everymum

everymum

Zahra

Where we talk about the parts of motherhood, we don't hear enough about.

47 minutes 10 seconds

It's okay to just be a 'good enough' parent, with Dr Malie Coyne

This week's guest is Dr Malie Coyne, a Clinical Psychologist, bestselling author and and clinical psychology lecturer. Dr Coyne's special area of interest is in children's and adolescent mental health, and helping families navigate challenges around that. During our conversation today, the word 'compassion' came up a lot – not in relation to our children, but in relation to ourselves. Sharing stories of those times I've lost my patience, or been too cross with Lydia, I articulated what I think many parents feel when under the immense pressure to be the 'perfect' parent. Dr Coyne's approach to it is that sometimes, being 'good enough' is the best thing for our children. She advocates showing yourself kindness and care first, and letting that calm trickle down to your family. It's so good to hear from someone so experienced that an approach like that is not only okay, but might even be better for us than constantly aiming for perfection. Enjoy listening, and I'll be back next week.
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5 November 2024, 7:00 am
47 minutes 56 seconds

Grieving your own mother while mothering, with Jennie McGinn

My guest this week is entrepreneur and mother of two, Jennie McGinn. Jennie is an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word – she's the brains behind many very successful business endeavours, and somehow seems to keep all of the plates spinning, but something I love about her is her honesty about the very real juggle we all find ourselves doing, whether self-employed or not. She's refreshingly straightforward about the challenges of doing it all, or trying to at least, and we talk extensively about relying on our village, if we're lucky enough to have one. Jennie shares the heartbreaking story of losing her mother four years ago and the effect that had on her family and her children, and how vital those grandparent figures can be in our lives and those of our little ones. I managed to not cry during this one, but it is an emotional one, particularly for anyone who's lost a parent. Thanks for listening and I'll be back next week with more.
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29 October 2024, 11:00 am
58 minutes 3 seconds

How to find a balance working both in and out of the home with Tara Anderson

My guest this week was Tara Anderson, or as you might know her online – Tara Makeup. Makeup artist, model, actor, influencer and entrepreneur are all roles Tara has had in her life, but her job as mam to Gene and Jools, her 6 and 3-year-old sons, is the one we chatted most about in this episode. Tara talks candidly about her two very different experiences of pregnancy and birth, about how she's a private person in spite of being well known online, and how even for her, comparison can be the thief of joy at times. We chat about how parenting now is totally different to the parenting our own parents would've done, and how full of doubt we can be at times as to whether we're doing the right things. Tara is one of those people who you look at online and think 'how does she do it', but from talking to her I can tell that she's just like the rest of us: Doing the best for her family through the good and the bad. Thank you so much for listening today, and throughout season 14, and I'll be talking to you again soon.

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17 September 2024, 8:45 am
1 hour 1 minute

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, women's health and conceiving with Louise O'Reilly (stylemecurvy)

My guest this week was model and blogger, the lovely Louise O'Reilly, who is someone I've known for a really long time, since the very early days of my former career in magazines and since the early days of her career as a curve model. Louise has not only modelled in magazines like Cosmopolitan, but has had a plus size fashion blog called Style Me Curvy for as long as she's been modelling, which is where some of you might know her from. There, she helps women everywhere to embrace their individuality no matter what their size. And now, at 31-weeks pregnant, she continues to do so. But Louise's journey to pregnancy wasn't straightforward, and in fact she was given a less than 2% chance of ever conceiving, even with the help of IVF, which she didn't even look into in the end. Her miracle, spontaneous pregnancy was so unlikely to happen as she has polycystic ovarian syndrome, otherwise known as PCOS. She talks about her symptoms, how she was dismissed time and time again by doctors who didn't take those symptoms seriously, and how women are often overlooked by doctors based on their weight alone. Our discussion around women's health in general was fascinating, and anyone with Endometriosis, Adenomyosis or PCOS would likely identify with what Louise went through in getting a diagnosis. It's one of those episodes where I leave knowing so much more about a topic but also with great nuggets of advice such as, as Louise says: Always trust your gut when it comes to your health. Enjoy, and I'll be back soon with more.
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3 September 2024, 6:00 am
52 minutes 55 seconds

Losing a child, and the grief process five years on with Eileen Loughlin

Before I start this week's guest intro, I just want to flag that this episode is a very emotional one and might not be a comfortable listen for anyone in the early stages of grief, as it deals with the loss of a child.

My amazing and brave guest for this episode is Eileen Loughlin. Eileen is a mother of four gorgeous children, from ages 20 all the way to just two years old. Five and a half years ago, Eileen and her family's life was turned upside down when a tragic accident at their home led to the death of their youngest child at the time Annabel, who was just 3 and a half when she passed away. Eileen talks to me today about Annabel's short but happy life, her grieving process, the support that has seen her through and her hopes for her three living children as they move through their lives. She also tells me that there are plans in motion for a way to remember Annabel and build a legacy through which she can live on in memory. A gut-wrenching listen for me as the mother of a child the same age as Annabel, but for anyone experiencing loss, this could be a really helpful and hopeful episode. I'll be back next week with more.

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27 August 2024, 6:00 am
53 minutes 22 seconds

Can play therapy work for your child? With Debbie Cullinane

This week, I spoke to child and adolescent psychotherapist and play therapy expert, Debbie Cullinane. Debbie helps children struggling at home with anything from anxiety, behavioural issues, anger, grief, and lots more. She talked me through what exactly play therapy is, who might benefit from it, the types of play that are involved, and how after a matter of weeks she can see changes in children that parents never expected. She told me how occasionally, it's more of an education for parents about what's developmentally appropriate for kids than it is actually about the therapy itself. I'll be honest – I wasn't sure what exactly play therapy was and what it entailed before I did some research for this episode, so hearing it directly from Debbie was an education for me, as I hope it will be for some of you. Enjoy this episode, and I'll be back next week with more.

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20 August 2024, 6:00 am
52 minutes 12 seconds

"This is life or death" – Eimear Hallahan on her two week old son's critical illness, and the miracles that surrounded him

My guest this week is mother of two, Eimear Hallahan. If you don't know Eimear's story from social media already, it's worth noting that this episode deals with a critically ill baby and might be a tough listen for some. Eimear's youngest son, James, was just two weeks old when she brought him to hospital knowing something wasn't right with him. She trusted her instinct, and once he arrived to Cork University Hospital, the doctors and nurses there sprang into action. He had sepsis, and his body was so full of infection that no antibiotic was seemingly working to treat it. Eimear knew straight away it was critical, and was told her son's chances of survival, at one point, were as low as just 5%. Her strength, positivity, and resilience, along with the support of her partner Jack, meant that through it all, she believed that James would survive. It's an incredible and powerful story of just pure hope, and it brought me to tears, which doesn't often happen! Like I said, this episode is a tough listen at times – I'll be back to you next week with more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 August 2024, 6:00 am
48 minutes 28 seconds

Stop, drop and read: The power of books for children from birth onwards, with Dr Christina McDonnell

My guest this week is Dr Christina McDonnell, who is a practicing GP, a Garda on-call doctor and also the owner of Genius Juniors, the online bookshop for children of all ages. I was so excited to chat with Christina because honestly, nothing shaped me more throughout childhood than the books I read, and I know just how powerful reading can be for a child's development. Christina was a wealth of knowledge about what reading can do for a child, how much screen time we should give our kids, the 'whatever works' approach and making time for one on one moments with your children if possible. I came perilously close to totally nerding out about the books I loved as a child – any parent who wants to enrich their child's life will love this episode, there's no better gift than the love of reading, to my mind anyway. Enjoy!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 August 2024, 12:10 pm
51 minutes 19 seconds

"I'm a fraction of the person I used to be!" - early motherhood chats with Louise Cooney

The lovely Louise Cooney joins me this week for a chat about all things motherhood. Louise, who I'm sure lots of you follow, is an influencer, content creator and mother to baby Jude, who is 8 and a half months old. From talking to Louise, it's so clear to see that motherhood suits her – she has a refreshingly positive take on being a new mam and honestly, if I was pregnant with my first child again and heard how beautifully she speaks about her experience, I would be genuinely looking forward to the experience. We talk about her relationship with her partner Mark changing after Jude came into the world, how she's got a newfound respect for mothers everywhere, and how she accepted that her work was going to have to take a back seat while she focused her energy on her son. Anyone about to experience parenthood for the first time, this is the perfect episode to listen to. I hope you enjoy!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 July 2024, 6:00 am
49 minutes

Overcoming birth trauma with Dr Rebecca Moore

This week, I spoke to the amazing Dr Rebecca Moore. Dr Moore is an incredibly empathetic perinatal consultant psychiatrist who works in the UK. She is renowned for her expertise in supporting mothers who are navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, anxiety, depression, and of course, our topic for today's episode: birth trauma. Around 30% of people who give birth recall some part of their birth experience as traumatic. For me, I had antenatal trauma in my pregnancy, which is often overlooked for women too. Phrases like "at least you have a healthy baby" are bandied about and ultimately, not helpful. We discuss every aspect of birth trauma, the signs to look out for, how to talk to those close to you about it, and things that can help you overcome it for subsequent pregnancies and deliveries. I always say it, but these conversations are so important to have because although we're all grateful when a healthy baby is delivered, it doesn't mean the maternal mental health is intact. Enjoy this episode and I'll speak to you next week.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 July 2024, 6:00 am
53 minutes 26 seconds

Freezing your eggs in your 30s with Ali Ryan

This week's guest is media mogul Alexandra Ryan, owner and brains behind the incredible Irish media brand, Goss Media. Ali joins me this week to talk all things egg freezing. Having undergone the process twice in recent years, Ali knows the ins and outs. We discuss her motivation for embarking on the process, the financial implications, the side effects of taking so many hormones, the physical aftermath of the retrieval and so much more. One of the things I love about Ali is that she's always so transparent and honest about things, and her egg retrieval process is no different – she's showing the realities of every step of the journey and is doing so to encourage others to talk about it more openly. She believes there's an unnecessary shame around not reaching those societally imposed milestones we all know exist, and she's doing things her own way. I loved this chat and I know you will too.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 July 2024, 6:00 am
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