The Initiation of Motherhood: Identity Loss & Postpartum Reality with Sophie Harris

Saturn Returns with Caggie

Caggie Dunlop

Education, Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Religion & Spirituality, Self-improvement

4.8 • 892 Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Motherhood can be the most heart-opening experience of your life - and the most destabilising. In this episode, Caggie is joined by postpartum and motherhood psychotherapist Sophie Harris to explore the emotional reality of becoming a mother - beyond curated Instagram squares and gentle routines. Together, they speak about the parts rarely admitted out loud: 🧡 Identity loss that can feel like a quiet disappearance 🧡 Rage, overstimulation and intrusive thoughts 🧡 Partner resentment and the shock of how unequal early parenting can feel 🧡 Sleep deprivation that borders on psychological torture 🧡 The fantasy of escape - from Rightmove searches to longing to be “looked after” yourself Sophie draws on 18+ years in mental health and her own experience of early motherhood to normalise what so many women privately fear means they’re failing. They explore why the nuclear family model leaves modern mothers trying to do the work of a village alone - and how information overload, expert culture and comparison have pulled many women away from their instincts. This conversation is an invitation to soften the shame around how hard it can be. Because what if your hardest feelings are not evidence that you’re broken - but a sane response to an impossible level of responsibility? And what if “good enough” truly is enough? For anyone navigating postpartum, early motherhood, or the identity shift that comes with caring for another life, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone in the rupture, the rage, the tenderness, or the becoming. Thank you to Kendamil for making this episode possible. You can learn more about the Behind Every Mum campaign and find Sophie below: Sophie’s Website: https://lookingaftermum.co.uk/ Sophie’s Instagram: @looking_after_mum Kendamil’s Website: https://kendamil.com/pages/behind-every-mum Kendamil’s Instagram: @kendamiluk The Saturn Returns app is here… 🪐 Find your exact Saturn dates and navigate life's most transformative astrological passage with personalised insights, guided reflections, and cosmic wisdom. Click here to download now! Discover more from Saturn Returns: 🪐 Find us on⁠ Instagram⁠,⁠ YouTube⁠ and⁠ TikTok⁠ 🪐 Order the Saturn Returns book:⁠ Click here⁠ 🪐 Join our community newsletter:⁠ Sign up here⁠ 🪐 Explore all things Saturn Returns:⁠ Visit our website⁠ 🪐Follow Caggie on Instagram:⁠ @caggiesworld

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello everyone and welcome to Saturn Returns with me, Kagi Dunlop.
0:07.0	This is a podcast that aims to bring clarity during transitional times where there can be confusion and doubt.
0:15.3	This episode was made possible by our friends at Kendermill.
0:19.3	We've been using Kendermill organic follow-on milk,
0:21.9	which is made with British whole milk in the Lake District. It's a family-run business,
0:27.2	their organic range is made here in the UK, and it's free from palm oil, fish oil and soy.
0:33.2	It's become part of those quiet moments with Lola, simple, trusted and familiar.
0:39.0	Today's guest speaks so beautifully to this season of life.
0:42.7	Sophie Harris is a postpartum and motherhood psychotherapist with over 18 years experience in mental health and the founder of looking after mum.
0:53.4	Her work is all about supporting women through the emotional
0:56.2	transition into motherhood with compassion, realism and evidence-based tools. And this conversation
1:03.7	felt especially resonant for me right now. In this phase, I've become really aware of how much
1:09.8	support matters emotionally and practically.
1:13.0	Kendermill has teamed up with Sophie and I for their campaign behind every mum, which aims to shed
1:18.5	light on the realities of the first year of motherhood, sharing the experiences of moms in their
1:23.8	community. And just to note, breastfeeding gives babies the best star, and every family's journey is different.
1:31.2	Follow on milk is suitable for babies over six months as part of a varied diet, and it's always
1:36.5	best to speak to your healthcare professional for guidance.
1:39.8	Now, let's get into today's conversation with Sophie.
1:51.0	Music Now, let's get into today's conversation with Sophie. So Sophie, welcome to the Saturn Returns podcast.
1:54.5	Hi, Kagi. It's lovely to be here.
1:56.3	How are you today?
	...

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