistically need to make just to stay afloat? In this episode, I unpack the mental load of motherhood, burnout, childcare costs, and the financial pressure facing moms today. I also dive into my family history during the Great Depression and reflect on how women across generations have continued finding purpose, resilience, and little moments of joy along the way. Because sometimes all we need is a change of perspective. A perspective that can be found by simply taking the scenic route home. Show's email- draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Accidental Author | My Journey Into Children’s Books

In this week's episode of Drafting Motherhood, I’m sharing the very true and slightly chaotic story of how I accidentally became a children’s author. I share how one late-night idea sent in the group chat somehow turned into a manuscript archive on Google Docs, countless hours at YouTube University building a website, and creating an independent publishing house while learning the ins and outs of self-publishing. And the best part? I get to do it all with my best friend (Spoiler alert: she's now my rockstar illustrator!) This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at our creative process. The realities of creating with toddlers running around, figuring out the heart of my "why", and creating stories centered around social emotional learning (SEL). So buckle up! We’re talking motherhood, creativity, self-image, friendship, ADHD-fueled ambition, children’s books, and what it’s like learning everything as you go. If you’ve been hesitating to try something new but you're nervous because you don't know everything yet, this one’s for you. Whether you’re a parent, aspiring author, or a fellow neurodivergent figuring life out one hyperfixation at a time, welcome to the club, sis. Let’s keep talking. 🫶🏼 Show's email- draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Motherhood Through Every Stage | Special Mother’s Day Episode

In this special Mother’s Day episode of Drafting Motherhood, we’re celebrating the beautiful side of motherhood through heartfelt stories from moms across every stage of parenting. From toddlers singing in the backseat to watching grown children build lives of their own, this episode explores the love, connection, growth, and joy that make motherhood so meaningful. Throughout the episode, real moms share their favorite parts of being a mom: sibling bonds, personality-filled toddler moments, life lessons from children, and the bittersweet beauty of watching kids grow up. We talk about parenting, family traditions, emotional growth, motherhood identity, raising independent children, and finding magic in everyday moments. If you’re a first-time mom, expecting mom, seasoned parent, grandmother, or somewhere in between, this episode is a reminder that while motherhood can be exhausting, the love always runs deeper. Because once a mom, always a mom. Show email- draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Creativity in the Chaos: Hustle Culture & the Myth of “Doing it All”

Being creative in motherhood can honestly feel impossible. Between the exhaustion, the pressure to “do it all,” and the constant comparison on social media, it’s easy to lose touch with yourself completely. In this episode, I’m talking about what it actually looks like to find creativity in the chaos. From the weight of hustle culture to the double-edged sword of social media, we’re unpacking why so many moms feel stuck in survival mode and disconnected from who they used to be. I share my own journey through healing and rediscovering curiosity, along with a powerful listener story about turning postpartum depression into a creative outlet that became something more. We’ll talk about: Why creativity can't exist in burnout How comparison blocks connection (and what to do instead) The role of “mental spring cleaning” in finding yourself again And why creativity starts with curiosity, not pressure If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’ve lost a piece of yourself in motherhood…have a seat, sis. This one's for you. Show's email- draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Chef Mommy- Now Serving Forgotten Conversations & Unforgettable Meals

What’s for dinner? It’s a question moms hear on repeat…but what if it’s about more than just food? In this episode of Drafting Motherhood, I explore the quiet, powerful role food plays in shaping connection, memory, and family identity. After an insightful conversation with a 73-year-old mama, this episode pivoted from “perfect dinner table conversations” to something much simpler and more profound: the role food plays in how we love, gather, and remember. I take a look at the Blue Zones and the long, healthy lives that are built around community, as well as stories from Anthony Bourdain and Phil Rosenthal. This small glimpse shows how meals bring strangers together and how food might be one of the most powerful tools we have for connecting with others. So yeah, motherhood does come with making the same meal 1000 times. But at the end of the day, our kids won’t remember everything we said, but they just might remember how it felt to be fed. Show's email- draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Creating Through Grief: A Mother’s Journey Into Writing & Healing

TW: grief, loss of a parent Today’s episode is a deeply personal one. In this episode, I share how becoming a writer wasn’t born from a lifelong dream, but from a quiet nudge I'd felt after having my first daughter. But that nudge unfortunately collided with a moment that changed my family's lives. After the unexpected loss of my father-in-law, and alongside my best friend experiencing the same of heartbreak of having lost her own father, I found myself searching for words to explain grief to my children… before I had even processed it myself. What I discovered was the power of shared grief. The way stories, connection, and creation can hold us when nothing else can. This episode is about learning to create in the middle of chaos. About building something meaningful while navigating motherhood, healing, and learning to accept the uncertainty. About honoring the people we’ve lost by choosing to keep going, even when the path forward feels unclear. It’s also the beginning of something new: the story behind The Quiet Bloom Press, a dream built in nap times, late nights, and in-between moments of real life. If you’ve ever felt the pull to create but didn’t know where to begin…if you’re carrying grief and trying to find beauty inside it…or if you just need a reminder that you don’t have to have it all figured out to start…this one’s for you. We’re in this together. 🤍 Show email: draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

A Mom’s Therapy Journey: From Survival Mode to Main Character Energy

Now boarding a direct flight to your main character energy… please check all emotional baggage (and loose rocks??) at the gate. For years, I was living like the supportive best friend in my own life; self-aware, giving great advice, and emotionally…unavailable to myself. lol. love that. In this episode, I’m getting into how therapy, specifically EMDR and somatic work, helped me stop intellectualizing my feelings and actually feel them—aka step out of survival mode and into my own life. We’re talking trauma, generational patterns, unpacking the baggage we’ve gotten way too comfortable carrying… and why “main character energy” isn’t about being self-absorbed or having it all together, it’s about finally showing up in your own life. Because if we don’t deal with our stuff, we pass it down. Unintentionally. Inevitably. So yeah, plot twist of this century: this is our life. We might as well play the lead. Show email: draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

The Science Behind Girls' Night Out (GNO)-Mom edition

Girls’ Night Out in your 20s: dancing on tables, bonding with strangers in the bathroom. Girls’ Night Out as a mom: dry heaving after 2 glasses of wine, if you get home after 10 pm, expect to nurse a 24-hour headache the next day. In this episode of Drafting Motherhood, I’m sharing my personal evolution of GNO, from chaotic nights out to savoring connection through conversations over shared desserts and espresso martinis. But it’s not just laughs…we’re also getting into the science behind girls’ night and why spending time with friends has real psychological and physical health benefits. (Use this as your official doctor’s note to leave the house.) But most importantly, this is not just “mom’s night out.” We were girls before we were moms, and we still need spaces where we can show up as ourselves, without anyone saying our name 700 times in a row. My dream GNO these days looks like a good restaurant, cackling until our cheeks hurt, and being back home by 9:30 pm, with enough time to do my 10-step skincare routine. At the end of the night, it doesn’t matter where we go or what we do; it’s about how full our cup feels after. So if you’ve been putting off that girls’ night, consider this your sign. Call your friends. Make the reservation. You deserve it. Let’s keep talking. 🫶🏼 Show email: draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

Mommy's Voicenote Confessionals- Drafting Motherhood Intro Episode

Motherhood’s a wild ride; one minute you’re crying over baby pictures thinking “Omg how did they get so big??” the next you’re googling if it’s normal to be overstimulated by your own name. In this short intro, I’m sharing what Drafting Motherhood is really about, who it’s for, and why these conversations matter. So whether you’re waiting in the car-rider line, taking your first solo dump in a week, or reheating your coffee for the third time, have a seat, sis. Let’s talk about it. Show email: draftingmotherhoodpod@gmail.com

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