In this episode, Laura shares her experience of becoming a mum to her daughter Billie, navigating an unexpected caesarean birth, feeding challenges, postpartum recovery and the transition to motherhood while running a business with her husband.
Laura is a Pilates instructor and co-founder of Wild Pilates, an online Pilates studio she runs alongside her husband Liam. Having spent years building their business and travelling together, Laura shares how she approached the decision to become a mother, and her initial concerns about how a baby would fit into their working lives.
Towards the end of pregnancy, concerns about Billie's growth led to increased monitoring and ultimately a caesarean birth at 37 weeks. Despite the unexpected change in plans, Laura describes her birth as a positive experience. She reflects on the emotional intensity of those first weeks and the physical realities of recovering from major abdominal surgery.
We also discuss Laura's feeding journey, which began with breastfeeding going well before Billie became increasingly unsettled and struggled with feeding. After several difficult weeks, Laura gradually transitioned to expressing breast milk and bottle feeding. She shares the emotional complexity of that transition, the challenges of pumping, and the relief of seeing Billie become more comfortable and gaining weight.
As a Pilates instructor, Laura was particularly interested in how her body would recover after birth. She shares her experience of gradually returning to movement, rebuilding her connection with her core muscles, and how her own postpartum recovery inspired the creation of Wild Pilates' new postnatal programme.
We also talk about combining motherhood with running a business, navigating the mental load of switching between work and caring for a baby, and the importance of support from partners, family and friends. Laura reflects on the joy she has found in motherhood, the challenges of wanting to be present for Billie while continuing to work, and how becoming a mother has given her a renewed sense of purpose in her career.
Throughout this conversation, Laura shares a positive but realistic perspective on postpartum, acknowledging that even within a largely positive experience, there can be incredibly challenging periods.