Pregnancy Loss, Grief & Building Cocoon: Sam's Story of Miscarriage, Maternity Care and Midlife Reinvention l EP43

Pregnancy Loss, Grief & Building Cocoon: Sam's Story of Miscarriage, Maternity Care and Midlife Reinvention l EP43

Pregnancy loss, miscarriage recovery and the gaps in NHS maternity care — this episode goes straight to the heart of all three. Sam, founder of Cocoon, a midwife-led pregnancy ultrasound clinic in Harrogate, shares the devastating loss of her baby, Willow, and how that experience — and the dehumanising language used around it — became the catalyst for building the maternity care she wished had existed. Sam opens up about the anxiety of a subsequent pregnancy after loss, leaving a successful corporate career at Bettys & Taylors to start again from scratch, and why she believes proper qualifications and regulation matter so much in private ultrasound clinics. We also talk about Cocoon's next chapter — a new preventative health and diagnostics site, Science and Soul, launched in memory of her best friend who died from metastatic breast cancer — and what it really takes to build a business on purpose rather than a plan. In this episode: * Sam's experience of miscarriage and the language of "product of conception" * Pregnancy after loss: managing anxiety through a subsequent pregnancy * Why Sam left a stable corporate career to found a maternity clinic * What's missing from regulation in private pregnancy scan clinics * Building Cocoon with a midwife-led, trauma-informed model of care * Cocoon's new diagnostic and preventative health clinic, Science and Soul * Late-diagnosed neurodivergence and ADHD as an entrepreneurial superpower * Sam's advice for anyone standing on the edge of a midlife career change Resources & Links mentioned: * Cocoon — https://cocoon-hgt.com/ [https://cocoon-hgt.com/] * Taking Baby Steps — https://takingbabysteps.co.uk/ [https://takingbabysteps.co.uk/] * Brighter Skies — https://www.brighterskies.org.uk/ [https://www.brighterskies.org.uk/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/support] Rate the Show : RateThisPodcast.com/ [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942556504%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=J4wNEQGaRTNwTjZ5ALWL8YBQ6lDcIRuxo1h5mRwdQWM%3D&reserved=0]midlife [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942570637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qs1oZK3kQjuoRgD9hmeEhmPPL2aaidrewQol3wnuJiE%3D&reserved=0] Facebook Community : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/] Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/] Substack : https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/ [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/] The Awakened Community - https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe] To submit your story to be featured on...

From "Something's Wrong With Me" to Radical Self-Love: Breaking Subconscious Patterns in Midlife l Liora Sponko l EP42

Have you ever felt like you're living smaller than you were meant to? Like something invisible is holding you back — and you can't quite name what it is? In this episode of The Midlife Awakening, I sit down with empowerment coach and motivational speaker Liora Sponko to explore the subconscious patterns, limiting beliefs, and childhood wounds that keep so many of us stuck — and how midlife is actually the perfect moment to finally break free from them. Liora spent years living under the weight of one quietly devastating belief: there's something wrong with me. That story fuelled anxiety, people-pleasing, and self-doubt — until she committed to peeling back the layers through deep transformational work. Today she helps women, entrepreneurs, and leaders move from scarcity to abundance, from fear to radical self-love. In this episode we cover: * Why 95% of our thoughts are subconscious loops from the past — and how to interrupt them * The difference between scarcity mindset and abundance mindset, and how to shift between them * Liora's three-step Internal Work Framework: unblock the past, reprogram the present, embody the future * Why midlife is not a crisis — it's an awakening and an opportunity * The power of emotional release (yes, including crying) as a somatic healing tool * How to tell the difference between your thoughts and your intuition * Why inner child healing is the key to changing your outer world Connect with Liora Sponko: * 🌐 Website: liorasponko.com [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.liorasponko.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cf6dc383ddb854d5fd1c008deb6c900b6%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639149171563213585%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7Yo8Qe6OwcXrtejKniA7NUVLNBq3uq4baFNQ7dynAfE%3D&reserved=0] — download her free Internal Work Framework * 📞 Book a free Breakthrough Call via her website * 📸 Instagram: @liorasponko [https://instagram.com/liorasponko] * 👥 Facebook: @lioramotivates [https://facebook.com/lioramotivates] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/support] Rate the Show : RateThisPodcast.com/ [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942556504%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=J4wNEQGaRTNwTjZ5ALWL8YBQ6lDcIRuxo1h5mRwdQWM%3D&reserved=0]midlife [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942570637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qs1oZK3kQjuoRgD9hmeEhmPPL2aaidrewQol3wnuJiE%3D&reserved=0] Facebook Community : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/] Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/] Substack : https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/ [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/] The Awakened Community - https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe] To submit your story to be featured on...

Healing Autoimmune, Money Wounds & Midlife Purpose: Kristen Renee on the 12-Element Framework l EP41

What if the chronic pain, exhaustion, and stuckness you're feeling isn't just physical — and the solution isn't another diet, supplement, or protocol?   In this episode, Odilia sits down with author, speaker, and transformational coach Kristen Renee to explore the radical idea that lasting healing — physical, emotional, and financial — requires us to address the whole person. After a decade of autoimmune disease and a financial crisis in her forties, Kristen developed a 12-principle framework that bridges the spiritual with the practical, helping busy midlife women create real, lasting change without overhauling their entire lives overnight.   This conversation is for you if you've tried everything and still feel like something is missing. IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER: •       Why you can't manifest or find your purpose when you're living in survival mode •       The overnight healing events that proved the mind-body connection is real •       How suppressed emotions and trauma show up as physical symptoms in the body •       The masculine/feminine energy imbalance driving burnout in midlife women •       How to start a body scan practice even when you've never felt connected to your body •       Why healing your environment — including your home and your food — matters •       The 12-week framework that gently folds healing into your real, busy life •       Finding your purpose in midlife and the 'pre-purpose steps' that make it possible RESOURCES MENTIONED: •       Kristen's book: The Elements of Healing — available on Amazon (author name: Kristen Renee) •       Upcoming book: Healing the Money Wound •       Louise Hay — You Can Heal Your Life •       Gabor Maté — on trauma and autoimmune disease in women CONNECT WITH KRISTEN: •       Website: www.kristenreneehealing.com [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kristenreneerebuilding.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cca47170201c64375716408debbf11884%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639154841373481002%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=AF%2BqqMpp3GQhBWIwe%2FWIMowUc2SiO%2BoFbJG1VkI2Orw%3D&reserved=0] •       Instagram : @kristenreneehealing [https://www.instagram.com/kristenreneehealing/] •       Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/KRISTENRENEEREBUILDING?locale=en_GB [https://www.facebook.com/KRISTENRENEEREBUILDING?locale=en_GB] •       TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenreneerebuilding [https://www.tiktok.com/@kristenreneerebuilding] •       YouTube: @kristenreneerebuilds [https://www.youtube.com/@KristenReneeRebuilding] •       LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristen-appleby [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkristen-appleby%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7Cca47170201c64375716408debbf11884%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639154841373463074%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q65A5P2HxeUHgAkNrU4DB00Mxd2bJRc%2B2Ho9MTjd2IU%3D&reserved=0] •       Amazon Author Page: Search 'Kristen Renee' on Amazon midlife healing, autoimmune healing, mind-body connection, trauma healing, women's health midlife, burnout recovery, healing framework, Kristen Renee, The Elements of Healing, midlife awakening, feminine energy, purpose in midlife, somatic healing, nervous system regulation, emotional healing Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/support] Rate the Show : RateThisPodcast.com/ [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942556504%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=J4wNEQGaRTNwTjZ5ALWL8YBQ6lDcIRuxo1h5mRwdQWM%3D&reserved=0]midlife [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942570637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qs1oZK3kQjuoRgD9hmeEhmPPL2aaidrewQol3wnuJiE%3D&reserved=0] Facebook Community : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/] Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/] Substack : https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/ [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/] The Awakened Community - https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe] To submit your story to be featured on...

Functioning Is Not Thriving: Late ADHD & Autism Diagnosis, Burnout & Finding Freedom in Midlife l EP40

Have you ever felt like you were working twice as hard as everyone else — just to cope? If you've ever been told you're "too sensitive," struggled with overwhelm, burnout, or that nagging sense of being different without knowing why — this episode is for you.   In this episode of The Midlife Awakening, Odilia sits down with Isobel Lepist — ADHD coach, neuro-inclusion consultant, and founder of At the Millpond — who built an extraordinary international career across the UK, Angola, Berlin, and The Hague, while privately exhausted and masked.   At 52, Isobel received a dual diagnosis of ADHD and Autism — a moment she describes as equal parts relief and grief. Relief, because her life finally made sense. Grief, for the decades spent blaming herself for neurological differences.   In this episode: •        Why high-achieving women are so frequently missed in ADHD and autism diagnosis •        What masking really is — and what it costs you over decades •        How burnout is an access issue, not a character flaw •        The link between ADHD, dopamine, impulsivity, and relationship vulnerability •        Why "functioning" does not mean thriving •        Practical strategies for nervous system regulation, executive function, and building a life that works with your brain   Whether you suspect you may be neurodivergent, are in burnout recovery, or simply feel like you've never quite been able to keep up the way others seem to — this conversation will leave you feeling deeply seen.   🌐 Connect with Isobel Lepist: Website: www.atthemillpond.co.uk [https://www.atthemillpond.co.uk/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/isobel-lepist-a0b72a43 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/isobel-lepist-a0b72a43/] Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583383604976 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583383604976] Novel (The Event by I.G. Lepist): Available on Amazon Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/support] Rate the Show : RateThisPodcast.com/ [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942556504%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=J4wNEQGaRTNwTjZ5ALWL8YBQ6lDcIRuxo1h5mRwdQWM%3D&reserved=0]midlife [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942570637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qs1oZK3kQjuoRgD9hmeEhmPPL2aaidrewQol3wnuJiE%3D&reserved=0] Facebook Community : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/] Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/] Substack : https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/ [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/] The Awakened Community - https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe] To submit your story to be featured on...

Perimenopause Symptoms, Stress & Root Cause Healing | Naturopath Kate Driver l EP39

Are your symptoms trying to tell you something? If you've been dealing with anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, or digestive issues in your 40s — this episode is for you.   In this episode of The Midlife Awakening, host Odilia sits down with Kate Driver — naturopath with over 25 years of clinical experience and founder of The PeriMenopause Practitioner. Kate has personally navigated perimenopause twice, overcoming nervous system dysregulation, histamine intolerance, thyroid dysfunction, and burnout. She now helps women around the world understand the root causes of their midlife symptoms — and heal naturally.  🌐 Connect with Kate Driver: Website: https://theperimenopausepractitioner.com/ [https://theperimenopausepractitioner.com/] Free Masterclass: https://kate-driver-naturopath.newzenler.com/f/the-midlife-fatigue-fix-5-day-workshop-may [https://kate-driver-naturopath.newzenler.com/f/the-midlife-fatigue-fix-5-day-workshop-may] Facebook Community (Perimenopause & Menopause Holistic Support): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1659127120790375 [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1659127120790375] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@katedriver8874 [https://www.youtube.com/@katedriver8874] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-driver-65a062bb/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-driver-65a062bb/] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343819/support] Rate the Show : RateThisPodcast.com/ [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942556504%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=J4wNEQGaRTNwTjZ5ALWL8YBQ6lDcIRuxo1h5mRwdQWM%3D&reserved=0]midlife [https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fratethispodcast.com%2Fmidlife&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0c664f3c9453444edf6408de5e81d892%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C639052108942570637%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=qs1oZK3kQjuoRgD9hmeEhmPPL2aaidrewQol3wnuJiE%3D&reserved=0] Facebook Community : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/ [https://www.facebook.com/groups/1717887919057641/] Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.midlife.awakening/] Substack : https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/ [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/] The Awakened Community - https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe [https://themidlifeawakening.substack.com/subscribe] To submit your story to be featured on...