Lauren Petrie is a bereavement midwife. The time when you would meet her in her professional capacity is at the most painful time of a parent’s life: when you have been told, during your pregnancy, that your baby has died.

Lauren’s eldest daughter Mia is studying at University. Her second daughter Jada was stillborn. It was Lauren’s experience of how she was treated - good and bad - during that traumatic time, that has influenced her career and determination to create positive changes in Jada’s name.

Lauren’s story came to my attention when comedian Russell Howard shared earlier this year that he and his wife Cerys had lost their baby, and how they had been helped in their darkest times by Lauren.

We talked about how important it is for parents to spend time with their beautiful baby after the birth, to hold and talk to their baby and to take photos, to create the only memories they will ever have of that child.

With Baby Loss Awareness Week running 9-15 October, this felt like the right time to bring this chat to you.

Although this is incredibly difficult subject matter, Lauren is warm, generous and wise, and she left me feeling inspired by the way she has leaned into her grief, and has created a hugely positive legacy for Jada.

TRIGGER WARNING. This podcast contains upsetting content about losing a baby.

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly Jones is a former Vogue.com editor who spent over 20 years at Condé Nast overseeing digital content at director level. Based on her experience of motherhood whilst in these roles, she has written a book called 'Leaving the Ladder Down' which is a funny, positive and practical guide for women thinking about how parenthood might affect their career. She has two children aged 11 and 13.

Dolly describes getting support for young children during your working hours as the 'patchwork quilt of childcare'. She also said that one of the many women she spoke to for the book, hadn't realised till she had children herself, that as a parent you can feel that you've run a marathon before you even get to work!

She also asked people to share their worst parenting mistakes, and once she had shared her own, people were very forthcoming with some great stories!

Overall the book has a reassuring positivity, which I love.

With both of Dolly's children now at secondary school, she spoke about how our identity is like a little candle flame, and said that now that school drop offs and pick ups are a thing of the past, she is looking forward to putting a bit more time into nurturing that flame. For instance she's started learning the piano, and can now play 'very badly'. So I asked her to play us out with a tune. But she seemed oddly reluctant to do so!

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caroline Hirons is a skin care expert, author and founder of Skin Rocks. She has just pulished her 4th book 'Skin Rules: Expert Advice You Can Trust'. She told me that she hates writing books becuase of her ADHD but that she is extrememly proud of her books and feels this is the best one yet. It includes advice on looking after your skin through some of life's huge changes including pregnancy, GLP-1s, cancer treatment and the menopause.

Caroline has 4 grown up children: two in their 20s and two in their 30s. She built her career alongside motherhood, as she wanted two children before she was 25 and says she planned her pregnancies 'like a machine'.

We talked about how she kept a priority space for the thing she really cared about, in amongst having such a young family.

Caroline told me how she's still parenting (about 25 times a day onthe phone!) even though her children are now aged 34 to 22. In fact she took a call from one of them mid interview! She describes being the parent of adult children as being a bank teller, taxi driver and consultant!

Caroline now has three granchildren and has talked with great passion about the new level of love to which granchildren take you. She made me laugh talking about her love for her own children now being downgraded by the arrival of her granchildren! The love she feels for her grandkids does sound pure magic!

Spinning Plates is presented by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, produced by Claire Jones and post-production by Richard Jones.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.