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In this special re-release, we are officially introducing a past guest as our new co-host. Learn more about Zara's story in this episode, and tune in next week for part two of her story.

Why does parenting in America feel so much harder than it should? Today, we’re joined by Zara Hanawalt, a freelance journalist who has spent nearly a decade covering parenting, motherhood, women’s health, and culture for outlets like Vogue, Parents, Glamour, and The Everymom. But even after years of writing about reproductive health, she was completely unprepared for her own journey into motherhood.

Zara gets real about her struggles with infertility, the challenges of carrying twins, and the prenatal and postpartum realities that no one warns you about (like PUPPP, Post Preeclampsia and so much more). She also shares her perspective on why the system—not mothers—is setting parents up to fail, how American parenting culture has evolved in the past decade, and what we can do to push back against unrealistic expectations.

Learn more about Zara here > https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com/our-guests/zara

Episode Highlights:
[02:00] Zara’s infertility journey & how she conceived twins via IUI
[09:30] The complications of a high-risk twin pregnancy
[18:45] Why postpartum hit harder than she ever expected
[25:10] Feeling completely unprepared for the overstimulation of motherhood
[33:40] The broken “village” and why moms today have less support
[40:15] Why parenting in America feels uniquely hard & how we can change the conversation
[52:00] The unexpected joy of realizing she’s her kids’ safe space

Links & Resources:
📖 Read Zara’s work in Vogue, Parents, Glamour, The Everymom, and more
📢 Follow Zara on Instagram & TikTok for more conversations on modern motherhood
👶 Learn more about fertility & postpartum resources at www.postpartum.net

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

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In part two of this powerful conversation, Paige Connell returns to share the deeply personal story of what happened after the breaking point—the day of the diaper pail and the dishwasher. What followed wasn’t the end of her marriage, but a hard-won beginning.

We talk about the real work of rebuilding a partnership after years of resentment, mental overload, and feeling like the default parent. Paige opens up about navigating the Fair Play method with her husband, the realities of balancing neurodivergence in a marriage, and the emotional toll of being the one to initiate all the hard conversations.

We also get into the guilt that lingers even in equitable partnerships, how motherhood has shaped her identity, and what it means to unlearn productivity as self-worth. If you’ve ever felt unseen in your relationship, or stuck in the narrative that “it’s just easier if I do it myself,” this conversation is for you.

Paige also shares a personal update about the podcast and what’s next.

🕒 Timeline Summary:
[0:24] – The diaper pail & dishwasher moment: how one cut finger became a breaking point.
[2:00] – Paige lays it all on the table: what she needed from her marriage to stay.
[4:07] – Why the “dishwasher fight” is never really about the dishwasher.
[5:29] – How they implemented the Fair Play method (and made it their own).
[8:00] – Rebuilding trust after burnout, broken promises, and emotional distance.
[13:05] – Neurodivergence, organizational labor, and unlearning the “I’m just better at it” trap.
[19:31] – Working for yourself, fighting guilt, and reclaiming your own time.
[23:01] – Corporate parenting vs. being your own boss: the invisible weight of PTO, holidays, and school breaks.
[30:22] – The myth of the modern “village” and the impossible standards of intensive parenting.
[38:34] – What Paige would tell her best friends before they become parents.
[39:37] – The joy of watching your kids become people—outside of you.
[41:45] – Paige’s heartfelt farewell from the podcast.

🔗 Links & Resources:
Learn more about the Fair Play method by Eve Rodsky: Fair Play Life

Book mentioned: This Is How Your Marriage Ends by Matthew Fray

Follow Paige: @sheisapaigeturner

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

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Well, the time has come. You’ve heard her voice, you’ve heard her hot takes, and now you’re getting the whole story. In this episode, I turn the mic toward Paige Connell aka @sheisapaigeturner.

We get real real. Paige walks us through the beautiful, messy, emotional tornado that has been her path to motherhood—starting with a teenage AIM love triangle, through pregnancy losses, fostering two toddlers, navigating IVF and surviving a traumatic birth

If you’ve ever wondered how someone goes from "let's not not try" to four kids in five years. (Yes, four kids. In five years. Wild.)—all while staying married, organized, employed and mostly sane—you’re in for a treat. Plus, we talk domestic labor, postpartum absurdities, and more.

🕒 Timeline Summary:

[1:22] - That time Paige's teenage AIM crush ditched her best friend… and became her husband.
[6:11] - The “am I hungover or pregnant?” moment that turned into an ectopic pregnancy.
[11:46] - Fostering toddlers while grieving a pregnancy loss—because why do things the easy way?
[25:54] - IVF with toddlers during lockdown… nothing to see here, totally normal.
[33:35] - That time her placenta overstayed its welcome… by several surgeries.
[41:50] - Choosing a C-section (plus surprise hysterectomy!) with 40 people in the room.
[50:26] - The unexpected joy of watching your kids turn into tiny weird humans.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Follow Paige on Instagram: @sheisapaigeturner
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Boston) - Website
• Interested in fostering in Massachusetts? Learn more: DCF MA Foster Care

💬 Final Thoughts:
If you’ve ever wanted to hear a woman survive an ectopic pregnancy, foster two kids, endure a pandemic pregnancy, lose a placenta and her uterus—all while staying sarcastic and showing up as the other half of this show—this episode is your moment.

If you laughed, cried, or screamed into a pillow (relatable), don’t forget to rate, review, follow, and share the podcast. We love ya for it.

SUMMARY OF TOPICS WE COVER

• Met husband at age 14, dated at 16, and are going strong 18 years later
• Always planned on having four children, influenced by both coming from larger families
• Began fostering process at age 28, taking nearly a year to become licensed
• Experienced two ectopic pregnancies requiring surgery and removal of both fallopian tubes
• Fostered and later adopted a one-year-old and two-year-old in 2019
• Underwent IVF to conceive two biological daughters
• First birth resulted in severe complications with retained placenta, requiring multiple surgeries
• Second birth required a planned C-section with emergency hysterectomy due to placenta accreta
• Navigated pandemic parenting with daycare closures while working full-time
• Experienced inequitable division of household labor dur

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

Send us a text

🔗 Follow the Guests:
Chanel Wolf
TikTok: @ChanelWolf
New wellness & healing products dropping soon in the TikTok Shop!

Jaime Fisher
TikTok: @HeyJamieFish
YouTube: JFisher Channel
Long-form content + exciting TikTok Shop updates on the way!

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

Send us a text

“I moved in with another single mom… and people had so many questions. But the truth is: I needed community more than I needed space.”

What if healing from betrayal meant rewriting everything — including how we mother, how we live, and who we let in?

In this heartfelt and deeply honest episode, host Sam Strom and Jaime Fisher (@heyjaimefish) sit down with Chanel Wolf (@mamachanelwolf) — a single mom, yoga teacher, and plant medicine advocate — to talk about navigating single motherhood, co-living with another single mom, and healing after betrayal.

Chanel opens up about rebuilding her life after a painful breakup, choosing community over isolation, and how plant medicine became a key part of her healing and self-discovery.

🎧 This is a raw, healing, and hopeful conversation about what comes after heartbreak — and how support, sisterhood, and alternative paths can help us redefine what motherhood can look like today.

🎙️ Episode Guests:
Chanel Wolf (@mamachanelwolf) – Single mom, yoga teacher, entrepreneur, and plant medicine guide

Jaime Fisher (@heyjaimefish) – Co-host and return guest, known for sharing her personal experiences with marriage and motherhood

Hosted by Sam Strom

🔹 Topics We Cover:

What is a “mommune”? Real talk on shared living between single moms

Rebuilding your identity after relationship betrayal

Why co-living can be a lifeline for overwhelmed solo parents

How plant medicine can support emotional recovery and resilience

Honest reflections from Jaime on her own path through relational hardship

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

Send us a text

Meghan Markle, postpartum preeclampsia, maternal health, cultural perceptions, parenting, surrogacy, fertility, celebrity news, public scrutiny, women's health

Summary

In this episode, Sam Strom and Zara Hanawalt discuss various topics surrounding motherhood, health, and societal perceptions. They delve into Meghan Markle's recent revelations about postpartum preeclampsia, the cultural stigma surrounding women's health issues, and the alarming maternal mortality rates in the US compared to other countries. The conversation also touches on the scrutiny faced by public figures like Markle, the challenges of parenting in public spaces, and the controversial nature of children's fashion. They explore the complexities of surrogacy and fertility challenges, emphasizing the need for understanding and compassion in these discussions.

Takeaways & Topics

• Meghan Markle's experience with postpartum preeclampsia highlights the need for awareness.
• Cultural perceptions often undermine women's health issues.
• Maternal mortality rates in the US are alarmingly high, especially for women of color.
• Public figures face intense scrutiny that can overshadow their personal struggles.
• Parenting in public can be challenging, and support is crucial.
• The fashion choices for children can spark controversy and debate.
• Surrogacy raises ethical questions that society must address.
• Fertility challenges are deeply personal and vary for each individual.
• Women often face judgment regardless of their parenting choices.
• Compassion and understanding are essential in discussions about motherhood.

🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Confessions of a Female Founder – Meghan Markle’s new podcast
• Reshma Saujani & MomsFirst
• Commonwealth Fund maternal mortality stats
• Abigail Tucker’s book Mom Genes
• Book recommendation: Careless People by Lucy Sante (Congressional drama, Meta secrets, and motherhood)
• Brooke Schofield’s cosmetic surgery updates on TikTok
• Do We Know Them? Podcast recommendation – deep dive into social media commentary

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

Send us a text

In this episode of Do You Want the Truth? Pop Culture Hour, Zara and Sam dive into Kylie Kelce’s refreshingly honest postpartum podcast episode—and why it should be required listening for anyone interacting with a new parent. We break down some of the most frustrating pieces of advice new moms get (looking at you, “sleep when the baby sleeps”), and reflect on how celebrity culture, hustle culture, and social media have shaped the unrealistic expectations around postpartum recovery.

From night nurses and nannies to bonding delays and breastfeeding struggles, this episode is full of candid conversation around the parts of new parenthood that often get glossed over or left out completely. We also touch on homeschooling trends, daycare guilt, and how different privilege can show up in parenting choices. Plus, a little Miss Rachel update and a preview of our upcoming episode with Power Pause author Neha Ruch!

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/

Send us a text

What does it really take to raise three kids under six while holding down an executive role and managing over 100 employees? In this episode, I’m joined by Annette Kerlew - a 39-year-old mom of three (a 5.5-year-old son and 3.5-year-old boy/girl twins), wife, and Executive Vice President of Finance & Operations at a marketing communications agency living in New Jersey.

Annette opens up about the very real financial and emotional demands of parenting young kids while climbing the corporate ladder. From paying nearly $7,000/month in childcare, to managing a 60/40 split at home with her husband, to learning how to parent through exhaustion and stress without guilt. She shares what’s worked, what hasn’t, and why letting go of perfection has been key. 🔑

This is a great conversation for anyone navigating career, kids, and the never-ending juggle of modern motherhood.

💬 Final Note:
If this episode hit home, please rate, follow, and review the show. And share it with a fellow mom who's in the thick of it—because juggling kids, career, and life is tough, but you're not alone. 💛

⏳ Timeline Summary:
[6:32] - What 60/40 looks like in a two-career household with three kids under six
[9:51] - Paying nearly $7,000/month for daycare and how they made it work
[11:58] - Surprise: why she had twins at 35 and what her doctor said about it
[18:04] - Returning to work at 16 weeks postpartum while managing a large team
[21:41] - Formula feeding without guilt—and why it helped her mental health
[30:00] - Budgeting, Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace: how she saved money
[43:08] - Real talk on marriage, mental load, and avoiding resentment
[47:42] - Her biggest advice: how to keep stress from affecting your kids

🔗 Links & Resources

Follow Annette Kerlew on TikTok & Instagram

• Cribsheet by Emily Oster
• The Maids Cleaning Franchise
• KidStrong
• Secondhand style & savings: Poshmark, eBay, Facebook Marketplace

Support the show

Website: https://www.doyouwantthetruthpod.com

Connect with Sam:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/samanthastrom

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samanthastorms

Connect with Zara:

Zara Hanawalt https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-hanawalt/

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@zarahanawalt

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zarahanawalt/