10,000 steps with baby

At 18 months my son James's sleep has started to improve from terrible to not too bad. But being a toddler now didnt mean he started to sleep through the night. In this episode I talk about split nights, hand stroking for hours, sharing a bed with a toddler, dropping naps and how co-sleeping has impacted me and my husbands relationship. If anyone has any tips for getting siblings to share a room or tips to help a 3 year go to sleep at night then I would love to hear them!Let me know if you are for or against kids sleeping in your bed in the comments!

I've had feedback and Im listening!Here are 8 little facts about me, my life and the podcast that I hope will explain why I wanted to start a motherhood podcast, how I try and relax, my favourite podcast statistic that I check every day and why my relationship with my husband almost never happened. Let me know if theres anything else about me that you'd like to know!And is anyone else reading Sarah J Maas books obsessively??

It drove me nuts when people said this to me but I still say it to other new mums all the time.Oh thats normal!But it doesnt mean its not hard, difficult, challenging or you just want to talk about it. Here are 7 completely normal things many new mums or pregnant women will experience but they are also some of the hardest - baby not sleeping, separation anxiety, labour and birth, feelings of rage, the final stages of pregnancy and worrying about milestones - theres a lot!Plus something that effects lots of women but doesnt have to be normal for you.Let me know in the comments what you've been told is normal but is still really hard and if there is anything you think I've missed!

Has anyone ever gotten their child to sleep in a travel cot??Why is putting sunscreen on your child like wrestling a greased up alligator?Why am I carrying 18 rocks in my bag?These are some of the questions I have asked myself while trying to enjoy my lovely, well earned holiday with my 3 year old and baby.

I hate flying at the best of times but with a three year old and a 5 month old baby? I couldn’t think of anything more stressful. So I’ve spent the last 5 months obsessing over how to survive a long haul flight (in economy!!) with 2 young kids and I have decided that I have earned the right to say I have thought of every little thing.So for:1. What to do at the airport2. The perfect carry on packing list3. How to get children to sleep on a plane4. How to relax yourself (especially if you’re a nervous flier)5. How to get kids to eat on a plane6. A lot more!This is the episode for you. Please comment if you have any questions or if you think I’ve missed anything. I have thought about every aspect of long haul travel with children and probably have the answer (for once 😂😂)Happy travels!!

Here are 5 completely stupid things I thought before I had my first baby. When I was pregnant and a new parent I thought I would take my baby on adventures, deal with tantrums with ease and that my child would eat everything put on their plate. Now it’s a good day if he’s only had 3 chocolate biscuits by 9am and has one shoe on. Here’s what I learned about the realistic side of parenting and why I’d never judge another parent again.

I was terrified the first time my son was ill even though I’m an infectious diseases doctor. Here’s my advice on red flag symptoms to watch out for when your baby or child is sick, home management of the common childhood illnesses, why a fever doesn’t always need treating and how to look after yourself when your kids are poorly. Plus I talk about the guilt of taking time off work when your child is sick and ways to survive yourself. With a little bonus story of how a houseplant led to a mass vomiting outbreak at my son’s birthday party 😂

When my son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy I had no idea where to begin. I had to cut out dairy from my diet as I was breastfeeding (or so I thought) and wean as a first time mum whilst avoiding dairy. This is what I’ve learned and why I suspected CMPA (cows milk protein allergy) with my second baby. Listen in for the best dairy free food alternatives for mums, how we navigated dairy free weaning and how the milk ladder works!

Toddler tantrums I don’t know how to handle. Twenty minute arguments about putting on shoes. A baby waking up all through the night and a million things to do to make Christmas happen. It’s been a tough few weeks. If you’ve ever felt like you are running on fumes and have not the tiniest bit of space left in your brain to remember another appointment or school jumper day then join the club!This episode is for any parents just trying to survive the day/week/month. If anyone has any tips or wisdom then I’m in the trenches right now and please share 🙏🙏

If I lost everything I own tomorrow these are the 5 baby products I would buy again immediately and what I recommend to anyone I know about to have a baby. If your looking for something as a baby shower gift, making a baby registry list or want to know what items help you survive going from 1 child to 2 then these are some of the products I love. Definitely no sponsorship. These are all baby/toddler products I use every day! Linked below if anyone wants the details 😊P.s I know a lot of these products are expensive. We got some of ours either second hand from friends or from Vinted/Ebay. ​ Baby Bjorn sling carrier: https://www.babybjorn.co.uk/products/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-one/​ Buggy board:https://lascal.uk/products/lascal-buggyboard®-maxi-plus-black-with-grey-saddle?variant=50397463282002&country=GB¤cy=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22612734903&gbraid=0AAAAA_dKHBHKUyjJ66nb2hlWHst9i-QeI&gclid=Cj0KCQiAo4TKBhDRARIsAGW29bchVUfCibxh1ZdMSOv98Ng6xzLOH0OoRjK32havpdFdRvYpDbLdiMgaArAWEALw_wcB ​ Star suit from Tuppence and Crumble:https://www.tuppenceandcrumble.com/fleece-baby-star-wrap-classics​ Hands free breast pump: Elvie:https://global.elvie.com/en-gb/shop/elvie-pumpMomcozy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Momcozy-Hands-Free-Wearable-Portable-Breastfeeding/dp/B0F4DHXDSN?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=AZ6JQZ3Z9GGV95. Owlet: https://owletbabycare.co.uk/collections/all-products/products/dream-sock-pulse-oximeter-pediatric

The best and worst baby classes from someone who has done them all!

I made a lot of mistakes when I went into labour with my first baby even though I eventually had a positive birth story!Here is what I learned from my first labour experience and what I did differently (and what I did the same!) for my second baby. As promised in the episode: my pain management strategyPower plan 💪💪- Walk- Stretching - Meditation- Deep breathing - Comb- Paracetamol- Hot water bottle- Bath- Massage from birth partner - Supported positioning - Tens machine- Gas and air- Remifentanyl- Epidural

With special guest speaker and the shows biggest fan - my mum! Discussing the transition from mum to grandmother, advice she’d give to new mothers and grandparents alike and the whole grandmother experience!Join us for this mother daughter chat for some generational parenting advice.

In this episode, I’m sharing a detailed look at a day in my life on maternity leave, including the real rhythms, challenges and small wins of postpartum life. If you’ve ever wanted a nosey about someone else’s realistic maternity leave routine, daily routine with a newborn, or how to survive maternity leave, this episode dives into exactly that.

From one type of night shift to another. How I survived baby starting nursery/daycare, created a new daily routine and stopped crying in the toilets at work after my maternity leave ended and I returned to work as a doctor. Plus my top tips for juggling being a working mum.

Got milk? Yes, and it’s everywhereThis week I talk about my breastfeeding journey from trying to get the perfect latch, failing at pumping and leaking through every shirt I own to being more confident with my second baby and everything I wish I could go back and tell my younger self about breastfeeding.

Sleep regressions. Fighting naps. To sleep train or not. Googling “why is my baby waking every hour”. Co-sleeping. Trying to work out if baby is under tired or overtired. Feeling guilty for feeding baby to sleep every wake. Wake windows. Sound familiar?My baby woke every 2 hours or less until he was 18 months and I thought I would die from exhaustion. Here is everything I very painfully learned about newborn and baby sleep from someone who tried literally everything and the advice I’m giving myself now with my second baby.

Resentment. Room mate era. Rage. We had every feeling after having our first baby and had the most ridiculous arguments in our sleep deprived states. We still don’t go on date nights or talk about anything other than the kids but here’s how we stopped making it a “who’s the most tired” competition and why it’s all normal for your relationship to change post baby!

Bouncing back and how to do it! Just kidding, grab a muffin and listen in. In this episode, we’re breaking down the unrealistic pressure new moms face to “bounce back” after having a baby. If you’ve ever struggled with postpartum body expectations, compared your body after baby to others on social media, or felt overwhelmed by the idea of post-baby weight loss, this conversation is for you. You can also enjoy my pre-baby unrealistic self care goals which never ended up happening!

The ups and downs of going from 1 child to 2 and how we’re surviving it