Where Joy Blooms: All things pregnancy, birth and parenthood

In this episode we chat about Britt's newest little bun in the oven! We still can't believe this is even happening but BRITT'S HAVING ANOTHER BABY! Find out all the goss! HOW? WHEN? WHAAAT??? All the details you need to know and probably don't need to know but definitely WANT to know! We also have some pod news :( it's a little bitter sweet to be taking some time off but rest assured we will still...

In this episode we chat to the lovely Maddie who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in childhood and for many years thought pregnancy might not be achievable for her. When she fell pregnant, which was unplanned but definitely not unwelcomed, she found it extremely hard to find the right care, management and information about type 1 diabetes during pregnancy. This led to a not so great experience....

You might remember Katie from last weeks episode but this week we are taking a break from birth stories and diving into the world of mental health and psychology, particularly in the setting of matrescence (becoming a mother). We talk to Katie about the main reasons women and mothers reach out for help and why we might struggle with those things. It is an amazing resource which is continuing to gr...

In this episode we chat to the lovely Katie who is actually a perinatal psychologist so is very well equipped in the whole birthing and motherhood space. For this episode we talk about her own birth stories and the little life lessons she took from each experience. Katie managed to have 2 vaginal births but definitely made some changes for her second birth. Also.. is Katie's husbands grandmoth...

Today is world albinism awareness day so what better time to share the story of Shannon and her son Drake; who was diagnosed with Albinism shortly after his birth. Like most people, Shannon was completely unaware that her or her husband were carriers for albinism. It wasn't ever something that needed to be tested or brought up. But once Drake was born, he displayed some features related to albinis...

Join us as we chat to Keirsten about her 3 pregnancy and birth experiences. Keirsten was able to have 3 vaginal births but they all played out a little differently. She experienced both birth after induction and spontaneous labour, with her littlest love arriving into the world very quickly! Overall, Keirsten's births were very positive and uncomplicated which is so important for us to hear. A...

Today we share the lovely Emily's story. Emily had a perfect pregnancy, but when it came to the birth, it was far from what she imagined! Unfortunately, after labouring for many hours, she birthed her son via an emergency cesarean under a general anesthetic. This led to her not meeting her son until hours after his birth which, in some way, affected the postpartum bonding and breastfeeding jou...

This week we speak to the lovely Rachel who completely opens up about her struggles with PPD and PTSD after having her daughter in 2020. She is so honest about her experiences and treatments and shares exactly why you should seek help, even if you're not sure you have PPD. Not only did she experience mental health issues during her postpartum journey, but she's also been through a lot in life; inc...

Our chat with Haydie was so good that we had to split it over two episodes!! This week we speak to Haydie about being a doula. What is a doula? What do they offer and why should you consider one? And then a bit of education on myotherapy. What exactly is it and how can it be beneficial during pregnancy and postpartum. If any of these areas interest you or you just have some more questions then fee...

In today's episode we chat to the lovely Haydie about her two pregnancy and birth stories. She shares how her positive first birth helped influence her decision to become a doula (among other factors) and how standing your ground and advocating for yourself is absolutely your right as a patient and mother! What happens to YOU and YOUR baby is in your hands and it's okay to ask more questio...

This week we have the lovely Laura sharing her birth experience with her second child Clara. Laura's first pregnancy and birth was during peak covid times with many restrictions around birthing partners/support. Luckily, at the time of birth she was able to have her husband and mum with her but she decided that she didn't want to ever be in a situation where she may have to birth alone. Th...

This week we are having a little break from birth stories and chatting about something that doesn't nearly get enough discussion the INVISIBLE workload. Britt opens up about how her family dynamics and relationship has changed. It can feel more like your roommates rather than a married couple. So if this is you too then you're not alone!! This is our second last episode of season 2 before...

In todays episode we chat to Emily’s best friend Courtney. Courtney talks us through her recent experience with multiple miscarriages before finally falling pregnant with a nice healthy bub. The two miscarriages were quite different from each other. Requiring different care and intervention. Currently around 20 weeks pregnant, Courtney’s journey is still unfolding and we wish her all the best with...

In this episode we chat to the lovely Allecia who fell pregnant with fraternal twins unplanned and definitely unexpected! Everything was going extremely well with the pregnancy until she hit around 34 weeks and developed HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets). Her initial plan of a vaginal birth went completely out the window when she had to be hospitalised and flown...

In this episode we strip it back to just us! No birth story. No special guest. Just your hosts! We delve into life lately and take you through how we fed our babies- breastfeeding, mixed feeding, bottle feeding and formula feeding. We have it all! No two feeding journeys are the same. Just like no two pregnancy's or people are the same. So we think it's so import to be open and honest abou...

!!TRIGGER WARNING!! This episode talks about pregnancy loss. This episode features a chat with the beautiful Melissa. Mel's first experience of pregnancy sadly ended in a loss after ultrasounds revealed megacystis. Little Angel Aria Louise was born still at around 14 weeks gestation; An extremely hard experience for Mel and her partner. Mel's amazing strength and determination to be a mother to ea...

For todays episode we spoke to Steph, a FTM from northern NSW. She talks through her long journey to motherhood. Overcoming all the hurdles life threw their way.. PCOS, increased BMI and fertility issues due to the PCOS, COVID border closures and finally IVF. It is a remarkable story of Steph and Jordan's mental strength and determination to become parents. We're so happy they got their be...

In this episode we chat with Emily's sister Kayla! She opens up about the chronic pain and years of suffering due to endometriosis. It affected her life in many ways... career, relationships, friendships and even sports/hobbies. It took multiple health professionals and 3 looong years before finally getting her diagnosis and treatment. As we've come to learn, endo isn't something that you can magi...

In today's episode Britt got to chat with Caitlin, a FTM to TRIPLETS! Caitlin takes us through the conceiving journey, finding out she was having not one but three babies and the challenges involved with having multiples. If you're expecting multiples then this might be a good listen for you! Caitlin expressed that during her pregnancy and postpartum she found it difficult to know where to...

HELLLOOOO and welcome back! We're so excited to be back and chatting to you guys again. How was your Christmas? We let you know about ours and what we've been up to during our break. Then Britt talks to us a little bit about the role of ultrasound during pregnancy. Basically what its used for and what you can expect! This is a very basic chat and obviously the experience of pregnancy and ultrasoun...

In this weeks episode we had the absolute pleasure of chatting to Ilana, a wife and mother from Newcastle, NSW to continue with part 2 of her story. She addresses some questions and feedback she received from her first story (ep. 8). We then jump in talking about her first pregnancy which was a natural conception and a LONG labour during peak COVID before diving into her second pregnancy with her...

Hey guys! We know you were probably so pumped for Part 2 of Ilana's story but unfortunately the busy mum life left us with no time to finish off our chat. BUUUUT don't worry! We WILL bring her story to you soon! So instead, this week we asked you all on our instagram to send in some questions so we're having a bit more of a casual conversation and answering those! You'll get a bit...

In this weeks episode we had the absolute pleasure of chatting to Ilana, a wife and mother from Newcastle, NSW. She had an interesting upbringing to say at the least, and talks about the challenges and strain that put on her and her own mothers relationship. In her own words, she describes her upbringing as being in a cult like environment and tells us how she ultimately made the decision to leave...

Hey Guys! We're changing it up this week and had one of our best friends Bianca on the podcast to have a little wedding chit chat. With such a busy month ahead for us, jam packed with a Bridal shower, Hens night, throw in Remi's first birthday and then finally the big wedding day, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to let you guys in on whats happening in our lives right now! A...

In this episode Britt got the opportunity to sit down and chat to the lovely Steph! Steph shares how she was denied her first birthing preference as a FTM and ended up having an emergency C-section under a general anaesthetic. She also speaks about some of the struggles with navigating postpartum, making mum friends and the difficulty returning to work with the current childcare crisis here in Aus...