Release the Mother Load
Let Go of the Pressure to Do It All
with Erica Djossa, MA, RP
What happens when the mental load of motherhood becomes too heavy to carry alone? In this conversation, we unpack the ‘mother load’ — the invisible web of planning, worrying, and caregiving that so often falls to moms — and why even well-intentioned couples slide into unequal parenting roles.
We dig into intensive mothering and the perfectionism it fuels, why it’s so hard to let go of control and accept help, and what mom anger is really trying to say.
Then we get practical: how couples can start making invisible labor visible, where a default parent can lower the bar, and the one belief mothers might need to release to build a more equal partnership at home.
Erica Djossa is the CEO and founder of Momwell, and a registered psychotherapist specializing in maternal mental health with over a decade of experience.
As a mother of three rambunctious young boys, Erica understands first-hand the challenges of motherhood. Perfectionism, pressure, and loss of identity fueled her battle with postpartum depression, and she realized how difficult it is to seek care. She founded Momwell to set a standard of care for providers and ensure mom-centred specialized mental health support at any stage of motherhood.