The final *bonus* episode of Season 1 of Sisterhood, The Podcast features Lucy's friend and fellow first time mum (FTM) Emma Edwards. After meeting on the app Peanut whilst both pregnant, Lucy and Emma discuss their new friendship and shared struggles over the past 12 months. Becoming a parent is huge adjustment, one that so many of us experience, but the 'village' that is so often spoken about is so rarely a reality for most of us, and finding solace and support in unlikely places is more commonplace than you may expect!

Emma discusses openly her fertility challenges, her journey to becoming a mother, and airs her hopes and dreams for the future.

This intimate conversation closes the first season of this podcast. It's been an eye-opening, but reassuring and comforting experience to know women are never alone in this massive journey we embark upon, if you are seeking out support or care, it is always out there, you just have to look a little harder to find it.

Until next season (maybe!)
Lx

P.S. if you'd like to get in touch please contact me through the podcast contact link; whether you're a new mum and would like some words of wisdom, a business who'd like to work with me, or simply a podcast admirer, I'd love to hear from you!

Sex education is not just for young people. In this episode sexpert Debbie Bere talks about how she's not only educating our youth about sex, but also re-educating our population and squashing pre-existing ideas about sex and porn. Sex and relationships affect our everyday lives, but as a society we're still squeamish talking about it. From STI's and contraception, to discussing consent and boundaries with children, Debbie gives listeners an insight into her world of sex education.

Debbie's instagram can be found here

Until next week!
Lx

Delving deep into perinatal mental health struggles, Dr Jenna gives listeners an overview of the complicated and often confusing headspace that you can find yourself in, pre and post birth. From postnatal depression, baby blues and anxiety, to mum guilt and matrescence, Lucy and Dr Jenna cover ground that is rarely covered in such a public forum. Both discussing their experience and offering support and guidance where possible, this episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating the perinatal period.

Dr Jenna's instagram can be found here and her website can be found here

Until next week (for our penultimate episode of Season 1!)

Lx

Carrying a baby for 9 months can take its toll on your body, mentally, but physically too. Pelvic health physiotherapist Clare Bourne sheds some light on a number of difficulties and struggles a woman may face in the perinatal period and how her personal experience has allowed her to get a greater understanding of the impact this can have on our day to day lives.

From commonly discussed (and often never explained!) terms such as prolapse, diastases recti and pelvic girdle pain, to symptoms and health concerns experienced day to day without even realising it...constipation, incontinence and back pain, in this episode Clare and Lucy cover it all.

Available for private appointments in South West London, Clare is your go to clinician for pelvic health, today, tomorrow or next year!

You can find Clare on instagram here

We didn't discuss it in the podcast but Clare has written a book!! You are able to pre-order it here

Until next week!

Lx

Zombie or Martyr? You don't have to choose!

This week Lucy speaks with Hannah Clapham from Little Nest Sleep. Discussing a more holistic approach to infant sleep, Hannah shares her personal experience and professional advice on how to get through those first weeks and months. Delving into how sleep (or lack of it) can impact how we feel about ourselves and our ability to parent, Lucy and Hannah share intimate thoughts and feelings relatable to any parent with young children.

Hannah's instagram can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/littlenestsleep/reels/?ref=dtf.ru
Her podcast can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sleep-like-a-baby/id1566863544
Her website can be found here: https://littlenest.uk

Hannah mentions a number of resources throughout this episode, they can be found here:

- Kerry Secker, Care It Out: https://www.careitout.com

Safe sleep guidance:
- The Lullaby Trust: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk
- The NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/reduce-the-risk-of-sudden-infant-death-syndrome/

Until next week!

Lx

Sometimes, the pregnancy and 'birth plan' you envisage doesn't happen. In this week's episode, the spotlight is on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where Lucy engages in a conversation with Frankie Harrison, a clinical psychologist and NICU mum. Despite facing the challenges of giving birth prematurely during the Covid era, Frankie shares her personal journey of spending weeks in the NICU with her newborn. The discussion focusses around preparing for a NICU experience, coping with its emotional and physical aspects, and why follow up care and support in the shape of a community is so important.

You can find Frankie here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miraclemoonuk/?hl=en-gb
Website: https://www.miraclemoon.co.uk/links

Frankie mentions two fantastic resources, they can be found here:

- Bliss charity: https://www.bliss.org.uk
- Le Leche League: https://www.laleche.org.uk

Until next week!

Lx

After a weeks hiatus, Lucy is back this week speaking with Health Visitor & Paediatric Nurse Mariapaola Weeks.

Many women aren't aware that post partum you are assigned a health visitor who most likely comes to your home to see how you are adjusting to life with your newborn baby. This can be an invaluable relationship when you are feeling your most lonely and vulnerable. Discussing what a health visitor does and what you can rely on them for, Lucy and Paola discuss the reality of life in those first newborn weeks.

Paola mentions a couple of great resources:

- Alexandra Sacks Ted Talk on Matrescence: https://www.ted.com/talks/alexandra_sacks_a_new_way_to_think_about_the_transition_to_motherhood
- Zainab Yate's book is: When Breastfeeding Sucks: What you need to know about nursing aversion and agitation

Mariapaola's book, Goodbye Mummy's Milk, can be purchased here:

- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodbye-Mummys-Milk-Mariapaola-Weeks/dp/1739629906

Mariapaola has also shared some further links and resources for those struggling during the post partum period:

Supporting mental health:
- https://pandasfoundation.org.uk
- https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-nhs-talking-therapies-service.

For those experiencing domestic violence and abuse support can be found at:
- https://www.womensaid.org.uk
- https://refuge.org.ukhttps://mensadviceline.org.uk
- https://galop.org.uk.

Until next week!

Lx

As someone who has always loved and been fascinated by birth and babies, it is no surprise that Carmelle Gentle is a qualified midwife. But after years of working in a number of roles within the NHS, Carmelle realised the need for a specialist offering within oral function (or dysfunction), so she stepped away from her NHS roles, and started The Tongue Tie Clinic (https://londontonguetieclinic.co.uk). In this episode Carmelle shares her story and experience as a midwife, mum and tongue tie practitioner.

Lucy & Carmelle discuss tongue tie, oral dysfunction, how to optimise feeding babies in the early days and week, and how this specialist area affects you life long.

You can find Carmelle on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gentle_births_and_beyond/

Carmelle mentions a number of additional resources, these can be found below:

The Infant Feeding Specialist on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infant.feeding.specialist/

Myo Moves on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myomoves/

Milk Matters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milkmatterspt/

Until next week!

Lx

*for further individualised support on breast-feeding, lactation, tongue tie & oral dysfunction please speak to Carmelle & her team directly or contact your GP or local healthcare provider