With so much doom and gloom in the world, a trio of mums have made their mark with an uplifting podcast, full of laughter, honesty and over-sharing – and the community couldn't love it more.

When Whitehaven woman Esther Armstrong's mental health took a hit during the first Covid lockdown, and heard of others suffering as well, she got friends Sara Critchon and Samantha Sisson on board to launch an inspirational podcast, Mixed Mams.

Since setting up the weekly studio session in August 2020, the 34-year-olds have covered countless topics in their 18 episodes, from body positivity, periods and waxing, to mum guilt, mental health, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and so much more.

And they couldn't be more pleased with how their venture is going.

"I think when we first started doing it, we were all a bit nervous," mum-of-two Sara said.

"Now it's just brilliant! It's just three girls having a cuppa and a good craic, being honest and open about our lives.

"We talk about absolutely everything, because we live in a world where people post their 'perfect' lives on social media, and we want people to know there's no such thing as perfect, and you don't need to be perfect to be happy."

Esther added: "It was something we did for ourselves, really – my mental health was really suffering, but with helping other people who are feeling the same way, it's really helped me.

"It's just so much fun, and we absolutely love it."

Ensuring their audience is involved with the podcast, Esther, Sara and Samantha have a 'topic jar', storing ideas suggested by listeners and discussing a different one each session.

And while Mixed Mams was created to help other parents feel less isolated during the pandemic, it's not just mums who are tuning in, as everybody is welcome to listen – and have a good laugh.

Cleator woman Sara said: "About 25 per cent of our listeners are men, which is so nice to see.

"The podcast really is there for everyone to listen to, whether you're a mum, dad, or not even a parent – we just have a laugh each week, and hope other people laugh along, too."

Esther added, with a laugh: "Although it may only be suitable for over-18s, because of Sara's potty mouth!"

The Mixed Mams podcast is recorded at Cleator Moor's Cygnus Studios, and released on the Anchor app each Friday at 6am, before being shared across all other podcast-ready platforms, including Spotify, iTunes, and Podbean.

Sara added: "It wouldn't have happened without Esther going for it and setting up the podcast, and we're so glad she did it, because we have so much fun with it, and we just love it."

To find out more about the podcast, and the loveable team behind it, visit the Mixed Mams Facebook page or Instagram.