In this episode of Parents of Mouth Breathers, I share my personal journey of advocating for my son’s airway health.

I talk about the struggles and challenges I faced in getting my son’s sleep-disordered breathing issues acknowledged and treated. I offer practical advice for other parents in similar situations, focusing on the importance of trusting your instincts and relentlessly pursuing proper medical assessments and treatment.

I also discuss strategies for documenting symptoms, requesting specific referrals, and navigating both the NHS and private healthcare systems.

My goal is to validate your concerns as parents and empower you to advocate effectively for your children’s health.

00:00 Introduction to Parents of Mouth Breathers
00:29 Personal Experiences and Reassurance
02:10 Understanding My Son's Symptoms
03:44 Challenges with Medical Professionals
05:53 Exploring Alternative Treatments
07:13 Practical Steps for Advocacy
09:42 Navigating the Medical System
11:53 Private Avenues and Alternatives
13:25 Parental Determination and Support
17:21 Conclusion and Encouragement

If this episode resonated with you, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who could benefit from hearing it. You can also follow me on Instagram and visit Parents of Mouth Breathers for more updates and resources. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you in the next episode!

In this episode, I share the deeply personal and frustrating journey of discovering that my son’s behaviour, speech delays, and social struggles weren’t defiance, they were signs of undiagnosed glue ear.

We talk about:

• What glue ear is and why it’s so often missed

• The signs we overlooked at home and in nursery

• How airway health and glue ear are linked

• Why so many children are labelled before they’re properly heard

• What finally made a difference—and how it changed everything

This one is for the parents who feel like something’s off… and are tired of being told it’s “just behaviour.”

00:00 – Welcome & intro: the hidden impact of glue ear
01:15 – First signs: “He ignored me.” But did he really?
03:00 – Behaviour, not disobedience: connecting the dots
05:05 – Doubts at home: the guilt, the second-guessing
07:20 – A second nursery flags a concern: instinct reawakened
08:45 – Building the case: what to track before going to the GP
10:50 – Hearing test #1: the start of clarity
12:20 – What is glue ear? A simple explanation
13:50 – Why glue ear is more common in mouth breathers
15:40 – Study spotlight: research linking airway dysfunction & glue ear
17:30 – The rollercoaster of NHS testing & waiting
19:10 – Antibiotics, infections & fluctuating results
20:25 – Hearing test #5 and a long-awaited diagnosis
21:40 – Finally: hearing aids—and the moment it all changed
23:20 – “Mummy, I can hear the birds.”
24:10 – The emotional aftermath: relief, guilt, and clarity
25:30 – Glue ear isn’t always obvious—it hides in plain sight
26:50 – Why hearing loss can mimic behaviour disorders
28:00 – Action steps for parents: what to say, do, and ask
30:00 – Final message: you’re not imagining it. You’re observing it. Keep going.

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In this episode of Parents of Mouth Breathers, I talk about the overlooked issue of tongue tie and its potential long-term effects on children's health.

Drawing from personal experiences with my two sons, I discusses the different manifestations and consequences of tongue tie, including feeding difficulties, sleep apnea, and mouth breathing.

I highlights the challenges in getting proper diagnosis and treatment within the NHS and shares insights from medical professionals on the impact of untreated tongue tie on airway development and overall well-being. I encourages parents to trust their instincts and seek help from private practitioners if necessary.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:09 Understanding Tongue Tie01:34 Personal Experiences with Tongue Tie03:10 Challenges with the Healthcare System05:45 The Second Son's Struggles09:26 Seeking Private Treatment15:52 The Eldest Son's Procedure17:45 Unexpected Complications24:24 Final Thoughts and Advice

Referenced Studies
Want to dive deeper into the research mentioned in this episode? Here are some of the clinical sources that informed my journey and this conversation:
– Guilleminault et al. (2016): Short lingual frenulum linked to sleep apnoea
– Baxter & Hughes (2017): Posterior tongue tie and sleep
– D’Onofrio (2019): Tongue posture and facial growth
– Hang (2007): The airway-focused orthodontic perspective
– Yoon et al. (2017): Frenuloplasty and OSA symptom relief in children
– Guilleminault et al. (2014): Mouth breathing and dentofacial development

Podcast: Parents of Mouth Breathers
Host: Natasha | @parentsofmouthbreathers

In this episode, I explore the powerful insights from James Nestor’s bestselling book Breath—and how it completely changed the way I see my son’s symptoms.

I cover:

• How mouth breathing reshapes the body

• Why carbon dioxide matters just as much as oxygen

• How breath affects the nervous system, behaviour, and sleep

• What modern habits have done to our children’s faces—and what we can do about it

This book gave me language, validation, and a way forward. I hope it offers the same for you.

00:00 – Introduction to Parents of Mouth Breathers
00:29 – Discovering Breathe by James Nestor
01:41 – The Impact of Mouth Breathing
03:34 – Anthropological Insights
05:52 – The Importance of CO2
09:18 – Breath & the Nervous System
11:46 – Modern Breathing Problems & What We Can Do
14:27 – Final Thoughts & Takeaways

📖 Book:

🎧 Podcast Interview:

📄 Further Reading:

In this episode of 'Parents of Mouth Breathers' host Natasha addresses the overlooked issue of children's breathing and sleep problems often dismissed by medical professionals.

She shares her personal journey of discovering her child's airway health issues and introduces listeners to renowned experts like Dr. Christian Guilleminault, Dr. Kevin Boyd, Dr. Steven Lin, Patrick McKeown, Sharon Moore, and Dr. William Hang.

Natasha emphasises the importance of recognising signs of airway dysfunction, such as snoring and persistent congestion, and highlights practical steps parents can take to improve their child's health.

She encourages listeners to seek knowledge, ask better questions, and take proactive measures for their children's well-being.

00:00 Introduction to Parents of Mouth Breathers

00:13 Natasha's Personal Journey

01:34 Introducing Dr. Christian Guilleminault

04:28 Modern Voices in Airway Health

11:56 Signs of Airway Dysfunction in Children

14:30 Taking Action and Seeking Help

16:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In the very first episode of Parents of Mouth Breathers, I share the beginning of my journey — the moment I realised something wasn’t quite right with my son, and how mouth breathing was at the heart of it.

I open up about what it felt like to be dismissed over and over by the medical system, the early signs I noticed in his sleep and behaviour, and the turning point when I discovered James Nestor’s work on breathing. From there, everything changed.

This episode is my way of reaching out to other parents who feel like something’s being missed — who’ve been told “it’s just a phase” or “they’ll grow out of it.” I talk about the ups and downs of trying to get help through the NHS, the moment I wrote to the doctor out of sheer frustration, and how I began looking outside the system for real answers.

If you’re walking a similar path, I hope this helps you feel less alone — and more empowered to take your child’s health into your own hands.

• 00:00 – Welcome & intro to Parents of Mouth Breathers

• 00:57 – When I first realised something was wrong

• 02:38 – The signs I started noticing early on

• 05:29 – Trying to get help from professionals

• 06:39 – Discovering sleep disorders

• 08:24 – Feeling dismissed by the medical system

• 13:30 – Finding validation and learning more

• 16:29 – The letter I wrote to the doctor

• 18:21 – Our journey through the NHS

• 24:53 – Exploring alternative therapies

• 36:59 – Wrapping up + next steps and resources