JCIP #198 - Kat May Romero

In episode 198 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked in with Kat May Romero. Kat is a freelance journalist and is involved in a campaign called 'Formula for Change' which is being led by The Metro, in partnership with charity Feed UK. They are all calling on the UK Government to urgently review their infant formula legislation and give retailers the green light to accept loyalty points, grocery vouchers provided by foodbanks and local authorities and store gift cards as payment for infant formula.This is an issue which doesn’t just affect mothers but also fathers too in how they support their partners and feed their babies themselves, especially if those fathers are the primary carer.In this episode we discuss Kat’s wider journalism journey, from working in celebrity journalism to now working freelance after she finished her maternity leave, work-life balance, class and the competitive nature of celebrity journalism.We then do a deep dive into the Formula for Change campaign and all of the issues it includes through a mental health lens. For Kat’s mental health, we discuss how the campaign was driven by her own mental health difficulties in trying to breastfeed her baby when he was born, post-natal depression and all of the stigmas associated with that for women in disclosing it publicly and even to friends and family. We also discuss how medication helped her depression as well as her experience of anxiety throughout her life. As always, #itsokaytoventYou can sign the Formula for Change petition here: https://www.change.org/p/allow-uk-families-to-buy-infant-formula-using-store-points-grocery-vouchers-gift-cards-formulaforchangeYou can follow Kat on social media below: Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatMayRomeroSupport Us:Patreon: www.patreon.com/venthelpukGoFundMe: www.gofundme.com/f/help-vent-supp…ir-mental-healthMerchandise: www.redbubble.com/people/VentUK/shopMusic: @patawawa - Strange: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d70wfeJSEvkSupport Us:PatreonPayPalMerchandise