Dam Parenting

If you have ever lain awake in the dark, baby in arms, scrolling Instagram and feeling quietly worse with every post you see — this episode is for you.
This week as part of our Maternal Mental Health Month series, Eva sits down with positive psychologist Eva from The Joy Embassy for an honest, warm conversation about what social media really does to new mothers in the Netherlands — and what we can actually do about it. But the conversation goes further than most: into the history of how community itself collapsed when television arrived in the 1950s, into sociology of the forbidden emotions of motherhood, and into what it means to try to build real human connection in the jungle years of early parenthood.
In this episode:
Why seeing happy motherhood online makes struggling mothers feel worse — and the research behind it
How the algorithm actively shapes your postpartum experience without your consent
The history of community collapse — from bowling alleys to living rooms to Instagram
What de tropenjaaren (the jungle years) means, and who reaches back
What positive psychology actually offers a mother in the dark — beyond toxic positivity
Rachael Forester's new community space — real alternatives to scrolling
- Find our more about Rachael's new community space check out her website: RachaelForesterTherapy and scroll to bottom to find a sheet you can fill out. This is not a replacement for crisis, specialist care or therapy.  It's an opporunity to find grounding in such a ground shaking moment of parenthood in general.

I am not an expert. I am a parent with questions and a computer, trying to let people overhear conversations that might help them feel less alone. For international mothers in the Netherlands navigating postpartum far from home: you are not alone. And this podcast is my way of reaching back.

If you wan to read articles - check out these ones:
Exploring the influence of social media ‘Mumfluencers’ on postpartum body image
Exploring the influence of social media 'Mumfluencers' on postpartum body image
Why Don’t We Talk About the Joys of Motherhood Anymore?
Effects of Social Media on Motherhood
“I Don’t Want to Be Bad Mommy, but I Also Don’t Want to Be the Bad Mom”: How Mothers Story Their Experiences Navigating Social Media with Their Children

Do you ever feel like you're constantly dropping the ball, losing yourself in the chaos of motherhood, or just can't seem to keep up — no matter how hard you try? It might not just be motherhood. In this episode, originally aired as part of our 2024 Maternal Mental Health series, I'm joined by Emma, founder of ADHD Potential, a mother and ADHD coach who knows this reality from the inside out.
We talk about what ADHD actually looks like in mothers — because it doesn't always look the way you'd expect — the shame spiral that so many women carry silently, emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunction, and the strategies that can genuinely help. We also talk about why so many women go undiagnosed for years, and what to do if you suspect ADHD but don't know where to start.
If you're based in the Netherlands, we cover how the referral process works and what to expect, including waiting times and insurance coverage.
This episode is part of Damn Parenting's Maternal Mental Health Month series — bringing honest, real conversations about the things that affect us as mothers, the ones we don't always get to say out loud.
In this episode:
What ADHD in motherhood really looks like
Why so many women are diagnosed late — or not at all
The shame and guilt that comes with it, and how to work through it
Practical strategies for managing ADHD as a mother
How to get diagnosed in the Netherlands
Why "good enough" parenting is not only okay — it's necessary

You’re exhausted. You’re touched-out. You haven’t wanted sex in months and you’re quietly wondering if something is broken.
Nothing is broken.
This Maternal Mental Health month we’re talking about what nobody talks about: what actually happens to your body, your brain, your desire — and your sense of yourself as a sexual being — after you become a mother.
We are joined by Debby Port, a sex and couples psychologist based at Yellowwood in Amstelveen, and works online.
We talk about matrescence and the body. Breastfeeding and desire. Guilt. Performance anxiety. And why your pre-baby self is not the benchmark.
For the woman at 2am who hasn’t had sex in 6 months and is scared it’s gone forever: it isn’t. This episode is for you.
Part of the Maternal Mental Health Month series.

After birth, so many women are told their symptoms are normal — and then left to quietly wonder if they are. Leaking, pain, pressure, discomfort during sex. Normal? Or not?
This week I'm joined by Sofía, a pelvic floor physiotherapist based in The Hague with 13 years of specialist experience — and an immigrant herself who understands the unique position international families are in when navigating Dutch healthcare.
We cover what's actually normal in the first six weeks postpartum, when to seek help, what a pelvic floor physio appointment in the Netherlands actually involves (including the parts nobody warns you about), and the one thing Sofía wants every woman to hear: there is always a solution.
For the international parent in the Netherlands sitting with something they haven't told anyone: this one is for you.

After a late phone call with a friend, I felt the urge to record something very different than usual, as we already are bombarderd with Mothers Day deals, discounts and bundles - but the reality is - we don't want or need more stuff. Our mental overload is barely dealing with managing our home as it is.
So this was mine to you. Just words - and acknowledgement for all you go through, raisinig kids, on the daily.

Happy Mothers day.