Episode 48: There Isn’t One Way to Mother with Ruthie Ackerman

What happens when the life you built no longer fits?

How do you untangle inherited expectations, question long held narratives, and choose a future that feels true to you? 

Are you asking yourself whether you want to become a mother or not? 

 

Ruthie Ackerman, journalist, author of The Mother Code, and founder of the Ignite Writers Collective, joins to talk about motherhood ambivalence, generational myths, and the bravery required to rewrite your own story. Through her deeply personal journey, she shows how breaking silence and letting go of a life that no longer serves you opens the door to connection, support, and possibility.

 

What we cover in this episode:

• How to identify the “Big Lie” at the center of your story and why naming it unlocks transformation
• Motherhood Ambivalence: what it is, why so many feel it, and why we rarely talk about it
• The nontraditional paths to parenthood that deserve to be normalized
• This week’s micro-moment, Superhero Facade: how letting people see your struggle creates more belonging, not less

Release the pressure to have it all figured out, share the truth of where you are, and discover the power that comes from dropping the cape.

 

Enter Our ⁠Giveaway⁠

Get Your Copy of ⁠The Mother Code⁠ 

 

00:00 Intro

01:26 Meet Ruthie Ackerman

04:52 The Mother Code

9:36 Inherited expectations and rigid roles

16:11 Ruthie’s path to motherhood and ambivalence

24:06 Micro-moment: Superhero Facade

27:00 When Ruthie wore the superhero cape

35:13 The power of sharing struggles, community, and connection

43:07 Outro

44:28 Disclaimer

 

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