In this much needed episode of mothers talking, Natalie (author of Why Home Birth Matters) chats to Alex Smith.  Alex Smith has been a childbirth educator since the 1970s and an observer of the changing attitudes to childbirth during that time. She has had the privilege of attending many home births and believes that this is probably the only setting where truly physiological birth is able to unfold. She regards the rapid escalation of induced labour and caesarean birth as an ecological issue with consequences for mankind that are as grave as the melting ice floes. As a mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Alex wants to see the winds of change shift in a way that will allow future generations of women to have restored faith in the natural process of birth - secure in their trust that medical resources are at hand, if needed, but as a safety net and not a conveyor belt.

This deep dive into the history of birth and how it has shaped maternity care today, is as fascinating as it is reassuring especially about how safe birth actually is when you can trust it.  If you're wondering how to trust yourself when faced with the challenges of the maternity system, well you can use Alex's simple but very effective traffic light system...

Thank you so much to Alex for this wonderful episode.

AIMS (Association for Improvements in Maternity Services)

https://www.aims.org.uk/

Natalie's website where you can buy her books, Why Home Birth Matters and How to Have a Baby

www.nataliemeddings.com

As always, thanks for listening.

If you would like to contact us please email

[email protected]

In this open-hearted conversation of Mothers talking, Jenna chats to Caro Giles, author of Twelve Moons and her latest book, Unschooled, about her journey with her daughters and the school system.  Caro as a single mum and full time carer to two of her four daughters who are autistic, shares how she has had to navigate a broken system while it failed her family and she had to be the one to pick up the pieces.  However with her wonderful book, she is hoping to advocate for a kinder and more supportive conversation around schooling for children who don't fit in from a family who didn't.  Thank you Caro for sharing your story with us.

Caro's instagram   @carogileswrites

Caro's substack      https://carogiles.substack.com/

Caro's latest book 'Unschooled' 

https://www.littletoller.co.uk/shop/books/little-toller/new-books/unschooled-by-caro-giles/

Caro's audiobook for 'Twelve Moons' is also available to accompany the book

Thanks as always for listening

Jenna & Natalie

[email protected]

Jenna - www.theminimalistdoula.com

Natalie - www.nataliemeddings.com

In part one of this beautiful conversation between Natalie and Kate Merrick, a psychotherapist and mum, Kate shares her incredible journey with her daughter Eliza and their 99 days in hospital after Eliza was born early at 29 weeks.  This remarkable story is a true testament to the deep knowing of a woman's body, a teeny but mighty baby girl and a mother's unwavering love and trust.  Kate sees the gifts of her experience and also shares how her emergency caesarean birth was utterly sacred.  Part two will follow soon, not to be missed, thanks so much for your openness and honesty Kate.

Kate's IG - @rushmead_farm

Kate's websites - 

www.rushmeadfarm.com

https://www.katemerrickpsychotherapy.co.uk/

Natalie's website

www.nataliemeddings.com

If you'd like to get in touch with Jenna & Natalie please email [email protected]

Thanks as always for listening.

This month on Mothers Talking,  Jenna is chatting to Rachel Parker Soden about her current living situation, how it came about and how her and her two boys are 'letting the road guide us'.  In this inspiring conversation, Rachel shares how sometimes the best thing we can do, is just to do, not overthink and let fear take over but let action lead you somewhere beautiful.  Rachel is experiencing how staying present can make life so much better and her rare ability to let go, practice deep gratitude and allow her hard feelings is truly refreshing.  Thank you Rachel for your mindful reflections on motherhood.

If you'd like to explore Rachel's beautiful artwork, please go to her website.

https://rachelparkersoden.co.uk/

If you'd like to contact us at mothers talking please email us at

[email protected]

Thanks as always for listening

Jenna & Natalie

www.nataliemeddings.com

www.theminimalistdoula.com

Natalie and Jenna are chatting birth in this month's episode of mothers talking.  We look at the current landscape of birth preparation and explore how we feel about it.  We discuss what we think is more helpful when preparing for birth and how listening and tuning into yourself is much more important than listening to others.  Come with us on this journey to uncover the deep needs of pregnancy and find your way to birth with curiosity and calm.

Natalie's website is below where you can order her book, How to Have a Baby and the walk talk, Gathering your forces.

www.nataliemeddings.com

Jenna's website

www.theminimalistdoula.com

If you would like to get in touch with us please email us at

[email protected]

Thanks as always for listening

x

In this month's episode of mothers talking, Jenna chats to Suzie Vaughan, psychotherapist and breath work practitioner, about our mum rage and what we can do about it.  We discuss the shame and guilt around anger that especially women can feel, we chat about how giving ourselves permission to feel it can help us work with our anger and not suppress it.  Suzie offers great tools and tips to help you process your anger in a healthy way and opens up about her own journey with anger in raising her son.  A brilliant episode to remind us to always be kind to ourselves.

If you would like to contact Suzie her details are below - 

Suzie Vaughan - Breathe in Peace on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/breatheinpeacewithsuzie?locale=en_GB

And instagram

https://www.instagram.com/breathe_in_peace_/

Facebook community group -

Lose your sh!t less as a Mum with Suzie Vaughan

https://www.facebook.com/groups/loseitless?locale=en_GB

As always, thanks so much for listening.

Jenna & Natalie

www.theminimalistdoula.com

www.nataliemeddings.com

It's very easy as a new mum to be thrown off your beautiful instinct by well meaning but misplaced comments about your baby...in this month's episode of mothers talking, Natalie chats to lovely Laura Hubbard, new mum to baby Bobby, about how she is feeling during these sensitive early days.  As a second time mum, Laura trusts herself more in knowing her baby and is working hard to drown out the voices that make her feel like she doesn't.  

Laura also featured in an earlier episode if you would like to hear more from her.

https://motherstalking.podbean.com/e/laura-lonne-s-story-trust-yourself/

If you would like to get in touch with Natalie and Jenna please email us at

[email protected]

Natalie's website is

www.nataliemeddings.com

Jenna's website is

www.theminimalistdoula.com

Thank you as always for listening

In this rather unique episode of mothers talking, Jenna and Natalie get personal.  As we both go through big changes in our lives, we talk candidly about where we are and how we are feeling during this period of transition.  As usual, we are unfiltered and unscripted and it's interesting the twists and twirls this conversation takes.  Grab a cuppa and join in the chat.

If you would like to get in touch about anything, please email us at

[email protected]

Natalie's website

www.nataliemeddings.com

Jenna's website

www.theminimalistdoula.com

Thanks as always for listening.

Natalie and Jenna are back in the first mothers talking episode of 2025.  Malikah Almaghrabi chats to us about how she enjoys motherhood with her beautiful daughter, Rumi and how allowing the duality of the experience helps her to be present and find the joy.  We share how we each enjoy motherhood and what it means to us and how it isn't necessarily what you think.  Thank you so much for joining us Malikah, we feel your joy.

To get in touch with Natalie and Jenna, please email

[email protected]

Natalie's website

www.nataliemeddings.com

Jenna's website

www.theminimalistdoula.com

Thanks so much for listening

In our last episode of the year, Jenna and Natalie are delighted to welcome back the wonderful Peter Walker.  Peter oozes compassion and warmth in his third episode with us as he chats about how fathers can help support their partners through pregnancy and birth but explores so much more than that.  Peter talks about how babies are our teachers, not the other way round, how breathing out is one of the most important things you can do and gives us a real dose of what father love can feel like.  Thanks so much Peter for this special episode.

We do discuss some sensitive topics in this episode so please be mindful when listening.

For more information and to contact Peter please visit

http://www.thebabieswebsite.com/

To contact Jenna and Natalie please email us at

[email protected]

Thanks so much for listening.