The village we build: Motherhood support and identity with Kirsty Melmed
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In this episode, I’m joined by Kirsty Melmed, the woman behind Brave Mamas and a fierce advocate for real, grounded support for mothers. Kirsty brings the kind of honesty that makes you exhale. We talked about the messy middle of motherhood, the moments that break us open, and the kind of community that helps us rise again.
Kirsty didn’t step into this work from theory, she lived it. After postpartum depression, anxiety, and the quiet rage and overwhelm so many mothers know but rarely name, she found herself isolated and questioning whether she was meant for motherhood at all. A WhatsApp support group opened her eyes to the power and pitfalls of mom communities, and ultimately pushed her to create something new: a psychologically safe space for mothers to be seen, heard, and resourced.
We explored what mothers really need, not advice, not perfection, but belonging, shared wisdom, and someone to witness them in their becoming. Kirsty speaks candidly about resentment, the default parent load, the courage it takes to ask for help, and how brave it is simply to show up as a mother in a world that still expects us to do it all, quietly and alone.
This conversation is a reminder that mothers don’t need to earn support, they deserve it. And when women gather, reflect, and hold each other with care, they don’t just survive motherhood, they rise inside of it.
Follow Kirsty on:
Website: http://www.Kirstymelmedlifecoach.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kirstymelmedlifecoach/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bravemamact/?hl=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Kirstymelmedlifecoach/?hl=en
Follow Carly on:
Website: https://onthecouchwithcarly.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBi56xQookfRGL3zvWVzCg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onthecouchwithcarly/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onthecouchwithcarly/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onthecouchwithcarly
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/on-the-couch-with-carly/id1497585376
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3t7A2FMnISQ2fz9D5p0Xuw
Kirsty didn’t step into this work from theory, she lived it. After postpartum depression, anxiety, and the quiet rage and overwhelm so many mothers know but rarely name, she found herself isolated and questioning whether she was meant for motherhood at all. A WhatsApp support group opened her eyes to the power and pitfalls of mom communities, and ultimately pushed her to create something new: a psychologically safe space for mothers to be seen, heard, and resourced.
We explored what mothers really need, not advice, not perfection, but belonging, shared wisdom, and someone to witness them in their becoming. Kirsty speaks candidly about resentment, the default parent load, the courage it takes to ask for help, and how brave it is simply to show up as a mother in a world that still expects us to do it all, quietly and alone.
This conversation is a reminder that mothers don’t need to earn support, they deserve it. And when women gather, reflect, and hold each other with care, they don’t just survive motherhood, they rise inside of it.
Follow Kirsty on:
Website: http://www.Kirstymelmedlifecoach.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kirstymelmedlifecoach/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bravemamact/?hl=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Kirstymelmedlifecoach/?hl=en
Follow Carly on:
Website: https://onthecouchwithcarly.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfBi56xQookfRGL3zvWVzCg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onthecouchwithcarly/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onthecouchwithcarly/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onthecouchwithcarly
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/on-the-couch-with-carly/id1497585376
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3t7A2FMnISQ2fz9D5p0Xuw
Chapters
- 00:00 Meet Kirsty Melmed, life coach and founder of Brave Mamas
- 02:18 Postpartum struggle: anxiety, rage, and identity loss
- 06:57 First support group experience and the power of feeling less alone
- 10:23 WhatsApp groups: solidarity, validation, and emotional safety
- 15:42 The sleep-training conflict that changed everything
- 19:33 Leaving toxic mom spaces and trusting intuition
- 22:47 From breakdown to purpose: creating Brave Mamas
- 26:08 Building supportive motherhood communities with shared values
- 30:25 The power of being witnessed, validated, and celebrated
- 34:41 Empowerment as a mother: seeing yourself again
- 38:19 “Make the invisible visible” — mental load strategies
- 42:58 How to communicate with partners without blame
- 47:30 Letting go of control and co-parenting consciously
- 51:56 Mom communities as modern villages
- 56:10 Resource-building, referrals, and emotional safety nets
- 01:00:33 Changing the system through empowered mothers
- 01:04:05 The ripple effect: healing mothers, families, and generations
