HOLA MAMA!

35 episodes listed below

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Motherhood talk in Spanish, English, and both at once.

The gist

Natalie and Cristina trade candid stories about potty training, birth and the abuelos who give the kids coffee and cake for breakfast, switching freely between Spanish and English. Guest conversations reach harder ground, including raising a deaf son, single motherhood after divorce and protecting children from sexual abuse.

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About HOLA MAMA!

HOLA MAMA! is a bilingual parenting show anchored by two friends, Natalie and Cristina, talking through life with babies and toddlers. Conversations move between Spanish and English, sometimes mid-sentence, and some guest interviews run entirely in Spanish. When the subject was preventing child sexual abuse, Natalie kept the whole conversation in English so that all of her mom friends could understand it. The potty-training episode, with just the two of them, opens like a catch-up between friends who have missed their sessions together. From there it gets practical and messy: a disclaimer that they are not experts, an iPad propped in the bathroom for a two-hour sit, a small potty from Target picked because it looks like a real toilet, and an accident in a grocery store's produce section told without flinching. The talk is frank about bodily mishaps, and much of the humor lands at their own expense. Pregnancy and birth recur across titles such as '24. Mamas Primerizas, Our pregnancies!', '25. Cristina's Birth Story' and '27. Our Second Pregnancies, Labors and Recoveries!'. Natalie's account of a hoped-for natural birth that ended in an emergency c-section sits beside Cristina's far lighter story of a hospital with a Starbucks in the building. Family culture is treated as a subject in its own right. In a collaboration with Crystal from The Mom Cast, the conversation weighs what it means to have Latino parents as abuelos: grandparents who hand the kids coffee and cake for breakfast, who bend rules on food, sleep and screens, and who are still learning the role themselves. Another thread is the insistence that the children say abuelo and abuela, and the grandparents' pride at hearing them speak Spanish. Discipline gets a similar lens in '17. Is Spanking Illegal?', a conversation with social worker Andrea Morales about state rules and how cultural background shapes discipline. The guest episodes move onto harder ground. Emma Bracho, speaking in Spanish, describes discovering around her son's first birthday that he could not hear, a visit to a hospital in Tennessee, and sitting in his classes to learn how to teach him at home. Raquel Rodríguez, a mother of five, talks about the separate challenge each child brought, about taking time for herself, and about parents holding the same rules. Rosalia Rivera, a consent educator, explains grooming, the warning signs worth watching for, and why children need to hear they are loved even after a mistake. Faith is a steady presence; guests speak openly about God and the Bible, and '28. MOPS and Dating Mom Friends!' points mothers toward meetup groups held at local churches. Other episodes cover home birth, single motherhood after divorce, adoption after infertility and the surprising loneliness of new motherhood. Taken together, it plays more like a friend's honest report than a how-to guide, in keeping with the two friends' own insistence that they are not experts.

Made for: Suits a listener raising small children across Spanish and English, or within a Latino family, who would rather hear two friends compare honest notes than take instruction from an expert. Also suits someone looking for faith-inflected encouragement through pregnancy and the early years.

What sets it apart: The language itself sets it apart: talk slides between Spanish and English, and Latino family life, from abuelos to discipline to faith, is treated as the main subject rather than a side note. Laughing, unpolished episodes between the two friends sit alongside guest testimonies of real hardship.

In their own words

Just two friends sharing the weirdness and wonder that comes with everyday mamáhood. Hoping to encourage our multicultural mamas as we navigate and raise our little ones between our two worlds one bilingual conversation at a time. So while you clean up those big messes or fold those tiny little clothes...turn up the volume and join us as we talk all things mamáhood!

Why you'd press play

When the potty needs a recorded "Bravo, Camila," Natalie and Cristina are your kind of company.

Press play if you want

  • a potty-training workaround without a three-day miracle promise
  • words for holding your ground when los abuelos critique your parenting
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Pregnancy and birth storiesPotty training, sleep and other toddler milestonesLatino grandparents and family expectationsRaising Spanish-speaking kidsFaith in everyday motherhoodChild safety and disciplineMom friendships and loneliness

Talks about

Best episodes of HOLA MAMA!

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

35. Potty Training w/ Cristina + NatalieSep 30, 2020

A candid potty-training episode for parents dealing with setbacks, songs, and the limits of three-day promises.

Potty training comes across as a messy, ongoing process rather than a neat three-day milestone. Natalie and Christina ground the topic in practical details: a child-sized potty, a recorded "Bravo, Camila, lo hiciste.

34. "Los Abuelos" with The Mom CastAug 27, 2020

A warm, candid roundtable on Latino grandparents, parenting advice, quarantine boundaries, and surprise visits.

Grandparent advice lands differently when it comes wrapped in criticism, comparison, or a surprise visit, and this episode keeps that tension inside a Latino family frame.

33. Mamá de Cinco con Raquel RodríguezAug 12, 2020

Five-child motherhood becomes a grounded reflection on unseen work, faith, and the brief season of raising children at home.

Raquel Rodriguez and Christina frame motherhood with five children as a season of daily giving-up, but also as a rare chance to remain close to children while they are still growing.

32. Oidos Sordos, Mama Valiente con Emma BrachoAug 6, 2020

A mother reflects on raising a child who cannot hear while keeping him included in ordinary family life.

A baby's unexplained crying leads to a first-birthday discovery: he cannot hear. Emma Romero de Bracho recalls how her family learned to make everyday life include her son, from asking relatives to speak normally and let him read their lips to making sure games, discipline, and…

31. Sexual Abuse prevention with Rosalia RiveraJul 22, 2020

A serious parenting episode on grooming, conditional love, and language that keeps children connected to their parents.

Child-abuse prevention starts here with the emotional ground predators may try to use. Rosalia Rivera describes grooming as a deliberate process of building trust until abuse becomes possible, then links that risk to a child's fear that love and care might disappear after a…

Podcasts like HOLA MAMA!

Episodes

  1. 1

    35. Potty Training w/ Cristina + Natalie

    Hidden gem

    Christina opens with an eight-week pregnancy reveal, describing the August 18 test she hid until Jerry’s September 6 birthday puzzle.

    Sep 30, 2020·56m·3 clips
  2. 2

    34. "Los Abuelos" with The Mom Cast

    Hidden gem

    A mother-in-law staying for five months, a grandmother buying two-inch heels for a three-year-old, and a salt-water eye remedy set the tone for Hola Mama episode 34, "Los Abuelos" with The Mom Cast.

    Aug 27, 2020·56m·4 clips
  3. 3

    33. Mamá de Cinco con Raquel Rodríguez

    Hidden gem

    ["Raquel Rodr\u00edguez says doctors told her she could not get pregnant, then an anesthesiologist told her she was already pregnant on the day of surgery after fasting and prayer.", "Natalie and Christina host Hola Mama Podcast episode 33 with Raquel, a longtime friend who married in 2007 and moved to San Antonio the next day.", "Raquel says her second pregnancy began with a rupture at 19 weeks, a three-month hospital stay, a 32-week birth for Gabriel, and a year on oxygen.", "She also shares practical routines: four children leave for school around 6:20 a.m., toys stay in garage canastas, and meals rely on simple ingredients, seasoning, and no juice."]

    Aug 12, 2020·40m·2 clips
  4. 4

    32. Oidos Sordos, Mama Valiente con Emma Bracho

    Hidden gem

    ["Cristina y Natalie hablan con Emma Romero de Bracho sobre Eri, su segundo hijo, que naci\u00f3 escuchando y perdi\u00f3 la audici\u00f3n despu\u00e9s de una alergia muy fuerte de beb\u00e9.", "Emma cuenta que pas\u00f3 por hasta cuatro doctores al d\u00eda en Monterrey, M\u00e9xico, oy\u00f3 diagn\u00f3sticos contradictorios y finalmente recibi\u00f3 la frase 'su hijo es un sordo'.", "La respuesta de la familia fue oraci\u00f3n, hablarle de frente, practicar lectura de labios, estudiar en casa y repetir vocabulario cotidiano como l\u00e1mparas, abanicos y pelotas.", "A\u00f1os despu\u00e9s, un hospital de Tennessee especializado en sordera se sorprendi\u00f3 al ver que Eri ya hablaba espa\u00f1ol e ingl\u00e9s, y Emma atribuye ese resultado a fe, constancia y trato normal."]

    Aug 6, 2020·51m·4 clips
  5. 5

    31. Sexual Abuse prevention with Rosalia Rivera

    Hidden gem

    Rosalia Rivera tells Natalie and Christina that one in four girls and one in six boys are abused or assaulted before 18, and that 90% of abuse comes from adults or peers the child knows.

    Jul 22, 2020·55m·5 clips
  6. 6

    30. Not The End- Life as a single mother with Michelle Torres

    Hidden gem

    Michelle Torres recounts a pregnancy in which she first saw a doctor at 18 weeks, was found to be dilating early, spent about five weeks hospitalized, and delivered daughter Sarah at 35 weeks.

    Jul 15, 2020·1h 1m·2 clips
  7. 7

    29. Parto En Casa con Liss Garza

    Liss Garza tells Christina that a doctor who forgot she was expecting her "segundo o tercer bebé" was "la gota que derramó el vaso" and sent her to a midwife the same day.

    Jul 8, 2020·1h·2 clips
  8. 8

    28. MOPS and Dating Mom Friends!

    Hosts Natalie and Christina open season three of Hola Mama!

    Jul 1, 2020·38m·2 clips
  9. 9

    27. Our Second Pregnancies, Labors and Recoveries!

    May 9, 2020·1h 1m
  10. 10

    26. Natalie's Birth story (A Traumatic Experience With A Miracle Baby)

    Apr 29, 2020·1h 2m
  11. 11

    25. Cristina's Birth Story

    Apr 22, 2020·50m
  12. 12

    24. Mamas Primerizas, Our pregnancies!

    Apr 15, 2020·48m
  13. 13

    23. Sleep Development with Elissa Gilbertson part 2

    Apr 9, 2020·41m
  14. 14

    22. Sleep Development- A conversation with Sleep Educator Elissa Gilbertson (Part ONE)

    Apr 8, 2020·38m
  15. 15

    21. Showing Up For Yourself- When Motivation is Garbage!

    Apr 1, 2020·48m
  16. 16

    20. Stuck at home? Nosotros también! A conversation with dad and mom.

    Two friends discuss multicultural motherhood and introduce a special guest, the host's husband.

    Mar 18, 2020·44m
  17. 17

    19. Judith's Tips: Teachings Kids to Clean!

    Mar 11, 2020·46m
  18. 18

    18. Ashes to Beauty- an Abortion Story with Phanie Gomez

    Mar 4, 2020·48m
  19. 19

    17. Is Spanking Illegal?

    Feb 26, 2020·44m
  20. 20

    16. Catch UP Episode!

    Feb 19, 2020·31m
  21. 21

    The Holidays, Traveling with Littles and signing off!

    Two multicultural friends discuss their Christmas traditions and experiences growing up between Mexico and the US.

    Dec 11, 2019·58m
  22. 22

    Motherhood Through Adoption with Mely Lara

    Two friends discuss adoption and infertility, sharing a personal story of a mother's journey to adopting a baby girl.

    Dec 4, 2019·52m
  23. 23

    Mama Thankful with Betty Resendiz

    Two friends host a gratitude-themed episode with a guest, discussing motherhood and DIY projects.

    Nov 27, 2019·53m
  24. 24

    Mama Shares! Mom of Multiples Making Marriage a Priority with Marjorie Flores

    Two friends host a bilingual podcast discussing the joys and challenges of multicultural motherhood, interviewing a longtime friend about her journey as a mom.

    Nov 20, 2019·37m
  25. 25

    Motherhood Loneliness

    Nov 13, 2019·49m
  26. 26

    "Toddler Development" with Judi

    Two multicultural moms discuss toddler development and discipline approaches with a guest expert.

    Nov 6, 2019·49m
  27. 27

    Loss is not Contagious with Eunise de Moura

    Two friends discuss pregnancy and infant loss awareness, sharing a personal story about miscarriage to support multicultural mothers.

    Oct 30, 2019·1h 7m
  28. 28

    Mama Shares! Un poco de todo con Lena McCaul

    Oct 23, 2019·53m
  29. 29

    Raising Bilingüitos

    Oct 17, 2019·59m
  30. 30

    Mama Shares: Breast feeding with Lory Gulrich

    Oct 9, 2019·1h 1m
  31. 31

    The "Mom- Bod" with Judi (Cultivating a positive self-image)

    Two multicultural moms discuss body image and self-esteem after childbirth.

    Oct 2, 2019·57m
  32. 32

    5 ways we save money with our pequeñitos!

    Sep 25, 2019·1h 13m
  33. 33

    Nice to meet you, Mama!

    Sep 22, 2019·1h 4m
  34. 34

    "I will never..."

    Sep 22, 2019·1h 1m
  35. 35

    Mom Guilt

    Sep 22, 2019·1h 8m