3 Mums 1 Mission ARFID with Michelle Jacques, Sarah Woodruff and Jo Read

3 Mums, 3 Stories, 1 Mission to raise awareness of ARFID

In this week's episode, Han is joined by Michelle Jacques, Sarah Woodruff and Jo Read.


Together, they are the hosts of 3Mums1MissionARFID, which is on a mission to raise awareness regarding ARFID as a result of their experience of navigating their own experience of supporting their children with ARFID. 


This week, we discuss:

  • What ARFID is and how it differs from “fussy eating”
  • How sensory sensitivity, gag reflexes, and nervous system overload affect eating
  • How fear of choking and emetophobia (fear of vomiting) can drive food avoidance
  • How illness and medical trauma can cause sudden drops in food intake
  • What it feels like to parent a child with ARFID, including guilt, grief, and constant vigilance
  • How dismissal and judgment from professionals and others impact families
  • What an ARFID diagnosis can offer, and where support often still falls short
  • How NG and PEG feeding can become part of ARFID care and the complex emotions that come with it
  • How school stress, anxiety, and social pressures can contribute to late-onset ARFID
  • Why peer connection and lived-experience support are so powerful for parents


Timestamps:

  • 04:20 Why they started Three Mums One Mission: ARFID
  • 11:00 Jo: sensory sensitivity, gag reflex, and “typical” feeding advice that didn’t fit
  • 20:50 Michelle: illness triggers, supplements, and PEG feeding
  • 32:00 Sarah: late-onset ARFID, school anxiety, crisis point + hospital experience


Resources & Links


Connect with Us:


⚠️ Trigger Warning: Mentions of eating disorders, ARFID, NG tube feeding. Please take care when listening.


If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the podcast to help us spread awareness.


Sending positive beans your way, Han 💛

Recent Posts

By Hannah Hickinbotham January 5, 2026
“Most people know what they don’t want. Part of the work is helping them discover what they want to feel instead.”
By Hannah Hickinbotham December 29, 2025
All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Eating Disorders: An Inquiry into the Prevention of Eating Disorder Deaths
By Hannah Hickinbotham December 22, 2025
"We felt like we were in this great big bath and somebody had pulled out the plug – we were just being sucked down and there was nothing we could do about it".
By Hannah Hickinbotham December 15, 2025
When everything feels too much, remember you're not alone.
By hannah December 8, 2025
Campaigning for support for eating disorder treatment, not assisted dying.
From Eating Disorder Patient  to Peer Researcher with Anna Carnegie
By Hannah Hickinbotham December 1, 2025
Anna Carnegie from KCL joins us to discuss her lived experience of OCD and anorexia, and how that has informed her work with EDGI UK and EDCRN in eating disorder research.
Show More