everymum

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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 abou...

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,...

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 m...

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...

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...

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...

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...

All the way from Fort Wayne Indiana, this week's guest is author, journalist and podcaster Rosemary Mac Cabe. We cover a LOT, but one of the most fascinating topics was the difference between maternity leave here in Ireland versus the states – when I say the US system is crazy, I'm not joking. We also talk about how motherhood has come naturally to Rosemary, and yet at times she still finds it cha...

Michelle O'Keeffe, co-founder of Platform 55, helps employees and companies balance the demands of family life with their careers. They guide companies around maternity and paternity leave practices, flexible working, and various family needs, by appealing to their bottom line – it costs so much more to rehire and retrain a talented employee than to retain your employee and support a talent you al...

Dearbhla Toal, or Belle Azzure, joins me to talk about all the challenges of motherhood, and how she's passionate about keeping things real when it comes to her own experience of being a parent. Expecting her second baby, Dearbhla is a parent to a toddler. She’s also a personal trainer, a Google marketer and an online influencer – you can imagine my first question was HOW? Dearbhla says it's not e...

Joining me this episode is actress Jenny Dixon, mum to twin baby girls, Bella and Capri. Herself and her husband Tom Neville went through a three-year-long fertility process, suffering losses along the way, but have found their happy ending with their girls. Jenny chats to me – in her infectiously positive way – about trying to stay positive and strong through loss, the magical moment she discover...

Joining Aisling Keenan for the season 10 finale is the sparkling and hilarious Aisling Kearns, who you might be more familiar with as the 'Irish mammy' TikTok star. She's made us all laugh with her sketches about Irish mammies, and is now pregnant with her first child. We talk about how her relaxed approach to delivery, her choice to practice hypnobirthing and how she's well aware that plans can c...

Niamh De Brún-Reid chats to host Aisling Keenan about her experience as a first time mum to daughter Harper. Niamh talks about looking after her psychical and mental health during pregnancy and the fourth trimester, and how an undiagnosed tongue complicated her breastfeeding experience. Niamh chats about the decision to share your child's face on social media, and the judgement that comes with tha...

Ever heard the phrase ‘sleeps like a baby’ and laugh? As parents, sleeping like a baby can mean little to no sleep at all, but it might not have to be that way…There are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation around the concept of sleep training which prompted host Aisling Keenan to chat to sleep coach Anneka Muir. They talk about the science around sleep, how much things have changed in terms...

Antoinette Connolly is a neonatal nurse who cares for infants and seriously ill babies day in, day out. But at night time? She helps new mums and dads get through those intense, sleepless early months by coming into the home to do "night duty”. Antoinette talks to host Aisling Keenan about her job and the trust parents need to feel comfortable handing over their baby for a night. Hosted on Acast....

TV presenter and entrepreneur Anna Daly chats to host Aisling Keenan about the trauma of baby loss, how she and her husband parent their three boys, and taking time out from the daily grind. Anna talks about wanting to be more present when with her children, how she suffered devastating pregnancy losses before having her first child, and how no one ever asks men how they spin all the plates! Hoste...

How do you decide to have more than one child?! Caroline Foran opens up about the societal pressure involved with 'one and done'. The author and podcaster also talks about being a parent to a highly sensitive toddler, the reality of coming home from the hospital with a new-born, and how there is far too much judgement when it comes to parenting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Jennifer Rock is a CEO, brand founder, and entrepreneur, but says the best thing she’s ever made is her son Matthew. Coming out the other side of the challenging teenage years, Jennifer shares 4 key nuggets of parenting advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imagine parenting throughout chronic illness and a brain tumour… Claire Moore shares her story with our host Aisling Keenan. Claire lives in Hong Kong, and talks how different it is to Ireland, starting with the fact children start school at 2! Now pregnant with her second child, Claire’s story is one of incredible strength and resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Sabrina Hill speaks honestly about the pressure linked to ‘enjoying’ pregnancy. The business owner and social media influencer chats to host Aisling Keenan about her hyperemesis journey, and her fight to get Cariban on the drugs payment scheme. Baby Robin is now safely earth side and his mum has a lot to be proud of! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Miss Ireland, social media star and mum to Penelope, Aoife Walsh speaks candidly on navigating solo parenting, the challenges it brings, and her journey from heartbreak to happiness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.