Wandering Into Wellness

Sarah Sproule - Should the Bishops Teach our Kids Sex Ed

***warning this episode contains mild sexual references as part of an educational resource***

We are living in a secular state. Or are we...? Sarah Sproule is an occupational therapist with a difference. Her online presence focuses on how to have conversation with our kids about sex as they start to become curious. Without feeling uncomfortable. Without running away.

 

Her work has been profoundly helpful in giving parents practical tools to help their kids grow up with a safe working knowledge of their biology, of how to manage consent (which starts much earlier than you might imagine, and really protects your children from potential harm), and helps our households to unpack generations' worth of the unspoken issues around sexuality, sexual health and living as respectful, compassionate and sexual beings under one roof as a family.

 

But our country's national primary schools are still connected to the Catholic church, and their messaging around sex education is QUITE different to what we and Sarah would consider to be healthy, inclusive and progressive in the 21st Century. Listen in and learn how Sarah's approach can help us to prevent an outdated model of sex education from inhibiting the next generation and helping bring conversations about sex out from the dark corners and into the light for all our benefit.

Extended Breastfeeding with Maria O'Sullivan

When you see an image of a mother breastfeeding her toddler, what does it make you feel? In this podcast we are discussing the realities of extended ( or more accurately 'Natural Term' ) breastfeeding in the western world.

Given UNICEF's statistics that 77-91% of women in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Rwanda and Malawi are breastfeeding over 20 months, you could be forgiven for thinking that we didn't have a job to do to encourage mums to take up breastfeeding. But it seems that countries with higher incomes and education such as our own ( Ireland ) - where only 13% of mothers continue breastfeeding to 6 months and beyond - have a crisis on their hands.

Maria O'Sullivan is just one of a growing population of mums who have taken breastfeeding through to its natural term; allowing their children to wean when they are ready and therefore giving their babies a wealth of emotional and nutritional advantages, as well as incurring many health benefits themselves such as lower risks of breast cancer.

According to the WHO, even a modest increase in breastfeeding could prevent up to 10% of deaths in children under 5, given this statistic, it seems imperative that we band together to try to improve not only education but more importantly support for breastfeeding mums across the globe.  Tune in to hear Marias story; as a single mum who has practiced extended breastfeeding with all three of her kids and gone on to train as a lactation consultant, providing valuable help to countless mums over the years she is uniquely placed to discuss this challenging topic.

 

Thanks as always to our wonderful sponsor folk - Nuzest Nutrition - providing the finest in plant based proteins and broad spectrum, high potency, cutting edge nutritional aids. Clean Lean Protein and Good Green Stuff are two of our favourite things on this planet, that are foundational aspects to supporting our hectic lives. www.nuzest.co.uk - use our code WELLNESS15 for 15% off store wide! Clearlight Saunas - if you haven't tuned into the benefits of infra red sauna therapy, get on it! From immune support to ATP synthesis - not to mention the sheer joys of a good old sweat! Use https:/./bit.ly/2DezWMu to access our special discount

Tanya Fitzpatrick - Function Over Form - Building A Body For Real Work

Where Has Yoga Gone Wrong And Are We Dead From The Neck Down?

 

Kind of a prickly set of questions but we found the BEST lady to try to paddle our way towards an answer.

 

Somatic movement is a lost language in most of our endeavours. Whether mindlessly bingeing another Nextflix series, or deadlifting our PB, the usual result of human experience is ill health.

Tanya Fitzpatrick as a yoga teacher and practitioner stands like a firebrand in opposition to this slide into malaise.  We discuss and consider what got us to this point in unembodied movement and living, and start to ask the question...Can a better body mind relationship be the secret to a better, longer, less sick life?

Lily Burgony - Maternal Mental Health

Are you a mother already? Or a mama to be? We know the struggle is real. Mums all too often get stuck in that "keep calm and carry on" mindset, burying their own needs in the daily struggle to keep everyone else happy and catered for around them.

This isn't the sign of a connected, healthy and compassionate society. We don't think anyone in their right mind wants this to persist. So how can we seek to change it? And when it gets right down to the wire - how to be a warrior mother and be the author of your experience when you're alone and vulnerable in the maternity ward?

When transitioning through birth, how can mums find a voice and address these things - and how can we foster our nation of mums and show them that we believe in their needs and want to support them. Because as we all know - a society full of happy and healthy mums is most definitely going to make the world a better place.

Denis Healy - Earth Day Every Day

Nobody can tell Denis Healy he doesn't do enough for our planet. From planting literally thousands of trees and flowers every season around his organic farm in west Wicklow to preserving and introducing new wetlands and watercourses, Denis' farm is a flourishing empire in celebration of the bounty of nature.

 

To many of those out there in our capitalist society, Denis may just seem plain crazy, recklessly planting and ploughing what profits come from a small market garden business back into the land.

 

His instincts are so strong for his craft of growing and tending plants, both edible and not, that his actions are like a man possessed, possessed by the spirit of abundant nature, and committed tooth and nail to leaving this earth, at least the part of it he can influence, in a better state than when he started on it.

 

He's a beautiful man, and his affection for his family and his burning passion for life in all forms is infectious. We want a bit of what he's having....

Rachael Fionda - A Journal Of Birth And Loss

***This podcast contains conversations around infant loss. Please be careful of who's listening***

Let us tell you a story about bravery. A story of grief. Of loss. And one of true courage. This is also a story of finding joy in what can seem like dark and heavy times A story of a life that although cut short in the cruelest of ways, still inhabits the world and plays a role the family they were just getting ready to join.

Rachael Fionda is truly a brave mother. Having suffered the loss of her baby boy, Wolfhart, just months earlier, she felt compelled to share her story with us on Wandering Into Wellness - which we recognise as a very special gift. Her story is powerful, and traumatic, but also uplifting, and we hope, empowering for the many mothers who may have walked a similar path.

But for all of us, opening ourselves up to the worlds of grief, death, and loss is useful to develop our language around these topics and to come closer to understanding the emotions involved. To be able to connect with greater vulnerability in a moment that we will face many times throughout the journey of our lives.

Our deepest thanks go to Rachael for talking to us about her experience. Rachael has since welcomed another baby to the world. Her little girl, Cordelia was born on the 23rd of March, and we are thrilled for her and her family.

Rachael mentions the charity below who provide memory boxes to parents going through baby loss. https://feileacain.ie/remembering/feileacain-memory-box

 

Another resource for parents who resonate with Rachael's story is the Other Side of The Door Journal - a journal which aims to support women & men who have experienced miscarriage and baby loss. Find out more about it here https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-other-side-of-the-door-journal

 

 

 

Sarah Tobin - Helping Mamas Tap Through Trauma

No time in life requires more support than early motherhood - for child and parent alike, the journey starts out with huge pressures on both nervous systems as life throws more and more on a pair that just need to take rest and seek connection.

Through her own trauma, losing a child soon after birth, Sara came to EFT and with the help of this powerful tool she processed and released the grief and cured herself from the PTSD that engulfed her. She went on to train professionally and now educates mums and others online to free themselves from their own trauma.

Her new journal, "The Other Side Of The Door", is an effort to put a powerful tool into the hands of parents who suffer the loss of an infant, to help them navigate and come to terms with the devastating loss of a child. The Other Side Of The Door Journal is set for release within a few weeks, so we felt now was a good time to release this powerful conversation.

Ali Murphy - Your One Minute Midwife

Did you know: At the 1 minute mark post partum, midwives make a judgement of a newborn's state of health with a scoring mechanism known as the APGAR test? Well. This is not that test. We scrambled around looking for a birthing expert to consult on our podcast.

But silly us - one was there staring us in the face - Lydia's own midwife Ali Murphy came on our podcast to talk all things birth in the way birthing is today, what's good about it, and what needs to change early last year.

This time she's back - with a set of rapid fire quiz questions sent in from you listeners and viewers - the burning questions you have about birth - from recommendations for VBAC preparation, to iron deficiency during pregnancy.

Whether you're a new or expecting mum, an experienced momma, or just a curious head like Finn, you'll learn lots from this birthing quick fire quiz.

Your Essential Oils Toolkit for Children's Health - Eliane Zimmerman

Essential oils are harmless.  FALSE. Essential oils are powerful plant extracts.  TRUTH

 

In this brief but comprehensive walkthrough, Eliane, our resident aromatherapy expert, takes you through what oils are safe for use with kids, and how to use them.

 

From soothing our stressed out young folk, to preventing winter ailments, you'll want to have a pen at the ready as Eliane brings you through the critical recipes to build into your routine, and the list of essential oils to use safely when dealing with children.

 

Unearthing Birth ft. Ed Stafford

Our new slot pitches our guests to consider and confront some unusual aspects of their or their partner's birth process.

First up - Ed Stafford - Adventurer, survival expert and all round wilderness guy.

Catch our full length deep dive with Ed Stafford on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts🚀💯

@yogawithlydia @thehopsack @edstafford