Yee-haw! PMSL in the USA. I shout about it but also consider the cost of memoir & talking about difficult subjects on some amazing podcasts recently


birth, babies, bodies, breastfeeding, books, depression, feminism, health, incontinence, patient, shame

Confession time. I never thought anyone would buy my book, and I certainly didn’t realise I would get the opportunity to tell my story all around the world. Today is a strange, beautiful and amazing day. PMSL starts her journey in America. Look, you can buy here here at Barnes&Noble who I’ve only heard about […]

1st September 2020

Home Coming


depression, family & parenting

In Belfast airport this evening, on the return leg of a work trip, I was confronted with my son’s first love. Sophie The Giraffe! There she was, a tiny statue version of herself, dancing on a music box in a tourist shop. A last minute gift for a busy parent like me to grab at; […]

28th November 2013

HAPPY?


depression, family & parenting

I sometimes think about when I die. @MindCharity and others fill my twitter with discussions of depression and suicide and other nasties in the name of raising awareness. I like these, they are usually messages of hope. And there have been a couple of terrible news stories lately; the worst, probably, a father coming home […]

28th May 2012

Mother Tongue: Only connect…


depression, family & parenting, words

This weekend I had a fleeting online chat with Michael Rosen , a massive hero of mine. We tweeted about the inner meanings of Roald Dahl’s The Twits. It was one of my proudest moments when he retweeted my undergraduate analysis (that The Twits is all Foucault innit, a parable on internal flaws exposed). Or […]

2nd April 2012

Not in the mood to be mental (milking it)


depression

I am travelling back from Edinburgh to London after a three days away for work. I don’t often blog on the go, so this is a new experience for me. Nevertheless I’m tired and grumpy and missing my boys. I’m totally in a snark, even though the trip in many ways feels like a success, […]

10th October 2011

Bad births


birth, babies, bodies, breastfeeding, depression

I know lots of pregnant women right now. I am so excited for all of them. Squealing, practically, for a couple. In that face-achey, find yourself smiling at nothing, can tell your eyes are sparkling, could well-up in a sympathetic hormonal fug for them way you do when someone, or several someones, who you love […]

16th August 2011

#sunglassesON


depression

The last couple of weeks have contained a few not so great days. Along with school stress as noted, I had Newborn sickly again and Spider-boy making it quite clear that he preferred Daddy. ‘Mummy?’ he asked, all innocent eyes. ‘Why does Daddy have to work so late. Why can’t you work late, not him?’ […]

19th April 2011