ADHD Mums

Jane McFadden
ADHD Mums
Latest episode

273 episodes

  • ADHD Mums

    102. When You Stop Calling Your Friend and Start Talking to ChatGPT — And You're Not Sure What It's Costing You

    04/05/2026 | 38 mins.
    Half the conversations about AI are men in San Francisco telling you it'll change everything. The other half are people telling you it'll destroy the planet and your children's future.
    Neither of those people are doing the school run, the NDIS application, the lunchboxes, or holding it together at 9pm.
    This episode is for the mum in the middle. The one who's curious but hesitant. The one who's already using it but feels weird about it. The one who tried it once, got a creepy answer, and shut the tab.
    Leticia Andrack has worked in AI since 2014. She's autistic, ADHD, PDA, dyslexic, French, and a mum of two neurodivergent girls. She's not selling you anything. She's just telling you how to use the tool without it using you.
    This episode is for you if
    You've used AI to write the email you couldn't face — and felt a bit guilty about it
    You're worried about the data, the environment, your kids' futures, and you can't tell which fear is real
    You've vented to ChatGPT and it agreed with you so hard you almost did something you'd regret
    You don't know the difference between Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or which one to even open
    You feel behind, and behind feels like another thing on the list
    You're sick of being mansplained to about technology

    RESOURCES & REFERENCES
    To connect with Laetitia Andrac - check her out here
    Understanding Zoe platform - check it out here

    📬 Listener Questions & Community
    🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice)
    Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead.
    Send me a WhatsApp voice message here:
    https://wa.me/61403457313
    ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written)
    https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864
    👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group
    For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it.
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast
  • ADHD Mums

    101. RE-RELEASE: When You Stop Your ADHD Meds for the Baby — And the Pram Rolls Across the Car Park

    29/04/2026 | 35 mins.
    This podcast episode is not a replacement for individual medical advice and is general education only.
    You go to the mother's group, you don't put the brake on the pram, and it rolls across the carpark.
    Baby is fine. You are not.
    You're already the mum who decided — quietly, without asking anyone — that you wouldn't take your ADHD meds while breastfeeding. Because that's what good mothers do.
    This is the episode about what happens when 'just push through' stops being a plan.
    What we cover
    Why your prescriber freezes the second you say the word 'pregnant' and what to actually say back
    What the research actually says about traditional stimulants in pregnancy, and the gap between that and the kickback you've been getting
    Why pregnancy and breastfeeding aren't the same conversation, even though everyone keeps lumping them together
    The Infant Risk Center, the resource your psychiatrist probably hasn't looked at that pharmacists rely on
    Trying to conceive, IVF, egg collection, and where ADHD meds actually sit in that timeline
    The quiet self-sacrifice that tells you a thinking, regulated mother is somehow worse for the baby than an unmedicated, exhausted one
    PMS, perimenopause, antidepressants in the mix, and why ADHD is rarely just one medication, one decision, one answer
    Medication breaks, weekend breaks, and why being told to take them on the busiest days of your week isn't advice, it's a generic script
    Iron, thyroid, glucose, constipation, and the unsexy stuff your wellness actually hinges on while you're carrying everyone else's

    Why this episode matters
    There is a whole layer of women who stopped their meds the day they saw two lines on a test, never asked the question out loud, and have been white-knuckling it ever since. Not because the evidence said to. Because nobody safe was available to talk to. Rodney has spent thirty years being that person on the other end of the phone, and most mums have never been told he exists.
    This episode is for you if
    You stopped your meds the second you found out you were pregnant and never asked anyone if you had to
    You've been told 'we don't know enough' so many times you've started saying it to yourself
    You're breastfeeding and Googling at 2am because no one in the room will give you a straight answer
    You feel guilty for wanting to be medicated, focused, and present, like that's the selfish version
    You're trying to conceive and quietly terrified that staying on your meds makes you a bad mother before you've even started
    You're the one who'd rather suffer than risk it, and you've been suffering for a while now

    Related product
    ADHD Medication Guide — https://adhdmums.com.au/product/a-guide-to-adhd-medication/
    External links mentioned
    Infant Risk Center — www.infantrisk.com
    Jean Hailes — https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/
    Better Health Channel — https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au

    📬 Listener Questions & Community
    🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice)
    Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead.
    Send me a WhatsApp voice message here:
    https://wa.me/61403457313
    ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written)
    https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864
    👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group
    For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it.
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast
  • ADHD Mums

    100. When You Know School Isn't Working — And You're Still Waiting for Permission to Leave

    27/04/2026 | 37 mins.
    You've spent more time on drop-offs, pickups and meetings this week than your kid has spent actually learning.
    You keep telling yourself the routine is good for them. They come home flat anyway.
    You can see it isn't working. You just can't picture what else looks like.
    So you stay on the fence. Another term. Another meeting. Another 11pm google.
    What we cover
    Why most homeschoolers in Australia didn't plan to homeschool — and what 'accidental homeschooling' actually means
    The two competing fears keeping you stuck — and which one usually wins in the end
    What 'enough is enough' really looks like (it's rarely one big moment — it's bankruptcy logic: slow, then very fast)
    What a homeschool day actually looks like when you're not running school-at-home
    The legal stuff schools won't tell you — you don't need their permission
    Why $50k a year still doesn't fix this, and what you might actually be paying for
    How to take a term off without making a forever decision
    Why bullying gets reframed as 'resilience-building' at school but is illegal at work

    Why this episode matters
    The fence is the hardest place to live. Most parents sit there longer than the kid can afford. Rebecca has spoken to hundreds of families about why they finally jumped — and the answer isn't 'they were ready.' It's that the fear of staying finally outweighed the fear of leaving. This episode names the decision underneath the decision, and hands you a permission slip you probably didn't know existed.
    This episode is for you if
    You've tried two schools, maybe three, and nothing's stuck
    The meetings have started to outnumber the actual learning
    You keep saying 'maybe next term' and next term keeps not coming
    You're more scared of Uncle Ned's questions at Christmas than you'd like to admit
    Part of you knows it isn't working, and part of you can't picture what else looks like
    You've already googled 'homeschooling Queensland' at 11pm and closed the tab

    For more about Dr. Rebecca English
    https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/r.english
    Jane's Related Episodes
    S1 EP63 — The Episode That Led Jane to Choose Homeschooling (Nicki Farrell, Wildlings) 👉 https://adhdmums.com.au/63-episode-that-led-jane-to-choose-homeschooling/
    S2 EP7 — Raising Strong Children: How to Support Without Always Solving Their Problems (Emma Rose Parsons, Spectrum House) 👉 https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-7-raising-strong-children-how-to-support-without-always-solving-their-problems/
    S2 EP33 — Autistic Burnout: Self-Awareness Part 2 (Jane solo) 👉 https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-33-preventing-autistic-burnout-practical-tips-for-neurodivergent-mums-and-their-children/
    S3 EP20 — SCHOOL SERIES: How to Choose a School That Won't Break Your Kid (or You) — Millie Carr https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-20-how-to-choose-a-school-that-wont-break-your-kid-or-you/
    📬 Check out my Free Resources on Schools:
    Choosing the Right School
    https://adhdmums.com.au/product/the-school-choice-kit/
    The School Complaint & Escalation Guide for Parents
    https://adhdmums.com.au/product/school-complaint-escalation-guide/
    📬 Check out my Paid Resource on Schools:
    When School Looks Fine But Isn’t Understanding Burnout, Masking & School Can’t
    Making School Work: A Parent’s Guide to Neurodivergent Kids and the System
    School Advocacy Hub of Resources
    https://adhdmums.com.au/advocacy/
    📬 Listener Questions & Community
    🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice)
    Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead.
    Send me a WhatsApp voice message here:
    https://wa.me/61403457313
    ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written)
    https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864
    👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group
    For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it.
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast
  • ADHD Mums

    99. When the Teacher Asks ‘What Can I Do to Help? But You Don’t Know What to Say

    22/04/2026 | 14 mins.
    If your child looks ‘fine’ at school… but falls apart the second they get home —
    this episode is for you.
    🧠 What We Cover in This Episode:
    What masking really looks like in a classroom setting
    Why ‘they’re fine at school’ can be deeply misleading
    The invisible work happening before the school day even starts
    Why internalising kids are often missed entirely
    What it costs to ‘look like you’re coping’ all day
    Why asking a child to self-advocate isn’t always realistic
    How anxiety builds when expectations aren’t predictable
    The difference between behaviour you can see… and effort you can’t
    Why some kids nod, smile… and completely miss instructions
    What actually reduces stress in the classroom (and what doesn’t)

    💭 This episode is for you if:
    Your child holds it together at school but unravels at home
    You’ve been told ‘we’re not seeing that here’
    Your child doesn’t speak up when they’re struggling
    You can see the effort they’re putting in — even if others can’t
    you’re trying to explain your child to the school and not being heard
    You feel stuck between what you see… and what they report

    📬 Check out my Free Resources on Schools:
    The School Complaint & Escalation Guide for Parents
    https://adhdmums.com.au/product/school-complaint-escalation-guide/
    📬 Check out my Paid Resource on Schools:
    When School Looks Fine But Isn’t Understanding Burnout, Masking & School Can’t
    Making School Work: A Parent’s Guide to Neurodivergent Kids and the System
    School Advocacy Hub of Resources
    https://adhdmums.com.au/advocacy/
    📬 Listener Questions & Community
    🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice)
    Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead.
    Send me a WhatsApp voice message here:
    https://wa.me/61403457313
    ✍️ Ask a Listener Question
    https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864
    👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group
    For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it.
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast
  • ADHD Mums

    99. When School Feels Too Much Too Early — Expectation Creep Explained

    20/04/2026 | 23 mins.
    If you’ve ever sat in a school meeting
    hearing what’s ‘expected’…
    and thought
    ‘this feels like too much… too early’ —
    this episode is for you.
    Because sometimes it’s not subtle.
    It’s that quiet moment where something doesn’t sit right…
    but you’re told it’s normal.
    In this episode, we unpack what’s really happening when school expectations keep creeping up — academically, behaviourally, socially — and why so many kids are being asked to meet standards that don’t actually match where they are.
    💭 This episode is for you if:
    – You’ve thought ‘this feels too much for their age’
    – Your child is struggling, but you know they’re capable
    – You’ve been told ‘this is just how school is now’
    – Your child is falling behind quickly and can’t catch up
    – You’re noticing stress, resistance, or shutdown around school
    – You’re questioning whether the system is actually the issue
    🎧 Related Episodes
    When School Becomes the Trauma – School Series
    https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/s2-ep2-school-series-when-school-becomes-the-trauma-what-no-one-tells-adhd-parents/
    Here’s the part most people don’t say out loud:
    If it feels too big…
    too fast…
    too much…
    that doesn’t automatically mean
    your child is the problem.
    Sometimes it means
    the expectations have moved
    and no one stopped
    to check
    who they were leaving behind.
    For more about Dr. Rebecca English
    https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/r.english
    📬 Check out my Free Resources on Schools:
    The School Choice Kit
    https://adhdmums.com.au/product/the-school-choice-kit/
    The School Complaint & Escalation Guide for Parents
    https://adhdmums.com.au/product/school-complaint-escalation-guide/
    📬 Check out my Paid Resource on Schools:
    Making School Work – Parent Guide ($20)
    https://adhdmums.com.au/product/making-school-work-parent-guide/
    School Advocacy Hub of Resources
    https://adhdmums.com.au/advocacy/
    📬 Listener Questions & Community
    🎙️ Ask a Listener Question (voice)
    Voice notes are preferred when possible — hearing your voice helps add context — but you’re very welcome to submit a written question instead.
    Send me a WhatsApp voice message here:
    https://wa.me/61403457313
    ✍️ Ask a Listener Question (written)
    https://form.jotform.com/251238118486864
    👥 Join the ADHD Mums Facebook Group
    For community, shared language, and conversations with other mums who get it.
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/adhdmumspodcast

More Health & Wellness podcasts

About ADHD Mums

Being a mum is hard enough. Being a mum with ADHD — or raising neurodivergent kids is a whole different level. ADHD Mums is the unfiltered, science-meets-reality podcast hosted by Jane McFadden, educational neuroscientist, advocate, and mother of three. This isn’t another polished parenting show with 'ten easy tips.' It’s real stories, confessions we’re not supposed to say out loud, and the research that explains why so many of us are running on empty. Every week you’ll hear: 🎙️ Confessions — raw, anonymous truths from mums navigating rage, burnout, and survival. 🧠 Expert insights — from neuroscientists, clinicians, and policy leaders on ADHD, autism, and mental health. 💬 Advocacy in action — exposing ADHD medication shortages, NDIS red tape, and the hidden costs mothers carry. With over 1 million downloads already tuning in from across the world, the podcast has already influenced ADHD reforms in Australia, been featured in national media, and pushed politicians to answer the questions mothers are asking. If you’ve ever screamed in the car, forgotten every form until the night before, or wondered if you’re the only one falling apart — this podcast is your proof that you’re not broken, you’re just telling the truth.
Podcast website

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