For All Mum Kind with Clodagh O'Hagan

05/23/21 • 51 min

Clodagh O’Hagan welcomes me into her world as a solo parent to Frank and shares with me her path to motherhood. Having a baby was in Clodagh’s mind for a while, waiting to start a family with a partner but she didn’t meet that person. So, she set out to have a baby on her own using a sperm donor. She bought a two bed house in preparation and began the process of having a baby. At the age of 41 she was aware that time wasn’t on her side and regrets that she took the long route by starting off with a GP visit rather than going straight to a fertility clinic. Once she had chosen a clinic for her fertility treatment Clodagh had to choose a sperm donor. Clodagh describes choosing a donor being a bit like online dating. You put in your vital statistics, blood type and medical history to see who is genetically best suited to you. After that you can choose hair colour, eye colour, height and traits that give you an idea of the person. As we all know fertility treatment is not an easy process. It took Clodagh three cycles however, an incorrect injection, then collapsed follicles lead to two cycles being cancelled. But fortunately for Clodagh the third cycle worked and Frank was conceived. Clodagh and Frank now live in a perfect little bubble of their own and this time has really given them the opportunity to get to know one another and form a special bond. This weekend Frank turns one and Clodagh celebrated a year of being a mum so I am delighted to share their story on this podcast with you. To follow Clodagh and Franks day to day life follow Cloadgh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clodeine/ And her blog is BabyFrank: http://babyfrank.co Enjoy, Pamela. ______________________________________ This series of the For All Mum Kind podcast is sponsored by the Gardiner Family Apothecary . Caring for your sensitive skin with their Elave and Ovelle solutions and proudly made in Ireland since 1934. You can keep up to date with all of their news, discounts, and exclusive offers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at Gardiner Family Apothecary. Visit their website for free next day delivery with purchases over €25. https://gardinerfamilyapothecary.com ______________________________________ Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/for-all-mum-kind/id1456045096?mt=2 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5q5ErY3McbYLuzC2qGfxVz

Previous Episode

For All Mum Kind with Rachael Smith

This week on the podcast I am joined by Rachael Smith. Rachael is a teacher, life and parent coach and mum to three busy, noisy boys. I was drawn to Rachael as I loved her parent coaching approach that she shares on her Instagram, for the simple reason that Rachael is realistic. As a mum she understands the reality of parenting - the isolation and loneliness - and is passionate about the need to look after yourself, so that you can look after everyone else. Rachael adapted the jar of pebbles and sand analogy as a guide for how to prioritise your time. Its a great way to visualise what is important, and not to get bogged down in the stress of day to day. She also recommends taking a moment to think about what truly brings us joy, and to make a list of these so you don’t let them slip by the wayside and risk losing your identity. After recording this podcast I took on Rachael’s advice and lost an hour in the evening to gain an hour in the morning. It really helped me recharge the batteries and to get a much needed productive hour to myself, rather than just scrolling endlessly before bed. Rachael also gives great advice when it comes to communicating to our children which she calls the ‘positive/negative/positive’ approach. Did you know that children hear the word ‘no’ up to 400 times a day? After a while it completely loses all meaning, so it’s important to reinforce the positive parts of their behaviour. This week a lot of mums and dads have returned to the workplace after months of being at home. The return of work also brings the return of mum guilt. The putting yourself at the bottom of the list and forgetting what self care is about. This episode is the perfect antidote to all of those bad habits that we fall into. To learn more about Rachael’s coaching techniques check out her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachaelsmithcoaching/ Pamela. _____________________________________ This series of the For All Mum Kind podcast is sponsored by the Gardiner Family Apothecary . Caring for your sensitive skin with their Elave and Ovelle solutions and proudly made in Ireland since 1934. You can keep up to date with all of their news, discounts, and exclusive offers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at Gardiner Family Apothecary. Visit http://www.GardinerFamilyApothecary.com for free next day delivery with purchases over €25. Pamela x Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/for-all-mum-kind/id1456045096?mt=2 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5q5ErY3McbYLuzC2qGfxVz

Next Episode

For All Mum Kind with Erica Hargaden • Babogue Sleep

This week’s podcast focuses on sleep with mother of three, and certified child sleep consultant Erica Hargaden. Erica shares the how and why she became interested in sleep and the reason she created Babogue Sleep Solutions. At 7 months her eldest child Quinn was waking up to 12 times a night. He was a fussy baby, almost impossible to put down and almost certainly suffering from Silent Reflux - not that anyone would help her diagnose that. Exhausted and sleep deprived Erica called for reinforcements in the form of her mother. The Erica that she met was a grey shell of the daughter she knew. Her mum reassured her that there was nothing wrong with her or Quinn and took a gentle approach to fixing Quinn’s sleep patterns. She slowly taught Quinn how to self soothe and this was the beginning of Erica’s interest in sleep. Erica offers one to one coaching as well as the Sleep Series Solution to support families with babies and children that are having sleep issues. Each sleep series depending on the age of the child offers five different methods to suit different parenting styles. In total she has helped over 2,500 families in 30 different countries to get a better nights sleep - and I salute her for that. Myself and Erica explore the world of sleep, discussing tips, sleep aids and words of wisdom. Her stories on Instagram are well worth following: https://www.instagram.com/babogue_sleep And you can find out more about the 7 Steps To Better Sleep on her website: https://babogue.com _______________________________ This series of the For All Mum Kind podcast is sponsored by the Gardiner Family Apothecary . Caring for your sensitive skin with their Elave and Ovelle solutions and proudly made in Ireland since 1934. You can keep up to date with all of their news, discounts, and exclusive offers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at Gardiner Family Apothecary. Visit www.GardinerFamilyApothecary.com for free next day delivery with purchases over €25. Pamela x Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/for-all-mum-kind/id1456045096?mt=2 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5q5ErY3McbYLuzC2qGfxVz