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 siblings
• The 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 library
• Sleep training, cosleeping, the debates and the research and the problem with absolutes
• The truth about the research and claims around attachment
• The value of listening to your intuition around sleep decisions
• Doing a story for the BBC on milestones
• Spotting logical fallacies and why we need to question them!
• A little perspective from parenting in different cultures

And so much more!

Connect with Amanda

Instagram: @mandyruggeri

 FOLLOW the podcast on instagram - @themorethanmamapod + @brionywrites

Reminder and disclaimer

This 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 + @brionywrites

Reminder and disclaimer

This 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh my god I loved chatting to Alex SO much. This has to be one of my favourite ever motherhood conversations.

In this episode I’m chatting with Alexandria Maria Wombwell-Povey @iamalexandriamaria who you may know as a passionate entrepreneur, mindset coach, and motivational speaker and from her features in Forbes, the Telegraph and BBC radio and host of the podcast It's Upgrade Season. Her instagram bio also currently says putting the MILF in motherhood which I LOVE!

Through her coaching programs, retreats, online work, and speaking engagements, Alex has inspired thousands of women globally to overcome limiting beliefs, pursue their dreams, and cultivate both personal and professional success and ambition with well-being.

Also, fun fact - did you know in 2022 she was invited to visit Necker Island with Richard Branson and other 7 figure entrepreneurs?!

But what's so wonderful about this chat is Alex's open and honest sharing of her motherhood experience and all of the changes and transitions that go with it.

Connect with Alex

IG: @iamalexandriamaria

Podcast: It's Upgrade Season

FOLLOW the pod on @themorethanmamapod + @brionywrites

Reminder and disclaimer

This 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 here

Find Hungry for More by Mel Wells here

Mel's Divine Feminine Archetype Quiz: get your report here

Mel's TEDx talk 'What are you really hungry for?'

Mel's podcast Love, Sex & Magic

Reminder and disclaimer

This 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Women
• Tips for finding and getting good part time roles
• Defining flexible working
• Importance of flexible working for all genders - men, women, dads, mums, carers
• Biggest misconceptions about flexible and part time working
• Motherhood making you more productive, time as the most precious commodity
• Productivity crisis and how flexible working and part time working could be the key to fixing this
• The transition from being employed to starting your own business
• Working more hours starting her business, but working around the kids, working school hours and structuring her time
• Difficulties starting your own business 
• Why being made redundant was the best thing that ever happened to her
• Advantages of entrepreneurship and the juggling act of building a business with young children
• Putting your hand up, articulating your value and advancing your career whether you want full time or part time roles
• Conditioning of women to keep their heads down and waiting to be recognised
• Learning to blow our own trumpets!
• Don’t be afraid to take up space, stop making yourself small
• Assertiveness and writing emails as women
• How 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 it
• Advice for anyone going through or considering IVF, finding a doctor, the dangers of the google rabbit hole
• What’s helpful to say to someone going through IVF, and what not to say
• Tips to rebuild your confidence
• Self development
• Thinking about your definition of success
• Elizabeth’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 + @brionywrites

Reminder and disclaimer

This 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 motherhood
• Identity shifts and external praise / society’s judgement of stay at home mums
• Legacy and what she would like to leave behind, and how stay at home motherhood supports this
• Transitions - 0-1 baby, 1-2 babies, 2-3 babies
• Logistical challenges juggling kids
• Favourite phases and challenging phases
• Getting more me time back
• How marathon training looks different post kids
• Becky’s training week structure
• Modelling positive relationships with fitness, physical and mental health and body image for kids, raising active children
• Good runs vs the tricker ones, not tracking pace
• Motivation for running, not being competitive and only competing against yourself
• Tracking baby stuff in the early days (feeds, nappies etc)
• Training plan for the marathon
• Marathon goals
• Top playlist tip for the marathon
• Tips for anyone wanting to run their first marathon, and/or start running post baby
• Realistic training plan tips for busy mums who can’t do huge complex running plans
• Importance of fuelling
• Loving our post partum bodies
• Becky’s love of fashion

Find Becky

IG: @marathon_mum25

Follow the podcast @themorethanmamapod + @brionywrites

Reminder and disclaimer

This 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 work
• Her book It’s Not Fair: Why It’s Time for a Grown Up Conversation about how adults treat children
• How Eloise came to children’s liberation
• The treatment of children, parenting, punishment, the need for nuance
• How 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 needs
• Room for nuance and messiness
• No-one gets it right all the time!
• Giving children the language to talk about power dynamics
• Children’s rights and talking to children about their rights from a young age
• Listening to children 
• Votes for children and arguments for and against
• What is a child?
• Children and childhood in different cultures
• There is no 1 way to be a child

And 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 children

First book: Extraordinary parenting: the essential guide to parenting and home educating at home

Eloise's website where you can find her courses here

& follow the podcast on @themorethanmamapod + @brionywrites

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*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 child

Registered sex offender data - requests under Sarah's Law

NSPCC learning: Protecting children from sexual abuse

HearMe initiative - a secure online service to disclose abuse

NSPCC report: Community approach to preventing child sexual abuse

10 ways to prevent child sexual exploitation online

CSA Centre Research & Resources

@parentingsafechildren

Body 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*

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 published
• Her writing process, plotting vs ‘pantsing’
• Fitting it in around younger children, and then teenagers
• Prioritising sleep with young twins!
• Armchair travel
• Rebecca’s writing schedule and working schedule
• Rebecca’s newest book - a Christmas novel
• How she creates characters
• Ideas and inspiration
• How Rebecca finds names for her characters and baby names
• Naming her twin boys
• Rebecca’s journey to professional writing and her advice for aspiring writers
• Increased opportunities with digital publishing today
• The changing publishing industry
• Upcoming projects
• Sharing interests with your teenagers and supporting their passions
• Autism
• Film options for Rosie’s travelling teashop
• What it was like juggling everything with twin babies
• Tips for twin mums
• Why teenagers are the best
• Favourite phases of parenthood
• Exclusively breastfeeding twins 
• Learning Indonesian for their trips to Bali
• How fun motherhood is 
• The importance of giving back

& lots more!

Connect with Rebecca Raisin:

@rebeccaraisinwrites2

Facebook here

Some of my favourites of Rebecca's books

Rosie's Travelling Teashop

Aria's Travelling Bookshop

The Little Venice Bookshop

Rebecca's new book

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel

Her BRAND NEW EBOOK is also out TODAY

Follow this podcast on @themorethanmamapod.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode (PART 2 of 2) we dive deep into a topic that will be on so many people's minds as it is NICU awareness month, with the incredible Naomi Southern-Augustine.

While ultimately this story has an incredible ending against all the odds with Wren continuing to thrive to this day, I want to include a trigger warning here for anyone not feeling in a space to listen to this story today, as we discuss at length Naomi's birth at 22 weeks 6 days, and the associated risks including potential infant loss as prior to 24 weeks this is not considered medically viable, as well as her NICU journey with a micro preemie, a whole host of challenges and eventual post partum PTSD.

Naomi runs the instagram account @lifeinourarchford documenting her journey with her partner Rob and daughter Wren, and in this episode we discuss Wren’s absolutely amazing, miraculous, resilient, intensely challenging journey, including:

• Birth at 22+6
• NICU
• Palliative care
• Medical challenges and complications
• Feeding challenges
• Why connecting with other NICU families was so essential
• Caring for a micro-preemie
• The long journey home
• Tests needed to pass to get home
• Having to fight to get proper communication from doctors and questions answered about issues with care
• 9 attempts at discharge to get home
• Celebrating her 100th day
• The feeling of being told it was ok to go
• Huge appreciation for NHS and NICU teams, how amazing the staff were
• Rob passing his driving test with Wren in NICU!
• Support from community nurses
• Today (day of recording) - Wren’s corrected FIRST BIRTHDAY!!!! (16 months old, corrected age 12 months)
• Intensity of weekly appointments even after discharge, at one point being under 10 different specialties (and seeing nurses and consultants continues, still under optomology for eyes, still under cardiology, respiratory specialist) - it doesn’t stop once you leave NICU
• Mental health during NICU and the first year afterwards
• Post partum PTSD and flashbacks and intrusive thoughts
• Naomi’s first day back at work tomorrow (the day after recording)
• Talking therapy and CBT
• Loving her job as a nurse but difficulty of leaving Wren
• That it’s not all doom and gloom, they’ve celebrated and laughed, made friends for life with other NICU families
• NICU’s sole purpose is to help your little one survive (and to help those who can’t have a good death and support families through that unimaginable time)
• How lucky we are in the UK to access NICU on the NHS
• Naomi’s message for other NICU parents

You can follow Naomi, Rob and Wren's journey on instagram here.

Bliss is also a useful resource for supporting families of babies born premature or sick.

Follow this podcast on @themorethanmamapod.

Reminder

This podcast is for 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.