Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered

More Side Quests Than Snoop Dogg at the Olympics | ADHD, Autism & Late Diagnosis in Women
What happens when you finally get an ADHD diagnosis as an adult… and then realise that might not be the whole story?
In this episode of Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered, Alisha and Rhiannon talk about what happened after Rhiannon was diagnosed with ADHD, started medication, and began to understand her brain for the first time — and how that led to a second diagnosis: autism.
They talk about the things they thought were personality flaws — being messy, over-explaining, struggling to start tasks, hyper-focusing on the wrong things, sensory sensitivities — and how many of these were actually signs of neurodivergence, not personal failure.
This episode explores what it feels like to be late diagnosed with ADHD, how medication can change how your brain works, and why understanding your brain can allow you to be kinder to yourself and build a life that actually works for you instead of constantly trying to fit into what you think you “should” be doing.
You’ll also hear why ADHD medication without a plan can send you on “side quests” — where you become extremely productive, just not on the thing you were meant to be doing.
This is an honest conversation about ADHD in women, autism in women, sensory issues, executive dysfunction, hyperfocus, masking, and learning to work with your brain instead of against it.
What We Talk About in This Episode
Late diagnosis of ADHD in women
Starting ADHD medication and what changed
Why medication can make autism traits more noticeable
ADHD masking and autism masking
Sensory sensitivities (sleep, clothing, hair, environment)
Executive dysfunction and task paralysis
Hyperfocus and productivity (on the wrong things)
Over-explaining and communication habits
Forgetting basic needs like eating or going to the toilet
Learning to “life hack” your brain
Being kinder to yourself after diagnosis
Letting go of things you think you “should” be doing
Redefining what being a “good mum” actually means
Key Takeaways
Many women grow up thinking they are lazy, messy, dramatic, disorganised or “too much” — when they are actually neurodivergent.
ADHD medication can help focus, but you still need a plan or you’ll go on productivity side quests.
Sensory issues are not “being difficult” — they are real neurological needs.
Executive dysfunction is not laziness — it’s difficulty starting tasks even when you want to do them.
Understanding your brain allows you to build systems and life hacks that improve your quality of life.
You don’t have to do things the way everyone else does — you can find ways that work for your brain and your life.
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for:
Women with ADHD
Women who think they might have ADHD
Late diagnosed ADHD women
Women with AuDHD (ADHD and autism)
Neurodivergent mums
Women who struggle with executive dysfunction
Women who feel overwhelmed by the mental load of motherhood
Women who feel like they are always busy but never finishing the right things
Follow & Connect
Follow the podcast on Instagram for clips, relatable content and discussions about ADHD in women and neurodivergent motherhood:
Instagram: @motherhoodunmaskedunfiltered
Subscribe & Follow the Podcast
Follow Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered so you don’t miss upcoming episodes on:
ADHD in women
Autism in women
Late diagnosis
Neurodivergent motherhood
Executive dysfunction
Emotional regulation
Sensory overwhelm
Masking and burnout
New episodes released weekly.

Episode 1: Welcome to the Chaos — ADHD, Late Diagnosis & Neurodivergent Motherhood
 
Why do so many women only discover they have ADHD after becoming mothers?
 
In the first episode of Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered, hosts Rhiannon (Sydney) and Alisha (Melbourne) introduce themselves and share why they started this podcast for neurodivergent mums.
 
Both women were late diagnosed with ADHD, and like many women, motherhood was the moment everything changed. The coping strategies, masking, and systems that once helped them function suddenly stopped working under the pressure of parenting, emotional labour, and the invisible mental load that comes with raising children.
 
This podcast was created for mothers who feel like their brains never switch off, who struggle with overwhelm, emotional intensity, time blindness, and the constant feeling that everyone else seems to be coping better.
 
In this episode, Rhiannon and Alisha open the conversation about what it really feels like to parent with a neurodivergent brain. Expect humour, honesty, relatable stories, and the reassurance that if your brain feels different, you are far from alone.
 
If you are a mum with ADHD, think you might be neurodivergent, or simply feel like your mind is constantly juggling twelve tabs at once, this podcast is for you.
 
What We Talk About in This Episode
• Why ADHD in women is often missed until adulthood
• Why so many women discover they are neurodivergent after becoming mothers
• Masking, coping strategies and the pressure to appear “together”
• The invisible mental load of motherhood
• Emotional intensity, overwhelm and executive dysfunction
• What it means to be a late diagnosed ADHD mum
• Why conversations about neurodivergent motherhood matter
 
Who This Podcast Is For
 
This podcast is for:
Mothers with ADHD
Women who suspect they may be neurodivergent
Late diagnosed ADHD women
Mums struggling with the mental load of parenting
Women navigating overwhelm, emotional regulation and executive dysfunction
Anyone who has ever wondered why motherhood feels harder than expected
 
About the Hosts
Rhiannon is based in Sydney and Alisha in Melbourne. Both are mums who discovered later in life that their brains work differently.
 
Together they created Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered to talk openly about ADHD, neurodivergence, parenting, and the messy reality of motherhood — without pretending everything is perfectly under control.
 
This podcast is honest, funny, relatable, and created for mothers who have spent years feeling like they are the only ones struggling.
 
Follow & Connect
Follow the podcast on Instagram for clips, discussions and upcoming episodes.
 
Instagram - @motherhoodunmaskedunfiltered
 
Subscribe - If this episode resonated with you, make sure to follow Motherhood: Unmasked & Unfiltered so you don’t miss future conversations about:
ADHD in women
Neurodivergent motherhood
Mental load
Emotional regulation
Late diagnosis
Parenting with ADHD.
 
New episodes released weekly.