Pinter & Martin

In Episode 60 of Sprogcast, Rebecca Brione explains the Holding It All Together research carried out last year by Birthrights and Birth Companions. Karen also chats with the Secret Midwife about her revelatory book.

We're calling this episode 'Homo in the birth room,' and we're very pleased to have an interview with the great Michel Odent (unfortunately on a rather patchy line). Karen is down with a cold, but Mark is upbeat enough for both of them.

Mark and Karen awake from post-festivities slumber to record the first episode of the 2020s, in which there are many and varied digressions, so it seems that nothing much has changed. Our interview this month is with pelvic health specialist Grainne Donnelly, and we discuss the latest news and gossip!

Our festive Q&A ranging from culture change to hedgehogs in audis.

We promised Helen Ball but delivered Amy Brown. With a full interview about her new book 'Informed is Best', as well as some feedback on episode 55, and comments about the recent issues of racism in midwifery.

This is one of those lovely episodes where Mark and Karen get along harmoniously throughout (at least in the final edit!). Highlights include the bit where BBC Journalist David Gregory Kumar describes Sprogcast as "surprisingly intellectually intense," and Karen apologising to Mark for cutting off his talk at the Northern Ireland Positive Birth Conference.

In Sprogcast 54, there are some small feminist moments and some big moments of feminism. We talk to Milli Hill about her new book, and explore some of our responses to it.

In Episode 53, Mark interviews AJ Silver about non-binary birth, we have the latest news from One To One Midwives, and we're still just about keeping it together in the summer holidays.

Episode 52 on models of midwifery care rises from the ashes of various hardware and software issues, to bring you an interview with midwife and researcher Phoebe Pallotti, expounding her idea for a co-operative model of midwifery. Mark and Karen disagree about summer holiday parenting. Leah Hazard tells us about her new book, great summer reading for wannabe-midwives.

In this episode of Sprogcast, Mark interviews Maureen Treadwell of the Birth Trauma Association, and Karen chats with author Emma Svanberg, whose new book Why Birth Trauma Matters is out now from Pinter & Martin.

In this episode we valiantly try to settle the difference of opinions with regard to gendered brains, by talking to Gina Rippon. Lively discussion and deep philosophy ensue... Sprogcast is sponsored by Pinter & Martin, publishers of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding books - www.pinterandmartin.com - enter sprogcast to get 10% off

Even though we mention breastfeeding in every episode, it's a while since we've dedicated a whole show to Karen's Favourite Subject - so here we are with Cecilia Tomori, Despatches, Tigers and more. Full show notes will be at patreon.com/sprogcast Sprogcast is sponsored by Pinter & Martin, publishers of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding books - www.pinterandmartin.com - enter sprogcast to get 10% off

Sprogcast 48 is about paternal mental health, featuring an interview with Dr Andrew Mayers and discussion of an article from Science Weekly. Louise Oliver also talks about her work on Diversity in Infant Feeding. Mark and Karen disagree on whether the brain is gendered at birth, but have reached out to author Gina Rippon to invite her to clear this up on a future episode. Mark tells us that his spirit animal is an armadillo.

Sprogcast - Episode 47 - Parenting (March 2019) by Pinter & Martin

Sprogcast 46 sets out to be about motherhood, and evolves to include discussion of language and culture, and an interview about running. Tune in to listen to Maddie McMahon talking about her book, and Sally Golightly on running 52.6 miles.

For episode 45, Mark and Karen invite listener questions, and end up trying to figure out how to change the world, one knitted uterus at a time.

In episode 44, we come back to post-birth PTSD with a story from Laura Wood. Mark and Karen have a good chat about lots of recent research, including a thorough analysis of One Born Every Minute. Karen over-uses the word 'fascinating'. Send us your questions for episode 45!

In Sprogcast 43, Mark and Karen compete for who has the most stereotypical household set up, and have crammed the episode with interviews: Lauren Parker explains doulas; Jo Robertson tells us what a birth photographer does; and Ellie Durant talks to Mark about writing her novel, New Walk.

In Sprogcast episode 42, Mark and Karen mark Baby Loss Awareness week, including interviews with author Mel Scott, and psychologist and agony aunt Petra Boynton, about their forthcoming books.

In Episode 41, Karen interviews midwife Rachel Reed about induction of labour, Mark has a revealing conversation with his daughter, and both discuss how much they like The Mentalist TV show.