Dear Mum, it's Neema Sempebwa: Perimenopause, motherhood and advocating for yourself

Dear Mum, it's Anna Mathur: Mum overwhelm, burnout and why snapping at your kids is NOT your fault

We’re at the end of Series 1 of Dear Mum - and I feel like I should be the one writing a post-it note for myself, because this series has genuinely changed how I think about motherhood, and this final conversation is the perfect way to close it out. Anna Mathur is a psychotherapist, author, and a refreshingly honest mum of three. You might know her from her books, her incredibly honest Instagram, or from the way she has this gift of making you feel like someone finally gets it. We'd been talking about doing this episode for months and I'm so glad we waited, because it felt like the perfect conversation to end on. We talk about overwhelm; what it actually is, why it's so physical, and why the Hot Wheels car on the radiator can genuinely feel like a threat to your nervous system. We get into burnout, the real kind, and Anna shares her own experience of grinding to a complete halt after the pandemic and what it took to rebuild. We talk about the Mary Poppins to Hulk Continuum (yes, really), why snapping at your kids is a symptom not a character flaw, and how to repair things when it goes wrong - without the but. We also talk about capacity. How we pour everything into everyone else and run on empty, and why doing something for yourself isn't selfish - it's active love for your children. This episode felt like a big exhale. I hope it does for you too. — If you've been listening to series one, thank you. Truly! I'd love to know what you've loved, what you want more of, and who you'd like to hear from in series two. Comment on whatever platform you’re watching, or drop me a message on Instagram. And also consider leaving a review; it means the world and helps more mums find the show. ❤️ New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss one ✨ Follow Anna * Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/annamathur/ [https://www.instagram.com/annamathur/] * Website (including her books!) - https://www.annamathur.com/start-here/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnQA0UUOeMzMNFXm920VIS0VKC2KB1efhRCa4tG1VPkgH54KTSJQvLvUVtPMg_aem_pLy0UqoLghR4rK-c2PWYHg [https://www.annamathur.com/start-here/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnQA0UUOeMzMNFXm920VIS0VKC2KB1efhRCa4tG1VPkgH54KTSJQvLvUVtPMg_aem_pLy0UqoLghR4rK-c2PWYHg] Follow me (Charlie!) * Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder [https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder] * And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees [https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees] * and http://www.bumpsandburpees.com [http://www.bumpsandburpees.com] Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Dear Mum, it's Maisie Crompton: Surprise pregnancies, sold-out bag launches and 5pm bedtimes!!

This week's guest is proof that there is no perfect time, no perfect age, and no perfect plan... and that things can still turn out better than you ever could have imagined. Maisie Crompton is the founder of Totes For Youu, content creator, and mum to the most fiery, loving three-year-old, Elsie. We'd never met in person before this, but it felt like catching up with an old friend - which I think says everything about the kind of person Maisie is. We talk about what it was actually like finding out she was pregnant at 19, telling her boyfriend by text at 11pm, and how both sets of parents showed up in the most beautiful way. We get into running a business through pregnancy, growing a following by just bringing people along for the ride, and how she and her partner Charlie now work together full time — with very clear lanes. We also get into the parenting stuff — early bedtimes that changed everything, the comparison trap on social media, birth order (we go deep on this one), and why showing up fully in one place at a time is the goal, even if it's easier said than done. Plus Maisie's take on travelling with a baby, Australia at five months, and why she will stand by that decision forever. Pop this on for the school run, while you're packing orders, folding laundry, or any time you need someone to remind you that you're doing better than you think. 💕 New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss one ✨ Follow MaisieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/maisie_crompton/ [https://www.instagram.com/maisie_crompton/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maisie_crompton [https://www.tiktok.com/@maisie_crompton] Check our her business Totes For YouuWebsite: https://wearetfy.com/ [https://wearetfy.com/]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/totesforyouu/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/totesforyouu/?hl=en] Follow me (Charlie!)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder [https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder] And get to know my business, Bumps & BurpeesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees [https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees]Website: http://www.bumpsandburpees.com [http://www.bumpsandburpees.com] Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Dear Mum, it's Neema Sempebwa: Perimenopause, motherhood and advocating for yourself

Nobody warned us about perimenopause. Not really. We heard about menopause - hot flushes, older women, “something to worry about later”… But perimenopause? The feeling that you are fundamentally breaking apart, that the person showing up for your kids every day isn't really you anymore… and all of it arriving while you're also knee deep in the baby years?! It's a whole other world. This week I'm joined by my friend of many years, Neema Sempebwa — personal trainer, mum of two, and someone I used to work alongside doing towel duty at a gym in Chelsea about 12 years ago. By 43, Neema knew something wasn't right. What followed was a battle to be taken seriously, two dismissals, a misdiagnosis, and the offer of antidepressants before anyone would even say the word perimenopause. We talk about what perimenopause actually is, why it can start up to 10 years before menopause, why South Asian and Black women are often affected earlier, and what's actually helping Neema now — from HRT to movement, morning routines, and handpan music (trust me on this one). This is a conversation every mum needs to hear - whether you're in the thick of the baby years or starting to wonder if something feels a bit off. ❤️ New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss one ✨ Follow NeemaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/neemasempebwa/ [https://www.instagram.com/neemasempebwa/] Follow me (Charlie!)Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder [https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder] And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees [https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees] and http://www.bumpsandburpees.com [http://www.bumpsandburpees.com] Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW

Dear Mum, it's Clare Bourne: Honest truths about pelvic floor, diastasis and getting back to exercise

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 Clare Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/clarebournephysio Website - https://www.clare-bourne.com/ 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, it's Courtney-Mae Briggs: Losing yourself after baby - and rediscovering her spark (and style!)

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-Mae Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/courtneymae_briggs/ [https://www.instagram.com/courtneymae_briggs/] Follow me (Charlie!) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder [https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder] And get to know my business, Bumps & Burpees - https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees [https://www.instagram.com/bumpsandburpees] and http://www.bumpsandburpees.com [http://www.bumpsandburpees.com] Produced by Bear Lane Productions 🎙️ Music licensed via PremiumBeat - 4WJJ2ROAVKXSJCGW