The Modern Doula

We’re wrapping up Season 1 of The Doula and The Doc with a bang—and a big dose of honesty, humour, and heart. In this special Q&A episode, Vanessa and Dr. Joe answer your most-asked, most Googled, and most why does no one talk about this? " questions. Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, planning, or just curious—this episode is packed with practical tips, myth-busting truths, and the kind of...

In this powerful episode of The Doula and The Doc, we’re joined by psychologist Cath Corcoran to explore the messy, beautiful, and often overlooked realities of pregnancy and postpartum. From the emotional toll of assisted reproduction to the identity shifts that come with becoming a parent, we go beyond the glossy Instagram moments and get real about what this journey actually looks like. We talk...

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of The Doula and The Doc, Vanessa and Dr. Joe sit down with Patrice Daglis to unpack her raw and emotional pregnancy and birth journey. This episode goes beyond one story. Dr. Joe breaks down what fertility specialists and obstetricians look for in high-risk pregnancies, shedding light on the complex decisions that happen behind the scenes. Whether you’re...

In this spicy and refreshingly honest episode of The Doula and The Doc, we’re joined by sexologist Laura Miano to talk about something most people don’t discuss after kids - sex and intimacy. From hormonal rollercoasters and body image shifts to the sheer exhaustion of parenting, we explore why intimacy can take a hit—and how to start feeling connected again, both physically and emotionally. We co...

Buckle up! This episode of The Doula and The Doc is a wild ride through the pregnancy rollercoaster. From morning sickness to midnight cravings, Vanessa and Dr. Joe break down the highs, lows, and all the weird (and wonderful) surprises that come with growing a human. Dr. Joe offers the inside scoop (literally) on what’s happening in the body throughout pregnancy—from hormonal shifts to digestion...

This week on The Doula and The Doc, we’re bringing the pelvic floor out of the shadows and into the spotlight—with zero shame and plenty of laughs. Joining Vanessa and Dr. Joe is the fabulous Laura Scott, a pelvic floor specialist who's on a mission to help you understand, strengthen, and take ownership of your body from the inside out. We chat about why pelvic floor health really matters—from inc...

In this episode of The Doula and The Doc, we're diving deep into everything your health teacher didn’t tell you about your menstrual cycle. From what's normal to what's not, Dr. Joe and Ness unpack the signs, symptoms, and secrets of your cycle that every person deserves to understand. We bust some major myths—like whether getting your period young means early menopause and if tampons are really a...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Doula and The Doc, where birth meets brains and heart! In this episode, you’ll meet the dynamic duo behind the mic: Vanessa Salerno, the nurturing doula with a calming presence, and Dr. Joseph Sgroi, the obstetrician with the credentials (and a sense of humor to match). Together, they dive into who they are, why they do this work, and how their collaboratio...

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This week we have a very special guest, one of The Modern Doula's closest friends, Ania Mineo , talking about her own personal experience of having two out of her three births with a rare blood disorder and one of her babies be in the special care unit for 6 weeks post birth. Ania opens up about all of her pregnancy experiences from miscarrying, the emotional rollercoaster you go on after a miscar...

Today is a solo ep, just me and we cover the whole spectrum form preconception to birth in our frequently asked questions. We chat vaginal births, tips for natural pain relief during labour, IVF and infertility, going from one child to two, the first trimester and how to even become a doula plus so much more. All things you have asked me we cover. For more see our facebook community page The Moder...

Dad's don't often get much attention when it comes to pregnancy, birth and postpartum. It's the first generation where Dads are a part of the birthing experience and this week I chat to Nick and Britt , one of my birth couples, but in particular Nick. We look at birth and postpartum from a Dad's perspective, finding your confidence especially as a first time Dad and the informative process of havi...

This weeks episode is with the beautiful Elise Stapleton who works in the fertility industry but we chat about her personal experience of suffering from endometriosis and freezing her eggs at the age of 30. Elise runs through her whole experience of egg freezing, retrieval and doing it by yourself.  In 2022, because of Elise’s prior diagnosis of endometriosis she thought it was coming back, t...

When women become mothers our identity shifts, we tend to pigeon hole ourselves as just “mums” and can easily lose our own sense of self and our identity. In this episode we speak to the beautiful Julia Mendola about her experience of motherhood, being a single mum, finding herself again and the importance of reflection and looking back for parents. It all goes in a flash. Every parenting situatio...

"Birth happens between your ears before anywhere else" is one thing I always talk about with my birthing clients. Everyone pictures their birth experience and each one looks completely different to the other. You have an expectation of what your birth will look like and this is why I don’t necessarily believe in birth plans because plans can change but let’s explore birth preparation so you can ma...

This week we have leading obstetrician, gynaecologist and IVF specialist Dr. Joseph Sgroi. This episode we speak about our unique relationship as OB and doula, breaking down the old beliefs of what and who is a doula.  Dr. Joe is the ever optimistic OB who is building an incredible facility and team at The Epworth Freemasons leading the way for a modern approach to birth, pregnancy and what c...

This week we have a personal birth story with Hannah Woodcock who is a mother of 2. I worked with Hannah during her second pregnancy and we speak of our unique doula relationship where I coached Hannah to overcome the trauma of her first birth to help take away the fear and anxiety of the pending second birth to make it a much more enjoyable experience.  Hannah birthed her first child during...

This week we speak to Helen Roberts who is Associate Midwife Unit Manager Birth Suite - Epworth Freemasons. Helen was there for my first birth as a doula and has an amazing story of how she became a midwife. From having a premature birth herself at 27 weeks to becoming a mature age student studying midwifery after having all her children, Helen has an inspiring story of finding yourself after chil...

In this episode I chat to Anne and Laura from Hatch Physiotherapy .  Anne and Laura are the founders of @Hatchphysiotherapy . They are passionate about all things pre and postnatal. They believe in proactive, evidence-based health care to avoid preventable birth injury. In this episode we discuss:     ⁃    The benefits of doing pelvic floor exercises &n...

Welcome to The Modern Doula . This episode I talk about my background and why I am so passionate about being a doula, but what is a doula? I get this question all the time. I explain the role of a doula in your pre and post pregnancy journey and why I am so passionate about educating people and inspiring you to merge the worlds of western medicine and the holistic approach to create a unique appro...

Your go-to podcast for all things pre and post birth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.