Tales From The Fourth Trimester

Jo's a get-shit-done kind of woman, who prides herself on being up with the latest restaurants, talks and cultural happenings around town. At least, she did. Then she stopped work, had a baby and her mum moved in with her and her partner. Faced with the Chinese tradition of confinement, Jo found herself in a very different world all of a sudden. In this episode, she shares why her mum's...

You might have heard me talking about Annabel Crabb's fantastic Quarterly Essay on the state of working parenthood. There was plenty of hope and one particular case study stood out - of a man whose work offered him a whopping six months of parental leave on full pay when his fourth child was born. Well, that man's wife reached out to me on Instagram, describing it as a miracle - and now...

I'm chatting to myself this episode! A lot of you wanted to hear my thoughts on what happens when you feel let down by the people close to you and how to deal with it. I'm far from an expert, but I'm sharing some of my experience and what I'd do differently. Plus! You wanted some ideas on how to make new parent friends - after all, one of the big bonuses of having kids is that...

What a pleasure it was to have Heidi Sze of Apples Under My Bed--and new book Nurturing Your New Life--join me in this episode to talk about her two, quite different postpartum periods with her children Joan and Walt, the food that's fuelled her motherhood journey and how she uses her blog and Instagram to get real about motherhood. We cover everything from building community to dealing with...

I learned so much from my conversation with Nikki, an old work friend who converted to Judaism after meeting her now-husband. She lets us in on what life is like as an observant Jewish woman, and we talk about everything from sex and periods to rituals and the mental load. I could have talked to Nikki for HOURS - I hope you find her perspective as interesting as I did. 

It took four years for Sophie Gleitzman to fall pregnant. It took only moments at her 19 weeks scan for her to realise that her much-wanted baby's life might be at risk. As it turned out, her son, Jack (now a happy and healthy two year old) needed heart surgery soon after he was born and Sophie's motherhood journey began in the NICU. But while the intensity of life in the NICU was often...

Doula, mother and kickass writer of Instagram captions, Rachael Rose has long been my Instagram crush. I'd heard bits and pieces of her motherhood story, I'd slid into her DMs but for this episode I met her in person to hear the whole story. From standing up against the hospital system to becoming a badass breastfeeder despite a rocky start (and a foray into 'anxiety death bubbles&a...

Can motherhood be a spiritual journey? How does becoming a parent act as a catalyst for personal growth? Claire Obeid, life and wellness coach and mother of two, joins me to share how becoming a mother humbled her and gave her new power. 

*Trigger warning: SIDS and infant mortality* In years gone by, the message has been loud and clear: bedsharing kills babies. But what does the science say? And why are big organisations like Unicef and the UK's Lullaby Trust now promoting safe bedsharing? Can you ever be safe when you sleep with your baby? And if you're part of the 75% of parents who do fall asleep with their babies at s...

This man has done so much for our understanding of the way newborns develop, what their needs are--and how to meet them without losing our minds! He brought the term 'the fourth trimester' into the mainstream and his ideas on the famous '5 S's' are to thank for the resurgence in swaddling babies, white noise machines and more. And now he's taken it to the next level w...

Dasha Clarke is a relationship doula who specialises in coaching couples through the challenges of early parenthood, and a mother of two boys. I was so moved that she chose to share her story of coming into motherhood, redefining her relationship and then being hit by a bombshell when her second baby was just a month old and he was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The way Dasha handled and continue...

Hannah is my naturopath in Sydney's inner west and she formulated the Milky Tea that we're releasing this week! (Orders open on Tuesday). I only wish I'd found her sooner: I didn't meet her (or see a naturopath since before I fell pregnant) until Margot was four months old. She's got no-nonsense advice on how to set up for a great postpartum and super practical suggestions...

In this week's episode, I interview Alana, a mum of two living and working in New York City. During her twenties, Alana imagined that having a baby wouldn't interfere much with her life and career--she'd schedule a c-section and get on with it. But yoga teacher training just before her wedding--and an introduction to natural birth--changed her plans. Alana shares how, with the help...

Jocelyn Brewer is a psychologist and expert in "digital nutrition". She's also a mum to a two and a bit year old, so she's navigating the same challenges most of us are: how much screen time is too much? Is all our mindless scrolling while breastfeeding doing damage? And is it okay to have a crush on Bandit, Bluey's dad?  Our chat covers a lot: we start with Jocelyn's...

Megan Gale is one of Australia's most recognisable faces, having graced our screens, billboards and magazines for two decades. But while her life might look shiny and perfect, Megan's the first to admit that first-time motherhood tested her like nothing else - and when it came to falling pregnant a second time, her experience changed the course of her life and career. In this episode, Me...

Sophie Lazarski cooks for new mums over in Paris - yes, like I do for the mamas of Sydney! I was thrilled to discover Sophie and her work and despite the prohibitive time difference she's become a great sounding board and buddy... we love talking about what to make for new mums. So I wanted to get her on to talk about how she got into this work (hint: she has two boys and is an ex-pat) as wel...

When Laura and her new husband decided to get pregnant, things started off smoothly. Having type 1 diabetes she knew she'd have to be extra careful, but all seemed well. As you'll hear in this episode, though, the road to having a baby had a few bumps. What was to come once Laura, an architect, welcomed Freddy into the world was the most unexpected part: trauma from an accident resurface...

When I first met Monique, I was six months postpartum. Her yoga classes really helped me find my feet, get moving and ease into motherhood--so it was a huge honour when she asked me to be her postpartum doula for her third baby, Artie. In this episode, Mon and I have an unfiltered chat about mental health, yoga, food, pelvic floor control (or lack thereof!), therapy and what changed for her over t...

Karlie Rutherford is a journalist for one of Australia's biggest daily newspapers. When pregnancy complications forced her to slow down before her first daughter was born, she thought it had a silver lining: she was being placed in good stead for a life beyond deadlines and hectic schedules. Nevertheless, she was surprised by the huge identity shift motherhood brought. Karlie shares how she h...

Caitlin was prepped for birth and breastfeeding - but admits when it came to beyond that, she just hadn't thought about it. Without any family in the country, a husband who even take the day off when their son was born, recovering from an episiotomy and adjusting to life with a new baby without that support - it all took it's toll. But as Caitlin shares, it was a whole different story th...

If you're an expectant mama, you neeeeeed to listen to this episode! I chatted to Alicia, a gorgeous midwife in the Victorian public health system, about how to get the best from the first few days after you've given birth - and how to make the most of hospital care. 

Chloe's an old friend of mine who's had two beautiful daughters and is pregnant with another baby due later this year. But before this pregnancy, Chloe experienced two miscarriages, including a late loss. We talk (and cry) about having a newborn when your partner's in the armed forces, what people don't tell you about losing a pregnancy and how you still go through a postpartum...

A woman who cooks special food for you, takes care of the baby so you can rest and plays with your toddler: no, not an angel but a confinement nanny in the Chinese tradition. I chat to mum of two, Shez Lee, about her experience with hiring live-in help and how it utterly transformed her postpartum period the second time around. 

Bron was my home visiting midwife and beacon of hope in the early days of bleary-eyed motherhood - she's a bloody gem. We chat about all things postpartum, including her advice for sleep and settling, feeding and finding your way. 

If you've checked out my Instagram, you've probably seen evidence of my less-than-picture-perfect postpartum. The first weeks at home with my new baby were beautiful, brutal and, ultimately, what set me on an entirely new career path. I'm Naomi Chrisoulakis and I'm a postpartum doula and cook. This podcast is dedicated to the fourth trimester--sharing stories and wisdom about w...