Not The Mama

"You will do what you want to do with your life," said the doctor who performed Gloria Steinem's illegal abortion when she was 22. She went on to become one of the most important feminists of the 20th century and is not a mother. Today, Auntie Julia flies solo to share her thoughts on the value of not moms and what we have to contribute to the world. She also shares some book and media recommendations and reads a few empowering quotes from famous not moms.

About: WARNING: Auntie Julia's laugh is out of control this ep, protect your buds! (She did edit it though to even out the volume) The wildly talented Alex Drake is here, finally!!! We talk about dads vs moms - as caregivers, who kids like more, dad bods and wtf even IS a mom bod?? Important, #spoileralert for the plot of the movie, "The Intern." Alex also shares the story of losing her mom and how that has affected her thoughts and feelings on having kids. We also talk about dream dogs! Get into it!!!

Thank you listeners!! We're reviving our News + Views segment with today's special appreciation episode! Auntie Julia reads some great reviews from iTunes, addresses some sound concerns and talks about improvements to come! We wouldn't have a pod without you! She also minimally addresses this Kava-HELL-NAW business and reminds everyone to register to vote or double check your registration. Hers was purged!! 36 days until the midterms!!!

Comedian Shalewa Sharpe joins Auntie Julia to discuss her moment with Chadwick Boseman, not wanting motherhood but supporting mom friends, progressive pro-lifers responsibility to shut down anti-choicers, and the required martyrdom of motherhood. They also chat about race in regards to parenting and the responsibility of all white people to dismantle racism in their communities.

Have you considered freezing your eggs? Comedian and writer Farah Brook chats this week about what it's like to know for sure you want to be a mom. Farah has decided to freeze her eggs now so when she's ready for kids she has more options. She and Auntie Julia talk the cost, science and emotional and physical experience of taking this step.

Comedian Irene Morales joins Auntie Julia this week to chat about how heritage and family history can impact our decision to become parents. Irene shares stories about her family life growing up in Miami, Florida with a Cuban mom, a Paraguayan dad and a brother who is on the Autism spectrum. Auntie Julia is also sick of introvert memes on the internet. She does love introverts, just enough with the memes.

Entrepreneur Leah Weinberg joins Auntie Julia this week to chat about not wanting kids and knowing it! They discuss making space for career ambition, friendship with other not-parents and also just not liking kids all that much. They get to the bottom of the eternal question - "What do women DO without children?" A lot, actually!

You can decide to be undecided! This week, comedian and actress Molly Ruben Long joins Auntie Julia to declare her indecision about parenthood, marriage and other grown up questions. They also get to the bottom of Auntie Julia's aggressive personal stance against marriage which may inadvertently have swayed Molly's decision on that front. Luckily, both decided to have a good time so we hope you join in the fun!

Melissa Stokoski, comedian and Sex and the City scholar, joins auntie Julia this week to discuss how women without children were represented on the iconic television show. One of the first series to present storylines about abortion, infertility, and choosing to be childfree, Melissa and Auntie Julia dissect scenes and episodes that Not The Mama listeners will enjoy. While imperfect for many reasons, (too white, capitalistic, and dated puns galore, etc.) the impact of SATC on millennial women and pop culture overall can't be denied. Spoiler alert: Auntie Julia's a Samantha!

TW: Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse Auntie Julia and comedian and storyteller Melody Kamali chat together this week about heavier topics. Melody discusses her indecision about parenthood based on past experiences and having a partner who knows she wants to be a mom. They talk about parents, their childhoods and how people need to share stories to help raise the next generation. And it's OK for women to be righteously angry. Get into it!

Comedian Casey James Salengo joins Auntie Julia this episode to chat about the possibility of infertility and aligning your individual goals with the goals of your partner. Casey gets candid about his childhood, health issues and finding the love of his life who really wants to be a mom. They discuss what fatherhood means to him and how he views toxic masculinity in regards to raising kids. Despite the heavy topics, it's fun and happy so we hope you enjoy listening in!

In ep 2 of News & Views, Auntie Julia talks about Jennifer Aniston's recent InStyle interview where she talks about her childfree status and a very unfortunate for Facebook gendered ATTACK against the pod. Check it out and make sure to subscribe, rate and review us on iTunes and SoundCloud!!!

Auntie Julia is joined by her first man guest Will Winner! He is a comedian and "the Dad" of The Good, The Dad and The Ugly podcast. They talk about how men can step up in support of abortion rights, not limiting yourself, and Will's theories on how human and machine will merge in our lifetimes. It's a fun one!

Welcome to Not the Mama News & Views! This is our mini show series to support the weekly episodes. Auntie Julia gives a run down of news and topics that applie to issues of not-parenthood and teases the next new episode of Not The Mama!

Auntie Julia is joined by yet another Julia, comedian and Housewives fan, Julia Solomon! They examine the rarity that is the childless Housewife from the The Real Housewives reality series. Pop culture illuminates many realities about the way our society values and treats its women. The value of motherhood in this series tends to mean more power for women when they are in a group of their peers but doesn't necessarily translate when they are dealing with careers, husbands and exes. Even if you're not a HW fan, we hope you find value in the cultural discussion.

Auntie Julia has a super fun chat this week with comedian and author Selena Coppock about being 100% sure you don't want kids and what that does to your dating life. Selena is a wealth of knowledge and teaches us a new acronym, DINKS - Double Income, No Kids. They also talk about being taken seriously as women and what they envision for their lives without children.

Auntie Julia is joined this week by another Auntie Julia, comedian and graphic designer Julia Johns! They discuss the revolutionary act of being undecided on motherhood, being aunts, and how hard it is to talk about even the potential of not-parenthood.

On this week's ep, Auntie Julia is joined by tech wiz Stef Ploof to discuss pet "parenthood." They discuss not having human kids and loving their pets. Companionship, care-giving and even compassion and understanding toward their human parent friends are the reward for taking in furry friends.

Auntie Julia is joined by comedian and viral Twitter sensation Julia Claire to discuss the politics of womanhood and how that affects our decisions to become parents. Topics include the future of Roe vs. Wade, economics of motherhood, and possible political careers. Given the political events of the past week, this is a timely discussion!

Our first official episode! Auntie Julia is joined by Christina Rumpf to discuss the complicated choice to not have kids. They talk about living for yourself, caring for loved ones, pursuing creative endeavors and celebrating friendships as family. They also explore how our parents lives may influence our decision to become parents ourselves. Having it all isn't for all. Auntie Julia also encourages listeners to get involved in efforts to stop the separation of families at the border. Please visit TogetherRising.org for info on how you can get involved and contact your Senators and urge them to support the Keep Families Together Act. (All Democratic senators now support the bill.) Info on their contact info can be found at senate.gov.