Share
everymum
Our Autistic World - Amanda, The Autistic Educator
Season 4, Ep. 3
•
Meet Amanda McGuinness, an incredible women and mother to 4 children - daughter Hayley and three autistic boys Conor, Jack and Max.
The arrival of Conor, Amanda's first son has taken her on an an exceptional 11 year journey from struggling to reach a diagnosis for her little baby to herself being diagnosed as autistic as an adult and now has become one of the leading autistic advocates in Ireland supporting thousands of families through littlepuddins.ie and the autistic educator.
Here with our host Sinead O'Moore she talks about those early signs, the judgements of others, how incredibly important finding a support system was for her and how her boys have transformed her life as she now understands and loves who she is.
*Trigger Warning
This journey is transformative and full of positivity and pride, but it also came with terribly low mental health days as Amanda describes the suicidal thoughts she experienced at the height of a period of depression which may effect listeners.
We want to thank Amanda for her honesty in discussing this with us as talking more openly really is the solution. If you need to talk about the issues raised in this episode please reach out to:
everymum the podcast is kindly supported by Waterwipes proven to be purer than cotton wool and water.
This season is supported by one of the most essential products for every mum from that first nappy change to those messy weaning months, WaterWipes, the worlds purest baby wipes. Made here in Ireland, WaterWipes are NOW 100% biodegradable and compostable wipes while being suitable for sensitive newborn and even premature skin. As the number one wipe in Ireland* together we are committed to providing more support for parents with trusted products and this podcast.
Subscribe now to join our everymum community of over 225,000 mums in Ireland to receive your FREE GIFT BAG and a the support every mum needs.
*Based on total market, value sales, YTD & L12W. Nielsen read 27th Dec.
**Within 12 weeks in an industrial setting/plant in accordance with EN13432. Wipe material
More episodes
View all episodes
2. It's okay to just be a 'good enough' parent, with Dr Malie Coyne
47:10||Season 15, Ep. 2This 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.
1. Grieving your own mother while mothering, with Jennie McGinn
47:56||Season 15, Ep. 1My 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.
10. How to find a balance working both in and out of the home with Tara Anderson
58:03||Season 14, Ep. 10My 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.
9. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, women's health and conceiving with Louise O'Reilly (stylemecurvy)
01:01:13||Season 14, Ep. 9My 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.
8. Losing a child, and the grief process five years on with Eileen Loughlin
52:55||Season 14, Ep. 8Before 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.
7. Can play therapy work for your child? With Debbie Cullinane
53:22||Season 14, Ep. 7This 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.
6. "This is life or death" – Eimear Hallahan on her two week old son's critical illness, and the miracles that surrounded him
52:12||Season 14, Ep. 6My 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.
5. Stop, drop and read: The power of books for children from birth onwards, with Dr Christina McDonnell
48:28||Season 14, Ep. 5My 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!
4. "I'm a fraction of the person I used to be!" - early motherhood chats with Louise Cooney
51:19||Season 14, Ep. 4The 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!