In this episode, Chels and Em are chatting about their approach to sharing their children online. We discuss our reasons behind not sharing them much online, digital identities, making intentional choices and the evolving nature of this new terrain we’re all navigating. We appreciate all parents make the best decisions for their families, and certainly are not saying we have the answers to what is a complex and new issue. We hope this episode opens up the discussion, and also sheds a little more...
Jul 08, 2024•27 min
In this episode, we are joined by the incredible Caitlin (she/her), a naturopath, nutritionist and mother of two boys. Caity’s first son, Rieder, is 10 years old, has a physical disability and is autistic. We hear about Caity’s story of his birth and her experience raising him and advocating for him over the years. Caity also shares the experience of her VBAC birth with her second son, Odin. Caity herself identifies as neurodivergent (AuDHD), and she shares with us her journey to finding this ou...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 21 min
Hello beautiful listeners, today Chels and Em are sitting down for a catch up. It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper chat and we have a few updates to share with you: Chelsea has moved house and we’ve both been navigating different childcare issues. Grab a cuppa and come join us for this chat. This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click he...
Jun 17, 2024•41 min
Welcome to our first ‘In Your Words’ episode. In Your Words is a new segment in which we hear directly from multiple parents on their experiences on a certain topic. We ask our listeners a few questions on a topic, and they send us voice notes to share with you all. Our first In Your Words is on the topic of homebirth. Today, June 6th, is International Homebirth Day. In bringing you this episode, we want to honour women and birthing people’s decision to birth at home as well as the supportive, d...
Jun 05, 2024•54 min
Today, we have an episode that deeply impacted both of us. Please know this episode is about child and infant loss. It’s a powerful episode and we think so important to share, but please only listen if you feel able. Today, we’re joined by Sarah (she/her), an incredible mother to three children. Two of her children are with her earthside, but Sarah’s first beautiful son devastatingly passed away just one month after he was born. We will let Sarah introduce her beautiful son to you. Sarah joins u...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 3 min
In this episode, we have a co-host catch up with Chels and Em all about losing, gaining and redefining our identity in motherhood. We walk you through a research article Em has found on the topic of identity in motherhood (think concepts like: ‘fractured identity’ and ‘expansion of self’), and we also go through your listener poll responses sharing your own experience coming ‘back’ to yourself in motherhood. As always, we share our recommendations for the week and any wins/in the bins. It’s a gr...
May 13, 2024•1 hr
In this episode, we bring you a discussion with the incredible Rebecca Black from @themindfulbirthmovement . Rebecca is a psychologist, hypnobirthing practitioner, founder of the Mindful Birth Movement and, most importantly, mum of three. This episode is hard hitting and covers so many incredible discussions, including: Matrescence: what it is and why it’s such a unique transformation The socio-cultural context in which we mother within, and why it’s setting us up to fail The perfect mother myth...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 5 min
In today’s episode, we are back with Olivia (she/her) as she shares her two birth stories. Olivia ( @physio.therapeutic.yoga ) is a women’s health physio, yoga and pilates instructor, and was on the podcast last week chatting all things pelvic floor. Olivia is also a mum to two beautiful boys and she shares her journey bringing them both earthside. Olivia’s first birth was a planned homebirth, supported by private midwives. At 41+3 weeks she ended up transferring to hospital and had a caesarean ...
Apr 29, 2024•36 min
In today’s episode, we are speaking with Olivia (she/her), a women’s health physio, yoga and pilates instructor, and mum to two from Naarm/Melbourne. Olivia chats with us all things pelvic floor in pregnancy, immediate postpartum and beyond. Olivia is trained in internal pelvic floor release and explains what pelvic floor release involves, why it can have such a positive impact on birth preparation and recovery, and when to consider seeing a women’s health physio for internal release or other su...
Apr 22, 2024•49 min
In this week’s episode, Chels and Em sit down and chat about their collective postpartum experiences. This conversation is sparked by Chels leaving her fourth trimester and she reflects honestly on the first three months of her second postpartum, as well as the transition to two children. Em throws back to her own postpartum experience three years ago. We also unpack your listener postpartum experiences, chatting all things sleep, feeding, postpartum body image and more. To join our community on...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 12 min
In this week's episode, we're joined by Keshia (she/her) and Ariel (she/her). Keshia and Ariel are mothers and business women, and have recently founded @from__day__one - a drop-in space and community for new mothers in Naarm/Melbourne. Keshia and Ariel share their breadth of experience and wisdom from their six collective postpartum experiences. Ariel shares insights from birthing overseas in America, and they both draw from the unique time that was giving birth during the pandemic. Keshia and ...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 5 min
This week is Multiple Birth Awareness Week (March 17 - 22) - a week to spotlight parents of multiple babies (twins or higher order multiples) and bring awareness to their unique parenthood experience. Hosted by @ausmultiplebirthassociation , this year’s theme is ‘Multiples unfiltered. Tell your story. Find your community.’ We are thrilled to be releasing today’s episode during Multiple Birth Awareness Week. Today, we are joined by the incredible, warm and thoughtful Georgia and Silje, two mother...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 21 min
In today's episode, Chelsea (she/her and co-host of the poddy) shares her incredible homebirth after caesarean (HBAC) story. Chelsea had an unplanned caesarean-section in hospital for her first birth and after 2+ years of preparation and research, had her second birth at home, surrounded by her beautiful birth team. Chelsea shares the preparation for her second birth in the previous episode. In this episode, Chelsea reflects on the days preceding her second birth, sharing how her labour progress...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In today's episode, Chelsea (she/her and co-host of the poddy) gives us insights into her journey towards VBAC - vaginal birth after caesarean. Chelsea reflects on her first birth which involved a long labour, posterior baby, last minute midwife change and ultimately ended in an unplanned caesarean-section in hospital. Chels shares that she immediately knew she wanted a different experience for any subsequent pregnancies and births, and so began her journey towards VBAC. In this episode, Chelsea...
Mar 11, 2024•48 min
We are SO excited to bring you this week's episode - the first episode for 2024 and the first episode under the relaunched Growing Up, Raising Us pod. Today, we officially launch the podcast makeover and share all the ins and outs - who the heck is your new co-host, why have we relaunched and what you can expect this year from Growing Up, Raising Us. It's a short, snappy episode today - we will be doing an Ask Us Anything soon if you have any burning questions. To join our growing community, see...
Mar 04, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In this episode, I'm joined by Bree Stafford (she/her), a birth doula, birth photographer, and mum of three. Bree joins us to share her VBA2C/HBA2C story. Bree's three birth experiences have opened her heart to what is possible. Her first babies, two boys, whose arrivals took her on a journey through an intervention filled hospital birth, resulting in a Cesarean with her first son. The process of planning a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) with her second son, resulting in a repeat, yet empow...
Dec 18, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode, I'm joined by Bree Stafford (she/her), a birth doula, birth photographer, and mum of three. She is my wonderful doula who'll be supporting my VBAC this year/early next. In this episode, Bree shares her 'Recipes for a Successful VBAC' as comprehensive tips for anyone planning for a VBAC. More about Bree: Bree's three birth experiences have opened her heart to what is possible. Her first babies, two boys, whose arrivals took her on a journey through an intervention filled hospital...
Dec 11, 2023•41 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this episode, we’re joined by Fleur (she/her), who is a mother to an almost two-year-old daughter named Prim. Fleur works runs her own business, Umi Wellbeing , as somatic health and wellness coach, predominantly for women. Fleur shares that it took over a year for her and her husband Will to conceive, which came as a surprise. Fleur conceived the week after her mother passed away, just before their initially planned start of IVF. Choosing private care under the guidance of an obstetrician, F...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode, I’m joined by sisters Hannah and Em. Hannah is a mother to three children: Iris, Oaka, and Charlie. Iris and Oaka are angel babies, who Hannah very sadly lost during her pregnancies with them, before she had Charlie, who is now 20 months old. So I’d obviously like to include a trigger warning here as we do discuss Hannah’s story of miscarriage and pregnancy loss at a few points throughout today’s chat. I’ve put some resources below that I encourage you to visit if this episode b...
Nov 27, 2023•55 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this episode, I'm joined by Emma (she/her) and Raji (she/her), two lovely friends I've met along my motherhood journey. We dive deep into the transformations our personal friendships have undergone since becoming parents, sharing the highs and lows. From the challenges of maintaining connections to the unexpected joys of making new mum/parent friends, we explore the dynamics of parenthood and friendship. Emma lives in Naarm, Melbourne with her husband and their two year old son. Emma has shar...
Nov 20, 2023•56 min•Season 3Ep. 2
[Content Warning: This episode discusses physical and sexual abuse] In this episode, we're joined by Maria (she/her), a mother whose life took an unexpected turn when her daughter, Josephine, was diagnosed with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare chromosomal abnormality at two weeks old. Maria shares the challenges and transformations her family experienced, from the initial shock of the diagnosis to their journey towards acceptance and gratitude. Maria shares the emotional rollercoaster from the i...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this episode, we're joined by Josi (she/her). Josi is living with her husband and her four kids aged 9, 8, 8 and 4 in Brisbane. Josi was only 23 when her first daughter was born via planned C-section due to breech presentation. Shortly after she fell pregnant again, this time with twins ! Another planned C-section was her chosen mode of birth, which turned into an emergency c-section at 36 weeks due to suddenly developing preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. Thinking that their family was complet...
Nov 01, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode, we're joined by Katelyn (she/her). Katelyn lives in Western Sydney with her husband and their two daughters. She now works as a doula and does birth after caesarean mentoring. In Katelyn's first birth, she was under the care of a private obstetrician whose philosophy about birth was at odds with her own. Despite being reasonably educated for a first time mum, she eventually agreed to an induction she didn't want out of fear and coercion which led her to an unnecessary caesarean....
Oct 31, 2023•41 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode, we're joined by Rebecca (she/her). Rebecca lives in Melbourne with her fiancé Dwayne, two young sons (22months) and (7months) and two step daughters (13) and (11) years old. Rebecca is a confident, outgoing secondary school teacher but unfortunately has crippling hospital anxiety after watching her Mum pass away from cancer when she was 25. After a difficult road to getting pregnant and despite desperately wanting a vaginal birth, Rebecca’s first birth resulted in a C-Section du...
Oct 30, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In this episode, we're joined by Ashley Winning (she/her). Ashley is a Homebirth Mindset Coach & Guide, Podcaster, Speaker, and she birthed her third baby at home unassisted after two surgical births. In her first two pregnancies and births, Ashley experienced many challenges and stigmas in the hospital system due to being larger-bodied. Her first caesarean followed a 'failed' induction and her care providers pushing her for one. Ashley informed herself and planned for a VBAC with her second...
Oct 26, 2023•30 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode, we're joined by Brownyn (she/her). Bronwyn is the host of @the.motherwhelm podcast and lives in the Blue Mountains with her husband and three children. Her first birth was a classic case of the cascade of intervention, from an induction due to gestational hypertension, to an emergency cesarean due to ‘failure to progress’. This experience left Bronwyn feeling humiliated and disempowered, and she suffered from postnatal anxiety during her postpartum. For her second birth, she hir...
Oct 24, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this episode, we're joined by Rowie Cooke (she/her). Rowie lives with her partner Jake and two children Sonny and Rua. She is a birth and postpartum doula whose passion for birth and postpartum were ignited by her own experiences of birth. You can find her on instagram @rowiecooke_doula. Rowie birthed Sonny in a public hospital, and despite trying to get into a midwifery group program, she birthed through a fragmented model of care. Rowie and Jake did a calm birth course in preparation and...
Oct 23, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this episode, I am joined by doula Bree Stafford and Homebirth Mindset Coach & Guide Ashley Winning to discuss what they've noticed in supporting people in their homebirth after caesarean (HBAC) journeys. Guest 1: Bree Stafford Bree is a birth doula, birth photographer, and mum of three. Bree's three birth experiences have opened her heart to what is possible. Her first babies, two boys, whose arrivals took her on a journey through an intervention filled hospital birth, resulting in a Ces...
Oct 19, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode, we’re joined by Melanie Jackson, or you may know her as Melanie the Midwife . Mel co-hosts her own podcast The Great Birth Rebellion , is a mum of two, and works as a privately practising home birth midwife, and part-time as a researcher at Western Sydney University. Mel joins us to chat all things homebirth, including: Can you tell us about the skill sets of home birth midwives vs. hospital midwives? What medications do home birth midwives carry for managing PPH and birth of th...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In episode 5 of Definitely Baby 's VBAC mini-series, three wonderful women share their VBAC journeys. As the stories can attest, there is so much power in equipping yourself with evidence-based information and knowledge throughout your pregnancy, especially if you’re planning a VBAC. There are so many great resources and podcasts you can gather this information, and I truly believe that the power of listening to other people’s journeys to VBAC is one of the best and most empowering and encoura...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 2Ep. 5
