Millennials & Motherhood

Dear Mamas and mamas-in-waiting! I hope you are all well. Today I am doing something a bit different by focusing on you, the person, before you wear the different hats you do. I wanted to share how much God loves us and wants to see us living Holy and righteous lives. It is all possible through faith and repentance because ultimately the Lord is going to judge us; so examine your life today and see if you are heading towards condemnation or eternal life. I would say, make a prayer before you listen and then listen. I encourage you to seek the truth in the Holy scriptures for Jesus is the living word of God. Seek and find him today. Stay blessed and in peace. Love Una

Hello mamas and mamas-in-waiting! This is episode 17 and today I just wanted to check in and share where i am at and hopefully encourage you as you go about the days. I am a student and daily I am learning through the grace of God about where I am and whom I am with. I really encourage you to find God, ask for his help and receive it when he does. This is a season to be learning more about God and his purpose for us and at the same time unlearning things that keep us away from his Holy presence. I hope this season will birth wonderful gifts in our lives and that we may se the love of God radiate as he helps us build our character, raise our children, strengthen our marriages for his glory. Until next time, Love Una

Hello mamas and mamas-to-be! Today I wanted to share something personal and it may be triggering, so please proceed with caution. Violence against women and children during this covid-19 lockdown in my home country, Botswana is on the rise. Violence continues to happen, with limited movement and social distancing, women and children are more vulnerable to all kinds of abuse. In one week alone, there were 45 reported cases of rape and defilement with the youngest victim aged 2, a baby. I still cannot fathom that, but I understand and know this kind of violence from close family so well. I continue to pray for the victims and pray that many find courage to come forth and seek help and find safety. Let us stand together in prayer to pray against this violence, especially that affects the innocent children. I wrote a 2 pager on my LinkedIn page, requesting the President and his ministers to respond to this issue. While we wait for that there are things we can do; we can pray that these women and children find peace and hope in Christ. He is the one who can embrace them and heal their pain just as he continues to heal mine. Please be mindful that the entire podcast is 57 minutes with the first 28 minutes being in Setswana language and the remaining 28 mins being the English version of part 1. If you speak or prefer English forward to part 28:30. I thank you for your listenership. Please share the helpline numbers with those that may need and if this is happening to you, find courage to seek help. Send 'HELP' to 16510. When it is SAFE please call or text to 74265081/71311244/71888993/71525309/11611 Until next week, Love Una Matthew 15:18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

Hellos mamas! It’s Good Friday and I wanted to share with you that you are loved and forgiven by our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. In and through him we find find love, peace, mercy and grace. I hope that this Good Friday you remember why Christ went to the cross, his obedience and demonstration of the love that God has for us is remarkable and worthy of praise! I hope you engage with this episode and meditate on the scriptures shared! Seek the Holy Spirit to help you understand. From there where these good news with your kiddos. Plant those seeds in them and watch them flourish! Have a great listen :) Love, Una

Hello Mamas and Mamas-to-be! I hope you are well and keeping safe during these times. I am doing okay and I just wanted to share that I am doing the last 7 episodes of this season 1 and those will be my last. I will then take an indefinite pause from the podcast. I hope you listen to the material and playback the previous ones! Feel free to give feedback as I thank you for your weekly listenership, it's been a privilege to be heard. I pray God be with you all. So! Today I just want to share on self care and some of the things that I am doing to keep calm in this situation. How are you doing mama, honestly how are you? It's been stressful and tough is just an understatement and as moms we often just drown in the process. So I am here to just share what I am doing and it may be things to consider as well. I start and end my day in prayer and fellowship with God, that truly gets me through the day. I have found that if I don't, I struggle more. This week I found peace in the book of Mark and Lamentations, have a read. In addition to that I exercise and unplug, i'd strongly recommend that because we are spending so much time downloading fear and anxiety that just causes more harm to us. I hope you find time to have a listen and try one or two things. Remember, do what you can and be intentional about that commitment, it is for you so that you are energised and best serve your other commitments. I am sharing a link to my exercise playlist, it's just 30 mins to just sweat and laugher as you feel your glutes and thighs burn :)))))) Until next week, God willing Una ___________________________________________________ Mark1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place and there he prayed. Lamentations 3:25,26 The Lord is good to those who wait for him. To the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Hi and welcome to Episode 13, live from quarantine! I know, I am a little on 100 today because that's what 2 weeks in the house does to you! anyways, this week I jump on this issue concerning stay at home moms and our feelings or our discontentment about being SAHM

Hey Mamas and Mamas-to-be! I hope you are well and are adjusting to this current reality. It has been a tough 5 days with kids at home from school and I know as mamas we are feeling the heat and all feelings associated with this pandemic. Its been challenging to say the least, lol! I hope this encouragement will give you hope and know that you are not alone, there's many mothers going through what you are and more importantly there's a God in heaven waiting for you to run to him for peace, mercy and love, which are in abundance. There is a lot of information and misinformation being passed along, so be wise and protect your mental health. Although we are social distancing, be sure to connect more with family, friends, neighbours through free and other affordable means available to you. Below are some resources to encourage you during this time. There are many, please don't overwhelm yourself. Just choose what works best for you. 1. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+91&version=NLT 2. https://zoom.us 3. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/educational-activities-for-kids-stuck-at-home/ 4. https://pbskids.org 5. http://akiliandme.com 6. https://www.youversion.com 7. https://www.skype.com/en/ love, Una

Visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html for updates on protecting others and yourself. - We are preparing, listening to the govt, to experts BUT where are we in preparing for the imminent return of Jesus Christ? That’s my focus for tonight. My prayer is that we continue praying, we form solid communities of prayer to seek God’s face. He is our shepherd and in him we have everything we need. You don’t have to be fearful. Scriptures to meditate: - Psalms‬ ‭51:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” - 2 Chronicles‬ ‭7:14‬ ‭AMP‬‬ “and My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear [them] from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.” Exercise humility, pray and seek God. He is what we ought to be praying for, nothing else is more important. When we pray he will hear us, he will heal us and our land. Let’s us praise God because he forgives us, heals us, he’s merciful and he LOVES us- Psalm 103 - James‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬ “if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Verse 8, “I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” * I challenge you to start virtual prayer chains and just allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into prayer. He’s our intercessor and therefore knows that we ought to pray about that’s in accordance to God’s will. * Take this time to connect with loved ones and be a good neighbor. Spend time with your children, don’t overwhelm yourself with tomorrow- be present.Continue sowing in the many ways the Holy spirit leads you. Love, Una

Hello mamas and mamas-in-waiting! I hope you are well wherever you are in the world and to those affected by COVID-19 (like our area) please follow the precautions and support your kids to do the same. Keep hands away from the face, wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and self quarantine if you are sick. Stay safe y'all. I know you may be anxious and fearful but remember whose you are. On this Friday I bring you yet another episode and I am talking about Routines. Does your family have one? You probably have, perhaps you haven't written it down and pasted in on your fridge like I have, lol! I ma certain you have, and it is good and especially for our kiddos that need the structure to feel secure and belonging to your warm family. Routines, just like families are unique and you just have to figure what works best for you and your family and do that. Routines are better when simple so that you don't build prison walls that you'd fill trapped in and overwhelmed. It's easier to establish one for the family but what about one that you share exclusively with Jesus Christ? I encourage you to go into prayer and seek him and submit to him as that is most important priority. It would be from there that all the other things you plan to do follow. I tend to be very sluggish and just out of touch if I don't feed of the word first thing when i begin my day, do you? So that was my sign that I need that word, that is what will set tone for the rest of my day especially with a household to manage and a toddler to entertain. I hope you find encouragement from this message as I did when I was preparing for the show. I was encouraged by Jesus in Luke 10:38-41 when he showed Martha what she was missing- him! ''Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Wow! isn't that great how Jesus showed us what is important here. Him rebuking Martha about her priorities is a lesson for us all. In addition to Matthew 6:11 'Give us this day our daily bread' - take each day as it comes and ask God for grace. Find God in the scriptures. Love, Una P.S Your generosity and cheerfullness is appreciated to support the creation of episodes. Visit and click https://anchor.fm/unami-jeremiah/support to make your monthly donation of support. Thank you again.

Dear listner, I am in awe of the love you have all showed for this podcast since I started! Thank you for pressing play on my show, you have unlimited choices and you chose my show and for that I am grateful. I am counting on you this year to join my supporters with listener support, your generosity will enable the content creation f this podcast and hopefully reach more mamas and mamas-in-waiting! Kindly click on the link below for your monthly donations. Thank you! https://anchor.fm/unami-jeremiah/support Love, Una

Hello mamas and mamas-in-waiting! Welcome to episode 11 about faith and family! So, do I teach my children my faith? Absolutely! As a christian woman, new to the faith and have been for a while, you may be wondering if you should teach your children your faith, and having concerns about whether they will accept Christ as you have. I think at some point we all had this question and some chose to soldier on while others may have become anxious and fearful. However, we ought to remember that God is in control, when we ask him in prayer, he is listening and he answers. So start today to sow those seeds about the love and grace that we find in Jesus Christ in your children's life regardless of how old they are. This episode explores a bit of my childhood in the faith, which may be similar to those listening and maybe that's what's happening with you right now! so I hope that you are encouraged and empowered to look to Jesus Christ for wisdom in your journey to pass his love and grace to the next generation. Refer to Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.'' Pray about it and seek God for he will empower you so that you are able to empower your children. Stand strong! Until next Friday, Love, Una

Hello Everybody and welcome to Episode 10! “I cried, I cried… it was such an emotional experience and it wasn’t just about hair. It was what my perception of beauty was and had been for all of my life and then I look at myself in the mirror and I’m like, ‘That doesn’t look like what I thought was beautiful.’” ‑Teyonah Parris This week I touch on the issue of loving one's hair. My hair is a part of who I am but not entirely who I am. For generations black women we have been conditioned not to embrace and love our kinky, coily and Afro hair. There was always something 'wrong' that needed to be made 'right' about our hair. For some it was a painfully journey to get to embracing those natural 4B, 4C curls and embracing a bald head or short hair. As moms we are raising children in a world that still has not embraced this hair. I say to you mamas and mamas-in-waiting, educate yourself about hair and look into products that give your child's hair life and good health, it is possible. Show your kids positive images of natural hair and natural hairstyles, speak kind words to them that would build their confidence and love of self as a whole. In the midst of this journey remember that God made that hair the way it is and he's pleased with that. 'I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.'- Psalm 139:14 KJV I hope you enjoy the episode and mores that may it be a conversation starter around hair and the standards of beauty, which have been magnified by the internet and social media. Have a lovely weekend and blessing to you! Yours in Motherhood, Una

Hello everybody! Happy new year and welcome to the first episode of 2020! It is an exciting time and I am blessed to be back in whatever medium you are joining this podcast from. This week I am discussing the new decade and prayers I have made concerning that. In my quest to make my petitions be known to God I have created a prayer board and filled it with a few images, my specific prayers and scriptures to meditate upon. __________________________ As moms we have our hands full and I hope you can carve out time to write down your prayers and that the grace of God sustains you through this motherhood journey. Moms in waiting, I hope you are praying for God to guide you as this journey isn't easy but the testimonies of victory are many. Be encouraged this week with the book of Proverbs, chapter 16 verse 9: "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps" ____________________________ Happy crafting! As I pray for rest for all of us. Yours in motherhood, Una

Welcome to episode 8!  Today we are discussing ''Botsetsi'' This is a period of confinement that was traditionally observed for 1-6 months depending on your community. It was considered a sacred time for mom and baby and may things were observed to make sure that it remains pure and respected. On this brief discussion I am joined by my mother to give a synopsis on how it was and its relevancy today. It was different for me with living abroad and away from the extended family. It is a challenge that many millennials will face as families are changing and extended families are further from us than they have been. Also, with women going back to paid employment, Botsetsi, may be difficult to fully realise.  This is the beginning of the motherhood ministry and if you don't know what you are doing coming home from the hospital with an infant, seek help. Refer to James 1:5-8 as the Lord is always there to give you guidance. Until next time, do share our podcast and follow us on instagram (millennials.motherhood). I appreciate the support. Love, Una ___ Link to article on Botsetsi: http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=7&aid=31&dir=2012/November/Friday16 Link to our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millenials.motherhood/

Merry Christmas!! Unto us a son is born, a son is given. The government will be upon his shoulder. His name is wonderful, counselor mighty God, Prince of our peace (Isaiah 9:6) This is a time of remembrance and reflection, it is a time to be present and count each of our blessings. It is a time also that as mothers we are working tirelessly to make sure we make the perfect house, the perfect meals and gifts. This can be soooo exhausting and we can get so caught up in that work (meal preparations, gifts, cleaning, bathing the kids, etc) that we miss the moments of joy, smiles, laughter and the opportunity to share the love of God on Christmas. Mamas, ask the Lord for his grace to enjoy your family and be present. Just like Mary in Luke 2:8-20 we have a lot to think about as this day is happening. Let us embrace every laugh, capture a sweet moment in our hearts and engrave the true spirit of Christmas onto our kin. I pray for love and forgiveness in this season, and just gratitude for what we have- our family. Merry Christmas!! and peace be unto you.

Hello and welcome to millennials and motherhood! This week I discuss the homestretch, those final weeks before baby comes. I am mainly looking at the baby shower and your hospital bag. - The shower is a time to shower the mom with gifts, love and affection. Overtime this celebration has evolved and now includes men, primarily the dad and his friends; the showers are bigger, expensive (remember pregnomics) and some fiercely competitive. Listen in to hear what i have to say, LOL! There is always drama with the planning but we need to remember to do it because you want to, not under obligation. Scripture this weeks reminds me that, 'In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,'- Matthew 5:16 (NIV). So be a cheerful organiser and as the mom-to-be exercise courtesy and respect people's responses when asking them to participate as organisers. - The last 5 weeks are when mom think and begin to pack the hospital bag, mostly we think about what baby needs and less what we women also need. So pack in accordance to your needs and what available/ unavailable in your birthing hospital. Do your best to prepare as labour can come earlier than expected. Enjoy, rate & review on Anchor, Spotify, Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, as these are the main mediums my audience use. Kindly support by liking our Instagram for updates. Love, Una

As new mom's to be, how we plan on bringing a new baby is something we plan for. For some it's literally drawing up a 'birth plan' on what and how will go on during the day. However, things happen and plans change. For other women, there is no plan at all, it is even a luxury to have a birth plan. This episode touches on the two ways of bringing babies into the world and focuses on the debate concerning caesarean birth and the challenges that women, particularly black women face when preparing, during and after birth. The episode explores maternal health and the disparities that exists primarily for black women; those that are in the United States and in Sub Saharan Africa. The information share is for informational purposes, always consult a trained and qualified expert related to your own pregnancy. This information is to explore what is out there but also bring about hope and trust in God during the pregnancy period. It is not meant to scare you, but to raise awareness on the realities of maternal health and how to prepare yourself. References for the articles cited in the podcast. Thank you! https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002494 CDC: U.S Maternal Morbidity (2015) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_04.pdf U.S 2018 Births https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/11/health/c-section-rates-study-parenting-without-borders-intl/index.html Black maternal health in the USA https://www.nationalpartnership.org/our-work/health/reports/black-womens-maternal-health.html WHO Maternal mortality https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/329886/WHO-RHR-19.20-eng.pdf?ua=1 Maternal mortality in Africa https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(19)30036-1/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32386-9/fulltext https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/death-from-caesarean-sections/en/

This week we explore body image during and after pregnancy. The female body is amazing as it is versatile and its ability to change is remarkable. I have gone through two pregnancies and adjusting to the changes it brings. Body image is a hot potato and as women we are constantly under pressure to be something more, physically. I believe the pregnancy period is a time to start mentally preparing that a 'new body' is on the horizon. I am reminded of scripture that says, 'our body is a temple' therefore it matters what we do to it during and after pregnancy. I hope this week's podcast will be something relatable and something to consider as you are planning to grow a baby. It is an encouragement to love and respect your body, be mindful what you feed it during your pregnancy. It is important to be patient and give your body time to recover after baby. It is a new season and it will take time for your body to adjust to this newness. Refer to: 1 Corinthians 19-20 ''Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

Welcome to Episode 4 (Pregnomics) and I’m sharing advice from a personal Finance consultant, Cathy Sibanda,CFEI. She’s a founder and President of Financial literacy Trust in Botswana. When I had my first child I had zero financial plans and so I had to learn as I went on with regarding the cost of a pregnancy and raising a child; baby gear, food, child care, etc. I am still learning, 2 kids later but I am at a better place than I was 6 years ago

Thank you for tuning into Episode 003!I am excited to be joined by a dear friend and sister, Dr Orapeleng Phuswane-Katse. I am glad to stay after about 5 attempts to connect, we did it! Episode 3 touches on the what to expect in the first trimester and why it is critical. Hope you find it helpful.

This is just a snippet of experience after the test came positive and confirming the pregnancy. As a young christian girl it was tough adjusting to this new reality and by this podcast just encouraging hope, forgiveness, love and mercy to those that have to walk this path. Remember to subscribe (Instagram, Anchor, Spotify) and support the content with a donation. until next friday :)

Welcome to episode one! I describe what motherhood as a ministry that I am committed to serving. My journey has been impacted by the scripture found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-5. The principles are tough to follow but motherhood is an evolving and unique journey and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Follow us on instagram @Millenials.Motherhood and support the content of the podcast with small donations to sustain it. Until next time!

This is a pilot episode to introduce why I started this podcast. I see the value of motherhood and this is created as a safe, judgment-free sisterhood to share my own experience and connect with others and data that’s out there. I am just being authentic about motherhood.