In this episode, I am finally sharing the full story of how my little boy came into the world. I have hinted at it so many times and mums often ask for it, partly because we do not get many chances to tell our birth stories in full. As I share in this episode, birth is one of the biggest experiences we ever go through, no matter how it unfolds.

I talk about:
• How my pregnancy actually felt behind the scenes
• The unexpected emotions, the exhaustion and the early anxiety about scans
• Choosing a birthing centre, writing a very detailed birth plan and feeling sure about what I wanted
• The long labour, the lack of dilation and the moment everything changed
• Having to ask for an epidural after being certain I never would
• The calm of the epidural and the sudden shift into emergency mode
• The moment the doctor said they needed to operate
• How Jackson finally arrived and how the birth shaped everything that came after

Whether your own birth was smooth, complicated, planned or nothing like the plan, this episode will hopefully give you a moment of recognition, compassion and connection. Birth stays with us. It deserves to be told.

🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

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New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

Christmas can feel joyful, cosy and full of magic, especially when you have little ones. It can also feel busy and full of expectations. This week I am sharing how to have a Christmas that feels fabulous for you and your family. One that feels warm, fun and enjoyable rather than something you push yourself through.

Inside the episode I talk about choosing the Christmas energy that feels good for you, creating simple rituals, and setting gentle expectations with family so things stay calm. I also share practical tips on hosting, sharing the workload, planning ahead, gifting without overspending and how to avoid the emotional hangover that so many mums end up with in January.

If you want a Christmas that feels magical, cosy and manageable, this episode will help you choose what to keep, what to skip and how to make the season feel genuinely fabulous.

🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

Childcare guilt shows up for so many mums, even when childcare is the thing that keeps the whole family afloat. One comment at a playgroup or one post on social media can send us into a spiral of “am I doing the right thing” and it needs to stop.

In this episode I talk about the real roots of childcare guilt. We look at cultural conditioning, gender expectations, financial realities, and the total lack of village support that modern mums are dealing with. None of this guilt comes from your instincts. It comes from a system that still expects mums to do everything alone.

I also share why childcare can actually strengthen your connection with your child, how children thrive when they learn from multiple caregivers, and why needing support is not selfish. A calm and fulfilled mum bonds more deeply than a burnt-out one, and we need to start saying that out loud.

If you have ever wobbled at drop-off or felt judged for needing a break, this conversation is for you.

🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

What does real postpartum support look like?

In this episode, I’m joined by Geri Spicer and Hannah Warnes, founders of The 4th, a new London-based service redefining how we care for mothers after birth.

We talk about:

• The gap between birth prep and postpartum reality

• Why “you’ll be fine” isn’t enough for new mums

• How proper rest, nourishment and connection change everything

• What inspired two new mothers to create The 4th

• The small, practical ways we can all make postpartum kinder

About The 4th:

Hannah and Geri, founders of The 4th, are two mothers driven by a shared belief that women deserve better support after birth.

The 4th is a weekly in-person postpartum program designed to support women through the often-overlooked fourth trimester. Inspired by their own experiences of birth and postnatal care, they created

The 4th to fill a vital gap in support for new mothers.

Each program brings together trusted specialists — from midwives and physios to tongue-tie experts and pilates instructors — creating an accessible, community-driven space that empowers women and makes expert care more attainable.

👉🏽Follow The 4th on Instagram

💌 Email for more info the4thcomms@gmail.com

🫂 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

New episodes every Wednesday🎧 Subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review — it really helps other mums find the show.

This week we’re diving into the mother-in-law problem: when support turns to control, and when well-meaning advice becomes a slow erosion of your confidence.

We’ll talk about:

• Why mother-in-laws often overstep after a baby arrives

• The emotional undercurrent of fear, loss of relevance, and control

• Why “you’re too sensitive” is code for I don’t want to take responsibility

• How to hold boundaries without blowing up the relationship

• What healthy, respectful help can actually look like

Because sometimes “help” isn’t help and it’s a hidden cost of modern motherhood.

🎧 Listen now to My mother-in-law moved in to ‘help’ — and made everything worse.
And if you’ve ever thought, “It’s not just me, right?” then no, it’s definitely not just you.

Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

Food prices keep climbing — but what does it actually cost to feed a family right now?

In this episode, Nat takes you through her real grocery numbers (around €550–€600 a month for two adults and a toddler) and the small, realistic shifts she’s making to spend less without losing the joy of a full fridge.

You’ll hear:

• What a €600 monthly grocery shop looks like for her family

• Why constant “top-up shops” are quietly draining your budget

• The small swaps and habits that save money without adding stress

• How batch cooking and bulk buying stretch food (and sanity) further

• Why “using what you already have” builds financial confidence

This isn’t about restriction — it’s about feeling more in control of what you spend, using what you’ve got, and bringing intention (not guilt) back into your weekly shop.

Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

In today’s episode, I’m taking a step back to reflect on the gifts motherhood has given me through my son, Jackson.

This is the softer side of the story... the one where motherhood gives more than it takes. From clarity and courage to the kind of love that remakes you from the inside out, these are the lessons that changed me.

It’s not a sugarcoated list, either. Some of these “gifts” came wrapped in exhaustion and tears. But they’ve all shaped me into someone stronger, softer, and more grounded than before.

If you’ve found motherhood to be both a teacher and a test, this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• The five gifts motherhood gave me

• Why “barely making it” can still mean you’re winning

• • How love redefines your standards for everything else
  • What it really means when motherhood gives back

• 
  

  Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

  We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

  
  

  Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

  ☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

  📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode

  
  

You know that feeling when you’re wiped out but can’t explain why? You’ve been running on autopilot, juggling birthday gifts, nap schedules and meal plans, but it’s not just the doing that’s exhausting. It’s the thinking about everything.

In this episode, Nat dives into the real reason mums are exhausted: the mental load. She unpacks how it quietly drains mothers, how gender roles and social conditioning created it, and what to do when you feel like the household project manager instead of an equal partner.

You’ll hear:

• What the mental load actually looks like day to day

• Why it’s not about doing too much, but holding too much

• How gender roles and conditioning keep mums overloaded

• The resentment loop that creeps into relationships

• How to start sharing the load without another argument

🎧 Listen if you’ve ever felt like the manager of your household instead of a partner in it.
Because it’s not just you, and it’s not what you think.

🤩 Join a loving community of mums in IT'S A LOT – free for 30 days.

We talk about this kind of stuff in It's A Lot. So, if you’re feeling shaky having brought your new baby home, in the trenches of toddlerhood or just need a place to share the joys of being a mama with people who get it, this is your new support network. The best part? It’s all via voice notes ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nataliekmartin.com/mama-circle⁠⁠⁠⁠

👉🏽 Reset from chaos to calm in minutes The Overwhelmed to Grounded Toolkit gives you three simple, real-life tools to help you recalibrate without adding more to your to-do list. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download it here.⁠⁠⁠

Want to share your thoughts on this episode? Comment on Spotify or:

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natalie.kmartin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠info@nataliekmartin.com⁠⁠

☕️ Support my work: if you’re enjoying my podcast, you can buy me a virtual coffee here! Thank you 🫶🏽 buymeacoffee.com/nataliekmartin⁠⁠

📢 Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you never miss an episode