Sense by Meg Faure: Real Life Parenting

What if raising a thriving child isn't about getting parenting right, but about connection?
In this episode Meg Faure speaks to paediatrician and professor of paediatrics at Georgetown University, Dr David Willis, about early relational health. The powerful role that connection, attachment, co-regulation and meaningful moments play in a baby's development.
They also unpack some of the challenges facing modern parents, including the loss of the village, information overload, technology and the pressure to be a “perfect” parent.
Most importantly, Dr David offers a deeply reassuring message to parents who feel they have already made mistakes:
It is never too late to repair.
Relationships are built through thousands of small moments that don't need to be perfect, they simply need to happen.
And when things go wrong, there is always another opportunity to reconnect.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN
Why modern parents may be experiencing more pressure than previous generations
Why parents don't need to constantly “intervene” to support their child's development
Why eye contact, reading, talking, feeding and everyday routines can become powerful moments of connection
Why repair may be more important than perfection
How the loss of the traditional “village” has changed the parenting experience
Why parents should spend less time trying to know everything and more time being with their baby

ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr David W. Willis
Dr David Willis is a paediatrician, developmental-behavioural paediatrician and leading voice in the field of early relational health.
He is a professor of paediatrics and psychiatry at Georgetown University and leads Nurture Connection, an impact network focused on advancing early relational health and strengthening connections between children, families and communities.
Follow Dr David Willis on LinkedIn.

ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT & author Meg Faure, each episode brings expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported.
The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice. Download it here and use code SENSE50 for 50% off.

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What if the biggest talent pool businesses are overlooking isn't graduates or overseas recruitment, but working parents?
In this eye-opening episode, Meg Faure sits down with Denise Heavey, founder of Mentorhood Jersey, to unpack the cost of outdated workplace models. From the motherhood penalty and fatherhood forfeit to rebuilding the lost village, this conversation challenges everything we think we know about work, parenting and success.
Meg and Denise discuss why traditional workplace structures no longer serve modern families, how flexible work benefits both employers and employees and why parenting develops some of the strongest leadership skills imaginable.
Whether you're a parent returning to work, an employer building a team or someone passionate about family wellbeing, this episode will change your perspective.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
✔ Why parents are the world's largest hidden workforce
✔ How becoming a parent actually makes you a stronger employee and leader
✔ Why flexible work is about better job design, not lower standards
✔ The importance of rebuilding the "village" for modern parents
✔ Practical first steps for rebuilding confidence before returning to work

ABOUT THE GUEST
Denise Heavey is the founder of Mentorhood Jersey, an organisation dedicated to helping parents successfully return to work while advocating for more family-friendly workplaces.
Denise works with employers, government and community organisations to redesign work around modern family life. Through workshops, career coaching and advocacy,

Follow Denise Heavey on LinkedIn
If you’re in Jersey, join the Mentorhood Support Group on Facebook:

ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
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.

FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
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Website

Parent Sense
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Dr Nellie Balfour is a paediatrician and spent years telling anxious parents their babies were safe in the NICU. But when it was her own son on the monitor, and the numbers she understood too well it was a whole different experience.
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we welcome back Dr Nellie Balfour to share the birth story of her second son. It's a story about when a paediatrician becomes the patient, and what happens when medical expertise collides with a mother's fear.
Nellie's pregnancy took a sharp turn after week 34. Her baby wasn't growing as expected, and daily monitoring eventually revealed fetal distress. What followed was an emergency caesarean and a birth weight far smaller than anyone had anticipated.
Nellie speaks candidly about what it meant to leave hospital without her baby, and how being a doctor made that harder, not easier. We also unpack the emotional toll of a high-risk delivery and how this experience is reshaping her own bedside manner as a paediatrician.
Nellie shares her experience with the rare honesty of someone who has sat on both sides of the NICU glass.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
What fetal distress actually means and how it's detected on a CTG
Why an umbilical cord around the neck can restrict growth and movement in utero
How compensated preeclampsia can go undetected until late pregnancy
What low platelet counts can signal in newborns, and why they're taken seriously
Why delayed cord clamping and skin-to-skin can still happen after an emergency C-section
What it's really like for a mother to leave hospital without her baby
When the RSV vaccine is offered to newborns and why timing matters
How combining breastfeeding, expressed milk, and formula can support a fragile newborn
ABOUT THE GUEST
Dr Nellie Balfour is a paediatrician and mother of two. She returns to Sense by Meg Faure to share the birth story of her second son, following her earlier appearance during her pregnancy. Her professional experience in the NICU gave her a unique, and at times harder, vantage point on her own son's care.
Follow Dr Nellie Balfour: @drnelliepaeds

ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.

FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
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LinkedIn
Website

Parent Sense
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Website

Ambition and mom guilt can live in the same brain at the very same time.
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we sit down with Madge Booth, host of the Moments podcast, who recently joined the Parent Sense team, to unpack why so many moms feel like they're failing at work and at home simultaneously.
We challenge the idea that moms can ever find a neat work-life balance and highlight that the traditional nine-to-five model was built before moms were such a big part of the workforce.
Meg shares the story of finding out she was pregnant with her third child the same week she launched Baby Sense.
The conversation moves into what employers get wrong when mothers return from leave and how the whole process needs far more humanity than most workplaces currently offer.
This episode gives working moms permission to let go of the guilt, and gives employers a picture of what real support looks like.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
Why the traditional nine-to-five was never built with mothers in mind
What matrescence is, and why returning to work can feel like reversing that transformation
How to stop chasing "work-life balance" and what to focus on instead
Why ambition and mom guilt can coexist without one having to win
What HR teams and employers consistently get wrong (and right) when moms return
Why careers don't need to be a straight line to still be good ones
ABOUT THE GUEST
Madge Booth is a working mom, media professional and the creator of The MOMents Podcast. After a decade in women’s magazines, she moved into marketing and recently joined the Parent Sense team.
She started The MOMents Podcast for working moms figuring out life, while walking the tightrope between her career and her family.

Follow the MOMents Podcast
Instagram | Website

ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.

FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

Parent Sense
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

#SenseByMegFaure #ParentSense #WorkingMoms #MomGuilt #ReturnToWork #Matrescence #WorkLifeBalance #MegFaure #NewMoms #MaternityLeave

One in 500 000 pregnancies happens without fertility treatment and results in quads. Sam Smith is living that statistic right now, 23 weeks pregnant with four babies she never expected.
On this week's episode of Sense by Meg Faure we sit down with Sam Smith, who is 23 weeks into a spontaneous quad pregnancy, alongside returning guest Tasha, our resident multiples nurse. Sam and her partner Jan already have a toddler son, Teddy. They were hoping for one more baby. Instead, an eight week scan revealed four.
Sam walks us through that first scan in detail. She describes watching her doctor's expression change as he kept counting. Twins became triplets. Triplets became quads. There was no IVF involved.
Sam's honesty about the first trimester, the sleepless nights after the diagnosis, and the sheer physical discomfort of carrying four babies makes this one of the most human conversations we've had on the podcast.
If you've ever wondered what a spontaneous quad pregnancy actually looks like day to day, this episode answers it.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN
How a routine eight week scan turned into a quad diagnosis, and what that moment felt like for Sam and her partner Jan.
The difference between monochorionic (shared placenta) and dichorionic twins, and why it matters for risk.
What twin to twin transfusion is and why the 24 week mark is a milestone in multiples pregnancies.
How delivery planning works for quads, including hospital selection by gestational week and NICU team size.
Practical breastfeeding strategies for multiples: pumping, donor milk, tandem feeding, and combination feeding.
Why "getting help" isn't a compromise, it's the plan, according to multiples nurse Tasha.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sam Smith is currently 23 weeks into a spontaneous quad pregnancy, expecting four babies with no fertility treatment involved. She lives in Cape Town with her partner Jan and their toddler son, Teddy. Sam is sharing her pregnancy in real time, from the shock of the diagnosis through to preparing for delivery and life with five children under three.
Follow Sam's journey on Instagram: @SamSmithofCapeTown
ABOUT THE SENSE BY MEG PODCAST
Sense by Meg is a weekly podcast for parents who want evidence-based, compassionate guidance. Hosted by OT, author and parenting expert Meg Faure, each episode brings together expert insight and real-world experience to help parents feel informed and supported. The podcast is proudly associated with Parent Sense, the all-in-one parenting app for routines, sleep, nutrition and expert advice.
Parent Sense App: Your all-in-one baby care app for routines, nutrition and expert advice.

FOLLOW US
Meg Faure
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website

Parent Sense
Instagram
LinkedIn
Website