Not surprisingly, the topic of self care comes up on First Time Mum's Chat fairly regularly and it's something that many moms struggle with, whilst juggling the needs of their little one. It's of course easy to suggest contacting friends and relatives to see if they can give you time out but this isn't always practical or even possible in some situations.

This week's guest wellbeing coach, LaKeisha Entsuah helps working moms create systems and routines for a better work/life balance to ensure they avoid burnout. LaKeisha is a mom of 3 who found that there was never enough time in the day to do what needed to be done and whatever she did never felt enough! She's made it her mission to support women with practical tools and support and her approach is centred on helping moms get in touch with their needs, so they show up as their best self each and every day. I very much like LaKeisha's approach of building a proactive self-care routine that fully aligns with each mom's personal and professional goals.

During our chat you'll hear LaKeisha talk about :-

• The importance of figuring out who you are and what your interests are and what things really get you going.
• Working out what things bring you joy and what things that you do, make you perk up.
• Her 4 step process that she takes her clients through and how figuring them out will help you figure out your life and how to live with less stress and more joy.
• Knowing what phase of the self-care cycle you are currently in and the 3 phases of your restoration phase.

And much more...

I've always been a fan of healing techniques that bypass our minds and egos and get straight to our bodies, allowing no-nonsense, often faster healing and in this week's episode of First Time Mum's Chat I'm exploring EFT tapping with Certified Transformational EFT Coach, Maria Yakimchuk.

Maria helps moms struggling to find joy and fulfillment in motherhood to clear their past traumas and emotional blocks.

During our chat, you'll hear Maria explain:-

• What EFT (emotional freedom technique) is and how it helps process negative memories and traumas of various size and impact.
• How bypassing your thinking brain and bringing in the autonomic nervous system enables you to go straight to your body where a lot of the healing happens faster.
• How results can be obtained more quickly than traditional therapy and address the root cause.

And much more ....

The journey of being pregnant and bringing children into the world is a challenging one. Imagine what it's like for a mum who is disabled in a wheelchair and on her own.

This week on First Time Mum's Chat I'm speaking with transformational and empowerment mindset coach Shanice Green who has brought up two amazing children whilst being wheelchair bound and with neurological conditions.

You'll hear Shanice talk about:-

• Her unique experiences as a mom and the importance of parenting your way and learning to adapt to your unique environment and needs.
• Why you must believe in yourself, learning not to take on board other people's judgments and not allow them to disempower you.
• How you can encourage and condition your little ones from an early age to develop a level of independence.

And so much more...

This week on First Time Mum's Chat I'm revisiting the challenges of balancing motherhood with work. I'm speaking with Nicole Cumberbatch who as a corporate VP in Florida faced a challenging transition to motherhood when she gave birth to her son.

During our chat, you'll hear Nicole talk about:-

• The challenges of managing her time balancing a busy work schedule versus the time needed for her young son.
• How as a successful woman her expectations that motherhood would be easy were quickly quashed.
• The challenges of handling employers who can be inflexible and lack empathy for new moms.

And much more ....

Way back in the very first episode of first Time Mum's Chat, I had a chat with mum of 4, who shared her experiences of teething. I spend quite a bit of time showing parents how to help with teething during my baby massage classes, and I'm often asked by my listeners for more tips.

So this week I'm revisiting teething and you'll hear me talk about some common symptoms of teething and how they relate, and I'll also share a number of holistic tips to help soothe your little one during this challenging time.

The symptoms I discuss include:-

• General irritability
• Drooling
• Biting and gnawing

And More!

A recurring theme that regularly comes up on First Time Mum's Chat is the importance of planning for your pregnancy and postpartum period with the right mix of people to support you.

You need to start putting this together now and not make the mistake that so many do, leaving it until after they're pregnant or have even given birth! Trust me, by then it's too late and you'll face a big struggle finding the time and energy for these tasks!

If you're at this time in your life then you'll want to listen to this week's guest who can help you "find your village" and provide essential help to you. Andrea Ippolito used her experiences from the challenges she faced during her own pregnancy and postpartum period to found a much needed service, which provides moms with a range of services delivered virtually. You'll hear Andrea:-

• Share the top 3 issues relating to breastfeeding that moms come to see them about.
• Why it's so important to have a lactation consultant to support you during pregnancy and as part of your postpartum care team.

And much more...

For many moms, breastfeeding has its challenges and I'm regularly asked for tips and advice on breastfeeding a newborn, particularly from those moms that are experiencing challenges with their breastfeeding.

In this week's episode, I'm chatting with lactation counselor Lacy Reason all about breastfeeding. Lacy is a mum of 3 who teaches mums how to breastfeed and helps them through their challenges.

During this episode you'll hear Lacy talk about:-

• Tips to reduce soreness when breastfeeding.
• Tips to help your baby when they have tongue tie or a lip tie.
• The difference between foremilk and hindmilk.

And much more...

I regularly receive enquiries from moms wanting to know more about cloth diapers versus disposables and have been on the hunt for someone to chat with on First Time Mum's Chat and I was delighted to recently connect with April Duffy, who runs a very busy community on Facebook which is entirely dedicated to cloth diapers.

This buzzing community has in excess of 50,000 members and what better place to start immersing yourself in the world of cloth diapers!

During our chat you'll hear April share loads of tips and insights including:-

• Details on the different types of cloth diapers available.
• The huge cost savings you can make by using cloth diapers over disposables.
• The different materials that cloth diapers are manufactured from and the advantages.
• How using cloth diapers often speeds up their potty training.

And much more...

I've always found when communicating with your little one and navigating through those ups and downs of parenthood, that trying to think like they do is a big help. Yes, of course it's easier said than done.

Applying a good dose of empathy and thinking like they do often goes a long way and helps a lot.

In this week's episode of First Time Mum's Chat I'm talking with author, special educator and behavior therapist Chris Lake. Chris had his first child during the COVID pandemic and his interactions led him to write his book, Help Your Toddler Meet Their Milestones: 101 Behavior Hacks. During our discussion, you'll hear Chris talk about how his book helps parents learn how to help their child communicate, speak.

And much more!

Something that is incredibly important when interacting with your little one during those early days is to do all your can to build trust and closen your bond with them. I teach parents how to improve their connection regularly via baby massage.

In this episode I'm talking about secure attachment parenting and why building a secure attachment bond is so important. I'm chatting with Dr. Diane Speier, an author, birth and postpartum professional with over 40 years experience.

You'll hear Diane share the history of secure attachment and we discuss how to improve the connection with your little one and ways to give them a healthy sense of self and build a loving, empathetic relationship.

And much more!