Your Companion to Motherhood

It’s something we all dread but is way more common than we all think… this week Katie is opening up a conversation about baby loss.

Joining Katie is Michelle Tolfrey who candidly talks about the experience she has had with pregnancy, loss and motherhood. In this session, Michelle created a safe and tender space for mothers to share their feelings on baby loss, and Michelle offers caring words to you if you find yourself affected in the same way. 

Michelle Tolfrey is a clinical psychologist who previously worked for the NHS for over 10 years and is now the founder of Talking Heads which offers private therapy and workplace mental health services. 

This is Your Companion To Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

If you are going through loss please seek out the necessary support to properly look after yourself, you can check out the below links for help. 

https://www.bliss.org.uk

https://babyloss-awareness.org/

https://www.sands.org.uk/usefullinks

https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/bereavement-support/

https://www.novafoundation.org.uk/findingbabylosssupport

Download Mush, the mum friend-making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!); find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

 

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information, you can also visit letsmush.

How to take your little one from a bath-time hater to a happy water baby. 

Lydia Phillips from Water Babies is our expert this week,  in this episode, she dives into how you can start teaching your baby to swim,  the amazing benefits that swimming gives you and your baby aiding their physical and cognitive development as well as tips on how to get cracking straight away (yes even without a pool)!

And Lydia eases the nerves of mums by answering their questions and giving her invaluable advice on all things swimming. 

This is Your Companion To Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

 

Find out more information on Water Babies and to find your local class click here.

 

Download Mush, the mum friend-making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!); find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

 

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information, you can also visit letsmush.

"Two-thirds of couples experience a drop in relationship satisfaction after their first year of becoming parents" How can you communicate more effectively with your partner and co-parent and still feel connected? This session aims to find out.

Katie is joined by Catherine Topham Sly, a BCAP accredited counsellor who specialises in relationships, and particularly the challenges of staying connected with your partner while raising a family together.

Her session focuses on the typical changes that couples go through when they become parents, how to make the best of them and how to cope with the particular challenges of the lockdown period so that you can get through this as a couple stronger than ever.

This is Your Companion To Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

 

Connect with Catherine and find out about her Love in Lockdown course via her website: https://insightconnection.uk/love-in-lockdown/

Download Mush, the mum friend-making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!); find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

 

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information, you can also visit letsmush.

Whether your maternity leave is coming to an end or you’ve had a brilliant business idea whilst feeding at 3am, today’s experts have stellar advice and confidence-boosting strategies for crafting a fulfilling career as a mother. 

 

 

Victoria Tudor-Thomas and Laura Youngson have been friends since Tumble Tots and are now empowering mothers and business women as independent career coaches. They join host Katie Massie-Taylor for a session on Career Transitions, in which they look at the return to work and new ventures.

 

Victoria will be talking about how to make a smooth and confident transition back to work in 2021, ensuring you'll be your best at home and in the workplace once you get there. Laura tells you how you can test your business ideas during maternity leave (or around other jobs) so that if you want to step into a new venture you can do so without wasting time and resources.

 

This is Your Companion To Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

 

Victoria is a certified lifestyle coach working to help women get their spark back in life and their career, you can contact her or find out more about what she offers via her website: https://www.vttcoaching.co.uk/

 

 

Laura Tudor-Thomas Youngson is an entrepreneur, mother and world record holder, you can follow her on Instagram, check out her business and see her ted talk via the below links:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurayoungson/

Business: https://www.idasports.co/

TedTalk:https://www.ted.com/talks/laura_youngson_conquering_the_mountain_for_equality

 

 

Download Mush, the mum friend-making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!); find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

 

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information you can also visit letsmush.com

 With the UK showing the lowest rate of breastfeeding in the world we wanted to invite an expert to talk about the reasons for that low rate and how we can better support mothers to breastfeed successfully if they choose to.

 

Erin Zohrehie is the 'Mummy Minder' looking after new parents as a postnatal doula and infant feeding specialist. Her goal while serving families is that they would feel relaxed and as stress-free as possible, while providing emotional and practical support. She has nearly 10 years of experience on maternity wards as well as in the community, helping new mothers initiate and continue feeding their babies for as long as they choose to.

 

This is Your Companion To Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time or just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

 

Contact Erin via the below link if you’d like some more tailored support with your breastfeeding journey.

Website: https://www.mummyminder.com/

 

Download Mush, the mum friend-making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!); find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

 

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook (mushmums) and for more information you can also visit letsmush.com

 

Every child is different and their development will differ too, from babies that “bum-shuffle” rather than crawl to potty training procrastinators.

Your Companion To Motherhood expert this week is Dr Oscar Duke who joins host Katie to tackle questions, queries and concerns around baby milestones.

Oscar is a doctor, broadcaster, author and dad, in this episode he breaks down all things development and looks at milestones such as walking, talking and smaller things like smiling, Katie and Oscar explore the timescales for these advancements and the signs to look out for.

 You’ll also hear some great advice on ways to encourage your baby’s development, despite the lack of social contact during the pandemic, however, as Oscar says you shouldn't worry too much if your child doesn’t hit each of these milestones on the nose, allowing a little time for the learning process along the way but he also sheds some light on when you should seek advice about your baby’s advancement.

Check more of Oscar's work through the links below.

Oscar's Website

Oscar’s Book: How to Be a Dad The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Dirty Nappies

And Recent Radio Programme: The Science of Dad

The important muscle that you probably need to work more.

In this episode Physiotherapist, Emma Brockwell joins Katie to talk about pelvic floor health. As any new mum will agree, after birth you may find you have weakness in your tummy or pelvic floor which can result in instability, back pain and bladder and bowel issues. 

Emma tells you the reasons why this happens, what to look out for, how to check yourself, what to consider when returning to exercise and even running, which is her speciality.  And as always mums on Mush put their questions to Emma. 

This is your Companion to Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

Follow Emma on Instagram, check out her new book, or find out how you can work with her via her website.

Download Mush the mum friend making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!), find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information. , You can also visit letsmush.com

Want to pick the brains of a paediatrician? This episode is packed full of brilliant baby health wisdom...

Your host Katie Massie-Taylor is joined by Dr Victoria Agunloye, a Senior Paediatric Registrar.

In this episode, you’ll hear Victoria’s invaluable advice on dealing with fever, coughs, colds, colic, reflux as well as which rashes need medical attention and which are nothing to worry about.

Victoria has a wealth of advice and knowledge to help reassure your concerns whilst regular doctor’s appointments aren’t always readily available, helping you to understand what requires a trip to the doctors and what can be treated at home. 

And like all of the Experts on Your Companion To Motherhood, Victoria answers some of the questions posed to her by mums whilst live on Mush.  You too can join in the Q & A of the live morning meetups on Mush via the App which you can download here. 

This is your Companion to Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

The Hello Juno App which Victoria mentions is available on iPhone now and will be coming to Android soon, it allows you to get advice from a qualified consultant:, download it here.

Download Mush the mum friend making app to connect with other mums (and expectant mums!), find it on the Play Store or App Store now.

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information. , You can also visit letsmush.com

Keeping your little one safe is probably something that is on your mind 24/7 so here are some golden nuggets of practical first aid advice for you and your baby.

Jenni Dunman is Your Companion To Motherhood expert this week, paediatric first aid expert and founder of Daisy First Aid.

Jenni was in the police for over 10 years and says she knows through experience that basic first aid knowledge can save lives. Through Daisy First Aid Jenni wants to empower mums with first aid knowledge so that you can be assured you know the right actions to take with topics like burns and choking hazards. 

In this episode, you’ll hear Jenni give advice on how you can avoid common accidents around the home as well as a step by step guide on the treatment for choking and burns.

This is your Companion to Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

You can book invaluable courses with Daisy First Aid through their website, and check out their free resources they have on Facebook.

Download Mush the mum friend making app to connect with other mums and expectant mums, find it on the play store or app store now.

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information, you can visit letsmush.com

Update Description

An alternative method of learning that allows your child to be at the centre of their own development.

This week Your Companion To Motherhood welcomes Mostessori expert Simone Davies.  In this episode Simone breaks down all of the different nursery environments and what to expect in each. Then she focusses on her specialism of Montessori and the approach they take, from handling bad behaviour, independence and guiding children to learn skills themselves.

Hear how you can incorporate Montessori activities into your home to inspire curiosity and responsibility in your child.  Simone explains the unique set up of their classrooms and the ways in which they encourage self-expression, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills and how you can replicate at home.

This is your Companion to Motherhood. These episodes are designed to provide you with detailed information on the various steps in the first year of motherhood which you can listen to while you're feeding, changing, during nap time and just going about your day to day tasks. Think of it like a conversation with a friend who has been there before.

Check out Simone's Book The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being or listen to Simone's own podcast about Montessori here. And visit her website for more information or to connect with her

Download Mush the mum friend making app to connect with other mums and expectant mums, find it on the play store or app store now.

Follow Mush on Instagram or Facebook and for more information, you can visit letsmush.com