#13 - Elliott - Single Dad, Divorce & Starting Over: One Man’s Journey Through Fatherhood

#19 - Simon - Breaking the Cycle: How Sye MC Chose to Become the Dad He Never Had

Breaking the Cycle: How Sye MC Chose to Become the Dad He Never Had Some people drift into parenthood. Others walk into it with their eyes wide open, having done the quiet, unglamorous work of looking at their own childhood and deciding — consciously, deliberately — to do things differently. Simon, known to many as Sye MC, is one of those people. In this episode, Simon takes us back to the beginning. Growing up in an unconventional family set up, navigating a childhood that didn't always look like everyone else's. And then, at twenty years old, becoming a dad himself. Young, but already asking the right questions. What kind of father do I want to be? What patterns do I want to break? What do I want my son to feel that I didn't always have? He talks about the relationship he built with his first son — the intention behind it, the love that drove it, and the version of himself he was still growing into at the time. Then life shifted. In his late twenties, Simon met his now wife. And by the time he became a father again in his mid thirties, he was standing in a completely different place. Financially stable, emotionally grounded, and equipped in ways his younger self simply wasn't. The contrast between those two chapters of fatherhood — and what he learned in the years between them — is at the heart of this conversation. This is an episode about growth. About generational healing. About the courage it takes to look at where you came from and choose a different path. And about what it really means to parent with intention. In this episode we talk about: * Growing up in an unconventional family set up and what that looked like * Becoming a dad at twenty and the conscious choices that followed * Breaking generational cycles and parenting with intention * Building a deep and meaningful relationship with his first son * Meeting his wife and becoming a dad again in his mid thirties * The difference between who he was at twenty and who he became * Generational healing and what we choose to pass on to our children * Growth, self-awareness, and showing up as the parent you want to be If this episode resonated with you — whether you're a young parent finding your feet, someone actively working to break a cycle, or simply a parent who wants to show up with more intention — I'd love for you to share it with someone who might need to hear it today. And if you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, get in touch. This village is always growing. 💛 💛 Raising with the Village This podcast is about real parents sharing real stories — because no one should feel alone in parenthood.  New episodes every Thursday! 🌐 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk/ [https://raisingwith.co.uk/] 📸 Instagram: @raisingwiththevillage [https://www.instagram.com/raisingwiththevillage] 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms. If you’d like to share your own story — about birth, parenting, or family life — get in touch via the website or Instagram DMs.

#18 - Anita - Pregnancy Loss, a Lung Defect, and the First Year Nobody Prepares You For

Anita: Pregnancy Loss, a Lung Defect, and the First Year Nobody Prepares You For Please note: this episode contains a discussion about pregnancy loss. Please take care of yourself as you listen. Anita first joined us in episode seven, where she shared her birth experiences with an elective and an emergency C-section — and mentioned, almost in passing, that her daughter had been born with a lung defect. Today, she comes back to tell us the rest of the story. Before she does, Anita opens up about something she hadn't shared before — the loss of a pregnancy in her late first trimester. She speaks about it with honesty and tenderness, and with the kind of quiet courage that I know will resonate with so many of you. And then she takes us into her daughter's first year and a half of life. Her daughter was born with CPAM — Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation — a rare lung condition that was picked up during pregnancy. What followed was a journey of scans, hospital appointments, consultants, and waiting. The kind of waiting that sits with you every single day. Until the surgery. This episode is for every parent who has started their parenting journey on a hospital ward. Every parent who has learned a medical language they never wanted to know. And every parent who has loved their child through something terrifying, and found a strength they didn't know they had. In this episode we talk about: * Experiencing pregnancy loss in the late first trimester * Receiving a CPAM diagnosis during pregnancy * What CPAM is and what it means for your baby * The follow-up appointments, scans, and hospital visits in the first year * Preparing for and navigating your baby's surgery * The emotional load of parenting a baby with a medical condition * Finding community and support when your parenting journey looks different What is CPAM? CPAM (Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation) is a rare congenital lung condition where abnormal tissue develops in the lung during pregnancy. It varies in severity — some babies require surgery, others are monitored over time. If your baby has been diagnosed with CPAM, know that you are not alone. Resources & Support CPAM Community & Support Groups * Parents of CPAM — Facebook group recommended by Anita, a community of parents navigating a CPAM diagnosis together * CPAM Support Group UK — search on Facebook for UK-based parent communities around CPAM and congenital lung conditions * Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) — gosh.nhs.uk — offers information and guidance on congenital lung conditions and treatment pathways * British Lung Foundation / Asthma + Lung UK — asthmaandlung.org.uk — resources on lung conditions in children * Contact (for families of disabled children) — contact.org.uk — provides support and advice for families of children with any medical condition or disability For Pregnancy Loss Support * Tommy's — tommys.org — leading UK charity supporting parents through pregnancy loss, with information, helplines, and community * The Miscarriage Association — miscarriageassociation.org.uk — support and information for anyone affected by pregnancy loss * Sands — sands.org.uk — supports anyone affected by the death of a baby For Finding Your Village * Peanut App — peanut-app.io — an app designed to help mums connect with other mums nearby. Anita uses it and loves it! Available in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia among others — worth checking availability in your country. If this episode resonated with you — whether you've been through pregnancy loss, you're navigating a diagnosis, or you've spent time on a hospital ward with your little one — please share it with someone who might need to hear it. And if you'd like to share your own story on the podcast, get in touch. As always, thank you for being part of this village. 💛 💛 Raising with the Village This podcast is about real parents sharing real stories — because no one should feel alone in parenthood.  New episodes every Thursday! 🌐 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk/ [https://raisingwith.co.uk/] 📸 Instagram: @raisingwiththevillage [https://www.instagram.com/raisingwiththevillage] 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms. If you’d like to share your own story — about birth, parenting, or family life — get in touch via the website or Instagram DMs.

#17 - Phil - The Other Half of the Village: A Chef, a Dad, and the Honest Truth About Hospitality Parenting

The Other Half of the Village: A Chef, a Dad, and the Honest Truth About Hospitality Parenting If you listened to last week's episode with Hollie, you'll know the reality of parenting when your life runs opposite to everyone else's. This week, we hear from the other side of that story. Phil is a chef. His days start when most people's are ending. His weekends look nothing like yours. And his version of fatherhood has been built around late nights, long shifts, and a schedule that leaves very little room for the ordinary rhythms of family life. In this conversation, Phil opens up about what it really means to be a present dad in the hospitality industry — the solo parenting days, the exhaustion, the joy, and the quiet weight of doing it all while the rest of the world is asleep. We also get into some bigger questions. Could he imagine having more children with this life set up? And what do we really think about people who choose not to have children at all — and does our judgement change depending on who's making that choice? This is a rich, honest, and at times unexpected conversation. One that goes beyond the kitchen and into the heart of what modern fatherhood can look like. In this episode we talk about: * What a typical day looks like as a chef and a dad * Parenting solo when schedules don't align * Becoming a father and how it changed his perspective * Whether having more children is possible — or desirable — with this lifestyle * The societal pressure around parenthood choices, and the gender divide in how we judge them If this episode resonated with you, share it with a parent who might need to hear it — or leave a review. It means the world and helps this village grow. 💛 Raising with the Village This podcast is about real parents sharing real stories — because no one should feel alone in parenthood.  New episodes every Thursday! 🌐 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk/ [https://raisingwith.co.uk/] 📸 Instagram: @raisingwiththevillage [https://www.instagram.com/raisingwiththevillage] 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms. If you’d like to share your own story — about birth, parenting, or family life — get in touch via the website or Instagram DMs.

#16 - Hollie - Raising a Child When You Work Nights, Weekends and Opposite Schedules

What happens when both parents work when everyone else is at home? In this episode of Raising with the Village, I’m joined by Hollie to talk about the reality of raising a child while working nights, weekends, and opposite shifts in the hospitality industry. When your family life runs against the rhythm of society, parenting can look very different. Nursery pick-ups, mealtimes, weekends, holidays, even time with your partner — everything takes more planning, more sacrifice, and often comes with a level of loneliness that many people don’t see. Hollie shares what it’s like to parent as a couple when you’re often simply passing each other, how their relationship has adapted, how they protect connection as partners, and the silent exhaustion that can come with feeling like a solo parent, even within a two-parent household. This is an honest and important conversation about invisible labour, shift work, modern family life, and a side of parenting we don’t talk about nearly enough. In This Episode We Cover *  Parenting while working nights, weekends and irregular hours  *  What it means to raise a child on opposite shifts  *  The hidden loneliness of parenting in hospitality  *  Feeling like a solo parent while co-parenting  *  Protecting your relationship when you barely see each other  *  The emotional and practical realities of shift work family life  *  Why non-traditional working families deserve more visibility  Why This Episode Matters This episode shines a light on a reality many families live, but few talk about openly. Whether you work in hospitality, healthcare, emergency services, retail, aviation, or any job involving shift work, this conversation may feel deeply familiar. And if you don’t — this episode offers an important window into a version of parenting many people don’t often see. Mentioned in This Episode *  Life as a hospitality family  *  Parenting on opposite schedules  *  Relationship resilience after becoming parents  *  The invisible mental load of non-traditional family life  Connect with Raising with the Village 🌿 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk [https://raisingwith.co.uk] 📷 Instagram: https://instagram.com/raisingwiththevillage 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ [https://podcasts.apple.com/] 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/ [https://open.spotify.com/] If this episode resonated with you, please follow, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need to hear it. 💛 Raising with the Village This podcast is about real parents sharing real stories — because no one should feel alone in parenthood.  New episodes every Thursday! 🌐 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk/ [https://raisingwith.co.uk/] 📸 Instagram: @raisingwiththevillage [https://www.instagram.com/raisingwiththevillage] 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms. If you’d like to share your own story — about birth, parenting, or family life — get in touch via the website or Instagram DMs.

#15 - Siobhan - Unexpected Birth Abroad: Navigating Premature Birth & New Motherhood (Part 2)

What would you do if your baby arrived early… while you were on holiday, in a country where you don’t speak the language? In this powerful two-part story, Siobhan shares her experience of going into labour at just 32 weeks while abroad in France—completely unprepared for what was about to happen. From the shock of a premature birth in a foreign healthcare system, to time spent in the NICU, and the emotional rollercoaster that followed, this is an honest and eye-opening account of how quickly plans can change—and how resilience takes over when it has to. In Part 1, we follow the unexpected lead-up to labour and the birth itself. In Part 2, we explore the practical and emotional realities of life after NICU, navigating early parenthood abroad, and what it really means to care for a premature baby far from home. 💬 In this episode, we cover: *  Premature birth at 32 weeks while travelling abroad  *  Navigating a foreign healthcare system without speaking the language  *  NICU experience away from home  *  The transition from NICU to maternity ward  *  The emotional impact of unexpected birth experiences  *  Practical challenges of early parenthood in another country  *  Preparing (or not!) for a baby arriving early  ✈️ Travelling While Pregnant or With Young Children If you’re pregnant or travelling with little ones, this episode highlights just how important preparation can be. Some key things to consider: * Travel insurance when pregnant: Make sure your policy covers pregnancy-related complications, premature birth, and neonatal care. Not all standard policies include this.  * Essential documents to carry:  *  Maternity notes / pregnancy records  *  Passport + copies  *  European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/GHIC) or equivalent  *  Emergency contact details  *  Birth preferences (if later in pregnancy)  * Before you travel:  *  Check airline policies for pregnant passengers  *  Know where the nearest hospital is at your destination  *  Discuss travel plans with your midwife or doctor  🩺 Additional Topics Mentioned * Group B Strep (GBS): A common bacteria that some women carry without symptoms, but which can be passed to babies during birth. Awareness and testing can be important, especially in premature deliveries. * 👉 Learn more:  https://www.gbss.org.uk 🤍 Final Thoughts This story is a reminder that birth doesn’t always go to plan—and sometimes, the most unexpected journeys become the most defining ones. 💛 Raising with the Village This podcast is about real parents sharing real stories — because no one should feel alone in parenthood.  New episodes every Thursday! 🌐 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk/ [https://raisingwith.co.uk/] 📸 Instagram: @raisingwiththevillage [https://www.instagram.com/raisingwiththevillage] 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms. If you’d like to share your own story — about birth, parenting, or family life — get in touch via the website or Instagram DMs.