Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Yes I Can Solo - The Baby Dream Podcast

In this episode, I’m on the other side of the microphone.

We talk about my journey to becoming a solo mum by choice, but more importantly, we talk about what was happening underneath the surface.

From looking confident… to realising I was actually dissociating.

From “mindset, mindset, mindset” to understanding that confidence is really about nervous system safety.

We dive into:

✨ Why mindset alone isn’t enough

✨How childhood patterns show up in motherhood

✨What triggers are really teaching us

✨Why affirmations don’t work without embodiment

✨The power of asking for help

✨And how something as simple as finishing your cup of tea can rewire your brain

If you’re navigating solo motherhood, or any big life decision, this conversation is about coming home to your body, regulating your nervous system, and leading from the heart instead of fear.

Because real confidence doesn’t come from pushing through.

It comes from feeling safe inside yourself.

If this episode resonated and you’d like support on your own journey, whether that’s confidence, decision-making, or feeling more regulated in your body, I offer 1:1 confidence coaching for women navigating the identity shift of solo motherhood and big life transitions. You’re welcome to reach out, connect, or simply follow along for future episodes and reflections.

X Betty

Connect with me, Betty:

https://www.instagram.com/betty.fotofili

📌 Subscribe to Yes I Can Solo on YouTube @ Magnetic Mama for future conversations that support embodied confidence, self-trust, and aligned motherhood choices.

Also, Lorena's the interviewee has a book that is officially launching on May 16th, 2026. See her links below to get yourself a copy

🎥 You can also watch this full episode on YouTube, subscribe to Magnetic Mama here:

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozlsyVMAvr_D-lK9crRDOQ

🔗 Find Lorena + her book here:

Lorena’s website / book links: https://www.lorenaotes.com.au/

Lorena on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenaotes?igsh=MXFwcWw3bmM3Z2JhZA==

✨ Lorena’s instagram below.

@lorenaoates

#SoloMotherhood #SoloMumByChoice #YesICanSolo #FertilityJourney #InfertilityAwareness #IVFJourney #DonorConception #WomensStories #PodcastForWomen. #NervousSystemRegulation #SafetyInTheBody #EmbodiedConfidence #SlowDownToHeal #MindBodyConnection #EFT#RegulateYourNervousSystem #nervoussystemregulation

So many people dream of writing a book… and very few actually do it. In this episode, I’m sitting down with Lorena Oates, a Solo Mum by Choice and soon-to-be published author of her memoir “Solo Mum by Choice” (releasing May 16, 2026).

We talk about the real story behind the book - writing it while living it, the long road to motherhood, and the inner strength it takes to keep going when the outcome is unknown.

In this conversation, we cover:

✨Why Lorena started writing during the early stages of IVF (and why it was cathartic)

✨The emotional reality of multiple rounds and taking breaks when it became too much

✨Independence, asking for help, and the unique pressure solo mums can feel

✨Regulation tools that actually help in the hard moments (movement, tears, creativity, rest)

✨Reframing the “Plan B” narrative, and why Solo Motherhood is not a second-best story

✨Publishing hurdles, imposter syndrome, and what determination can really create.

Lorena's book is officially launching on May 16th, 2026. See her links below to get yourself a copy.

🎥 You can also watch this full episode on YouTube

Subscribe to Magnetic Mama.

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/@bettyfotofili333

🔗 Find Lorena + her book here:

Lorena’s website / book links: https://www.lorenaotes.com.au/

Lorena on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenaotes?igsh=MXFwcWw3bmM3Z2JhZA==

Watch on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozlsyVMAvr_D-lK9crRDOQ

✨ Lorena’s instagram below:

@lorenaoates

If this episode resonated and you’d like support on your own journey, whether that’s confidence, decision-making, or feeling more regulated in your body, I offer 1:1 confidence coaching for women navigating the identity shift of solo motherhood and big life transitions.

You’re welcome to reach out, connect, or simply follow along for future episodes and reflections.

Connect with me, Betty:

https://www.instagram.com/betty.fotofili

X Betty

📌 Subscribe to Yes I Can Solo on YouTube @ Magnetic Mama for future conversations that support embodied confidence, self-trust, and aligned motherhood choices.

#SoloMotherhood #SoloMumByChoice #YesICanSolo #FertilityJourney #InfertilityAwareness #IVFJourney #DonorConception #WomensStories #PodcastForWomen #NervousSystemRegulation #SafetyInTheBody #EmbodiedConfidence #SlowDownToHeal #MindBodyConnection #EFT #RegulateYourNervousSystem #nervoussystemregulation

This conversation honestly felt like I was just sitting at a café with Nicky, having a proper yarn about life, dating, babies… and choosing yourself.

Nicky Zachariou is a solo mum by choice to two beautiful boys and a semi-retired pole dance teacher who brings so much grounded wisdom into this chat. We talk about how she consciously chose solo motherhood, and how, even after giving “Mr. Right” one last try, she realised something very clear.

When she went on dates, she noticed it.

Finding a partner wasn’t her priority.

Becoming a mother was.

And that clarity shifted everything.

But empowerment doesn’t mean it was easy.

We speak honestly about the tough moments, the unresourceful thoughts, the “what will people think?” narratives, and the internal stories that can creep in, even when you’re deeply aligned in your choice.

What I loved most about this conversation is how aligned we are in our approach to life and motherhood. Nervous system regulation. Grounding. Resourcing yourself instead of outsourcing your worth. Learning how to insource safety.

We also talk about something that doesn’t get enough airtime tapping into joy on purpose and the power of pausing. Sometimes the most regulating thing you can do for your nervous system isn’t pushing harder… it’s stopping. Breathing. Letting your body catch up. Allowing moments of joy to recalibrate you.

Because when we normalise regulating ourselves when we practise Emotional Freedom Tapping (EFT), pattern interrupting, reframing, embodied grounding, and conscious pauses it doesn’t just change us.

Our kids see it.

They don’t do what we say.

They do what we do.

When regulation becomes our baseline, it becomes theirs too.

Inside this episode, we explore:

✨Choosing solo motherhood over waiting for the “perfect” partner

✨ Dating while knowing motherhood is your true priority

✨ EFT tapping for anxiety and fear

✨ Nervous system regulation tools for grounding during doubt

✨ The power of pausing instead of pushing

✨ Reframing limiting narratives

✨ Tapping into joy as a nervous system reset

✨ Embodying the example you want your children to inherit

This episode is for any woman considering solo motherhood, navigating dating while wanting a baby, or sitting in that in-between space wondering what to choose.

It’s real.

It’s grounded.

It’s empowering.

And it’s a beautiful reminder that when we resource ourselves first, everything flows from there.

Watch on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozlsyVMAvr_D-lK9crRDOQ

✨ Nikki’s instagram below. @iamnikkizac

✨ Connect with me, Betty:

https://www.instagram.com/betty.fotofili

If this episode resonated and you’d like support on your own journey, whether that’s confidence, decision-making, or feeling more regulated in your body, I offer 1:1 confidence coaching for women navigating the identity shift of solo motherhood and big life transitions. You’re welcome to reach out, connect, or simply follow along for future episodes and reflections.

X Betty

📌 Subscribe to Yes I Can Solo on YouTube for future conversations that support embodied confidence, self-trust, and aligned motherhood choices.

#SoloMotherhood #SoloMumByChoice #YesICanSolo #FertilityJourney #InfertilityAwareness #IVFJourney #DonorConception #WomensStories #PodcastForWomen. #NervousSystemRegulation
#SafetyInTheBody #EmbodiedConfidence #SlowDownToHeal #MindBodyConnection #EFT #RegulateYourNervousSystem #nervoussystemregulation

In this powerful episode of Yes I Can Solo, I’m joined by Sasha Ebern, a solo mum by choice and global business coach, to talk about decisive action, identity shifts, and building a life that truly fits.

After being diagnosed with endometriosis at 30, Sasha knew deep in her body that the time to become a mother was now. Following the end of a relationship, she chose to go all-in on solo motherhood without waiting for perfect conditions or external validation.

We explore how becoming a mother amplified her clarity especially while she was working in a job she hated, dropping her daughter at daycare, and feeling the deep ache of “there has to be more than this.” When COVID slowed everything down, it became the circuit-breaker she needed to reassess her life, her work, and what she truly wanted.

What started as a side business quickly revealed a whole new world of possibility. Within two years, Sasha had built a multi-six-figure business creating freedom, flexibility, and presence for herself and her daughter.

We also talk about:

• Solo motherhood as a catalyst for growth and clarity

• Making bold decisions before fear takes over

• Motherhood identity shifts for high-achieving women

• Nervous system regulation, flexibility, and self-care (yes, mani-pedis included ✨)

• Why solo motherhood can expand your life, not limit it

This conversation is a beautiful reminder that when a woman gets honest about her pain, her desires, and her values everything can change. Watch on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozlsyVMAvr_D-lK9crRDOQ

✨ Sasha’s links and contact details are below.

hello@sashaeburne.com

@sashaeburne__

www.sashaeburne.com

Connect with me, Betty:

https://www.instagram.com/betty.fotofili

If this episode resonated and you’d like support on your own journey, whether that’s confidence, decision-making, or feeling more regulated in your body, I offer 1:1 confidence coaching for women navigating the identity shift of solo motherhood and big life transitions. You’re welcome to reach out, connect, or simply follow along for future episodes and reflections.

X Betty

📌 Subscribe to Yes I Can Solo on YouTube for future conversations that support embodied confidence, self-trust, and aligned motherhood choices.

Emily is an entrepreneur, property developer, yoga retreat owner in Gili Air, Indonesia, and a solo mum by choice whose journey into motherhood came from empowerment, self-trust, and deep self-honesty.

In this episode of Yes I Can Solo, Emily shares how expressing her creative and feminine energy through business and yoga meant she felt fulfilled and whole in her life. At the same time, she recognised that she didn’t have the emotional or energetic capacity to invest in a romantic partnership during that stage and how honouring that truth brought clarity rather than conflict.

From that grounded place, solo motherhood felt aligned.

Emily also speaks candidly about the emotional reality of the journey. Even when the decision felt right, fear and mental noise still arose. She shares how she learned to meet those moments, when thoughts crowded her mind and consciously move through them with awareness rather than suppression.

During COVID, when business slowed and life paused, Emily accepted support from a known donor friend and leaned into the strong community she has built in Gili Air. She reflects on how being held by this network allowed her to step into motherhood feeling supported rather than alone.

✨ In this episode, we explore:

Solo motherhood from empowerment and self-trust

Processing fear and doubt without bypassing

Accepting support from a known donor friend during COVID

The role of community and chosen support in motherhood

Creative energy, embodiment, and intuitive timing

This conversation is for women who want permission to honour their capacity, trust their timing, and choose motherhood from alignment not pressure.

#SoloMotherhood #SoloMumByChoice #YesICanSolo #FertilityJourney #InfertilityAwareness #IVFJourney #DonorConception #WomensStories #PodcastForWomen #NervousSystemRegulation #SafetyInTheBody #EmbodiedConfidence #SlowDownToHeal #MindBodyConnection #RegulateYourNervousSystem

What happens when a woman stops pushing… and creates safety in her body instead?

“I was flogging a dead horse flogging my own eggs.”

That’s how Gina describes the moment she knew this journey wouldn’t be the easy way and it would still be her way.

In this episode of the Yes I Can Solo Podcast, I sit down with Gina, a solo mum by choice, to share her extraordinary journey to motherhood after being told she was infertile at 34, with no periods and hormone levels at zero.

Gina knew early on that if she was going to have a baby, it wasn’t going to happen the conventional or comfortable way but she also knew she wasn’t done listening to her inner knowing.

Gina learned how medical science could step in where her body no longer cycled naturally. Through hormones and medication, her body was supported to mimic a menstrual cycle, building and shedding a uterine lining, creating the conditions needed for pregnancy even without a natural period. Despite this, repeated attempts in Australia were unsuccessful.

Gina made the courageous decision to pause her life, step away from work, and fully commit to her fertility journey overseas. What grounded her during this time wasn’t force or relentless striving it was choosing to slow down and live from a place of internal safety.

Gina shares that she did everything she could from a place of presence.She nourished her body deeply, created as much calm as possible, and most importantly (in my opinion) acted as if motherhood was already natural to her. She inhabited the state.

In this conversation, Gina shares:
✨Being told she was infertile at 34 and what that truly meant
✨How science made pregnancy possible without a natural period
✨The moment she realised she was “flogging a dead horse” and what shifted
✨Why she allowed herself to pause instead of pushing harder
✨Choosing donor conception overseas and trusting her inner knowing
✨How slowing down created clarity, steadiness, and internal safety

Gina reflects that once she stopped pushing and started trusting, the path became clearer not easier, but steadier.

Decisions felt more aligned, and her body was finally given the space to respond.

#SoloMotherhood #SoloMumByChoice #YesICanSolo #FertilityJourney #InfertilityAwareness #IVFJourney #DonorConception #WomensStories #PodcastForWomen. #NervousSystemRegulation #SafetyInTheBody #EmbodiedConfidence #SlowDownToHeal #MindBodyConnection #RegulateYourNervousSystem

In this episode, I share my personal journey from feeling the weight of single shame to embracing proud solo motherhood.

I talk honestly about the challenges I faced, the self-doubt, the judgments from others, and the fears of going it alone, and how I found the courage to reclaim my confidence and joy.

I open up about the pivotal moments that helped me turn shame into strength and uncertainty into empowerment. From the emotional highs and lows to the lessons learned along the way, I share how I discovered purpose, self-worth, and the power of choosing my own path.

Whether you’re thinking about solo motherhood, already navigating it, or simply looking for inspiration to honor your own journey, this episode is here to encourage you, offer guidance, and remind you that you can define your story on your own terms.

Tune in and hear how I transformed a journey once weighed down by shame into one of courage, confidence, and empowerment.💛

Betty

x

In this powerful first episode of Yes, I Can: The Baby Dream Podcast, Betty sits down with Loretta, a registered nurse who became a solo mum by choice at 40, after being rejected due to her age and BMI,  and ultimately proving what is possible.

Like many women navigating modern motherhood, Loretta was balancing a demanding nursing career, a full life, and dating, all while quietly holding onto her dream of becoming a mother. For years, she believed that if it didn’t happen by 40, that chapter would be closed forever.

Then COVID slowed everything down.

That unexpected pause became a turning point, creating space for reflection, truth, and courage. Loretta realised her desire for motherhood hadn’t disappeared. Instead of letting time or statistics decide her future, she chose solo motherhood and began her fertility journey on her own terms.

In this episode, Loretta shares:

✨What it’s really like dating and working as a registered nurse while holding a secret baby dream.

✨The devastating first fertility appointment that ended in tears after being told she was only in the 5% chance and that they couldn’t help her.

✨Being rejected because of age and BMI,  and how that moment nearly stopped her.

✨The fears, doubts, and emotional hurdles before choosing solo IVF

✨How slowing down during COVID changed everything

✨The unexpected joy, strength, and fulfilment of becoming a mum at 40

This episode is for any woman asking:

✨Is it too late to become a mother?

✨Can I really do this on my own?

✨Am I still allowed to want this?

If you’re navigating fertility challenges, considering solo motherhood, or feeling dismissed by medical systems,  this story will meet you with truth, compassion, and hope.

You are not alone.

And it may not be too late.

🎧 Listen now and let this episode build belief in your next step.

x Betty