The Science Behind Mum Rage

What if the anger you feel as a mother isn't a character flaw…but a signal worth listening to?

Kate Mason sits down with Lauren Novak, award-winning journalist, mother of two, and author of the groundbreaking new book Meltdown: Why Motherhood Makes Us Angry and What to Do About It.

Lauren brings her two decades of investigative journalism to bear on one of motherhood's most taboo subjects: mum rage.

Drawing on a survey of over 200 mothers and cutting-edge neuroscience, Lauren unpacks why so many mothers feel consumed by anger they can't explain and why that anger is far more common, and more understandable, than anyone admits.

This episode is a warm, validating, and genuinely practical conversation for every parent who has ever lost it and immediately felt consumed by guilt.

Listen For

3:45 What inspired Lauren Novak to turn her journalistic lens on her own experience of mum rage?

9:13 How did discovering the term "postpartum rage" change the way Lauren understood her own anger?

15:10 Why does sleep deprivation make it so much harder for mothers to manage their emotions?

17:10 What does the research say about who is really getting up in the night — and why hasn't that changed?

28:43 What are the first steps Lauren recommends when a mother is feeling overwhelmed by anger?

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Connect with guest: Lauren Novak, Education and Social Policy Editor | Author 'Meltdown'

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