everymum

My guest this week is mother of two, Eimear Hallahan. If you don't know Eimear's story from social media already, it's worth noting that this episode deals with a critically ill baby and might be a tough listen for some. Eimear's youngest son, James, was just two weeks old when she brought him to hospital knowing something wasn't right with him. She trusted her instinct, and once he arrived to Cork University Hospital, the doctors and nurses there sprang into action. He had sepsis, and his body was so full of infection that no antibiotic was seemingly working to treat it. Eimear knew straight away it was critical, and was told her son's chances of survival, at one point, were as low as just 5%. Her strength, positivity, and resilience, along with the support of her partner Jack, meant that through it all, she believed that James would survive. It's an incredible and powerful story of just pure hope, and it brought me to tears, which doesn't often happen! Like I said, this episode is a tough listen at times – I'll be back to you next week with more.

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Before I start this week's guest intro, I just want to flag that this episode is a very emotional one and might not be a comfortable listen for anyone in the early stages of grief, as it deals with the loss of a child.

My amazing and brave guest for this episode is Eileen Loughlin. Eileen is a mother of four gorgeous children, from ages 20 all the way to just two years old. Five and a half years ago, Eileen and her family's life was turned upside down when a tragic accident at their home led to the death of their youngest child at the time Annabel, who was just 3 and a half when she passed away. Eileen talks to me today about Annabel's short but happy life, her grieving process, the support that has seen her through and her hopes for her three living children as they move through their lives. She also tells me that there are plans in motion for a way to remember Annabel and build a legacy through which she can live on in memory. A gut-wrenching listen for me as the mother of a child the same age as Annabel, but for anyone experiencing loss, this could be a really helpful and hopeful episode. I'll be back next week with more.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide/suicidal ideation.

My guest this week, and our first back for Season 14, is Sophie White. A prolific and massively successful author and podcaster, Sophie is also mother to three boys between 10 and 4 and has battled with mental illness since she was in her early 20s. As Sophie says herself in the episode, it's not often someone can pinpoint exactly when they became mentally ill, but she can – a drug-induced psychosis in 2007 led to her being hospitalised and later diagnosed with Bipolar 2. We chat about everything from gender stereotypes and how trucks and cars just seemed to manifest in her home in the same way dolls and nail polish manifested in mine, to how she coped through multiple serious mental illness relapses. We also touched on the issue of responsibility and mental illness, and whether it's an irresponsible thing to do to have children when you know you're likely to be unwell. It's a fascinating episode in which I let Sophie do the talking – I couldn't compete with her eloquence and bravery and honesty on the subject – so I really hope you enjoy it.

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In this first episode of Season 2 sponsored by Waterwipes we talk honestly with the beautiful and kind style blogger, cardiac psychologist and mum of 2 girls, Martina Reynolds or Martina’s Mark as her followers will know her.

Baby Tilly (Matilda) was born just 3 weeks ago at the height of the pandemic and Martina shares her experience in the labour ward, before during and after her partner could be with her.

She has brilliant tips and advice for everymum expecting a baby soon and some wise words about how she is planning on making the very most of postpartum and her maternity leave.

We are so grateful to be able to share her experience with you in this episode and hope that it makes you excited for the day you meet your baby.

This episode and all episodes in season 2 are kindly supported by Waterwipes.

As creators of the worlds purest baby wipes, containing only two ingredients, 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract, WaterWipes are purer than cotton wool and water. They contain no artificial fragrance, soap, silicones or colours, and they cleanse and instantly hydrate sensitive, newborn and premature babies skin. 96% of midwives consider WaterWipes to be the purest baby wipe* and in fact they are the only baby wipe approved by Skin Health Alliance, Allergy UK and have the National Eczema Association of America’s seal of acceptance.

Together WaterWipes and everymum we are committed to changing the conversation for parents – by helping take those first steps towards greater confidence and support throughout those early days for you and every mum.

Subscribe now to join our community of 220,000 mums in Ireland to receive your FREE GIFT BAG and a whole lot of support.

xxx

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