First Time Mum's Chat

In this episode I'm speaking with Kristin Mallon, who is a board certified nurse midwife, breast health expert, published author and a mother of four. Kristin has attended over 1,000 births so has a huge wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things childbirth. I used the opportunity to ask Kristin some of the burning questions that I'm often asked by mums who are just embarking on their...

Not surprisingly, many of the moms I speak with are often nervous and frightened about the next stage of their lives after having their baby. After all, there's lots for them to consider including caring for their newborn, recovering from birth, particularly where there's been any trauma and adapting to caring for their little one. And to add to the stress, their relationship is often put...

Not surpisingly, healthy eating and nutrition are topics which often come up on First Time Mum's Chat and I've interviewed a number of wonderful ladies on these topics. My observation is that the focus is often mainly on weight and of course for new mums, ensuring that their intake is beneficial to breastfeeding. However, something that I feel is often neglected when eating regimes are bei...

Welcome to a very special episode of First Time Mum's Chat. Yes, this is the 50th episode of the podcast and I'm excited to have reached this amazing milestone! I'd like you to picture me blowing out the 50 candles on my virtual birthday cake. Since January, 2021 I've talked with loads of amazing ladies from countries including Australia, the UK, Ireland, Canada and the US from all...

As someone whose background includes many years as a childcare educator, I've always been big on encouraging children to use their imagination and explore their world through play. Perhaps with our modern tendency towards busyness, I've observed a tendency for parents to overcomplicate play. If you've listened to some of my other podcast episodes, you'll know that I'm a fan of...

I think it's fairly safe to say that parenting children and bringing them up is a challenging time and I've interviewed many amazing people on this podcast who've shared great insights and tips to help with this! This week I'm going in a different direction and I'm interviewing an extraordinary lady whose journey I'm sure you'll find fascinating. Tanya Hackney is a mom...

Many of the moms I speak with find their postpartum recovery a difficult time, with often a lack of resources and information readily available to them. For many, this is a scary, uncertain time and there's no instruction manual or welcome package to help you along is there? Getting used to the new normal is hard and there are so often questions you need answers to, right! This week's gues...

When you're postpartum, it's important to continue being mindful of what you are eating since you've also got your little one's health to consider. It's also important to be alert and constantly on the look out for evidence of any allergies or problems so that you can adjust your diet if needed to suit your baby. In this episode, I speak with Nava Simkah a certified holistic he...

Can you think of anything more fun than dancing with your baby? I must say that when mother of 3, Audrey Bready first told me that this is what she did I was impressed. During our chat you'll hear Audrey talk about loads of ways that dance is beneficial to your postpartum healing, including how it strengthens your musculature and pelvic floor and it's advantages over a reliance solely on u...

Many of the parents that I speak with often feel guilty when they yell at their kids. At times, being patient and not losing it is easier said than done and we've all been there. Of course it leaves you with feelings of guilt and regret when you see the effect that it has on your little one and you're often left thinking, there's got to be a better way for me to handle this next time!...

You were someone before pregnancy - but where did that person go? Motherhood is a gift of unimaginable love and happiness but in between playdates and naptime, you can't help but miss certain things from your old life and answering to your real name instead of "mom". In this episode I am speaking with Zelmira Crespi a mother of 5 and co-author of Happy Mom, Happy Kid. Between them Zelm...

Having a baby is a traumatic event in so many ways, right! Your body adjusts and changes so much during your pregnancy and now you've given birth, you need to ensure you take care of you and do what you can to return to normality. For many women, issues such as bladder incontinence, pelvic floor weakness or prolapse occur and it's a difficult time. In this episode, I'm speaking with To...

Having a baby is an enormously stressful event on families in lots of ways. Of course there is the physical toll on the mother both before birth and postpartum but one area that is often neglected and underestimated, is the stress that the new arrival often causes to the parent's relationship and harmony. In this episode, I'm talking with marriage coach, Tiffany Tuttle, who had her baby du...

In the hectic, chaotic world that we live in today, it's very easy to forget about the wonderful human beings we are and the qualities we are born with and the skills we acquire and develop throughout our lives. Today's guest, Sinead Kavanagh, has found clarity in her life and lives and breathes this and is committed to helping parents on their journey. Sinead is The Holistic Parent and in...

I often reminisce back to my childhood where we always spent our dinners together as a family, free of distractions such as the television, internet and social media. Dinnertime was a fun and precious time and we all enjoyed mum's cooking. I was brought up on a farm in a remote part of Scotland so there was no golden arches, KFC or other fast food available. In this episode, I talk with Linda...

Giving birth is a very traumatic and stressful event for women. It is a time when you often feel vulnerable and scared and it is important to create a safe space for both you and your baby. In this episode I speak with Tricia Murray, who is an anxiety and trauma coach and mother of four. Tricia is passionate about helping moms work through their birth trauma and she shares some great tips and stra...

Nearly all of the moms that I speak with feel guilty that they are either not doing enough as a parent or that they aren't getting things right with their little one. Guilt can be very destructive when left untreated and it's important to learn to eliminate guilt and shame in your life so you can be fully present to take care of your little one and move on! In this episode, I speak with Al...

During their baby's earliest days, many mums are spooked by the different colors of poop they are faced with and they often ask me about first foods and what to give their baby. Today, I'm delighted to welcome back Bekah Shephard, nurse and author of 'a Nurse in Your Purse' and we talk all about baby led weaning first foods and poop. Bekah shares some of her vast knowledge on these...

During my many years working as a childcare educator I've come across kids with ADHD on many occasions and I've often found it tough knowing how best to support them. Mother of twins Ashleigh Tolliver knows all about ADHD, since both her twins have it! I was thrilled to speak with her this week and she shared some innovative ways that parents can use to improve their interactions with kids...

It's very important that you begin interacting with your baby in a way to ensure they develop and can achieve their maximum potential. This is important to implement from day one and throughout their early years whilst their brains are still developing. In this episode I speak with Elizabeth Agrapidis, a pediatric physical therapist, teacher and mother of two. Elizabeth helps parents with thei...

When it comes to the topic of children's development and behavior, there's lots of labels and we all have our own ideas of what's normal, don't we! I was thrilled this week to speak with Dr Nerissa Bauer, a behavioral pediatrician and the owner and blogger of Let's Talk Kids Health. Nerissa had some great insights and shared some fascinating experiences from her own parenting j...

Many mums feel scared, alone and overwhelmed when it comes to caring for their newborns. There's so much going on and it can quickly become exhausting. Yes, they've got access to medical practitioners and midwives but who can they turn to for non-medical help? I wanted to find out more about the whole world of doulas and I was thrilled to speak with Erin Carroll-Manning who helps mums reco...

As a baby massage instructor, I'm a big fan of holistic health and the many wonderful ways it can help. Women's holistic health is no exception and there's some great help on offer for fertility, pregnancy and postpartum. In this episode, women's holistic health practitioner Holly Leever talks about practices she uses including yoni steaming, alvedo abdominal massage and acupunctur...

There's nothing more frustrating than when your baby is suffering from problems such as eczema is there? In this episode I speak with Renee Harris, a mother of 9, who helps moms fix their baby's skin without the use of lotions and drugs that can irritate them. Renee is passionate about skin care and how it has helped her family and you'll hear some great tips.

It's very important that you begin interacting with your baby in a positive, engaging way from when they are newborns to ensure they develop and can achieve their full potential in life. This is important to implement from day one and throughout their early years whilst their brains are still developing. In this episode I discuss ways you can achieve this with Michelle Mintz, who has over 25 y...