In this episode, Grace shares her family’s journey through discovering that both of her young children have growth hormone deficiency — from spotting early signs, to seeking answers when her instincts told her something wasn’t right, to navigating diagnosis, testing, treatment and life on daily injections.

It’s a story about persistence, parental intuition, advocating for your children, and the enormous difference early diagnosis can make.

💬 In this episode:

• Spotting the first signs that her son’s growth had stalled — and why she trusted her instincts
• The long process of ruling out allergies, food intolerances and “catch-down growth”
• How she pushed for referrals and why private healthcare accelerated the diagnosis
• What happens during endocrine testing: IGF-1 blood tests, stimulation tests, and MRIs
• Understanding growth hormone deficiency and why early diagnosis matters
• Starting treatment: daily injections, bedtime routines, and the emotional side for young children
• Realising her daughter also had the same condition — and how symptoms can look different
• The impact of treatment: energy levels, confidence, muscle strength and rapid catch-up growth
• Finding community through the Child Growth Foundation
• Grace’s advice for parents concerned about their child’s centile chart or growth trajectory

🩺 Useful Resources:

• Child Growth Foundation
  https://childgrowthfoundation.org
  
  
• NHS – Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children
  https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-we-treat/growth-hormone-deficiency/
• NICE – Human Growth Hormone (Somatropin) in Children
  https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta188
  
  
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health – UK-WHO Growth Charts
  https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/growth-charts
  
  
• MAGIC Foundation (Growth Disorders Support)
  https://www.magicfoundation.org

💛 Raising with the Village

This podcast is about real parents sharing real stories — because no one should feel alone in parenthood.
New episodes every Thursday!

🌐 Website: https://raisingwith.co.uk/
📸 Instagram: @raisingwiththevillage
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all major platforms.

If you’d like to share your own story — about birth, parenting, or family life — get in touch via the website or Instagram DMs.