How to Grow a Parent: The pregnancy, birth & postnatal podcast

For today’s episode I am talking to Katherine Whitby who is a Paediatric Nurse, Health Visitor & Maternal Wellbeing Practitioner.Katherine is also the founder of her company Baby Steps where she offers classes and information on  Baby & Child First Aid, Weaning, Baby Massage & Relaxation, at her studio in Hampshire or in parents own homes or online.Katherine has contributed her incredibly helpful weaning expertise to our online Parent Hub which parents can access through booking one our antenatal hypnobirthing courses or as a monthly subscription. The topics we cover are:Types of weaning and when you startWhy it's important to know about the different types to make an informed decisionSafety when weaningEnjoying weaningCommon FAQ's Katherine's biggest tip for someone approaching the weaning stageFind out more about Katherine and the incredible services she offers, here:https://www.baby-steps.co.uk/https://www.instagram.com/babystepsx/https://www.facebook.com/babystepsx This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I am talking to Sonah Paton who is a co-founder of Black Mothers Matter. We’ll be talking about the importance of understanding black maternal health disparities and nuances, particularly as a birth professional.All of The Mindful Birth Group® teaching team attend a workshop with Black Mothers Matter to ensure they are equipped to better support black and brown expectant parents and today’s episode will be slightly more angled towards birth professionals who may be wondering what work they need to do to become a true ally to black and brown families.The topics we cover include:Who are Black Mothers Matter and what they doThe training course that they offer for birth professionalsWhy it is important to have a wider understanding of the issues and disparities being faced by black and brown familiesThe importance of community and celebrating joy Find out more about Black Mothers Matter:https://www.blackmothersmatter.orgFollow them on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/blackmothersmatteruk/MBRACE report informationhttps://www.birthcompanions.org.uk/resources/mbrrace-uk-saving-lives-improving-mothers-care-2022 This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

After a short break whilst we were at various Baby Shows, enjoying the Easter holidays and many bank holidays, I’m delighted to be back today and talking to Dr Frankie Harrison about experiencing Neo-natal intensive care with your baby.Frankie is a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Miracle Moon, an organisation that provides support for the NICU community past, present and future.Frankie also provides invaluable content to our online Parent Hub so subscribers can access educational and supportive information about NICU should they ever need it.The topics we cover on this episode include:Frankie's own experience of NICUHow an expectant parent can prepare for the unexpectedThe realities of the impact needing NICU support can have on your mental health and what support is availableWays in which friends and family can support you - here is the link to the list mentioned: Ways to supportHow to approach this period with siblings - here is the link to the book mentioned: The Invisible StringFollow Dr Frankie and Miracle Moon:InstagramFacebookMiracle Moon website:https://www.miraclemoon.co.uk This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

This week Emiliana talks to Maria Kyle, an Intervention Development Manager at Dogs Trust.Many families either already have dogs (or fur babies!) when they’re welcoming a new (human!) baby into their home, or they decide to get them for company when their little one is older. We cover what you need to know to keep everyone safe and happy.The topics we cover on this episode include:Preparing for introducing your newborn to your dog during your pregnancyKeeping your dog and toddlers and older children safe and happy around each otherPlaydates with other children who may not be used to dogsThe importance of seeking reputable advice and guidanceYou can find more information on the topics we discussed today here:Preparing your dog for your new babyIntroducing your new baby to your dogDogs and children living safely togetherFollow Dogs Trust:FacebookTwitterInstagramInstagram Dogs Trust SchoolFree behaviour support line:https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/behaviour-support-lineDogs Trust website:https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/Email the team:dogsandchildren@dogstrust.org.uk This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

This week Emiliana talks to Kicki Hansard, author and founder of the Birth Bliss Academy and The Doula Directory.Everyone who takes a Mindful Birth Group® course or subscribes to the Parent Hub gets access to a one hour postnatal doula session on Zoom once their baby is born. We view the recovery period as very much a part of the birth and support shouldn't stop as baby is born.The topics we cover on this episode include:What is a postnatal doula, and what can they help a new parent with?How can you find a postnatal doula?What if you can’t afford a postnatal doula?World Doula Week starts next week on 22nd March and so there will be lots of content on social media about doulas so do look out for that to learn more.You can find more information on the topics we discussed today here:Learn more about postnatal doula's hereAffording doula support hereFind a doula on The Doula Directory hereKicki's personal website here  This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

This week Emiliana talks to Jacob Stokoe, a trans dad of two and founder of  Transparent Change CIC. The organisation aims to create trans-inclusive environments through easy-to-access training. Jacob facilitates workshops for The Mindful Birth Group antenatal class teachers and  contributes content to the Mindful Birth Parent Hub specifically for trans expectant parents.If you are a trans person, please be aware that we discuss topics that may be distressing, particularly if you are currently expecting a baby. The topics we cover on this episode include:Jacob's experience of becoming a trans dad and supporting others as a doulaWhy it is critical that professionals who support trans people during the perinatal and postnatal period are educated in inclusivity in order to provide safe care and supportThe growing number of trans parents, and why that number is growingHow perinatal and postnatal professionals can access education in order to support the trans community betterYou can find more information here:Jacob's website here - sign up to the mailing list to receive updates on the events that Jacob facilitates.Jacob's TikTok @jacobtheseahorse hereThe CQC Maternity Survey 2022 here The LGBT Foundation here This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

For this episode Emiliana talks to Mel Pinet, baby wearing consultant with her London-based business,  Wrap a Hug. Mel provides incredibly helpful 'how to' videos on The Mindful Birth Group® online Parent Hub, which is for everyone taking a Mindful Birth course.The topics we cover on this episode include:What is baby wearing and why is it important that parents know about itReasons it is beneficial for both parent and babyGetting support to find your perfect sling / carrierFAQ's including when can I carry my baby post-caesarean birth, and can I wear my baby too much?You can find Mel's website hereMel's Instagram here This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

To kick off our second series, Emiliana is talking to Lorraine Pryce from Birth Rights, a UK charity that champions respectful care during pregnancy and childbirth by protecting human rights. They provide advice and information on your legal rights, train doctors and midwives, and campaign to change maternity policy and systems.We do not discuss birth trauma in detail but do take care when listening to this episode as we do discuss challenges faced in the maternity system which may be upsetting. We do recommend becoming informed and getting support for this reason, though. The topics we cover include:The current healthcare situation and why it is important that you know about your birth rights during pregnancyWhere to go if you do not feel listened to or confident in your careWhat do to if you want to talk about, feed back or complain about your experience with a hospital trust or individualHiring a doula to support you You can find Birth Rights website here including fact sheets & FAQsRequest advice hereHow to find a doula hereBirth Rights on Instagram hereLorraine's Instagram here and website here This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Kathryn Stagg.Kathryn is a an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (also known as an IBCLC), and OCN Level 6 Holistic Sleep Coach. She supports families with feeding, normal baby behaviour and sleep. If I were to share what Kathryn does within those areas on a day to day basis, I would take up the whole podcast time! From voluntary work to consultations in person and on Zoom, to writing her first book, she is well and truly dedicated to supporting parents with finding their way. Kathryn has also recorded the brilliant infant feeding educational videos which can be accessed by every parent who takes a Mindful Birth course, so I consider her to be a part of the Mindful Birth family! We chat about Kathryn's experience of:Life with 4 children- the eldest being twinsWhat she learned from her 1st birth experience with her twinsHow all of her births and all 4 children are differentResponsive parenting and how learning about this approach for her own life has influenced her career choicesYou can find Kathryn on Instagram hereOn Facebook hereOr on her website here This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Whitney Lodge. Whitney is a naturopathic nutritional therapist and yoga teacher. I met Whitney when she booked onto a Mindful Birth course with me at Birch. Although conceived naturally, her twin pregnancy was classed as a ‘high risk’ pregnancy, which triggered a deep dive into nutrition and the mind body connection, and how she could optimise her health to ensure a safe and healthy full term pregnancy and birth.  As a passionate believer in holistic healing, Whitney’s ambition is to educate and empower others to experience a sense of vitality through optimum nutrition & lifestyle. We chat about Whitney's experience of:Carrying monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins – which are automatically considered as a high risk pregnancyWhy she enlisted the support of a prenatal doulaPreparing for the births & making informed decisionsThe highs and challenges of life as a new mum of twin boysHow Whitney makes time for herself when not being a mum, a partner or working by using Transcendental MeditationYou can find Whitney on Instagram hereOr on her website here This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Michael and Wes, who as well as being wonderful parents to their children are also founders of the very successful parenting-related organisations, Two Dads UK, My Surrogacy Journey and The Modern Family Show. As their TwoDadsUK Instagram profile describes them they are ‘Boss Dads Campaigning for Change’ We chat about their experiences of:Becoming parents through UK surrogacyThe birth of their 1st baby and navigating a health system not built for surrogacyThe birth of their 2nd baby, at the same hospital where policies where updated to be inclusive of the whole birthing teamThe transition from 1 to 2 childrenThe challenges they face as parents/successful business owners/a couple and how they make sure they make time for themselves tooYou can find Michael and Wes as TwoDadsUK on Instagram hereMy Surrogacy Journey hereThe Modern Family Show hereOr their website here.This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Sammy Cox from Exhale Birthing & Beyond.Sammy is a Mindful Birth teacher based in Exeter in Devon. We chat about Sammy's experience of:Feeling a severe fear of childbirth The things she did to overcome this fearOpting for a home birth (and the midwife getting lost!)Reflections on her first postnatal period vs. what she did the 2nd time aroundDealing with the challenges of her little one having silent refluxSupporting parents with their birth preparation- for both mind and bodyYou can find Sammy on Instagram hereOr on her website here ----This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide birth, baby and postnatal preparation courses for expectant parents in-person and online. The unique courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by educating you on your options, what to expect and how to navigate unexpected turns. While sharing practical mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.Parents say that the group and private courses were everything they needed to prepare for this new chapter in their lives.You can see all of the course options and book a group, private or online self learning course here.This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Emma Riley from Ready Prep Birth.Emma is a Mindful Birth teacher based in the Leighton Buzzard area of Bedfordshire. We chat about Emma's experience of:Hyperemisis gravidarum during her pregnanciesHome birthPostnatal & breastfeeding challengesBecoming a Mindful Birth teacherHere are the links we promised to share:The Lancett review on home birth hereEmma's blog on HG hereYou can find Emma on Instagram hereOr on her website here This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Lucy Sharpe from Days & Dream Sleep consultancy.Lucy has worked as a nanny for 20 years and an experienced sleep coach for 6 years.We cover Lucy's intuitive approach to sleep coaching and how being a mum has and hasn't impacted the way she supports families. A really helpful listen to anyone in the early weeks, months and years!You can follow Lucy on Instagram here. This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Ashley is a Mummy, a Presenter, DJ, Dating & Empowerment Coach and a much loved Instagram Influencer. She also has her own podcast called Mum’s the word, The parenting Podcast, which I highly recommend listening to!Ashley and Tommy took a Mindful Birth course with me at around 35 weeks of pregnancy in the crazy year that was 2020 and it’s been wonderful seeing them grow and navigate life as a family.We cover:Becoming a mum during lockdownReturning to workBody image and nourishment post birthSetting boundaries for both personal & professional life50/50 parentingNewborn vs toddler stageFollow Ashley on Instgram here.This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Clare is a pelvic health physiotherapist with a passion to support women and men throughout their lives. Clare and I chat about her journey to becoming a mother, how her work impacts her parenting and vice versa and what she would say to her pre-children self, now she knows what she know!Specific topics we cover are:Clare's diagnosis of hypothalamic amenorrheaHospital & home birthPostnatal recoveryBeing open with children about anatomyYou can follow Clare on Instagram @clarebournphysioOr visit her website for more on pelvic health hereThis show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Zoe Cresswell, who you may know from her brilliant podcast, Motherhood Exposed. We talk about Zoe's experiences of:Living in Dubai with her young familySecondary infertility & miscarriageHer professional life as a midwife, PT, doula & podcasterLinks we mention on the podcast:More on Zoe's secondary infertility experience hereMotherhood Exposed podcast hereZoe's Instagram hereRobo-Babies book hereThis show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Kicki Hansard. Kicki is an award winning doula, author, and founder of the Birth Bliss Academy and The Doula Directory and is CEO of The Doula Association.Kicki has trained over 1000 doulas, me being one of them! and I am so happy to welcome her here on the podcast today to hear more about her own parenting journey which is heavily influenced by her Swedish roots, and how she supports doulas and parents in their own unique growth stories.We cover Kicki's experience of introducing siblings to each other, respectful parenting, the postnatal period and lots more.This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Liv Thorne: Solo mum, author and also known as @Livsalone on Instagram.Liv is warm, funny and entirely open about all of the steps she has taken to become a mum to her gorgeous son Herb, how her life has changed and how she's adapted to these changes. This episode will be insightful for anyone thinking about or currently embarking on a solo parenthood journey, but (and this goes for her book too!) so many of the experiences and thoughts Liv shares also apply to all kinds of family set ups because let's face it, kids don't read the parenting manuals- it doesn't matter who the parent is!Liv's Alone: Amateur Adventures in Solo Motherhood is the title of her incredibly insightful, funny and emotional memoir in which she shares her full journey so far on becoming a solo mum.This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)

Today I’m talking to Kate Lawler. Kate and her fiance Boj took a Mindful Birth course with me to prepare for their Noa's planned abdominal birth last year. Always a big supporter of The Mindful Birth Group, Kate was kind enough to make time to chat to me in amongst her busy mumming and working schedule. We talked about the realities of the motherhood emotional rollercoaster, how leaving your kids for alone time usually ends up with you thinking about them even more and how the newborn bubble is something that doesn't happen for everyone. It's an honest, funny and lovely conversation, which is just Kate all over. A bit about Kate:On the professional side, Kate is a television personality, presenter, DJ and now author.  She became the first female winner of Big Brother after winning the third series of the reality show in 2002. Kate and her fiancé Martin aka Boj hosted a very funny but also truly insightful podcast called Maybe Baby which was all about Kate’s reluctance to have a baby and exploring what it might be like to be a parent in order to put Boj off. Well we all know how that went!Kate now continues to be a DJ on Virgin radio and is an amazing mummy to her girl and doggies, sharing an honest account of her motherhood journey on Instagram and in her new book also titled ‘Maybe Baby, On the Mother Side’ which is coming out on Mother’s Day this year but is available for pre-order now.This show is sponsored by The Mindful Birth Group® who provide award-winning antenatal, hypnobirthing and postnatal courses for expectant parents in-person and on Zoom. The unbiased and informative courses are designed to bring calm and confidence to your experience by making sure that you know your options, what to expect from a birth experience and how to navigate unexpected turns. All whilst sharing practical hypnobirthing/mindfulness tools and techniques to use for pregnancy, birth and beyond.You can see all of The Mindful Birth Group® courses and resources here:Follow us on Instagram @themindfulbirthgroupParents: Courses and the Parent Hub Professionals: Train to teach with TMBG (FEDANT accredited course) FREE training for midwives (CPD accredited)