The Journey Ahead Podcast

Through engaging interviews with leading experts, heartfelt stories from real parents, and evidence-based information, The Journey Ahead Podcast covers a wide range of topics. From hypnobirthing, holistic approaches to prenatal care, birth choices, postpartum well-being, parenting techniques, and so much more.

By tuning in, you will gain valuable knowledge, discover different perspectives, and find the guidance you need to make informed decisions that align with your unique desires and values. Whether you’re a first-time parent or navigating the journey of parenthood once again, this podcast is a trusted companion on your path to creating a positive and empowered experience for you and your growing family.

I can't wait to help you feel powerfully prepared.

Find out more about the services I offer and how I can help you on the links below:

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Episodes

Birth | Dr Sarah Buckley: The Magic of Oxytocin & The Impact Of Interventions in Birth

In this powerful episode of The Journey Ahead , I sit down with the legendary Dr Sarah Buckley - GP, researcher, author, and one of the most trusted global voices in the birth world. We dive deep into the hormonal blueprint of labour and birth: what it is, why it matters, and how it’s often disrupted by well-meaning (but poorly evidenced) interventions. Dr Buckley shares the science behind oxytocin, the cascade of hormonal physiology, and how to support this process, even when the birth you plan...

Jul 24, 2025•53 min•Season 3Ep. 1

Breastfeeding | An Interview with Katie James | Preparing for a powerful feeding journey during pregnancy

Katie James... one half of The Midwives' Cauldron Having avidly listened to every episode and completed both Katie's lactation courses, when it came to creating a breastfeeding preparation episode I knew who would be the perfect expert to bring into the room. In this week's episode we chat about the importance of real support and community when embarking on your feeding journey, the basics we can go back to when we're finding things challenging, and how we can stand in our power when things don'...

Sep 13, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 9

Birth | Kirsten’s Story | Remaining calm and listening to intuition through last minute emergencies

Kirsten's story is a story of... Resilience Disappointment Worry Intuition Medicalised birth and everything in between. It's no secret that there's a whole lot of fearmongering in the birth world, abut every person's story deserves a voice. There's a lot of power in people's stories and I'm passionate about keeping things real. Serious medical complications are rare , but when they happen how amazing that we have so many talented specialists at our disposal. Placental abruption is an incredibly ...

Sep 06, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 8

Parenting | An Interview with Sara |The Lifestage Lab | Understanding the infant brain and parenting little ones

Introducing... Sara from The Lifestage Lab When I say how much of this podcast I had to edit out before we actually got to our chat, I’m not joking when I say I had to cut out half of it. From CBD lube chat, Dubai life, grief pep chats and so much more – there’s nothing that doesn’t come up when I’m chatting to this wonderful human. Sara and I met through Lisa Sykes – a business coach in the birth and early parenting world. Sara is an absolute powerhouse of a woman, and I feel so grateful to hav...

Aug 23, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 6

Birth | Cesca's Story: Powerful hospital birth and breastfeeding in the wake of bereavement

Well this is just a gorgeous positive birth story! When I worked with Cesca and her husband Ed last year, I knew the chances of them having a positive experience were highly likely. After sadly going through a miscarriage prior to this pregnancy, Cesca was more determined than ever to be present, make informed choices and work with her body. Her experience of giving birth in her local hospital was just that - one which she felt powerful and positive. We also explore her decision to decline augme...

Aug 16, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 5

Birth | Why birth advocacy is so vital for a powerful experience

Birth advocacy... a topic that can stir up some emotions... Today, we're diving into a topic that is very close to my heart: birth advocacy. We'll explore why birth advocacy is crucial, what it looks like in practice, and I'll share five simple ways you can start your birth advocacy journey. Before we get stuck in I feel the need to make a little disclaimer as I know certain people, often those who work within the maternity system, can feel a bit prickly when this topic is raised. And I get it, ...

Aug 09, 2024•19 min•Season 2Ep. 4

Birth | An Interview with Carly | The Doula Club | The magic of doula care

Introducing the powerhouse that is Carly founder of The Doula Club! Carly is an experienced doula, yoga teacher and hypnobirthing practitioner. She’s an all round lovely human and is a brilliant voice of reason in the landscape of confusing maternity jargon and scaremongering. In this episode we chat all about The Doula Club - a brilliant resource for expectant parents, the power of having doulas in the birth space and our highs and lows of working in the birth space. A big thanks to Carly for h...

Aug 02, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 3

Birth | Cara’s story: pregnancy after loss, induction and maternal intuition

Buckle up - this episode is a lengthy but emotional one! You're going to want to brew up for this one team! When speaking to past families I have supported, Cara and Sean's story will always stick out as one that has had a profound impact on me and the work I do as a doula. It is always such an honour to work with couples who have been through so much, and who have such a clear idea of what type of experience they want. As a trigger warning - in this episode Cara tells her story of how a molar p...

Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 2

Birth | Preparing for your postnatal period

Look who is back! It's meee Well hello there! It's been a busy ol' time in the world of birth over the past year and this corner of the internet has been much on my mind. The second season of the Journey Ahead podcast is going to be jam packed with all the good stuff - educational solo episodes, amazing interviews and some brilliant birth stories thrown in for good measure - and that's just the start! I wanted to kick off Season 2 with a detailed education session and so today I'm talking all ab...

Jul 20, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 1

Perinatal Health | An Interview with Marianna Engall | Mpowered Fitness | The importance of pelvic health in the perinatal period

I’m really looking forward to sharing today’s podcast session with you. Marianna is the founder of Mpowered Fitness and a brilliant personal trainer for many expectant and new mums. In this podcast she’s incredibly open about her own fitness journey, including navigating pelvic organ prolapse and as such is a huge advocate for supporting women to look after their pelvic health and bodies in the lead up to, during pregnancy and beyond. Today we chat all things Mpowered Fitness, postnatal recoveri...

Sep 10, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Birth | An Interview with Sarah Fitzsimmons - My Independent Midwife | The benefits of independent midwifery and the importance of continuity of care

I’m really pleased to bring you today’s episode, with Sarah from My Independent Midwife. Sarah founded this service alongside her long time colleague and friend Jenny. She qualified in 2008 and knew that immediately wanted to work within a case loading model. For the first two years of her career, she worked as a Private Midwife for ‘The Private Birth Centre' in Northwich, Cheshire. Here, she became expert at empowering, advocating and facilitating births for people from all kinds of birthing ba...

Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Birth | An Interview with Shellie Poulter: Doulas, The System and The Power of Biomechanics

I’m SO excited for today’s guest. Shellie Poulter has many talents – from training as an osteopath in 2005, to delivering cranio-sacral therapy, massage, acupuncture and more to expectant parents. Shellie is also a Doula and is well known in the birthworker world for her education and mentorship, and I personally learnt a lot from Shellie about biomechanics and how this can be used in labour. In today’s podcast, Shellie and I chat about Shellie’s journey to where she is now, how cranial sacral t...

Jul 18, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Motherhood | Check Engine Light Analogy & Quick Relaxation Exercise

This week I'm talking you through an analogy that a lot of coaching clients find useful. As mothers we tend to place ourselves at the bottom of the pile - I'm on a mission to help you revaluate how you look after yourself! This mini-pod ends with a short, but very enjoyable relaxation to release stress and set you up for a brilliant sleep or day. You can find more Journey Ahead content here: Website Instagram Facebook Newsletter The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those o...

Jul 17, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 1

The Journey Ahead Podcast Introduction

I can’t wait to share this journey with you, so don’t forget to follow the Journey Ahead podcast, and you’ll get updated every time a new episode is released. You can find more Journey Ahead content here: Website Instagram Facebook Newsletter The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and do not constitute medical advice. The content provided is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical guidance ...

Jul 16, 2023•4 min

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