MAMA - Motherhood. Alcohol. Mental Health. Anxiety
MAMA is a podcast about the realities of modern motherhood, hosted by author and speaker Victoria Vanstone. It covers topics like anxiety, overwhelm, identity, relationships, and mental health, as well as the role alcohol can play in a mother's life. The show combines lived experience with expert knowledge from researchers at the University of Sydney, aiming to support mums through honest conversations and practical tools. Each episode offers a mix of personal stories, humour, and evidence-based insights to help women feel informed and less alone.
Episodes
6. Progress, Not Perfection
As we reach the final episode of MAMA, Victoria reflects on one of the most important lessons she has learned through motherhood, anxiety and eight years of sobriety:You do not have to get everything right.For years, Victoria believed she needed to be a perfect mum. Organised. Patient. Calm. Successful. The kind of woman who remembered every permission slip, baked homemade muffins and somehow kept
5. Finding Your Way Back to You
When you change your relationship with alcohol, nobody really prepares you for the question that comes next:Who am I now?In this episode of MAMA, Victoria explores one of the biggest and most unexpected parts of becoming alcohol-free, rediscovering your identity.For years, alcohol was woven into birthdays, barbecues, girls’ nights, stressful parenting days and lonely evenings at home. It wasn’t ju
4. How One Conversation Can Change Everything...
There comes a point when you’ve read the articles, made the promises, created the rules and sworn that this time things will be different.You already know alcohol is making you anxious. You already know you’ll regret drinking too much. You already know the cycle isn’t working.So what happens when you’ve tried everything and you’re still stuck? Is it time to tell someone?In this episode of MAMA, Vi
3. Moderation - The Myth of Just One
Every Friday night, Victoria Vanstone made the same promise to herself. Just one or two drinks. Home early. No hangover. No anxiety. No regrets. This time would be different.It never was.In this episode of MAMA, Vic explores the exhausting cycle of trying to moderate alcohol during motherhood. Like many mums, she didn’t want to stop drinking completely. She simply wanted to drink like everyone els
2. Wine O’Clock? - Dealing with Triggers and Overwhelm
Motherhood is hard. Not the cute Instagram version with matching outfits and homemade baby purées. The real version. The sleep deprivation, the self-doubt, the endless responsibility and the overwhelming feeling that everyone else somehow knows what they’re doing except you.In this episode of MAMA, Victoria Vanstone explores the emotional load of motherhood and why so many mums find themselves rea
1. Motherhood, Alcohol, Anxiety and Me
When Victoria Vanstone became a mum, she thought she was prepared. She imagined she’d simply add a baby to her already lovely life, pop them in a sling and carry on being herself.That wasn’t quite what happened.In this first episode of MAMA, Vic shares the messy, funny and emotional reality of becoming a mother, from carefree party girl to overwhelmed new mum struggling with anxiety, identity loss
Introducing MAMA: Motherhood, Alcohol, Mental Health and Anxiety
So… what is MAMA?If you’ve ever found yourself pouring a glass of wine before you’ve even finished unpacking the school bags, if you’ve joked about Wine O’Clock while secretly wondering why your anxiety feels worse the next day, or if you’ve started asking yourself whether alcohol has quietly become part of your parenting journey, then you’ve found the right podcast.MAMA stands for Motherhood, Alc
