Mum's The Word! The Parenting Podcast - CATHRYN WOOD: Adorable Animal Bakes, Life As A Mum & Fertility Struggles

Episode Date: July 20, 2025

In this heartfelt episode of Mum’s The Word, Kelsey Parker sits down with the talented Cathryn Wood - baker, mum, and now author of the adorable new cookbook Adorable Animal Bakes.Reminder that this episode was recorded in May 2025They dive into the inspiration behind her irresistibly cute creations, her journey into motherhood, and the personal fertility struggles that shaped her path.It’s a warm, honest, and inspiring chat about resilience, creativity, and finding joy - even when life gets tough.Grab a cuppa and settle in for a truly special conversation.A Create Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Mums the Word. I'm your host Kelsey Parker. Today I'm joined by the amazing Catherine Wood. She's a UK based food and lifestyle content creator who has been sharing her baking creations online for over 8 years. Known for her cute and creative bakes, she's released her debut cookbook, Adorable Animal Bakes, in 2025. Katherine shares her content and baking tutorials across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, inspiring others to bring a little joy and creativity into the kitchen. So grab a cuppa, get comfy and let's jump into a brand new episode of Mum's The Word. So, Katherine. Hello.

Hello. Thank you for joining us on the podcast. So how we like to start is I've done a whole intro on you. Right. You introduce yourself. This is the worst bit, isn't it? Because you're like, I need to then talk about myself. I think I do this every week as well going ah!

So I am a content creator, influencer, whatever the word is nowadays, and most recently an author of a recipe book. And I'm a mum to a nine and seven year old. What, and you've got two girls? Two girls, yeah, close together. There's like almost two and a half years between them, which is actually nice at the moment come back to me in the teenagers and I'll learn Let you know. Yeah, cuz two two Like a 13 and a 15 year old cuz it's gonna be

Or they could get along really well, you know share They are at the minute I never had sisters I've only got three brothers, but I think if you you are a sister, that's your main arguments of like... Sharing and clothing and stuff. Clothes. Yeah. Well, my sister's 10 years older, but I always used to steal her makeup and she would be fuming at me.

Like absolutely fuming because she'd buy me cheap makeup and be like, that's yours. That's yours. But I'd always go for her expensive stuff and she would be so mad at me for stealing it So yeah, who knows they might get along they do at the minute and the sweet and lovely About your children Will be further on down the punch of like right This is the truth about them. So you started baking when? Tell me how the baking journey or cooking journey, how did you get into being a influencer who cooks?

So with the baking thing, I've done it for as long as I can remember, like, you know, as a hobby, but the influencer thing was, my goodness, when my youngest was born, so 2018, and it was such a different world back then. Like we used to go on, we used to go on like brand events with Johnson's, things like that, where it would be like three days in a hotel and you do all these things. And it was wild because I wasn't like at that point, I didn't feel like I I was anybody and I would be invited to all these things. You were always somebody. No I know but you know when you're like is this real?

Yeah. It's a bit overwhelming isn't it and you're like is this real? Well I think even for me my partner is like nothing to do with the industry or anything and he is mind-blown vital. Yeah. He's like, what, so you're getting this or you're going there and I'm like, yeah. But obviously I'm just used to it now. You didn't get used to it. But to begin with, you're like, is this right? What is this world?

Yeah, it was really, and like, because I'm from a small town, like if I was in London or things, you know, where it's more fast paced and things like that, but I'm from a little seaside town. Like nothing happens in a seaside town. Do they recognize you in the seaside town? Are you a bit of a big deal? I don't think so but my husband will go they've just recognized you and I'm like no they haven't shut up like no they haven't. They follow you. And he's like they do they follow you and then we had it

whereas someone messaged me she was like I saw you in the shop. And I was like, oh, this is really embarrassing. Oh, that's so cute though. Yeah. So even as a kid, you were always interested in baking. Yeah. It's always been your passion. Yeah, I did it with my mum. It was like every Sunday we would do that.

And it's just like- What was your favorite thing to bake? Anything with biscuits. Cause I can do biscuits, cookies, anything like that. I can do really easily. C anything like that, I can do really easily. Cakes, I like, but it's a pain to decorate sometimes, aren't they? Yeah. It's a little bit like...

I mean, I'm going to look like I actually do it with bacon. I like cooking, like... I love cooking as well. Yeah. Yeah. I'm more of a... But cooking, I don't measure. ...a cooker. Do you just chuck it in? Like...

Do you know what? It's so funny. On on Sunday one of my dance mums said to me because I've been posting more of my food content on Insta because I just think it's nice for mums to see that sometimes you are just throwing a meal yeah and she was like do you follow a recipe if you just got a natural flair natural flair I have got a natural flair because I don't really follow no but I do do love TikTok. I love TikTok for food stuff. And like air fryer hacks. Yeah, and anything that you're like, like the marry me chicken.

Have you had that? No. Right, that's your homework. You need to go and do that because that was TikTok. Everyone was going on about it. And you know when you're like, yeah, but is it that nice? Is it really good? Yeah.

But I'm like, I don't measure anything. So with baking, I am like precise. I will do it. You have to be though. You have to be. You have to be. Whereas we're cooking, I'm like, yeah, let's just chuck this in, chuck that in.

And like most of the time it works. Could you do bake-off? I'm not allowed. I did, I applied. I applied. Oh my God. My youngest was two and I applied and I got free to a phone call

But I couldn't do it because we had no childcare. I know I know Because my husband's a teacher so he couldn't like take time off to be their childcare So I had to say no. Sorry, but you can get a supply teacher because my partner's just going into bake-off Sorry, it's just bake-off. Bake-off is a long time, isn't it? It's a long commitment. Yeah, I think it's like eight, 10 weeks. Yeah. And then, yeah, so I had to say no. But you couldn't do it now.

But I can do it now because I've got the book, so. You're, you're, you're. I'm professional. Yes. A professional. Yeah. Do you feel like you're a professional? No.

I still don't feel like my book is real, like how? We're gonna talk about the book later on. So this journey, so you started baking and then you had your children. Yeah. And you shared your love of baking. So to begin with I shared like mum life because I was 22. Was I 22? Yeah. 22 when I had my eldest and like none of my friends had babies Because everyone else was like just finishing uni and like, you know party in and going out in the world 22 now is quite a young age to have a child I think it is but you're not really a young mum, but you're not really like you are a young mum, aren't you?

Yeah, cuz like my cousin's 23 and I could not imagine her having a child. No It's weird. But then at the time it was was like, I felt ready to have a baby. Yeah. So because there wasn't like, I didn't have loads of friends that had babies. I only had like one friend and that was it, who, you know, knew mum life. So I started sharing on Instagram of like, you know, just little bits. And then you start making friends in random places, don't you?

And you're like sharing bits of your life. And that's sort of how it all literally just fell into the whole world of what I do from the girls. And then after maternity leave, I didn't go back because I couldn't work the hours they wanted me to work. Where were you working? I was only a new look being a supervisor, but like. I love a new look. I know, the discount 50% off it used to be. 50% a new look?

Kylie's going get me a new look. I used to spend my wages on there. New look is actually my go-to. Even like. The jeans, I don't think there's, I love their jeans. Yeah their jeans and also I love that this now has turned into a new look promo. This is not a paid post, by the way. This is not a paid ad. I had all my wedding shoes were from New Look. So I think I was rocking up to this amazing dress store that I was getting my wedding dress designed at. Obviously, they're used to women bringing in

their Jimmy shoes, whatever. And then there's me with my New Look, 15 pound shoes, but they were so comfy. I know. So if you're looking for some shoes, you can get me a pair. Which is promo for them, it's fine. But yeah, I couldn't go back to the hours I wanted to do. So I was like, right, let's go for it then.

Were you scared? Yes, yeah, because like my husband was, would literally just qualified as a teacher. So his wages weren't really enough to live on exactly. But we kind of were like, yeah, let's try it. And I think you if you want something badly, you'll make it happen. And we were like, this is the perfect opportunity to do it because you've got nothing else. So if it doesn't work, then in a few months time, we'll think of something else.

And then everything else sort of just fell into place after. Like everything that has happened has been through taking the chance and just going for it, I guess. Well, I always talk about feel the fear and do it anyway. I think however scared you are, sometimes you just got to do it. Yeah. Because really what you're saying like, what else was going to do? You had a baby at home,

I'll just make a few videos, post them online and see how they go down. Yeah. See how they're received by people. Yeah. And they were received. Yeah. Very well. Yeah and then it just grew from there and then a couple of years ago was when everything sort of went a little bit, when reels and stuff came in and then you could then suddenly reach like millions of people rather than just reaching, you know, and then it was like, Whoa, this is a little bit of a wild, wild place. But you love, do you love rules? I think rules have been amazing.

I think they have been an actual game changer. Yeah, because you can reach more people. And I like watching them and I like making them as well. Yeah, I like making rules and TikToks. And I just think TikTok's just like another mad place, isn't it? Yes, oh yes. You get down the TikTok rabbit hole

and you're there for a long time. I'm gonna go to bed at this time and then you're like, scroll, scroll, scroll. And then it's like, okay, now it's two hours later. So at the moment, we were talking before this pod, the girls don't actually like getting involved really now with the... No, so as they sort of grew up, they were like, nah.

What are they interested in? What's their passion? Singing, dancing, anything this, like musicals, anything like that they love. Cause we live right by the beach. Anything to do with going to the beach. Like they love, we could live there. They love it.

Yeah, on the beach. All weathers. Yeah, they love it. They really do. And yeah, they're just into, and crafts, so many crafts. They love it, they really do. And yeah, they're just into, and crafts, so many crafts. They love it. My house doesn't love it. No, I had someone over the other week and I was like,

but I just, I can't deal with the crafting. And with mine, it's like they do two minutes of that activity, then they're onto the next, then onto the next, then onto the next. See, they're not as bad. Mine are obviously younger. That's what I was about to say, I think because they're older.

But then you have like, can I been this piece of paper? No, cuz that's someone say okay. Can I been this piece of paper? I was nice from school I know and what you meant to do with it. I'll bin it when I go to bed. I put it in the bin Yeah, we used to do we used to put it in the shed and that was like she's gonna put in storage and they would be like Okay, yeah, and then let's go out when you're 25 and show you. Do they ever ask for it? Get you made a pirate hat when you were four. No because one day. That's why I've been last night. I've been to pirate hats last night that were made from pirate week last week. They lasted a week on the table. That's good. And also they put them on the table and they

just look at them. Yeah. They don't even you know if he was wearing it and doing whatever I'd be like, we'll keep it. No, I once had, I think it was Edith, she brought home- People would be writing in going, Kelsey is so mean. You're so mean. She brought home a box, right, and it was a cat food box. And I was like, oh, what have you made?

Like, pretending, you know, like you do, like, oh, this is so lovely. And she's like, it's a cat food box. And I was like, you've just brought it home because it's a cat food box and I was like you've just brought it home because there's a cat food box you say yeah I think ah so we've just literally got someone's rubbish mine like to do take stuff in for other children oh yeah and I'm like they don't want your crap at their house well apparently they do okay but then where do you say no you can't I'm like actually embarrassed actually embarrassed. Cause I'm like, so Rainier is the worst.

And last week they were actually wrapping presents to take him for their friends. No. And Bodie's like actually wrapping like his Spiderman toys that he actually loves. I'm like, well, so you're gonna go and take them to school and give your best toy to a friend. That's really nice.

But you were gonna be so upset in four days time when you go where is it? like unbelievable but I look kids are just fascinated aren't they? they are absolutely no but they love they do love like anything like that so it is just putting up with the mess but I do try I do try and embrace mess to be fair as much as it gets to me like, ah! Do you feel like on your Instagram that you have to portray a certain,

like it all has to look clean and tidy? I often, not worry, use worry loosely, but I think do people- There's anxiety. I'm so worried, no, but I feel like, are people gonna look, because I do take really lovely photos of food and like even like day to day life

And then people are gonna be like is that like this magical perfect life? But then we all know that nobody's got the most like doesn't exist does it? Why are you saying Instagram is real? Yeah, like it's not real at all and I do think like are people gonna be like everything is so perfect and whatever But like so then you feel like you have to be a little bit real And I do think like our people are gonna be like everything's so perfect and whatever but like So then you feel like you have to be a little bit real Sometimes just to remind people that you know It's not all lovely pictures of the beach and

People's houses and you're like does anyone actually live in that house? Yeah, your house is not lived in no and like we all do it Don't we where you're like I'm gonna take a picture from this angle and then behind you is like washing that needs to go away and you know, the kitchen has. Yeah, I was picturing a burger last night and I was like, well, move that off the back, move that. Like, so it just didn't look as. Just to get this nice, yeah. But it is what it is as well. Like, I think being a mum and looking after kids

and running a house, like I don't know how people have like perfect houses. Like what I'm saying, even during the crafting, it lasts two minutes and they run to the next. Mine love making camps. They set up camp in one room, they run to the next room, set another camp up. Yeah. But then, like, I don't want people to ever think that that's real, real. Do you know what I mean? Because I'd hate to make someone feel bad, because they'd be like, oh, that's so perfect. And I'm like, no, it's not, you know know we have bad days and things go wrong as much as it

does anybody else. But I do think surely people now on social media know that you're literally seeing a glimpse into someone's life. A curated glimpse into someone's life because it's not you know what 1% of their day probably? It's not their whole life, is it? It is 1% of the day. So can you share, now we're going back to actually cooking, because I am so bad at steering people off. This is where we've talked about everything else. Yeah, everything else but your book. Can you share some of your favourite family baking memories or experiences that have influenced you to create your book?

So like I said, every Sunday me and my mum would bake. So my dad was disabled and he had MS and he was diagnosed when I was seven. And I think that the baking on a Sunday was like a thing that me and my mum could do just us some time together because I've got three other siblings as well and I was the youngest so I think that was like a you know time together and I think that's probably where like my love of it comes from just having that time and then everyone else getting to eat the food and enjoying it and you're like wow being like it like the praise after yeah

Because you do you know you what if someone eats something you want like tell me give me a review of how good that was And then yes, we think it comes from there and then like I used to make my own little recipe books like when I was little Yeah, I was like this is where my girls get it from and because when I was little, yeah, I was like, this is where my girls get it from. And then it would just come from that. But the actual process of the book happening was one of the weirdest things ever.

So I had a reel go viral. It wasn't even- What are we talking viral? Talk to me numbers. I think it was 2 million It was a jam jar With some dried flowers stuck on it right and I didn't even Is like it makes a really pretty like little garden London thing and I was like I'm not gonna post it because that's ridiculous

Like everyone knows that if you wanted to make this you could just put some flowers on the jar like yeah I was really like Should I should I I pasted it and it went mad. And I was like, okay. And then into my email come a, this email from the publisher saying, oh, we've seen your viral reel. Do you want to buy a book? And I was like. So you got the right email address here. Yeah, because it was very like, okay. Do you know what I mean? Like if you've got an email to say, do you want to write a book just out of the blue?

You'd be a little bit like, okay. Like. I would be questioning me like, is this real? Yeah. And I'd be going to management being like, are they having a laugh? Is someone having a laugh with me? Well this is what I did.

So then management like was dealing with it and we're like, yeah, this is real. So then we had this meeting and they're an American publisher. So we then had to like make sure the times all worked out and everything. And they were like, yeah, you could do a recipe book if you want.

And I was like, yes, yes, please. So it literally fell because like right time, right place. They saw that video and were like yeah but I do believe in the law of retraction and the power of the universe are you begin to manifest in and all that yeah massive and like I'm very spiritual and I was actually having conversation before actually we'll continue to this podcast just about negativity and positivity yeah difference of it and I think if you are positive things do come to you and they do happen and I made so did you manifest

a well this is about to say I made a vision board in May 2023 because I'd been listening to Roxy Nafisi and all our stuff and I was like, I'm gonna make this vision board and I've never done it before and then everything on that vision board was like tick box, ticked off. I put on there, write a recipe, I put on there like write a book and then about two months later the email comes in and that even our house because we were renting our house and we wanted to buy it off our landlord and he said no. We were like, okay, fair enough.

So we looked at some other houses, but you know when you're like... Didn't have the feel. Nothing feels right. So two weeks, again, a few weeks later, he was like, I know I've changed my mind. You can have the house if you want it. And then we brought the house off him and that was on my... You know when you're like tick box, everything just come free we brought the house off him and that was on my like you know as you like tick box everything you just can't believe it's happening to you yeah it is the law of retraction

yeah and positive like you said positive thinking and all that kind of thing which if you think about like obviously there's a lot of science behind it which I understand none of but if you think about it if you're looking for good you're gonna see good aren't you whereas if you're looking for negative well you could wake up every morning and be like oh this has happened I look like that oh yeah moaning moaning moaning like you have to be positive and like obviously my husband got sick and when I would try to fill him with positivity it's really weird because I run a performing arts school and I started when I was, when did I open the school?

2021? Me and Kelsey opened the school but we used to go around the country and we used to do workshops for teenage girls but it was meant to be like dance classes. In the end it turned into this whole what you give out in life is what you get back if you're positive like if you you wanna go for a job, you need to walk into a job and give eye contact and this, this, this. And then I then did that

and then it moved on to being a dance school. But I do retreats now and do like circles and hold space for women. And I was like, I was doing this when I was 21 but I didn't even realize that I was actually doing it. It is the power of the universe. And I think that even with me going through grief and whatever, people can't believe, I always get asked like, oh, how are you okay? But it's that positivity, like getting you through it. And that's what I mean. You've put that,

I want to do a recipe book. People listen to this to this manifest get your mission balls out because it can happen and obviously you've got to put in some groundwork to do it you can't just think oh I'm just gonna do this and it's all gonna come to me and also I think you have to be realistic about your goals like you know putting a recipe book down but you've never but you've never yeah even baked before I was making the videos in the first place. Like I was doing this. I was doing the steps that could then take it

to be something else. Yeah, you have to have the steps in place first. But it's definitely like, I'm fully here for manifesting, absolutely. And Tom was a massive manifesto. He said he used to stand in the mirror every day and picture himself in front of crowds of people and audience.

And I just be like, did you, he's like, yeah, Kels, no, I used to just sit with my guitar and I'd be singing, but in my head, I'm imagining crowds and crowds. No, I've heard that before. And he's literally a boy, he was a boy, from Bolton, like you're saying, like a small town like Bolton. you're saying that small town Bolton

actually I think it's actually one of the biggest towns in the UK but sorry to the people of Bolton no no have any training rocked up to this audition and got into like one of the biggest bands in the UK yeah because he had the belief that he could do that and like you see if you see it and I've heard that about like sports people when they win medals and stuff. They visualize winning the medal before they do it. So then they know that feeling. He did the jump. Remember the game show where they used that chef to do the ski and everyone put money on Tom winning it. Like he was amazing. But Ben Ben Cohen the rugby player went against him in the fight it was

the final three Ben sportsman he must have manifested the mindset that he had he threw himself down that jump he landed it and he won the show yeah but I said to Tom I was like that is the power of the mind and the sportsman in him is like right I'm doing this. And doing it and then they do don't they yeah. There it is. See this is what I'm saying to you. We've got distracted. I'm very sorry. So tell me more about the book like what can we get from the book. So it is 60 recipes they're all cute little animals and it's to inspire it's mainly like for families to bake so with your kids but they are recipes that anybody can do like my sister is the very opposite to me she does not bake she does not cook she does not do any of that and I run my recipes by my sister test I'm doing a as a sister test. If she could bake it, then anybody can bake it. I'm really

sorry to my sister. Just embarrassing her. Sorry. But no, I feel like if she could do it, then it means that anybody can do it. Can we actually get her over and go, right, there's the recipe, follow it. She wouldn't be interested. She doesn't like baking or anything like that at all in the slightest. No, she's complete opposite. But I feel like if she can do it. Anyone can. Then anyone can do it. So there's lots of recipes and like little hacks where,

so like one of them is a frog cake and you make like a normal round cake and then you chop it in half and turn it on its side and then give it little eyes and stuff like where you can, you can hack it to make it. I do feel like people have lost it. I mean, this is coming from me that I do have an amazing

lady who makes my kids birthday cakes. But you know, like that whole baking and you doing it yourself. I think Molly Mae, Molly Mae baked a Bambi, a cake. And it's like, I think it's coming back, isn't it? It is coming back. My nan is the ultimate and the best at baking.

Like, but she's old school yeah she would never even dream of popping to the shop to go and buy a cake when she could make one at home like my nun's cookies yeah at birthdays even now so within our family like obviously I'm 35 you've got my younger cousins and brothers that are in their 20s and then obviously my kids we all argue over my nuns cookies That's how you know, they like how many how many? Why are we not make more I wanted to take some for lunch tomorrow? But my kids because I've always made their cakes. They want a shop for a cake

Of course they do. They want they're like can we have one? Yeah, I know but my mum said she was the same when she was growing up because she always had homemade ones when anyone had like a shop Cake, it was like Luxury, it doesn't hit. It's not the same No, so they're like, oh maybe this year I could have a cake and I'm like really like I can make you I can make you What I think you want on Instagram and they're like, yeah, I just have a normal one. Okay We all need to go back to the old school way of everything. I also think there's like a little bit of love in it isn't there like even if it is a bit rubbish even if you know it doesn't come out picture

perfect like it doesn't matter they're gonna love it anyway aren't they? Yeah and it's just that effort isn't it? Yeah. But people now we haven't got the time we all live on like the craziest busy schedules but you know with my nan she had more time didn't she? Yeah when someone could be at home to do that like yeah I get it but that's what this like all the cakes and stuff that are in there you can do even if you're short on time and like they are easy. Yes. Because that's what we need, don't we? So even if you feel like you're listening to this and you are the worst baker or chef in the world, get the book and you'll be able to do it.

Yes, like I seriously believe that you can do it. A message, a message, a message, Catherine, if not, and go, you're a liar. This is so hard. Have angry DMs and be scared to open my inbox. She went on that podcast with Kelsey. Do you have an insatiable fascination with the paranormal? Are you ready to dive headfirst into the eerie realms of the unexplained?

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to join me? Listen to Paranormal Activity with me, Yvette Fielding, wherever you get your podcasts from. Right. Let's talk about fertility and your fertility journey. Yes. Before I had my eldest, we had two miscarriages. One was a partial molar pregnancy, which I'd never heard of. I've never heard of that. Tell me what is... So from what I can remember, it's like a baby is growing and then I think they, they stop growing and then I don't really understand but then something takes over So your body still thinks it's pregnant

so you'll be Like producing the hormones so I didn't find out until my 12-week scan expecting everything to be okay And then obviously going in and being told oh, no, it's not okay So the baby stopped growing stops growing it eight weeks, but your hormones and everything else carry on. So we had, that was 2013. So then in 2014. And also going back to that, it's so hard because that is something

that's out of your hands and out of your control. And I'm a control freak as well, like a perfectionist. So anything that I can't control is like. You're like, why has this happened to me because I can't control this. And being my first ever pregnancy, that was like, well, am I actually going to be able to have children? Like, is this, you know, am I not lucky enough to be able to have children at all? Or, you know, what's going on with my body? And because you obviously you think until you're trying for a baby you think getting

pregnant is like ah got pregnant but it doesn't work like that does it although it did for my second so yeah a year later we then had another miscarriage but that was like normal quote unquote you know just one of those things and then the year after we conceived Edith and everything straightforward perfect healthy pregnancy and then Edith you're that first. Yep, and So you you guys were trying early on? Yeah, we were young. Yeah. Yeah, you only need to be the team We made it I think we were 20 when we moved in together So yeah, literally from the minute we moved in and you just know yeah, you just always wanted to be a mom Yeah, I just think like, I don't know, it just felt right. Some people do just want to be mums. Yeah.

Like when I met Tom I was like, we're having a baby by the age of like 23. Yeah. And when I got to 24 I was like, I can't have a baby yet. Maybe 25. And then I still wasn't even engaged. I'm like, come on, get a move on. Yeah, no, I don't know. It's just weird. Not that you even have to do it that way, guys. You don't have to be engaged and whatever else you do. What's right for you? So it would have been like 18 months. And then I was pregnant with Nora and that was, we weren't trying.

We were one of those annoying people of like, we weren't even trying and it just happened. And you're like, yay. And obviously that was then straightforward. I mean, both of them were big babies Well big ish how big are we talking? So when people like I've got a bit I've had a big baby. I speak to a mum at the class assembly today and she was the op all my big I was like they're not big babies. No, see, I don't think they're big babies So I was ten pound when I was born and my brother was ten and a half which that to me is a big baby

Right. So Edith was eight which that to me is a big baby, right? So Edith was eight. No, you should say that eight. Eight is not a big baby. No, I know. I think she was eight, seven, and then Nora was a half an ounce off nine pound. And I don't think they're particularly big,

but everyone was like, oh, they're such big babies. I'm like, they're really not. 10. I think 10. 10 plus counts as big in my head. Of course you can 10 pound her out. But then that's because the average is like six pounds. And that was the only like complication

with their pregnancies was the fact that they were measuring big. And I was like, it's like, I'm a big baby. We're from a whole family. I just think we're so obsessed with size. With size. Yes. And also I think it's down to the movement of the baby.

Here we go, we stood her off again. But like Aurelia sat there she didn't crawl she did not move and then all of a sudden she stood up and walked yeah there was no crawling activity she just sat there which i was grateful for because we were in lockdown yeah i was happy that she didn't crawl it was like oh my god again manifestation and then she got up and she walked so she was never gonna be slight no she Didn't move she wasn't actually burning I was eating because she was like she could tell you what she wanted like she could talk from really young so she could Tell you what she wanted that was why why is she gonna move because she's like I want that

Yeah, whereas my youngest she got up Yeah, whereas my youngest she got up she crawled at four months and walked at ten months because she was like, nah, I'm not about this baby life. Bode crawled from like that like five months and then didn't walk and then on his first birthday, I mean, this is so typical of my kids and Tom's kids. He got up at his first birthday and just started walking around birthday party in front of like his northern family had come down everyone was there he's like he just waited for the right opportunity yeah he's like now i'm going to show you what i've got guys everyone look at me that's hilarious they are funny funny little people i know i just love them so much so we then decided this was 2020 we decided that we would try for a third baby.

I'm from a family of four, my husband's from a family, like four kids, obviously, and my husband's from a family of seven kids. Whoa! So we're both used to- That's why he wanted the babies, cause he's like been around. We're used to a bigger family,

like both of us are used to a bigger family. So we thought because like Nora was pretty much instant, you know, this would be instant, it would happen and it didn't. And we were like, okay, maybe it's going to take a little while because Edith, I think she took about four or five months. So we were like, okay, maybe it's just going to take a little while. And then it got to April. So we started in the summer of 2020, got to April of 2021, nothing was happening. And I was a lot bigger then and I thought,

I'm gonna lose some weight because I'm gonna get back to like finding fitness and you know, being myself again, especially because Nora just started nursery. So this was like a time for me to be me again. So we sort of paused for a little bit just because nothing was happening and we were like, you know, okay, all right, we'll leave it for a little bit. And then we started trying again, nothing. And because we had got the two girls, the doctors were like, meh, okay.

They can't help you. They can't help. Like, so we eventually went to the doctors about something else and there it was a nurse actually and she was like oh I see you that you've been trying like why don't I see if we can get some advice for you rather than like you actually get an appointment maybe we can just get some advice you know if something that you could try or do, what tests that we could run. But that ended up turning into me being sent to the hospital. So I was like, okay, we'll go for it. That was then, I can't remember how long we waited, it was a long

wait, obviously, as it always is. And we had every single test ran for both of us. Everything's fine. There is not a single thing wrong. And at that point, you're almost like, I would like there to be something. Something. That you could blame it on. Or, you know, like if there was something in my blood test that said, you just need to take more of this,

or you take this thing and try, there was nothing. Everything was perfect. Like, there was no bad things there at all. So we were like, okay, what should we do? So we carried on trying. We tried Clomid as well. We were given that nothing. What's that? So that's, it's to boost, it's to boost ovulation. Oh, okay.

So you take it from like day two, I think of your cycle and it boosts ovulation and it basically makes you feel like... Was you tracking your ovulation as well? Yeah, yeah everything like anything that you could do. You were doing it. We had looked at and googled and done and like it then got to the point where it felt so consuming because why? Why now?

Like why can we have two kids and then for there to be nothing wrong but then not to get pregnant? Like what's going on? We even thought like maybe we were doing the wrong times and stuff but once you track cycles... Wrong positions... Do you know what I mean? Like what are we meant to do? And also I think then as well when when you're so like, like down that rabbit hole, it then takes the passion away from anything because it's like, come on, we've got to do the deed. It just got to the point where it felt like,

not that our life was on hold, but you almost didn't want to go- Confumed by it. You didn't want to book a holiday just in case in nine months time, you'd be pregnant. Do you know what I mean? It just got, and I'm not one of those people that like that but it came overwhelming like it really did and that is actually when I found like manifested and stuff because I

needed to be pulled out of that hole because it's it's depressing and it's lonely and it just felt like everyone around you was getting pregnant but you weren't like for no reason that's sort of like the law of attraction in a weird way to you. Yeah, yeah, no, I know. So we then decided, I think it was the start of, it was the start of this year, the end of last year, we were like, we're going to shelve it for now because we, like, it's not happening. We just want to enjoy ourselves again and enjoy life.

And do you know what I mean? Rather than having to keep... There keep too much pressure on you. Yeah. Rather than keep going. And also like, although our girls are older, they still need us. Like, would that be too much on them to bring another baby in? Not that it's a bad thing, but do you know what I mean? Like, you just don't know how they're going to react to it. And because we think our youngest, we're waiting for a diagnosis on her for autism as well. Is that going to upset her because she's very noise sensitive and babies are not very quiet things,

are they? So at the minute we are on hold. We're not saying it's never ever going to happen. We're not saying it's never ever gonna happen. You know, like we're not giving up forever, but right now we have stopped. And most of the time when people have like stories like this, there's always a happy ending and they're like, oh, and then we just went on holiday and got pregnant. And like, there's a, like, oh, it all ends happily. But I've spoken to people where they've done the same thing

like through Instagram and stuff, where people have shared their like journeys with it And they've said sometimes that is the happy ending like sometimes You do have to And I just think oh this is my advice now oh my god But like what you were saying like we're so lucky like our girls are wonderful like I love them I mean you started this podcast with how wonderful your girls are So they're full of you told us they are full of like they're so sarcastic and they're so

Like cheeky but then they're clever because they know like at school they're perfect little angels because they know how to play the game and At home, they are not perfect little angels They are sarcastic and hilarious because they know they can be and I just think we're so lucky that we've got them like they are enough like absolutely enough we are now at that point where if it does happen it happens like I'm 32 there's still time like I'm not I mean like I don't have to decide my whole life right now. Do I say if it's going to happen it can it just be crazy. If you had like a 15 like the girls are 15.

This is a thing though. And at the age of 13 and then you went I was 15. I was 14 turning 15 when my mom had Bobby who is now 20. Do you think that age gap is like? My brothers are so spoiled, I talk about them all the time on this pod. They're so spoiled, they had two sets of parents because I've got an older brother who's five years older.

Even now, they get a lot. They get a lot, they've loved life. And also, wherever I have my own house now, the boys used to always be with me, spend those time with me and Tom. And also, I think having older siblings, they bring a different dynamic and a different view. So sometimes the boys might speak to me and my brother about different things that they wouldn't tell their mum and dad. Because that's the thing as well, when you're like, oh, I'm going to have this age gap and

you sort of think this is a good age gap. And we wanted a bigger age gap because having a newborn and a two and a half year old was not fun. Well, she had colic, so it was extra not fun. But we were like, yeah, we're gonna have a bigger age gap this time. And then obviously we got what we asked for. It's even bigger. It's gonna be huge.

They're just waiting on the age gap. Yeah. Thank you so much for coming on today. Thank you. You have been an amazing guest. Thank you very much. That's a wrap on another episode of Mums the Word. Thank you so much for joining us today as we were joined by the amazing Catherine Wood.

Don't forget to leave us a review, follow us on the socials at mumstheword.com and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Just search mumstheword.com. Until next time, I'm Kelsey Parker and this has been Mum's The Word. And we'll be back with another episode, same time, same place, next week.