Sense by Meg Faure: Real Life Parenting

On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure, Meg sits down with Dr. Nellie Balfour - a paediatrician who is 35 weeks pregnant with her second child - to talk through everything you need to know about what happens the moment your baby is born. This is episode three of their real-time pregnancy series, and it's one of the most practical and reassuring conversations the show has produced.
Dr. Nellie is having an elective C-section at 38 weeks. She's packed the bag, she's thought through the birth plan, and she brings both her medical knowledge and her personal experience as a second-time mum to every part of this conversation.
Sensory Personalities-Who Is This Baby?
Meg and Nellie open with the question every third-trimester parent is really asking: who is this little person? Nellie's baby has been doing somersaults all pregnancy, and Meg explains what that might mean in terms of sensory personality. She walks through the four sensory types - settled, slow to warm up, social butterfly, and sensitive - and what each means for how you parent in those early months.
The Hospital Bag -What You Actually Need
Nellie unpacks her hospital bag in detail. For a C-section specifically, the focus shifts almost entirely to postnatal comfort rather than labour preparation. Her list covers maternity essentials from the Carrywell range, a front-button nightie over pyjama pants (the elastic irritates the scar), breast pads for when the milk arrives on day two or three, a breastfeeding pillow, flip flops for the shared shower, and the one item people consistently forget: a phone charger.
She also covers the baby bag: two nappy sizes because estimated weights from ultrasounds aren't always accurate, unscented wipes, cotton wool with surgical spirits for the umbilical stump, swaddles, beanies, and a dummy.
Delayed Cord Clamping, First Baths, and the Delivery Room
Nellie explains delayed cord clamping in plain terms: by waiting 30 to 60 seconds before clamping, blood transfers from mum to baby, reducing the risk of anaemia and jaundice. It happens in elective C-sections and, where safe, in emergency sections too.
Then Meg asks Nellie to step fully into her paediatrician role and describe exactly what happens the moment your baby is born - what she's looking for when baby is passed to her in the delivery room. Nellie walks through the full newborn check: why a cry matters (it confirms oxygen is moving through the lungs), why blue skin is normal at first, what a floppy baby signals, and how the head-to-toe examination works. Clear, calm, and genuinely demystifying.
This episode won't change what happens in your delivery room, but it will mean you understand it. That's worth a lot.
About Today's Guest
Dr. Nellie Balfour is a paediatrician currently 35 weeks pregnant with her second child. She has been documenting her pregnancy journey in real time on the Sense by Meg Faure podcast across three episodes - first trimester, second trimester, and now the third. Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnelliepaeds/
Episode References and Links
📱 Parent Sense App — your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition, and expert advice. Download it here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off. https://parentsense.app/
Connect with Meg Faure
Web: megfaure.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megfaure.sense/

On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we sit down with renowned Clinical Paediatric Dietitian Kath Megaw for the ultimate baby and toddler feeding masterclass. We cover everything from the newborn milk phase right through to the picky toddler years, giving you practical, science-backed answers to the feeding questions that keep parents up at night.
Is My Baby Getting Enough? The Newborn Milk Phase
In those brutal first few weeks, nearly every parent wonders whether their baby is getting enough milk. Kath shares the three objective signs to look for: weight gain, adequate wet nappies, and regular stools. She explains why a crying baby is not a reliable indicator of hunger, and sets out a clear, reassuring weighing schedule for new parents.
The Weaning Window: When Is the Right Time?
The question of when to start solids is one of the most confusing areas of early parenting. Kath cuts through the noise with a three-part framework: the science (look for supported sitting and neck control, and wait past 17 weeks), your cultural context, and your own gut instinct. She is clear that solids are for teaching and joy, not for fixing sleep, reflux, or poor growth.
Gagging vs Choking: What Every Parent Must Know
Gagging is loud, active, and protective. Choking is silent, limp, and rare. Kath explains the crucial difference so clearly that parents will never react the same way again. She offers practical guidance for anxious parents and explains why an engaged, calm parent is the single best protection against choking at mealtimes.
The Picky Toddler: What Is Normal and What To Do
Toddler fussiness is developmentally normal. Kath explains why toddlers resist variety, the role of routine and timing in appetite, and why filling gaps with non-nutritious foods can backfire. She also clarifies the milk-to-food balance for toddlers, recommending that milk account for no more than 25% of their total daily nutrition.
Myth Busting: Allergen Introduction
Kath busts one of the most persistent myths in baby feeding: the three-day wait rule between new foods. Current evidence supports introducing allergen foods as quickly as every 24 to 48 hours. She explains exactly what an IgE reaction looks like and what parents should watch for in the first two hours after introduction.
About Our Guest
Kath Megaw is a Clinical Paediatric Dietitian with over 25 years of experience and the founder of Nutripaeds. She is a consultant to the Parent Sense App and has co-authored six bestselling books including Feeding Sense, Weaning Sense, Allergy Sense, and her most recent release Mindful Meals (2025). She sits on international working groups for neonatal nutrition and the ketogenic diet.
Find Kath at nutripaeds.co.za | Instagram: @kath_megaw_paed_dietitian

Episode References and Links
📱 Parent Sense App — Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition, and expert advice. Download it at parentsense.app and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.
Connect with Meg Faure
Web: megfaure.com
Instagram: @megfaure.sense

On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we explore one of the most liberating truths in parenting science: rupture and repair. Meg is joined by guest co-host and Parent Sense COO Tove de Chazal Gant to unpack why getting it wrong is not the problem. What matters most is what happens next.
The Myth of the Perfect Parent
The pressure to stay calm and parent perfectly is built on a false foundation. Social media shows curated highlights, not real life. Misinformation from unqualified voices sets impossible standards. Meg is clear: no human parent consistently hits the gold standard, and that is not just okay. It is actually by design.
What Rupture Really Means
A rupture is simply a break in connection. It happens when you snap, when you cannot respond quickly enough, or when your attention is pulled elsewhere. Using Ed Tronick's Still Face Experiment, Meg explains what happens in a baby's nervous system in these moments and points out that understanding this is not meant to create guilt. It is meant to show why what comes next matters so much.
The Science of Repair
This is where the episode becomes truly transformative. Rupture and repair, experienced repeatedly, writes a neurological story for the child: relationships are safe, disconnection is temporary, and the person who loves me will always come back. This is actively building resilience, emotional intelligence, and the capacity for real relationships in adulthood.
The Four Steps of Effective Repair
Meg outlines a practical four-step process. First, come back: return your full presence through eye contact and touch. Second, name it: say sorry and give context. This models accountability and teaches children that ruptures can be repaired. Third, reconnect: reading a book or sitting together is enough. Fourth, do not over-apologise or over-explain. One sincere apology and a moment of warmth is all that is needed.
Why Perfect Parenting Harms Children
Children raised without rupture are underprepared for the real world. They struggle with peer conflict, frustration, and imperfect relationships. Donald Winnicott's "good enough parent" theory underpins this: getting it right 30% of the time and repairing the rest is genuinely sufficient for secure attachment and healthy development.
On Guilt
Guilt does not change behaviour. It simply causes suffering. Remorse that drives repair is healthy. Carrying guilt for years over moments long since healed is not. Feel it, repair it, and release it.
About Today's Guest Co-Host
Tove de Chazal Gant is an entrepreneur, COO of Parent Sense, and mother of three. Having navigated the NICU and raising a child with a rare genetic condition, she brings deep personal insight alongside business-scaling expertise. She also chairs Happy Heroes, a charity for children with additional needs. Connect with Tove: linkedin.com/in/tove-de-chazal-gant
Episode References and Links
📱 Parent Sense App — routines, nutrition, and expert advice from pregnancy onwards. Use code SENSE50 for 50% off: https://parentsense.app/
Connect with Meg Faure Web: megfaure.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megfaure.sense/

On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we explore the fourth trimester with honesty, warmth, and practical wisdom. This conversation is proof that less is more, and your baby will thrive when parents feel genuinely supported. Meg Faure is joined by Tove de Chazal Gant, COO of Parent Sense and seasoned mum of three, who takes the hosting seat and asks the questions every new parent is actually thinking.
The First Six Weeks: You Are Not Failing
The first six weeks are brutal. Meg says it plainly. Feeding cycles feel relentless, sleep is fractured, and the baby seems to do very little and yet everything at once. Just keeping your baby alive is ticking every single box. Nothing more is required.
Milestones: Windows, Not Deadlines
Milestones happen across wide ranges of normal. One late milestone is not a red flag. What matters is the sequence and trajectory. Consistent delay across a developmental bucket, or a gut feeling that something is off, is when parents should seek support. The Parent Sense app lists milestones with ranges in the play section.
Sensory Overload: The Times Square Effect
A newborn goes from the perfectly regulated womb directly into overwhelming sensory input. Meg compares it to landing on Times Square after living on a quiet savannah. Signs of overload include looking away, falling asleep, grimacing, and inconsolable crying. Tove shares her daughter Nova's story: born six weeks premature, Nova's development stalled not from inability but from a noisy home environment. Turning off background noise made all the difference.
Less Is More, and Your Baby Will Thrive
The heart of this episode. Less social pressure, less stimulation, less obligation. The only stimulation that genuinely matters is quiet eye contact, serve and return connection, and touch through massage, swaddling, and carrying. Your baby has 45 minutes of awake time between sleeps. Being alive in the world is enough.
Regulating Yourself to Regulate Your Baby
Babies cannot self-regulate. Parents must co-regulate. Meg offers two practical tools: square breathing (six seconds in, hold, out, hold, repeated three times) and using feeding as a mindfulness moment. Even five seconds of intentional presence at the start of a feed can shift your physiological state.
Listen Now
This episode is essential for every parent in the fourth trimester. Meg Faure reminds us that less is more, and your baby will thrive in an environment of calm, connection, and realistic expectation. Download the Parent Sense app for daily guidance through every stage of your parenting journey.

About Tove de Chazal Gant
Tove de Chazal Gant is an entrepreneur, the COO of Parent Sense, and a mother of three. Having navigated the NICU and raising a child with a rare genetic condition, she brings profound personal insight and business-scaling expertise to her role. She also chairs Happy Heroes, a charity for children with additional needs. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tove-de-chazal-gant
Connect with Meg Faure Web: megfaure.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/megfaure Parent Sense App: parentsense.app

The Second Trimester, Real and Unfiltered with Dr. Nellie Balfour
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we sit down with Dr. Nellie Balfour for a conversation that is second trimester, real and unfiltered. Dr. Balfour is a paediatrician navigating her own second pregnancy in real time. She brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to every topic covered. This is the second episode in an ongoing real-time pregnancy series. It is honest, practical, and deeply reassuring for any expectant parent.
The Second Trimester: A Different Pregnancy Entirely
Nellie describes the second trimester as her favourite season of pregnancy. Energy returns. Appetite is restored. The baby bump becomes visible and joyful. For Nellie, whose nausea extended to 22 weeks, the relief of the second trimester was particularly profound. Meg and Nellie discuss the hereditary nature of hyperemesis gravidarum,and address nutritional concerns for mums who lose weight in the first trimester.
Baby Kicks: What Is Normal and What to Watch For
Feeling your baby move is one of the most treasured moments of pregnancy. Nellie explains that movement is typically felt between 16 and 20 weeks. In subsequent pregnancies it often occurs earlier. Placenta position plays a significant role in how strongly kicks are felt. The general guideline is to feel around 10 kicks within an hour. If movement is reduced, eating something sweet or lying on the left side usually prompts activity.
Alcohol, Teratogens, and Foods to Avoid
Meg and Nellie are fully aligned. Alcohol is an absolute no during pregnancy. South Africa carries the highest rates of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the world. There is no proven safe amount of alcohol at any stage of pregnancy.
Tests and Scans in the Second Trimester
Nellie walks listeners through the key screenings offered in the second trimester. For mothers over 35, NIPT is often completed in the first trimester. For lower-risk pregnancies, the triple or quadruple test screens for Down syndrome and other chromosomal conditions.
Vaccinations in Pregnancy: Protecting Your Baby Before Birth
South Africa is ahead of many countries in vaccinating pregnant women. Nellie outlines three vaccines now recommended during pregnancy: RSV, pertussis (whooping cough), and influenza. Each of these illnesses can be life-threatening for newborns. This conversation is second trimester, real and unfiltered, and it may genuinely save lives.
Illness, Toddlers, and TORCH Infections
Respiratory viruses are generally manageable with hydration, fever control, and pregnancy-safe medications. The more serious TORCH category includes toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, and syphilis.
About Our Guest:
Dr. Nellie Balfour is a mom and Specialist Pediatrician with a focus on neonates, newborns, and early childhood development. Dr. Nellie is passionate about empowering parents with credible, evidence-based information so they can make the best decisions for their children. You can find her and her popular Q&A sessions on Instagram at @drnelliepaeds
Episode References and Links:
📱 Parent Sense App — Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition, and expert advice. Download it here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.
https://parentsense.app/
CONNECT WITH MEG FAURE
Web: megfaure.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megfaure.sense/