The Parent Hood

After a devastating diagnosis, Georgina Lucas and her husband made the agonizing decision to turn off their three week old son, Grey's, life support machine. Prepared to mother a baby but unprepared to navigate empty arms, Georgina wrote a book about his short life, about its beauty and the love and kindness of those around her. Marina talks to Georgina about how the heartache of losing a child often helps you live life better, in a more honest and vivid way and about how in the darkest of moments, joy can still be found. If Not For You by Georgina Lucas. The following charities support bereaved parents and have excellent resources: Child Bereavement UK, SANDS, Tommy's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Golly, a paediatrician, discusses the importance of fathers in settling babies for better sleep. They highlight the benefits of dad involvement, understanding baby cues, and parental self-care. The podcast explores the role of fathers in newborn care, early engagement with babies, and building strong bonds. It also touches on challenges parents face in modern parenting and offers an online sleep program for parents worldwide.

We know children get sick but it seems a huge responsibility to know what it is and when you need more help. Marina talks to Dr Chiara Hunt about common childhood illnesses and when you need to take them to the doctor and hospital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are shy children less fun, is being shy a bad thing? Author, mentor and shyness campaigner Nadia Finer thinks not, that rather, if navigated in the right way, shyness can actually be a superpower. Marina talks to Nadia about how we can help our shy children make friends with shyness. Resources: Shy and Mighty: Your Shyness is a Superpower (for primary school children) and Shy and Mighty: How to step out of the shadows and live a bigger life - for older children and adults. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The miracle of conception and childbirth comes at a price - and it's the mother who pays this. It's a mistake to think of pregnancy as just three trimesters - it's actually four - the final one about the recovery insists Dr Chiara Hunt. Marina and Chiara talk about what postnatal depletion looks like, and how to best treat it. Resources: The Postnatal Depletion Cure by Dr Oscar Serrallach, a great book. Explore Your Health App for remote bloodtests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there a magic amount of time that will deliver the most benefit to your child? The simple answer is no, but the question centres around the actual benefits of breastfeeding. Marina talks to midwife and breastfeeding specialist about the claimed benefits of breastfeeding and examining their accuracy in regard to the latest data for women living in the developed world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crippled by the shame, children who wet the bed often miss out on social activities like sleepovers and school trips. But what can you do about it? Marina talks to Dr Chiara Hunt about why children wet the bed and what can be done to treat it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's common to care what sex your baby is - it is after all the first thing people ask. But what if you're really desperate for one sex and you're getting the other? We're all told that we should feel lucky to have a baby at all, and of course we are, but it's natural and common to have a preference. Marina talks to psychologist Dr Lindsay McMillan about the feeling of disappointment when you learn the sex of your child and how you can address it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer means long holidays, lots of time spent outside, learning new skills and having adventures…but also it's a time when accidents go up. Marina talks to Dr Chiara Hunt about what parents can do to keep their children safe during the summer holidays, what what to pack in your holiday first aid kit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever baffled by your moods, or by the fact that some days the most simple of tasks are seemingly impossible? Amy Thomson, founder of the Moody App believes this isn't random but that our hormone fluctuations can be tracked and their patterns can help us lead a better, happier life, adjusting better to what we need in certain weeks. Marina talks to Amy about how our hormones affect us and how we can harness their power.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.