You're Not Broken, Our Idea of Motherhood Is

Under the Influence with Jo Piazza

Jo Piazza, Influence Inc.

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, Parenting, Personal Journals, Technology

4.3 • 833 Ratings

🗓️ 2 December 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

W're told that motherhood is supposed to feel natural, fulfilling and instinctive. If it does not, our culture tells you the problem is you. Jo and licensed psychotherapist Vanessa Bennett, author of The Motherhood Myth, are here to rip that story to shreds. They trace how impossible standards for mothers were built, from the Virgin Mary as manufactured ideal to helicopter parenting and the avalanche of parenting advice on social media. Vanessa explains ego death in early motherhood and what separates true intuition from anxiety. They also talk about martyrdom as a trap, internalized misogyny, why women turn on each other online, and how asking for help can be an act of rebellion. If you have ever felt like you are failing at a role you know you are actually good at, this episode is an invitation to start living it on your own terms. Vanessa's Website Follow Vanessa on Instagram Find The Motherhood Myth here Join our newsletter community here. ORDER EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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1:01.9	Hey all, Joe here and you're listening to Under the Influence.
1:06.4	Some things are just true, even if we don't say them out loud.
1:11.9	Being a woman in the world is hard.
1:14.4	Being a mother in the world is hard.
1:17.2	And we live in a society and with a culture that does very little to make either of those things easier.
1:25.4	Today I'm talking to licensed psychotherapist and the author of the new book,
1:30.3	The Motherhood Myth. Vanessa Bennett's new book unpacks one of today's most urgent
1:36.1	cultural conversations. What does it really mean to be a mother? And who benefits from the
1:42.0	version we've been sold?
1:49.7	Vanessa challenges the idea that motherhood should feel natural, easy, or instinctive.
1:54.4	She also pushes back against the myth that good mothers should martyr themselves,
1:58.3	sacrificing their identity, their needs, and their joy.
2:03.4	Society has fed us all of these scripts about what a woman looks like,
	...

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