More Than Mama

I am SO thrilled to welcome Amanda Ruggeri to the podcast. Amanda is an award-winning journalist, editor, and photographer with a passion for storytelling that bridges cultures and perspectives and I had a huuuuuge fangirl moment over this chat not just because of her incredible career and how smart she is, but the AWESOME work she does myth busting and exploring science in understandable terms to EMPOWER parents to make their own decisions confidently, rooted in actual evidence is so important and sanity saving in this world of fake news, online noise and distorted claims.Known widely for her work as the Senior Content Editor and Journalist at BBC Future, Amanda has a knack for diving deep into topics that span science, history, and social issues, always with a fresh, human-centered approach and she is just such a wonderful, warm person and a joy to chat to.Her knack for breaking down complex topics in clear and accessible ways has made her a trusted voice for audiences looking to understand the world in a nuanced way so you can imagine why I was SO excited to have her on the show.In this episode we dive into:Empowering parents with knowing the nuances of issue and understanding the ACTUAL evidence Myth busting and what the research really says about only children vs siblingsThe research on big families (4/5+ children)How to spot where claims online (even ‘studies show’) are not legit when you don’t always have time to deep dive or fact check How we need to understand instagram might be a great source of information but view it as a shopping mall rather than a librarySleep training, cosleeping, the debates and the research and the problem with absolutesThe truth about the research and claims around attachmentThe value of listening to your intuition around sleep decisionsDoing a story for the BBC on milestonesSpotting logical fallacies and why we need to question them!A little perspective from parenting in different culturesAnd so much more!Connect with Amanda Instagram: @mandyruggeri FOLLOW the podcast on instagram - @themorethanmamapod + @brionywritesReminder and disclaimerThis podcast is for entertainment, educational and informational purposes only and does not provide (or purport to provide) medical, legal, financial, business, nutritional or other advice. Please always consult the appropriate professional for such advice.This podcast is a judgment free space sharing a range of views, experiences and perspectives and those expressed in these conversations are not necessarily those of the host or any brands or corporations referenced.This podcast stands for supporting mothers (parents and carers too!) and lifting them up, whatever their journey looks like. Where guests and the host have made certain choices does not mean we believe everyone else should do the same. You know your family best.

Something a little different this week - my very first solo episode! - not long after my eldest has turned 4, and I look back over my two cesaerean section births. I know c sections receive a lot of negative press so I am always anxious to reassure women they can also be truly beautiful birth experiences.Trigger warning: this episode contains mentions and/or discussion of trying to conceive, reduced movement, vaginal assault and vaginismus.Ultimately, I had two very positive c section (abdominal) births and hope sharing the story is useful - I know I found positive c section stories useful and reassuring ahead of my experience. Despite covid and lockdowns and all of the crazy consequences of that during my first birth, I still ended up with a positive birth experience.FOLLOW the podcast on instagram - @themorethanmamapod + @brionywritesReminder and disclaimerThis podcast is for entertainment, educational and informational purposes only and does not provide (or purport to provide) medical, legal, financial, business, nutritional or other advice. Please always consult the appropriate professional for such advice.This podcast is a judgment free space sharing a range of views, experiences and perspectives and those expressed in these conversations are not necessarily those of the host or any brands or corporations referenced.This podcast stands for supporting mothers (parents and carers too!) and lifting them up, whatever their journey looks like. Where guests and the host have made certain choices does not mean we believe everyone else should do the same. You know your family best.

An unusual episode this week because this is a chat with a very special guest, Melissa Wells... from when I interviewed her back in 2018! I thought it was something that needed a re-release because in our motherhood era, we need to be kind to our post partum bodies, to heal from the societal pressure to 'bounce back' or look a certain way, and to pour that energy into things that fill us up. In this episode we touch on Mel's first two books, The Goddess Revolution and Hungry for More, healing her eating disorders and helping other women heal their relationships with food, body image, toxic diet culture, healing ourselves so we can direct our energy towards the things that truly light us up...At the time of recording Mel Wells was known for being a TEDX speaker and leading voice in the world of self-love, empowerment, and wellness, a best-selling author of two books, a certified eating psychology coach, and the founder of the Self Love Summit, helping women break free from toxic diet culture and cultivate healthy relationships with food, their bodies, and themselves. Fast forward to today, and Melissa is a mother to her young son Sky, with her second the way, and she has evolved her coaching business beyond coaching women in their relationships with food into Feminine Leadership and mentorship across business, feminine archetypes and the divine feminine and she is also known for her authenticity and speaking from the heart on all things spirituality, polarity and exploring the mysteries of life. Who knows, I’d love to be able to have her back on the podcast to chat about her motherhood journey one day, but for now I hope you take something from this episode because I think all women, but maybe especially those of us who are post partum, need a little more self love.Connect with Mel here: IG @iammelwells Website https://melwells.com/Find The Goddess Revolution by Mel Wells hereFind Hungry for More by Mel Wells hereMel's Divine Feminine Archetype Quiz: get your report hereMel's TEDx talk 'What are you really hungry for?'Mel's podcast Love, Sex & MagicReminder and disclaimerThis podcast is for entertainment, educational and informational purposes only and does not provide (or purport to provide) medical, legal, financial, business, nutritional or other advice. Please always consult the appropriate professional for such advice.

This week we're chatting to the absolutely fab Elizabeth Willetts. After being made redundant during the pandemic, she founded Investing in Women, and she has since written her first book, Flex, which is now available for pre-order. In this episode we discuss her journey, tips for returning to work, Elizabeth's personal story of feeling like she lost herself and her confidence during 4 years of fertility struggles and IVF, but also how she regained her confidence in motherhood and found fulfilment in using her recruitment experience to change the working landscape for mothers and parents for the better.In this episode we chat about:Elizabeth's why behind starting Investing In WomenTips for finding and getting good part time rolesDefining flexible workingImportance of flexible working for all genders - men, women, dads, mums, carersBiggest misconceptions about flexible and part time workingMotherhood making you more productive, time as the most precious commodityProductivity crisis and how flexible working and part time working could be the key to fixing thisThe transition from being employed to starting your own businessWorking more hours starting her business, but working around the kids, working school hours and structuring her timeDifficulties starting your own business Why being made redundant was the best thing that ever happened to herAdvantages of entrepreneurship and the juggling act of building a business with young childrenPutting your hand up, articulating your value and advancing your career whether you want full time or part time rolesConditioning of women to keep their heads down and waiting to be recognisedLearning to blow our own trumpets!Don’t be afraid to take up space, stop making yourself smallAssertiveness and writing emails as womenHow and why motherhood made her more confident Losing herself during 4 years of fertility struggles, having her daughter through IVF, the resilience she found because of itAdvice for anyone going through or considering IVF, finding a doctor, the dangers of the google rabbit holeWhat’s helpful to say to someone going through IVF, and what not to sayTips to rebuild your confidenceSelf developmentThinking about your definition of successElizabeth’s new book Flex!Flex is available for pre order from Waterstones here. You can connect with Elizabeth on LinkedIn here and via her website here. Follow the podcast @themorethanmamapod + @brionywritesReminder and disclaimerThis podcast is for entertainment, educational and informational purposes only and does not provide (or purport to provide) medical, legal, financial, business, nutritional or other advice. Please always consult the appropriate professional for such advice.This podcast is a judgment free space sharing a range of views, experiences and perspectives and those expressed in these conversations are not necessarily those of the host or any brands or corporations referenced.

It was so lovely to have my wonderful friend Becky McCann on the podcast this week!Becky, who stepped back from a magic circle law career to be a stay at home mum raising 3 amazing children, chats all things motherhood and marathon, as she recently ran 10 half marathons in 10 weeks raising money for the children of Gaza and is now training for the London Marathon 2025 (her second marathon but first post babies!) fundraising for Save the Children.Her instagram giveaway with some ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE prizes goes live TODAY so don't forget to head over to her instagram to grab your shot at winning some amazing prizes.In this episode we get into so many things, including:Stepping back from law for motherhoodIdentity shifts and external praise / society’s judgement of stay at home mumsLegacy and what she would like to leave behind, and how stay at home motherhood supports thisTransitions - 0-1 baby, 1-2 babies, 2-3 babiesLogistical challenges juggling kidsFavourite phases and challenging phasesGetting more me time backHow marathon training looks different post kidsBecky’s training week structureModelling positive relationships with fitness, physical and mental health and body image for kids, raising active childrenGood runs vs the tricker ones, not tracking paceMotivation for running, not being competitive and only competing against yourselfTracking baby stuff in the early days (feeds, nappies etc)Training plan for the marathonMarathon goalsTop playlist tip for the marathonTips for anyone wanting to run their first marathon, and/or start running post babyRealistic training plan tips for busy mums who can’t do huge complex running plansImportance of fuellingLoving our post partum bodiesBecky’s love of fashionFind Becky IG: @marathon_mum25Follow the podcast @themorethanmamapod + @brionywritesReminder and disclaimerThis podcast is for entertainment, educational and informational purposes only and does not provide (or purport to provide) medical, legal, financial, business, nutritional or other advice. Please always consult the appropriate professional for such advice.This podcast is a judgment free space sharing a range of views, experiences and perspectives and those expressed in these conversations are not necessarily those of the host or any brands or corporations referenced.This podcast stands for supporting mothers (parents and carers too!) and lifting them up, whatever their journey looks like. Where guests and the host have made certain choices does not mean we believe everyone else should do the same. You know your family best.

In this episode I chat to Eloise Rickman, and I LOVED having this conversation. Eloise is is a parenting educator, author of two brilliant books, children’s liberationist, home educator and course creator and leader known for her work in children’s liberation and rights-based, peaceful parenting. Through this work she has guided so many families around the world and she raises absolutely fascinating questions and points to reflect on that will change not only the way you parent, but the way you see children and society and many of the things we take for granted (I have said to my husband I feel like much of her work has been the red pill that revealed to me that we're in the matrix when it comes to so many ideas about children, education, parenting and our wider societal institutions).In this episode we discuss Eloise Rickman's latest book, 'It's Not Fair: why it's time for a grown up conversation about how adults teach children', and just some of the things we touch on include:Introduction to Eloise’s workHer book It’s Not Fair: Why It’s Time for a Grown Up Conversation about how adults treat childrenHow Eloise came to children’s liberationThe treatment of children, parenting, punishment, the need for nuanceHow aligned children’s interests often are with ours (i.e. better childcare options, maternity and paternity leave options, education options)The dance of meeting everyone’s needsRoom for nuance and messinessNo-one gets it right all the time!Giving children the language to talk about power dynamicsChildren’s rights and talking to children about their rights from a young ageListening to children Votes for children and arguments for and againstWhat is a child?Children and childhood in different culturesThere is no 1 way to be a childAnd lots more!Connect with Eloise:IG: @mightymother_Eloise's substack newsletter 'Small Places' Her latest book: It's Not Fair: why it's time for a grown up conversation about how adults treat childrenFirst book: Extraordinary parenting: the essential guide to parenting and home educating at homeEloise's website where you can find her courses here& follow the podcast on @themorethanmamapod + @brionywrites

*CONTENT WARNING* In the wake of the Huw Edwards sentencing news, I (and the woman bravely sharing her story here) decided it was really important we share this now.Anonymous discovered her husband was a paedophile following a 7.30am police raid at their house. Together they had a 3 year old daughter. She was also pregnant with her 2nd at the time. Despite thousands of downloads of indecent images including children under 3, he has not yet been charged and remains in the community. She has been warned it may take 18 months to 3 years to secure a conviction.Identities are anonymous to protect the victims in this episode.When she approached me to share her story, initially I was nervous - I certainly don't want to turn their traumatic family tragedy into entertainment, but she assured me she has had support and therapy and feels strongly that 1) we need to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our children and 2) the shame is absolutely not hers or her daughters' to carry.With this episode I wanted to create a safe space and take the opportunity to provide as many resources as we can to help parents learn how to protect their children from child sexual abuse (CSA). Reporting CSEA - always call the police (999 UK) if you have immediate concerns about the safety of a childRegistered sex offender data - requests under Sarah's LawNSPCC learning: Protecting children from sexual abuseHearMe initiative - a secure online service to disclose abuseNSPCC report: Community approach to preventing child sexual abuse 10 ways to prevent child sexual exploitation online CSA Centre Research & Resources @parentingsafechildrenBody Safety Toolkit Clare's Law disclosures*This podcast is educational and informational only, sharing one victim's story & experience. It does not provide legal, medical, or other advice. Contact the appropriate professionals*

This week we're chatting to Rebecca Raisin, bestselling author and mum of twins! Her uplifting, often inspiring, sweet romance novels with unique, often quirky and super relatable heroines are the perfect way to escape the mundane and armchair travel to gorgeous locations around the world (and for any book lovers, lots of them have bookish / literary themes and bookshops!) Stay tuned for a giveaway too!We dive into:How she got into writing when her twins were around 2 years old (and later in the podcast we cover twins being very different, breastfeeding twins, raising twins, what they are like as teenagers)How she got publishedHer writing process, plotting vs ‘pantsing’ Fitting it in around younger children, and then teenagersPrioritising sleep with young twins!Armchair travelRebecca’s writing schedule and working scheduleRebecca’s newest book - a Christmas novelHow she creates charactersIdeas and inspirationHow Rebecca finds names for her characters and baby names Naming her twin boysRebecca’s journey to professional writing and her advice for aspiring writersIncreased opportunities with digital publishing todayThe changing publishing industryUpcoming projectsSharing interests with your teenagers and supporting their passionsAutismFilm options for Rosie’s travelling teashopWhat it was like juggling everything with twin babiesTips for twin mumsWhy teenagers are the bestFavourite phases of parenthoodExclusively breastfeeding twins Learning Indonesian for their trips to BaliHow fun motherhood is The importance of giving back& lots more!Connect with Rebecca Raisin:@rebeccaraisinwrites2Facebook hereSome of my favourites of Rebecca's books Rosie's Travelling TeashopAria's Travelling BookshopThe Little Venice BookshopRebecca's new book Christmas at the Little Paris HotelHer BRAND NEW EBOOK is also out TODAYFollow this podcast on @themorethanmamapod.