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Today we speak to Jess Hayes on her story of baby loss.

Today (well last year) we chat to Louise Boyce, better known for her instagram and Tik Tok account, Mama Still Got It. We chat how she started Mama Still Got It, motherhood, and everything inbetween. https://www.instagram.com/mamastillgotit_/?hl=en http://mamastillgotit.com/

TW: Baby Loss, Miscarriage. Today we chat to the fabulous Bex & Laura, two amazing women on a MISSION to smash the taboo of baby loss through their podcast, IG page and online courses. We chat about their courses, their own personal stories, and more. Thank you for everything you do for the baby loss community! More information: https://www.instagram.com/the_worstgirlgang_ever/ https://www.tommys.org/

Today we speak to the lovely Georgia Jones, also known as the @TheGeorgiaEdit on instagram. Not only is she a great gal, an amazing mother to Cooper, model, and wife to Danny Jones from McFly. Today we chat all things motherhood, covid (ew!) and dealing with mental health and anxiety.

Today we have the pleasure of speaking to the delightful Cat Strawbridge on her experience of pregnancy after loss and the 'finally pregnant' community - which is the name of her podcast you should check out! Anyone who needs support after finally getting pregnant, please go to Cat's page for support https://www.instagram.com/tryingyears/

Today we chat to Kelly Knox!

Today we speak to the incredible Kreena on her whirlwind of a story to motherhood and what she has overcame. Follow Kreena - https://www.instagram.com/kreenadhiman/ Search 'The Intended Parent' podcast to listen to other surrogacy stories. https://www.instagram.com/theintendedparent/ Eve: There is so much that has happened in the last five years of your life. Do you want to tell us a bit about who you are? (1:19) Eve: Your journey to motherhood is quite a unique one, and I know this is a huge story, so just go for it! (3:27) Eve: After you got back from Vancouver, what happened then? (23:40) Eve: With being in the British Asian community, did you ever feel you received any kind of judgement of the route you went down? (29:42) Eve: After having Amaala, when did you then decided to have another baby? (33:20) Eve: When you managed to see your babies eventually, how was that for the first time? (52:39) Eve: Then when they came home, we were in lockdown it maybe did fast forward the bonding process for you guys. (55:31) Eve: What does motherhood mean to you (57:40)

Today we speak to LivsAlone on her journey to solo motherhood. https://www.instagram.com/livsalone/ Purchase Liv's book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Livs-Alone-Liv-Thorne/dp/1529344182 Eve: Tell us a bit about yourself? (1:00) Liv: When I was in my mid 30s, I was single and I decided that I wanted to have a baby via sperm donation. Eve: When was the moment for you when you decided you wanted to do this and to be a mum? (1:49) Liv: I always wanted to be a mum and it was a bit of a slow burn as you expect life to pan out like it does in books or for your parents or friends where they fall in love and have a baby. By the time I was in my mid 30s and I had been single most of my adult life it became obvious that I couldn’t just sit around and wait for a cracking tinder date. It got to the point that every time someone would tell me they were pregnant my whole body would be full of sadness. Eve: What was the process for you, how does it work? (3:28) Liv: For me fertility is a lottery, and you don’t know what will happen. For me, they put the sperm directly in my cervix and its directly like a smear test. Eve: Was it on the first try that you did fall pregnant? (5:05) Liv: No, it was on the 4th try that I fell pregnant. I made the decision I would try IUI 4 times and then after that try IVF. Eve: How was it being a solo mother? (5:50) Liv: It was tough, I was really ill during pregnancy. There would be some nights where I would be laying on the bathroom floor being sick crying, thinking what on earth have I done. Going to the appointments alone could feel lonely, but only because you want to share your news with people. Eve: Did you receive any negative reactions when telling people, you were pregnant and had a sperm donor? (7:20) Liv: No, I really assumed I would, but I was really luckily, and no one has ever been negative to me. Most of my followers on Instagram are women, so I think most women understand that primal urge to become a mother. Eve: How were the first few months after giving birth: (11:40) Liv: I was blindsided about how tough it would be. I thought it would be just being tired, but that was not even half of the battle. For the first few weeks your body is in pain, your in physical pain. Eve: Was it with time then that things got easier: (14:57) Liv: Kids go through stages, one day they won’t sleep and the next day they won’t. It’s always a constant learning curve but a brilliant one. Eve: Tell me about your book that is being launched? (19:22) Liv: So, to me it’s really important different routes to parenthood not just motherhood, single mothers and solo mothers but adoption, surrogacy, men adoption. All of these amazing routes to parenthood should be talked and celebrated about more. The book is about my story and I’m so privilege to do it. Eve: What does motherhood mean to you? Liv: It means everything. Now that I have made it happen it’s been hard but amazing. I’m so glad it all worked out and my baby is healthy, and we are really good.

Today we speak to the amazzzzzing Natasha Hamilton, better known as her days from Atomic Kitten (fan girling internally) on her honestly on going through postnatal and prenatal depression. Thank you so much for your honesty Natasha and see links below to her IG page, and also links below if you're struggling with anything we've discussed on this podcast today. https://www.instagram.com/natashahamilton/?hl=en https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression-and-perinatal-mental-health/about-maternal-mental-health-problems/ Eve: Hi Natasha, do you want to start by introducing yourself to our listeners? (0:26) Natasha: My name is Natasha Hamilton, and you may know me as being 1/3 of Atomic Kitten. I’m also a very busy mum and have 4 children, 3 who are still at home. Eve: Tell me a little bit about your life in the band days? (1:00) Natasha: Back in the day as people say life was crazy. I left home at the age of 16 and moved to London and we became one of the world’s biggest girl bands, and we signed a 1.5 million record deal. Life became very busy and we were in high demand, we were travelling the world. Our schedule was so intense that we just never stopped. Although it was fun, it was exhausting at the same time. We got to do so many incredible things. Eve: Yes, I bet it was so intense at the time only being 16 and then you left 6 years later? (2:25) Natasha: Yes, I became pregnant with my eldest son Josh and I had him when I was still in the band. I only had 6 weeks maternity leave. It’s crazy that I thought that would be enough time to have a baby and recover. It’s not surprise that I was going to find things different. I was away so much, and it became difficult to me as I wasn’t enjoying that job I used to once enjoy. I didn’t know at the time I was also going through the first stages of postnatal depression, which I was hiding. I was depressed all day every day, except from when the camera was rolling. It became this big secret that I was carrying around with me. 9 months into having Josh things came to a massive head. Eve: I guess your job had almost switched from being in this famous girl band to being a mum and you probably couldn’t do both? How was life after you left the band then? (5:30) Natasha: Life was difficult after leaving the band as I was craving normality so much. You quickly realise coming out of that, that life doesn’t go back to normal. People would still whisper under their breath “omg that’s the girl out of atomic kitten”. I was trying to build relationships with the new community I lived in. A lot of the mums were older than me, so I found it hard making friendships with mums. Everybody knew who I was, but I didn’t know anyone else. There was no easy fix to everything that was going on. Eve: Now you have 4 gorgeous babies, how was your journey to motherhood with them? (6:50) Natasha: every single one of them has been totally different. With my first, I suffered with postnatal depression, but my pregnancy was wonderful. My second youngest, Harry, he was adamant to make an early arrival. At 20 weeks I went into early labour. I was suffering with a kidney infection that I couldn’t get rid out and it was causing a lot of problems. I finally had him at 38 weeks. Then after I had him, I was ok, I had a little bit of postnatal depression, but nothing compared to the first time. After that I actually lost a baby, and it was really traumatic at the time. I was newly married, and I fell pregnant on my honeymoon and everything was so perfect. So, to have to deal with that, it was really hard and it sent me into quite a dark place for quite a while. Eventually, I had Alfie. That was a really stressful pregnancy from what had happened before. I was constantly worrying. When he came I thrived. Then I had Ella, which I don’t know whether my body was not used to carrying a girl, but right from early conception, I was having panic

Today we speak to Youtube and Influencer personality Lucy Carter! Lucy is well known for her youtube channel and ig which we've popped below, and today we chat all things motherhood and her experience of having each of her children, Jenson, Jesse, India and Rosabella. https://www.instagram.com/lucyjessicacarter/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTPjAKFYoSmeTL3xE6c14A Eve: We’re going to chat about a few different things today, do you want to start off by introducing yourself? Lucy: I have 4 children, and I have a YouTube channel which is Lucy Jessica Carter and then I have my Instagram which is the same. Eve: How did you and your partner Jordan meet? (1:10) Lucy: We met at my friends leaving party and she was leaving to Australia. Jordan came along with one of his friends and I had just come out of a long-term relationship. We didn’t actually talk or acknowledge each other that night. He added me and on Facebook the next day and then he messaged me saying did you have a good night. It started off from a friendship and then it went from there. Eve: Aw that’s so nice, and now you have 4 children together! Talk to me about your journey to motherhood? (2:45) Lucy: I’m one of those people that has always wanted to be a mum and knew I wanted a lot of children. I struggled when I finished school because all I wanted to do was to be a mum, and it wasn’t the right time and then I met Jordan and it just happened. Every pregnancy just happened after that! Eve: How were your all your pregnancies and births with each of your children? (3:50) Lucy: I always knew about morning sickness as in being sick all day as my mum had it. When I was pregnant with Jenson, I felt fine for the first few weeks and then I hit 6 weeks pregnant and I felt so ill. It really took a toll on my mental health as well where you are so ill. When I was first pregnant, I was 23 and I didn’t know anyone that had a baby and I really felt alone in that pregnancy. We weren’t even married or living together at this point, it was very isolating especially in the first trimester. It was better in the 2nd and 3rd trimester and then I went overdue. I was then induced because I have high blood pressure. I felt really miserable as I was in hospital for a week. I had the hormone drip and everything like that, but Jenson’s heart rate kept dropping and it ended up in an emergency c-section. When I got home after having Jenson, I remember putting on one born every minute and I had to turn it off as I couldn’t watch anything about hospitals or childbirth. I had the baby blues after Jenson’s birth which is feeling all over the place and really low. I did pick up after a few weeks and was fine. Eve: Then you went onto having Jesse, how was that pregnancy? (8:15) Lucy: That was completely different as I was a few years older and I was married, I felt very secure. I had nailed the first few years of motherhood so I knew exactly what was coming. The only thing that was different about Jesse’s birth was the c-section recovery. I was expecting to bounce back, and I couldn’t even sit up in bed and couldn’t move. We actually had go to back into hospital as Jesse had jaundice. Eve: Then over 2 years ago you were pregnant with twins, how was that? (10:10) Lucy: Me and Jordan discussed having another baby and we kind of just went with it. I found out I was pregnant shortly after a Lanzarote trip. It was brilliant and then a few weeks later, I had a bleed, so I instantly thought I know what was happening here and thought the worst. I went into the scan and she told me I was actually pregnant with twins. Jordan was thrilled when I told him, he is so laid back and is always up for an adventure. Eve: How was your pregnancy with the twins? (12:35) Lucy: The first trimester was rough, I had severe morning sickness and I lost quite a bit of weight. In the end I was admitted to hospital, it was a bit of a rollercoaster. I kind of picked up around 17 weeks. My

Today I speak to the lovely Kate, who is known for her account overatkes on insta. Listen to find out more on why Group Strep B is so important to know about in pregnancies. https://gbss.org.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/overatkates/

Today we chat to the lovely Emma Bunning! https://www.instagram.com/thebunnyshot/?hl=en