The Parent Hood

After a devastating diagnosis, Georgina Lucas and her husband made the agonizing decision to turn off their three week old son, Grey's, life support machine. Prepared to mother a baby but unprepared to navigate empty arms, Georgina wrote a book about his short life, about its beauty and the love and kindness of those around her. Marina talks to Georgina about how the heartache of losing a child often helps you live life better, in a more honest and vivid way and about how in the darkest of moments, joy can still be found. If Not For You by Georgina Lucas. The following charities support bereaved parents and have excellent resources: Child Bereavement UK, SANDS, Tommy's. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marina chats to paediatrician Dr Golly about how its actually Dads who are the most effective at settling babies and the benefits of this for all the family. Resources: The Dr Golly Sleep Programme is available online - find out more at DrGolly.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We know children get sick but it seems a huge responsibility to know what it is and when you need more help. Marina talks to Dr Chiara Hunt about common childhood illnesses and when you need to take them to the doctor and hospital. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are shy children less fun, is being shy a bad thing? Author, mentor and shyness campaigner Nadia Finer thinks not, that rather, if navigated in the right way, shyness can actually be a superpower. Marina talks to Nadia about how we can help our shy children make friends with shyness. Resources: Shy and Mighty: Your Shyness is a Superpower (for primary school children) and Shy and Mighty: How to step out of the shadows and live a bigger life - for older children and adults. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The miracle of conception and childbirth comes at a price - and it's the mother who pays this. It's a mistake to think of pregnancy as just three trimesters - it's actually four - the final one about the recovery insists Dr Chiara Hunt. Marina and Chiara talk about what postnatal depletion looks like, and how to best treat it. Resources: The Postnatal Depletion Cure by Dr Oscar Serrallach, a great book. Explore Your Health App for remote bloodtests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is there a magic amount of time that will deliver the most benefit to your child? The simple answer is no, but the question centres around the actual benefits of breastfeeding. Marina talks to midwife and breastfeeding specialist about the claimed benefits of breastfeeding and examining their accuracy in regard to the latest data for women living in the developed world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crippled by the shame, children who wet the bed often miss out on social activities like sleepovers and school trips. But what can you do about it? Marina talks to Dr Chiara Hunt about why children wet the bed and what can be done to treat it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's common to care what sex your baby is - it is after all the first thing people ask. But what if you're really desperate for one sex and you're getting the other? We're all told that we should feel lucky to have a baby at all, and of course we are, but it's natural and common to have a preference. Marina talks to psychologist Dr Lindsay McMillan about the feeling of disappointment when you learn the sex of your child and how you can address it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer means long holidays, lots of time spent outside, learning new skills and having adventures…but also it's a time when accidents go up. Marina talks to Dr Chiara Hunt about what parents can do to keep their children safe during the summer holidays, what what to pack in your holiday first aid kit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever baffled by your moods, or by the fact that some days the most simple of tasks are seemingly impossible? Amy Thomson, founder of the Moody App believes this isn't random but that our hormone fluctuations can be tracked and their patterns can help us lead a better, happier life, adjusting better to what we need in certain weeks. Marina talks to Amy about how our hormones affect us and how we can harness their power. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The quest for sleep is something all parents obsess about - the combination of getting enough sleep themselves to encouraging their children to sleep. But how much sleep do we actually need, why is sleep so important and why, when you're exhausted is sleep sometimes hardest to achieve? From how long a nap should be to whether to wake a sleep-walking child, Marina quizzes neurologist and sleep specialist Professor Guy Leschziner about the science behind sleep, both of us, and our children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're told that our teenagers become difficult and selfish in order to break away from their parents. But is this actually the case? Marina talks to Psychologist Dr Terri Apter who believes that if we can truly understand our teens, the adolescent period can actually bring us great joy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holidays are the stuff of dreams…until children come along when they turn into the stuff of nightmares. But does travelling with children need to a nightmare or can it be a rewarding experience bringing you closer as a family. Marina talks to father of 4, Tom Barber, founder of Original Travel about choosing the kind of holiday your family will love at different stages, what to plan and how to avoid the drama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We want our children to do well in life and often this starts with doing well in exams. While it’s up to the teachers to make sure they know what they need, psychologist Dr Jane Gilmour believes there is a lot that parents can do to support their children through exams. Whether your child is prone to anxiety, or needs motivation, Jane chats to Marina about will and won't help them when it comes to exams. Notes: The Incredible Teenage Brain by Bettina Hohnen, Jane Gilmour and Tara Murphy; How to have Incredible Conversations with your Child, by Jane Gilmour and Bettina Hohnen available now from all good bookshops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though we know it's for the best, taking our children to the doctor to have a needle stuck inside them as they (understandably) protest is agony for parents. But rather than grimace and bear it while holding them down, Dr Jody Thomas, a clinical psychologist and specialist in children's pain management, insists that there are simple and highly effective techniques we can use to reduce the pain and prevent needle fear. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raising girls who are truly positive about their bodies regardless of their shape has long been recognised as a pillar of good modern parenting but often boys are overlooked. Marina talks to Dr Charlotte Markey about how we raise body positive children and why that is just as important for boys as it is for girls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We live in a world in which bullying exists, and as much as we'd like to, we can't protect our children from witnessing or being a part of this. But maybe we can do something much more powerful. Marina talks to psychotherapist and author Stella O'Malley about bully proofing our kids, about the conversations we have and ideas we share with them to encourage resilience and strength to deal with the bullies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember admiring someone as a child, looking up to them and being persuaded that you could be like that too? Having role models in our lives, inspires and empowers us, giving us agency to take risk and stand up for what we believe in. Marina talks to author and entrepreneur Jo Wimble-Groves about the positive impact role models can have on our children's lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're all so focussed on having our babies, that we often fail to focus on the after, particularly the recovery of the mother. Marina talks to Lyndon Littlefair, postnatal exercise and recovery specialist about the stress that new mothers experience, how this can impact their recovery, and how to make it easier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is having dyslexia a bad thing? Campaigner and entrepreneur, Kate Griggs thinks not. In an age of computers and AI, Kate believes that the creativity and big picture thinking that dyslexics do so well, is one of the most important skills of our time. She tells Marina how dyslexia, rather than being regarded as a hindrance, is actually a superpower and how by empowering dyslexics, we can use their skills in the future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.