The Keith Cheggers Podcast

Direct from quarantine in Australia, Felicity Ward returns to the podcast to share her 8 ½ months experience as a mum with new parents Hannah and Carl. They all agree that women, single parents and breastfeeding are mind-blowing, and cover a wide range of topics from postnatal depression to pink noise, colic, breastfeeding troubles and how much they love hand-me-downs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Back to pregnancy. Yay! Irish comedian Julie Jay is 31 weeks pregnant so Hannah and Carl thought it was only right to share their expertise with her (even if she was expecting to talk to a man called Keith) This episode includes previously untouched pregnancy related topics such as Gestational Diabetes, potato salad sandwiches, handwritten birth plans and baby-parent matching outfits. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's Week 39, but it isn't really. Also known as the Fourth Trimester, Hannah and Carl are on the steep learning curve that is actually taking care of a newborn baby. In this episode they chat through the post-pregnancy topics that are governing their lives right now – mainly boobs, poo, farts and wee. And sleep. And crying. And all the TV shows they can't watch any more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Well. Week 38. There's been a full moon and plans in place for a “not a baby shower” Zoom party taking place across three time zones. Hannah hasn't completed her birth plan, thought about what she might wear to the hospital or how they will actually get there once her labour begins BUT it's too late, guys! Because this episode includes our birth story, and the very special guest is our baby girl, Twyla. It's happened. We've got a baby!! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's Week 37, and although sounding a little bit delirious, Hannah and Carl feel like they are ready for the ever nearing arrival of their baby. They've got a first aid kit, have been doing their own “studies”, Hannah's made attempts at colostrum harvesting and perennial massage, and their biggest, self-discovered tip this week is to buy yourself a doll. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's our Birth Partner Special! Carl takes the lead at the 36 week mark to chat to “Best Birth Partner Ever” – comedian Josh Howie. Father of 5 children, Josh compares the birth partner role to pit stops and shares his top tips for the birth room which include straws, massage oil, an old ipod and not blowing up the birth ball too soon if you bring your own… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Comedian Josie Long and her partner Jonny made a podcast a couple of years ago when they were expecting their baby – “Josie And Jonny Are Having A Baby (With You!)”. Recorded in the final weeks of Josie's pregnancy, she went in to labour the day after they finished at the studio. Now at 35 weeks, Hannah's not in labour yet and in this episode we chat with Josie about hypnobirthing, progesterone, night nurses and getting high on gas and air. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah and Carl have found themselves a new guru! It's week 34, the baby is getting ever closer and this wonderful conversation with “broody person” Viv Groskop has got them feeling fine. Over the years Viv has researched, interviewed and written extensively about pregnancy and birth, and graciously shares her wisdom in this episode - along with stories of her three labours (4 hours, 1 hour & 40 minutes), confusing birth with food poisoning and 42-week pregnancies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Now self-proclaimed childbirth and parenting experts* after this week's antenatal classes, Hannah and Carl cover their new understanding of the stages of labour, pain relief options, what baby bits they can put in the bin, and love using their new buzzwords - responsive parenting and secure attachment. *definitely still not experts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With a glass of 0% alcohol champagne, Hannah and Carl reflect on what they have learned throughout the 32 weeks of Hannah's pregnancy from the books they've been reading and the wisdom of podcast guests, how their ideas might have changed and how comparing the size of the growing baby to fruits and vegetables just doesn't work any more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Still working out life in lockdown, and 31 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl talk to Hatty Ashdown over Zoom. Now in the zone of really preparing for the baby, Hatty has loads of tips and recommendations, as well as plenty of breastfeeding chat, warnings about ruining your favourite songs by having them on your birth playlist and pregnant women being treated like public property. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's our first long distance lockdown episode! Guest Katie Mulgrew is in Manchester with her 4-week old baby, while Hannah & Carl are in London and 10 weeks away from the birth of theirs – it's a postnatal and prenatal pandemic extravaganza!! Big chats about induction, babies in welding masks, amazing midwives, the reality of everything getting cancelled and wondering how our babies might be affected by social distancing… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At Week 29 of Hannah's pregnancy, it's the 16th day of staying at home and the isolation has got Hannah feeling a bit sad. She's been reading a lot but would prefer to be daytime drinking (like so many of her non-pregnant compadres). It's not all bad though as she has been getting her boobs out in the sun, noticed how tiny her belly button is and been doing some major pram cleaning with Carl. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah and Carl have made it back to London and are now in lockdown! They talk through their exodus from Australia, how Coronavirus is already affecting their UK healthcare and baby plans, the 28-week scan they had prior to leaving Melbourne and the horrors of 3D ultrasound imaging. Oh, and nipple scouring. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah and Dana have been best friends since they were 12. Both actors, they have lived all sorts of parallel experiences but Dana's pregnancy couldn't be more different to Hannah's (besides potentially the apocalyptic vibe that Hannah may soon be faced with in lockdown!). From spooky stories involving a French woman and a snake when Dana discovered she was pregnant to car park cannulas, 5-hour drives to the nearest hospital and producing enough milk for 4 babies – strap in for this Week 27 episode set mostly in outback, remote Australia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

While in Melbourne and facing the realisation that the global pandemic might be changing their birth plans, 26-week pregnant Hannah and Carl caught up with new mum, Laura Dunemann. Laura's baby boy and birth story are only 6 weeks old – so the details are graphic (warning!) but very funny. As are her stories of finding a suitable grandfather name for her dad, what Granny has been hoarding in her shed and the stigma around being a pregnant bride. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At 25 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl have made it to Australia but Hannah has come down with a cold post-long-haul flight and coronavirus is just starting to become a buzzword/epidemic. Inspired and full of facts from the home birth info session she attended, they also manage to discuss baby clothes, placenta rituals and the realisation they've had no doctors' appointments. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest this week is a proper expert for all sorts of reasons… Monique Howie is a Child Psychotherapist and she also has the most children out of anyone we know (5. She has 5 kids). At 24 weeks pregnant, Hannah has had yet another scan and we talk to Monique about how different pregnancies and babies can be, aggressive shooshing techniques, baby name themes and how to be the most amazing birth partner. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sarah Niles is a brilliant British film, tv & stage actor and even though it's a few years since was pregnant, she still has plenty of advice for 23-week pregnant Hannah... mainly “do the pelvic floor exercises!” We also chat post-natal depression, the fact that having a caesarean is actually surgery and “push presents”. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With no one else to talk to this week, Hannah and Carl get into a bit of deep chat. Now 22 weeks into the pregnancy, they're still discovering that they don't know anything and discuss ideas about parenting from their own experiences and the sort of parents they think they'd like to be… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Now 21 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl are joined by comedian, and self-identifying “chav mum” Esther Manito for a very funny pregnancy chat. They cover Bob Marley birth playlists, pulling a whitey from gas and air, bad baby photos and Esther's story about the kitchen utensil her husband was holding throughout her labour. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our guest is Hannah's mum, Angela, who is in London to perform with Hannah at Soho Theatre. Now Hannah is 20 weeks pregnant it's gender reveal time (no videos or pink/blue confetti cannons involved) and they surprise Angela with the news on this episode, along with conversations about rainbow babies, being geriatric mothers and the need for nursing chairs with biscuit pockets. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A different IVF journey to 19-week pregnant Hannah and Carl, Sara shares her IVF experience and the anxieties she felt along the way. They also chat naked sleeping, co-sleeping, farting, how to try and be better than your parents and how not to raise a little c*nt! (Sara's number one parenting goal.) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the year of the rat, Hannah is 18 weeks pregnant and Carl has caught the looking at prams bug. They discuss night poos, naked sleeping, kissing while giving birth and what names the new parents and grandparents will be called… with some bonus pick up tips for creeps. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

At 17 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl have had a tour of the birth centre at the same hospital where Caroline Mabey had her baby. After sharing hilarious stories of quitting smoking, irrational rage and more, Caroline opens up about her prior experience of miscarriage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tania Edwards wants another baby, bad. Amongst warnings about home birth, pregnancy yoga and vegan formula, she attempts to lure 16-week pregnant Hannah and Carl into planning their second child. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's our first Dad! And his wife Pauline, and their toddler son, Ronnie… this episode definitely gives you a sense of what's to come in parenthood. Just 15 weeks pregnant, Hannah has been to the premature clinic and has a question for you – How long do you think your cervix is??? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's Christmas and they've barely left the house. Now 14 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl muse on this being their last childless Christmas, maternity jeans and trouser extenders (for men). And the question they're not getting asked a lot… do you know if it's a girl or a boy? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Out of the first trimester! Hannah is 13 weeks pregnant, Carl is hungover and Jess tells us about her underwhelming birth announcements, the struggle of trying to agree on a baby name with a partner who wants to name them after an anime character and massive crabs in Japan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

12-week pregnant Hannah introduces Carl to her musician friend, Nan – who opens up about the details of her birth story and how things went wrong… A gripping tale, but definitely not the experience she had wished for. We also talk self-employment, maternity fashion, telling your workmates and finding out you're pregnant after you've been partying. A lot. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

11 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl are both a bit obsessed. Baby obsessed. They're reading baby books, watching baby TV shows and reflecting on all of the baby things they've learned from their guest episodes. Balanced out with some thoughts about the financial flipside of it all - maternity pay and joint accounts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

10 weeks pregnant, Hannah and Carl visit Bryony at her home. They try to keep her four-year-old son distracted with “Despicable Me 3” but he joins in the podcast every now and then while they talk about IVF vaginal pessaries, thrush, lotus birthing, hypnobirthing, mucus plugs and kiwi fruits. Yeah, normal pregnancy stuff. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wendy has three kids – aged 17, 15 and 8 - Hannah is 9 weeks pregnant. They chat geriatric pregnancies, haptonomy (a French thing where you tap on the tummy and the baby moves – or something), trial by scar and loads more. Wendy is a font of pregnancy knowledge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hannah is 8 weeks pregnant, and tired. Felicity is 38 weeks, and MASSIVE. And Carl is present in a support role. Felicity shares how much she loves being pregnant, how you're supposed to sleep when you are and teaches us all about pregnancy pillow admin. Also the daily “honouring of her body” that has prevented stretch marks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

7 weeks pregnant and Hannah is already looking at prams, has read a book about childcare and is a bit worried about the slow heartbeat they've been told the baby has and Carl has a merchandise idea to help with IVF bum injections. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Introducing your hosts Hannah and Carl. Hannah is 6 weeks pregnant but she can't quite say the words “I'm pregnant” yet. They discuss why they're doing this podcast, the IVF that got them here and how important it is to wear socks in the weeks before you finally do the wee test. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are you pregnant? Have you freaked out about not knowing anything? Join Hannah Norris (pregnant) and her husband Carl Donnelly (comedian) as they figure out what is going on over the next nine months. Tracking the weekly progress of Hannah's pregnancy and chatting with other comedians and actors who are experts* (*have been pregnant**) (**are definitely not doctors) sharing their experiences, tips and stories. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.