Bump to Mum

Hello Mama's!

We are coming to the end of Season 2 and in this weeks episode, I speak to the lovely Shrenika from Little Beat. Shrenika is a Registered Paediatric Nurse who works in Starship Hospital in Auckland and also runs Little Beat which is a baby and child first aid course which she delivers in person and online. Shrenika is also a Mama of 2 so can really relate with parents when it comes to wanting to do everything we can to protect our little ones.

In this conversation Shrenika and I talk through:

• Why is first aid so important and why should people invest time to learn it?
• What are the first air basics we should all know? CPR, choking etc
• Coughs, cold, fevers - how do we manage these at home & at what point should we be seeking medical help/going to the doctor
• Pamol v brufen - which should we use/should we use both?
• How do we advocate for our kids in a medical setting when we dont feel like we are being listened to
• Does adding pamol into milk impacts its effectiveness?
• What are some common accidents you see from around the home that are easily preventable - baby proofing, burns etc
• Shrenika's advice around starting solids and introducing allergens
• What are some first aid essentials we should keep in our home?
• When should we call for an ambulance?

This is such an informative conversation and Shrenika gives us a good overview of some key things we can do to protect our little ones and also the importance of educating ourselves about first aid so that if something should happen, we know what to do while we wait for medical help.

If after listening to this conversation you feel like you would like to take part in a first aid course you can find all the information for the Little Beat courses here or St John New Zealand courses here.

For the purpose of this podcast we have kept the information general in nature so if you have any specific questions or concerns please reach out to your own healthcare practitioner for advice.

I hope you will find this episode interesting and informative and finish it feeling more educated than when you started or, inspired to get some first aid training!

If you enjoy this conversation, please rate & review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on Instagram @bumptomum.podcast for updates on upcoming episodes.

Enjoy Mama's!

Hello Mama's

TRIGGER WARNING - this episode covers miscarriage and the loss of a baby at 3 weeks old. If this is triggering for you I suggest skipping this episode.

On this week's episode, Meisha shares her motherhood journey with us. In 2021 Meisha had a miscarriage in her first trimester, she went on to become pregnant again and gave birth to her beautiful baby girl, Olive in August 2022. Unexpectedly, at 3 weeks old, Olive passed away. Meisha is pregnant again with a little boy due in November 2023.

Meisha's motherhood experience is like no other. She shares with us what this journey has been like for herself and her husband, how she has navigated postpartum without her baby, grief, returning to work, getting pregnant again and all of the crazy emotions that have come with everything she has been through. I was so grateful that Meisha wanted to come on and share her experience, she has been through so much pain & yet has continued to put one foot in front of the other and to now be pregnant again, expecting a baby boy later this year is something to celebrate.

Meisha has been very open about her loss and is happy for any other parents to connect with her if this episode resonates with them and they would like to chat - you can connect with Meisha on IG here.

If this episode is triggering or upsetting for you, there is support available. You can call Lifeline on 0800 543 354 anytime or text 4357.

As always, I appreciate your feedback so please rate and review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on Instagram @bumptomum.podcast for information on upcoming episodes.

Lots of love Mama's xx

Hello Mama's,This weeks episode is with the lovely Alice Sip. Alice is the owner of Flock Events, Kindred Road & Canvas Coworking Space in Hawkes Bay. She is also the Mama to Harriet (3) and twins Millie & Fletcher (14 months).In this chat, Alice shares with us:

• what her her 4th trimester with Harriet was like

• finding out she was pregnant with twins

• pregnancy & birth of her twins, Millie & Fletcher

• what work has looked like for her during the last 3 years; how her involvement has changed and sacrifices she has had to make

• what does an average day look like for her & her family

• how on earth does she get in the car, go into a cafe and general day to day tasks with 3 under 3?!

• what balance looks like for her and her family and how she has got to a point where she does feel like there is balance between work & family

• what has she had to let go of to prioritise her kids and family

• tips for business owners who are starting or growing their family

This was a really fun & insightful chat into another Mama's world and it was really nice to learn from Alice how she has found a balance that works for her and her family. If you want to check out any of Alice's business you can find them from her personal IG account here.If you enjoy this chat, please rate & review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on IG @bumptomum.podcast for updates on upcoming episodes and general chat!Enjoy Mama's and chat soon!

Hello Mama's! This is an episode I have wanted to record and share since I started this podcast as it is something personally I feel I have so much to learn about & find so interesting so I am sure there are other Mama's out there feeling the same. Josie is a Mama of 3 girls aged 5.5, 3 and 4 months old. She is an Early Childhood Educator and runs the Instagram account @playbasedpepi where she shares play ideas, parenting survival tips & conversations on topics that people can be nervous to bring up or discuss openly. In this chat, Josie and I talk about:

• how do we play with our children at different ages & stages from newborn through to school age?
• do we need to sit with them on the mat & play with them for hours?
• how do we encourage independent play?
• Josie's views on toys and what is needed vs wanted
• how the TV is incorporated into Josie's parenting tool box and her views on it
• big emotions & big feelings - how do we survive, tips & tricks and understanding what is actually happening
• sensory seeking, what is it?
• mental load of parenting, how Josie & her husband work through it and balance it all
• school holiday activities and what works for her family
• for her, what was the biggest adjustment 0-1, 1-2 or 2-3?
• milestones & development - rolling, crawling and walking, Josies views on these and what she has experienced
• learning by play vs structured education
• coming to the decision that this is her last baby

Josie also shares with us where she is at in her motherhood journey; what she is finding challenging and what she is loving. I learnt so much in this conversation with Josie and had so much fun recording it, Josie has also created an Alphabet Chart which is phonetically correct and instantly recognisable to kiwi children which you can purchase here.

If you enjoy this episode, please rate and review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on socials @bumptomum.podcast to stay up to date with upcoming episodes. I hope you will love this chat as much as I do, enjoy Mama's!

Hello Mama's!

I had the pleasure of speaking with Stephanie Pow, Founder of Crayon and Mama of two girls. Steph has had an incredible career in finance, by age 25, Steph was Australia's #1 hybrids stockbroker at the global investment bank UBS. She completed an MBA from Wharton and an MPA from Harvard as the first finance recipient of the General Sir John Monash Scholarship. She then moved to New Zealand and joined New Zealand success story Vend in strategic and operational leadership roles. While at Vend, Steph welcomed her first child. Steph decided to not return to her role at Vend and go out on her own, she spent years working on what is now Crayon. The purpose of Crayon is to reduce financial stress for parents and empower parents to know where they stand when it comes to money. In this episode Steph and I cover:

• what are your legal rights in New Zealand when you go on parental leave and what are you entitled to from your employer and the government

• how do you have the conversation with your employer about going on parental leave

• what are the upfront and hidden costs of having a baby

• what happens to your annual leave while on parental leave

• how can we be financially savvy while on a reduced/single income

• Steph's top tips and steps to take when planning on starting a family to reduce the financial stress

• returning to work after parental leave

• Steph shares with us her experience going on parental leave & also how she juggles career, family and Mum life

Crayon has created the Parental Leave Register which is the most comprehensive database of verified parental leave policies in New Zealand. By creating this register, you are able to easily access NZ Companies Parental leave policies so that you can make informed decisions when considering a new role or wanting to know what you are entitled to in your current role without asking the direct question.

Steph also shares with us her motherhood journey and what her fourth trimester was like with her girls. Steph practiced Chinese Confinement after the births of both her girls and she shares how she found that experience and what the benefit was for her.

Useful links:

• book Steph recommends - https://nyupress.org/9781479835454/what-works-for-women-at-work/#:~:text=What%20Works%20for%20Women%20at%20Work%20tells%20women%20it's%20not,getting%20ahead%20in%20today's%20workplace.

• Parental Leave Register

• Crayon website

• Crayon Instagram

Starting a family is such an exciting time and Steph's hope is that with some planning and knowledge you can take steps to reduce financial stress associated with starting a family & parenthood. I hope you will find this conversation informative and leave you feeling empowered knowing what you are entitled to and how to be smart with your money . I learnt so much in this chat & am incredibly grateful Steph has created Crayon and shared so much of her wisdom with us.

If you enjoyed this chat, please rate & review on your platform of choice and follow along on socials @bumptomum.podcast for updates on future episodes.

Enjoy Mama's!

Hello Mama's!

I am very excited to share this weeks episode with you with the lovely Hannah Barrett. I have known Hannah since University when we met in a first year tutorial and since then, A LOT has happened!

In this episode Hannah shares with us her motherhood journey and how life is going with her two girls; Billie who is 2.5 years old & Coco who is 5 months old. In this chat we cover:

• where Hannah is at in her motherhood journey today; parts she is loving and parts she is finding more challenging

• how her 4th trimester with Coco was and how it was different to her 4th trimester with Billie who had colic

• what is in "Hannah's Toolbox" when it comes to an unsettled newborn

• how it was for her being one of the first in her close friends group to become a Mama

• what an average week looks life for her juggling work, the girls, her relationship, friends, family and time for herself and how this changes when Beauden is travelling

• how it is for her when Beauden is travelling & what works for her during this time

• advice for new Mama's or Mama's to be

• Hannah shares how she found her recent trip which she did without the girls & Beauden as well as some tips for travelling with little ones

• what is coming up for her family in the second half of the year and what Hannah is really looking forward to

• & so much more!

This was such a fun chat, Hannah is so down to earth, humble and has a really positive attitude and outlook to motherhood which I love. Hannah admits that everyday has its challenges but she is so grateful to be her 2 girls world and she reminds herself of that daily.

I loved recording this episode and hope you will enjoy listening. If you do, please rate & review on Apple podcasts and follow along on Instagram @bumptomum.podcast.

Enjoy Mama's!

• postpartum preparation - how we can best prepare for this time
• how to embrace the change & challenges of motherhood
• what Jessica's 5 pillars of postpartum care are
• how can we talk more openly about the challenges of motherhood & prepare women without coming across negative
• how can we support our friends/family/mama's in the postpartum season
• meal trains
• returning to work after parental leave
• the mental load of motherhood & some tips/tricks to help prioritise

Hello Mumma's! This weeks episode is with the lovely Sarah who is the Mom to 17 month old Ruby. Trigger warning - in this episode we discuss open heart surgery, hospital stays in NICU, PICU, SCBU & Starship so if this is triggering for you I would suggest skipping this episode.

Sarah, her partner Rupert & Ruby have been on a journey many of us cannot even fathom. After battling Hyperemisis Gravidarum "HG" in her pregnancy, at Sarah's 20 week scan it was discovered that there was something wrong with Ruby's heart. After the scans were looked over by her Obstetrician and what felt like the longest wait ever, Sarah & Rupert were told that Ruby had a Congenital Heart Disease "CHD" and Tetralogy of Fallot "TOF". CHDs affects 1 in every 100 births, Sarah shares with us her pregnancy experience, the conversations, tests and decisions that had to be made in the lead up to Ruby's birth.

After Ruby was born, Sarah shares the experience of what her fourth trimester was like - multiple hospital stays in NICU, SCBU, Starship, helicopter transfers, tests, scans, tubes - hardly the experience Sarah envisioned when she became pregnant. At 12 weeks old, Ruby had open heart surgery to correct the defect in her heart. Sarah takes us through this experience and what life is like for herself, Ruby & Rupert now - spoiler alert Ruby is a thriving, happy, little girl.

Sarah opens up about how this whole experience has impacted her own wellbeing including counselling and needing to go back on anti depressants as well as how it impacted her & Rupert's relationship. Sarah found her heart family village online through community groups both within in NZ and overseas. Heart Kids NZ is a nonprofit organisation in Aoteroa that provides lifelong support to the children, teens, adults and whanau impacted by childhood heart conditions and has been an incredibly important part of Sarah's village.

All she wanted when she was pregnant was to speak to other families going through something similar who had come out the other side. Sarah's hope in sharing her story is to both raise awareness of CHDs but also so that anyone going through something like this knows that they are not alone.

Sarah is happy for people to connect with her on Instagram if they want to chat and you can find her here @sarahkilner. I hope you love this very special episode Mumma's and if you do please rate & review on whichever platform you choose to listen on and follow along on socials @bumptomum.podcast.

Enjoy!

Welcome back Mumma's!I so enjoyed recording this weeks episode so I am very excited to share it with you all. I got to chat with the lovely Simone Anderson (Forsyth) about her motherhood journey with her two boys Asher, 20 old months and Ryder 4 months old (and of course her fur baby Maddox). TRIGGER WARNING - In this episode Simone shares her experience with going through not 1 but 2 miscarriages so if this is a topic that is triggering to you perhaps skip this episode. In this episode Simone shares:

• how life is going with 2 under 2

• whether the close age gap was something her & Trent planned

• her experience of having 2 miscarriages before becoming pregnant with Ryder

• the difference in her births with the two boys and recovery

• how she dealt with the body changes during pregnancy and postpartum

• how she moves her body now

• sleep & what works for her family

• how she juggles motherhood, career & family and what daily habits have helped her do this

• what she is really enjoying about her current season of motherhood & what she is finding challenging

• does she feel that her family is complete now or would she like more babies

• how she deals with criticism/negativity about herself and how she is choosing to raise her boys when she has a large following

Simone also talks about her new venture Embrace Active, which is a luxe activewear range from size 6 -26 which is all about empowering women of all shapes and sizes. You can shop the range here & follow along on socials here.I loved chatting to Simone she was so relatable, down to earth and I felt like I was sitting down with a close friend just chatting about our babies so I hope you enjoy this one. If you do, please rate & review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on socials @bumptomum.podcast for updates on future episodes. Enjoy Mumma's!

Hello lovely Mumma's!

This is an episode I have been looking forward to sharing for some time. Gina Urlich is a Clinical Nutrionist specialised in womens health and infant nutrition and the founder of Norish - https://www.norish.co.nz/. In this episode Gina shares her wisdom in this space and we talk through:

• What was her inspiration for starting Norish

• What the key vitamins and minerals are that we need to ensure our little ones are getting

• How do we incorporate these into meals when they are young & don't eat a huge amount

• Her approach to food for little ones & the whole family

• What are some meals, snacks and lunches that her family have each week

• Tips for creating nourishing meals without blowing the budget

• How to ensure infants are getting enough iron and how to tell if they aren't

• Top 3 foods for supporting kids' winter immunity

• How do we get our babies to eat nutritious food when they don't eat what we offer

• How to encourage children to try new foods when they are hesitant to

I learnt so much in this conversation and it was so nice to speak to an expert in an area of parenting which can feel very overwhelming with the amount of opinions and contradicting advice. The Norish range is such a great addition to your family cupboard whether it is purees for your little one or the meal boosters. They are an easy way to add extra goodness to our families food without the mental load. You can purchase the Norish range here.

If you are wanting further support with your own health, you can book an appointment here. You can also find Gina on Instagram @gina.urlich. I hope you enjoy this episode, if you do please rate & review on Apple Podcasts and follow along on Instagram @bumptomum.podcast to stay up to date with future episodes.

Enjoy!