Dear Mum

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

To the mums who are running on fumes, holding it together with a cold tea and pure willpower, welcome back to the podcast just for you.

In Episode 4, I’m joined by the incredibly inspiring and relatable Tobi Asare, where we’re talking about the *real* juggle - work, motherhood, identity, and the pressure to “do it all” without falling apart.

Tobi shares what burnout actually looked like for her, how she navigated thoughts and actions around her career in the chapter of motherhood, the moment she knew she had to speak up at work, and why taking a pause doesn’t mean you’re failing - it means you’re listening.

We chat trade-offs (and the parts no one posts about), how to protect the thing that keeps you sane - whether that’s exercise, friends, or just five minutes where nobody needs you - and why “buy a new bra” might be the most underrated advice a mum can put on her fridge.

Pop this on for the school run, a walk, or that rare quiet moment - and if it makes you feel less alone, you’re exactly who we made it for.

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

Follow Tobi Asare
IG - https://www.instagram.com/tobi.asare/
LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/mybumppay
Follow me (Charlie!)
IG - https://www.instagram.com/charlielaunder

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

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

If mealtimes in your house feel like a daily battle, this one’s for you.

For Episode 3 of Dear Mum, I’m joined by Charlotte Stirling-Reed - NHS-trained child nutritionist and an actual guru of weaning, toddler food and everything in between. And we’re getting into the thing that sends so many of us over the edge - fussy eating!

We talk about why “fussy eater” is a label that can make things worse, what’s actually normal (spoiler: loads of it), and how our reactions - even the well-meaning ones - can accidentally turn food into a power struggle.

Charlotte shares the practical stuff you can try straight away: why tiny portions help, how to pair safe foods with new foods, the truth about the 10–15 tries rule, and why sitting with them and eating the same meal can be more powerful than any “one more bite” negotiation.

We also cover high-chair refusal, kids getting up and down mid-meal, when siblings start copying each other’s fussiness, and how to make the table feel like a calmer place to be - without turning dinner into a circus (even though yes, we’ve all tried).

If you’re deep in the trenches and thinking “I’m doing this wrong” - this episode will give you reassurance, a plan, and that exhale you’ve been needing.

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

Blog posts mention in the pod:🥣 Fussy eating help for toddlers - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2025/12/fussy-eating-help-for-toddlers/
🥣 Fussy eating advice - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/factsheets/coping-with-fussy-foodies/
🥣 Help my child won’t stay in their highchair - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/2024/09/how-to-get-my-baby-to-stay-in-their-highchair/

Follow Charlotte
IG - https://www.instagram.com/sr_nutrition/
FB - https://www.facebook.com/SRNutrition
Website - https://www.srnutrition.co.uk/

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

Welcome back to Dear Mum - and this week I’m joined by Olivia Hammond - mum of two, and the woman a lot of you will know as the original “festival baby” mum… yes, she took her firstborn to Glastonbury Festival… and honestly? Iconic!
We talk about what it’s really like becoming a mum at 25 when it’s totally unplanned - how it flips your whole life upside down (including travel plans, friendships, and the way you see yourself)… and then doing it all again when baby number two is also a surprise.
Olivia is so honest about the whiplash of going from “out every weekend” to being responsible for an actual tiny human, and the lonely bits that come with being the first in your friendship group to have kids.
We also get into relationships after babies - how dads can take longer to adjust, why date nights are a lovely idea in theory (but not when you’re exhausted), and why “love language” in the trenches is basically just… someone making your life easier.
Plus: the reality of juggling being a present mum while also working as a content creator, and why sometimes the only way to survive is to be a bit more Type B and lower your standards.
Pop this one on for the school run, a buggy walk, or while you’re doing the lunchbox panic - and if it makes you feel less alone, that’s exactly what we’re here for.
New episodes every Thursday - hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss one ✨
Follow OliviaIG - https://www.instagram.com/olivia_hammond/TT - https://www.tiktok.com/@oliviaclairem
Follow me (Charlie!)IG - 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