The Night Feed: The Podcast for New Mums

Latest Episodes:

Is Sleep Training Harmful? The Cry It Out Debate - A Deep Dive Feb 04, 2026

Show notes

This week on The Night Feed, I’m diving into one of the most divisive and emotionally loaded topics in modern parenting: sleep training.

More specifically, the question so many mums end up Googling through tears in the middle of the night: Is cry it out actually harmful?

We talk about why this debate feels louder than ever, how social media has turned baby sleep into a moral battleground, and what the research from the past decade actually says about sleep training and attachment.

I read a listener email from a mum caught between exhaustion and instinct, unpack what people really mean when they say “cry it out,” and gently walk through the science around attachment, stress, and cortisol without fear-mongering or judgement.

This episode isn’t about telling you what to do.
It’s about making space for nuance, reality, and compassion for yourself.

Because most parents aren’t choosing a method, they’re choosing survival.

In this episode we talk about:

Why the sleep training debate feels so intense right now
What “cry it out” actually means (and why it’s not one thing)
What the research says about sleep training and attachment
Stress, cortisol, and what gets misunderstood online
Why shame, not sleep methods causes the most harm
A gentler way to think about sleep decisions in early motherhood

Self-care tip:
I share a simple but powerful idea for new mums: creating a “closing ritual” for your day to help your nervous system stand down, even if the night is broken.

If you’re listening in the dark, feeling torn, tired, and unsure you’re not alone. And you’re not doing this wrong.

I’d love to hear where you land on this.
You can email me, message me, or drop a comment.

thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com

Femometer Ring:

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The Things No One Warned New Mums About Jan 28, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to The Night Feed. I’m Charlotte, and this episode starts with a bit of a rant because honestly… some days that’s where we’re at.

This week’s unpaid sponsor is scrolling when the baby sleeps. You know the drill. You finally lay down, baby’s settled, and suddenly you’ve lost 45 minutes to your phone and feel worse than when you started.

In this episode, I talk about an unintentional screen-free day and then we get into your messages.

A listener writes in with an apology to the parents she once judged before becoming a mum herself. It’s honest, funny, and painfully relatable. A reminder that you don’t truly understand the mental load of motherhood until you’re living inside it.

We then talk about what’s trending right now. The rise of posts called Things No One Warned Me About Postpartum. Not shock content. Not advice. Just quiet truths. The loneliness. The boredom. The grief for your old life alongside the love for your baby. The anger at systems and expectations. The relief of finally hearing someone else say, did this happen to you too?

This episode is about naming the parts of postpartum life that were filtered out for years. Because once something has a name, it stops feeling like a personal failure.

Self-care this week is simple. Once or twice a day, take five to ten minutes with no phone while your baby is settled. No scrolling. No fixing. Just being.

Keep your emails, comments, messages coming thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com.

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Motherhood Propaganda We're Not Falling for and Letting Go of “Perfect” Motherhood Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to The Night Feed. I’m Charlotte, and this episode is for the mums who feel like motherhood keeps getting louder; more rules, more opinions, more pressure, just when you’re already running on empty.

The emotions book: The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas.

💌 Weaning Without Losing Your Mind
A listener writes in about feeling overwhelmed by weaning: purées vs baby-led weaning, allergens, schedules, and Instagram meals that look better than adult dinners. I talk about how I approached weaning, how much I leaned on instinct, and why there isn’t one “right” way, just what works for your baby and your family.

😴 Contact Naps & “Bad Habits”
Another mum asks whether she should be “working on” putting her newborn down, or whether contact naps are something to lean into. I share my honest thoughts on early sleep, habit anxiety, and why meeting your baby’s needs isn’t creating problems, it’s parenting.

💭 The Biggest Lies We’re Sold as New Mums
I read through a brilliant thread on the propaganda many of us fell for; from drowsy-but-awake myths, to thinking baby sleep can be fixed, to realising just how unsupported mothers actually are. It’s validating, funny, and painfully true.

📈 What’s Trending: Analog Motherhood
Doing less. Trusting more. Stepping away from constant optimisation and back toward intuition.

🧹 Self-Care Suggestion:
Have a clear out — physically or mentally. Less stuff, less noise, less pressure.

Keep your emails coming: thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com

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The Quiet Shock of Early Motherhood, Feeling Lost & Not Ready to Go Back to Work Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to The Night Feed. I’m Charlotte, and tonight, I’m talking about the quiet shock of early motherhood. The part no one really prepares you for. The part where you love your baby deeply, but still feel disoriented, lost, or like a stranger in your own life.

I share honestly about how I’m doing (sleep has been all over the place), a film that stayed with me, and a brilliant trend I came across: baby-friendly comedy clubs for mums. Judgement-free spaces where feeding, crying, and chaos are expected, and laughter is just for us.

A listener writes in during a 3:14am feed about feeling like she’s disappeared since becoming a mum, grieving who she was before while loving her baby fiercely. I talk about why feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re broken. It usually means you’re becoming someone new.

Another mum shares the heartbreak of going back to work when her baby is just three months old: the grief of the bubble ending, the anger at short maternity leave, and the ache of stretching bedtime just to steal more closeness.

This episode is for anyone awake right now, feeling tender, unsure, and quietly overwhelmed.

You’re not alone.

Keep your emails coming to thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com

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Christmas With a Baby & The Mental Load of Baby Sleep Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to The Night Feed. I’m Charlotte, and this episode is a gentle, honest reflection on Christmas, motherhood, and the emotional weight that often sits quietly underneath it all, especially in the newborn stage.

This week, I’m talking about what Christmas can really look like when you’re a new mum. Not the picture-perfect version, but the one that happens at 2:47am, holding your baby in the glow of the tree lights, feeling exhausted and full of love all at once.

In this episode, I share:

🎄 Christmas With a Newborn
A beautiful listener message about spending the first Christmas night awake, feeding a baby while the house sleeps and how those moments, though small and quiet, can be unforgettable.

🤒 Being Ill as a Mum
How being unwell hits differently when you don’t get to rest, opt out, or recover properly because someone still needs you.

🧠 Mental Health & Missing Your Old Life
A deeply honest post from a new mum who managed a 3.5-minute shower before being needed again and the complicated grief of missing your child-free life while loving your baby more than anything. I reflect on holding two opposing truths at once, and why that doesn’t make you ungrateful it makes you human.

😴 When Baby Sleep Becomes Overwhelming
Why modern baby sleep can feel like a full-time mental load: wake windows, regressions, routines and how I’m learning to let structure be a guide, not a rulebook. A reminder that flexibility is not failure, and helping your baby more on hard days isn’t “backtracking.”

📱 What’s Trending: Social Media & Wellbeing
Thoughts on wellbeing apps, Instagram as a “mind killer,” and a raw rant on how postpartum vulnerability is often exploited by guilt-based parenting content. A reminder to protect your peace because every time you feel bad scrolling, someone else profits.

🛁 Self-Care Reminder
A gentle but important truth: a shower isn’t self-care it’s a basic need. You deserve more than survival mode.

Keep your emails coming to thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com.

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Loneliness in Motherhood, Sensory Overload & Why Temperament Matters More Than You Think Dec 04, 2025

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to The Night Feed! I’m Charlotte, and this week we’re talking about the parts of motherhood that no one really prepares you for; the loneliness, the noise, and the reminder that every baby truly is different.

It’s been a big week, my little one hit the 6-month milestone, and I’ve been reflecting on how much (and how fast) everything changes in this stage.

Tonight I'm talking loneliness, sensory overload and why tantrums are an important part of development. I'm also sharing a tip on why 20 minutes of quality time can make a huge difference for you and your little ones.

If you'd like to share your stories, tips or ask me anything email thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com.

Goodnight!

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12 Weeks of Maternity Leave Is Straight Up Cruel, Postpartum Recovery, Mum Guilt & Finding Balance Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

Hello and welcome back to the Night Feed. Tonight I'm discussing the emotional whiplash of going back to work postpartum and why 12 weeks of maternity leave is straight up cruel.

Plus an oh-so-relatable look at sleepless nights, frosty mornings, and the small joys of parenting in December.

As always if you enjoyed the episode, please remember to like/subscribe and leave a review.

If you have anything to share, drop me an email thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com.

Goodnight!

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To the Young Mothers Who Are So Very Tired Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to The Night Feed: your comforting corner of camaraderie and conversation for the long nights of new motherhood.
In this episode, I reflect on the post that inspired this week’s title: 'To the Young Mothers Who Are So Very Tired' and share listener letters that perfectly capture the beauty, frustration, and humour of early motherhood.

Quote of the Week:
“Radical acceptance isn’t giving up, it’s exhaling. It’s saying: this is hard, this is now, and it won’t be forever.”
Whether you’re weaning, leaking, rocking, or just trying to make it through the night, this episode is your reminder that you’re doing better than you think and you’re never alone in it.

Keep your emails coming in to thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com.

Goodnight!

Support the show

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenightfeed

An Unusual Baby Sleep Tip, A Full Moon Meltdown & Fireworks Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to The Night Feed, your cosy, honest companion for the sleepless hours of new motherhood.

This week’s unpaid sponsor: Fireworks.
Because nothing says “relax, the baby’s finally asleep” quite like a 45-minute pyrotechnic display - happy Bonfire Night fellow parents 🫠

In this episode, I dive into:

🌕 Full Moon Energy – Does the moon really mess with our moods and sleep? I break down the science and the feels; from studies on melatonin to why midwives swear by “busier nights.”

🦷 Teething Talk – From fridge-cold toys to amber necklaces, we explore what works, what doesn’t, and what’s actually safe.

💔 Losing Friends After Baby – A moving letter from listener Hannah in Bristol on how motherhood changed her friendships, and learning to find new, deeper connections.

🚗 Car Cheat Code – The unexpected sound that instantly calms a crying baby during car meltdowns (hint: it’s not The Happy Song).

👶 “I’m With the Boomers on This One” – A hilarious thread of mum opinions that might just restore your sanity:

Babies need socks.
Crying doesn’t equal trauma.
Not every toy has to be wooden and beige.
It’s okay if you fed your baby from a jar.

🎄 What’s Trending: Elf on the Shelf season is coming: brace yourselves.

🫶 Self-Care Reminder: Lower the bar, and call it self-care.
Sometimes the most nurturing thing you can do is let the laundry sit, eat toast for dinner, and stop trying to be the “old you.”

✨ Quote of the Week:
“When you stop chasing the version of you before motherhood, you finally meet the stronger, softer version you were meant to become.”

Keep your emails coming to thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com

Goodnight!

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How to potty train your baby: Elimination Communication with Mailee Dunn Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to The Night Feed, the podcast here to keep you new mums company through those long, sleepless nights.
This week I had a chat with the lovely Mailee Dunn in Western Australia. We spoke about Elimination Communication (toilet training from as young as newborn) and she shared her experience, advice and tips if this is something you're looking to try.
Here's the resources Mailee recommends in the episode:
"The Diaper-Free Baby" by Christine Gross-loh.
Facebook - Elimination communication support group.
Instagram - search Elimination Communication for lots of reels with tips
https://godiaperfree.com/elimination-communication/
YouTube 'elimination communication' for practical videos
Podcasts 'elimination communication' and choose from selection

Keep your emails coming in to thenightfeedpodcast@gmail.com

Have a restful night ahead, goodnight!

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