Start to Finish Motherhood with Aisha

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children. Choosing a sperm donor is one of the most personal and layered decisions in the Single Mother by Choice journey. In this mash-up episode, Aisha revisits the early questions, fears, and considerations that come with donor selection—now grounded in lived experience and reflection. This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice, Black women navigating donor conception, and anyone seeking clarity, agency, and reassurance in the decision-making process. In this episode, Aisha: Breaks down the different types of sperm donors and donor arrangements Discusses how values, identity, and long-term thinking shape donor choice Reflects on emotional, cultural, and practical considerations Addresses common anxieties and decision fatigue Emphasizes that informed choice—not perfection—is the goal This mash-up offers space to slow down, ask better questions, and trust yourself as you build your family with intention. Stay Connected Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarttoFinishMotherhood Facebook Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/starttofinishmotherhood/   Chapters (00:00:04) - Single Mothers: What They Need to Know(00:03:46) - Donor Choosing(00:04:51) - Donor Sperm Search: From 554 to 1(00:06:27) - Using A Donor For My Baby(00:08:11) - Why are the numbers of black donors so low(00:09:35) - Starting to Finish Motherhood With Aisha

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children. When you’re starting or expanding your family as a Single Mother by Choice, understanding your fertility options matters. In this mash-up episode, Aisha revisits the basics of IUI and IVF—what they are, how they differ, and why context is everything. This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice, Black women navigating fertility decisions, and anyone feeling overwhelmed by medical language and options. In this episode, Aisha: Explains the core differences between IUI and IVF in plain language Discusses factors that influence fertility decision-making Reflects on cost, access, timing, and emotional readiness Names the importance of advocacy and informed consent Emphasizes that there is no “right” path—only the right one for you This mash-up blends early fertility education with lived reflection, helping listeners approach decisions with clarity, self-trust, and agency. Stay Connected Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarttoFinishMotherhood Facebook Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/starttofinishmotherhood/   Chapters (00:00:04) - Start to Finish Motherhood(00:01:44) - Pregnancy Rates by Procedures and Race(00:05:56) - How To Cope With a SMC(00:06:57) - IUI vs In-Vitro Fertilization ((00:08:36) - What are the costs associated with IVF cycle(00:10:03) - UI vs IVF: How to get pregnant with your own eggs(00:11:54) - How To Finish IVF 3 Times

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children. What does it actually mean to be a Single Mother by Choice—and why does clarity matter so much at the beginning of the journey? In this foundational mash-up episode, Aisha revisits one of the most common and important questions she’s been asked over the years. This episode is for women exploring solo motherhood, Black women considering becoming Single Mothers by Choice, and anyone seeking language, grounding, and validation around intentional family building. In this episode, Aisha: Defines what “Single Mother by Choice” truly means Breaks down common misconceptions and stereotypes Explains the difference between circumstance and intention Shares why naming your path matters emotionally and practically Reflects on how identity, choice, and community shape the journey This mash-up brings early insights into conversation with lived experience, offering reassurance that intentional motherhood can be thoughtful, empowered, and deeply rooted in care. Stay Connected Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarttoFinishMotherhood Facebook Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/starttofinishmotherhood/   Chapters (00:00:04) - Single Mothers by Choice: How to Parent Your Childs(00:04:42) - SNC on the SMC Path(00:06:40) - The Journey to Having a Second Daughter(00:08:04) - The Social Perception of Single Motherhood(00:09:28) - What is a Single Mother by Choice?(00:10:53) - What do you think is the biggest difference between a single mother by(00:13:07) - What Makes an SMC Different From Others?(00:15:32) - Do You Hate Men?(00:16:30) - Starting to Finish Motherhood With Aisha

For Black Single Mothers by Choice continuing the journey, these Mash-Up episodes revisit early conversations with new insight from parenting school-age children. What happens when you pause long enough to reflect—and then decide to bring everything you’ve built back under one roof? In this Season Five trailer, Aisha shares what’s ahead for Start to Finish Motherhood and why this season is about honoring the past while moving forward with intention. This episode is for Black single mothers by choice, long-time listeners, and anyone navigating transition, reflection, and renewal. In this short but grounding episode, Aisha: Reflects on the evolution of Start to Finish Motherhood Shares why this season blends archived wisdom with present-day perspective Explains the intention behind the Season Five “mash-up” format Invites listeners into a slower, more integrated season of storytelling Sets the tone for reflection, honesty, and continuity Season Five is about bringing the full journey together—early motherhood, hard decisions, growth, and clarity—under one banner. Stay Connected Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarttoFinishMotherhood Facebook Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/starttofinishmotherhood/   Chapters (00:00:04) - Starting to Finish Motherhood: Black Single Mothers by Choice

In this heartfelt holiday update, Aisha returns to share gratitude, reflection, and a beautiful glimpse into what’s next for the Start to Finish Motherhood community. After an intense year balancing career growth, motherhood, and personal evolution, she takes a moment to slow down, acknowledge how far we’ve come, and celebrate the resilience and love that has carried us through. In this message, Aisha reflects on her transition into technical consulting, lessons learned during her hiatus, and the clarity she gained about the future direction of the podcast. With honesty and warmth, she revisits the early years of her Single Mother by Choice journey, honoring where she’s been and embracing where she’s going. And here’s the exciting news: Season 5 is officially coming in 2026! This next chapter will bring her creative works back under one home, blending beloved earlier episodes with fresh reflections, updated insights, and new perspectives on life, motherhood, community, and growth. Think of it as a thoughtful “throwback season” — a loving conversation between past and present, weaving together wisdom, laughter, lessons, and love. As always, this space remains grounded in authenticity, friendship, joy, and the powerful community that surrounds Start to Finish Motherhood. From Aisha’s family to yours — wishing you peace, warmth, and a joyful New Year. Stay tuned… and get ready for what’s next. 00:00 – Looking back on an unforgettable year 00:45 – A warm holiday wish to the community 01:00 – Announcing Season Five 01:30 – Career pivots, growth, and clarity 02:15 – What a meaningful hiatus revealed 03:00 – Reflecting on early parenting and honoring privacy 03:45 – Revisiting earlier creative work and lessons learned 04:15 – The decision to reunite everything under one banner 04:45 – Introducing the “throwback” concept + future vision 05:20 – Deep gratitude for friendship, love, and community 06:00 – Holiday blessings + see you in 2026! Chapters (00:00:04) - Starting to Finish Motherhood(00:00:28) - Single Mother by Choice:

In this reflective closing episode of season four, Aisha shares her journey through personal challenges, including navigating a toxic work environment, prioritizing mental health, and embracing change. She discusses the importance of support systems, self-care, and taking time to find clarity in life decisions. Aisha emphasizes the significance of owning one's narrative and the freedom that comes with making intentional choices. As she looks forward to new adventures, she encourages listeners to embrace their own journeys with courage and authenticity.   Black Single Mothers by Choice: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PBzQRzmLQOTpwl3x9deAG?si=34b2b4a90cf54908   Start to Finish Motherhood Blog: Home - Blog   Start to Finish Motherhood on YouTube: (1) Start to Finish Motherhood - YouTube

In this episode, Aisha recounts her transformative 24-day vacation with her two children. Sharing the logistics, cost analysis, and emotional highlights, she emphasizes the irreplaceable lifetime memories created despite a substantial expense of $8,000. The discussion touches on the importance of relaxation, the challenges of language barriers, and the need for child-friendly activities. While enjoying botanical gardens and parks, she also navigates instances of cultural insensitivity. Regine reflects on how such travel experiences, inherited from her father, are a valuable legacy she plans to pass on to her children.   Travel was arranged and coordinated in part by Lia Travels Find out more about SMBC Resources here!

In this episode, Aisha shares insights and personal experiences on planning birthday parties, especially for kids. Highlighting the importance of simplicity, budgeting, and focusing on the child's enjoyment, she offers practical advice for parents navigating the challenges of birthday planning. The conversation includes age-specific tips, addresses common anxieties, and emphasizes the significance of personal touches over societal expectations. Aisha also underscores the importance of celebrating one's own birthday, modeling self-care and celebration for children.

Join Aisha in this super-sized and enlightening episode which delves into the vibrant lives of expat single mothers. Through an engaging panel discussion, they explore the unique challenges and joys of parenting abroad, from the decision to move for a fresh start to the day-to-day experiences that shape their new lives in Mexico. Our panelists, including Key, Johna, and Pam, share their heartfelt stories and practical advice on navigating life away from the U.S., touching on topics like racism, community building, and the pursuit of a peaceful, fulfilling life for their children. Tune in to be inspired by these brave women who took the leap into expat motherhood, seeking a better quality of life and a community outside the US.   Path to Freedom: The Path to Freedom | Doing Life Afraid Exudus Summit: ExodUS Summit 2023 by ExodUS Summit (heysummit.com) Hermana a Hermana Female Entreprenur Collective FB Group

In this episode, the host reflects on how becoming a parent has changed her life and discusses the challenges and joys of incorporating travel with kids. She shares a story about a trip to Sri Lanka that included a 16-hour layover in London, allowing her to meet a virtual friend, Nadine, and their children in person for the first time. Nadine also shares insights on the Windrush generation and its impact on her family. This episode highlights the importance of seizing opportunities to build meaningful connections and explores the sense of community within the Melanated Single Mother by Choice group.

In this episode, we have an enlightening conversation with Dr. Natasha, also known as the Medical Tourism RN. We dive deep into important topics surrounding reproductive health, fertility options, and the growing trend of medical and fertility tourism. From understanding a basic fertility workup to navigating international healthcare systems, we cover a wide variety of topics that are crucial for women, especially those in the Single Mother by Choice (SMC) community. Whether you're considering IVF, looking for cost-effective healthcare options abroad, or just want to understand your reproductive health better, this episode is packed with valuable information. Don't miss out—tune in to empower yourself with knowledge and make informed decisions about your fertility journey!     MedicalTourism RN   Reproductive Health: Navigating Wellness For Black Women to Prepare to Go Abroad

In this episode, host Aisha interviews Regine, the founder of SMBC Resources. Regine shares her journey as a solo mother by choice, including the personal and societal challenges she overcame. She discusses her motivation for creating SMBC Resources, a central hub offering a directory of experts, guides, scholarships, and tools for solo moms or women wanting to embark on a solo motherhood journey. Regine emphasizes the importance of dismantling stereotypes around single parenting and the need for supportive communities. The episode covers various aspects of the journey, from the importance of understanding one's resources to the joy and challenges of solo parenting.   Find out more about SMBC Resources here!

In this episode, Aisha shares practical advice for single mothers traveling with children through a detailed recount of her family's 24-day trip to Sri Lanka. The episode captures snippets of their journey, featuring real-time reactions from her kids, tips for making the most of travel experiences, and the significance of cultural immersion. Aisha reflects on the challenges and joys of international travel with kids, from navigating long flights to embracing local cuisines and traditions. Highlights include their adventures in Colombo, Kandy, and Wellagama Bay, interactions with locals, and unique experiences like safaris and tea plantation visits.   Travel was arranged and coordinated in part by Lia Travels

In this episode, we explore part two of building your Single Mother by Choice village. While part one focused on involving family members, here, we delve into expanding your support network within the global Single Mother by Choice community. You'll learn that connecting with just three to four like-minded single mothers by choice, who share your interests and may have kids of similar ages, can be invaluable. Aisha stresses the importance of relying on this community, especially when family support might not materialize as expected. She highlights how fellow single mothers by choice offer support at every stage of your journey, validate your unique family, and even help your children. Plus, stay tuned for tips on finding and connecting with your community in this vibrant space—it's a priceless resource!

In this episode, we explore the unexpected surprise one parent experiences when her 7 year old daughter starts talking about Teslas. We discuss how Tesla has become a topic of conversation on playgrounds and among children. We also learn that black children need to see more people driving electric cars, so we talk about one person’s efforts to make that happen in their own community. Finally, we are introduced to North Star, a geospatial intelligence platform that can help shape policies and practices related to pandemics, federal infrastructure plans, education investments and more. We can also create environmental awareness within our homes, like through a garden where kids can learn about bees, insects, Monarch butterflies, and where food comes from. Lastly, North Star is an organization focused on using geographic data and geospatial intelligence for pandemic response, federal infrastructure plans, education investments, as well as ride-sharing apps like Uber.   They can visit us @gisnorthstar.org online. They can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   https://gisnorthstar.org/  

Aisha engages in aa funny, insightful and heartfelt conversation with her guest, Kimberly, about the challenges and strategies of dating as a Single Mother by Choice (SMC). Kimberly shares her personal journey of becoming an SMC, her experiences with the resilience needed to balance motherhood and dating, and detailed strategies for dating successfully. The episode emphasizes the importance of self-care, maintaining a support network, advocating for oneself, and dating intelligently and safely while managing the unique challenges faced by single mothers. Listeners gain practical advice on everything from preparing for dates, utilizing online dating, to maintaining enthusiasm and energy in the dating process. The episode also explores the importance of dating oneself and keeping a positive self-image.

In this episode, Aisha and her guest, Jas (aka @blackexpatmom on IG), mom to a school age child who does summers abroad, discuss how to plan a summer sabbatical with children. Aisha has always loved traveling and is now ready to plan her first family sabbatical with her two daughters, who will be five and ten when they take the trip. Aisha shares how she joined Facebook groups to find accountability partners and is now excited to start planning her trip next summer. Jas shares her experience of taking sabbaticals with her daughter and how she has managed to travel for extended periods while working remotely. She explains how she strategically uses credit card hacking and point systems to reduce costs.  They also discuss the first steps Aisha can take to plan her sabbatical, such as determining her budget and identifying travel destinations. Aisha plans to invite Jas back on future episodes to continue her travel planning.  We hope you consider following Aisha and Jas as they plan an epic sabbatical.   View the video on YouTube:  https://youtu.be/uBuLCjrPcII Jas can be found on Instagram and TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackexpatmom https://instagram.com/blackexpatmom  

In this episode, Aisha provides comprehensive tips for planning travel with children, like: including involving children in the planning process, maintaining flexibility, getting trip insurance, and preparing for unexpected challenges. Key advice includes managing itineraries, printing essential documentation, breaking down the trip into manageable parts, carefully packing carry-on luggage, and ensuring support from your local community. The video also emphasizes the importance of tailoring travel plans to accommodate children's needs while making the trip enjoyable for everyone. The tips are backed by personal anecdotes from a mother's 24-day international travel experience with her kids in Sri Lanka.   Travel was arranged and coordinated in part by Lia Travels

Join Aisha and her guest, Vero, in an enlightening and deeply personal conversation about breaking generational trauma, mother wounds, and the journey towards healing.  Aisha opens up about her challenging childhood and how it shaped her, while Vero shares her insights on mindfulness, mother wounds, and the finite pool of worry. Together, they explore the powerful impact of relationships, both human and with nature, and discuss how confronting fears and nurturing the spirit can lead to profound growth. Tune in to be inspired by their stories and grounded advice, and don't miss Vero's top book recommendations for further reading. Follow Vero's work with the AfriTech Fellowship on LinkedIn!   Vero's book Recommendations (includes affiliate links):   Discovering the Inner Mother, by Bethany Webster It Didn't Start with You, by Mark Wolynn Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer Taming the Tiger Within, by Thich Nhat Hanh About the Mother Wound

A conversation with Aja Rutledge In this episode, host Aisha sits down with certified trauma recovery coach Aja Rutledge for a deeply insightful conversation on trauma's impact on parenting, particularly for Black women. They explore recognizing and healing from childhood traumas, the distinction between big T and little t traumas, and how generational trauma can be passed down. The episode also delves into practical strategies for self-regulation, understanding the body's responses to trauma, and fostering a supportive environment for children. Jenkins and Rutledge share personal stories and provide valuable advice for single mothers by choice navigating complex emotional landscapes.   Learn more about Aja and to check out her curated selection of books: The Healing Shelf - Trauma Informed Book Club