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Meet everymum… discover Ireland's largest parenting community with over half a million followers across social and email channels.
Hosted by Aisling Keenan, everymum the podcast promises to talk about the parts of motherhood we just don't hear enough about.
Reassuring words, support on your motherhood journey, and authentic honest chat. everymum is here to let you know that you’ve got this, even when you feel like you don’t!
Insane highs to anxious lows, we're here to remind you that every pregnancy, birth, baby and mum is unique, and every feeling along the way is completely valid.
#everymumthepodcast is sponsored by WaterWipes - the no. 1 baby wipe in Ireland. Their wipes are made with simply two ingredients, 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. Together, we are committed to reassuring and supporting parents.
Register with everymum today, and pick up your free gift bag, worth over €45 and packed with products, information and samples!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
143 Episodes
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My guest today is model and mam of three, Rosanna Davison. Over the past few years, life has changed dramatically for Rosanna. From going through a tragic 14 miscarriages and believing she wouldn't be able to carry a pregnancy to term, she and her husband sought the help of a surrogate from Ukraine to make their dream of having a family come true. She talks to me about the anxiety of knowing her baby was in someone else's body in a completely different country, and how she coped with that. And then we talk about the shock of her finding out shortly after her daughter was born that she had spontaneously conceived healthy identical twin boys. It was great to hear Rosanna's honest take on life with three under five, how she manages everything and how her identical twins have interesting differences (particularly when it comes to sleeping arrangements!) but it was an emotional episode too, and I had tears in my eyes many times throughout – I hope you enjoy lovely Rosanna's story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly Donegan is my guest this week – you might know Kelly, if you're a millennial like me, from Tallafornia, a reality show she starred in 12 years ago now. If you've been following her online, you'll have seen her go from reality TV star to fitness expert to now, a mammy of one. Since her daughter Cherry arrived, Kelly's plans for motherhood haven't quite gone off as she'd hoped. We talk about the disappointment you can feel when your birth plans go the exact opposite to what you'd hoped, the challenges so many people go through when it comes to breast feeding, and what Kelly would do differently if she could go through it all again. It's such an open, honest and brave conversation, which I think is refreshing, given the tendency online to only show the 'good' and cover up the tougher times. I hope you enjoy it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest this week is Ali Deasy, who is famous where she lives as the mother who is shadowed everywhere she goes by her gorgeous triplets, Bruce Ted and Lenny. Ali has been a guest on Everymum in the past, but I saw recently she spoke online about her mental health struggle when the boys were between the ages of 2 and 3 years old. I caught up with her as soon as I heard that, because often I think postnatal depression or motherhood-related depression might only be associated with the immediate aftermath of having a baby, or as something that you can be certain you've escaped if your child is older than one – that's absolutely not the case, and I chatted to Ali about how she leaned on her friends to help her through that tough patch. We also chat about the logistics of managing three four year old's (and her angel of a daughter, Georgia, who is like another mammy to the three lads), and how she only dresses them the same if she needs to be able to do a quick headcount in public. I've never smiled so much during an episode, honestly, so I hope it's the same for you. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Warning: This episode discusses baby loss.My guest for this episode is Jessica Bourke, otherwise known as The Fertility Detective. She's known among her followers and patients for her honest, straightforward and compassionate approach to all things fertility, and as she says online, she has nearly two decades of experience helping people to get and to stay pregnant. Before you start listening to this week's episode, I must let you know – we speak extensively and in detail about what it's like to go through various types of miscarriage – just something to be aware of if that's a subject that's sensitive to you at the moment. Jessica is a total pro and it was clear from chatting to her just how much of a vocation her job is for her. I know you'll learn so much from this one, just as I did. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My incredible guest this week is the OG sleep coach in Ireland, the person with thousands of hours of pacing hallways and bedrooms with babies in her arms – Kelly Geoghegan. Kelly's business, Sleepy Stars, is all about helping babies with sleep. But her fascinating career has featured superyachts, helicopters and changing time zones twice in a week, all the while caring for babies that need their sleep. She chats to me about her celebrity and high net worth clients, how she approaches trying to get twins and triplets to sleep in the same room together, and so much more. We also discuss the largely unregulated sleep coaching industry, and Kelly says she would love to see more controls in place to stop parents who are desperate for help from finding it in the wrong places. Kelly is probably one of the most hands-on experienced professionals I've spoken to, she walks the walk – literally – and I even got a cheeky question to her about my own daughter... a perk of the job, maybe? Enjoy, and I'll speak to you again next week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week I spoke to Sarah Ockwell Smith, a parenting expert who has written 15 books on parenting over the course of her career. While we could've covered a number of topics, what I really wanted to speak to her about was the idea of gentle parenting and what it really is. Like you, I've seen Instagram memes and Tiktokers talk about gentle parenting, and most of what I saw left me more confused than enlightened. But speaking to Sarah really gave me a clear picture of what it means to be a gentle parent – and no, it doesn't involve mollycoddling your child and refusing to discipline them. I learned a huge amount during this episode, including how to deescalate a tantrum in the moment, and how best to go about stopping them before they even happen – something other parents of toddlers I'm sure could benefit from. Enjoy, and I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is Karen Ferguson, head of nursing and clinical services with SIMS IVF. I'll be completely honest, my knowledge of all things fertility and infertility was minimal, that is – before I spoke to Karen. We went back to basics, and discussed things like the stigma around talking about fertility struggles, what exactly is involved in an egg retrieval, common myths and misconceptions about fertility treatment, and how to be sensitive to friends or family members going through an IVF process. We also talk about the legislation recently passed which is, as we discuss, exclusionary to many people who are trying to conceive, and also how to handle workplace conversations about fertility treatment. It was great to speak to Karen and learn so much during this episode, so I hope you learn something too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2I was joined for today's episode by Kathy Milliken. Kathy is a baby, birth and post-partum expert in so many ways: She's trained as a doula, she's trained in breastfeeding counselling, she's a qualified pre- and post-natal yoga instructor, among other things. And yet, with all her experience, she told me she didn't really KNOW what motherhood would be like in practical terms until she had her children. Three children, all brought into the world very differently, taught her so much that she continues to share with other mothers now through her business, Bump, Baby and Me. She's a wealth of knowledge but is also just a warm, inclusive and understanding voice for anyone about to have their first child, about to become a parent again, or for someone who experienced trauma in pregnancy or delivery who just needs someone to talk to. I loved this chat with Kathy, I hope you do too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode had me wide-eyed with my jaw on the floor, as returning guest Aisling Kearns shares the story of her home birth. Aisling's son Tommy was just four weeks old when we recorded, and slept like an angel throughout. Having spoken to a doula and read a book about childbirth as a rite of passage, Aisling decided a home birth was for her, even though it was her first pregnancy. She talks about the home set-up, who was there, how it all went and how she hopes her choice to do it (and her choice to talk about it with such amazing honesty) will inspire others to potentially consider it as an option where they might not have before. This episode is unmissable and absolutely fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, I was so pleased to be able to speak to online parenting sensation Payal Desai, who joined me all the way from New Jersey (albeit on a slightly glitchy Zoom call for which I blame my own dodgy broadband) where she lives with her husband and two little boys. Payal is a middle school teacher and content creator who went insanely viral with her 'dusty son' videos. For anyone who has yet to see one, she captures teachable moments with her young sons, typically about gender roles and toxic masculinity, to the tune of the 1995 RnB song, 'I've got 5 on it', while glancing back at the camera as it zooms in to her face. Just one of her videos alone has over 10M views on Tiktok – so chances are you've seen at least one. We spoke about going viral with parenting content, gender roles in the home and how there's an imbalance, and bringing up children who have empathy and understanding about the world around them. It's a great episode, I hope you enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest this week is Rob Burke – Rob is a friend of mine, and one of the most articulate people I know, and so I knew that he'd be the perfect person to speak to about the experiences of a new dad. From pregnancy, where he says he felt his duty was to take care of his wife, to the delivery suite and cutting the umbilical cord and being a human stirrup, to his daughter Pippa's first six months of life, he's gone through the ups and downs of parenthood alongside his wife Becca, and shares lessons he's learned along the way. I've had so many mothers join me and talk about their experiences that I felt the role of dad was being overlooked – I'm delighted to say Rob's episode with me remedies that. I hope you enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week I speak to Irish model and mother of one Kelly Horrigan. Although Kelly delivered her beautiful little boy almost 14 months ago now, she is still feeling the long-term effects of her delivery. After her son's birth, Kelly found she had something called pudendal neuralgia, which sees her in constant nerve pain from her episiotomy scar all the way down her leg. She still struggles with it and attends physio, and could even have to have procedures in the future to stop the pain, including going to a pain management clinic for injections. Through it all, Kelly remains so positive, but she says that the after-effects of her delivery still stay in her mind even now. For any mother still feeling like they're not physically (or mentally) back to themselves, this episode will resonate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today's guest is influencer and first time mam, Siobhan O'Hagan. In her previous life as a fitness influencer, Siobhan's goals and values were always crystal clear: She enjoyed the freedom that came with her life moving from Bali to Thailand to London and back to Ireland. She was vocal about her choice not to have children, and for a long time that completely aligned with her value system. Until, one day, it didn't anymore. She had what she calls an 'existential crisis' and after becoming pregnant last year, she decided to embrace the curveball that life threw her. She's now happily co-parenting a gorgeous baby girl with her daughter's dad, and although they're not in a relationship, they're embracing parenthood together. What I've always admired about Siobhan was her fearlessness in doing things completely her own way, and her journey into motherhood has been no different. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For our first episode back for Season 12, I'm joined by fashion influencer and stylist Lorna Weightman and possibly our youngest ever guest, 9 week old Arthur was also on the Zoom being an absolute angel. Lorna and I discovered that we both approached parenthood with a "will I or won't I?" mentality – we weren't 100% convinced it was for us, until of course, we were. So if you're on the fence about whether to try or not, this episode might help you. We also chat about Lorna's whole birth story, which – spoiler alert, spans FOUR days – and how the first two weeks of Arthur's life proved incredibly challenging as Lorna tried to get to grips with breastfeeding. We also chat about losing your identity as a mother and the word that resonates most with her now that she's a parent, which is: Acceptance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're already on our last episode of Season 11, and I can't wait to bring you more episodes as we head into season 12 really soon. But we wanted to round out this season on a high and I think we may have achieved it... What a total and utter joy it was to interview this week's guest. A dream podcast interviewee, I spoke to Giovanna Fletcher, author, mother of three boys and host of the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast. She's also married to Tom from McFly so if you're a millennial mammy like I am, that's probably significant. But back to Giovanna. As the presenter of a parenting podcast, this was like speaking to royalty!! We spoke about lessons we've learned through talking to so many people about parenting, and how the main takeaway is that whatever you're going through, you're likely not alone. We talking about the importance of getting out in nature to fill your cup, and how the idea of "having it all" is a myth – she spoke about that with Geri Halliwell, no less. A SPICE GIRL. The episode is, like Giovanna, just full of kindness and empathy and words of advice, so I hope you enjoy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, Dr Doireann O'Leary joins me to talk about her experience of motherhood so far. Her son is nine months old, and while she doesn't share his name or face online, she is very open about how she's finding the transition into parenthood. We chat about taking time for yourself and letting go of the guilt around that. She says quite rightly that you can't pour from an empty cup – that if as mothers we're well rested, feeling supported and given time to be ourselves, we're better parents to our children. We discuss how being a GP helped her in the early days of parenting, but didn't completely relieve her of worry, and how the mental load of motherhood has been her biggest challenge. It's a beautiful episode, I really hope you enjoy listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week's episode I'm joined by Talya Benjamin. She's a new mother, living in New York, and when she was discharged from hospital after having her first baby, she checked in to a postpartum retreat called Boram. Research shows that dedicated postnatal care improves the health and well-being of mothers and their babies – and that's exactly what they provide. Talya checked in with her husband and their new born, and for three days and nights were given nourishing foods, access to lactation consultants and medical advice and recovery support. It really highlights the absence of 'the village' that we all wish we had, and while that particular centre is likely cost prohibitive for many, similar recovery centres are sorely needed for new parents and their babies. I was fascinated by everything Talya talked about – not to mention very jealous of what sounded like a truly lovely postpartum experience – so I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Joining me this week on the podcast is Youtuber, author and mother of two Melanie Murphy. Melanie's approach to parenthood really resonates with me, and we talk a lot about both feeling very strongly that whatever way you want to parent is your choice, and no one else's. She discusses her choice to bedshare with her babies, her choice to talk about breastfeeding online – which brought a whole new level of criticism to her door – how her past experience with eating disorders has shaped the way she views feeding her children, and her decision not to share her children's names. When you speak to Melanie, she's so engaging that you can immediately understand why she's got such an adoring following online – I hope you leave this episode feeling like you're not alone in ANY of your parenting struggles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clare McKenna joins me to talk childhood nutrition. Clare is the OG wellness guru, having spent years trialling and testing the latest in wellness trends, diets, and fitness fads, only to discover a few years back that balance was key. As a parent, she wanted to be sure to foster a healthy relationship with body and with food in her two children. As presenter of Newstalk’s Alive and Kicking, Clare has interviewed all the experts on the topic but comes to our chat with an honest and refreshing approach. She admits that although she might like her children to enjoy a beetroot brownie, they roll their eyes and opt for the real deal instead. If you're a parent who wonders about your child's odd food habits, or their attitude to different body types, you'll definitely come away with some aha moments from this one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
My guest this week is Audrey Dore-Geraghty. I first saw her story in the Irish Independent, where she spoke with incredible honesty about the heart-breaking struggle she and her family are facing with their son Harrison. Diagnosed with autism at two years old, he's now 9 and his behaviours have become increasingly physical and aggressive, to the point that Audrey said she can be frightened of her own son. She describes her frustration as she tries desperately to get the type of help her little boy needs, and says she can only live day-to-day because his future is so uncertain. Despite the severity of their situation and their constant fight to have Harrison properly assessed and supported, they have been forced to find psychiatric help in Spain, because the resources are so scarce here in Ireland. Audrey's story is a difficult one to listen to, never mind live it daily, as she and her family do. My hope for this particular episode is that as many people hear it as possible so that resources for families like Audrey's are made more readily available. Thanks for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Wow, such a great episode. Emer shares so eloquently about her experience of racism in Ireland. it is both shocking and a wake up call for Irish people to do something to change this. Thanks for this episode!