Welcome to Motherhood Exposed. Join me, Zoe Cresswell, mum of two and a UK trained midwife and doula, as I meet with an array of amazing women navigating life and motherhood.
S
... moreBy Zoe Cresswell
Welcome to Motherhood Exposed. Join me, Zoe Cresswell, mum of two and a UK trained midwife and doula, as I meet with an array of amazing women navigating life and motherhood.
S
... moreThe podcast currently has 48 episodes available.
Since having their children by surrogacy, Mike and his partner have been advocating for equality in surrogacy as well as modernising guidelines and laws. They have also tirelessly supported many others through their surrogacy journeys. In this episode, Zoe speaks to Mike about his own experience to becoming a parent with his partner Wes, the challenges they had, the many positives and why they are so passionate about changing many of the conversations around surrogacy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“I just longed to be a parent”
“Children are really important in my world”
“I have nothing but admiration and love for her and her husband”
“We need to educate people better about surrogacy…we need to talk about surrogacy more and usualise it”
“It was the best thing I have ever witnessed”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Michael Johnson-Ellis
@twodads.u.k
@officialmysurrogacyjourney
@themodernfamilyshow
https://www.mysurrogacyjourney.com
https://themodernfamilyshow.co.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
An honest and insightful episode where Zoe speaks to Sarah of the Instagram account @sarah_and_marnie. Sarah talks to Zoe about finding out her baby had downs syndrome during pregnancy and life now with her beautiful 3-year-old Marnie, who teaches her something new every day.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“It was a black cloud hanging over us waiting for that call”
“For me, downs syndrome was something we could do together as a family”
“When you experience loss and then you have your baby in your arms it’s like no other feeling”
“Don’t be afraid”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sarah Louise
@sarah_and_marnie
https://www.facebook.com/groups/dsukpositiveaboutdownsyndromegreatexpectations
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
In this episode, Zoe speaks with Nina Willer, a diabetes specialist midwife and a type 1 diabetic herself. Nina opens up about her own journey to conceive, including her struggles with infertility and delves deep into the implications of diabetes in pregnancy and motherhood.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“For a while I was a little bit angry at the diabetes stuff”
“We did six months of Clomid and that’s a really hopeful time for a lot of people as you suddenly think, I’m making eggs and I’m making loads of them!”
“We’re so lucky, the NHS has treated us very, very well”
“One of the many things I find fascinating about type 1 Diabetes is that the glucose levels can tell us a lot about what’s going on”
“It felt like I was having a miscarriage in a way, I had known that embryo for 5 years, that was my other child”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Nina Willer
@willerz_house
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
In this honest and raw episode, Zoe speaks to Julie Audette, a business owner and mother. Julie opens up about her experience with Twin-Twin Transfusion syndrome which her beautiful boys Elias And Zach were born with. Listen in to hear a story of sadness, faith and incredible strength.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“It was just a beautiful announcement and we were double happy”
“You see other people fighting…you have to accept and say this is your journey, this is life and this is what god intended for us”
“We’re a family full on sunshine”
“We would not be able to heal without our family and friends”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.rmhc.org
Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) Parents - Peer support for families who have gone through, are going through or seeking more information about Twin to Twin Transfusion: https://www.facebook.com/Twin-to-Twin-Transfusion-Syndrome-TTTS-Parents-Arabia-1699149873687130
ABOUT THE GUEST
Julie Audette
@julie.audette
[email protected]
@coethical
@themovement.ae
https://www.rmhc.org
Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) Parents - Peer support for families who have gone through, are going through or seeking more information about Twin to Twin Transfusion: https://www.facebook.com/Twin-to-Twin-Transfusion-Syndrome-TTTS-Parents-Arabia-1699149873687130
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
In this episode, Zoe speaks to Tia about her journey with Lee to creating a family. They talk about the many failed IVF attempts, her experience of care, using an egg donor and the impact this has had on Tia’s emotional and physical health.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“The thoughts of Lee’s sperm with another ladies’ eggs made me feel jealous”
“Sometimes you’ve got to put yourself in a vulnerable situation to be able to learn and develop”
“I just want the worries of a normal mum”
“I always get the same questions over and over again… so I have to tell the story and am traumatising myself again and again”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
https://www.yourivfabroad.co.uk
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Tia Brown
@the.browns.journey.to.four
https://www.yourivfabroad.co.uk
IVF Treatment abroad in Europe organised by successful patients in UK
We offer practical and emotional support to facilitate your low cost fertility treatment abroad, in Europe at renowned IVF clinics with high success rates and no waiting lists. Contact us now, we are here for you, every step of the way.
www.yourivfabroad.co.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
In this honest and brave episode Zoe speaks with Hannah Sinnott. Hannah talks about her beautiful daughter Cora, who tragically died of birth complications at just 24 hours old. They discuss Hannah’s journey to motherhood, her tragic birth story and the difficulty of being pregnant again after such a devastating loss.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“Joe was adamant we were having a girl…he said he had a dream early on”
“I sometimes question if that was my body in distress”
“It must sound really morbid to people who haven’t experienced it, but it was just really special”
“I was in shock for a while, it just didn’t feel real”
“You always need your mum”
“Until he is here safely I won’t believe he will be”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Hannah Sinnott
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
Welcome back to the second series of Motherhood Exposed, where your host, mother, midwife, doula and personal trainer Zoe Cresswell explores the ups, downs and often complicated parts of motherhood.
In this episode, Zoe returns to speak to Sophie Martin, known on Instagram and in the blogging world as the infertile midwife, to revisit her story of infertility, loss and the journey to her now 7-week old baby boy, Percy.
To hear the previous episode with Sophie, go to episode 12.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“The transfer couldn’t have gone any better…it just felt really special, I couldn’t have asked for a better transfer”
“He was very good at helping me rationalise it”
“People know breastfeeding is hard…the hard bit is actually feeding, just the relentlessness of it”
“You can’t necessarily process it all whilst you’re in it, it’s only once you’re out of it you have to start processing it”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sophie Martin
Midwife and mother
IG @the.infertile.midwife
www.theinfertilemidwife.com
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
In this episode, Zoe speaks with mother of four daughters, Leona Bugden. Leona talks about her experience of being a teenage mum and now parenting her eldest daughter who is a teenager herself. Leona also has three younger children with her husband Ross. She talks about her experiences with the NICU as well as pregnancy and birth during covid.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“She was how I became a mummy”
“I’m not going through with it, I’m having a baby”
“She was very much like a second mum…she has this incredible relationship with Elyssa that is different to any of the others because she helped raise her”
“I want to keep her young but I want to let her grow”
“You hand over your whole life in this little person and you are handing over every little bit of trust you have”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Leona Bugden
@leona_bugden
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
This episode is part 2 of a double episode with Kreena Dhiman. If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, go back to the previous episode of the podcast.
An incredible story full of strength, inspiration and told by Kreena in such a positive and empowering way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“The minute I made it through that I knew I wasn’t going to die”
“I wanna carry a baby for someone but I don’t want another baby and I can’t fulfil my dream of being a surrogate without someone like you who can’t carry their child”
“Right now, we have to just pray that you’re pregnant”
“Motherhood doesn’t come from the pregnancy or genetics, motherhood comes from the love in my heart”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Kreena Dhiman
@kreenadhiman
https://coppafeel.org
https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
This episode is part 1 of 2 with Kreena Dhiman. In this first part Kreena talks about her background story to becoming a mum, after being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and then 3 years later suffering from heart failure.
An incredible story full of strength, inspiration and told by Kreena in such a positive and empowering way. Listen to part 2 for Kreena’s surrogacy journey.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
BEST MOMENTS
“There was a lot of expectation upon both of us”
“I think my breast cancer diagnosis helped me realise that I was the most important person in my life”
“For me I felt like I had lost all forms of my femininity”
“The last thing I wanted to do was bring a child into this world and then me not be here for that child”
“I was so relieved to just touch UK soil”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
www.petalscharity.org
www.tommys.org
www.arc-uk.org
www.sands.org.uk
ABOUT THE GUEST
Kreena Dhiman
@kreenadhiman
https://coppafeel.org
https://www.breastcanceruk.org.uk
ABOUT THE HOST
Zoe Cresswell
Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness.
Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital.
Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage.
With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth.
Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations.
Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.
CONTACT DETAILS
Instagram : @zoecresswell_me
Facebook: Zoe Cresswell
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell
The podcast currently has 48 episodes available.