Welcome to the podcast all about how babies and families are made.
In this series, working midwife, mother and bestselling author Leah Hazard speaks to remarkable women and men from all walks of life about fertility, birth, pregnancy and parenting.
She explores the way we see our bodies and our relationships, the choices we make as we build our families, and the highs and lows that those choices can bring.
No judgment, no shame.
Just real stories, and all the warmth, wit and compassion you’d expect from a visit with your favourite midwife.
Guests include dynamic, diverse voices - some familiar and some fresh - from Lorraine Kelly, Dr Amir Khan and Emma Barnett to athlete/adventurer Anna McNuff, author Katherine May, activists Tinuke Awe and Clotilde Abe who founded the FivexMore campaign highlighting racial disparities in maternal health, and many more.
Subscribe, leave a rating and get involved in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid.
Episode #18: The F****** Scam - with Jenn Romolini
Midwife Leah Hazard talks to award-winning editor, writer, speaker, podcast host, and digital media consultant (who likes talking and thinking about women and work) Jenn Romolini.
12 Oct 2021
Episode #17: The Recurrent Miscarriage - Jennie Agg
In Baby Loss Awareness Week, Leah talks to award-winning freelance health journalist Jennie Agg about her own experience of recurrent miscarriage and how her path to parenthood has been anything but straightforward.
5 Oct 2021
Episode #16: The Taboo Smasher - Lucy Brett
Midwife Leah Hazard talks to author and mum Lucy Brett about her book - PMSL - and her campaign to smash the taboos around women's health and birth.
28 Sept 2021
Episode #15: The GP and Burnout - Dr Claire Ashley
Midwife Leah Hazard welcomes Dr Claire Ashley to the pod to discuss life inside the NHS, how she ended up burned out and why she decided to change her career path to find happiness.
21 Sept 2021
Episode #14: The Daddy and the Surrogate - Robin Morgan-Bentley
Leah Hazard explores surrogacy and becoming a dad with author Robin Morgan-Bentley, who welcomed baby Solly with husband Paul during lockdown last year
14 Sept 2021
Episode #13: The Return of the Mischief Maker - Anna McNuff
In the first episode of a brand new series of What the Midwife Said, midwife Leah Hazard catches up with adventurer, author, mischief maker, Girl Guiding ambassador and new mum Anna McNuff.
2 Feb 2021
Episode #12: The Novelist - Emma Gannon
In the final episode of the first series of What the Midwife Said, Leah picks the brain of Sunday Times bestselling author, speaker, novelist and podcaster Emma Gannon to find out about her debut novel, Olive, and why she and her book's main character are staying child-free by choice.
Leah and Emma talk about why the decision not to have kids should be celebrated, and explore why that can be tough to accept for some people.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #WhattheMidwifeSaid, follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for updates, and stay tuned for the next series!
26 Jan 2021
Episode #11: The Nutritionist - Laura Thomas
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah catches up with nutritionist and Intuitive Eating Counsellor Laura Thomas, who explains how she helps “people get their shit together around food.”
She’s also a new mum to baby Avery and she tells Leah all about the dos and don’ts of pregnancy snacking including why you need to listen to your appetite and dip the odd finger/spoon in the peanut butter jar, and why social media might not be the best place to turn to for advice and support.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
19 Jan 2021
Episode #10: The Broadcaster - Rachel Burden
In episode ten of What the Midwife Said, Leah explores the challenges of having a premature baby with BBC 5 Live and BBC Breakfast presenter Rachel Burden, whose son Henry - her fourth child - was born at 31 weeks.
Leah and Rachel discuss pre-eclampsia, home schooling, life on the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and why chocolate might just be the answer to breast feeding anxiety.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
12 Jan 2021
Episode #9: The Pandemic Pregnancy - Rosamund Urwin
In the first episode of What the Midwife Said in 2021, Leah meets award-winning journalist and new mum Rosamund Urwin to find out about her quintessential pandemic pregnancy, which bookended the first two periods of lockdown. Rosamund tells Leah about the challenges she faced during her pregnancy and why her husband should have been allowed into the hospital for scans.
Leah and Rosamund also explore the lessons that could be learned from the Covid pandemic and why the words used by a midwife really do matter.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
22 Dec 2020
Episode #8: The Doctor - Dr Amir Khan
In the final episode of What the Midwife Said in 2020, Leah explores the life of a full time GP during the pandemic with telly favourite Dr Amir Khan.
Leah and Amir also cover hedgehog parenting, baking, obs and gynae placements, terrifying midwives and, of course, Mama Khan.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
15 Dec 2020
Episode #7: The Wintering Mother - Katherine May
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah meets fellow author Katherine May, to discuss her new book 'Wintering', coping with home schooling during lockdown, her autism diagnosis and the joy of open water swimming.
Leah and Katherine also speak honestly about the difficulties new parents face, why we should talk openly about the female body......and they imagine going vulva-blind.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
8 Dec 2020
Episode #6: The Gynae Geek - Dr Anita Mitra
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah compares medical notes with NHS Dr Anita Mitra, who specialises in obstetrics and gynaecology, and is better known to some as the author of The Gynae Geek: Your No-nonsense Guide to ‘down there’ Healthcare.
Leah and Anita cover night shift social media use, deadlifting weights + the very real challenges medical professionals face on the labour ward every day when it comes to delivering newborns safely.
Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
1 Dec 2020
Episode #5: The Writer - Clemmie Telford
**WARNING: THIS EPISODE DOES CONTAIN THE ODD EXPLETIVE!**
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah chats to podcaster and author Clemmie Telford, who presents the Honestly podcast and is about to release her first book 'But Why?' in May 2021.
Leah and Clemmie talk pregnancy, book babies, and discuss how writing a book is actually very similar to giving birth! Who knew?!
Join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
24 Nov 2020
Episode #4: The Survivor - Lauren Mahon
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah chats to Lauren Mahon, who set up the online community Girl vs Cancer after her own breast cancer diagnosis and now presents the multi award-winning BBC podcast You, Me and the Big C.
In a typically honest conversation, Lauren reveals how important exercise has been to her mental health and discusses how cancer has impacted her family, her fertility, and her future plans.
Join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
17 Nov 2020
Episode #3: The Vicar - Rev Kate Bottley
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah chats to star of Gogglebox, Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 2, Reverend Kate Bottley, about her experience of pregnancy, giving birth, and being a parent to teenagers.
Kate and Leah cover the dangers of open water swimming, superhero alter egos (just call Kate Lightning Crotch from now on), as well as the stigma attached to caesarean sections and the emotional impact of a difficult pregnancy.
Join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
10 Nov 2020
Episode #2: The Change Makers - Tinuke Awe and Clo Abe from Five X More
In this episode of What the Midwife Said, Leah chats to Tinuke Awe and Clo Abe who co-founded Five X More in response to a 2018 report that found that black women in the UK are five times more likely to die during pregnancy than white women.
The two mothers came together with the ambition of improving maternal mortality rates and health care outcomes for black women in the UK.
Join the conversation on social media using #whatthemidwifesaid and follow @whatmidwifesaid on Twitter for podcast updates.
3 Nov 2020
Episode #1: The Mischief Maker - Anna McNuff
Leah chats to adventurer, author, mischief maker and Girl Guiding ambassador Anna McNuff about putting her daredevil lifestyle on hold ahead of the birth of her first child.
20 Oct 2020
Trailer: About What the Midwife Said
Welcome to What the Midwife Said! Here's what you can expect from this brand new podcast!
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