Episodes

  • Episode 7: Why Am I Having A Mental Breakdown?

    Episode 7: Why Am I Having A Mental Breakdown?
    May 29 2025

    📋 Show Notes:

    🎙️ Episode 7: Why Am I Having a Mental Breakdown?
    Subtitle: Parenting: A Public Health Crisis

    Cristina, Tiffany, Jess, and Jamie come together to talk about the mental, emotional, and social weight of parenting in 2025. What begins with Cristina’s story of reflecting upon a breakdown, induced by holiday-prep-burnout, quickly becomes a deeply resonant exploration of why so many moms are feeling on the verge of a mental health breakdown — and what we can do to create more support, equity, and care for each other.

    🗣️ What We Talk About:

    The stress of manufacturing ‘holiday magic’ — and who that burden usually falls on

    Why mothers carry the mental load (and what it’s doing to our health)

    The impossible pressures of “intensive parenting”

    How family dynamics have shifted away from community and toward isolation

    Communication breakdowns in relationships — and how to get on the same page

    Why breakdowns can actually be breakthrough moments

    The importance of naming abuse, stress, and inequality in parenting

    Creating space for women’s health, mental well-being, and self-care

    Real talk on what support systems should actually look like

    📚 Recommended Reading & Resources:

    Parents Under Pressure The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Mental Health & Well-Being of Parents, 2024.

    The Parents Aren’t Alright. Barbaro, Michael, host, and Claire Cain Miller, guest. "The Parents Aren't All Right." The Daily, The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2024, www.nytimes.com/thedaily.

    Fair Play Rodsky, Eve. Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019.

    The Second Shift Hocheschild, Arlie. The Second Shift: Working Families and the Revolution at Home. Penguin Books, 2012.

    ❤️ You Are Not Alone: Help for Abusive Relationships

    If you or someone you love is experiencing abuse—emotional, physical, sexual, or psychological—please know support is available. These trusted resources can offer immediate, confidential help:

    National Domestic Violence Hotline

    📞 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

    💬 Text: START to 88788

    🌐 thehotline.org

    Available 24/7 with trained advocates offering free, confidential help in over 200 languages.

    Women’s Law (from NNEDV)

    🌐 womenslaw.org

    Find clear legal info by state on protection orders, custody, and divorce. You can also email an advocate anonymously for guidance.

    👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:

    Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of three

    Jamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of two

    Jess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of two

    Tiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one

    🔗 Follow Along:

    📱 IG: @momsamongotherthings

    🌐 Website: mommyhasquestions.com

    🎧 Presented by: momsamongotherthings.com

    🔑 Keywords:

    parenting, mental health, burnout, societal expectations, intensive parenting, motherhood, family dynamics, communication, mental load, public health, social media, community support, women’s health, self-care, empowerment, abuse
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    34 mins
  • Episode 6: Why Is My Doctor Gaslighting Me?

    Episode 6: Why Is My Doctor Gaslighting Me?
    May 22 2025
    📋 Show Notes:🎙️ Episode 6: Why Is My Doctor Gaslighting Me?Subtitle: Advocating for Women’s HealthCristina and the moms open up about their own experiences with being dismissed by healthcare providers—and dig into the root causes behind it. From underfunded research to outdated gender assumptions, they explore why the medical system often fails women and how we can start to shift it.With insight and solidarity, they offer tools for self-advocacy, tips for symptom tracking, and full permission to break up with a doctor who isn’t listening.🗣️ What We Talk About:Why women’s symptoms are often dismissedPerimenopause, menopause, and hormonal health mythsThe shocking research gap in women’s healthcareWhy only 2% of funding goes to women-specific conditionsHow race and income impact access to careThe male body as the medical “default”The emotional toll of being gaslit in a clinical settingHow to document symptoms and advocate for yourselfWhy it’s okay (and powerful) to fire your doctor📚 References:Hand Washing. “It Took Surprisingly Long for Doctors to Figure out the Benefits of Hand Washing.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 15 Apr. 2025, www.history.com/articles/hand-washing-disease-infection. Lack of Funding for Women’s Health Research. Smith, Kerri. Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 3 May 2023, www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-023-01475-2/index.html. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/24/nx-s1-5376473/hhs-restores-funding-for-womens-health-initiative Gender Bias in Medicine. Koven, Suzanne. “How Gender Bias in Medicine Has Shaped Women’s Health.” Harvard Medicine Magazine, 14 Mar. 2025, magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/how-gender-bias-medicine-has-shaped-womens-health. Health Equity. Baciu A, Negussie Y, Geller A, et al., editors Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity.National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on Community-Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States.Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jan 11.📚 Resources:Joint Commission: Patient Advocacy ChecklistThe Care Partner Project: Patient Advocacy Resources 💜 Women’s Health Advocacy Organizations:Center for Reproductive Rights - A legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing reproductive rights as fundamental human rights, with work on abortion, maternal health, and IVF access.The Menopause Society (formerly North American Menopause Society) - Empowers healthcare professionals to improve women's health during the menopause transition through education and resources.Let's Talk Menopause - A 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing education and raising awareness about perimenopause and menopause through community-building initiatives.National Organization for Women (NOW) - A long-standing feminist organization that works on reproductive rights, affirming them as "issues of life and death for women, not mere matters of choice."Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation) - Focuses on providing factual information about abortion access and reproductive healthcare.SisterReach - A grassroots organization supporting the reproductive autonomy of women and teens of color, poor women, rural women, and LGBTQ+ people in the South.International Planned Parenthood Federation - A global provider of sexual and reproductive health services and advocate for reproductive rights.Women Deliver - A global advocacy organization championing gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women.Fòs Feminista - An international alliance for sexual and reproductive justice working across borders.👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of three Jamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of twoJess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of twoTiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one🔗 Follow Along:📱 IG: @momsamongotherthings🌐 Website: mommyhasquestions.com🎧 Presented by: momsamongotherthings.com🔑 Keywords:women’s health, gaslighting, perimenopause, menopause, medical bias, hormone imbalance, advocacy, feminist healthcare, racial disparities, gender gaps in medicine, symptom dismissal, invisible illness, firing your doctor, women-centered care
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    30 mins
  • Episode 5: Can I Be a Trad Wife AND a Feminist?

    Episode 5: Can I Be a Trad Wife AND a Feminist?
    May 15 2025
    📋 Show Notes:🎙️ Episode 5: Can I Be a Trad Wife AND a Feminist?Subtitle: Tradition vs. ProgressCristina and the moms unpack the tension between embracing traditional domestic roles and holding true to feminist values. Is being a stay-at-home mom anti-feminist—or can it be a powerful choice in a patriarchal system? From historical context to social media portrayals, they dig into what it really means to live your values while raising kids and running a household. With insight, laughter, and some surprising admissions, they push back on black-and-white thinking and champion a more nuanced feminism.🗣️ What We Talk About:- What it means to be a “trad wife” in 2025- Can traditional gender roles align with feminism?- Cristina’s accidental trad wife journey- How social media glorifies domesticity (and at what cost)- The waves of feminism and why history matters- How invisible labor still defines motherhood- Why men need to be included in feminist conversations- Feminism as freedom: more choice, less shame📚References:All the Single Ladies Traister, Rebecca. All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation. Simon & Schuster, 2016.Fair Play Rodsky, Eve. Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019.The Tradwife Trend Rascoe, Ayesha. "'Trad wives' are trending. What does that say about feminism today?" NPR, 28 Jan. 2024.History of Woman Suffrage Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, et al., editors. "An Account of Women's Experiences at the June 1840 World's Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England." History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 1, Fowler and Wells, 1881, pp. 53-54, 61-62.Invisible Labor and the Value of Stay-at-Home Work Huddleston, Cameron. "Here's How Much Economists Say Stay-at-Home Moms Should Get Paid." Nasdaq, 10 May 2023.History of Feminism History.com Editors. "Women's History Milestones: A Timeline." HISTORY, A&E Television Networks, 4 Mar. 2025.Women’s Rights Movement within Anti-Slavery Activism Sklar, Kathryn Kish. Women's Rights Emerges within the Anti-Slavery Movement, 1830-1870: A Brief History with Documents. The Bedford Series in History and Culture. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2015.Definition of Feminism “Marie Shear.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 11 March 2025.👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of three Jamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of twoJess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of twoTiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one 🔗 Follow Along:📱 IG: @momsamongotherthings🌐 Website: mommyhasquestions.com🎧 Presented by: momsamongotherthings.com🔑 Keywords:feminism, trad wife, stay-at-home mom, choice feminism, invisible labor, gender roles, social media, patriarchy, waves of feminism, motherhood, domestic labor, TikTok trad wives, modern feminism, male allyship, feminist parenting, mom identity
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    39 mins
  • Episode 4: Is Social Media Bad for Moms Too?

    Episode 4: Is Social Media Bad for Moms Too?
    May 8 2025
    📋 Show Notes:🎙️ Episode 4: Is Social Media Bad for Moms Too? Control the ScrollCristina and the moms explore the complicated relationship between motherhood and social media. They dig into the emotional trap of doom-scrolling, the illusion of online “self-care,” and the bigger cultural forces shaping how moms spend their time and attention. From confession to clarity, this episode is an empowering call to become more intentional with how we engage online.🗣️ What We Talk About:- Why we reach for our phones in stressful moments- How social media creates a false sense of connection- The mental health toll of comparison and overconsumption- Setting screen time boundaries for ourselves (and our kids)- Using mindfulness and breathwork instead of mindless scrolling- The power of critical thinking and intentional digital habits- What it really means to “control the scroll”📚 References:Digital Minimalism Newport, Cal. Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Portfolio, 2019.How to Do Nothing Odell, Jenny. How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. Melville House, 2019. The Moment of Lift Gates, Melinda, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World. Flatiron Books, 2019.How We Got to Now Johnson, Steven. How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World. Riverhead Books, 2014The Social Dilemma Orlowski, Jeff, director. The Social Dilemma. Exposure Labs, Argent Pictures, The Space Program, 2020. Netflix, www.netflix.com/title/81254224.Talk to People on the Telephone Mull, Amanda. "Talk to People on the Telephone." The Atlantic, 16 Sept. 2019, www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/09/ring-ring-ring/598129/.Does Passive Social Media Use Harm Well-Being? Meier, Adrian, and Hannes-Vincent Krause. "Does Passive Social Media Use Harm Well-Being?: An Adversarial Review." Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, vol. 35, no. 3, 2023, pp. 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000358.Screen Time and Well-Being Twenge, Jean M., et al. "Associations Between Screen Time and Lower Psychological Well-Being Among Children and Adolescents." Preventive Medicine Reports, vol. 12, 2018, pp. 271-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003.👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of threeJamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of twoJess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of twoTiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one🔗 Follow Along:📱 IG: @momsamongotherthings🌐 Website: mommyhasquestions.com🎧 Presented by: momsamongotherthings.com🔑 Keywords:social media, motherhood, doomscrolling, digital boundaries, mental health, self-care vs self-sabotage, algorithm anxiety, phone addiction, feminist parenting, emotional resilience, comparison trap, mindfulness for moms, tech habits
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    39 mins
  • Episode 3: Why Is It Hard To Ask For Help?

    Episode 3: Why Is It Hard To Ask For Help?
    May 1 2025
    📋 Show Notes:🎙️ Episode 3: Why Is It Hard to Ask for Help? Subtitle: Partner DialoguesCristina and the moms get real about the challenges of communicating needs, balancing childcare, and renegotiating value at home. From societal pressure to internalized guilt, they explore why asking for help feels so loaded and how to reframe it without resentment. This episode is a heartfelt, funny, and hope-filled dive into the art of advocating for yourself.🗣️ What We Talk About:- Why it's so hard to ask for help- How stay-at-home work gets undervalued- Money, power, and perception in partnerships- Emotional labor and mental load- Gendered social conditioning and communication barriers- Practical strategies for better conversations - How to validate your own worth beyond motherhood📚 References:Fair Play Rodsky, Eve. Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019. Impulse Purchasing By Gender 1 "Male vs. Female Spending Statistics." ElectroIQ, https://electroiq.com/stats/male-vs-female-spending-statistics/#General_Male_vs_Female_Spending_Statistics. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.Impulse Purchasing By Gender 2 "Male vs. Female Spending Statistics." FinanceBuzz, https://financebuzz.com/male-vs-female-spending-statistics. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.Gender and Emotion Expression Russell, James A. "What Is an Emotion? Psychological Construction in the Service of Making Emotion Meaning." Emotion Review, vol. 6, no. 4, 2014, pp. 298-307, https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073914544408. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.The Gender Stereotyping of Emotions Plant, E. Ashby, et al. "The Gender Stereotyping of Emotions." Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 24, no. 1, 2000, pp. 81-92, https://devinelab.psych.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1383/2020/04/The-gender-stereotyping-of-emotions.pdf. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.Stay At Home Moms' 'Economic Value' Curry, Benjamin. "Here's How Much Economists Say Stay-At-Home Moms Should Get Paid." Nasdaq, 8 Mar. 2022, www.nasdaq.com/articles/heres-how-much-economists-say-stay-at-home-moms-should-get-paid. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.Gendered Labour Market "History Helps Us Understand Gender Differences in the Labour Market." The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 9 Oct. 2023, www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2023/10/popular-economicsciencesprize2023.pdf. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of threeJamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of twoJess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of twoTiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one🔗 Follow Along: Podcast IG: @momsamongotherthingsWebsite: mommyhasquestions.comPresented by: momsamongotherthings.com🔑 Key Themes: mental load, motherhood, childcare, communication, emotional labor, stay-at-home moms, working moms, gender roles, marriage, asking for help, Fair Play, Eve Rodsky, invisible labor, partnerships, feminist parenting, modern families, self-worth
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    36 mins
  • Episode 2: Why Am I Drowning In Laundry?

    Episode 2: Why Am I Drowning In Laundry?
    Apr 24 2025
    🎙️ Episode 2: Why Am I Drowning In Laundry?Subtitle: Loads on LoadsCristina has 5 baskets of laundry that have been on her couch for a week. This leads to a much deeper conversation between the moms about the invisible labor women are still carrying. From 1950s housewife propaganda to the real-life stress of asking your partner to please just switch the load, this episode takes a funny, honest, and slightly ranty look at what’s really going on behind the laundry basket and all the loads: mental, emotional, and literal.We unpack it all: gender roles, Eve Rodsky’s Fair Play, suburban vs. city mom laundry problems, and how the so-called “progress” of equality still leaves a lot of socks unmatched.🧺 What We Talk About:The never-ending pile: physical and metaphoricalWhy women are still “the default” at homeCapitalism, gender norms, and the 1950s housewife fantasyGI Bill + suburban development and how it pushed women back in the homeSelf-medicating housewives, and the pressure to smile through itFair Play and how to actually divide labor in modern families📚References1990's Nick at Nite Programming u/mschanandlerbong91. "Do you remember the old days of Nick at Nite?" Reddit, r/sitcoms, 30 March 2025, https://www.reddit.com/r/sitcoms/comments/1f4hxbn/do_you_remember_the_old_days_of_nick_at_nite/. Accessed 21 April 2025.What the 1950s were really like “What the 1950s Were Really Like”. Talking Politics With Mom. Episode 03. https://youtu.be/Mt-gPjjQw1M. Accessed 21 April 2025."Sure he was great but remember she did everything backwards in heels" "Cartoon Image - Bob Thaves, Frank and Ernest Cartoon." Goodreads, https://images.gr-assets.com/quotes/1382202485p8/192006.jpg. Accessed 21 April 2025.Equality and GDP Correlation European Investment Bank. "Gender Equality and Power." EIB.org, https://www.eib.org/en/stories/gender-equality-power. Accessed 21 April 2025.Labor Distribution in the Home Fair Play Policy. "Can We Solve for the Unequal Division of Domestic Labor." FairPlayPolicy.org, https://fairplaypolicy.org/research/can-we-solve-for-the-unequal-division-of-domestic-labor. Accessed 21 April 2025.Fair Play Rodsky, Eve. Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live). G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019. The GI Bill "G.I. Bill." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G.I._Bill. Accessed 21 April 2025.Women in the 1950’s workforce PBS. “Wome and Work After World War II.” PBS.org. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tupperware-work/. Accessed 21 April 2025.What Really Made 1950s Housewives So Miserable. Gershon, Livia. JSTOR DAILY, 8 June 2017, daily.jstor.org/what-really-made-1950s-housewives-so-miserable/. Accessed 23 April 2025.You Go to My Head: Women's Prescription Pill Use in Postwar America. Brown, Erin K., (2022). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 8727. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/8727. Accessed 23 April 2025.The Marriage Bar “The Marriage Bar.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_bar. Accessed 21 April 2025.Breaking Down Patriarchy "Breaking Down Patriarchy." Breaking Down Patriarchy, https://breakingdownpatriarchy.com/podcast/. Accessed 23 April 2025.👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of three Jamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of twoJess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of twoTiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one🔗 Follow Along:Podcast IG: @momsamongotherthingsWebsite: mommyhasquestions.comPresented by: momsamongotherthings.comKey Themes:mental load, motherhood, household chores, invisible labor, gender roles, Fair Play, Eve Rodsky, GI Bill, feminist history, suburban life, emotional labor, laundry, patriarchy, motherhood podcast, modern parenting, stay-at-home moms, working moms
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    35 mins
  • Episode 1: How Did I Get Here?

    Episode 1: How Did I Get Here?
    Apr 17 2025

    🎙️ Episode 1: How Did I Get Here? |The Minivan Crisis

    Ever looked around your life and thought, “Whose minivan is this… and how did I become the one driving it?” Same.

    In this premiere episode of Mommy Has Questions, Cristina Sansone opens up about how she went from public health professional in New York City to stay-at-home mom of three in Arkansas — and the identity crisis that came with it. She’s joined by her three NYC mom friends, the co-founders of Among Other Things, as they dive headfirst into the complicated mess of modern motherhood.

    From the pressure to “do it all” to the outdated 1950s ideals still hanging over parenting culture today, these four women are done pretending. It’s time to question everything.

    💬 What We Talk About:

    The invisible grief of losing your former identity

    Patriarchal parenting norms we didn’t agree to

    Why “having it all” feels like a setup

    Community, collective care, and how we start showing up for each other

    The power of honest conversation (with humor of course)

    📚 References:

    Of Willa Cather’s Lasting Love For the Frontier by Catherine Pond

    What the 1950s were really like | Talking Politics With Mom Ep. 3

    👯‍♀️ Meet Your Hosts:

    Cristina Sansone – Public health pro turned full-time stay-at-home mom of three

    Jamie Dennison – Corporate exec and mom of two

    Jess Kahn Marks – Former engineer and mom of two

    Tiffany Hodges – Writer, actor, filmmaker, and mom of one | @thetiffanyhodges

    🔗 Follow Along:

    Podcast IG: @momsamongotherthings

    Website: mommyhasquestions.com

    Presented by: momsamongotherthings.com

    Key Themes:

    motherhood, parenting, societal norms, women empowerment, cultural expectations, community support, mental load, caregiving, shared responsibilities, personal identity
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    39 mins
  • Welcome to Mommy Has Questions (Trailer)

    Welcome to Mommy Has Questions (Trailer)
    Apr 13 2025

    With heart, analysis and experience, Mommy Has Questions examines the evolution of motherhood and challenges expectations to create a world where we all thrive. Your exhaustion isn't personal, it's cultural.

    Join Cristina, a career professional turned stay-at-home mom, and the Among Other Things co-founders as they connect your daily overwhelm to decades of policies that depend on mothers doing it all. This is where shame becomes solidarity, where private struggles reveal public patterns, and where women discover they're not broken - the system is.

    Mommy Has Questions is presented by Among Other Things, a vibrant moms collective dedicated to driving cultural change for all women. Visit MomsAmongOtherThings.com for more information.
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    2 mins