Anna Asks

I speak with Dr. Hayley Worth, a Sydney-based GP with special interests in children's health and also palliative care. Dr. Hayley chats to us from her fourth trimester bubble, newborn on her lap, as she reflects on the lessons she learnt from her first birth and challenging breastfeeding and postpartum experiences, and the effectiveness of the plans she put in place for the recent birth of he...

Kathryn experienced severe prenatal anxiety when pregnant with her first child and went on to experience a breakdown at 4 weeks postpartum. She discusses how she made it through, and how this informs her perinatal planning and support work. We also talk through the work that went into making the decision to have another child, planning for her upcoming caesarean birth and the different ways she is...

Kate is a Victorian-based privately practising midwife providing antenatal, homebirth, postnatal and parenting services. Kate discusses her experience during this pregnancy so far, and her trust in her ability to birth in relation to her family lineage, previous two births and her professional work. We discuss her preparations to welcome surprise baby #3 into her family, including labour prep, pre...

Welcome to Season 5!  Newcastle-based postpartum doula Saira Allen joins me to kick off this season, which asks the question “How do those involved in pregnancy, birth and postnatal care prepare when they are the ones having a baby?” This theme has come about because if you didn’t know already I am actually in my second trimester with my second child, and I wanted to share not only my story and ex...

There’s no getting around it, every single one of us will come up against those pangs of rage and the despair of “they just don’t get it!” multiple times in our early parenting years and beyond. This episode with the undeniably wise Bridget Wood dives into one of the biggest questions mothers and birth parents face – “now we have kids, how can I not hate my partner?”  So when it crops up, whether...

Julia Jones started working as a postpartum doula well before the word "postpartum" even entered the consciousness of most westerners. From bringing an international teacher to Australia to study, to caring for families in home to becoming a mother herself, Julia shares her story of how she came to start her Newborn Mothers program training other doulas and postpartum professionals. She has a keen...

Many of you will know Zelma from her work as "The Postnatal Project", where her heartfelt writings and social work skills fuse into an sanctuary for those feeling mightily alone in their postnatal and parenting struggles. What you may not know is the story behind the establishment of The Postnatal Project, the tumultuous years that have passed since, or the sometimes thankless nature of parent sup...

As a follow up from last episode, I present you with 6 minutes of pep talk gold from Tara. How to get over the fear of saying the wrong thing Leaning into relationship rather than out of it How the desire for technical rightness in white culture traps us How the construction of civility makes women behave and disconnect from each other Transforming guilt into galvanized action. Let's do this. The...

Tara’s professional background is in child rights yet despite her dedication to children, the transition to parenthood was not exactly smooth. This discussion goes everywhere: -How can we work through our own biases, raise aware humans and bring hesitant others into such conversations in positive ways? -Does “the Australian identity” even exist? -What was it like to grow up neurodivergent and quee...

Sleep training didn’t come to exist in a vacuum. Why did it become the “norm” and why won’t it just die? Join me in conversation with Carly Grubb, founder of The Beyond Sleep Training Project online peer support group and its charity/advisory arm Little Sparklers. This is a discussion not on the ins and outs of sleep training and its alternative, but the power dynamics and interactions between par...

With case rates in Australia through the roof I figured this was something I might need to know about, and you might too. ****This episode provides general information only and does not replace medical advice or conversations with your care providers. All information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge as at 4/1/22 and all sources listed below were accessed on this date. Always seek me...

The newest COVID-kid on the block is causing headaches (and much worse) here in NSW and around the world right now. Here is a ten minute primer with what you need to know on the new variant, vaccination, and more. ***This information is general in nature and should not replace conversations and advice with your medical team.*** For further info see the ABC CoronaCast podcast with Dr Norman Swan, a...

Meet Jess Nabb - feminist spaceholder, accessible yoga teacher, and nervous system witch, with a side-gig as a church-going, tarot-reading heretic. Jess offers their wealth of knowledge, practice and lived experience to this conversation, focusing on radical inclusion in community and in business, and radical self-care for parents in the era of intensive parenting. We discuss the marginalisation o...

With a background in anthropology, migrant and refugee resettlement and multilingual doula work, I asked Mary to join me in discussion of the interaction of linguistic and cultural diversity and doula care throughout the perinatal period.  This chat traverses systemic limitations, definitions of “safety” and reflects on the use of traditional practices in the space of birth and perinatal work...

The Motherhood Made Magic podcast is evolving to “Anna Asks”, a place for parents and people to find actual answers to big questions. This is an unapologetically feminist, anti-racist, conscious parenting podcast with 3 primary aims: to pass the mic, pay the rent and become (and raise) better humans. Support the people you learn from here: https://www.annacusack.com.au/products/135362-Become-A-Pod...

Dr. Mikayla Couch aka @dr.aboriginal.woman is here to teach us some lessons. What do the words “in ICU” and “on a ventilator” actually mean? What are you hooked up to, and what are the doctors and nurses doing and monitoring if you’re that sick? What health conditions make you more at risk of having severe COVID-19? As a Doctor working with pregnancy, birth and COVID every day, what are you tellin...

What's in the different vaccines? I'm breastfeeding/providing milk to my baby, does anything get through to my baby? What if I'm breastfeeding and I can't get a Pfizer appointment? Are you sure it's safe for me to get me to Astra? How do I know it's not going to hurt my baby long term? Who shouldn't get vaccinated? Expert immunization nurse Romy Blacklaw is here to answer these questions! Follow a...

In this episode I am joined by Mariam Abou-Eid, Emergency Department Nurse at Royal Melbourne Hospital.  We discuss what she is seeing in her city Emergency Department and ICU, within her family and the Arabic speaking community when it comes to COVID-19.  She talks us through how vaccination (or the lack of) is effecting hospital admissions and patient care journeys, key periods for det...

Let’s bust some myths around health professionals being “gagged”, side effects being underreported, passports being a control mechanism, DNA altering, trials being rushed, natural health methods, media motives, lockdown mental health, and skewed data. The Instagram account mentioned in this episode is @mariamaboueid_ Follow along with her, and me too @annacusackpostpartum or connect online www.ann...

In this episode you will hear the audio from a Facebook Live video I recorded on 20th September 2021. I provide an update on the research and academic literature regarding fertility, menstrual changes, COVID-19 itself and vaccination against it up until that date. I cover animal and theoretical modelling, clinical and real-world research with human subjects with female reproductive organs and male...

Research Update: Pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccination. This research update was recorded on 10th Sept 2021 on the topic of pregnancy and vaccination against COVID-19. This information is information only and does not take the place of individualised advice and consultation with your medical team. I hope you find this useful, and please feel free to share this resource with anyone you think might be...

What does the data say? I have compiled this academic research update regarding breastfeeding and COVID-19 vaccination. As it says in the video, this is for information purposes only. It is comprehensive but not exhaustive and does not replace discussions with your medical team regarding your personal vaccination choices.  You are welcome to share this episode with any people who provide brea...

Why do we put happiness on a pedestal, but look down our noses on mothers who feel content? Can you even call yourself a feminist when you’re a mum? And where to from here?  Hello and welcome to the final episode of the “Mama, You’re Not Broken” audiobook, written and read by me, Anna Cusack. I’ve combined the last chapter on contentment and the conclusion here, as I feel they combine really...

Hello and welcome to part 10 of the “Mama, You’re Not Broken” audiobook, written and read by me, Anna Cusack. This chapter is all about boredom. You know it well, I know it well. It can be a really itchy and uncomfortable feeling especially when everyone is banging on about this being the best time of your life, but also asking “so, what do you actually do all day?”. Sometimes our new lives can fe...

Hello and welcome to part 9 of the “Mama, You’re Not Broken” audiobook, written and read by me, Anna Cusack. Grief. Nothing like raising kids to rip the proverbial scab off every wound you’ve ever had. Grief is unavoidable and inextricable from the experience of motherhood. This chapter explores the places it can spring up, and why its intensity might take you by surprise. Consider yourself warned...