The Postpartum Season

In this episode of The Postpartum Season 2026 Educational Series, Dr Eliza Hannam, GP, IBCLC, NDC-accredited practitioner and founder of Nurtured Medical, joins me to discuss normal infant sleep, realistic expectations, responsive settling and supporting parental wellbeing. We discuss: Dr Hannam experience of becoming a mother and feeling unprepared for newborn sleep despite her medical training H...

In this episode, Laura shares her experience of becoming a mum to Billie, including an unexpected caesarean birth, feeding challenges, physical recovery and balancing motherhood with running a business. We discuss: Laura's journey into motherhood and deciding when to start a family Navigating the decision to have a baby while running a business with her husband Feeling excited about motherhood...

In this episode of The Postpartum Season 2026 Educational Series, Dr Kate Jenkins, GP and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), joins me to discuss preparing for feeding, navigating common breastfeeding challenges, and the importance of supporting parental mental health. We discuss: Kate's work as a GP and IBCLC, and her interest in breastfeeding medicine Her own challeng...

In this episode, Jes shares her experience of severe postpartum anxiety, the challenges of accessing perinatal mental health care, and how her journey eventually inspired her to create The Jellybean Gym — a space supporting both young children and their parents. We discuss: Jes's experience of a difficult pregnancy with persistent nausea and vomiting Discovering her daughter was breech at 37 w...

In this episode, Tayla shares her two postpartum experiences, including recovering from caesarean births, choosing to formula feed, navigating postpartum anxiety and returning to paid work earlier than she had hoped. We discuss: Finding out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with her first daughter, Emily Becoming a mother without a relationship with her own mum The enormous support Tayla has rece...

In this episode, George shares her experience of an unplanned caesarean, adjusting to her postpartum body, finding community and learning to surrender to the realities of new motherhood. We discuss: Finding out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with Teddy Deciding there may never be a “right time” to become parents Living in Sydney while most of George's family are in Tasmania Realising how impor...

In this bonus episode of The Postpartum Season, I’m joined by Tegan Gilchrist, a senior director at The Parenthood, an Australian advocacy organisation campaigning for the social and economic infrastructure parents need to make life work for modern families. Tegan shares some of the challenges facing parents today, including the tension between work and caring responsibilities in the context of sy...

In this episode, Caitlin shares her experience of becoming a mother while living overseas without family nearby, mothering without her own mum, and how motherhood has changed her perspective as a NICU nurse. We discuss: Finding out she was pregnant with Maeve Caitlin’s experience of pregnancy as a NICU nurse and feeling that sometimes she “knows too much” The balance between being informed and bec...

In this episode, Lucia shares the story of becoming a mother to Edmund, losing him after 40 days in NICU, and how his life profoundly shaped her experience of motherhood, grief and matrescence. We discuss: Lucia’s journey towards deciding she wanted to become a mother Her waters breaking at 24 weeks Spending two weeks in hospital on bed rest The feelings of fear, sadness and that her body had fail...

In this episode, Hannah shares her three postpartum experiences and reflects on how becoming a mother ultimately led her to her work as a perinatal counsellor. We discuss: Becoming a mum unexpectedly at 26 Preparing extensively for birth but very little for postpartum Hannah’s first birth and the early postpartum period Navigating postpartum with a partner who had to return to work after only a co...

In this episode, Emma shares her experiences of premature birth, pregnancy loss, NICU and navigating two incredibly challenging postpartum seasons. We discuss: Developing severe preeclampsia during Emma’s first pregnancy Her son being born unexpectedly at 32 weeks An emergency caesarean under general anaesthetic Waiting 19 hours to meet her baby for the first time Navigating NICU and special care...

In this episode, Lu shares her experiences of becoming a mum to Ray and Posie, and how motherhood has shaped her relationship with work, identity and what she values most. We discuss: Ray arriving unexpectedly four weeks early Ray spending his first week in special care and the difficulty of leaving hospital without her baby Establishing breastfeeding and the support Lu received from the midwives...

In this episode, Lilly shares her postpartum experiences with her two boys, Roo and Franklin. We discuss: Becoming a mother after years of supporting women as a midwife Roo’s emergency caesarean birth under general anaesthetic Processing an unexpected birth experience and wanting to “make up for lost time” The intense vulnerability and hormonal shifts of early postpartum Lilly’s unexpected instinc...

In this episode, Hannah shares her two very different postpartum experiences with her sons, Hugo and Oscar. We discuss: Preparing extensively for birth but very little for postpartum A long and traumatic first birth involving forceps and an episiotomy The reality of a slow and painful postpartum recovery Learning to breastfeed and seeking support from a lactation consultant Anxiety around Hugo’s w...

In this episode, Sasha shares her experiences of becoming a mum to her three children, Elke, Remi and Bowie, and reflects on how different each of her postpartum seasons has been. We discuss: ​The baby blues and adjusting to motherhood for the first time ​The pressure to “bounce back” and prove that life hadn’t changed after having a baby ​Returning to paid work and the impact on Sasha’s mental he...

In this episode, we discuss: Becoming a mother for the first time Feeling underprepared for the realities of postpartum Physical recovery after birth and adjusting to life with a newborn Why society still doesn't talk openly enough about postpartum A difficult breastfeeding experience with her first baby Mum guilt and the mental load of parenting Learning to give yourself grace in motherhood Why c...

In this episode, we discuss: Looking forward to motherhood and preparing for postpartum An unexpected emergency caesarean birth under general anaesthetic Meeting Joey for the first time after waking from surgery Feeling pressure to experience an instant connection with your baby Postpartum anxiety during the early weeks How social media influenced expectations of motherhood Processing birth trauma...

In this episode, we discuss: Preparing for birth compared with preparing for postpartum Experiencing postpartum anxiety Seeking professional support and asking for help The transition from one child to two Returning to paid work after maternity leave Mum guilt, self-doubt and balancing work with family life Realising that flexible workplaces can make all the difference Why mothers don't need to ch...

  In this episode, we discuss: Feeling unprepared for postpartum despite preparing for birth Meeting her son for the first time Struggling to feel an immediate connection after birth Experiencing the baby blues following a postpartum haemorrhage The impact of low iron on her mental wellbeing Seeking support through healthcare professionals, psychology and her partner Grieving her pre-baby life whi...

In this episode, we discuss: Becoming a mum of two A challenging first postpartum experience Sleep deprivation and parenting a baby with a more challenging temperament Feeling validated and supported through residential parenting support Welcoming her second baby via an emergency caesarean under general anaesthetic Recovering from birth while grieving the loss of her dad The transition from one ch...

In this episode, we discuss: Alex's journey to motherhood while living overseas The days leading up to birth and becoming a first-time mum Recovering from a third-degree tear The shock of early postpartum and adjusting to life with a newborn The identity changes that accompany motherhood Initially resisting motherhood before embracing her new role Returning home with a newborn while living awa...

In this episode, Chelsea shares: Becoming a mother during the COVID pandemic  Her postpartum experiences with both of her boys Anxiety and mum guilt in early motherhood The transition from one child to two Why carving out time for yourself matters Running, boundaries, and showing up as your best self How motherhood changed her values and priorities Building Little Luxury alongside raising young ch...

In this episode, Paige shares her postpartum journey with her twins. We discuss: - Miscarriage and fertility treatment - Finding out she was expecting twins - Learning at 20 weeks that her daughter had a lung lesion - Living in survival mode during a complicated pregnancy - Delivering her twins at 34 weeks - Meeting her son and daughter for the first time - Her daughter’s surgery shortly after bir...

In this episode, Jenae shares: - Reaching 41 weeks before labour began - Labour starting after her waters broke overnight - Living 45 minutes from the hospital and travelling in labour - Acupuncture and other attempts to encourage labour progression - Giving birth to her son, Lucas - Experiencing an immediate postpartum haemorrhage - A delayed postpartum haemorrhage and ongoing recovery - Physical...

In this episode, Sonya shares: Becoming a mother after an unexpected pregnancy Returning to New Zealand after living in London Navigating pregnancy and postpartum during COVID The emotional impact of becoming the first parent among her friendship group Her experience of labour and birth with her daughter Odette Early postpartum challenges, cluster feeding and newborn life The importance of communi...