Your postpartum (or postnatal, depending on where you live) experience will be unique. I say that because when you enter motherhood, matrescence, you enter it as your unique self, with your unique biological make-up, your unique previous experiences, your unique neuroscience. So, you won’t know how postpartum will be for you, until you are in it. Yes, sometimes there are neurobiological predictors, but often women are surprised when they enter their 4th trimester. Katie R. was one of...

Motherhood is tough. Every woman will agree that motherhood, at some point, will throw you some curve balls. There is no right way to do motherhood, you just have to do it your way. In this episode I have the absolute pleasure of speaking with Tracy Newell, affectionately known as Gwamma. Tracy is a mother of 5 and a grandma, hence the nickname. Today she kindly and very deeply shares her journey through motherhood, and her wisdom of how she mastered herself in motherhood following multiple...

For you free Christmas gift, more information and the show notes head to www.ToughMothers.com/ep11.Childbirth doesn't always go to plan. I learnt that first-hand when my first baby was born. In this episode I share the birth story of my first baby. In...

For more information, access to Tough Mothers TV and today's show notes go to: www.ToughMothers.com/ep10“I thought my children wouldn’t change my life very much…”When Kate Ryan, a successful business woman, became pregnant for the first time, she...

For more information, access to Tough Mothers TV and today's show notes go to: www.ToughMothers.com/ep9This conversation of The Tough Mothers Podcast  is different.On this show we talk about many topics that are taboo, but postpartum/ postnatal...

Please check out www.ToughMothers.com/ep8 for this episode's show notes. After starting the matrescence conversation in episode 4 of The Tough Mothers Podcast , I had so many emails from mums saying they loved it and wanted to hear more on this topic (you can re-listen to the orginal matrescence episode at www.ToughMothers.com/ep4). So, in today’s episode I bring you the marvellous Linda Anderson. Linda is a life coach whose focus is on mothers during their matrescence transition,...

As we go through matrescence – the transition from woman to mother – there are times when we will be plagued by subconscious negative thoughts: For example, what if my baby stops breathing in the night? Or: I should get the kids off their devices and outside more. Or: I am a bad mother! These thoughts will come. However, we must be aware that they are there. Otherwise we give our subconscious negative thoughts the power to ruin our lives. You must take control of your mind and thereby...

Lydia Nicholson had all the support a woman could ask for when she had her first baby. Although her birth was traumatic – as first births so often are – she was surrounded by family, friends and a tight and incredibly supportive mothers group. She felt held, understood and supported. When she was six months pregnant with her second baby Lydia, her husband and their 15 month-old moved to Paris, France, for her husband’s work. Ooh là là! Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it? It wasn’t. In this episode...

“You are going to lose your baby.” What happens when your worst fear in pregnancy comes true? In this very deep and personal interview Kara Peel, mum of three, talks about the tragic loss of her first baby, Lucy. Lucy was born at 20 weeks. In this episode of The Tough Mothers Podcast Kara delves into her grief of Lucy’s death. She very courageously speaks about everything from how she felt leaving the hospital, to the all-consuming grief she experienced, to how she personally grew out of...

Every woman goes through a developmental transition as she becomes a mother. This transition is physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual and social. Women are transformed when they become mothers. This developmental transition is called matrescence. For some reason we don't talk about matrescence. So, often women undergo this life-changing transition fearful that something is wrong with them. In today's episode I answer the question of Laura, about her feelings during her postpartum...

Hands up if you want lose baby weight? Most mothers focus on getting back to their pre-baby figure or weight, after they have had a baby. In today's episode internationally-recognised dietitian Rachael Wilson joins me to talk about how our bodies change when we have a baby, and how we can learn to embrace our new figures. Rachael believes that we should throw out all the scales and measuring units, and instead focus on nourishing ourselves in a kind way - which leads to far better results. ...

You're probably wondering what Tough Mothers is, and what it is all about, right? In this very special and private interview with my husband, Marcus, we discuss how Tough Mothers came out of my own personal postnatal breakdown. We delve into what caused my breakdown, the lead up to it, and what Marcus and I implemented to save me. My method made me a better mum, a better wife, a better person, and lead to the development of Tough Mothers, to help mums during the challenging transition into...

Rebecca Anderson is mum to a spirited three year-old boy. She has lived with depression for most of her life, and thought she had the postpartum period sorted when it came to her mental health. However, after she had her baby, postnatal depression had other plans. In this episode Bec shares with us her story of deep depression and anxiety, and how she attempted to take her own life. She shares how her depression has affected her motherhood journey, and techniques she uses along the way to...