Single mum by choice

As parents, we know that navigating the world of nutrition can be, well...overwhelming. No sugar, no seed oils, meat, no meat, more protein, less protein...advice is everywhere. So, who do we trust? Tune into our latest episode as we attempt to wade through the noise. What’s really behind the seed oil debate? What is research revealing about the most common U.S. formulas? How are food guidelines and regulations shaped? And, ultimately, what does all this mean for the everyday food choices we make for our families?

How do we become who we are? And when it comes to our little ones, who’s really shaping them – their personalities, their temperaments, their opinions?  Maybe it’s you, their caregivers. Maybe it's their peers. Maybe it’s their siblings. Or maybe it’s all in their DNA. So...who...or what...is really shaping your child? Join LittleOak Founder and CEO, Elke Pascoe, for a fascinating conversation with personality psychologist Julia Rohrer and Nancy Segal, Founder and Director of the Twin Studies Center. Together, they unpack how personality develops, why twins can be strikingly similar—or surprisingly different, the role family dynamics play in shaping behaviour, and much more. 

You’ve had the baby. You’ve navigated feeding. You’ve survived the sleepless nights...and just like that, you’re a parent. But somewhere in the chaos, something feels off. You’re exhausted. Stretched thin. Overwhelmed — in a way that sleep alone can’t fix. In this episode, we‘re looking beneath the surface – at postnatal depletion, the identity shift of matrescence, and the incredible changes happening in a mother’s brain.  And — perhaps most importantly — at the story that tells mothers their exhaustion, their overwhelm, their brain fog is just “part of motherhood.” But is it? Join LittleOak Founder and CEO Elke Pascoe as she sits down for a fascinating conversation with accredited clinical nutritionist Emma Morris, neuroscientist and therapist  Dr. Jodi Pawluski, and clinical nutritionist and naturopath Kellie Slobodzian. 

From fridge to formula, cow's milk is everywhere. But have you ever wondered why? In this episode, we uncover how cow's milk rose to fame and why goat's milk is a significantly more nourishing alternative. Join LittleOak Founder and CEO Elke Pascoe as she sits down for a fascinating conversation with nutritionist Chloe Steele, emeritus professor Melanie DuPuis and mum Emma Slee to uncover the surprising history of cow's milk, the advertising that made it a staple and the science behind goat's milk and infant gut health. 

Ever heard the phrase “mad as a hatter?” It comes from mercury exposure — a toxic heavy metal once used in hat making.  Now, those same metals — mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium — are showing up in baby food. In fact, a 2019 study found that 95% of baby foods tested contained at least one toxic heavy metal. So, how does heavy metal exposure impact our children’s health and development? What foods are the biggest culprits? And what can we do to reduce the risk? Join LittleOak Founder and CEO Elke Pascoe as she sits down with three experts to unpack the truth about heavy metals. 

"I’m falling apart.""I'm overwhelmed, I'm not coping."  “You don't really have any choice other than to keep going.”Sound familiar? As parents, we’re constantly juggling. And with so many balls in the air, sometimes it can feel like we’re running on empty. And oftentimes, we are. In fact, more than two in three working parents are burnt out. So, what exactly is burnout? How is it different from stress or exhaustion? And with everything piling up, what are we to do? Join LittleOak Founder and CEO Elke Pascoe as she sits down with three experts to unpack the hidden signs of burnout and the practical steps that can actually help. 

Are we creating picky eaters?Dinner time with little ones can be a real challenge. These tiny food critics will turn their nose up at anything, it seems. So, are all children picky eaters? Or do we create them by catering to their every culinary whim?In this episode, LittleOak Founder and CEO Elke Pascoe sits down for a conversation with Anjali Shah - nutritionist, health coach, and author of The Picky Eater blog. Together, they unpack why picky eating happens, how to make healthy food a hit, the best time to introduce new foods and so much more. Connect with Anjali at pickyeaterblog.com

They say it takes a village to raise a child. But what if you want to go it alone?    Becky Bell refers to herself as a single mum by choice, using a sperm donor to conceive her two beautiful children. Now, she's on a mission to break the stigma and educate others about the power and beauty of her unconventional path to motherhood.   At times, single parenthood may mean double the stress and double the worry. But doesn’t it also mean double the love? Join us as Becky shares all about being a single mum by choice.

The birth of a child is meant to be the happiest of times, and the start of a lifelong journey of milestones. But what if this journey is cut short? Late into her pregnancy, Priyanka Saha and her husband Will received news that would change the course of their lives. Their unborn child was diagnosed with an incurable brain condition and an uncertain life expectancy. Despite the challenges, their daughter Lily proved to be a fighter, living 10 months before passing away. Today, Lily's legacy lives on. Her parents established a foundation in her honour, helping families navigate the scary and isolating road of parenting a child with a terminal illness. We are honoured to have Lily's mum, Priyanka Saha, with us to discuss this incredibly important topic of infant and child loss. 

Like, follow, share - social media can be a real mother  Did you know that approximately 90% of mums are active social media users? Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok – millennial mums live online. And we can’t lie...we’re certainly part of that statistic. But...how does social media impact our lives and can it be a force for good?  Is social media a help or a hindrance? Whether you love it or hate it, social media is completely embedded in our lives. In our latest episode of This Little Life, we’re joined by Rachel Chappell – Founder and Publisher of North Shore Mums, an online group with over 40,000 members. Tune in as we answer the burning question: is social media a help or a hindrance?