The After Birth Podcast

In today's episode, we chat with the beautiful Elle and Daisy from The Whole Bowl Co in Sydney, Australia. The Whole Bowl Co. is a meal delivery service for postpartum mums and their families that provides nutrient dense food that is practical and delicious. Co-founded by two close friends, this small business has come a long way since it came to fruition and is supporting families in NSW, QLD, VIC and ACT. Their philosophy is that the postpartum period is a time for mum and bub to bond with as little stress as possible. It is also a crucial time for nutritional replenishment and physical healing. Their postpartum meals are created with this in mind and their recipes and ingredients are nutritionist-approved, made using wholefoods, and cooked to perfection in small batches. Elle is a mother of two and chats to us about her two postpartum experiences, telling us the story of her first postpartum in a way that sounded all too familiar and relatable. She went into motherhood believing she knew all the things but eventually discovered just how challenging it can be. After her first experience, and cooking for her friends and family members having babies, Elle and Daisy came up with the idea of The Whole Bowl Co. Daisy is a qualified and accredited nutritionist who is 34 weeks pregnant with her first baby and is extremely passionate about cooking nutritious foods that nourish new mums. She talks to us about navigating pregnancy and running a business and what it's like to plan postpartum when you are immersed in a community that specialises in this field. Together, Elle and Daisy have created something so beautiful and in demand. High quality, nutritious, heart-cantered food for the people who need it most - new mamas. You can check out their amazing menu via their website and IG Our listeners can subscribe to their newsletter to receive a discount code that will provide you with 10% off your first order. https://thewholebowlco.com.au/ Main IG: @thewholebowlco Daisy's IG: @daisybethmansonchong As always, if you would like to share your postpartum experience or you are a professional in space please reach out Email: [email protected] IG: theafterbirth_pod

We have released Lisette's story this week and last week in light of Red Nose Day (@rednoseaustralia). Red Nose Australia aim to save little lives through research and education, and support those who are impacted by the death of a little one in pregnancy, infancy or childhood. If you have the capacity to donate to this incredibly important cause, you can do so via their Instagram page or website www.rednoseday.org.au Please note that today’s episode is a very emotional and sensitive one as we discuss full-term pregnancy and infant loss. If you do not feel like you are in a headspace to listen to this episode please skip ahead and come back whenever you’re ready. In part two of Lisette's story, we talk about her subsequent two pregnancies and postpartum after the tragic loss of her daughter Belle at 40 weeks pregnant, as well as a chemical pregnancy she experienced not long after losing Belle. Lisette and her husband escaped overseas to channel their grief into an adventure they had always wanted to do, the Camino Trail. Lisette shares with us all the beautiful synchronicities that they were shown on this trip, reminders of their beautiful baby girl. Unfortunately, on the way home, Lisette experienced a chemical pregnancy and this part of the story segues into a discussion about sex after birth. Lisette is very vulnerable and open when talking about this and shares that she and her husband were intimate very soon after the loss of Isabelle. Two weeks after returning home, Lisette discovered she was pregnant with their second baby, due on the exact same due date as Isabelle only one year later. Understandably, Lisette opted to have him earlier via a C-section at 36 weeks, completely supported by her care team, the same team she had for the pregnancy and birth of Isabelle. Lisette's postpartum with Cooper was challenging as she faced oversupply, loss of identity, and guilt for struggling with and loving postpartum, while also holding space for her grief. Lisette tells us that Cooper saved her life. Eventually, her family fell into a beautiful rhythm and they decided to wait a while before having another baby so that they could have time to process everything. Surprisingly though, Lisette found out she was pregnant again and eventually gave birth to her daughter Luella when Cooper was 22 months. Lisette's pregnancy with Lulu was similar to Cooper's and she opted for a selective C-section at 38 weeks. Her postpartum with Lulu was peaceful and Lisette was finally able to experience a beautiful baby bubble. She learned to sit with the guilt and the grief, whilst also hold space for all of her children and experiences. After her pregnancy with Luella, Lisette began EMDR therapy which she tells us has been incredibly helpful for her. Lisette leaves us with some beautiful advice about holding space for others who are going through the loss of an infant. She talks about starting the conversation around loss with the people who want to talk about it, and about remembering the ones we lost through connection and sharing. Lisette hopes to help others through her experiences and you can find her on IG: lisettebrock A message from us: If you or someone you are close to has experienced or is experiencing pregnancy or infant loss under whatever circumstances, please know that our hearts are with you and we are so incredibly sorry for your loss. Below are some links which may be helpful to you if you are impacted by any of the themes from today's episode Red Nose Australia (@rednoseaustralia) PANDA (@pandanational) Gidget Foundation (@gidgetfoundation) Heartfelt Photography (@heartfelt_ausnz) Precious Wings Qld (@preciouswingsqld) As always, please reach out to us via our socials (@theafterbirth_pod) if you would like to comment on today's episode or share your own story with us. Big love, Jazz & Liv

We are releasing Lisette's story this week in light of the fact that this Saturday is Red Nose Day (@rednoseaustralia). Red Nose Australia aim to save little lives through research and education, and support those who are impacted by the death of a little one in pregnancy, infancy or childhood. If you have the capacity to donate to this incredibly important cause, you can do so via their instagram page or website www.rednoseday.org.au Please note that today’s episode is a very emotional and sensitive one as we discuss full-term pregnancy and infant loss. If you do not feel like you are in a headspace to listen to this episode please skip ahead and come back whenever you’re ready. Season 2 Episode 10 Our guest in today's special 2 part episode (part 2 to be released next week) is Lisette Brock, mum of 3 and Registered Nurse from Brisbane. Lisette & her husband Ben’s entry into parenthood is a story that many would describe as their worst nightmare, with the full-term pregnancy loss and subsequent stillbirth of their first daughter Isabelle. The birth and postnatal experience that followed this loss are a story of unwavering and awe inspiring love for their daughter and each other, a deep desire to make something more meaningful out of their experience and a testament to the village that wrapped Lisette, Ben and Isabelle in their arms and helped them navigate unchartered paths through grief and an unexpected but very much wanted second pregnancy soon after. In Part 2 of Lisette’s episode, we talk about her subsequent two pregnancies and postpartum experiences and how she navigated the grief and inevitable anxiety after the heartbreaking loss of her first daughter. Lisette tells her story with vulnerability, humour and incredible strength and we are so grateful to her for sharing this part of her journey with us. A message from us: If you or someone you are close to has experienced or is experiencing pregnancy or infant loss under whatever circumstances, please know that our hearts are with you and we are so incredibly sorry for your loss. Below are some links which may be helpful to you if you are impacted by any of the themes from today's episode Red Nose Australia (@rednoseaustralia) PANDA (@pandanational) Gidget Foundation (@gidgetfoundation) Heartfelt Photography (@heartfelt_ausnz) Precious Wings Qld (@preciouswingsqld) As always, please reach out to us via our socials (@theafterbirth_pod) if you would like to comment on today's episode or share your own story with us. Big love, Jazz & Liv

In today's episode we chat with Jane, a Perinatal Mental Health Occupational Therapist working alongside Bec Black at The Mindful Birth Movement in Melbourne, Victoria. Jane has two beautiful children that are 15 months apart, and she talks about how her postpartum experiences with both of them were challenging for different reasons. When Jane gave birth to her first child Jemima it was in the thick of covid times and restrictions. After birth, Jane's partner could only stay for 2 hours before leaving Jane alone in the hospital. At this time, Jane struggled to care for her baby due to birth injuries caused by forceps, an episiotomy, and a 2nd-degree tear, and she was bed bound for 12 hours. Jane felt helpless whilst lying in her hospital bed, unable to pick up her baby because she was in so much pain and felt unsupported at the beginning of her breastfeeding journey due to only receiving basic care from the midwives. This resulted in Jane not having adequate education about how to breastfeed, and she ended up having bouts of mastitis, experiencing a lot of pain both in her breast and her shoulder blade due to incorrect positioning while feeding. Jane's first year of motherhood involved being in and out of lockdowns and a cold winter that kept her indoors with her baby and thoughts. In June, she found out she was pregnant with her son and had to navigate pregnancy whilst caring for Jemima. Due to her previous experience during her first pregnancy and birth, Jane experienced anxiety around her second postpartum journey with her son Romy, fearing more lockdowns and a lack of partner support due to restrictions. Eventually, she was able to connect with other mums online, which led to in-person catch ups. Jane's second postpartum was challenging and overstimulating. She noticed serious psychological changes within herself and realised how much a woman's brain changes after a baby. She began to experience brain fog, rage, and intrusive thoughts, all coming to a head one afternoon. Jane's postpartum experiences inspired her to lean into the industry she is now in. With a background in child and youth psychology and health care, Jane has always been passionate about helping people in the mental health space, and now she gets to do it for mums who are experiencing all kinds sof challenges. We hope you enjoy this beautiful episode. Please reach out if you would like to share your story or advice in the postpartum space. IG: theafterbirth_pod Email: [email protected] Resources/Practitioners Mentioned: The Mindful Birth Movement Owned by Rebecca Black IG: @theminfdulbirthmovement Dr Pam - Infant Care, Possums Program and Neuroprotective Developmental Care IG: @drpameladouglas Matrescence Matters by Sarah Aston IG: matrescencematters Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better) by Dr Sarah McKay IG: @drsarahmckay

In today's episode, we chat with Bec, a first-time mum of two beautiful identical twin girls. Bec's journey to motherhood was challenging; she had to navigate multiple rounds of IVF, eventually falling pregnant with her twins and due to the journey leading up to her pregnancy, Bec struggled with anxieties throughout her pregnancy and into her postpartum. 2 months before her due date, Bec went into labour while she had COVID and gave birth to her daughters prematurely. This resulted in a week long stay in NICU and then three weeks in special care before going home under the NEDS Service (Neonatal Early Discharge Service.) NEDS gave Bec and her partner the opportunity to take the twins home where they would tube feed them and integrate them into their home environment. When in NICU and Special Care, Bec struggled to find support within the hospital because due to being unvaccinated, she wasn't allowed to interact without parents or access the Ronald McDonald House. This was very isolating for her and really affected her first month as a mum, Bec's feeding journey took time and commitment due to her milk taking a week to come in. She was pumping around the clock and grew an aversion towards it that resulted in intrusive thoughts and actions towards herself. Eventually, Bec's milk supply dropped and she didn't have enough to sustain both of the girls, so she accessed donated milk through the Facebook group 'Human Milk 4 Human Babies.' Being a first time mum in the thick of motherhood with twins, Bec has learned a lot, believing that education is power and everything she has learned from this experience will help her in the future. She has so much knowledge about paediatric care due to NEDS and also did much research prior to postpartum so that she was prepared for the "what if's." We hope you enjoy this episode As always, if you would like to share your story or you are a professional with some helpful advice in this space, please reach out to us. IG: theafterbirth_pod Email: [email protected]

In today's episode, we chat with U-Fhern, owner and founder of Elan House of Wellness, a Melbourne based business dedicated to helping women navigate the early stages of motherhood with confidence and clarity, moving back to a community-based model of care through a contemporary interpretation of the ancient Chinese tradition of ‘sitting the month’ (坐月子 – zuò yuè zi).   U-Fhern is a mother of 4 beautiful children; Juliette aged 6, Keira aged 4, Layton aged 2 and Maxwell, who is 7 months old. U-Fhern followed the traditional Chinese confinement period in varying ways with all four children and had support from her mother, aunt, a doula, and a live-in nanny. We talk about the disconnect amongst women in the Western world and how the mother should always be at the centre of care and nourishment during the first 30-60 days after birth because this is our most vulnerable state. U-Fhern also talks about the different aspects of confinement that she had to navigate such as boundaries, connection to her support people and how lockdown was a blessing in disguise for her. Elan House of Wellness offers the ultimate pregnancy and postpartum selection of snacks and food supplies, combining nutrient dense ingredients into delicious and satisfying snacks that offer restorative nutrition, as well as mother and baby oils, mists, and moisturisers. They also supply an incredibly supportive postpartum planning workbook, all delivered Australia wide. You can find U-Fhern's amazing offerings over at: IG: @elan.houseofwellness Website: https://elan.house/ We hope you love this episode as much as we do and that you walk away from it with the mindset that the mother is truly at the centre of everything. May this find you and remind you to implement a period of rest and restoration in your 4th Trimester. As always, if you would like to come on and tell your story, or you are a professional with advice you can contact us via: IG: theafterbirth.po Email: [email protected]

In today's episode, we speak with Jordan, a first-time mum of a beautiful baby girl named Remi. Jordan and her family live in rural NSW and as a result, didn't receive any in-home midwife visits after the birth of Remi. As a first-time mum, Jordan's first week consisted of the general challenges we face however, by day five she was experiencing flu-like symptoms that turned out to be mastitis - an inflammation of breast tissue due to bacteria, resulting in a blocked milk duct. Jordan was unaware of what mastitis was or how to resolve it, so she began to google and watch videos online, unaware that the advice she was taking in, no longer was accredited, resulting in her exacerbating the mastitis. She then ended up leaning on a family friend who was a midwife to help her and educate her on better ways to get through this. Eventually, after dealing with reoccurring mastitis, seeing a GP multiple times, and then an OB, Jordan was sent to a hospital in town to receive ultrasounds due to a large and painful lump that had formed in her breast. The beginning of Jordan's stay at the hospital was not pleasant as she was put in a used and uncleaned room, fearful of herself or her baby getting sick. She was shuffled around to different rooms until there was one vacant for her to stay in and as this was all happening her lump was getting bigger. When an ultrasound identified that the lump was two abscesses that had formed as one, they also confirmed it was 11cm in size. Jordan had it drained and thought she was through the worst of it when a few days later while feeding Remi, her abscess burst all over Remi, leaving a hole the size of a 50c coin. It was here that Jordan felt the medical staff at the hospital she was at had let her down. Unfortunately, none of the nurses had offered to look at the wound, and it was left to Jordan and her mum to clean it up until the next nurse came on shift. Jordan spent 5 days in the hospital before she was allowed to go home. When she left, she wasn't provided with any advice, referrals, check-up dates, or information on what to do next, and once home had to figure it out on her own. The story that Jordan tells today really shines a light on some gaps in the medical system, especially for rural mums, and after everything she went through, she maintains such a positive outlook and is passionate about teaching other mums to advocate for themselves and to know the signs of mastitis before its too late. To coincide with this episode, we have a special offering from the beautiful Harriet (Qualified Midwife) at The Breast Help Head over to her IG: @the.breast.help and use the code AFTERBIRTHPOD to receive a discount on her Mastitis Management E-Guide. Direct link: https://www.thebreasthelp.com.au/store/p/e-guide-mastitis-management As always, If you are a postpartum mama or a professional in this space that would like to come onto our podcast, you can reach us at: IG: @theafterbirth_pod Email: [email protected]

In today's episode we talk with Kath Baquie AKA @fitnestmama. Kath is a Women's Health Physiotherapist with online programs focused on getting women back to exercise after giving birth. Kath is also a mum, hosts a podcast about staying active throughout pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery (which has 69k+ listens!), and does online women's physiotherapy consults for women all around the world - so she's a pretty busy woman! In this episode we talk about everything from Kath's own postpartum experiences which shaped her career pathway into women's health physiotherapy to prolapse, abdominal separation and returning to exercise after having a baby. This chat was so informative and we feel like we covered so many topics that feel a bit taboo sometimes, we know you will all enjoy listening to this as much as we enjoyed recording it. You can access Kath's programs and book a consult with her via the link in her instagram bio @fitnestmama As always, if you have any questions about anything mentioned in this episode or you would like to come and chat with us our details are - IG: theafterbirth_pod Email: [email protected]

In today's episode we speak to Scarlett, a first time mum in Melbourne navigating single motherhood. Scarlett talks about the shock she felt when first handed her newborn baby due to never really being around one before, feeling quite lost when she went home 12 hours after delivery. She also only received one 20-minute home visit from her midwife, which seemed odd to her because she felt like a "fish out of water" and thought she would have more visits. At the beginning of her 4th trimester, Scarlett stayed with her mum and received a beautiful amount of support from her, being taken care of so that she could take care of her baby. Scarlett spent the first two weeks with her family, revelling in the help and nourishment that her family provided. It allowed Scarlett the time to heal from her birth wounds and come to terms with the fact that she is a mum now. Scarlett struggled with healing due to a second-degree tear, abdominal separation, and a shifted pelvis. She had no idea that her pelvis could shift and expressed that it felt like "searing hot lava in her joints" but luckily had a quick recovery due to physiotherapy. Scarlett talks about the grief she felt around losing her pregnant belly, even though she didn't enjoy pregnancy, and how the physicality of what happens to your body can be quite confronting. We also speak about the stresses that a routine can put on mothers and how going with the flow really helped Scarlett navigate those first few months coping with sleep deprivation, breastfeeding and her day to day in general. Scarlett gives some really amazing advice about breaking the stigma around being a single parent, voicing that she, in particular, has become a confident, self-sufficient, hard working woman who is perfect for her baby. We talk about what it's like not to have a partner to lean on and the positives of only having to focus on herself and her daughter. This is a short but wonderful episode and we really hope you enjoy it! You can follow Scarlett's journey on tik tok: @scarlett.rzo IG: theafterbirth_pod Email: [email protected] As always, if you would like to share your postpartum journey or are a professional wanting to share advice, please reach out to us!

In today's episode we speak to Bec Black, perinatal psychologist and director of @themindfulbirthmovement. This chat is so raw and no holds barred as we discuss everything from Bec's own 3 postpartum experiences which have shaped her practice as a psychologist in the perinatal space to postpartum during COVID-19, parenting styles, imposter syndrome in parenting and so much more. Because Bec works in the area of perinatal mental health, this episode is full of great practical advice for postpartum planning and we know that so many of you will relate to Bec's experience of postpartum during COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne and the trauma that resulted from that. About Rebecca Black  Psychologist BAppsSc (Psych) (Hons), MCounsPsych Rebecca Black is a Psychologist, HypnoBirthing Practitioner & director of The Mindful Birth Movement. Most importantly, she is a mother to three children, aged 5, 3 and 5 months. As a dedicated psychologist, Rebecca has a wide range of experience working with clients at an individual, group and organisational level. Rebecca provides individual counselling to clients of varying backgrounds and presenting issues, including concerns related to anxiety, depression, grief and loss, trauma, stress, relationship and family issues, and more. Through utilising evidence-based approaches and developing a strong therapeutic relationship with her clients, Rebecca is able to support clients to move through any difficulties they are facing, improve their quality of life and attain a sense of fulfilment. Rebecca describes her early motherhood experience as extremely challenging, and possibly one of the hardest times of her life. It was exhausting, isolating, and confusing. She threw herself into being a mother and she completely forgot to meet her own needs. Rebecca often felt like she was failing and struggled to trust her instincts. When she learnt about matrescence – the intense transformation a woman experiences as she moves through motherhood – her struggles started to make sense. Rebecca is now passionate about supporting women to move from struggling to thriving in their motherhood transformation. When we look after the mother, her family and her community thrive. LINKS Book an appointment: https://themindfulbirthmovement.com.au/psychological-support/Learn about Mindful Motherhood and add your name to the waiting list: https://themindfulbirthmovement.com.au/mindful-motherhood/Free Postpartum Wellness Plan: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/e7u9n7 We also discuss the work of Dr Sophie Brock, Motherhood Studies Sociologist in this episode and you can find her on instagram @drsophiebrock