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Sam Smith is back on Sense by Meg, and this time she’s 30 weeks pregnant with quadruplets.
After previously sharing her extraordinary pregnancy journey, Sam joins Meg Faure and paediatric dietitian Kath Megaw to talk about navigating the final weeks of a high-risk multiple pregnancy, getting enough nutrition when there simply isn’t much room to eat, and preparing for what comes next.
Kath shares practical guidance on protein, calories, smoothies and supplements during the third trimester, before unpacking what Sam can expect when her four babies arrive and enter the NICU. They discuss TPN, donor breast milk, colostrum, establishing breast milk production, skin-to-skin contact and the important role Sam can play in her babies’ feeding journey.
With Sam now at 30 weeks, the focus is on reaching the next milestone while preparing emotionally and practically for the birth of four premature babies.
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IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN
How to increase calories without having to eat significantly larger meals
What to look for when choosing a protein powder during pregnancy
How nutrition can support placental health and fetal growth
Why protein is particularly important during pregnancy, especially with multiple placentas and growing babies
What TPN (parenteral nutrition) is and why it may be used in the NICU
How donor breast milk can support premature babies while a mother establishes her own milk supply
The role of colostrum in the early days after birth
How mothers can contribute to their babies’ NICU journey through breast milk and skin-to-skin contact
How mums can look after their own nutrition while establishing breast milk production
What Sam is preparing for as she gets closer to the planned birth of her four babies
CHAPTERS
00:47 How is the quadruplet pregnancy going?
05:50 Eating during a quadruplet pregnancy
13:37 Can nutrition influence baby’s growth?
15:49 Preparing for the NICU
18:33 What happens when premature babies enter the NICU?
20:15 TPN, breast milk & early feeding
23:02 A mother’s role in the NICU
24:42 Colostrum & establishing breast milk
26:18 Nutrition and breast milk production
28:34 What’s next for Sam?
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sam Smith is a Cape Town-based mum who is currently pregnant with quadruplets. She previously joined Sense by Meg to share her pregnancy journey and returns at 30 weeks to talk honestly about the physical realities of carrying four babies, preparing for the NICU and getting ready for life with four newborns alongside her toddler, Teddy.
Follow Sam Smith on Instagram: @samsmithofcapetown
𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘄Kath Megaw is a paediatric dietitian and a specialist voice in infant nutrition. She is the CEO of Nutripaeds Follow along on Instagram: @nutripaeds
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is the parenting podcast from occupational therapist, parenting expert and Parent Sense founder Meg Faure.
With more than 20 years of experience in occupational therapy and a special focus on infant regulation, sensory processing, attachment and early relationships, Meg brings together leading experts, researchers and parents to explore the science behind raising happy, healthy and resilient children.
The podcast is part of Parent Sense, a science-backed parenting solution designed to help parents understand their children and feel more confident in their parenting journey.
Download the app here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
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Parent Sense
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What is really happening at six weeks with your baby and what can you expect from this important stage?
In this episode of Sense by Meg Faure, Meg checks in with paediatrician Dr Nellie Balfour as she continues to navigate life with her second baby, Uyakile. At six weeks old, he is already showing some fascinating differences from his older brother, from his temperament and sleep to his social engagement.
Nellie shares what it feels like to be a second-time mum, why she feels more confident this time around and how experience has changed the way she responds to the inevitable challenges of newborn life.
Meg and Nellie explore the six-week developmental window, including early smiles, tummy time and eye contact. They also dive into the fascinating idea of sensory personality, comparing Nellie's firstborn's slow-to-warm-up temperament with her new baby's more settled and potentially social nature.
It's an honest, reassuring snapshot of life with a six-week-old and another beautiful chapter in Nellie's real-time journey through pregnancy, birth and early motherhood.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
Why being a second-time mum can feel very different from the first time
What babies may be doing developmentally around six weeks
When babies typically begin showing their social smile
Why tummy time, eye contact, head lifting and visual tracking matter
How temperament and sensory personality can begin to emerge
The difference between a slow-to-warm-up baby, a settled baby and a potential social butterfly
What breastfeeding can look like when exclusive breastfeeding isn't possible
The emotional side of breastfeeding and stopping breastfeeding
What happens during a typical six-week paediatric check-up
Why growth curves matter more than focusing on a single weight
How Nellie's experience as both a paediatrician and a mother shapes her parenting journey
CHAPTERS
01:00 Why the second baby feels differentNellie explains why she feels more confident and less anxious this time around.
03:20 The six-week fussiness phase Is Uyakile fussy? Nellie compares his temperament and sleep with her firstborn.
05:50 The six-week smile When does the social smile appear and is that early smile really a smile?
07:15 Tummy time, head control and eye contact The early developmental milestones Uyakile is already showing.
08:00 Two brothers, two very different temperaments Why Nellie thinks one child may be a slow-to-warm-up baby while the other could become a social butterfly.
09:00 Understanding sensory personality Meg explains how sensory sensitivity, fussiness and social engagement can relate to temperament.
13:00 Breastfeeding, formula and mixed feeding Nellie shares honestly about feeding her second baby and managing her milk supply.
15:25 The emotional side of breastfeeding Why stopping breastfeeding can feel like a genuine loss and why the “lasts” of motherhood can be emotional.
21:30 The six-week paediatric check-up What parents can expect from the appointment, including vaccinations, growth, feeding and developmental checks.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr Nellie Balfour is a paediatrician and mother of two. She returns to Sense by Meg Faure for the 6-week update, following her earlier appearances during her pregnancy and the unexpected birth.
Follow Dr Nellie Balfour on Instagram
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition, and expert advice. Download it here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.
Meg Faure
Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
Parent Sense
Instagram | LinkedIn | Website
What if raising a thriving child isn't about getting parenting right, but about connection?
In this episode Meg Faure speaks to paediatrician and professor of paediatrics at Georgetown University, Dr David Willis, about early relational health. The powerful role that connection, attachment, co-regulation and meaningful moments play in a baby's development.
They also unpack some of the challenges facing modern parents, including the loss of the village, information overload, technology and the pressure to be a “perfect” parent.
Most importantly, Dr David offers a deeply reassuring message to parents who feel they have already made mistakes:
It is never too late to repair.
Relationships are built through thousands of small moments that don't need to be perfect, they simply need to happen.
And when things go wrong, there is always another opportunity to reconnect.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr David W. Willis
Dr David Willis is a paediatrician, developmental-behavioural paediatrician and leading voice in the field of early relational health.
He is a professor of paediatrics and psychiatry at Georgetown University and leads Nurture Connection, an impact network focused on advancing early relational health and strengthening connections between children, families and communities.
Follow Dr David Willis on LinkedIn.
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT & author Meg Faure, each episode brings expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported.
The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice. Download it here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Website
Parent Sense
Website
What if the biggest talent pool businesses are overlooking isn't graduates or overseas recruitment, but working parents?
In this eye-opening episode, Meg Faure sits down with Denise Heavey, founder of Mentorhood Jersey, to unpack the cost of outdated workplace models. From the motherhood penalty and fatherhood forfeit to rebuilding the lost village, this conversation challenges everything we think we know about work, parenting and success.
Meg and Denise discuss why traditional workplace structures no longer serve modern families, how flexible work benefits both employers and employees and why parenting develops some of the strongest leadership skills imaginable.
Whether you're a parent returning to work, an employer building a team or someone passionate about family wellbeing, this episode will change your perspective.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
✔ Why parents are the world's largest hidden workforce
✔ How becoming a parent actually makes you a stronger employee and leader
✔ Why flexible work is about better job design, not lower standards
✔ The importance of rebuilding the "village" for modern parents
✔ Practical first steps for rebuilding confidence before returning to work
ABOUT THE GUEST
Denise Heavey is the founder of Mentorhood Jersey, an organisation dedicated to helping parents successfully return to work while advocating for more family-friendly workplaces.
Denise works with employers, government and community organisations to redesign work around modern family life. Through workshops, career coaching and advocacy,
Follow Denise Heavey on LinkedIn
If you’re in Jersey, join the Mentorhood Support Group on Facebook:
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice. Download it here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Website
Parent Sense
Website
Dr Nellie Balfour is a paediatrician and spent years telling anxious parents their babies were safe in the NICU. But when it was her own son on the monitor, and the numbers she understood too well it was a whole different experience.
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we welcome back Dr Nellie Balfour to share the birth story of her second son. It's a story about when a paediatrician becomes the patient, and what happens when medical expertise collides with a mother's fear.
Nellie's pregnancy took a sharp turn after week 34. Her baby wasn't growing as expected, and daily monitoring eventually revealed fetal distress. What followed was an emergency caesarean and a birth weight far smaller than anyone had anticipated.
Nellie speaks candidly about what it meant to leave hospital without her baby, and how being a doctor made that harder, not easier. We also unpack the emotional toll of a high-risk delivery and how this experience is reshaping her own bedside manner as a paediatrician.
Nellie shares her experience with the rare honesty of someone who has sat on both sides of the NICU glass.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr Nellie Balfour is a paediatrician and mother of two. She returns to Sense by Meg Faure to share the birth story of her second son, following her earlier appearance during her pregnancy. Her professional experience in the NICU gave her a unique, and at times harder, vantage point on her own son's care.
Follow Dr Nellie Balfour: @drnelliepaeds
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Website
Parent Sense
Website
Ambition and mom guilt can live in the same brain at the very same time.
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we sit down with Madge Booth, host of the Moments podcast, who recently joined the Parent Sense team, to unpack why so many moms feel like they're failing at work and at home simultaneously.
We challenge the idea that moms can ever find a neat work-life balance and highlight that the traditional nine-to-five model was built before moms were such a big part of the workforce.
Meg shares the story of finding out she was pregnant with her third child the same week she launched Baby Sense.
The conversation moves into what employers get wrong when mothers return from leave and how the whole process needs far more humanity than most workplaces currently offer.
This episode gives working moms permission to let go of the guilt, and gives employers a picture of what real support looks like.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
ABOUT THE GUEST
Madge Booth is a working mom, media professional and the creator of The MOMents Podcast. After a decade in women’s magazines, she moved into marketing and recently joined the Parent Sense team.
She started The MOMents Podcast for working moms figuring out life, while walking the tightrope between her career and her family.
Follow the MOMents Podcast
Instagram | Website
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Website
Parent Sense
Website
#SenseByMegFaure #ParentSense #WorkingMoms #MomGuilt #ReturnToWork #Matrescence #WorkLifeBalance #MegFaure #NewMoms #MaternityLeave
One in 500 000 pregnancies happens without fertility treatment and results in quads. Sam Smith is living that statistic right now, 23 weeks pregnant with four babies she never expected.
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we sit down with Sam Smith, who is 23 weeks into a spontaneous quad pregnancy, alongside returning guest Tasha, our resident multiples nurse. Sam and her partner Jan already have a toddler son, Teddy. They were hoping for one more baby. Instead, an eight week scan revealed four.
Sam walks us through that first scan in detail. She describes watching her doctor's expression change as he kept counting. Twins became triplets. Triplets became quads. There was no IVF involved.
Sam's honesty about the first trimester, the sleepless nights after the diagnosis, and the sheer physical discomfort of carrying four babies makes this one of the most human conversations we've had on the podcast.
If you've ever wondered what a spontaneous quad pregnancy actually looks like day to day, this episode answers it.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
How a routine eight week scan turned into a quad diagnosis, and what that moment felt like for Sam and her partner Jan.
The difference between monochorionic (shared placenta) and dichorionic twins, and why it matters for risk.
What twin to twin transfusion is and why the 24 week mark is a milestone in multiples pregnancies.
How delivery planning works for quads, including hospital selection by gestational week and NICU team size.
Practical breastfeeding strategies for multiples: pumping, donor milk, tandem feeding, and combination feeding.
Why "getting help" isn't a compromise, it's the plan, according to multiples nurse Tasha.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sam Smith is currently 23 weeks into a spontaneous quad pregnancy, expecting four babies with no fertility treatment involved. She lives in Cape Town with her partner Jan and their toddler son, Teddy. Sam is sharing her pregnancy in real time, from the shock of the diagnosis through to preparing for delivery and life with five children under three.
Follow Sam's journey on Instagram: @SamSmithofCapeTown
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Website
Parent Sense
Website
Most parents think legacy means a will they'll sort out one day. Certified financial planner from Meta Heights Capital, Lerato Mahasha says that's only half the story.
Meg and Lerato talks to about the "dual legacy": the assets you leave behind and the values that go with them. Lerato explains why families over-index on money and leave values to "someday."
They cover which debts to kill first, why retirement usually beats education savings and the biggest money mistake parents make in a child's first five years. Lerato also breaks down what happens to your children and your estate if you die without a will, and how to actually choose a guardian.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
ABOUT THE GUEST
Lerato Mahasha is a Certified Financial Planner at Meta Heights Capital, helping families build financial strategies alongside wills, trusts and estate planning.
REACH OUT TO META HEIGHTS CAPITAL
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ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.
FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
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Parent Sense
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#SenseByMegFaure #ParentSense #FamilyLegacy #FinancialPlanning #ParentingAdvice #WillsAndEstates #MoneyAndFamily #GenerationalWealth #MegFaure #ParentingPodcast
When a baby arrives, the spotlight falls on the mother. Her body, her recovery, her bond with the baby. But there's a quieter transformation happening on the other side of the room. A man is becoming a father, and almost nobody is asking how he's doing.
Meg Faure sits down with psychologist Dr Ange Nespola to talk about what dads actually go through in those first weeks and months. The identity shift, the loss of connection to their partner, the pressure to hold it together and the postnatal depression that often gets missed entirely.
In This Episode You'll Learn
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr Ange Nespola is a psychologist who works with couples navigating the transition to parenthood, drawing on both clinical practice and her own recent experience as a mother of two.
Follow Dr. Ange
Website
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ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg Faure is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance through pregnancy, babyhood and the toddler years. Hosted by Occupational Therapist, author and parenting expert Meg Faure. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app. Download HERE
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#NewFatherhood #PostnatalDepressionInDads #MarriageAfterBaby #ParentSense #EvidenceBasedParenting
On this week’s episode of Sense by Meg Faure, we explore the identity shift nobody prepares you for. Meg Faure hands the hosting mic to Madge Booth - founder of the MOMents podcast for working mums - and the conversation that follows is one of the most honest this podcast has ever held.
What Is Matrescence?
Matrescence is the term for the transition from woman to mother. Meg compares it directly to adolescence - with its hormonal upheaval, neurological rewiring, and complete identity reorganisation. The difference is that adolescence unfolds over years. Matrescence happens within hours of giving birth.
Research shows that grey matter in the maternal brain changes fundamentally after birth and stays changed for up to two years. It doesn’t mean cognitive loss - it means the brain’s energy is being redirected towards keeping a new human alive. Primary maternal preoccupation is real, biological, and entirely normal.
Grief and Love at the Same Time
One of the most powerful themes in this conversation is the grief that lives alongside love. Meg is direct: you can adore your child completely and at the same time mourn the woman you used to be. The woman who could leave the house without a nappy bag. Who went to the toilet alone. Who had full cognitive agency over her own life.
Returning to Work: The Juggle Nobody Acknowledges
The majority of mothers return to work within months of giving birth. Meg unpacks what happens in that transition: the expectation to step back into your old professional mould, while carrying a permanent cognitive load that never fully switches off. At least until your children reach their mid-twenties, she says, there is never a minute of the day that you don’t know where they are.
Who Is Most Vulnerable?
Some women face a harder transition. Meg identifies key risk factors: inadequate support structures, a history of anxiety or depression, fertility struggles or birth trauma, and the intergenerational patterns psychologist Fraiberg called ‘ghosts in the nursery’.
Five Ways to Hold On to Yourself
You Are Not Less. You Are Becoming More.
The identity shift nobody prepares you for is also the one that quietly prepares you for everything that comes next. Meg’s closing words carry the whole episode: you have not lost yourself. You are being rewritten. The invisible developmental leap happening inside you - at the precise moment everyone is asking about the baby and not about you - is not weakness. It is the most significant transition of your adult life.
The parts of you that feel like they’re falling apart are quietly building something extraordinary. In the mess and the magic of this moment, you are not less. You are becoming more.
ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST HOST
Madge Booth is a mum of two with a background in women’s magazines and marketing. She is the founder and host of MOMents - a podcast for smart, tired, ambitious women ready to change the conversation around motherhood and work. Find MOMents wherever you get your podcasts.
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