The PANDAS Foundation Podcast

Becoming a father can bring huge changes to identity, relationships and mental health, but men can often be treated as supporting characters in the parenting story.
In this episode of the PANDAS Foundation Podcast, Annie Belasco speaks to Dr Anna Machin, evolutionary anthropologist and leading expert on fatherhood, about what really happens to men when they become dads.
From bonding, the pressure to be “the rock” to relationship strain, they also discuss why perinatal depression and anxiety can sometimes look different in men in the form of frustration, withdrawal or feeling unable to cope.
For women, it’s a look at what may be happening for a partner alongside your own transition into parenthood. And for men, whether you’re preparing for fatherhood, finding your feet, or struggling quietly, it’s a reminder that your experience matters too.
PANDAS Foundation is here to support you and we’d love to hear about your transition to fatherhood too, so please reach out.
This podcast series may and will include, from time to time, themes of the entire spectrum of mental illness. Themes may include suicide, baby loss, self -harm, domestic violence and upsetting topics. If you urgently need help, if you're in mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123. Or the emergency services via 111 or 999.

Please note, you should always follow your GP or health practitioner's guidance for anything medically associated from conception onwards. The PANDAS Foundation does not advise on any medication. https://pandasfoundation.org.uk

Contact PANDAS WhatsApp for support on 07903 508334 every day between 8am - 10pm
Samaritans 116 123

US: Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-4773
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does genuinely inclusive care look like during pregnancy, birth and early parenthood?
In this episode, Sally speaks with Safura Houghton from The Lantern Initiative, an organisation working to improve mental wellbeing within Muslim communities, to explore how faith, culture and mental health intersect during one of the most vulnerable periods of a parent’s life.
They explore the experiences of Muslim women within maternity services, from repeatedly having to request privacy and modesty to feeling judged, unheard or unable to bring spiritual practices into the birth room. They also consider the emotional cost of constantly monitoring how you speak, dress or express your needs and the lasting impact that a loss of dignity or agency can have after birth.
They ask how healthcare professionals, organisations and all of us to move beyond assumptions and make space for each parent as a whole person. Sometimes inclusion begins with one simple question: “Are there any considerations or adjustments you would like us to be aware of?”
Follow The Lantern Initiative on Instagram.
This podcast series may and will include, from time to time, themes of the entire spectrum of mental illness. Themes may include suicide, baby loss, self -harm, domestic violence and upsetting topics. If you urgently need help, if you're in mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123. Or the emergency services via 111 or 999.

Please note, you should always follow your GP or health practitioner's guidance for anything medically associated from conception onwards. The PANDAS Foundation does not advise on any medication. https://pandasfoundation.org.uk

Contact PANDAS WhatsApp for support on 07903 508334 every day between 8am - 10pm
Samaritans 116 123

US: Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-4773
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the baby you dreamed of isn’t quite as you imagined?
Dr Nina Francis explores the phenomenon often called 'gender disappointment' and explains why the term may be doing more harm than good.
She and Sally unpack the language, stigma and silence surrounding a topic many parents experience but few feel able to talk about openly.
Drawing on her ground-breaking research and lived experience, Nina explains why these feelings are about far more than disappointment, how societal expectations shape our hopes and expectations for parenthood, and why shame and dismissal can stop parents seeking support when they need it most.
But it’s also a reminder that difficult feelings do not make you a bad parent and that there are ways to face and move past these thoughts and emotions.
You can learn more about Nina and find support for RIFis (Rupture of an Imagined Future due to infant sex) at her website.
This podcast series may and will include, from time to time, themes of the entire spectrum of mental illness. Themes may include suicide, baby loss, self -harm, domestic violence and upsetting topics. If you urgently need help, if you're in mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123. Or the emergency services via 111 or 999.

Please note, you should always follow your GP or health practitioner's guidance for anything medically associated from conception onwards. The PANDAS Foundation does not advise on any medication. https://pandasfoundation.org.uk

Contact PANDAS WhatsApp for support on 07903 508334 every day between 8am - 10pm
Samaritans 116 123

US: Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-4773
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Just cherish every moment."
It's one of the most common messages parents hear but it can be one of the most difficult.
Sally Bunkham talks to award-winning podcast host, motherhood coach and maternal mental health advocate Laura Guckian about the realities of modern motherhood. Together they explore the pressure to be the "perfect mother", the myth of mum guilt, neurodivergence, identity shifts, and what happens when motherhood looks very different from the picture we were sold.
Laura shares her own experience of severe maternal mental health challenges, including spending time in a psychiatric hospital when her son was ten months old, and the journey that ultimately led to discovering her family's neurodivergence.
This is a conversation about throwing away impossible expectations, questioning the "shoulds" of motherhood, and creating a version of parenting that works for you.
This podcast series may and will include, from time to time, themes of the entire spectrum of mental illness. Themes may include suicide, baby loss, self -harm, domestic violence and upsetting topics. If you urgently need help, if you're in mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123. Or the emergency services via 111 or 999.

Please note, you should always follow your GP or health practitioner's guidance for anything medically associated from conception onwards. The PANDAS Foundation does not advise on any medication. https://pandasfoundation.org.uk

Contact PANDAS WhatsApp for support on 07903 508334 every day between 8am - 10pm
Samaritans 116 123

US: Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-4773
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From identity loss to perfectionism, overwhelm, overstimulation and neurodivergence, parenthood can often throw us challenges we don’t expect.
Psychologist and maternal wellbeing advocate Dr Tuesday Watts Overall joins Sally Bunkham to talk about the emotional realities that so many parents experience but rarely talk about.
Alongside all the good stuff – love, gratitude and joy – parents can also end up placing impossible pressure on themselves to "get it right". Tuesday shares her own journey from academic psychologist to mother of three, and explains why so many women feel lost when their pre-parenthood rules for success don’t work in a new context. Plus, she shares how she navigated this transition as a family for a happier, more balanced experience.
This podcast series may and will include, from time to time, themes of the entire spectrum of mental illness. Themes may include suicide, baby loss, self -harm, domestic violence and upsetting topics. If you urgently need help, if you're in mental health crisis, please call the Samaritans on 116 123. Or the emergency services via 111 or 999.

Please note, you should always follow your GP or health practitioner's guidance for anything medically associated from conception onwards. The PANDAS Foundation does not advise on any medication. https://pandasfoundation.org.uk

Contact PANDAS WhatsApp for support on 07903 508334 every day between 8am - 10pm
Samaritans 116 123

US: Postpartum Support International 1-800-944-4773
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.