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Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast
The Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast, in conjunction with Your Birth Biz, is a podcast for birth and postpartum professionals who want to grow sustainable, ethical businesses without burning out or losing themselves along the way.
Hosted by Niamh Cassidy, childbirth educator, IBCLC lactation consultant, and business coach to birth workers, this podcast sits at the intersection of business, birth work, values, and real life.
Niamh started her own perinatal business as a side hustle while working full-time in social care, and knows first-hand how challenging it can be to fill classes, attract clients, and stay confident when everyone else seems to be “doing better”. She’s been through the comparison spiral, the over-consumption of business advice, and the frustration of learning from business spaces that don’t understand the ethics, boundaries, and responsibilities of perinatal work.
Through years of learning, testing, adapting (and unlearning), Niamh has built a fully booked lactation practice and successful education and coaching business — without resorting to fear-based marketing, unethical tactics, or stepping away from client work she loves.
This podcast is a mix of:
- Solo episodes on business, mindset, visibility, boundaries, and sustainability
- Guest conversations with birth workers and women in business
- Panel discussions exploring nuanced topics at the crossover of business and birth work
Expect honest conversations, thoughtful critique of “one-size-fits-all” business advice, and practical insights you can actually apply to your own practice.
If you’re a doula, lactation consultant, antenatal educator, or perinatal professional who wants to grow a business that feels aligned, ethical, and genuinely supportive — you’re in the right place.
Pregnancy & Postnatal Entrepreneurs Collective Podcast
Ep 87: From PhD Chemist to Birth Alchemist: Tina-Marie Bruton on Finding Her Power
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From PhD chemist to birth alchemist - Tina-Marie Bruton on burnout, late autism identification, identity and finding her power in being herself.
What happens when everything you built your identity around stops fitting?
In this episode Niamh Cassidy is joined by Tina-Marie Bruton, antenatal educator, birth and postpartum doula, pregnancy Relax Stretch & Breathe instructor and founder of The Birth Alchemist for one of the most honest and moving conversations this podcast has had.
Tina-Marie is also one of Niamh's longest-standing clients. She was part of Niamh's very first coaching programme, went on to join The NEST group coaching programme, and continues to be supported inside the Your Birth Biz Besties membership. So this isn't just a guest episode it's a conversation between two people who have walked a significant part of this journey together.
Tina-Marie spent 12 years in the pharmaceutical industry, earned a PhD in chemistry, and built what looked like a very successful career. Then burnout hit. Her blood pressure went through the roof. She was at risk of heart attack or stroke. And everything she thought she knew about herself (and who she was supposed to be) started to come undone.
What emerged from that chrysalis was something she hadn't expected. A later-in-life autism and ADHD identification. A complete identity shift. And a birthwork business built entirely on her own terms.
This is the story of how she got there.
In this episode Niamh and Tina-Marie cover:
— Tina-Marie's journey from PhD chemist and pharma trainer to antenatal educator, doula and pregnancy yoga instructor — Why burnout was the turning point — and what it physically cost her before she listened to it — The identity crisis that came with leaving a career she had worked so hard to build — What it felt like to have her entire belief system challenged during antenatal educator training — and why that was both terrifying and transformative — Her later-in-life autism and ADHD identification — and why she uses the language "later in life identified" rather than "late diagnosed" — How understanding her neurology gave her permission to do things her own way — and why that turned out to benefit everyone she works with — The word "should" — and how recognising it as someone else's expectations changed everything — The chrysalis metaphor — what it means to become mush before you reform into something new — The weaving metaphor — how the threads of her life were always pointing here, even when she couldn't see it — What she would tell anyone who is still dipping their toe into something and wondering whether to take the leap — Why she believes we can do anything when we are properly supported
If you're at the beginning of your own journey and wondering what's possible this episode is a really good place to start.
About Tina-Marie:
Tina-Marie Bruton is an antenatal educator with Antenatal Ireland, birth and postpartum doula, birth reflections facilitator, and pregnancy Relax Stretch & Breathe instructor based in Cork. She is a later-in-life identified AuDHD mum to two neurodivergent kids and founder of The Birth Alchemist. Find her on Instagram @the_birth_alchemist and at antenatalireland.ie for upcoming workshops.
Links mentioned:
🌸 Tina-Marie on Instagram: @the_birth_alchemist
🌸 Antenatal Ireland workshops: antenatalireland.ie
🌸 Cuidiu — National Parent Support Charity: cuidiu.ie
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