How do you prepare for postpartum when you know your baby will be born with health challenges? In this episode, I chat to Emma Emmanuel, who's a mum to a one year old little boy and has had a bumpy ride to parenthood. She went through IVF, followed by severe ovarian hyperstimulation... and then found out that her little one was going to be born with a kidney defect. A difficult birth--for both Emma and her baby--was followed by her son developing sepsis at 10 weeks old. Add surgeries into the mi...
Jul 25, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Rachael Hollinger is a postpartum doula and chef who lives and looks after women in Pennsylvania - and she's one of the loudest advocates for the nourishment and nurturing of new mamas. In this episode, we chat about the state of postpartum care, what we'd love to see happening for women at this sacred time, what new mums can do to look after themselves and what we do as postpartum doulas with a strong food focus. I highly recommend Rachael's postpartum cookbook which you can find at https://www...
Jul 19, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Nadine Richardson is Australia's leading birth educator and the founder of She Births, the only scientifically proven antenatal course that demonstrates significantly reduced need for pain medication, ceasarean section and tears. In this episode, I'm chatting to Nadine about her own birth preparation and postpartum, as why she believes the principles that ground an empowered birth (however it happens) are also key to a calm and confident postpartum period and parenting journey. To explore She Bi...
Jul 12, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Arabella Hampshire is a health coach, Pilates teacher and mum of two--and in this episode, we chat about how she unexpectedly fell pregnant just five months into a new relationship, her two very different births and postpartums and how anxiety and disordered eating have impacted her motherhood experiences. Plus! Don't miss her advice on exercising after having a baby, and how to best protect your pelvic floor. Thank you Arabella!
Jul 05, 2020•48 min
My third trimester has been a ride! In this ep, recorded at 38 weeks pregnant, I'm talking (to myself) about what's been going down over the last three months or so, and how I've been preparing for birth and postpartum on a practical, emotional and psychological level. From what I've bought and what birth education I'm doing to who I've enlisted for support, what I've read and the differences between this pregnancy and my first (coronavirus aside), I hope this is helpful! I chose the SheBirths o...
Jun 29, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 57
I've never met Ashe in person, but I'm quite convinced she's the funniest woman I know. Because I am sure I know her, in a weird way - the way she writes about mothering, and her kids and her partner and her mother and her life is just so uncomfortably familiar that I'm quite sure we're destined to be best friends, if only she'd realise Sydney is better than Melbourne. Please enjoy this rambling, fan girling (on my part) chat about babies and postpartum and leaky orifices and feeling lonely. Fol...
Jun 21, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Lily Nichols is an influential prenatal/postpartum dietician and nutritionist who has made a name for herself by diving deep into the research and rethinking evidence-based ideas for eating in pregnancy and beyond. What she's discovered is that much of the advice given to pregnant women and new mums is outdated, not tailored for the needs of motherhood and doesn't help women build healthy babies. But she has some (delicious) solutions. Listen in on our chat and find Lily's work here: https://lil...
Jun 14, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Career-focused but keen to start a family, Sarah Grant found herself having a whirlwind romance, engagement and pregnancy within a year. She found first-time motherhood a little tricky to adjust to - but it was nothing compared to when she subsequently welcomed her second daughter into the world. In this episode, she shares how she dealt with having a very different baby to her first, what happened when postnatal depression hit her, why she pushed for answers around her daughter's unsettledness-...
Jun 07, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 54
In this episode, Kate shares just how worried she was about getting pregnant, giving birth and becoming a mother - and how it all turned out better than she could have hoped. While she hadn't put much thought into her postpartum, circumstances put her into a position where she was able to ease into early parenthood with a quiet and peaceful fourth trimester. Thanks Kate!
May 31, 2020•50 min
There are many ways to feed a baby, and while many of us hope to breastfeed, it's not always the easiest thing. Alana Adye had breastfeeding issues from the beginning--nevertheless, she persisted. She sought help, eventually deciding to exclusively pump her milk for her little one... and then, by the time we had our chat, her baby finally learned how to breastfeed. I hope you find Alana's determination as inspiring as I did!
May 24, 2020•1 hr 11 min
A tricky birth, breastfeeding struggles and the lack of that instant in-love feeling left Chanelle feeling "like a failure". We chat about how the first few months of motherhood shook her, and how she came out the other side.
May 16, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Babies cost money - but how much exactly, and whether it will stress you out or you'll sail through, depends on your choices and planning. In this ep, I chat to financial advisor Rebecca Pritchard, a mum of one who takes us through what she did and offers advice on where to save and what conversations to have that will help avoid common relationship pitfalls. She's helped me a ton! If you'd like to chat to Rebecca: https://www.rebeccapritchard.com.au/...
May 10, 2020•59 min
Fiona MacDonald is a journalist and CEO of ScienceAlert - a job she was offered when she was 10 weeks pregnant with her first baby. It meant she would need to return to work, slowly, before her baby turned three months, but Fiona embraced the opportunity... and thrived. She shares her experience with an elective caesarian, avoiding visitors, choosing the right care for her daughter and how a supportive work culture has made her decision the right one.
May 02, 2020•1 hr 29 min
Okay, so having a baby in the midst of a global pandemic wasn't exactly what you'd planned. Now what? Join me and Julia Jones, my postpartum doula teacher and wise woman, as we talk practical ideas, emotional support and mindset shifts that can help you have a truly lovely first few weeks and months with your little one. Find out more about Julia's new course, head here , and her postpartum doula training can be found here...
Apr 27, 2020•50 min
Meg Frawley had her birth and postpartum all planned: the Australian had booked in a doula to help her navigate the American medical system in her new home of San Francisco, her parents would fly in from Sydney to help her and her husband adjust to life with a new baby and she'd joined all the local mother's groups. But as Covid-19 hit America, hard, her parents cancelled their trip. And the day her labour niggles began, she received a phone call from her doula: no one would be allowed to attend...
Apr 19, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 47
This week, Josie Rozenberg-Clarke, editor of pedestrian.tv and mama of a nine week old, messaged me with an idea for an episode: how new mums are dealing with self-isolation during what is often a quite lonely season. "The days feel so long, it's lonely, we're all going stir crazy and if it rains you're literally just cooped up inside," she wrote. "I've had to cancel my mum in law's regular Wednesday visit, and my mum is coming this week but that will be the last time for a while. The things I l...
Mar 29, 2020•50 min
I recorded this episode a few weeks back with Monique Llewellyn, a mama of one who runs @holisticluxeliving and https://www.holisticluxeliving.com/ , because I wanted to share ideas for people who are interested in becoming more eco-friendly in their family practices. Well, now, with covid-19 meaning there are restrictions and shortages on disposable nappies, wipes and other options that were previously easy, more people are interested in becoming self-sufficient, even just a little bit. From pe...
Mar 22, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 45
I knew I wanted to have my friend Kelly on the podcast since I started it--not only is she smart and articulate, she's bloody hilarious. A fashion stylist by trade, we bonded while working together at Stellar and I loved how she applies her sense of humour to birth injuries that she's still feeling the effects from. I hope you enjoy Kel's unique perspective on birth and the fourth trimester and find her story as interesting as I did.
Mar 15, 2020•57 min
Thanks for bearing with me while Cathy and I lined up a time to finish our chat! In this second episode, we talk about breastfeeding while starting bottles, introducing solids, returning to work and weaning your little one, plus heaps more.
Mar 08, 2020•44 min
What would it feel like to be ill, not just in your first trimester, but throughout your entire pregnancy? To vomit 15 times a day, not be able to keep anything down and continue chucking throughout labour? Caitlin Kay-Smith, of Hyperemesis Gravidarum Australia, shares her experience and how it affected her postpartum (and beyond). Listen in to hear how she had to fight to be believed, why she tried to get herself sectioned in order to receive care and how she's now fighting for other women who ...
Mar 01, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Exercise and movement is vital for our mental health, energy levels and getting strong and fit. BUT. If you just have a cursory 6 week check by a GP (who isn't a specialist in pelvic floor health) and then throw yourself back into your beloved pre-baby workouts, you could be in for trouble. I asked Sarah Fehlberg, a personal trainer and naturopath, to tell us exactly how to get back into exercise so we end up feeling great, not even worse than when we started. And! I'm running a giveaway - I hav...
Feb 23, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 41
A couple of months ago, Ree sent me a sweet DM saying how much she loved this podcast - and sharing her thoughts in response to something I'd wondered about being in a same-sex relationship. "I'm in a same-sex relationship, and for us the dynamic is much the same as a heterosexual couple..." But then there's the roles they play, how family and society sees them, and how her lovely baby boy came to be. Of course I wanted to hear all about it - and, more broadly, how new motherhood has been for he...
Feb 16, 2020•1 hr 9 min
A complicated pregnancy, a premature baby and a very difficult birth that led to both of them fighting for their lives: Jen Dawson started postpartum first time around very much on the back foot (and that's before she found out she was going to be posted overseas to a country where she didn't speak the language or know anyone). Yet her postpartum with her next child, a daughter, was "both sacred and an unravelling". Listen in to hear what changed for her, and what she chose to do differently....
Feb 09, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Cathy Shortt helps mums on their breast and bottle feeding journeys every day of the week - and she's a midwife, too. I asked her to share all her best advice, recommendations and tips for mamas to be, mums in the thick of it and mothers down the track whose feeding journeys are evolving. Plus, she answers your questions - although we didn't get a chance to talk about all of them, so look out for another episode where we get to those ones! You can find out more about Cathy at milkandmumsco.com.a...
Feb 02, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 38
I'm 15 weeks pregnant! In this episode, I'm talking about how I tried to mentally and physically prepare to get pregnant again (including dealing with some birth trauma and finding great care providers) and how the last few months have been going.
Jan 26, 2020•55 min
A self-confessed "anal Virgo", Courtney found herself veering away from her own expectations of parenthood after she gave birth to her daughter. She'd imagined order, routine and schedule; she found something quite different. And despite being in a relationship with her husband for 15 years before having her baby, it didn't insure the couple from the changes and challenges most of us experience during postpartum.
Jan 19, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Jessica is a singer-songwriter, author and poet. She's also a mum - and an example of how motherhood and creativity don't need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, her experience shows just how becoming a parent can open up a new layer of inspiration. Madre, the book of poetry that Jessica began during her postpartum (available here ) is a raw account of the magic, mystery and unravelling that motherhood brings - it's bloody beautiful....
Jan 12, 2020•51 min•Season 1Ep. 35
"How can you be confident when your parenting methods and values don't align with the "norm"?" When this question popped up on my Instagram, I knew that it would make a great podcast topic--and that Jade Cottee would be a great person to help me answer it. Whatever choices you make in your parenting, learning how to feel good about them--and how to deal with any flak you may cop, well-meaning or otherwise--can be a steep learning curve. Hope you enjoy the ep!
Dec 17, 2019•54 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Sonia Shoukath is a physiotherapist, mum of two and one of my mother's group alumni. When she told me about her postpartum experience, I remember feeling envious: her Indian mother lavished her with care, attention and food, with Sonia moving in with her parents to experience a modern take on the traditions her mother had herself experienced in Kerala. Here Sonia shares that period in her life, the transition from one child to two and how motherhood shifted her identity.
Dec 08, 2019•55 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Many of you will know Leigh Campbell through her popular podcasts (This Glorious Mess Little Kids and You Beauty), via her work for Mamamia and from Instagram, where she "snackfluences" and shares snippets of life with her delicious baby, Alexander. In this epsiode, we dive deep into her fertility struggles, perinatal anxiety, breastfeeding challenges, relationship changes and the strange combination of heartbreak and happiness that she's found while dealing with a new baby and the terminal illn...
Dec 01, 2019•55 min•Season 1Ep. 32
