The LO Down

Culture, background, upbringing and experience: all things that make us, shape us and introduce us to the world. And, all things that today’s guest – the humble, kind-hearted and totally inspiring Megan Alatini – knows a whole lot about.In her not-very-long time on this earth, Megan has done a lot. She’s moved countries, snuck into school balls, performed to thousands of screaming fans in hit band True Bliss, married her high-school sweetheart, and had three beautiful children. Together, Megan and Pita have overcome the struggles of young parenthood, the pain of miscarriage and the barrier of stereotypical odds to earn great success in their respective careers – Pita on the rugby field and Megan on the stage.From growing up in South Africa during the apartheid to falling pregnant at eighteen, Megan’s story is one of insight, injustice and the beauty and power of family love.Driven, devoted and drop-dead gorgeous, Megan was an absolute joy to talk to. You’re going to love her. Let’s jump right in. To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

This podcast has shown us many things. Work-life balance is a constant juggle, there are countless ways to approach the wild ride that is childbirth and parenting, and above all else – mums and dads are incredible. Truly incredible.Three things that today’s guest knows all about.After escaping the Rwandan genocide, Sevigne Shema’s mother arrived in Auckland to begin a new chapter of her life. Despite the immense struggles that come with being a refugee in a new country, Sevigne’s mother raised her on her own – instilling in her a deep respect for women everywhere. While pregnant with her first child, Sevigne started on her journey of becoming a self-employed midwife, providing women with advice, support and energy-lifting aromatherapy and music to help set the scene for beautiful births. And that’s not all - she’s also a podcast host on ‘The Baby Mama Rants', a mother to two energetic kids and an absolute delight to talk to.We love her and know you will too. Let’s jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

This week’s guest is a Naturopath and Acupuncturist on a mission to nourish mamas around New Zealand. We’re very excited to introduce the calm-inducing; Katie Kempthorne.After a degree in Natural Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture, Katie started her business in 2005. Since then she has worked with women and men in need of a little love and care, with a focus on fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and beyond. This year she has launches her new relatable, digestible platform ‘Nourished Mama’ giving women a week-by-week, bite-sized guide to nurturing yourself through this all-important time. Today we chat about connecting to yourself, looking after your nervous system, what ‘eating for two’ actually means and the benefits of nutrient rich food, herbs and acupuncture. Let’s jump right in.To find out more about Katie's clinic or book a session with her, visit www.katiekempthorne.co.nz | You can find further information about her online pregnancy guide Nourished Mama at www.nourishedmama.co.nz To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

Our guest this week has seen more births than the average Jane. As she says, she’s no Midwife or Doctor, but a mum with a passion for sharing New Zealand’s birth experiences.Introducing Jordyn Gregory, creator and host of the empowering podcast, Kiwi Birth Tales. Originally from Tauranga, Jordyn has been living in Italy with her husband for the past 2 years and now have a cute new family addition, Jai, their a five-month-old son.In this episode, we chat to Jordyn about her own birth, what surprised her most about having a little one and the challenges that came with going from an independent woman to a mother – including but not limited to, the benefits of a sleep specialist.We also tuck into setting boundaries around those first visitors, handling others opinions on your parenting style and the new father series on the KBT podcast, helping families ditch the third wheel dad theory during pregnancy, birth and post-partum. Let’s jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

This week’s guest has been gracing our screens and radio waves for the past decade, and significantly when she burst onto New Zealand’s radar during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. While developing her impressive broadcasting career and passion for sports, she fell helmet over heels for her now husband, Blackcap Martin Guptill. Broadcaster, MC, actress and mummy of her sassy little mini-me Harley, Laura McGoldrick currently hosts The Hits' 3pm Pick Up where she offers some well needed comic relief for mums on the afternoon school run. Hilarious, intelligent and ambitions, Laura shares advice and talks values around family, being a Cantabrian in the big smoke, and how she’s embraced motherhood in her own way. We’re excited for you to hear this one. Let’s jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

When it comes to motherhood, Rebecca Keil is a breath of fresh, hilarious air. Originally a blogger, Christchurch based Rebecca took her passion for all things baby and turned it into a ground-breaking and wildly entertaining comedy show, The Mother Yarns. Along with a host of other mums, Rebecca gave New Zealand exactly what it needed – a zero-filter, no holds barred and totally relatable account of what it means to be a mother. As you’ll hear in her interview, there’s nothing she loves more than a good old taboo topic. Breast-feeding battles, post-birth sex and the dreaded haemorrhoids … if it happens, she’ll talk about it.And that’s not all – this powerhouse mother of two is currently giving another couple the ultimate gift. 14 weeks into her surrogacy journey, Rebecca sheds some much needed light on the ins and outs of the whole process – in typical open and honest Rebecca style.Queen of a yarn, we could listen to Rebecca talk all day. You’re going to love her – let’s jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

As the old saying goes, ‘If you love someone, let them come on your podcast and share all kinds of details about your life together.’ Today’s guest is doing just that. Jacob is a hospo guru, an incredible step-dad, an excited dad-to-be, and a truly amazing partner. My truly amazing partner. In today’s episode, Jacob and I cover some fairly intimate ground, chatting about how we met, the ins and outs of being a step-parent, our journey through miscarriage and the decision to try again, how to navigate a blended family, and how we’re both feeling as we count down to the arrival of our baby boy this September.  Although we live together, eat together and occasionally brush our teeth together – I was still intrigued to know what Jacob would say. I wasn’t disappointed – and you won’t be either. Let’s jump right in. To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

Taking a risk, falling in love, navigating career ups and downs, facing criticism, enjoying success, starting a family… big life moments that many of us can relate to. But doing them in front of the whole country? That’s a slightly different story. A story that today’s guests, Art and Matilda Green know all about.Since falling in love on the Bachelor, Art and Matilda have become treasured household names. Whether they’re advocating for health and wellness, launching new business ventures or sharing hilarious moments on social media – they’re a couple we just can’t get enough of.In today’s episode, we chat to Art and Matilda about life before The Bachelor, the importance of teamwork in parenthood and the difficulties that come with life in the public eye – more specifically, the public backlash they faced for their decision to have a home birth for their baby boy, Milo.  Their energy is infectious, their honesty is refreshing, and their love for each other is truly heart warming. So what are you waiting for? Let’s jump right in. To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

Parenting is tough. Long hours, no thanks, and a whole lot of sacrifices. And often, one of the first things to be sacrificed is a person’s mental health. In today’s episode, we dive right into this conversation with Sharla Watene, co-founder of Āhua Wellbeing - a newly launched non-profit organisation shedding light on the struggles of parenthood, offering innovative solutions to these struggles, and ultimately, helping working mothers to achieve balance in all aspects of life. We chat to Sharla about how and why they started out, their approach to educating and supporting mums, and how to make sure positive new habits don’t get lost along the way. You can find out more about Āhua Wellbeing at www.ahuawellbeing.co.nzTo learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

If it’s homegrown health and wellness you’re after, look no further. Today’s guest is a highly successful entrepreneur and a source of inspiration to many – Two Islands founder, Julia Matthews. Julia joins us on The LO Down to talk about her unplanned pregnancy, expectations versus reality, how she feels about social media, what it’s like to run a bustling start up and how all of this might look when her baby boy arrives. We loved our chat with Julia – she’s honest, inspiring and very real. We can’t wait for you to hear what she had to say. Let’s jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

If you’re into organic fabrics, sustainable practices and tiny precious things for tiny precious people – then we think today’s episode will be right up your alley. Our guest today is Jacob Faull – co-founder of New Zealand’s most iconic babywear label, Nature Baby. Jacob chats with us about the ethos behind this amazing brand, his ideas around sustainability and his vision for where the fashion industry is heading. Jacob is passionate, engaging and an absolute delight. We loved our chat with him and are really excited to share it with you. So, let’s jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

Our guest for episode two is a woman of many talents. Jess Blair is a mum of two, a qualified naturopath and nutritionist, and a delightfully refreshing realist – especially when it comes to motherhood. As you’ll find out in this episode, Jess believes it’s the small things we can change in our daily lives that make the biggest difference. And she would know – her book, “Wellness; Small Changes, Big Results” is brilliant, and is something we highly recommend getting your hands on.We loved chatting to Jess and can’t wait for you to hear what she has to say. Get ready to be invigorated – your journey to wellness starts right here. Let's jump right in.To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

To kick off our very first season of the LO Down, we figured - why have one guest, when we can have two? And not just any two – two of the best. Sisters on a mission, Mimi and Sophie Gilmour. As well as being a mum to two beautiful little girls, Mimi is the CEO of legendary restaurant chain, Burger Burger. No stranger to the food industry herself, Sophie co-founded the Ponsonby Road institution; Bird on a Wire, and has recently started a new chapter with Delicious Business and her adorable baby girl, Odette. In this episode, we’ll be diving into some of their stories about being mums, the challenges they face and how they balance demanding jobs with the demands of motherhood – and their thoughts on whether or not this balance is even possible. As businesswomen, they’re two of the savviest. As mums, they’re amazing. And as people, they’re warm, open and hilarious. I hope you’re ready to laugh. Let’s jump right in. To learn more about Little Outfitters, the business behind this podcast, visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz

Welcome to The LO Down, a podcast for the modern parent brought to you by Little Outfitters. Join your host, Alarice Stuart, as she sits down with the folks behind your favourite brands, eco-experts, naturopaths, business-minded mummies and multi-tasking men. It's the adult conversation you need in your life - with a bit about the little ones. To find out more about The LO Down and Little Outfitters visit www.littleoutfitters.nz or follow us on Instagram @littleoutfittersnz