Tales From The Fourth Trimester

 A tricky birth, breastfeeding struggles and the lack of that instant in-love feeling left Chanelle feeling "like a failure". We chat about how the first few months of motherhood shook her, and how she came out the other side.

Babies cost money - but how much exactly, and whether it will stress you out or you'll sail through, depends on your choices and planning. In this ep, I chat to financial advisor Rebecca Pritchard, a mum of one who takes us through what she did and offers advice on where to save and what conversations to have that will help avoid common relationship pitfalls. She's helped me a ton!  If y...

Fiona MacDonald is a journalist and CEO of ScienceAlert - a job she was offered when she was 10 weeks pregnant with her first baby. It meant she would need to return to work, slowly, before her baby turned three months, but Fiona embraced the opportunity... and thrived. She shares her experience with an elective caesarian, avoiding visitors, choosing the right care for her daughter and how a suppo...

Okay, so having a baby in the midst of a global pandemic wasn't exactly what you'd planned. Now what? Join me and Julia Jones, my postpartum doula teacher and wise woman, as we talk practical ideas, emotional support and mindset shifts that can help you have a truly lovely first few weeks and months with your little one. Find out more about Julia's new course, head here , and her po...

Meg Frawley had her birth and postpartum all planned: the Australian had booked in a doula to help her navigate the American medical system in her new home of San Francisco, her parents would fly in from Sydney to help her and her husband adjust to life with a new baby and she'd joined all the local mother's groups. But as Covid-19 hit America, hard, her parents cancelled their trip. And...

This week, Josie Rozenberg-Clarke, editor of pedestrian.tv and mama of a nine week old, messaged me with an idea for an episode: how new mums are dealing with self-isolation during what is often a quite lonely season. "The days feel so long, it's lonely, we're all going stir crazy and if it rains you're literally just cooped up inside," she wrote. "I've had to ca...

I recorded this episode a few weeks back with Monique Llewellyn, a mama of one who runs @holisticluxeliving and https://www.holisticluxeliving.com/ , because I wanted to share ideas for people who are interested in becoming more eco-friendly in their family practices. Well, now, with covid-19 meaning there are restrictions and shortages on disposable nappies, wipes and other options that were prev...

I knew I wanted to have my friend Kelly on the podcast since I started it--not only is she smart and articulate, she's bloody hilarious. A fashion stylist by trade, we bonded while working together at Stellar and I loved how she applies her sense of humour to birth injuries that she's still feeling the effects from. I hope you enjoy Kel's unique perspective on birth and the fourth t...

Thanks for bearing with me while Cathy and I lined up a time to finish our chat! In this second episode, we talk about breastfeeding while starting bottles, introducing solids, returning to work and weaning your little one, plus heaps more. 

What would it feel like to be ill, not just in your first trimester, but throughout your entire pregnancy? To vomit 15 times a day, not be able to keep anything down and continue chucking throughout labour? Caitlin Kay-Smith, of Hyperemesis Gravidarum Australia, shares her experience and how it affected her postpartum (and beyond). Listen in to hear how she had to fight to be believed, why she tri...

Exercise and movement is vital for our mental health, energy levels and getting strong and fit. BUT. If you just have a cursory 6 week check by a GP (who isn't a specialist in pelvic floor health) and then throw yourself back into your beloved pre-baby workouts, you could be in for trouble. I asked Sarah Fehlberg, a personal trainer and naturopath, to tell us exactly how to get back into exer...

A couple of months ago, Ree sent me a sweet DM saying how much she loved this podcast - and sharing her thoughts in response to something I'd wondered about being in a same-sex relationship. "I'm in a same-sex relationship, and for us the dynamic is much the same as a heterosexual couple..." But then there's the roles they play, how family and society sees them, and how he...

A complicated pregnancy, a premature baby and a very difficult birth that led to both of them fighting for their lives: Jen Dawson started postpartum first time around very much on the back foot (and that's before she found out she was going to be posted overseas to a country where she didn't speak the language or know anyone). Yet her postpartum with her next child, a daughter, was &quo...

Cathy Shortt helps mums on their breast and bottle feeding journeys every day of the week - and she's a midwife, too. I asked her to share all her best advice, recommendations and tips for mamas to be, mums in the thick of it and mothers down the track whose feeding journeys are evolving. Plus, she answers your questions - although we didn't get a chance to talk about all of them, so loo...

I'm 15 weeks pregnant! In this episode, I'm talking about how I tried to mentally and physically prepare to get pregnant again (including dealing with some birth trauma and finding great care providers) and how the last few months have been going. 

A self-confessed "anal Virgo", Courtney found herself veering away from her own expectations of parenthood after she gave birth to her daughter. She'd imagined order, routine and schedule; she found something quite different. And despite being in a relationship with her husband for 15 years before having her baby, it didn't insure the couple from the changes and challenges most...

Jessica is a singer-songwriter, author and poet. She's also a mum - and an example of how motherhood and creativity don't need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, her experience shows just how becoming a parent can open up a new layer of inspiration. Madre, the book of poetry that Jessica began during her postpartum (available here ) is a raw account of the magic, mystery and unravelling...

"How can you be confident when your parenting methods and values don't align with the "norm"?" When this question popped up on my Instagram, I knew that it would make a great podcast topic--and that Jade Cottee would be a great person to help me answer it. Whatever choices you make in your parenting, learning how to feel good about them--and how to deal with any flak you m...

Sonia Shoukath is a physiotherapist, mum of two and one of my mother's group alumni. When she told me about her postpartum experience, I remember feeling envious: her Indian mother lavished her with care, attention and food, with Sonia moving in with her parents to experience a modern take on the traditions her mother had herself experienced in Kerala. Here Sonia shares that period in her lif...

Many of you will know Leigh Campbell through her popular podcasts (This Glorious Mess Little Kids and You Beauty), via her work for Mamamia and from Instagram, where she "snackfluences" and shares snippets of life with her delicious baby, Alexander. In this epsiode, we dive deep into her fertility struggles, perinatal anxiety, breastfeeding challenges, relationship changes and the strang...

The final episode in this series, I sit down with my husband for some real talk on how our relationship changed after having a baby--and why it ended up being the best thing that could have happened. 

Emily Fishman is a mother of four, including a set of 18 month old twins. While she's had three different postpartum experiences, the common theme has been a big strain on her relationship - both with her ex-husband and current partner.  Emily and I chat about how birth and breastfeeding can result in an overwhelming sense of responsibility and loss of freedom, feeling resentful when partners...

Eavesdrop on a candid conversation with one of my oldest (and most honest) girlfriends, Chloe. We talk all things sex and relationships around bedsharing, military marriages, libido loss, kids walking in on you, getting back in your body, love languages, prolapses, queefing and SO much more. 

Ooft. This was hard to record, you guys - but I did it, and I wasn't even drunk! In this episode, I (over)share about how I navigated sex and my relationship after I had my daughter in this second part of this special series. Show notes The mental load article:   https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a12063822/emotional-labor-gender-equality/ The Esther Perel book: https://www.bookto...

You asked for it, so here it is! A series of podcasts deep diving into what happens to your intimate relationship and sexual life after you have a baby (or three!). In this episode, I asked Dasha Clarke, a relationship doula, to share her thoughts on what the hell goes wrong when you have a baby, the particular stresses on a postpartum relationship - and the silver lining/opportunity that postpart...