Felicity

Felicity - Ep 48: February 24

Do you ever have a chance meeting and think, wow imagine if I never met that person. This is how I feel about a chance encounter with at the time a fellow pregnant mama at skyzone. Rehanna come over and said hi, we bonded over babies been due days apart and becoming insta friends. Fast forward to now she has been a huge support and dear friend in the first year of mothering our baby girls. Rehanna is modest and resilient beyond measure. She has been through so much it was hard to fit into one episode. From motherhood, to a fire that had her leave her burning house with her family, miscarriage to her rainbow baby just as the pandemic hit. So many of us have faced such huge challenges with the backdrop of a pandemic going on. Rehanna is one of those women facing so much and yet carries on so graciously. It’s so important we tell our stories so other feel less alone. I couldn’t be happier we serendipitously met and I have no doubt will remain great friends. Rehanna I hope you see how special you are. You have endured so much. You are brave beyond measure to share your story. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you dear friend ❤️⚡️

This week speak with my friend Sylvie Prud’homme. Mother to Béa and owner of two salons here in the west end of Toronto. @thelofttoronto My first job here in Canada was working for Sylvie before having my son Bodie. It’s funny how motherhood changes and reconnects relationships. It’s true to say that’s the case for us. After losing touch for a couple years, both having our baby girls at the beginning of 2020, we found lots of connection and support in the process. Sylvie talks very openly of how motherhood has changed her. Expectations vs reality and how she coped with birth and parenthood for the first time at the beginning of the pandemic. And how that mixed with being a small business owner in lockdown felt for her. Mothers giving birth in the middle of a pandemic for the first time are hero’s in my eyes. What a daunting experience that must be. This episode was recorded back in October 2020. It is comforting listen for those having a baby now. Proof women are doing incredible things in an extraordinary time. Thanks Sylvie for sharing so openly about the reality of pandemic birthing and parenting. I am sure so many will resonate with your experience. You are doing a great job. To support Sylvie, her biz and get yourself an awesome post lockdown hair do. Check her out @thelofttoronto https://www.thelofttoronto.ca/

This week I speak with one courageous young woman Pavani. *TRIGGER WARNING :This story contains loss in the early months.* One of my youngest guests who has been through so much. From having to have very hard conversations with her family after unexpectedly becoming pregnant with her son Theo. To being blindsided by the loss of him at 5 months. The same day he had dipped his toes in water at he beaches for the first time. Theo’s passing wasn’t very long ago. Pav went on to have Theo’s sibling, Violet during the pandemic on the anniversary of Theo’s passing. She speaks so candidly about the reality she faced being from a culture that is not normally excepting of parenting outside of wedlock. She talks of how she had to address this with her family. Later when Theo was born and her family had warmed and accepted her wishes we learn more about Theo and the mark he left on his family. The love he was surrounded with in his passing moments. With all stories of loss. I am always taken aback by the love that surrounds the loss. It was very heartwarming and bitter sweet to hear. Pav finishes by talking about pregnancy in the wake of loss, in a pandemic no less. This was recorded in 2020. I have so much admiration and respect for women who have had their most challenging moments in a pandemic after losing a child. Pay like many other women is a true hero. Violet and Theo are so lucky to have her as their mother.

This episode was recorded in pregnancy and child-loss awareness month. Trigger warning for anyone who needs a heads up to find a good time to listen.  I am joined by Kieran Powers. You can find her @belcoln_ on Instagram. She helps families find light in the darkness after baby loss or preemie birth, inspired by her son Beckett 👼🏼 + Lincoln 👶🏼, her beacons, hence the name. Kieran is such a wonderful member of the online community of women advocating for families of preemies and those grieving a loss. Her story is extremely moving. She has experienced so much. Parts of her story mirror mine and so I had an extra level of empathy as she spoke. While her journey has been tragic and unusual, it is also full of love and joy. A common theme for both of us. We both share the view that through the sadness and trauma of losing a baby there is also the love and light of meeting them. There is light in the darkness. Kieran in an inspiration to many, myself included. It has been great to feel her support online and see her pour that energy into helping others.  While most of our conversation talks of the birth and loss of her first son, Beckett, we also talk a lot about his brother Lincoln. This is so much more than a birth story, it the stories we need to hear and share and a perspective I believe so many can benefit from. If you have had a loss are facing one of are in need of understanding that situation in order to support a friend or family member. This episode will offer so much hope and insight in what it’s really like to live through it with hope.  To see more of the wonderful work Kieran is putting out to the world you can now check out her website https://www.becoln.com/ which is also a great resource for parents needing support.  Thank you, Kieran for your candid chat. I know your openness to share your story will benefit so many.

Nadine woods on birthing her baby Maya and her business Mayana Genevière and a whole lot more wisdom. In this episode I talk to Nadine woods. She talks very candidly about how motherhood changed her both physically and emotionally and how that propelled her into starting her own company. https://www.mayanageneviere.ca/ She is the founder of said luxury undergarment brand. Who now also make the most amazing masks. As you will hear in this conversation her brand ethos is about so much more than underwear. It is a form of self-care. It's about taking care of the mother physically and mentally. There is so much soul and wisdom in this conversation coming from Nadine there were so many takeaways, here are some of my fave bits - 5 mins- Nadines talks about how she wanted her daughter to fit in with her life and how she made that work in the early months 17 mins- you need to hear what Nadine has to say about body image. Especially if you just had a baby. This is a great takeaway from perspective. Real and insightful. 10  mins - Mums transition into motherhood and healing, body changing and identity shifts 33 mins- Our views on self-care and what it means to us. 45 mins- “What if, is not what IS”- just wow. If you listen to nothing else. Go here. The book she references is - ‘You can heal your life’- Louise Hay. Let me know if you read it.

In the first of the new episodes, Women who inspire. Who better to talk to that my long time friend, fellow expat, success, and life coach Liat Horowitz. Liat is a fellow mother of 3, a success coach, one half of Vlogging duo @findingmomjo, and host of her own Instagram live morning segment- "Minx your morning". Back in the summer, I was a guest on minx your morning, talking about how to get through hard times. Something I am quite used to now. That conversation now feels like a lifetime ago. Since then we started working together, I turned 2020 around from being the year that nearly broke me to the year I launched a new business in a pandemic while on "mat leave" if there is such a thing in 2020. I felt so compelled to share how much coaching this year has allowed me to thrive against all odds. Liat and I have so many shared interests, views and values. I found this conversation so valuable and motivating. I hope her insight is just the inspiration you need to kick start your year. If you are interested in hearing more about Liat - follow her @liathorovitz on Instagram. Happy listening, Love Frannie

Hey Hey, Its' been a while. There have been some changes both big and small and I'm here to fill you in with what has been going on and what to expect! Don't worry 'into the world' birth stories are still here to stay just with a few added extras and a quest to be more inclusive in all senses of the word. This podcast was started with a desire to help women tell their truths and show that all of us have an inspiring story that needs be heard. Whether we have kids of not! We are all worthy of tell our truths. So without further ado, I introduce Frannie and co The podcast- Women who inspire. Spoiler alert- that's all of you! Thank you for listening and following along @frannieandco

Yota's story, bringing Cyrus into the world This week I take to Yota about how her son Cyrus came into the world *very quickly.* It was great to be back with some regularity recording again and hear Yota's story. Her joy and light-hearted nature really came across as she regales how her son came into the world,  despite most of us being told how unlikely it is for this to happen fast the first time around. Yota was not in that category and barely had a second to think before she was holding him in her arms! It just goes to show that anything is possible. Thank you Yota for sharing your story, for talking about all things pandemic parenting, and sharing a mutual love for shoes and leopard print. It was a delight talking to you.  Happy listening 

Heather’s story, bringing Hayden into the world, a pregnancy announcement, and a whole lot more. Meet Heather, a long time Instagram friend, so much so I feel like I knew her story inside out. Heather's story is layered and unusual. A birth that left her needing to use a cane to walk for a long while. She was later diagnosed with a condition called Femoral/Peroneal/Sciatic Nerve Damage from Labor/Delivery. This story isn’t here to scare. In fact, what happened to Heather was so incredibly rare. This podcast's purpose is and always has been to hold space for the truth through the eye of the storyteller/mother that lived it. She left the episode saying that the women she met on Facebook who globally supported her were like angels. There really is nothing like a group of women to lift each other up and see them through a tough time. Thanks, Heather, for being so open and so real. It was cos lovely to finally chat in realtime with Hayden in the background and all. Such a true representation of parents' reality in 2020 trying to make do and get on with kids home. I hope you enjoy listening to it again. I know it has been a while, but much like everyone else, I’m trying to work out how everything fits back into new routines too. Hopefully, things will get easier for us all soon. Much love Frannie