They say it takes a village, but sometimes in the whirlwind and often bewildering days of newborn motherhood, finding “your village” isn’t always so easy. This is where The Parenthood comes in (and it doesn’t stop at the baby days either).
After five years of providing answers for pregnant women through the popular London-based Bump Class, sisters and mothers Dr Chiara Hunt and Marina Fogle, wanted to share their knowledge, experiences and most importantly, sense of kinship with mothers on a more global scale. This is how The Parenthood was born.
From “OMG I actually have a baby!” to “If only breasts had gauges…” this engaging, informative and even funny podcast covers everything from potty training to career breaks and “What not to do when your second baby arrives”.
We caught up with one-half of the creative duo, Marina Fogle to find out more…
HI MARINA, TELL US ABOUT THE BUMP CLASS AND HOW IT ALL CAME ABOUT?
My sister Chiara and I were some of the first of our friends to have babies and inevitably people came to us with questions. Chiara is a GP and she was seeing how lack of preparation had such an impact on those early days and we thought we could do something better than anyone else was doing – and so The Bump Class was born.
WHEN DID ‘THE PARENT HOOD’ PODCAST BEGIN AND WHY?
The Bump Class quickly became a success with classes hugely over subscribed. We didn’t want to grow the company too quickly and realised that small, intimate classes were key in terms of enjoyment but still people had questions, particularly about the post natal period. Podcasts were just becoming a thing and we thought that our access to professionals combined with our experience to teaching might make an interesting podcast.
HOW DO YOU TAKE YOUR COFFEE?
Oh, I’m all new age – matcha latte with coconut milk…. I don’t really like coffee, so if it tastes as little like coffee as possible, it’s good for me!
WE LOVE THE GENUINE WIT, FONDNESS AND DIFFERENT QUALITIES YOU AND YOUR SISTER, DR CHIARA HUNT, BRING TO THE TABLE/PODCAST! TELL US HOW YOUR ROLES VARY…
Chiara and I were very close growing up – fighting as much as we got on. I do think this resulted in a kind of easiness and honesty that is difficult to find outside a sibling relationship. Our relationship is one of the most uncomplicated I have – if either one of us is pissing the other off, or if we’re doing something that the other thinks could be different, we just say it. And we often take the mickey out of each other!
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
Pretty manic! I’m up early, ideally before the kids get up to have a little time to myself. I try and always drop the kids off at school and have a fun breakfast with them. It doesn’t always go that way – as all parents know, there’s always a bit of nagging involved! I try and work out just after I drop them off – a run in the park with the dogs or a quick workout at home before my day is consumed with writing, planning and recording podcasts and teaching The Bump Class. I teach in the evenings once or twice a week which takes it out of me, so I’m trying to take a bit of time for myself in the day. If I can, I try and get back in time for pick up so that I can spend a bit of time with the children before they go to bed. My favourite part of the day is reading them a story before bed – I try and read classics to them, or books that provoke conversation. At the moment it’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. I think it’s crucial that our children have an appreciation of history, particularly the sacrifices their grandparents generation made for us.
HOW DO YOU JUGGLE MOTHERHOOD, THE BUMP CLASSES THEMSELVES AND THE WEEKLY PODCAST?
As best I can and not always that successfully. I have a great team behind me who make it all possible and I’m getting slowly better at delegating. I try and think carefully about the things I have to do and those I could really outsource. I do think tech has made it possible for mothers nowadays to do more. My weekly shop is done online in two minutes – a task that took my mother all morning once a week. And I’m quite careful about social media – it’s so easy to feel like you’re not achieving as much as everyone else when you’re on there, so we have a strict rule, no phones after 6pm.
WE KNOW YOU’RE A FOUNTAIN OF KNOWLEDGE AND ADVICE WHEN IT COMES TO KIDS, BUT WHAT IS YOUR VERY TOP TIP FOR NEW AND EXPECTING MOTHERS ON THE ARRIVAL OF THEIR NEW BABY?
I think we probably overthink motherhood these days. There is so much advice and so many products that the most important thing often gets over looked. I always finish The Bump Class telling the girls that if the one thing they do in this whole motherhood malarkey is to get your child to understand that you love them unconditionally, then you’ve nailed it. Because no other relationship will ever be like that and if children have that, they’re sorted.
THIS MIGHT BE A TOUGH ONE, BUT FAVOURITE ‘THE PARENT HOOD’ PODCAST EPISODE?
Yes you’re right – tough! But I’m really proud of our conversations around baby loss. We did one right at the beginning with Emma Cannon and Elle Wright, talking about what happens when the plan doesn’t go to plan and you don’t end up taking your baby home. It’s a difficult topic and, understandably, it’s a tough one to listen to, but so many people experience baby loss or know someone who has and, because there’s stigma around talking about death and grief, society isn’t great at supporting people who are going through this. I also loved the one on talking to your children about sex – it was a real eye opener for me.
WHAT’S NEXT – BUSINESS OR PERSONAL – THIS SUMMER?
A bit of time off! I’ve taken the decision to be really selfish and take 6 weeks off with my kids over the summer. I realised that I can probably count on one hand the amount of summers left that I can count on them being around and I want to make the most of it. They’re at such a fun age. We’re off to the Galapagos Islands – joining Ben for work and then will have four weeks in Austria, where my family are from. No shoes, outside whatever the weather, all the cousins camping in one room, fresh air and no work! Heaven!
GO TO: thebumpclass.com/the-parent-hood-podcasts
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Inspiration/Image Credits: thebumpclass.com
