Discover the secrets to managing mom guilt and thriving as a new mother in our latest episode of Sense by Meg Faure. Joining us today is psychologist and fellow new mom, Nadine Kuyper, who brings her personal and professional expertise to shed light on this common struggle. Nadine's first-hand experience with the emotional challenges of motherhood makes this discussion both relatable and enlightening. Together, we explore the overwhelming emotions and pressures faced by new moms, offering practical strategies to navigate them with confidence. Maternal guilt, a pervasive feeling among new mothers, takes centre stage as we dive into its causes and discuss how to identify and address its triggers. Nadine shares valuable insights on managing guilt, encouraging mothers to focus on their successes and remember that they are doing their best. As the conversation unfolds, we tackle the maze of conflicting advice and societal expectations that new moms encounter. Nadine advises on finding your own path amidst the noise and trusting your instincts. We also delve into the challenge and the importance of prioritizing emotional self-care during this transformative time. In addition, we explore the influence of society and social media on shaping unrealistic images of motherhood and offer strategies for mothers to protect their mental well-being. Partners and support systems also play a crucial role in alleviating maternal guilt, and we discuss how they can provide essential support to new mothers. In the final moments of our conversation, Nadine offers heartfelt advice to mothers struggling with guilt and feeling overwhelmed during this transformative transition. Her wisdom and personal journey will inspire and guide you as you navigate the complexities of motherhood. Join us on this insightful and empowering episode as we unravel the layers of mom guilt and discover practical ways to find joy and fulfilment in the beautiful journey of motherhood. Tune in now and embark on a transformative listening experience with Nadine Kuyper and Sense by Meg Faure.

I am so excited about this week’s episode of Sense by Meg Faure. I’m joined by regular first-time mum, Cassidy, who’s recently celebrated her little boy Max’s first birthday. Cass has joined up regularly to talk about life with a new baby. Also joining us today is well-known paediatric dietician, Kath Megaw, who’s an esteemed colleague and dear friend. Kath is a leading professional in nutrition and particularly infant and child nutrition. She joins Cass and I today to answer some of Cass’s biggest questions around feeding and weaning. We start by looking back at Cass’s breastfeeding experience. She talks about the pressure and fear that many new mothers feel regarding exclusive breastfeeding. Kath emphasises the importance of being flexible when faced with unexpected circumstances, as was the case when Max was born with an infection and had to be taken to the NICU shortly after birth. She asks Kath about reintroducing breastfeeding even if the start didn’t go to plan. We also all touch on the fact that while breastfeeding is beneficial, it's important for mothers to prioritise their well-being and explore alternative feeding options if necessary. Kath reassures mothers that it's possible to maintain milk supply through expressing and supplementing with formula, if needed, without compromising the overall breastfeeding journey. The discussion highlights the importance of finding a feeding approach that works for both the mother and the baby, considering individual circumstances and challenges. We then move onto talk about some of the changes Cass had to make when it seemed as though Max was getting too distracted to breastfeed and started to lose weight as a result. Kath acknowledges that breastfeeding can be challenging for babies who seek stimulation and that using a bottle with expressed milk can help during more active periods. Next up is a discussion about weaning. Cass shares her approach to weaning, her expectations, and her learnings over the last year. Kath shares some insightful, science-based tips to help moms know what are good first foods. She talks about how weaning is influenced by the anatomy and development of their mouth. Kath also explains that babies have a natural inclination towards sweet flavours early on. But that genetic predispositions can also play a role in taste preferences. She emphasises the importance of introducing a variety of foods to expose babies to different flavours and ensure a balanced experience. This leads us onto to the Weaning Sense method of mixing sweet and savoury flavours to introduce variety and help children transition to different tastes. Kath recommends incorporating sweet fruits in savoury meals to enhance palatability and aid digestion of protein. This also avoids creating a hierarchy of food and instead mixing up the concept, allowing children to end with something sweet regardless of what they've eaten before. Cass is also concerned about the amount of eggs Max consumes but Kath explains that the health implications of eggs have been refuted, and that eggs are a valuable source of protein and easy to incorporate into a toddler's diet. She also answers Cass’s question about reducing Max’s milk intake now that he’s a toddler and whether whole milk or organic milk is best. Kath is a big proponent of organic and hormone-free animal products, such as chicken, poultry, eggs, and milk. She says that when transitioning to cow's milk, hormone-free and full-fat options are preferred. Max is also teething, and Cass wants to know whether chewy or soft foods are best. Kath explains that during teething, softer foods like purees and yogurt can provide comfort and relieve gum itchiness. Chewy foods may not offer much nutrition during this stage. Overall, the conversation highlights the challenges of breastfeeding distractions, the option of using expressed milk, and the significance of variety in introducing solid foods during the weaning process. This is a must if you’ve got common questions about your baby’s feeding and weaning journey from infancy to toddlerhood.

How to celebrate a 1st birthday? That’s what Cass and I are discussing on this week’s episode of Sense by Meg Faure. We’ve been following Cass and baby Max’s journey for one whole year now and this week, we’re celebrating Max turning one years old! Max is celebrating like royalty, says Cass as she shares how they celebrated Max’s birthday and all the celebratory events and activities that have just passed and that are coming up. Cass shares that they were on holiday in Greece for the past two weeks with her family, so the celebrations started there. She also shares that on the actual birthday they spent the day together and had a couple of surprise guests who brought presents. They had a cake with a candle, sang Happy Birthday, wore party hats, and had a lovely time. I asked about the gifts they got for Max because many moms wonder what makes a good gift for a one-year-old. Cass explains that they didn't want to get a big gift since he won't remember it, so they chose some new clothes for the upcoming winter season. They also got him a race car track with a car, a glow-in-the-dark ball (as he loves lights and balls), and a bath toy that swims and sings. They mention that he received a toy phone and keys as a gift, which he enjoys since he likes playing with the real ones. You might have noticed how children often prefer real items over toy versions, and Cass shares an amusing incident where Max put a toy phone to his ear, mimicking Cass's actions. This leads us to talk about the fact that mimicking is a precursor to imagination. I also discuss the development of imaginative play in toddlers and while Max is still in the early stages of this development, he is starting to imitate what he sees mom and dad do and say. Cass mentions that while on holiday, Max started saying "oh wow" when he saw the beautiful view from their villa. Of course, I thought it was very funny and cute but it’s a good reminder of how children mimic language and behaviours (and that we sometimes need to be mindful of our own actions and words). I go onto ask Cass about their holiday and how traveling with her nearly one-year-old went. Cass explains that Max was a dream on the flights and the first week of the holiday. But after they moved to a new villa halfway through the holiday, Max became clingy and had trouble sleeping at night – crying inconsolably for hours at a time. We talk about what some of the causes might be including dropping from two sleeps to one sleep and night terrors. We also talk about the possibility of separation anxiety – particularly at night. Cass mentions that Max has two molars coming through, which could be causing discomfort. It’s true that teething and discomfort from molars coming through can disrupt sleep and cause rashes. This seems like the most likely cause of Max’s unusual sleep behaviour. Cass goes on to reflect on the holiday and how she realised that Max is capable of more than she thought and may benefit from more stimulation. I am a big believer in family holidays as a time to reconnect and spend quality time together. Cass talks about Max’s bond with her father and how they want to make time every year to spend uninterrupted time together. We then spend some time talking about birthday cake and sweets! Cass is admittedly strict about keeping Max away from too many processed, sugary foods. I share some tips for finding a balance between allowing treats and not making them too much of a rarity. We also look back at Max’s year, all the highlights and hard parts. I am in awe of how wonderful Cass has managed her first year as a mum and we talk about the common experiences and worries that mothers go through, like concerns about feeding, sleep, and developmental milestones. We talk about the importance of perspective and knowing that many of these issues will resolve themselves with time. I hope to catch up with Cass to find out how Max is growing and developing as they enter the toddler years. Happy birthday Max!

In this week’s episode of Sense by Meg Faure, Meg and Christina sit down to the real-world challenges and triumphs of life with 20-week-old baby, Connor. Mom of 3, Christina shares Connor been consistently improving in terms of routine, sleep, and regulation despite battling a cold these last few weeks. This turns the conversation to talking about building immunity in our babies. Meg emphasises the importance of building immunity during early childhood. She notes that it's normal for children to experience several illnesses before reaching school age. Meg talks about the foundations of immunity, such as antibodies transferred from the placenta during pregnancy and colostrum obtained through early breastfeeding. Christina shares that she breastfed exclusively but switched to formula after she experienced severe mastitis and infections of her c-section wound. She expresses gratitude for modern formulas, which have been a helpful alternative for her family's situation. Christina goes on to share that feeding has been a bit more challenging this week due to nasal congestion caused by the cold. She noticed that Connor struggles to breathe while feeding and needs frequent breaks. This leads the moms on to talk about Connor starting solids. They are just at the start of their journey and Christina shares that she's managing her expectations because Connor is consuming very little at this point. Meg reassures Christina that this is typical for this stage of the weaning journey. She emphasises that it's all about experimentation and exposure to new flavours at this point, rather than focusing on calories or impacting sleep. Although weaning is currently a messy, non-productive mealtime experience, Christina is enjoying the introduction of solids and observing Connor’s facial expressions and new development every day. Meg and Christina talk about some ideal foods to start babies on in the early days of weaning. They then discuss conflicting advice about the introduction of grains and protein into a baby’s diet. Meg explains the scientific basis for starting with fruits and vegetables, particularly orange vegetables, which are gentle on the baby's stomach and offer unprocessed carbohydrates. Meg also talks about the importance of early introduction of a variety of flavours to decrease the chances of allergies and picky eating later on. Meg discusses her experience with introducing solid foods to her first baby and regrets the choice of highly processed rice cereal as his first solid food. The moms agree on the importance of feeding babies’ foods that resemble their original form and avoid boxed cereals. Meg offers the advice that the ideal diet for a baby should reflect the nutrient composition of breastmilk which is mostly fats and protein. She questions the idea of transitioning babies from milk to a purely carbohydrate-based diet, which we tend to do. Christina shares that Connor’s sleep is improving and he’s making the transition from short naps to longer ones. They discuss the impact of routine on baby sleep patterns. They talk about awake windows and the fact that Connor is enjoying tummy time more. He’s started reaching and grabbing objects, and upcoming milestones Christina can look forward to, like finding his feet. Listen for this and more with Meg and Christina on Sense by Meg Faure.

In this week’s podcast episode of "Sense by Meg Faure" podcast, I welcome back Cass, who has been sharing her experiences with baby Max for almost a year. I am so grateful to have had Cass on the show and for her commitment to sharing her journey, including the gritty aspects of motherhood. Max is approaching his first birthday in three weeks, and our journey is coming to an end following Cass and her thriving, gorgeous baby boy. Cass gets candid today and admits that motherhood has changed her. She is a self-confessed ‘control freak’ who has had to learn how to be kinder to herself and let go of control when it comes to raising a child. She had a pivotal moment realising that a child is an individual human being, and they don’t fit into the preconceived ideas she had in her head. Cass shares that her experience with weaning has been challenging as Max would sometimes get bored with food and start buzzing around. Despite this, Cass learned that she only had to show up and give Max everything within her capability and not worry about mom guilt. I agree 100% - like adolescence is a journey from childhood to adulthood, matrescence is the physical, emotional, hormonal, and social transition to becoming a mother. The conversation moved on to touch on topics such as baby shoes, walking, accidents, and language development. We discussed the challenges of keeping babies safe from falls and accidents while they are learning to walk, and while we do what we can to provide a safer environment, it's impossible to prevent all accidents from happening. We also talked about Max's recent language development, with Cass sharing that he has started saying his first words, including "hello" and "dog." Listen for all of this and more as we (almost) celebrate Max turning one years old!