What happens when the life you thought you had planned suddenly changes?

Siobhan Freegard OBE is the founder of Netmums, a serial entrepreneur and one of the most influential voices in building communities for women. Over the past 25 years, she has helped millions of women feel less alone — but her own journey began with a profound personal struggle.In this episode of Health Applied, Siobhan opens up about becoming a mother, postnatal depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts and the enormous identity shift that comes with motherhood.She also shares why she believes women don't simply return to who they were after major life changes, whether that's motherhood, perimenopause or another period of transformation. Instead, we become something new.

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Chapters:

00:00 – Meet Siobhan Freegard OBE

00:45 – When motherhood changed everything

02:48 – Siobhan's experience of postnatal depression

03:08 – Matrescence: the transformation of becoming a mother

04:17 – Why motherhood changes your identity

05:10 – You don't go back to who you were

05:31 – Perimenopause: becoming someone new again

06:42 – Finding the fun woman you were before

07:01 – What Siobhan thinks about postnatal depression now

08:03 – Why mothers need a village

09:17 – Where is the community?

10:00 – The intrusive thoughts mums are afraid to talk about

11:40 – Why intrusive thoughts can feel so terrifying

12:05 – How Netmums began

14:20 – Building Netmums before social media

16:13 – Building it without funding

17:05 – “I was just a mum”

18:10 – The mums who said Netmums changed their lives

19:15 – How big did Netmums become?

20:00 – The vision behind Netmums

21:30 – Why having a vision matters

23:00 – Pain, purpose and solving a real problem

24:00 – Why you can only control what you do today

25:00 – The next chapter: Chatmum.ai

27:00 – Can AI really support mothers?

29:00 – What women actually need from technology

31:00 – Turning personal experience into purpose

33:00 – Motherhood, ambition and identity

35:00 – Relationships, divorce and starting again

38:00 – Knowing when something isn't working

40:00 – The importance of self-care

42:00 – Why women put themselves last

44:00 – Supporting women through difficult times

46:00 – Siobhan's work beyond Netmums

48:00 – Finding purpose in the next chapter

50:00 – What Siobhan has learned from 25 years of supporting women

53:00 – The power of community

55:00 – Siobhan's advice for women today

57:00 – Final thoughts

Are we putting too much pressure on our children and forgetting what they actually need to thrive?On this episode of Health Applied, Kelly and Harriet are joined by educator Camilla Spurr, Deputy Head of a leading independent school in Hertfordshire, to question whether the way we educate children is preparing them for life or simply teaching them how to pass exams.Camilla believes that if a child feels happy, seen, loved and respected, they are far more able to learn. But she argues that our education system can put children under enormous pressure, particularly through exams, tutoring and the race for the “best” schools. She shares why she chose not to raise her own child in a London day school after seeing the stress and anxiety experienced by 9, 10 and 11-year-olds.Watch The Full Series Of Health Applied Here - https://www.youtube.com/@UCbenIdBaHJsQ6w1oHRvR8AA 💬 Join the ConversationHave a question or a topic you’d like us to cover on a future episode? Comment below or message us on Instagram.Follow Health Applied:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/healthappliedpodcast/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@healthappliedpodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/Health-Applied-Podcast/61584575055523/Chapters00:00 — Why Children Need to Feel Seen, Loved & Respected01:13 — What Makes a Great Teacher?07:32 — Why Context Matters When Children Learn08:24 — What Should Children Actually Learn at School?17:24 — Rethinking How We Teach Children25:00 — Why We Need to Question Education28:25 — Are Exams Really the Best Way to Measure Intelligence?32:37 — The Pressure of 11+ and School Admissions34:03 — Are Children Being Over-Tutored?40:26 — Are We Building Better Humans?41:34 — AI Is Changing Education42:49 — Why Children Need to Learn How to Think44:16 — Is AI Removing Our Ability to Think?45:44 — The Future of Education53:00 — What Does a Child Need to Thrive?60:00 — Parenting, Teachers & Shared Responsibility72:14 — The Reality of Juggling Work and Children74:18 — Why Boredom Is Good for Children

Healthcare professionals spend their careers caring for others, but who cares for them?In this episode of Health Applied, Kelly Allison and Harriet Gisborne are joined by Louise Adams, CEO of You Okay, Doc?, a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals across the UK.Louise shares her experience of 20 years in the NHS, including leading an emergency department through the pandemic, and explains why healthcare professionals can feel enormous pressure to always be the person who is “okay”.The conversation explores burnout, mental health, isolation, the pressures facing NHS staff, why healthcare professionals struggle to ask for help, and what we can do to support the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals in our lives.Louise also explains the importance of community, why simply asking “Are you really okay?” can make a difference, and how the UOK Doc SHOUT helpline, provides confidential support for healthcare professionals.Find out more at www.uok.org.uk. If you are a healthcare professional who is struggling or needs someone to talk to, you can text YOD to 85258 for confidential support.Watch The Full Series Of Health Applied Here - https://www.youtube.com/@UCbenIdBaHJsQ6w1oHRvR8AA 💬 Join the ConversationHave questions about cosmetic surgery? Comment below or message us on Instagram.Follow Health Applied:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/healthappliedpodcast/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@healthappliedpodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/Health-Applied-Podcast/61584575055523/Chapters00:00 – Who Cares for the Carers?01:58 – Louise’s Journey Through the NHS02:54 – Healthcare Professionals Are Human Too05:39 – Is Mental Health Stigma Changing?07:13 – Creating Space for Healthcare Workers08:45 – Why Honesty from Leaders Matters09:52 – How Do You Cope with the Pressure?12:00 – The Power of Community13:37 – The Pressure of Not Giving Your Best14:17 – Why Healthcare Has Become Harder16:40 – NHS vs Private Healthcare18:10 – How to Support a Healthcare Professional19:54 – The UOK Doc SHOUT Helpline22:07 – When Asking for Help Feels Career-Limiting23:03 – Louise’s Experience of Burnout25:21 – The Wider Burnout Crisis27:40 – Should We Have a Four-Day Week?28:30 – Do Men and Women Experience Burnout Differently?30:04 – “You’re Still You. You’re Just an Unwell You.”31:02 – Building a Community for Healthcare Professionals34:47 – How to Get Involved with UOK Doc36:21 – Would You Trust a Vulnerable Doctor?38:43 – Human-to-Human Healthcare40:05 – Final Thoughts