Hello and welcome back to the penultimate episode of Season 1 of WDIG? If you’ve been feeling foggy, exhausted, or like everything’s a little heavier than it should be, this episode is for you. Alison Campbell, founder of Unburnt, talks honestly about why working mums are especially at risk of burnout, how the expectations of an “always-on” culture quietly stack the pressure, and why none of this is your personal failure.

Alison shares her own wake-up story and explains why normalising constant overwhelm is exactly what keeps people stuck.

If you want practical, doable tools (not more toxic productivity pep talks), you’ll love the micro-habits Alison walks through in this episode.

This is a conversation about naming the load instead of carrying it alone. Permission to stop pushing through, to ask for help, and to carve out space for yourself. If you’re drowning in the idea that you must do it all, this episode gently reminds you: you’re not failing, you’re being let down by unsustainable expectations. It might not always feel this way, but you DO have choices and there ARE manageable ways to stay unburnt.

Want to go deeper? Alison’s work is at getunburnt.com and she shares practical tips on LinkedIn under Alison Campbell.

Now, take a breath, and let's get into it.

Just as you begin to reclaim your identity post-motherhood, sneaky symptoms like brain fog, hot flashes, and anxiety start knocking on your door. Is it hormone havoc, burnout, fatigue, or...perimenopause?

Join me for a candid chat with the lovely Emma Thomas, who's on a mission to unravel the mysteries of the messy middle of life for women everywhere. Emma, founder of The Triple Shift and host of the Middling Along podcast, has pivoted in her career to become a menopause educator, helping women regain control and clarity through the middle bit of life.

Why should you listen to this episode?

Because no one really prepares us for the hormonal rollercoaster that can hit just as we’re trying to get our footing back after having kids. This conversation will help you understand what’s going on in your body, what to look out for, and how to get the support you need. It’s practical, reassuring, and full of the kind of insight that helps you take your power back.

• www.thetripleshift.org
• www.managingthemenopause.com
• www.holdingupthesky.com
• www.middlingalong.com
• Or connect with Emma on Linkedin

TW: A quick note before we begin, this episode includes a conversation about suicide and maternal mental health, so if you're in a vulnerable place, please take good care of yourself while listening and take a look in the show notes for some links to places where you can get some support if and when you need it. This week, I’m talking to my old friend Rich Baish about something no family should ever have to go through: losing a new mum to postpartum psychosis.

Rich tragically lost his wife Alex to postpartum psychosis just a few weeks after their second daughter was born. In this conversation, he shares what happened, what the warning signs were and what he wishes he’d known at the time. We also talk about what it means to grieve while raising young children, how he’s rebuilt a life he never asked for, and why he’s now working to make sure other families don’t slip through the cracks.

Postpartum psychosis affects 1–2 in every 1,000 new mums. It can come on suddenly, even if there’s no history of mental illness, but it is treatable, if acted on fast enough.

This is a conversation about maternal mental health, yes, for sure, but it's also a conversation about fatherhood, about friendship, about resilience, and above all about love. It's absolutely heartbreaking, but it's also strangely hopeful because what Rich shows us is that even in the darkest of times, it is possible to keep going, to keep showing up, to hold space for what was, while also making space for what comes next.

If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is, please give it a listen. It might just save a life.

Resources and Support

If you or someone you love might be experiencing symptoms of postpartum psychosis, it is a medical emergency. Don’t wait. Go straight to A&E (UK) or the Emergency Room (US). The sooner help is given, the better the outcome.

UK Resources

• Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP): The UK’s only charity dedicated to supporting women and families affected by postpartum psychosis. Offers peer support, information, training for healthcare professionals, and bereavement services.
• NHS information on Postpartum Psychosis
• Samaritans – 116 123 (24/7) or chat online any time
• PANDAS Foundation – Support for postnatal depression and other perinatal mental health challenges

US Resources

• Postpartum Support International (PSI): Extensive resources including a helpline, online support groups, and provider directories.
• PSI Helpline
• 998 Lifeline: Call or text 988 for 24/7, confidential support