Season Finale Holly Cairns - leader of the Social Democrats joins me to talk about her stretch as a women new to politics and what has motivated her to want positive change.  I have admired Holly's ability to stand in the Dáil and speak on issues with empathy, humanity and an authenticity we don't always see. We talk about Gaza, how her view of politics and the world has changed - her experience of sexism, agism and intimidation - her rise through politics and why we need more women using...

5 days after giving birth at home - fashion stylist Justine King joins me to share her gorgeous natural home birth story.  Making this empowered choice to birth at home wasn’t by accident - but an instinct that grew following her first lockdown baby - and his restricted birth.  Instead this was within her control, within her safe 4 walls and within her capacity as she stretched her inner belief and goddess to meet her baby. Hosted by Sinead O'Moore Get in touch at @stretchmarkspodcast I'd...

For 5 years I’ve trusted Paul O’Regan founder of AcuDublin with my headspace, back pain, pregnancy preparation and postpartum recovery. Acupuncture and Anatomy in Motion with Paul is now firmly in my self care toolkit - and he has finally agreed to join me on the podcast to talk about my symptoms and how he treats so many women as stretched as me coming through his clinic. Mothers, trying to be all things to all people in this modern world with little regard for what our bodies actually go...

One year ago, when her 1st born was 3 weeks old, Laura Mangan was diagnosed with a a brain tumour. From Limerick, now living in the UK with partner and Wrexham FC player Anthony Forde - club owner Ryan Reynolds stepped in and found answers. While Laura's story has been featured throughout media with and without her knowledge - this is Laura's story. A first time mother living away from home with a newborn standing in the hospital with an expressed bottle at home being told this news....

This Friday, March 8th Ireland is being asked to vote on two referenda. There are two articles for us to vote on. 1) The Family Article and 2)The Care Article I have written a full piece on the meaning of both on my substack - you can access that here. In this episode I speak with Sonya Lennon, founder of Work Equal and along with the Women's Council has been part of the process to get us to this point. Through her work with work equal she was called as witnesses to the joint Oireachtas...

Maria Forde’s journey through motherhood has been a sequence of stretches that have tested her and offered her some of the greatest loves of her life.  We are talking about: severe hyperemesisA very rare condition leading to emergency airways surgery.An emergency section.A newborn in nicu with a collapsed lung- an injury occured during birth Meningitis. Her uterus at risk of rupture. Miscarriage And this all in the last 5 years while also showing up, living life, working, mothering, coping...

This episode is a blend of the physical and the spiritual. The blend of the feminine body and the feminine rising. A story of endometriosis, ivf, fertility and faith. Not in the religious sense but in spiritual sense. My guest Sinead De Hora, is a an Angel Healer, a rahanni teacher, an author and a facilitator of spiritual ceremonies. She is also a woman who battled endometriosis and ivf to conceive the baby she is now carrying. This conversation takes us to new places on this pod, places...

Charlene Flanagan co-founder of Ella and Jo is here for this gorgeous conversation about finding your light again.  With Irish twins Charlene shares how necessary it was for her to find a way back to herself.  She shares her toolkit for self regulation as she stretches beyond herself to create this business and life she loves.  The darker moments - how we can all feel judged and how we can hold ourselves back, unsure of our real value. This episode has one giant hug of a message - FIND YOUR...

Claire Walsh is a successful author & ted talker, the first person to represent Ireland at the Freediving World Championships in 2019 and she is in the messy middle of subfertility. Fertility is a very personal + private journey. But that can leave us at risk of only hearing some commercial promises and the good news.  Where is the messy middle??  We talk about illusions being shattered, her relationship with hope, the indignity of the physical process and the power games between you and...

This weeks guest Carla Piera Fitzgerald has lost 183 lbs, half her body weight. But don’t assume this is a weight loss episode - because our conversation goes deeper than that. This is about shedding the mental weight of negative self talk, trauma and the mental health cycle that kept Carla trapped in self sabotage and food addiction for most of her life.  We talk about how everything changed when she stopped hating her body and started to love her soul. We talk about fertility and the...

Has motherhood made you feel smaller? Friendships stretched, identities stretched, career choice and opportunity stretched. It can be a real time of personal invisibility.  Which is why I needed Visibility & Business coach Kate O’Dwyer to join me for this conversation. Kate is an advocate of authentic self expression & connection. Through her work, she supports her clients to feel regulated, resourced and rebellious in their personal and business visibility.  She is an authentic...

In season 3 I had one of the most listened to conversations with new mum Sinead De Butleir. She was 7 weeks postpartum. We talked about the 4th trimester, matrescense, childbirth, feeding decisions, feeding guilt, emotions, identities and the absolute life changing experience of new motherhood. It prompted to many other women to talk about their experiences online, with friends and even strangers that bumped into Sinead. From 7 weeks to 7 months, Sinead is back to talk about how some of...

Life keeps coming and we gotta stretch to meet it. This weeks guest Giovanna Fletcher is no stranger to an honest conversation about life, motherhood, real experiences and seeking our happiest selves. And without the gloss - she accepts that it is a total stretch. An author, podcaster, actress & advocate Giovanna Fletcher changed the game for millions of parents in creating "Happy Mum Happy Baby" a community that gave us permission to say "I love them and it’s hard." We talk about her...

I'm so ready for the season 5 stretch! Kicking off with the beautiful, kind and soulful Sile Seoige as she shares her daughters experience of RSV, the signs, symptoms and actions we all need to know heading into winter 2023. RSV is a common and contagious virus that affects 90% of children before they are two years old.  All infants are at risk of RSV. While most infections cause mild, cold-like symptoms, and clear up on their own within a few weeks, some cases can be more serious. for more...

It takes a village - well in 2023 the village is childcare. And the village is burning down! Leo, Micheal, Eamonn - send help and send it FAST!!  Here I talk to Elaine Dunne the chairperson of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers  to talk about the planned strikes & to understand what's really going on. STRIKE DATES: September 26th, 27th and 28th The solution needs to be brave - not just expensive - and it needs leadership that accepts the reality of the current situation and joins...

With 10 months of my 30's left I'm hitting the "Almost 40 stretch" But I'm not alone - my amazing friend and beauty editor Simone Gannon (Simone Scribes) is right along side me. We go deep into the lessons learned, the sh!t that no longer serves us, peri-menopause and it's relentless pace towards us and Simone shares what we need to know about keeping our skin healthy as we age gracefully. It's a rant, it's liberating, it's excited, there's a touch of grief about fertility - it's all here if...

Time to meet Dr. Johanna Clancy and Dr. Marese McDonnell both qualified clinical psychologists and founders of Cradle Psychology - a dedicated clinic, focused on parental wellbeing, uniquely developed and delivered by clinical psychologists. Dr. Johanna is pregnant with her first baby and navigating the beginning of matresence while Dr. Marese has just had her second and now knows the true limitations mothers have to properly switching off.  If you are experiencing any of the issues raised...

Where to even begin... this conversation covers so many stretches with lessons shared throughout. Denise Kenny Byrne is co-founder of The Head Plan, a life + wellness coach and a mother to 4 month old baby girl. Denise's business is about writing it down + making it happen - but in motherhood we need to build a mindset ready for the unexpected. We talk about IVF, pregnancy anxiety, an emergency C-Section, the mental load of breastfeeding, hormonal crashes and the 4 month sleep regression -...

Waiting for baby to arrive is a stretch. Watching your body for signs that's it time, nesting, prepping, waiting, hoping, loving. Jess Redden is waiting to welcome her first baby into the world with husband Rob Kearney. We talk about her pregnancy, the moment she found out, cravings, aversions, hopes and dreams. Plus we hear all about her brand new book - The Food Pharmacy out for preorder now. If this conversation supports you at all please support us back and hit subscribe, rate or...

As the first generation of parents who are openly talking about their own mental health we need to advocate for our childrens too.  The Mental Health Commission published their final report on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and let me tell you if you’re not concerned - you should because they announced they "Cannot currently provide an assurance to all parents or guardians in all parts of Ireland that your children have access to a safe effective, and evidence-based mental health...

This one is for anyone in the midst of a career stretch - with expert Career Consultant Angela Burke. I spoke about my own Career Stretch in season one and I know its a juggle for many. Angela burke is a career consultant who supports people to find clarity, to pivot and advance their career and their career wellbeing. From needing to advocate for your needs, to knowing its time to leave, from feeling the fear, to feeling the relief when you make the necessary changes - it’s a lot and I want...

This one is about the stretch of going from baby number 1 to baby number 2 - with Aisling Brennan. Aisling has a little boy Daibi, she’s a nurse and as she says herself, the pain in Carl Mullans left side. First time round Aisling’s pregnancy featured a lot of long covid complications.  What followed was a depleted first time mother mentally and physically. With baby no2 days/weeks away, we talk about how different it feels going in to have your second. We talk about her miscarriage last year...

TW: This episode compassionately talks about infant loss. Evie who showed the world her worth and thought us so much in her little lifetime. It's a stretch that many wont have lived. But it is one I know many will want to hear as almost 100k people have been following this families journey and have fallen in love and in awe of Evie and her worth.  Evie’s mum Brana joins me this week and has trusted me with this chapter of her story. The chapter that includes Evie’s passing & her baby...

The stretches keep coming - and so will this podcast.  Season 4 is back with host Sinead O’Moore - supported by Vitabiotics. Ep1 and it's a huge stretch - the 4th trimester stretch. Sinead De Buitleir is in the midst of the 4th Trimester We talk about the perfect image of pregnancy that was so far from her reality. We talk about how even as a nurse she felt so vulnerable because of the unknown. We talk about the emotional toll when breastfeeding didn’t work out and the postpartum body we too...