The Baby Tribe

Afleveringen

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  BTS: Is Private Maternity Care Really Safer? 07.07.2026 16min

  A large Australian study comparing public and private maternity care seemed to show better outcomes for mothers and babies in private obstetric-led care, including lower rates of stillbirth, NICU admission, severe perineal tears, and maternal haemorrhage. But the story is much more complicated than the headline suggests. In this episode of Baby Tribe Shorts, Afif and Anne unpack the study and ask whether it really proves that private care is safer, or whether the results reflect something dee...
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  BTS: Paracetamol, Pregnancy and Autism: What Parents Need to Know 30.06.2026 14min

  In this episode of Baby Tribe Shorts, Afif and Anne tackle the anxiety caused by recent headlines linking paracetamol use in pregnancy with autism, ADHD and intellectual disability. They walk through a major Lancet systematic review and meta-analysis, explaining why the best-quality evidence, especially sibling comparison studies, does not support a causal link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and these neurodevelopmental outcomes. The episode also explains why paracetamol remains the rec...
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  BTS: Should Everyone Be Induced at 39 Weeks? 23.06.2026 19min

  In this episode of Baby Tribe Shorts, Afif and Anne take a closer look at one of the most influential obstetric studies of the last decade: the ARRIVE trial. The trial is often used in conversations about elective induction at 39 weeks, especially for low-risk first-time mothers. But what did it actually show? Did induction improve outcomes for babies? Did it really reduce C-section rates? And what happens when the findings of a carefully controlled clinical trial are applied to busy real-wor...
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  134: Baby Gadgets, Gimmicks and Red Flags 16.06.2026 52min

  This week on Baby Tribe, Afif and Anne take a closer look at the baby products being marketed to exhausted parents, from sleep pods, reflux pillows and weighted sleep suits to formula prep machines, nasal aspirators, rectal wind devices, baby monitors, walkers and bouncers. The episode is not about shaming parents for buying products that promise help. It is about asking better questions before clicking “add to cart”. Does the product support safety, or does it introduce risk? Is it solving ...
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  133: The Freebirth Movement: Choice, Risk and Accountability 09.06.2026 51min

  In this episode of The Baby Tribe, Afif speaks with Irish Times journalist Ellen Coyne about her reporting on the rise of freebirth in Ireland: giving birth without a midwife, doctor or trained medical professional present. Ellen discusses what led her to investigate the movement, the concerns raised by senior midwives, the lack of clear data around unassisted births, and how online communities can frame freebirth as empowering while failing to fully engage with the risks. After the intervi...
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  132: Bad Science in a Pretty Font - Caesareans, Risk and Birth Misinformation 02.06.2026 34min

  In this episode of The Baby Tribe, Afif and Anne take on one of the most emotionally charged topics in maternity care: caesarean birth. Online birth content often presents two true statements side by side: caesareans carry more risk than vaginal birth, and caesarean rates are rising. The implied conclusion is often that unnecessary caesareans are harming women. But is that a fair interpretation of the evidence? Afif and Anne unpack why context matters, especially the concept of confounding b...
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  131: Alcohol, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: No Shame, No Myths, Just Biology 26.05.2026 36min

  Alcohol, pregnancy and breastfeeding are surrounded by myths, slogans and a fair amount of internet nonsense. In this episode, Afif and Anne look at what alcohol actually does before conception, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. They discuss paternal alcohol exposure, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the “sober enough to feed” slogan, pumping and dumping, beer and milk supply, and the misleading comparison between breastmilk and orange juice. No shame, no panic, just biology. Lear...
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  130: Vitamin K at Birth: The Tiny Injection Social Media Got Wrong 19.05.2026 31min

  In this episode, Afif and Anne take a deep dive into vitamin K at birth and the growing wave of misinformation surrounding it online. They explore why newborn babies are naturally low in vitamin K, how clotting works, and what vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) actually is. The discussion covers the differences between intramuscular and oral vitamin K, why the injection remains the most reliable protection, and the devastating consequences VKDB can have, including brain bleeding and death. ...
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  129: When Baby Sleep Advice Becomes Dangerous 12.05.2026 35min

  In this episode of The Baby Tribe, Afif speaks to BBC journalist Divya Talwar about her investigation into unsafe advice given by some self-described baby sleep experts. Divya explains why the BBC pursued the story, what parents told her, and how exhaustion, social media credibility and gaps in postnatal support can leave families vulnerable to advice that may conflict with safer sleep guidance. After the interview, Afif and Anne debrief the key issues: normal infant sleep, back-to-sleep guid...
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  128: Leaking Isn’t Normal: Pelvic Floor Health, Surgery & the Mesh Debate 05.05.2026 32min

  Pelvic floor problems affect a huge number of women, yet many suffer in silence, unsure what’s normal and what isn’t. In this episode, we’re joined by Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist and urogynaecology specialist Breffini Anglim O'Regan to break down everything you need to know about pelvic floor health, from prolapse and urinary incontinence to the real impact of pregnancy, childbirth, and ageing. We explore the full range of treatment options, from physiotherapy and pessaries to s...
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  127: When Birth Doesn’t Go to Plan: Understanding Postpartum Care 28.04.2026 34min

  In this episode of The Baby Tribe, Afif and Anne tackle an important but often overlooked topic: what happens when things don’t go to plan after a baby is born. While most women recover well after delivery, a small number require closer monitoring or escalation of care. Anne, a consultant obstetric anaesthesiologist, explains how maternity teams identify early warning signs, what triggers a move from the postnatal ward to high dependency or intensive care, and what that experience looks like...
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  126: I Thought I’d Be a Mother… Then Life Took a Different Turn 21.04.2026 30min

  We all grow up with a version of how life is supposed to go. Meet someone, settle down, have kids. But what happens when that version doesn’t unfold the way you expected? In this episode, comedian Aideen McQueen joins us for a funny, honest, and deeply personal conversation about identity, addiction, recovery, and coming to terms with not having children. From always imagining herself as a mother to confronting that reality in her 40s, Aideen shares the emotional complexity of grief, accepta...
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  125: Clare McKenna on Finding Your Version of Wellness (Without the Pressure) 14.04.2026 54min

  Parenting is hard enough… so when did “wellness” become another thing to get right? In this episode, we’re joined by Clare McKenna, host of Alive & Kicking and author of Would You Be Well?, to unpack the modern obsession with wellness and why, for many parents, it’s doing more harm than good. We explore Clare’s journey from chasing diets, routines, and “perfect health” to realising that wellness had quietly become another source of pressure. Together, we talk about how social media,...
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  124: Understanding Baby Sleep: Biology vs Sleep Training 07.04.2026 33min

  “Sleeping like a baby” is one of the biggest myths in parenting. In this episode, we strip back the noise around infant sleep and look at what the science actually tells us. From circadian rhythm development to night waking, we explain why babies don’t sleep the way we expect them to, and why that doesn’t mean anything is wrong. We explore the full spectrum of sleep training methods, from cry-it-out to so-called “gentle” approaches, and break down what they are really doing: not changin...
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  123: Hilary McGann (News by Hil): From Global News to Motherhood 31.03.2026 51min

  Becoming a parent changes how you see everything. In this episode, we’re joined by Hilary McGann (News by Hil), journalist and creator, to talk about what happens when someone whose job is to understand the world becomes a mother in it. Hilary shares her deeply personal journey through a complicated and anxiety-filled pregnancy, including emergency surgery, ovarian torsion, and the constant fear of losing her baby. What follows is a powerful reflection on resilience, perspective, and wh...
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  122: Fear Less with Dr David Coleman: Are We Raising Anxious Kids? 24.03.2026 46min

  A practical and honest conversation with clinical psychologist Dr David Coleman, author of Fear Less, on childhood anxiety. We explore why anxiety feels so common in children today, the difference between normal fear and something more serious, and how parents can support their child without overprotecting them. From the science behind anxiety to simple tools that actually work, this episode focuses on one key idea: your child doesn’t need to be fearless, they just need to know how to handle ...
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  121: Pregnant With Cancer: Emma’s Story of NICU, Chemotherapy, and Change 17.03.2026 55min

  When Emma McGuinness was pregnant with her second child, she discovered a swelling in her neck that turned out to be Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Her son was delivered at 36 weeks and spent his first 14 days in neonatal intensive care. Just weeks later, Emma began six months of chemotherapy while caring for a newborn. In this powerful episode, Emma shares the reality of navigating cancer during pregnancy, the emotional experience of having a baby in NICU, and how her own experience exposed a gap in...
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  120: NICU Explained: The Real Reasons Newborns Need Extra Care 10.03.2026 50min

  When parents hear the word NICU, it can feel frightening. But the reality is that many babies who spend time there are simply adjusting to life outside the womb. In this episode, Afif and Anne break down the most common reasons newborns are admitted to the neonatal unit, including breathing difficulties, low blood sugar, infection checks, temperature regulation, and feeding challenges. Afif explains the physiology behind these issues and why most NICU stays are short and part of a baby’s no...
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  119: Epidurals and the Myth of the Intervention Cascade with Professor Rachel Kearns 03.03.2026 43min

  Epidurals are often blamed for triggering a cascade of interventions, harming babies, and interfering with breastfeeding. But what does the actual evidence say? This week we’re joined by Professor Rachel Kearns, consultant anaesthetist and population health researcher, to unpack the data. From maternal morbidity and fever to neonatal outcomes and long term child development, we examine what large scale studies really show and where the myths fall apart. If you’re making decisions about pain ...
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  118: Doireann Garrihy on Becoming Rosie’s Mum 24.02.2026 1u 4min

  This week on The Baby Tribe, we’re joined by broadcaster and podcaster Doireann Garrihy for an honest and deeply personal conversation about pregnancy, birth, and the early weeks of becoming a parent. Doireann shares her experience of induction on her due date, the moment plans changed in the delivery room, and what it felt like to hear that a C-section was needed. She reflects on the relief of hearing her daughter Rosie’s first cry, the unexpected challenges in recovery, and the surreal f...