Survive & Thrive

Becoming a parent can change your perspective on the world and bring strong emotions to the surface.  It can also prompt you to look within, to turn to the example that was set for you as a child.  And if you have a complicated relationship with your own parents – or they’re not around – who do you turn to when you start wondering “Am I going about this the right way?”  Chris Jephcott found himsel...

“My biggest fear was being isolated. I was having to give up my work. None of my friends had kids. I didn't think that our friendships would be the same after I had a kid.”  Adelaide moved away from her friends and family to regional Victoria just before she fell pregnant with her first child.  When her mental health took a turn, she found the services in her new hometown weren’t exactly able to h...

Birthing on Country is about choice, and the power that comes from making your own choice.  For some First Nations women it might be the choice to birth safely on the lands of their ancestors, instead of travelling thousands of kilometres away to a hospital where they don’t speak the language.  For others it might be bringing a symbol of their homelands with them into the hospital, or having their...

This grounding exercise aims to release tension from your body, adapted from Paul Gilbert’s ‘Simple Body Scan and Relaxation’ based on compassion-focused therapy.  If you’re feeling wound up, this is a short body-based exercise for stress relief.  Return to this exercise whenever you need.    Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast, produced by Deadset Studios  Visit panda.org.au for more support. ...

This grounding exercise is designed to help you focus on your breathing, adapted from Paul Gilbert’s ‘Soothing Rhythm Breathing’ based on compassion-focused therapy.  When you slow down your breath, you can slow down your racing mind. It can help you feel centered and counteract stress.  Return to this exercise whenever you need.     Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast, produced by Deadset Studi...

Alex Fisher stood in the doorway of the hospital room holding her daughter Luca, just moments old, as her wife Lauren was rushed into emergency surgery for a massive haemorrhage. Her mind turned to the worst-case scenario. Would Lauren make it?  The first few years of parenthood had been tough for both of them, and Alex had tried to stay strong for Lauren, who had perinatal anxiety and depression...

Emma thought she would slip into parenthood as naturally as anyone. She’d been around young kids her whole life and could change a nappy by the time she was 12.  But when the moment arrived, it was nothing like she expected. Mental health and fertility challenges had contributed new fears and ambivalence to Emma’s entry into motherhood  – it wasn’t the love bubble joy she was expecting.  It turns...

There’s strength in numbers, and for solo parents that rings especially true.  We all have those new parent moments where you feel totally isolated.  And when you’re doing things on your own, without a partner or close family, that feeling can be intensified.   When you find yourself as a single mum or dad, in lots of ways you’ve got to build your own path forward, and re-think how all the standar...

When PANDA began in Ann Lanigan’s Melbourne lounge room in the 1980s, there was nothing else like it in the country.   Ann experienced postnatal depression after the birth of her third child, and only got the help she needed by pure luck. And that’s how she describes the perinatal mental health system at the time – a total lottery, with very few parents getting the treatment they needed.   But dur...

Melissa was born in Malaysia but has lived in Melbourne since she was a kid. When she became a mum herself, confinement seemed like a natural thing for her to do.   What confinement – or “sitting the month” looks like changes slightly from culture to culture, but broadly it involves rallying around a mum who’s just given birth, to make sure that not only the baby is safe and cared for, but the mum...

The sleepless nights and hormonal dysregulation of early parenthood can be a minefield if you’re living with an existing mental health condition.    Like Renee Knight, who’d experienced depression in her teens, but didn’t anticipate the impact becoming a mother would have on her mental health.   Because there are so many questions. Which medications are safe? How will I navigate new triggers? How...

It took Donna a long time to decipher exactly what her intrusive thoughts meant.    She had them before her son was born, but when he arrived the thoughts became much louder.  But because they almost felt normal to her, she didn't know that they were a sign of something bigger.   Sometimes they might feel silly, sometimes they can feel serious and very worrying.  They can be a symptom of anxiety....

So many of us go through perinatal anxiety and depression as expecting and new parents.   But even though it’s something so many of us go through, it can be difficult to reach out when you’re struggling.  And that’s where Survive & Thrive comes in.   When you feel like you're doing it all on your own, or you don't know how to tell the people in your life how tough things really are, Survive &a...

The big changes that come with a new baby can affect everyone in your family differently.   Of course, there can be lots of excitement in anticipation of lovely cuddles with your newest family member, but there are some complicated feelings that might come up too.  Everyone’s family looks different, but there’s often an expectation that this will be a time of  total joy and togetherness. In realit...

In this month’s Survive and Thrive podcast, our host Alice chats to Deb about unexpected birth experiences, and looking after ourselves around those birth experiences while juggling a newborn. Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast. Visit panda.org.au for more support. Speak to PANDA: Call the PANDA Helpline on 1300 726 306 (9am-7:30pm Monday-Saturday AEST). The Helpline provides a safe and confide...

"Taking time for yourself is not just OK – it’s essential." People often come into parenting with high hopes and expectations of how they will be as parents and try really hard to be the best parent they can be. But what does this mean? How can you be a good parent, mind your mental health and not put too much pressure on yourself to meet unrealistic expectations? In this month’s podcast, Alice ch...

In this bonus episode, PANDA Helpline Counsellor Helen guides you through surfing the emotional wave after feeling strong emotions, and grounding yourself in the present moment. Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast. Visit panda.org.au for more support. Speak to PANDA: Call the PANDA Helpline on 1300 726 306 (9am-7:30pm Monday-Saturday AEST). The Helpline provides a safe and confidential space for...

The journey to becoming a parent can be exciting and joyful, but there can also be other feelings like sadness, boredom, loneliness or frustration. For many expecting and new parents, this comes as a shock, as these so-called negative feelings aren’t talked about very much. But as this conversation with our guest Khai shows, these feelings are extremely common, and even though it can be hard, it’s...

Every parent experiences frustration or overwhelm, and it can often be tricky to manage those feelings in the moment. Strong emotions can bubble up as fast as your baby can wake after finally going to sleep. In this bonus episode, we explore making your own management plan for these moments. Guided by PANDA Helpline counsellor Helen. We’ll be releasing more bonus episodes with helpful exercises fo...

Becoming a parent can be exciting but it can also bring a whole new level of worry into your life. All of a sudden you have a small human to look after! This first episode of ‘Survive and Thrive’ explores Catherine’s story of becoming a mum, and how she managed anxiety during her journey. Catherine talks openly and honestly with our host Alice about what prompted her feelings of anxiety, how she g...

Survive and Thrive is PANDA’s first podcast for expecting and new parents. We’re going to be talking about some of the feelings and changes that come with parenthood that maybe don’t get talked about enough. Every episode, we’ll be speaking with a parent who has real experiences to share, and practical tips that they’ve learned from coming out the other side. Survive and Thrive - subscribe for upd...