Dadvengers #24 - Ben Anderson (@thediaryofadad)
Dadvengers Podcast Episode 24 - Ben Anderson (@thediaryofadad) **TRIGGER WARNING*** This week’s episode talks about subjects that may be triggering to some listeners. Namely, premature birth and baby loss. If you are affected by any of the subjects in this episode you can find support here. This week's guest is a businessman, a huge name in the online parenting world, and a brilliant hands on dad who shares family life on his Instagram TheDiaryOfADad. One huge part of his parenting life that Ben shared was his experience of baby loss. He and his wife sadly lost their twins who were born at 22 weeks, and Ben talks openly about his experience, the impact on him emotionally, and navigating grief with three young children at home. We are so thankful to Ben for joining us and being so candid. Ben - you're a true example of a Dadvenger, welcome to the community. Time Codes 3:51 – Ben tell us about his work and the impacts of the lockdowns. - “It became a challenge when we were back to work with multiple children!” 7:22 – We delve into Ben’s large family and whether this was always in his plans. “Absolutely not... I business was the priority... then we fell pregnant!” 9:32 – “Nothing can prepare you for the act of changing a nappy for the first time!”. Ben on adjusting to being a dad and the times he felt overwhelmed by new fatherhood. 12:28 – Ben on his relationship with his own father. “My early memories are that my dad would be there... he was very hands-on and we had that connection” 17:38 - “It is 2022 and we are still having this conversation!”. Ben on how he approaches issues around race and unconscious bias with his children. 29:00 – Ben on deciding to have a large family, and how having children changed his focus. “My family was the grounding force for me” 35:51 – Ben opens up about his experience of twin pregnancy - “I remember a turning point at 21 weeks... she was in labour... I was hanging onto hope” 43:12 – “I want people to know what we’re going through... the love and support was just insane, I saw social media at it’s very best” - Why Ben decided to share the experience in real time on Instagram in real time. 46:20 – Ben shares the impact of losing his children at 22 weeks, and the effect on other pregnancies. “Once you’ve gone through that loss those things are always going to be there in your head." 51:30 – “Everyone grieves differently” Ben openly talks about the grief he experienced, and how he managed this while parenting their three other children. 1:01:28 – Ben tells us about the support from other dads who have experienced baby loss, and how he uses his experience to support other dads in the same situation now and reminds us why you can’t always believe what you see on social media. 01:10:40 – Ben answers your questions! 01:19:54 - Parenting Superpower! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.