Writer, author, and mom of three Sara Peterson has been down all the instagram wormholes and has lived to tell about it. On this episode, your host Alexis , and Sara have a super candid conversation on the ways in which performative motherhood and momfluencers are wearing us all down. Sara shares with us what it means to be a "hot mom", why prescriptive parenting doesn't work, the new mom haircut, and we also discuss . . . haunted Mormons (IYKYK). Sara's book, MOMFLUENCED, will be out this spring. We go deep into momfluencer culture in this episode, so here are a few articles to provide "supplemental reading":

Articles by Sara:

• Momfluencer Culture Enrages Me: Why Can't I Look Away?
• Why I want to quit social media
• Apparently makeup for children is just as much a thing as skincare for children
• Why I’m struggling to explain my beauty routine to my 4-year-old daughter

Also discussed in the episode:

• Mormon influencer exposes ‘soft swinging’ secrets on TikTok: ‘Everyone hooked up’

Subscribe to Sara's Substack, "In Pursuit of Clean Countertops", here.

Poppyseed Health offers 24/7 on-demand text access to doulas, midwives, and nurses.

The National Council on Sexual Addiction Compulsivity has estimated that six to eight percent of Americans, and approximately one in six women struggle with an addiction to pornography and sex. (Many women with sex addiction engage in casual sex, have multiple partners, or affairs. ) Author, and mom Erica Garza is one of the few women speaking out about her struggles with porn and compulsive masturbation (beginning at age 12), and later, sex addiction. Her memoir, "Getting Off: One Woman’s Journey Through Sex and Porn Addiction" is a brave and eye-opening story that helps dispel myths and opens up a necessary conversation about addiction. On this episode of the podcast, Erica talks about the underlying anxieties that contributed to her addiction, the pain of living a secret life, and how she finally was able to experience pleasure without feelings of shame. Erica also shares how her former addiction informs how she parents her daughter, and offers tips for those who may be struggling with sex addiction and want to seek help.

Ways to get help:

• Attend Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous which follows the 12 Step Model from Alcoholics Anonymous
• Disrupt unhealthy patterns by turning off your internet or traveling someplace new
• Connect with others who are working to recover from addiction (any kind)

You can find her book here.

Poppyseed Health offers 24/7 on-demand text access to doulas, midwives, and nurses.

Keren Keyzner's daughter Lily was diagnosed with neuroblastoma on the evening of September 16, 2018, at 2.5 years of age. Neuroblastoma is an extremely rare form of cancer, with only about 700 new cases diagnosed every year in the United States. In this episode, Keren shares her daughter's journey, and how Keren and her family coped with such unimaginable loss. If you've ever wondered how you could support friends and loved ones caring for a sick child, or who are mourning the loss of their child, give this episode a listen.

Organizations to donate to/ learn more about pediatric cancer and neuroblastoma:

• Candle Lighters: Local non profit that supports families coming to NYC to get treatments- they support the kids, parents and siblings!
• Band of Parents: Grassroots non profit started by parents of children with Neuroblastoma to raise funds for new treatments.
• Whip Pediatric Cancer: Another great org that raises money for childhood cancer at Sloan and supports families.

Click here to see some images of beautiful Lily and read the poem Keren wrote for her funeral.

Poppyseed Health offers 24/7 on-demand text access to doulas, midwives, and nurses.