The Clutches of Momsumerism

Hey there freemoms and welcome to today’s show! I read an article recently that brought a lot of new mom insecurities flooding back to me and I’m honestly a bit ashamed to admit it. I was one of the last of my group of friends to have a baby and as helpful as their advice and wisdom were in so many aspects of pregnancy, I often found myself in the late-night company of Instagram, Amazon, and Google trying to decipher which gizmo, gadget, and “must-have” product I absolutely had to buy for the little human being that I felt completely underprepared to welcome into our family. 

Now I am a planner and a minimalist and I’m also a gosh darn marketing professional. And even with those to-the-core personality traits and a career of experience, I still found myself drenched in the anxiety of not having the right “stuff” for my bub. Luckily, I was able to fight off most of my impulses but it was so easy for me to flash back to those moments of the unknown, where having the best strollers, sleepers, and sound machines would somehow make me a better mom. 

So what is the deal with the consumer compulsion that grips us moms? Are we easy targets - hormonal, hapless and armed with a financial treasure trove better known as the baby registry? How can we kick these insecurities and learn to trust our gut a bit more with regard to real needs versus wants or even worse - influencer projections? Let’s find out. 

With me today is Annie Midori Atherton, a writer and mom based in Seattle, WA. Her work focuses on parenting, culture, and any question that seeks to explain why we are the way we are. You’ve probably stumbled across her work in Romper, The Everymom, Business Insider or The Atlantic, and if you haven’t dialled into her stuff yet, you should.