I’m taking a little break over the Easter holidays, but I didn’t want you to miss this episode, because it’s the final one in our postpartum series, part of this season on The Reality of Birth. 

Across this series, we’ve explored what life is really like after birth—the joys, the challenges, the surprises, and all the moments in between. We’ve talked about sleep, emotional shifts, body changes, identity, and the real realities of those first few weeks with a newborn.

For this final episode, I’m revisiting a conversation...

Motherhood is more than a role—it’s a profound transformation. In this episode, I explore matrescence, the process of becoming a mother, and what it really means for your body, your relationships, and your sense of self.

I talk openly about reconnecting with your postpartum body, navigating intimacy and sex after birth, and adjusting to the new dynamics in your relationship. I share reflections on shifting priorities, managing guilt when taking time for yourself, and learning to let go of control while trusting others with your baby. I also explore the delicate and personal decisions around havi...

Bringing a new baby into your family is often described as a joyful and exciting time — but the reality is far more complex.

In this episode, I share an honest, real-world look at what it’s like to welcome a newborn into your home and your family, whether this is your first baby or you already have children.

We explore the emotional, physical, and practical realities of the early weeks — from sleep deprivation and feeding challenges to the intense sense of responsibility and constant worry that many parents experience.

I also share...

Since last week’s episode was released, I’ve received so many messages from listeners asking for more information about the fourth trimester and postpartum planning that I decided to record this extra episode to explore these topics in more depth.

The weeks after birth are often overlooked in birth preparation, yet they represent one of the most significant transitions for both mother and baby. In this episode, I talk about the biological realities of the fourth trimester, why newborn behaviour often makes perfect sense when we understand human development, and why planning for postpartum can make such...

In this episode, I’m joined by specialist postpartum midwife Lara for a thoughtful and honest conversation about what really happens after birth.

Recorded last summer, this discussion explores the often-overlooked realities of the postpartum period — not just physically, but emotionally, relationally and hormonally.

Together, we unpack:

Why the fourth trimester deserves as much preparation as labour itselfThe importance of debriefing your birth experienceThe embodied transition women move through after birthThe evolving role of the birth partner once the baby has arrivedWhy personalised, relational postpartum care mattersHow intentional postpartum planning can reduce tension and misu...

Preparing for birth is only half the story. What happens in the weeks after your baby arrives can be just as challenging — and often more overwhelming than labour itself. That’s why I teach the Relationship Circle in my antenatal classes, a practical way to map your support network, set boundaries, and clarify who does what.

At the heart of the circle is Mother + Partner + Baby, because postpartum is a shared journey. Around that centre, the circles show both parents’ families and friends, making it easy to see who will help, who needs boundaries, and where...

Last week I talked about hypervigilance — what happens when a woman’s nervous system doesn’t feel safe in pregnancy, birth or postpartum.

This week, I explore one of the most evidence-based ways to reduce it: continuity of carer.

Continuity is not just about seeing the same service. It’s about being known. It’s about relationship. And decades of research show that when women receive continuity of midwifery care, outcomes improve across the board — including lower rates of preterm birth, fewer interventions, and better mental health outcomes.

But this conversation goes beyond statistics.<...

Hyper-vigilance is common in pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period — but rarely named. In this episode, we explore what hyper-vigilance really is, why so many women experience it, and how it impacts mothers, partners, and babies.

We talk about nervous system safety, surveillance culture in maternity care, why reassurance often doesn’t help, and what truly supports healing — without pathologising women or telling them to 'just relax'.

This episode is for:

Pregnant women who feel unable to switch offWomen reflecting on births that looked fine but felt exhaustingMothers who can’t rest even when their ba...

This episode is a little different! 

I decided to answer a batch of listener questions that were shorter than the single-question episodes, and they fit perfectly with what’s coming up in the coming weeks. 

As I went through them, I noticed quite a few shared a common theme, and it reminded me just how important it is to dedicate some episodes specifically to postpartum experiences, because there is so much to unpack in those first days, weeks and months. 

I hope you enjoy this Q&A — it’s honest, practical, and grounded in real e...

In this episode, I’m joined by Fenja, who shares her freebirth story with honesty, depth, and clarity.

At a time when freebirth is being widely discussed — and often misunderstood — Fenja’s experience offers a grounded and much-needed perspective on what informed, conscious birth preparation can look like.

Fenja speaks openly about the extensive work she did during pregnancy: building physiological understanding, engaging in emotional and mental preparation, and developing a deep trust in her body and decision-making. Her choices were not made lightly. They were rooted in knowledge, reflection, and personal...

In this episode, I am exploring the hidden and often overlooked phenomenon of self-gaslighting—when women dismiss their own instincts, feelings, or inner knowing. Self-gaslighting can show up during pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood, quietly eroding confidence and disconnecting women from their power.

I will break down:

What self-gaslighting is and how to recognise itWhere it comes from and why it’s so commonHow it shows up in pregnancy, birth, and postpartumThe emotional and physical costs of silencing yourselfPractical tools to unlearn self-gaslighting and reclaim your confidenceHow birth partners can support women to trust them...

So much of birth preparation focuses on what to do — how to breathe, how to move, how to plan.

But none of that works if a woman doesn’t trust herself.

In this episode, I’m sharing my Ten Commandments of Birth and explaining why I believe inner work is the missing piece in so much birth preparation. I talk honestly about what I’ve seen shift in women since creating Discover Your North Star, and why no breathing technique can undo years of self-doubt.

This episode is about preparation that goes dee...

In this final episode of the year, I’m talking about something I see all the time in my work — but something women rarely feel able to admit out loud: that the desperate longing for a baby doesn’t always match how they feel once they are actually here.

After more than two decades supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and those early vulnerable weeks, I’ve heard this story in so many different forms. Today, I’m sharing the experience of a mum I met at a recent coffee morning — Emma — who gave me permission to talk about her jour...

In this episode, we dive deep into communication in the birth room — going beyond the widely taught BRAIN acronym. While BRAIN (Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, Nothing) can be a helpful tool, waiting until labour to rely on it often means you’ve already been pulled into reactive decision-making. We discuss how true advocacy, sovereignty, and physiological birth are protected long before labour begins, through preparation, clear values, and embodied support.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Why relying on BRAIN mid-labour can disrupt physiological birth.The limitations of checklists and reactive decision-making.How to pre...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and fellow birth worker Jen Culley to talk about the reality that early labour is often overlooked in modern birth preparation.

We explore how early labour is represented on social media and how these portrayals can unintentionally shape women’s expectations in unhelpful ways. While short clips and reels can beautifully capture the moment a baby is born, they rarely show the quiet, powerful, and often lengthy process that leads up to it. Early labour can take hours — sometimes days — and it’s during this tim...

In this episode, I explore one of the most delicate and important questions in birth work: Is my lived experience more important than your future one?

So many women feel torn between wanting to share their birth story — whether it was empowering, challenging, or deeply traumatic — and wanting to protect others from fear or unrealistic expectations. But how do we find the balance? How do we share truthfully without limiting what’s possible for someone else?

This conversation unpacks the tension between past experience and future potential. Together, we look at how to reflect on your o...

In this episode, I talk about one of the most emotionally testing times in pregnancy — the waiting game.

When your due date is approaching, or has come and gone, it can feel as though the world is on pause while everyone keeps asking, 'Have you had the baby yet?' 

I explore what this waiting period can really feel like — the impatience, the frustration, and the mental tug of war that happens when your baby still isn’t ready to arrive.

I also talk about the pressure that can build when conversations about induc...