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7. Raising self-compassionate children with Louise Shanagher
47:00||Season 16, Ep. 7My guest this week is author and mindfulness educator Louise Shanagher. Louise is also the founder of the Creative Mindfulness method, a programme that introduces mindfulness and self-compassion to children through creative activities like storytelling, art, and meditation. She has authored several children's books, and through her Creative Mindfulness Practitioner Training, has introduced mindfulness practices to tens of thousands of people, reflecting her deep passion for sharing that important knowledge. We talk about how mindfulness has evolved over the years, how it can now apply to and be used by children and young people, and how to equip children with lifelong self-care tools. I don't know about you, but I was terrified by the recent Netflix series Adolescence, and speaking to Louise gave me confidence that with the right tools, you can raise a self-compassionate and self-aware child who knows their parents are there as a safety net for them no matter what. Louise is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to how to speak to young children in a way that is understandable but effective too. Louise's latest book, Growing Self-Compassionate Children, is available now should you want to know more. A really practical episode, I know you'll love this one. I'll be back next week with more.
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6. Your thoughts are not your actions, and healing from trauma with Emma Flynn
01:01:06||Season 16, Ep. 6This week, I spoke to returning guest Emma Flynn. Emma was first on the podcast with the lovely Sinead more than three years ago, but her story was so compelling and so important that I wanted to catch up with her and see how things are for her now. Emma's story can be difficult to hear and can be triggering, so if you're a new mam or in a particularly sensitive place, just use caution and take care when listening. Now a mother of three, when Emma's first child, Jack was born, she went through the darkest and scariest moments of her life. She felt she didn't love her son, but worse, she felt the only way through her suffering was to hurt herself and her baby. With help from medication, her therapist, her husband and her supportive family, she managed to survive through it and go on to have two more children, and to absolutely adore all three of them. She has an incredibly supportive online community too where sharing her story has helped (and will continue to help) so many people going through similar but afraid to talk about it. We spoke about finding healing, her return to faith and how she is now, several years on from those traumatic days. It was a tough episode to record but so worthwhile. I'll be back next week, speak to you then.
5. "You just wait!" and other advice no pregnant person wants to hear, with Niamh O'Sullivan
53:05||Season 16, Ep. 5The lovely Niamh O'Sullivan is my guest this week, and although I've known Niamh for a good few years, and she's always radiant, she was absolutely GLOWING with the joy that only arrives when you're expecting your first baby. At the time of recording, Niamh is about half way through her pregnancy, and she's just now coming out of the horrendous sickness she endured for almost the whole first half... which I can identify with, and that's something literally anyone who listens to this podcast will know, as I never shut up about it. Niamh and I discuss the perils of pregnancy Googling, how sometimes you DON'T want the gory birth stories and how the phrase "You just wait!" is Niamh's biggest peeve. We talk about birth plans (or the lack thereof) and feeling nervous about birth, but it's clear that Niamh is just thrilled to be about to welcome her baby to the world. I can't wait to have her back on after she has her little angel to talk all things fourth trimester. Enjoy this, and I'll be back next week with more.
4. Having children doesn't mean you stop following your passion, with sports star Louise Galvin
51:23||Season 16, Ep. 4I absolutely LOVED this week's episode. Not only was Louise Galvin extremely sound to chat to and I left wanting to be her pal, she was so open and honest and candid about how she and her husband manage parenting. Louise, for those unfamiliar, is one of Ireland's most successful sports stars – playing at senior level with the Kerry football team, playing in the Rugby 7s World Cup AND as the captain of a National Cup winning basketball team. She probably made GAA history when, following one of her particularly important semi-final matches, Louise ran off the pitch to breastfeed her baby just as the final whistle blew, making her the first player to breastfeed in the dressing rooms at Croke Park. Louise has a three year old son and twin babies who are not even five months yet, and she's making sure she makes time to be match fit to catch the end of the football season. I for one was in awe listening to her tell me all this, while she was just taking it totally in her stride, making it clear that she doesn't get mam guilt because she knows her sport is an important part of who she is and an important example to set for her three children. I think you will love this episode as much as I did – and I'll be back next week with more.
3. Avoiding mastitis, fed is best and a breastfeeding Q&A with Orla Dorgan
49:23||Season 16, Ep. 3My guest this week is award-winning lactation consultant Orla Dorgan, who is the founder of mylactationconsultant.ie. Orla is a nurse by profession, but when she breastfed her children and had a good experience, she wanted to bring the tools and advice she had to as many parents as possible. This episode covers a lot – both general chats about feeding, holds, using nipple shields and whether cabbage leaves actually do anything, and also answers to specific breastfeeding questions too, such as how can a partner help the breastfeeding journey, and the transition back to work while still feeding. Orla also give her three-step approach to stopping mastitis from taking hold, and how to tell it might be beginning in the first place. A really fascinating episode, this will help anyone at the start of a breastfeeding journey. I'll be back next week with more.
2. Travelling with toddlers, work/life balance and more with Ailbhe Garrihy
51:52||Season 16, Ep. 2This weeks episode was just such a pleasure to record from start to finish – Ailbhe Garrihy is my guest this week and she is just the most engaging and warm person to chat to, and I know it's such a podcast cliche but I really could have talked to her for hours. Ailbhe is not only the general manager of her thriving family business Dublin Bay Cruises but she's also a mam of two little boys, Sean and Fionn, who at ages 4 and 2 keep her very busy. We chat about raising boys having known only sisters and girls in her family for most of her life, about taking her two on an 11 hour flight to San Francisco and living to tell the tale, and her disciplining hacks for getting her two lads to comply (I call them threats in my house, but maybe that's too strong a word?) Ailbhe has the most grateful and positive approach to parenting, and this episode will give anyone expecting a boy, or a second boy, a real insight into all the loveliness to come. I'll be back next week with another episode.1. Baby incoming! 39 weeks pregnant and going from 2 to 3 with Grace Mongey Gernon
43:50||Season 16, Ep. 1My guest for our first episode of season 16 is the lovely Grace Mongey Gernon. Grace has been working full time as an influencer for the past nine years – there was somewhat of an urgency with getting Grace's episode recorded, because when we spoke she was 39 weeks pregnant and eagerly awaiting the arrival of her third child, a little boy who's name she's already got embroidered on a little jumper for when he's born. We talk about the transition she's about to face from two children to three, and the age gap between her other two being big enough that going back into nappies and night feeds will be a huge change to their life all over again. We chat about her life online, how her family feel about her work as an influencer, and how trolling almost made her give it all up to be a midwife, but how now she's in a good place mentally and feels good about it again. Grace is so loved online for her no nonsense approach and for being upfront and honest about her reality. this was a lovely episode to record and while nobody went into labour during it, it's still worth a listen. Back next week with more.