Everything Changes When You Become A Parent: The Identity Shift Nobody Can Prepare You For

Everyone tells you how your baby will change. Nobody tells you how much you will. In this episode of Baby Steps, we're joined by Lulu Cato-Olude, host of The Mum Club Bedford. Lulu's passionate about helping new parents build meaningful friendships, find their village, and navigate the identity shift that comes with becoming a parent. Together, we explore the identity shift that so many people experience after becoming a parent. From changing friendships and making new parent friends to returning to work, nursery, parent guilt and rediscovering yourself - this is an honest conversation about the parts of parenthood that often go unspoken. If you've ever found yourself wondering... "Who am I now?" ...this episode is for you. Whether you're expecting a baby, newly postpartum or years into parenthood, this conversation is a reminder that you're not alone, and that so many parents experience this journey in one way or another. Together we discuss: Why parenthood changes your identity more than anyone prepares you for Navigating changing friendships after having a baby Why every parent needs a village Building meaningful friendships through The Mum Club Returning to work after parental leave Parent guilt, nursery and learning to let go Rediscovering yourself after becoming a parent Creating a support system that works for your family Why giving yourself grace is one of the most important parts of parenthood Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:04 How Parenthood Changes Your Identity 04:22 Why Every Parent Needs a Village 07:45 Becoming the Rawest Version of Yourself 09:11 Returning to Work After Baby 16:06 Starting Nursery & Parent Guilt 18:14 What Support Do Parents Really Need? 23:09 Notes From The Village 31:05 Emma Grede, Parent Guilt & Judgement 35:XX Final Thoughts If this conversation resonated with you, we'd love to hear your story in the comments. Your experience might be exactly what another parent needs to hear. #Parenthood #NewParents #ParentLife #ParentGuilt #ParentFriends #FindYourVillage #Postpartum #ReturningToWork #ParenthoodIdentity #UKParents #ParentingUK #ParentingPodcast #BabyStepsPodcast