Early pregnancy can be a stressful and worrying time, especially when you're not ready to share the news. Marina talks to Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Miss Emma Kirk from The Portland Hospital about everything you need to know during early pregnancy.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We swear we'll never do it, and then we do. But it is really a parenting fail? Marina speaks to scientist, author and swearing expert, Emma Byrne to find out. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Talking about sex is a conversation many find difficult, but it's even rarer once you become a parent. Marina talks to sex and intimacy coach Irene Fehr about how and why sex changes after you become a parent and what we can do to ensure it stays mutually enjoyable. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Divorce is often referred to as the failure of a marriage, but have you failed if you get divorced? Samantha Woodham, divorce lawyer and founder of The Divorce Surgery, thinks not.  Divorce, she insists, is simply the transition from being married to being co-parents. She believes that we need to expect to divorce without confrontation, stress, negativity and astronomical costs. Here she chats to Marina about how to divorce well, how friends can support their divorcing friends and how we...

They say everything changes when you become a parent, and one of those things is your relationship to work. Suddenly you cannot give your all to a career that you loved, you're torn between wanting and needing to work, and wanting and needing to be with your child. But today's workplace is changing, with employers understanding that efficiency and output can exist in a flexible workspace.  Marina talks to Olivia Bath, founder of The Women's Vault, about what options exist and how best to get...

Edward Watson, retired Army Major and Bradley Busch, Psychologist, and authors of new book 'The Science of Learning: 77 Studies That Every Parent Needs to Know'. Using the studies as a guide to help you to understand the mysteries of children's brains. They discuss parents’ understanding of crucial psychological research so that they can help their children improve how they think, feel and behave in school (and, indeed, in life). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

QI Elf, mother of two, author and host of the podcast 'Everything Under The Sun' aimed at children to ask weird, wonderful and insightful questions, Molly Oldfield. We discuss why children have so many questions, what the best question is she's had and why asking questions is a great sign that they're bright change makers for the future.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"The level of loss is the level of love" says Julia Samuel, Marina's guest on this episode, explaining how you cannot gauge how much grief a person will feel according to who has been lost. This is crucial in understanding grief, she argues, because if a child has lost a dog they've loved their whole life, their grief will mirror the intense bond they shared. Our developed society does many well, but understanding grief isn't one of them. And yet, all of us will, at some point experience...

Science is helpful in discovering medicine, innovation and keeping us safe, but can it help us understand our children better? Scientist and mother Dr Emma Byrne talks to Marina about how applying evidence based information to your individual child can help us better understand our children in their glorious and baffling complexity.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Giving birth is often magical, a moment you'll cherish for your whole life. But what about when it isn't magical, what about when you're worried about your child's safety, or your own, what about when it's the trauma you remember rather than the joy. Marina talks to author and mother Jessica Hatcher-Moore about how to parent if the birth has left you traumatised and how to treat your trauma.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Finding our you're expecting not just one baby, but two can be daunting and the fear can often overpower the excitement. Author and twin-mum Alison Perry chats to Marina about the reality of raising twins and shares tips on how to make it easier.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Following the launch of Everyone's Invited, a website that initiated stories of the shocking behaviour of sexual misconduct in schools and universities, we discuss how can we teach our children the importance of consent and how to go about saying it, hearing it and meaning it? Marina talks to Saskia Boujo, a relationship and sex educator about how we have this conversation with our children.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever felt guilty that you're not cherishing motherhood as much as you should? Journalist and author, Eliane Glaser believes that the false narrative around how joyful motherhood is, is toxic and damaging for new mothers, advocating instead that we are honest around its challenges. This honesty, she believes, will empower women and allow them to release the burden of guilt, thereby allowing them to be better mothers.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We're often too embarrassed to talk about the state of our vaginas and put up with discomfort, incontinence and indignity because of stigma. Marina talks to Obstetric Physiotherapist Megan Vickers about prolapse, a condition that affects up to 50% of women about what it is, the symptoms, treatment and prevention. Megan's book Stronger: The honest guide to healing and rebuilding after pregnancy and birth, is available: https://www.waterstones.com/book/stronger/megan-vickers/9781472986306...

Living through a pandemic, losing freedoms and being locked inside has been difficult. For many children this time represents a lot of what they can remember. How will this impact their long term development? Marina talks to Lucy Elphinstone, Headmistress of Francis Holland school to observe how the pandemic has effected children.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many children are passionate about the need to look after our planet. But do their actions reflect this zeal or do they still never turn the lights off? Marina talks to Emma and Jason Ash, parents and environmentalists, about how to encourage our children to actually make a difference. https://www.youngplanet.com/   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We've spent the last year fearing and living with Covid. Now there are vaccines, but we, understandably have questions, we want to feel confident that in having a vaccine, we are doing the right thing by our children. Dr Chiara Hunt returns to discuss the Covid vaccine in pregnancy and breastfeeding but also when trying for a baby.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We've spent the last year fearing and living with Covid. Now there are vaccines, but we, understandably have questions, we want to feel confident that in having a vaccine, we are doing the right thing by our children. Dr Chiara Hunt returns to discuss the Covid vaccine in pregnancy and breastfeeding but also when trying for a baby.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marina talks to The Five Minute Mum, Daisy Upton, and discovers the joys of supporting our children simply by playing games with them. From science and maths to how to get a better response from that age old question of, 'how was school?'   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We have a vested interest in looking after our planet when we become parents, but the logistics of going green can often be very daunting alongside the responsibilities of having a new family. Marina talks to Jen Gale and discovers how the small and simple things can make a big difference.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Embracing differences is something most of strive to encourage in our child, but should we also be focusing on body diversity? Marina talks to author, Molly Forbes about the many benefits of a positive body image.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Embracing diversity is something most of strive to encourage in our children, usually through positive and open conversations. Marina talks to writer, Jen Carney, about how representation has an equally important role.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Worry is something none of us parents want our children to experience, so how do we go about addressing it? Marina talks to Clinical Psychologist, Dr Julia Newbery on how to take some of the worry out of anxiety.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All of us have anxiety around our children's health, some of it instinctive, some of it fuelled by hand-me-down tales. Marina delves deep into the misconceptions with Dr Shruti Jawahar Ganatra and breaks down the myths surrounding everything from temperatures to tummy bugs.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Having an unhappy child causes enormous worry, but can journaling help them influence their own moods and feelings of contentment. Marina talks to Francesca Geens about the science of happiness.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.