When you are thinking about having a family, have you ever considered the cost of raising this family? What do you need to think about?

With the rise in the cost of living, and the effect this is having on household budgets, I thought it would be a good time to look at the cost of raising young children.

Join me and Stephanie Pow from Crayon as we talk about day to day baby expenses, parental leave, returning to work, childcare expenses. We also talk about having a will, and discuss insurance to help you prepare financially for becoming a parent.

When you have children there seems to be unending things to think about.

Feeding times, nap times, playtime, transitioning to solid food. Organising kindergarten or daycare, making packed lunches and deciding what to put in it.

Managing the household needs such as the constant washing and cleaning.

Mental Load is this invisible work that goes behind childcare and managing household and domestic duties. The planning, managing, anticipating needs. and the cognitive load and emotional labour that goes with it.

In this episode I talk to psychologist Christina Bond about Mental Load, what it is, and how to manage it.

Christina is the co-founder of Matrescence NZ https://www.matrescence.nz/

You can also contact Christina via https://www.maternalpsychology.nz/

In this episode I talk with Georgie Manning, a mum of four children, including twins. She opens up about the joy and the struggles of being a mum to twins. We chat about preparing for the birth of twins, the regular check ups, early deliveries, sleep schedules, needing two of everything, breastfeeding pillows for tandem feeding, feeling trapped, support networks, asking for help, and also talk about how dads can support mum and babies, particularly in the early days.

Resources:

https://multiples.org.nz/

Food allergies are a common concern for many parents with babies and young children. In this episode I talk with Aleshia Dearlove, a mum of two children who have had food allergies since they were babies. She discusses her journey as a parent identifying and managing food allergies and what she aims to teach her children about food.

Matrescence is defined as the process of becoming a mother - those physical, psychological and emotional changes we go through after the birth of a child.

The concept relates to the expected changes such as how our bodies change during pregnancy and to some extent, that life will change.

Many mothers struggle with identity after having children. We may feel forgotten by friends, isolated, wondering if our careers are over, or if it is ok to 'just be a mum.' Some mothers miss their old life and wonder were they fit in.

In this episode we discuss matrescence, the common feelings new mothers have, strategies to help with this motherhood journey, and also touch on some differences between matrescence and postnatal depression.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Aotearoa https://pada.nz/

PADA Matrescence https://pada.nz/matrescence/

Wellington Breastfeeding http://www.wellingtonbreastfeeding.co.nz/

Liora Noy email: [email protected]

Over 600 babies die between 20 weeks gestation and 12 months of age. It is also estimated that 1 to 2 out of 10 pregnancies result in a miscarriage.

In this episode I talk to Vicki Culling, a bereaved parent who has been actively involved in Sands for over 15 years. Vicki has presented at numerous national and international conferences on grief, and perinatal and infant loss, and currently runs support meetings both in-person and online for Sands as well as online learning for midwifery students.

Article on supporting bereaved parents:

https://capsulenz.com/be/dont-let-it-be-the-elephant-in-the-room-how-to-support-a-friend-or-family-member-who-has-lost-a-baby/

Whetūrangitia – government website on baby loss

https://wheturangitia.services.govt.nz/

Sands NZ

http://www.sands.org.nz/

Baby Loss NZ

http://www.babyloss.co.nz/

Miscarriage Matters

https://www.miscarriagematters.org.nz/

Book – What’s Happened to Baby?

https://skylight-trust.myshopify.com/collections/skylight-publications/products/bb

Skylight

https://www.skylight.org.nz/topics

Parental Burnout is that long-term emotional, physical and mental exhaustion many parents experience. It can affect 2% - 12% of parents. A recent study has also found that up to 66% of working parents suffer from parental burnout.

How do we know if we are suffering from parental burnout, and what can we do about it?

Find out in episode 13 where I discuss parental burnout with Helen Gatland.

In this episode we discuss a programme Helene offers and the Parental Burnout Facebook group she has started. See her website and Facebook link below.

Helen Gatland - website https://www.helenegatland.com.au/#/

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentalburnoutprivategroup

Many children watch programmes on various forms of ‘screens’ such as TV, ipads, smartphones, laptops.

We also know many children in New Zealand watch a screen for longer than the recommended time. Is excessive screen time bad for children?

Find out in episode 12 where I am joined by Dr Felicia Low and we chat about screen use from babies to teenagers.

Report: Screen time: The effects on children's emotional, social, and cognitive development

Many parents struggle with the work/parent balance. Having children might mean working part-time and therefore having less pay. That can lead to financial constraints as working can come with high childcare costs. Others might work full time which again can come with childcare costs as many kindergartens and schools close before the typical 9-5 workday is complete.

This is a mammoth, long term juggle for parents where the scales tip from how much time you can spend with your children and work expectations.

Join me as I talk to Ellen Joan Nelson, the 2023 Local Hero of the Year, about how she starting the #workingschoolhours movement, how efficient mums are especially when enabling flexible working, and other ways companies can support mums getting back to the workforce.

Find out more about Ellen at ellenjoannelson.com

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, pain and swelling in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis often develops between the ages of 25 and 50. It affects 1-2% of the population and affects 2-3 times more women than men.

As this autoimmune disease causes pain and discomfort, how do parents manage with babies and active children?

Find out what challenges are faced by mums with rheumatoid arthritis in this episode of the Parental Well-Being Podcast.

More information and support on Rheumatoid Arthritis can be found at Arthritis New Zealand