29. Becoming a Mother & Losing Yourself

About this episode

Maya Woronicz and Alina Mlinarova discuss the challenges of motherhood, including mental health struggles and the loss of identity.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of severe mental health struggles. Please listen with care and take breaks if needed. In this episode, I sit down with Alina (you can follow her at @alinamlinarova) for a raw and honest conversations about motherhood beyond the episode. We talk about her experience with perinatal depression, the quiet grief of losing your sense of self, and the complicated emotions that can come with becoming a mother. Alina shares what it looked like to move from survival mode into gradual healing, not through perfection, but through acceptance, support, and small daily self-care practices. We explore: • The identity shift that no one prepares you for• Why seeking help is strength, not failure• Generational perspectives on parenting• How treating motherhood as real labor changes everything• Finding balance without chasing unrealistic standards This conversation is for the mother who feels overwhelmed, unseen, or unsure of who she is becoming. You are not alone.

People in this episode

Guest: Alina Mlinarova

Topics covered

• motherhood
• mental health
• perinatal depression
• identity shift
• self-care

Keywords

• acceptance
• support
• generational perspectives
• balance
• real labor

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• 32. SSRI's, Bad Days & A Mom Guilt Moment · March 30, 2026 · 22 min
• 31. Talking Postpartum Mental Health with a Perinatal Therapist · March 16, 2026 · 1h 12m
• 30. Valentines Day, Holiday Baskets + Body Image · March 2, 2026 · 29 min
• 28. Living Between Wanting More & Wanting Less · February 2, 2026 · 33 min
• 27. Boudoir, Bodies & Being Seen After Motherhood · January 19, 2026 · 1h 14m