Black Mums Upfront

From the chaos of group chats to the quiet moments of self-doubt that every mother knows, this episode of Black Mums Up Front is a full, unfiltered celebration of Black motherhood in all its complexity.Carina, Natalie, and Nana-Adwoa get real about marking Mother's Day on their own terms — prioritising self-care, community, and joy. They bust myths around Botox and ageing gracefully, swap hilarious stories about sibling rivalries and protective brothers, and navigate the very real challenges of teenage independence, bedtimes, and knowing when to let go.The conversation goes deeper too — co-parenting boundaries, communication with exes, keeping the spark alive in long-term relationships, and the importance of affirming yourself as a good mother, even when the doubt creeps in.Funny, heartfelt, and refreshingly honest — this one's for every Black mum who's ever done it all and still shown up.

After nearly two years (yes… two whole years 🙃), we’re finally back behind the mics.In this episode, the Black Mums Upfront ladies reunite for a proper catch-up...the kind you have when life has really lifed. We talk about where we’ve been, what we’ve been navigating, and how much has changed. From personal growth and shifting identities, to grief, loss, and the quiet strength motherhood demands when nobody’s clapping for you.It’s honest. It’s warm. It’s a little chaotic (because when are we ever not?). There are laughs, there are reflective moments, and there’s that familiar energy of friends who’ve seen each other through it all.If you’ve been stretched, strengthened, humbled, healed (and still expected to show up), this one will feel like home. 🤎

After a year long hiatus, the Black Mums Upfront ladies are back and ready to reclaim the mic. They unravel the reasons behind their break, offering an intimate glimpse into the personal journeys that fuelled their absence. A lot can happen in a year - Is Nana-Adwoa pregnant again? Has Natalie made her first million? And why is Carina homeless?All be revealed on this new episode of Black Mums Upfront.Hosts:⁠https://instagram.com/blackmumsupfront⁠⁠https://instagram.com/natsduv⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/_carinawh⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/nanaadwoambeutcha⁠

Postnatal Depression affects 1 in 10 women following the birth of their baby - So it was about time that the BMU ladies finally sat down to face the very normal problem that creeps up on so many of us... including our Lauren who shared her shocking experience of it. But to make sure we gave you the best advice possible, we were joined by the fabulous GP, Dr Katie Benhura, who shared information on the causes of PND, dealing with it, and seeing hope for the future.https://instagram.com/blackmumsupfronthttps://instagram.com/natsduv⁠⁠https://instagram.com/_carinawh⁠⁠https://instagram.com/nanaadwoambeutcha

Who's your Ride or Die? Are you Thelma or Louise? Do you have that one friend who just gets you and you would do anything for?? Or, are friendships fleeting and seasonal for you, but provide what you need for that given time? "New" friends, Natalie, Carina and Nana-Adwoa, are joined by Natalie's BFF, Endy, to discuss friendship and sisterhood. With differing opinions, will their friendship still be strong by the end of the podcast?Hostshttps://instagram.com/natsduvhttps://instagram.com/from_the_endzhttps://instagram.com/_carinawhhttps://instagram.com/nanaadwoambeutcha

Which BMU sister is saying no to playdates and sleepovers; Who has no interest is mixing with other school mums; And who has no problem with their child sitting on the lap of their ex's new partner? Natalie, Carina and Nana-Adwoa go head to head in the latest episode, realising that they really do have different parenting styles, perhaps because of the way they were parented themselves. And one of the girls surprises us all!

Trigger Warning. This episode we discuss the horrific case of :-Child Q, a fifteen year old girl who was unjustly stripped searched by Metropolitan police officers after teachers accused her of smelling of cannabis. Child Q – who was having her period at the time – was made to remove her clothing, underwear and a sanitary pad, spread her buttocks and cough. Child Q is Black. This week we delve into why Black girls are not afforded the same innocence as their white counterparts. Are schools doing enough? Should we be warning young girls about the police? And how can we protect our daughters? Join Carina, Natalie and Endy as we share our own experiences and ask what we can learn from this gross misconduct. 🚫⁠https://instagram.com/blackmumsupfront⁠https://instagram.com/natsduv⁠⁠https://instagram.com/from_the_endz⁠⁠https://instagram.com/_carinawh⁠

Did Will Smith honour his wife by slapping Comedian Chris Rock who made a distasteful joke about her? Or did Smith cross the line and display unhinged violence? It has divided the opinion of many but was there a deeper side to it? In a BMU first, Nana-Adwoa and husband, Donald, and Lauren and partner, Ryan, discuss the deeper side of committed relationships and one of the men owns up to doing the same thing for his woman once.⁠https://instagram.com/blackmumsupfront⁠⁠https://instagram.com/natsduv⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/_carinawh⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/nanaadwoambeutcha⁠

In 2021 in London alone, 30 young people tragically lost their lives to knife crime in the capital. One of those young people was 15yr old Tamim Ian Habimana who was stabbed and killed in July 2021.In this weeks’ emotional episode we sit down with his Mum, Hawa Haragakizam to find out how Tamim’s death has impacted her and her family, what us as Mums can do to help curb knife crime and why Tamim was more than just a news headline.⁠https://instagram.com/blackmumsupfront⁠⁠https://instagram.com/natsduv⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/_carinawh⁠⁠⁠⁠https://instagram.com/nanaadwoambeutcha⁠

Bullying affects one in four children in the UK. It almost seems inevitable that we will have to arm our kids with the tools to tackle it...But what if your child is the bully?! The BMU ladies sat down to reminisce about their own childhoods, which stirred up emotions that would have rather been forgotten, including the incident which almost left one in hospital.

Boys ll Men or Pretty Ricky? Bruno Mars or Cardi B? Or do you prefer SILENCE in the bedroom? The girls get intimate and lay it all out. Plus, new girl Lauren, exposes her relationship by bringing her man Ryan Lewis onto the podcast!Expect truth, expect 'sex' and expect a decision about whether or not women are to blame for the breakdown of modern relationships!

“Black people are disproportionately affected by climate change" - Some may say we're 'playing the race card', but could it actually be possible that racism means that the air our children breath is worst and the harvest back home in the Motherland is dying? With the help of Afua Adom, journalist and climate change 'geek', the BMU ladies learn a valuable lesson in white history, what it has done to our people in the global south and why, as a community, we need to wake up.

Picture the scene: You've just found out you're pregnant, you tell the father, he's not interested and so he leaves you in "peace"! Is your blood boiling yet?! This week's guest, award-winning entrepreneur Abdul Bangura, confesses to doing just that! But before you judge him, listen to his story. His honest, his heart and his humour will move you, when you hear of his dramatic u-turn as he raises his daughter singlehandedly following the death of her

In this heartfelt episode we get Upfront and candid with Dad of 4, Anton, as he recounts the day his son Teddy was diagnosed with Cancer at the tender age of 1. We discuss the highs and lows of their family's Cancer journey, chemotherapy & battling emotions as a man. Join us as we honour Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

This week we get upfront, down low and everywhere in between with UCL Consultant Midwife and global advisor to The Royal College of Midwives, Dr Yana Richens OBE. Dr Richens, or Yana, as she says we can call her, was the first midwife to be appointed with the prestigious Mary Seacole Fellowship by the Department of Health and has been recognised by the Queen for her tireless work not only delivering babies but improving the outcome of Black and minority mothers. This episode we ask Yana about the reality of life as a midwife, what we can expect from the NHS as Black mothers, and how we can advocate best for ourselves when we give birth. We talk everything from birthing partners to policy making to pooing yourself, in this open, eye-watering and essential pod. 💩🤱🏾

This episode we get upfront about the D word. Diversity. We all need some D in our lives, but how much is too much? And how much is too little? We’ve all been the only Black in the room at some point in our lives. But what about the only Black in the private school? The only Black in the corporate office? The rural Village? Are we gifting our children opportunities by being in predominately white spaces? Or gifting them therapy-worthy baggage? We reflect on our own eclectic experiences and ~argue~ debate about the pros and cons of being the Only Black. 

This episode we get upfront and personal with renowned podcaster, entrepreneur and single Dad, Tazer, from 3 Shots of Tequila. With Father’s Day fast approaching we decided to hear first hand from a very upfront dad, to understand better a man’s perspective on the reality of raising a daughter. How is parenting across gender, and what’s with the much talked about daddy-daughter dynamic? Tazer bares all, sharing his shocking ‘one night only’ crash journey into fatherhood (yes, it seems one shot is all it took) as we dive into the dos and don’ts of co parenting and unpack the way we were parented verses our parenting choices. Join us for some serious dad banter whilst picking up some gems of advice from this Black upfront Dad.

Between us, we’ve got it covered. But can separation ever be a good thing? Is successful co-parenting a myth? And how do you navigate a family breakup without having a family breakdown? This emotive episode sees us go head to head with each other as we hash out if the traditional family unit is always the optimum set up to raise a child. And what to do if, like some of us, that family unit comes crashing down. Upfront feelings of parental guilt, shame and despair will be shared. 🤯 This podcast is part of our pledge to the Parent Promise. We are so happy to sit alongside other organisations such as Relate, Frolo, National Children’s Day, Legacy Lifestyle, For Kid’s Sake and more, to form the Parents Promise Alliance

‘First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes infertility, hormones and IVF.’ Yup, it’s time to get upfront. Last week was National Infertility Awareness week and it is a good time to remember that one in six couples in the UK experience infertility. And yet we _still_ don’t really talk about. So, this episode we caught up with founder of Femelanin, upfront Black mum, Vanessa Haye, to talk about the reality of infertility and the effects it had on her mental health, her body and her marriage. Vanessa opens up about her challenging journey to motherhood which included years of ‘trying’, baby-loss, IVF and her beautiful miracle baby boy. Vanessa is passionate about sharing her story to help other Black women feel supported and informed. Vanessa is a fountain of information and inspiration, and we are thrilled to deliver this podcast to you. 🍳

Motherhood comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes it even comes whether we want it or not. This episode we are joined by guest Sabine Telesford who gets upfront about her unconventional journey to motherhood. Following a series of tragic events Sabine found herself thrust into parenthood as she became legal guardian of a young teen. We discuss the reality of going from Prosecco brunches with the girls to Parents Evenings with a boy. There’s tears, laughter and a whole heap of realness in this heartfelt episode

This episode we bolt over to Jamaica to chat with none other than the fastest woman in the world, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce! The ‘pocket-rocket’ powerhouse opens up about her childhood in Waterhouse, poverty and complex family dynamics. Shelly-Ann keeps us on our toes as we discuss everything from wigs to toxic masculinity to deal breakers in relationships. Pull up a chair, pour out the rum, and join the gold medal Olympian mother who is truly slaying in her (very fast) lane.This episode of the Black Mums Upfront podcast is brought to you in partnership with Nike and Black Mums Upfront.

‘Mummy, what happens when we die?’ are words we’re never dying to hear. Perhaps now more than ever death seems to be around us, and yet we still rarely talk about this one guarantee in life. Well we’re up for changing that. This week we get upfront with death, and talk loss, funerals and the afterlife. We open up about our own experiences of losing loved ones, discuss which culture has the best death rituals and sing our own funeral anthems. Whether death is something you celebrate, embrace or fear, join us as we explore the last taboo.

We get upfront and very personal this episode as we talk pleasure, pelvic floors and pee. ⁣⁣We are joined by vagina and vibrator guru, Zuleika Philips - a mother of two and owner of Pleasure Drum, a wellness company dedicated to pelvic strengthening solutions and pleasure products. ⁣⁣We open up (ahem) about orgasms, we let out (cough) our post baby incontinence insecurity and we share our secret sex toy tips. Is pleasure our right? Are we comfortable claiming it? And how can we ensure we are getting enough? ⁣⁣Maybe don’t listen in front of your grandma. Then again...⁣⁣

This episode we head to Dubai to catch up with (it’s not easy) motherhood’s front runner, British gold medalist and new mum of one, Bianca Williams. Bianca gets upfront about the realities of athlete life with a new born, raising a black son in London and learning to love her changing body. She also opens up about that fateful day she was stopped, searched and handcuffed by the police and why she is using her voice to speak out against racial profiling by the Metropolitan Police. This is one upfront Black mum who really is living life in the fast lane.This episode of the Black Mums Upfront podcast is brought to you in partnership with Nike and Black Mums Upfront."