Mom, Unfiltered

Maternal Mental Health and Finding Freedom Through Motherhood

By: Leah Kim

Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow

Bloomsbury presents Mom, Unfiltered by Leah Kim, read by Laurel Lefkow

A deeply personal examination of the dire state of our maternal and postpartum care for mothers

For expecting and new parents, too often the care is so focused on a healthy baby that the mother’s physical and mental needs are overlooked. Mothers face intense pressure to have the perfect birth plan, breastfeed with ease, and immediately bond with their baby. Unfortunately, these expectations can lead to anxiety, depression, and overwhelm. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In Mom, Unfiltered: Maternal Mental Health and Finding Freedom Through Motherhood, Leah Kim explores her own pregnancy and early motherhood experience as a person of the global majority, the ways society fails new mothers, the mental health struggles of expecting and new mothers, the systemic neglect in care for mothers with marginalized identities, and how motherhood can be the inspiration for getting help and healing. Her story, enhanced with expert interviews, valuable resources, and the testimonies of other mothers, not only illuminates the impact of insufficient maternal care but also shows listeners what can be done to improve care for mothers.

Mom, Unfiltered is profoundly personal and brutally honest, yet it is ultimately deeply hopeful. It is about survival and growth, an invitation to move beyond our current social, cultural, and familial realities to support mothers in a meaningful way—physically, mentally, and spiritually.

©2026 Leah Kim (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

Mom, Unfiltered is medicine for these times. It is a call for honesty, repair, and collective care. Leah gives voice to realities of motherhood that are often kept secret, makes meaning out of suffering, and offers a way through to healing. By weaving her own story with the experiences and wisdom of other mothers, Leah has created a tapestry of truths that will set us all free. (Layla F. Saad, New York Times bestselling author of Me and White Supremacy)

Mom, Unfiltered level-sets the playing field for parents, guardians, coparents, and social justice warriors alike by crystallizing what this moment needs: collective care, love and community. (Joél Leon, author of the 2025 Gotham Book Prize-nominated Everything and Nothing at Once)

Mom, Unfiltered is such a refreshing and honest look at motherhood. Leah Kim isn’t afraid to tackle the tough stuff—racism in healthcare, generational trauma, and mental health—while reminding us to hold on to faith and grace through it all. (Anita Kopacz, bestselling author of Shallow Waters)

Mom, Unfiltered is the radical motherhood narrative that we all need for our collective healing. All humans, regardless of whether or not they ever choose to give birth or raise a child, would benefit from reading this book. (Yumi Sakugawa, author of There is No Right Way to Meditate)