The Baby Tribe

This week on The Baby Tribe, we’re joined by broadcaster and podcaster Doireann Garrihy for an honest and deeply personal conversation about pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of becoming a parent.

Doireann shares her experience of induction on her due date, the moment plans changed in the delivery room, and what it felt like to hear that a C-section was needed. She reflects on the relief of hearing her daughter Rosie’s first cry, the unexpected challenges in recovery, and the surreal first night as a family of three.

We also talk about feeding, the pressure new mothers put on themselves, and the “wins and losses” mindset that can quietly take over in those early weeks. Doireann opens up about the emotional weight of breastfeeding struggles, delayed milk, sleep deprivation, and how easy it is to become your own harshest critic.

As always, we explore what it means when birth doesn’t go to plan, why emergency doesn’t always mean catastrophe, and how partners can play a vital role in advocacy and support.

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Comedian and writer Sophia Wren joins The Baby Tribe to talk about becoming a mother in her early 20s, the shock of a precipitous labour, and what nobody tells you about the emotional aftermath. Sophia shares a painfully honest account of postpartum intrusive thoughts, fear, shame, and the moment she realised she needed help, plus how medication and support helped her rebuild her life from scratch. Afif and Anne explore why aftercare and being heard matter so much, how matrescence can trigger an identity quake even in “perfect on paper” situations, and why mental health treatment deserves the same normalisation as any other medical care. Sophia also tells the story of how a comedy course during a later crisis accidentally launched her career, leading to her acclaimed show Princess Melancholy. Funny, frank, and unexpectedly healing.

You can find Sophia and all her shows throught her insta!

https://www.instagram.com/sophiawrencomedy/

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Pregnancy and postpartum can absolutely chaos your skin. This week we’re joined by Sara Stokes, founder of SKN to SKN, to break down hormonal skin changes, what ingredients to be cautious with in pregnancy (without the panic), and a simple 3-step routine that’s realistic when you’ve got about five minutes. We also talk matrescence, postpartum anxiety, and the pressure to “look fine” when you’re not.

https://skntoskn.com/

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In this episode, Afif and Anne unpack the recent formula recalls in Ireland and internationally, explaining what happened, what parents should do, and why recalls usually mean safety systems are working. They discuss switching formula brands, what changes are normal, when not to switch (especially with prescribed formulas), and clear guidance on safe formula prep. Finally, they tackle the big question: is formula harmful? They explain what the research actually shows about breast milk vs formula, why many headline claims are muddied by confounders, and why parents shouldn’t feel guilt or fear about feeding their baby
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This week on The Baby Tribe, Afif and Anne return after the Christmas “break” (parenting, but with more chocolate) and ease back in with a totally non-controversial topic: home birth and free birth. We start by clearly separating free birth (no medical care, no trained attendant, outside healthcare infrastructure) from planned home birth (full antenatal care, risk assessment, trained midwife support, and an escalation plan). This episode is not about shaming women or taking choice away. It’s about risk, and what happens when birth stops being straightforward. We unpack what can go wrong for mothers, including postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis, and why peripartum deterioration can be sudden, making rapid multidisciplinary response crucial. Then we shift to babies, discussing why the initial steps of newborn resuscitation can happen at home, but more advanced interventions cannot, and why that matters when minutes count. We also talk about water birth, why labouring in water is different from delivering in water, and the rare but serious neonatal complications reported in the literature. Finally, we discuss Irish transfer realities using data from a recent audit of the HSE home birth service (2012–2021), including transfer rates and travel times, and why “transfer if needed” is not always the reassurance people think it is. If you’d like to support the podcast, subscribe to HeadStuff Plus for Baby Tribe Shorts, where we break down the science, the headlines, and listener questions.

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