A miracle baby against all the odds, with Ariana Dunne
My guest for this episode is Ariana Dunne. Ariana is a columnist, a life coach and has many other professional strings to her bow, but the one role she always wanted was 'mammy'. Her story, which she originally wrote for Irish Country Magazine, was one of the most read pieces ever for them, and it has so many twists and turns, ups and downs, that you'll barely believe it. After travelling the world in her 40th year, Ariana tried IUI to try to have a baby solo, and when that didn't work out, resigned herself to the fact that she might never become a mother. But fate intervened in the most amazing and fairly random way, and as I speak to her in this episode, she's 36 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby girl, just 14 months into a relationship that's seen more 'oh my god' moments than most see in their lifetimes. I won't give you any more spoilers! You'll have to listen to hear the full journey. Ariana's story is one of hope, really, and she shares it with us in this episode so generously. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you've enjoyed S17 – thanks for listening and I'll be back in a few weeks with S18, with more incredible guests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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"Late talkers", language and the importance of connection with your child, with Sarah Kelly
Today’s guest is someone who knows that play is far more than just fun, it’s one of the most powerful tools we have for helping children learn, connect, and thrive. Sarah Kelly is a Speech and Language Therapist, a Montessori teacher, a mum of boys, and the founder of PlayEasy, an educational toy store. Working in her own private speech and language private practice in Churchtown, Sarah saw that parents were often unsure which toys could truly support their child’s speech, language, and overall development. So she began hand-selecting toys that don’t just entertain, but actively build skills, spark imagination, and meet children right where they are in their growth. In our conversation today, Sarah shares how her work as both a clinician and a mother shapes her approach, the signs parents can look for in a truly educational toy, and why the best play is often the simplest. She offers practical tips for weaving language development into everyday routines, busts some persistent myths about late talking, and reminds us that the most important thing we can give our children during playtime is ourselves. Whether you’re a new parent, or one who is time pressed but still wants to do the very best for their kids, or just someone who wants to understand how children learn through play, you’re going to love Sarah’s warmth, expertise, and advice. Thanks for listening as always, back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Learning to parent again when your co-parent and soulmate dies, with Nicky Wake
My guest this week is entrepreneur Nicky Wake. Nicky's story of grief and love and parenting is one that I was immediately inspired by when I first heard it. After meeting her soulmate Andy Wake back in 2002, Nicky went on to live her best life, and after a long journey to conceive, welcomed a baby boy called Finn. When Finn was just 9 years old, his dad, Nicky's soulmate Andy, had a heart attack that would leave him in a coma and then in round-the-clock care until he eventually passed away back in 2020, when Finn was just about to enter his teenage years. Parenting is challenging enough, but with her own grief and her son's to deal with, Nicky faced a period of intense darkness which resulted in struggling with alcoholism and going into rehab. Her son, just on the cusp of his 17th birthday, told her that getting sober would be the best gift she could give him. So that's what she did. Nicky is now sober, running multiple businesses, and channeling her grief and her pain into positivity by uniting other widows and widowers to help them bond and find love again, moving forward – but not moving on – through it all. This is a captivating story and Nicky's positivity throughout is really something to behold. I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Child free by choice, with Vicki Notaro
This week, I wanted to do something slightly different, in the sense that – most of the guests I have on are parents themselves. This week though, I wanted to explore a motherhood choice of a different kind: Choosing not to become a parent. And when I polled listeners to see who to speak to on this, hundreds of you suggested the brilliant Vicki Notaro. I've known Vicki for a long time as we both came up in the magazine industry at the same time, and I've known she was child-free by choice for a long time too. I firmly believe that some of the best mothering I've ever witnessed has some from people who haven't got a child of their own, but aside from that, I really wanted to know Vicki's take on choosing a child-free life, and to talk to her about how that choice is as valid a motherhood decision as any. We were both very sensitive to the fact that becoming a mother is a choice denied to many, but we also explore the societal norms and pressures that child-bearing can place on women, and how Vicki's relationships have been affected by her stance on the issue of having or not having kids. So yes, this isn't the typical everymum episode, but it is absolutely brilliant and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it. Back next week with more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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49:35
"It has been a long journey" – from chronic illness to healthy pregnancy with Rachel Purcell
My guest today is someone who’s lived through more than most of us can imagine, and yet meets the world with such calm, strength, and self-awareness, you’d never know it at first glance. Rachel Purcell might be best known to some as Roz Purcell’s sister, but she is very much her own person. A thoughtful, creative soul who’s been sharing her life online with quiet honesty for years. In 2016, Rachel was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. She was just 27. And in the years since, she’s gone through a full reshaping - of her health, her relationship to her body, her identity, and her priorities. Now, she’s entering a totally new chapter: pregnancy. Rachel is currently expecting her first child, a little boy, and in this conversation, we talk about what it’s been like to move from illness to new life. She opens up about the fear and wonder of early pregnancy, the unexpected time it took to conceive, how her illness determined how long things would take, and how she imagines she might be as a mother. We chat about whether she plans to share her child online, how excited she and her husband Kev are about their new arrival, and how sleep is the thing she's most nervous about when baby arrives. Whether you’re a parent yourself or not, Rachel’s way of thinking about life and how to move through it with such positivity, is something we can all learn from. I'll be back next week with more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Meet everymum… discover Ireland's largest parenting community with over half a million followers across social and email channels. Hosted by Aisling Keenan, everymum the podcast promises to talk about the parts of motherhood we just don't hear enough about.Reassuring words, support on your motherhood journey, and authentic honest chat. everymum is here to let you know that you’ve got this, even when you feel like you don’t!Insane highs to anxious lows, we're here to remind you that every pregnancy, birth, baby and mum is unique, and every feeling along the way is completely valid.#everymumthepodcast is sponsored by WaterWipes - the no. 1 baby wipe in Ireland. Their wipes are made with simply two ingredients, 99.9% water and a drop of fruit extract. Together, we are committed to reassuring and supporting parents.Register with everymum today, and pick up your free gift bag, worth over €45 and packed with products, information and samples! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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