Dear Mum

Pelvic floor… It comes up at every antenatal class, every postnatal check, every mum WhatsApp group. And most of us are still just crossing our legs and hoping nobody brings it up!!This week I'm joined by Clare Bourne - pelvic health physiotherapist, author of Strong Foundations, mum of two (soon to be three!), and one of my oldest friends. We met nine years ago when I was training her, and now she's the one educating me. So we sat down for what was genuinely one of the most useful conversations I've had on this podcast. We talk pelvic floor - properly. Not the scary version, not the "just do your Kegels" version, but the honest, empowering, myth-busting version. Clare breaks down what's actually happening to your body in pregnancy and postpartum, why fear is the number one thing she sees in her clinic, and why common doesn't mean normal — and it doesn't mean permanent either.We also get into diastasis recti — what it actually is, why you absolutely cannot prevent it, and why loading your core is often the answer, not the enemy. Pop this on for the school run, while you're doing those squeezes you keep forgetting about, or any time you need someone to tell you that your body is not broken - it just needs a bit of attention.New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss one ✨Follow ClareInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/clarebournephysio Website - https://www.clare-bourne.com/Follow me (Charlie!)Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunderAnd get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees and [http://www.bumpsandburpees.com](http://www.bumpsandburpees.com/)Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

To the mum who's standing in front of a wardrobe full of clothes that don't quite fit the same way anymore, wondering where she went - this one's for you.

This week I'm joined by Courtney-Mae Briggs; actress, voiceover artist, fashion content creator, and mum to the most stylish almost-two-year-old, Minnie. You might know her from the West End, from Wicked the film (yes, that Wicked), or from her absolutely brilliant outfits on Instagram. We last saw each other on the floor at baby music class - now we're in chairs, no children.?! What a strange luxury.

In this episode, we talk about what it's really like to build a career around your body and your identity… and then to have a baby and not recognise either. Courtney is so honest about the postpartum body image stuff, not the weight, but the shape. The hips, the ribs, the shoulders, the fact that nothing hangs quite the same way. And how she found her way back to herself, one outfit at a time.

We also get into breastfeeding, leaving Minnie for the first time at ten weeks for a hen do in the South of France, hosting dinner parties with a baby asleep upstairs, and why she refuses to feel guilty about doing things for herself - and thinks you shouldn't either!

Plus the wardrobe clear-out that changed everything, dressing Minnie exclusively in the boys section, and a very exciting NDA-ed TV project coming later this year.

Pop this on for the school run, while you're scrolling and feeling like you've lost your style a bit, or while you're running that bath you keep putting off.

Do something small for yourself today. And don't feel guilty about it ❤️

New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE or FOLLOW so you don't miss one ✨

Follow Courtney-MaeInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/courtneymae_briggs/

Follow me (Charlie!)Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder

And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees and http://www.bumpsandburpees.com

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Dear Mum, meet George. Our very first DAD on the podcast… who also happens to be a very special “Dad” in my life - because he’s my husband and the father to our three.

This episode is proper, unfiltered, and surprisingly emotional - because George and I sit down (possibly for the longest uninterrupted conversation we've had in years?!) to talk through our whole journey into parenthood.

From meeting at university and never really moving apart, to four miscarriages in our first year of trying, to navigating three children under five and everything in between.

We get into the one-to-two transition (spoiler: it broke us a little), the unspoken household systems that keep the chaos manageable, the favourite parent problem that nobody warns you about, and whether (hand on heart!!) we're actually done at three.

Oh, and we possibly risk it all(?!) with a couples quiz…

Pop this on for the school run, folding that mountain of laundry, or whenever you get a moment to sit in parenthood that feels as honest as it can.

New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss one ✨

Follow me (Charlie!)Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder

And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees and http://www.bumpsandburpees.com

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Trigger warning & Disclaimer: This episode includes discussion of infant infections, hospitalisation, and childhood illness anxiety.

This episode is for general information and support only, not personalised medical advice. If you’re worried about your child, trust your instincts and speak to your GP, NHS 111, or seek urgent care if needed.

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To the parents who are permanently wiping noses, side-eyeing a thermometer, and wondering if you’re overreacting (or not reacting enough) - welcome back to Dear Mum… This one is a proper deep exhale.

This week I’m joined by Dr Lils (Dr Lillie Parker) - paediatrician, mum-to-be (literally due any minute at the time of recording), and the calm voice so many parents trust when it’s 2am and you’re googling symptoms with one eye open.

We cover the stuff that comes up constantly in family life: the difference between viral and bacterial infections (and why you’re often told to “wait it out”), what’s normal when your child is catching every nursery bug going, and what you can realistically do to support their immune system without falling for magic-supplement promises.

We also talk fevers (and why the most important thing isn’t the number on the thermometer). Plus, we get into the question that brings up so much awkwardness for new parents: kissing newborns - why the first 12 weeks are different, how to hold boundaries without feeling “neurotic”, and what the real risks actually are.

Pop this on for the school run, a nap-trap, or while you’re cleaning the kitchen like someone’s about to inspect it (because one child has vomited and now you’re in germ lockdown mode). I truly hope it helps you feel more confident making decisions when your child is ill ❤️‍🩹

New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss one ✨

Follow Dr LilsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/doctor.lils/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p/Doctor-Lils-61566126069934/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.lillie.parker

Follow me (Charlie!)Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder
And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpeeswww.bumpsandburpees.com

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of maternal mental health, burnout, anxiety, depression and postnatal depression, including seeking support from a GP.

To the mums who feel like they’re “fine” right up until they’re suddenly… not - this one’s for you.

This week I’m joined by one of my closest friends, who I met through motherhood, and is one of the most honest people I know (even when it’s messy)… Milly Griffin.

This is the kind of conversation that feels like a voice note from the friend who won’t sugarcoat it, but will make you feel less alone.

Milly takes us right into the moment she realised something had shifted. Not a dramatic breakdown - more like a slow build of pressure, tears that wouldn’t stop, and a body that started waving a massive red flag.

We talk about what it’s like to carry the mental load for so long that “overwhelmed” feels normal… and how hard it can be to admit you need help when you’re used to being the one who gets on with it.

We also get practical. What helped in the thick of it; from the GP appointment that changed everything, to the decision to take sick leave (and the fear of telling work), to the small everyday resets that brought her back to herself.

It’s honest, it’s funny in parts (because what else can you do), and it’s full of that deep exhale feeling of hearing someone say: me too.

I really hope that if you need it right now, this helps you feel seen.

And if you’re in need of a little extra support, we’ve listed some online resources below:
​Mental Health UK - https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/
​Mental Health Foundation - https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/articles/burnout-signs-causes-and-ways-recover
New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss one ✨

Follow me (Charlie!)
IG - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder
And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees
www.bumpsandburpees.com

Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️
Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW