If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children.

For some Single Mothers by Choice, Father’s Day can bring up complicated emotions. In this special Father’s Day mash-up episode, Aisha offers a grounded, compassionate approach to navigating the holiday with intention—centering emotional regulation, child well-being, and long-term family health.

This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice who find Father’s Day emotionally triggering, are unsure how to handle gendered holidays, or want practical tools to protect both themselves and their children.

In this episode, Aisha:

• Explains why emotional self-regulation as a parent comes first
• Shares why preparing before Father’s Day matters more than reacting in the moment
• Offers guidance on how to talk to children about Father’s Day in age-appropriate ways
• Discusses navigating school and daycare crafts with inclusivity and intention
• Encourages allowing children to celebrate any loving adult they choose
• Explores how validating diverse family structures builds emotional security
• Reflects on her own upbringing and how legacy, skills, and values are passed down
• Shares five practical tips Single Mothers by Choice can use to approach Father’s Day with clarity and peace

Aisha emphasizes that how parents handle emotionally charged holidays can have lasting impacts—especially for children who will one day form their own identities, relationships, and families. Rather than erasing fathers or minimizing feelings, this episode encourages honesty, balance, preparation, and compassion.

This mash-up reinforces a core parenting truth: when parents do their emotional work first, children are free to experience holidays without carrying adult distress. Father’s Day doesn’t have to be perfect—it just needs to be handled with care.

Stay Connected

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarttoFinishMotherhood

Facebook Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/starttofinishmotherhood...

If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

Mother’s Day Special — A Tribute to Single Mothers, Legacy, and the Power of Presence

In this deeply moving Mother’s Day episode, Start to Finish Motherhood revisits a powerful conversation that honors the quiet strength, resilience, and lifelong impact of single mothers—particularly Black mothers raising children in spaces where they were never meant to thrive.

This special rebroadcast features a heartfelt conversation with Dawn Wright, a globally respected scientist, educator, and the first Black person to reach the deepest part of the ocean. At its core, this episode is not about accolades—it is about legacy, mother–daughter bonds, and how one intentional parent can shape an entire life.

This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice, solo parents, and anyone reflecting on the ways mothers influence identity, courage, and possibility.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• A moving tribute to a mother who raised her daughter as a single parent with integrity, vision, and unwavering belief

• Reflections on growing up as a “mom and child family” long before it was widely accepted

• How single mothers model leadership, adaptability, and courage for their children

• Stories of navigating race, belonging, and visibility across the U.S., Canada, and Hawaiʻi

• The importance of friendship, trust, and mutual respect in mother–daughter relationships

• How encouragement and curiosity can shape a child’s love of learning

• Why representation matters—especially for Black children imagining futures in STEM

• The role mentors, teachers, and community play alongside single parents

• What it means to be a “first,” and how to carry that responsibility with grace

• Why this work—equity, visibility, and opportunity—is a long game

The conversation also explores how children internalize what they see modeled: resilience in the face of uncertainty, joy alongside hardship, and the confidence to imagine a life bigger than what the world may initially offer.

This Mother’s Day episode is a reminder that single mothers do not raise children alone—they raise leaders, thinkers, and legacy builders. And often, they do so without recognition, applause, or safety nets—just love, clarity, and resolve.

Explore the Challenger Deep expedition and related resources here:
https://esriurl.com/challengeaccepted

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StarttoFinishMotherhood
Facebook Community Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/starttofinishmotherhood/

• (00:00:04) - Aisha Jenkins's Welcome to Work
• (00:01:57) - Dawn Wright on The Elevator With Aisha
• (00:06:54) - Tom Brokaw on Mothers' Day
• (00:12:46) - Black People in Canada and Hawaii
• (00:18:36) - Inspiring scientists: The story of Dawn Watson
• (00:23:42) - When Will This End?
• (00:23:58) - Graduate student at ESRI: From science to GIS
• (00:29:32) - Dawn on the Deep Sea
• (00:31:31) - ESRI's K-12 outreach
• (00:36:05) - Dawn on Becoming a First Woman

We made it, y'all. This is the Season 5 finale, and Aisha is reflecting on a season that was deeply personal, beautifully honest, and full of growth. Season 5 was the first of four planned mashup seasons, pulling from the archives of the original Black Single Mothers By Choice podcast and layering in fresh reflection from a 50-year-old vantage point. Here's a list of takeaways from what was covered, what evolved, and what's coming next.

Key Takeaways

• The fertility industry is evolving in ways that matter for our kids.
• Get a financial planner before your finances are "ready."
• Medical advocacy for Black women is not optional.
• Trust yourself to make life-altering decisions, and build the right bench to support you.
• Legacy is not about a ladder. It's about the life you're actually building.
• Check out my friend Andrea's *New* podcast Disrupt.Delete.Reset

Coming Next:

Season 6 is a mashup season releasing in Winter 2026.

Connect With Me:

• Instagram: @starttofinishmotherhood
• Email: aisha@starttofinishmotherhood.com
• Support the show: starttofinishmotherhood.com/coffee

• (00:00:04) - Starting to Finish Motherhood
• (00:00:47) - Black Single Mothers by Choice: Season 5
• (00:02:51) - Season 5: Expectations vs Reality
• (00:04:58) - Sperm Bank Salary and Costs
• (00:07:29) - The Power of a Financial Planner
• (00:09:41) - Disrupt, Delete and Reset: On Me
• (00:13:03) - Black moms and the medical system
• (00:16:28) - As I Approach 50, I Have Zero Reserves
• (00:18:55) - Melanated Single Mothers By Choice
• (00:20:22) - Single Mothers by Choice

If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children.

In this special mash-up Ask Me Anything episode, Aisha revisits one of the very first listener Q&A conversations from Start to Finish Motherhood—now with years of lived experience, reflection, and growth layered in. She responds to foundational questions about becoming a Single Mother by Choice, while offering thoughtful updates on how life, parenting, and perspective have evolved since the original recording.

This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice, women considering solo motherhood, and long-time listeners who appreciate honest answers, real updates, and the wisdom that comes with time.

In this episode, Aisha answers listener questions about:

• How she told her family about her decision to become a Single Mother by Choice
• Whether there is a “right” age to become an SMC
• How mindset, preparation, and self-awareness matter more than timelines
• Financial readiness, rainy-day planning, and stacking resources intentionally
• Navigating fertility care, insurance barriers, and discrimination against SMCs
• Why advocacy in medical spaces is essential—especially after loss or trauma
• How and when to talk to children about donor conception
• Preparing children to confidently share their family story at school and beyond
• Why telling conception stories early and often builds trust and security
• How family conversations naturally evolve as children grow

Aisha also shares meaningful life updates, including:

• A major career pivot after burnout and choosing mental health over comfort
• Returning to consulting and academia with a focus on ethics, justice, and equity
• Shifting financial strategies to support freelance work and income variability
• How open communication with her children continues to deepen over time
• Updates on donor siblings, donor conception conversations, and developmental changes

This mash-up is both a...

If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

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 really happens inside a sperm bank—and how are decisions made that shape families for generations? In this in-depth mash-up episode, Aisha pulls back the curtain on the donor sperm industry with a rare, candid conversation with Alease, Clinic Relations Manager at Seattle Sperm Bank and a Black mother herself.

This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice, Black women navigating donor conception, and anyone seeking transparency around sperm banks, donor policies, and long-term implications for donor-conceived children.

In this episode, Aisha and Alease discuss:

• What “Open ID” donors actually mean—and why anonymous donors are becoming rare
• How DNA testing (Ancestry, 23andMe) is reshaping donor anonymity
• Why Seattle Sperm Bank prioritizes Open ID donors and smaller family limits
• How donor–offspring contact is facilitated once children reach adulthood
• The realities of donor supply shortages, especially for Black donors
• How COVID impacted donor recruitment and availability
• What goes into screening donors, including genetic testing, background checks, and physical exams
• How known donor arrangements can be facilitated safely through a sperm bank
• Transparent pricing for donor access, vials, storage, shipping, and buy-back options
• Why donor-conceived children’s mental health and identity matter in family-building decisions

Alease also courageously shares her own traumatic birth experience, highlighting how racial bias shows up in medical settings—even for educated, partnered Black women. Her story underscores why medical advocacy, informed consent, and speaking up are critical for Black mothers in every family-building path.

This mash-up blends industry insight, lived experience, and honest dialogue—offering listeners both practical information and validation as they navigate donor conception with clarity and confidence.

Stay Connected

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starttofinishmotherhood

YouTube:

If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children.

Adoption doesn’t end with choosing a path—it deepens with questions about culture, identity, openness, and long-term responsibility. In this second part of the adoption mash-up series, Aisha continues the conversation with adoption attorney Michelle and Single Mother by Choice Angela, diving into the often misunderstood realities of international adoption, transracial adoption, and open adoption.

This episode is for Black Single Mothers by Choice who are considering adoption, are early in their research, or want a clearer, more honest understanding of what adoption truly requires beyond the headlines.

In this episode, Aisha, Michelle, and Angela discuss:

• Why international adoption has sharply declined and what that means today
• How Hague Convention rules, country closures, and cost affect international adoption
• Why international adoption often requires older child placements and extended stays abroad
• The realities of transracial adoption and the cultural competence it demands
• Why there is no such thing as a fully “closed” adoption in the age of DNA and technology
• What open adoption really looks like across a wide spectrum of contact
• Why openness, when safe, is often in the best interest of the child
• How and when to talk to children about adoption—early, often, and honestly
• Kinship adoption and how family stories are best shared without secrecy
• Home studies, risk profiles, and preparing your life—not just your heart—for adoption
• Why building a village is essential before bringing a child home

Aisha also reflects on her own experiences navigating uncertainty, expectations, and the emotional weight of choosing a path to motherhood, reinforcing that adoption—like all SMC journeys—requires preparation, humility, advocacy, and deep self-trust.

This mash-up offers clarity without sugarcoating and empowers listeners to approach adoption with honesty, cultural responsibility, and a child-centered mindset.

Parenting Transracially Lynn's Story -

If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children.

Parenthood rarely unfolds the way we imagine—and birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting often challenge even the most thoughtful plans. In this deeply reflective mash-up episode, Aisha revisits a powerful conversation about managing expectations when life, bodies, and systems intervene in unpredictable ways.

This episode is for Single Mothers by Choice, Black mothers, and parents navigating pregnancy, birth recovery, breastfeeding, and the emotional weight of unmet expectations.

In this episode, Aisha is joined by Simone, a former doula, teacher, entrepreneur, and Single Mother by Choice, who shares her firsthand experience with a planned home birth that resulted in an unexpected cesarean. Together, they explore how disappointment, trauma, and resilience coexist in early parenthood—and why naming our experiences matters.

In this episode, Aisha and Simone discuss:

• How expectations around conception, pregnancy, labor, and delivery often shift
• The emotional impact of birth trauma and “home birth cesareans”
• Why naming your experience helps release shame and isolation
• The realities of breastfeeding, including pain, supply myths, and hospital pressure
• The importance of bodily autonomy, informed consent, and medical advocacy
• How community support is essential—not optional—in postpartum healing
• Why developmental expectations for children (and parents) need compassion and realism

Aisha also reflects on her own pregnancies, pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes, and the physical and emotional toll of navigating high-risk pregnancies and postpartum recovery—offering honesty, humor, and reassurance along the way.

This mash-up affirms a powerful truth: disappointment does not negate love, and honoring your experience is part of honoring yourself as a parent. Managing expectations is not about lowering standards—it’s about meeting reality with grace, truth, and support.

Ending the SMC Journey -

https://starttofinishmotherhood.com/blog/s1e9-on-ending-the-smc-journey-and-moving-on-w-rahmah/

If this podcast has helped you in any way, consider buying me a coffee. No pressure. Just know it keeps the mic on.

This Mash-Up episode revisits a foundational conversation from Black Single Mothers by Choice, updated with reflection and insight from parenting school-age children.

Adoption is a real, viable, and often misunderstood path to motherhood—especially for Black Single Mothers by Choice. In this foundational mash-up episode, Aisha revisits one of her earliest and most important conversations on adoption, reflecting on how the information still holds true years later.

This episode is for Black Single Mothers by Choice who are exploring adoption, considering a second child, or trying to understand how adoption fits into their broader motherhood journey.

In this episode, Aisha is joined by two powerful voices:

• Angela, a Black Single Mother by Choice who adopted her son through domestic infant adoption
• Michelle, an adoption attorney and Single Mother by Choice, offering legal insight and decades of experience

Together, they discuss:

• The three primary adoption paths: domestic infant adoption, foster care adoption, and international adoption
• What the adoption process actually looks like from start to finish
• Common myths about Black families and adoption—and why they’re false
• How self-matching, agencies, attorneys, and facilitators work (and where caution is needed)
• The realities of wait times, risk profiles, and decision-making
• Financial considerations, including fees, grants, tax credits, and disruptions
• Why building community and working with qualified professionals matters

Aisha also shares her own reflections on considering adoption while trying for a second child, naming the emotional weight, research, and discernment involved. This episode emphasizes that adoption—like all SMC paths—requires clarity, patience, advocacy, and support.

This is part one of a two-part adoption series and sets a grounded, honest foundation for Black women considering adoption as a path to motherhood.

Noire Adoption Community: