Growing Up Raising Us

We recently asked you how prepared you felt for your first postpartum experience and over 40% of you said you didn’t feel prepared at all. So we wanted to bring out an episode to help change that. In this episode, we are joined by Olivia, a postpartum doula, registered nurse and founder of Back to Nourishing Mamas.  Olivia joins us to chat about why it’s so important to feel supported and held in...

We’ve had lots of beautiful new listeners join us recently so a warm hello to you 👋 we’re Chelsea + Emma! We host this podcast - our incredible passion project - alongside our paid work and motherhood. Chels has 2 daughters, is a teacher and has recently moved to a sweet little town in central Vic. Em is mother to 1 boy and works in research and data analysis. We’re in our 30s and launched this p...

Welcome to our next incredible ‘In Your Words’ episode, which is on the topic of positive hospital birth experiences. In Australia, over 97% of births take place in a hospital, which for some of us can be an unfamiliar or even scary place. We really wanted to put this episode together to hear our listeners’ perspectives on what a positive birth means to them, and hear the meaning and beauty behind...

Today we have a jam-packed episode for you with the incredible Amy, an internationally certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultant, the Founder of Little Dreamers and co-founder of Beyond Sleep School, as well as a Mum of 3!  Amy joins us to chat all things family sleep and ditching social expectations around sleep, as well as her advice on a few of your own listener sleep issues. If sleep is impa...

 today we have a lovely episode for you with the wonderful Eleni, mother to three girls including 3.5 year old twins, Cleo and Lola, and 10 month old Hazel.  Eleni joins us to share her motherhood journey, including her challenging pregnancy and planned caesarean section birth with her fraternal twin girls, as well as how she navigated the newborn days with two babies. She shares her feeding journ...

Hello beautiful listeners, today we are chatting all things body image. We grew up in the noughties which was, quite frankly, a shit storm of body shaming, narrow media representation, and unchecked messaging that weight and image somehow related to our value. We reflect on the early experiences that influenced our body image and how we think about our bodies, the impossible social expectations an...

In this episode, we're joined by Joelleen Winduss Paye (she/her), an IBCLC holistic lactation consultant, midwife, naturopath, educator and mother. Joelleen joined us on the podcast to share her journey into motherhood, and how her professional work as a midwife of 13+ years and holistic lactation consult has informed her own decisions around pregnancy, birth and postpartum care.  Joelleen shares...

In today’s episode, we are joined by the incredible Victoria Prince of Prince Dressed - a fashion stylist here in Melbourne / Naarm. Victoria actually interviewed us for a change!  She took us through her styling questionnaire and we learnt SO much about our own personal style and our style inspiration. Victoria went through current style trends with us, shared so many tips on making your wardrobe...

In today’s beautiful episode we are joined by Lilly Lowrey (she/her) @softcentre , a full spectrum birth and postpartum doula who lives on Bunurong Country in the South-Eastern region of Melbourne with her wife Bec (she/her), and their daughter, Minna.  Lilly joins us to share her experience into motherhood and reflects on the first months of her daughter’s life earthside. She shares her journey c...

Hello beautiful listeners, today we have an episode very close to Emma’s heart - a father’s day interview with Em’s own dad, Michael.  ✨️✨️ This felt a bit selfish to record and put out there, to have this incredible memory and recording forever of speaking with my dad of his experience becoming a father and raising me, alongside my mum.  Much of what I try to emulate in my parenting is from how...

Hello beautiful listeners, today Chels and Em are chatting about all things weaning from breastfeeding. At the start of this episode, we are joined by the incredible Joelleen Winduss Paye - an IBCLC holistic lactation consultant (+ midwife, naturopath and educator) who shares her expert insights on the hormonal shifts and emotions that may accompany weaning.  Chels and Em go on to discuss their ow...

Welcome to our next incredible ‘In Your Words’ episode, which is on the topic of co-parenting. In Your Words is a newer segment in which we hear directly from multiple parents about their experiences. Prompted by a beautiful listener, we dedicated this episode to all things co-parenting and were blown away by the wisdom and generosity of the guests who shared their experiences with us, and who you...

Hello beautiful listeners, today we have a really important episode for you all about perinatal mental health in new parents and families. We are joined by the incredible Frances Bilbao, a clinical psychologist, founder of Mums Matters Psychology , and mother of three.  Frances joins us to discuss: The statistics around new parents’ mental health in Australia What experiences or changes may be exp...

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 i...

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.  Cai...

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 pe...

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...

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 j...

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...

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-cu...

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, su...

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 preparati...

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 exper...

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 overse...

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 Awar...