In today’s episode I speak with Ana Rojas, mother to Emilia. Ana shares the story of her birth which was duality triumphant and with complications. She also speaks candidly about her postpartum experience and bonding with her daughter.

Episode 1

Hannah Palamara is a mum to Elfine, Cece and Frankie.

A photographer and doula by trade Hannah takes us through her three births, each challenging in their own way, all of which played a large part in her personal journey and evolution. Hannah also speaks candidly about loosing her husband Frank to cancer and navigating the unknown as a mother.

Episode Two

Vicky Kingsnorth is mother to Ella. She takes us through her first year of motherhood. Starting with her caesarean birth at 35 weeks and post delivery complications, to Ella being diagnosed with developmental hip dysplasia.

Episode Three

Jen Muir is parent of three boys and the founder of Bad Ass Birth. Having had their first baby at 17, the experience of becoming a parent refocused Jen’s self worth and energy. Jen moves beyond the limited stereotype of a teenage mum to cultivate her dreams, success and solo parenthood.

Episode Four

Megan is a solo mother to her daughter and son. In this episode she shares her story of motherhood under the shadow of alcohol and journey to sobriety. Creating space to be a better mum, find connection and joy.

Episode Five

Zainab shares her story of her first pregnancy with her daughter Noa, who passed away and was born at 23 weeks and her journey to becoming a mum again to her rainbow baby boy Jonas. A story inspiring strength, understanding and gratitude.

Episode Six

Emily takes us through her journey into motherhood, starting with her being diagnosed with Endometriosis and how that affected her ability to conceive naturally, setting her on the path of IVF. After giving birth to her daughter, Foxx, Emily had a difficult but determined beginning to her breastfeeding journey which is still growing strong two years later and inspired Emily to begin training as a breastfeeding consultant. Emily’s story is rich in detail and information and illuminates common to many experiences many but which often go unspoken.

Episode Seven

Chaneen takes us through her two different birth experiences and talks openly about raising two daughters close in age. This includes her tandem breastfeeding journey and the continued dance in being a mother to our children whilst acknowledging and cultivating our own dreams and development. It was also a surprise to discover that we have both been able to work through breastfeeding aversion and still continue to breastfeed until this day.

Episode Eight

Charly shares the story of her first birth and postpartum experience. After the birth of her daughter Etta, Charly found herself going through the motions but not able to connect. She opens up about this experience and how she is now looking to do things differently in her second pregnancy during Covid 19.

Episode Nine

Natalie shares her birth stories, beginning with her experience of being a midwife and the way that helped shape the type of birth she wanted to try for. In the end Natalie birth her daughter by emergency c-section, with her daughter needing to be resuscitated and monitored under hospital care. The trauma of this event didn’t make itself known to Natalie in the early days but rather in subsequent years. A number of years later Natalie found herself pregnant again and decided a planned c-section was going to be the best option for her. Natalie talks about her transition from midwifery to beginning her blog Style Me Sunday which has grown to be so much more than a fashion blog. Opening up about the intention and dedication it has taken to facilitate self love and acceptance in her body.

Episode 10

Charlie opens up about her first year of motherhood. She discovered a new appreciation and love for herself and body while pregnant. Loving herself for growing someone she loved so much already. Supported by her partner Matt and mother Charlie was able to take the deviation from her ideal birth in her stride and had a very magical labour in hospital. It was the lack of care she received when it came time to deliver her baby boy, being given an episiotomy without consent and being left alone in a confined room unable to tend to her baby that negatively impacted her birth experience and generated trauma. Charlie’s breastfeeding journey was comprised by the comprised cafe she received and it was shortly after her birth that the baby blues started to set in. Charlie was diagnosed with Postnatal depression and anxiety and struggled to leave the house, fearing something might happen to baby Marlow. She came through this period with the support of her partner and family as also the space created by her slow living lifestyle that helped her to reorder what was important to her and ways to spark joy.

Episode Eleven

Megan from birthed is the guest in this week’s episode of the borntogether podcast. This is a fantastic episode and a great example of how Megan’s inside knowledge of the birth experience within our health care system (gleaned from her train has a midwife) was supported by the tools she developed through hypnobirthing. Facilitating a birth that, though not as she had envisage, proved to be an experience of growth, pride and empowerment. Believing and engaging with the best birthing advice given to her during her midwife training, that in labour a women’s body never lies to her. Her birth was one that felt exactly right for her and her baby Ottis. Megan also talks us through her pregnancy and the very real experience of battling Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and the way it affected her initial connection to her baby.

Episode Twelve

This week’s guest is the honest and riotous Clemmie Telford. Clemmie opens up after the trauma of her first birth and how that carried into her initial moments of motherhood and propelled her to find a way to do things differently in her subsequent births. We also mange to chat about the way having children impacts your relationship and how Clemmie and her partner Ben switched things up in supporting their family.

Episode Thirteen

Laura is mother to two daughters, Mabel and Peggy. Close in age, Laura takes us on her journey of learning, through pregnancy and birth and how the experience of motherhood has provided an awakening of her authentic and creative self that she hadn’t been able to express before becoming a mother.

Episode Fourteen

In this week’s episode I’m talking to Cat Strawbridge about her trying years and journey to finally becoming a mum. We talk about the seven years filled with rounds of IUI, IVF. The toll of her mental health, capacity to work and impact on her relationship. Cat endured several miscarriages, including loosing the twin to the baby who was to become her daughter, Wren. Cat opens up about the community of those on a journey trying to conceive and the unique space held by those who are finally pregnant and moving into parenthood. Enjoy today’s show, Cat tells is with such warmth and candour, I know you will enjoy the chance to learn from or connect with her story.

Episode Fifteen

This week I am talking to Sarah Gwonyoma who has a lot to share and jumps straight in, talking about her ectopic pregnancy and the removal of her fallopian tubes. After meeting her husband to be and moving to Fiji Sarah was surprised by how easily she conceived her son, Isaiah, who was born abdominally in a very supportive and respectful space. This joyful initiation into motherhood was followed by dark and difficult times. Sarah lost her twin pregnancy at around 12 weeks, underwent treatment for Asherman’s syndrome and IVF. All of this was followed by the sudden and unexpected passing of her husband Tim while she was out of the country, about to undergo their finally IVF embryo transplant.

Sarah has shared her story as a way of chipping away and shattering the silence around miscarriage and baby loss. Sarah shares her story with such openheartedness. I hope you enjoy listening in and connecting with Sarah’s story.

Episode Sixteen

This week’s episode with Nicola Dellard-Lyle is a truly reflective experience. She takes us on an immersive journey, through her pregnancy, connecting with her partner and baby in preparation for her birth. Her presence within her birth, working through the labour with her partner and baby made for an incredibly powerful and connecting experience. Nicola also takes us through her journey as a responsive and considered parent, having brought their child into their lives, Nicola and her partner Damien are mindful of working as a family to respect and acknowledge the cycles of each individual. Supporting her son Caleb’s journey through childhood, which moves alongside and in response to her journey of motherhood.

Episode Seventeen

This week I’m in conversation with my dear friend Kezi who opens up about her journey growing into the role of motherhood. Kezi suffered a miscarriage during her first pregnancy and, perhaps not having healed from the experience, came to find it difficult to let her emotions go during her second pregnancy. She was taken by surprise by the massive and overwhelming sensations of birth. The moment when she finally held her son Eden was complicated by the absence of emotions she had expected to feel and it took some time before she came to accept the baby that she had and find her stride as a mother. Motherhood would also prove to be the catalyst for her journey of coming to understand antiracism. Realising she needed to do this for herself first as well as her son. Working educate herself on how to support and celebrate her son and family’s Blackness.

Episode Eighteen

This week’s guest is Naomi Evans who shares some real truths about her journey, thus far, into motherhood. She opens up about the physical and emotional impact of HG during both her pregnancies, the effect it had on her relationship and her two birth experiences. Naomi also shares how the different stages of her son’s childhood have shifted in the way they impact her own life and self. We also touch on the importance of connection and representation of Black mothers and mixed families. The way this is growing and the support it helps to give us in our own experiences of motherhood.

Episode Nineteen

This week’s I’m lucky enough to get to talk to Zainab Yates who opens up about her birth stories. The first, the birth of her son, was very much planned but proved to be deeply traumatic, with coercive care that resulted in a caesarean birth. Unexpectdly falling pregnant a number of years later Zainab was terrified by the trauma of her first experience and worked hard to cultivate a different outcome for herself and daughter who was born vaginally and provided great healing.

Zainab is the principal researcher, unpacking and exposing the condition of Breastfeeding Aversion. In this episode she opens up space for a considered and imperative conversation centred on both our experiences of Breastfeeding Aversion.

This is an important episode for anyone who has every breast or chestfeed, especially for those who have struggled with dark emotions or are looking to understand support people in their breast or chestfeeding journey. Zainab’s book is just about to be launched in September and I would very much recommend it as essential reading.

Episode Twenty

Giovanna’s motherhood journey first began with a miscarriage. After taking time to heal and begin to trust her body again Gi was ecstatic to discover she and partner Tom were pregnant again, right before flying to the US to surprise her in laws at Disneyland.

A shadow of concern lingered over the first few weeks of her pregnancy, but Gi would go on to have three empowering and very different birth experiences with her sons, Buddy, Buzz and Max.

It would take Giovanna five months after birthing her first son to feel comfortable breastfeeding openly, to grow in confidence and learn to trust herself and her baby. To put aside all the well meaning advice and preconceived ideas of what motherhood might look like. A journey that has continued to grow along with her family.

Giovanna also reflects on the changes in the community and conversations around motherhood that she has witnessed in her arch of motherhood.

Both Gi and I are both big believers and champions of the power found in shared stories. I’m feel very excited and privileged to share Gi’s story here on the podcast.

Episode Twenty-one

In this week’s episode I am so excited to bring you the motherhood journey of Aimee Aroha opens up about the way her first birth, that at the time seemed golden, but came to see things differently in regards to institutionalised birth and the normalised and often unnecessary interventions that have become part of standard care with deeper education and through the birth of her son. Aimee takes us through her journey, coming to understand and begin a process of healing, moving beyond decolonisation by weaving her own culture through her second birth and having the space to birth fully in her own sovereignty. This would prove to be a massive reclamation of her autonomy and provide healing for generations past and future. Finally opening up the chance for her to accept the invitation from maidenhood into womanhood. There’s so much here and its super exciting to be bringing you stories from back home in Oz.

Episode Twenty Two

In this episode Bethen Crisdale shares her experiences, reflections and learning on birth, motherhood and the growing into her own power. Having had three very different birth experiences, two miscarriages and fallen into the depths of despair while suffering from Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) Bethen traces the her arch of discovery, coming to love and feel confident in who she is, both as a woman and mother. A journey that has brought her to question and actively challenge the system of maternity care as well as the solitary nature of modern motherhood.

Bethen shares her journey in such a beautiful way, there is so much for everyone to enjoy and reflect on in this episode. I know you will enjoy.

Episode Twenty Three

Today I have the pleasure of capturing Abi’s Smissen’s story of motherhood, who talks through her journey, beginning in the UK with the birth of her daughter and her current pregnancy, navigating a new maternity system in Australia.

Abi opens up about the experience of her first birth, the medical trauma that surrounds it and the complex beginning she had with motherhood. Struggling to connect with her baby but also feeling fiercely protective. It would take the best part of a year and a shift in the needs of her baby to find space to allow all the feelings she had been pushing aside to come to the surface and heal.

Since that time and as a result of her own journey Abi has trained as a birth and postnatal doula. She and her family have also relocated to Australia where she is currently navigating a very different system and Abi shares the limitations that she has faced in accessing a home birth. Finally, we touch on the importance of the postpartum and how Abi is keen to provide herself with a more grounding experience, holding the space with greater understanding and consideration than her first time around.

It is a great episode unpacking the way one’s experiences can vary within the different systems and brining attention to the significance and impact of our postpartum journey’s, as parents, people and our bodies. Enjoy, and happy listening.

Episode Twenty Four

This week I have the pleasure of talking with Vean Ima. Having grown up with a large family unit becoming a mother was always something Vean wanted to experience. It was after a long awaited diagnosis of endometriosis and corrective surgery she was told that she wouldn’t be able to conceive and become pregnant. This left her feeling deeply disorientated and devastated. Fast forward a number of years down the track and Vean is now mother to six babies. Vean explores her journey of motherhood and selfhood, what it was like to be surprised by twins after four babies at the age of 40, her pregnancy and coming to birth her twins boys vaginally. Vean’s story is a evidence to the many things we are, being people well as being parents and finding one's own way to raise your family.

Episode Twenty Five

In this week’s episode Hollie de Cruz treats us to the births of her two boys, Oscar and Cosmo, how she came to discover the power and science of our bodies and birth through hypnobirthing. A teaching that would not only hold space within her own birth experiences but lay down the path for her future career.

Hollie unpacks the ending of her first relationship and the vision she had held for her life at that point in time. Moving forward to the unexpected and incredible trajectory her life has taken in melding together a new family with her partner Simon and their boys.

We also talk about the journey of parenthood, the way we are shaped and move through, alongside our children. The importance and liberation that that comes with owning and cherishing your own path and space, striding towards self determination.

Episode Twenty Six

Get ready, In this week’s episode I have the joy to be talking with Lacey Haynes! Unpacking the often unexplored power of the feminine essence, our creativity and sexuality. Lacey unpacks her sacred triangle theory, we talk about the lasting power of language, how our children can often helps us to find the way, defining a new feminine, aligning our energy and intention to reflect our truest selves to the world and the power of the erotic to elevate each aspect of our lives.

My curious mind has been drawn to the subject of our power and sexuality and it was such a treat to get to capture and share with Lacey who’s School of Whole is centred on these ideas and so much more.

Twenty Seven

This week I’m talking with Mary Beth La Rue about her journey of awakening, experienced through her transition into motherhood, coming to adopt her son through the foster care system. Mary Beth shares how she came to realise that she wasn’t meant to meet her baby the way she thought she was. Trying to conceive with her husband and then being directed to try fertility treatments it wasn’t until she mentioned the idea of adoption that Mary Beth felt a true spark of excitement at the idea of becoming a mother. From the moment she got the call, calling her to her son, to the years spent living in uncertainty; Mary Beth shares the emotional commotion that came hand in hand with her life’s greatest joy. I know you will love coming along this journey with Mary Beth and I am so very thankful to her for sharing her story and enriching the idea of family with her own words and colours.

Episode Twenty Eight

At the time when Elena received her daughter’s diagnosis for down syndrome she had doubts, she couldn’t image herself, as a special needs mum, which was heavily influenced by the colouring given to her daughter diagnosis from the medical community. If only that person could see and know all that Elena does now. Four years down the track Elena is now mum to her daughter Wynter with Downs syndrome and her son Nova who is a typically developing child. Elena shares the arch of her journey. Connecting with her daughter and what she has come to know about herself and our humanness through Wynter’s authentic state of being and her new role advocating the need for equity and inclusion so that Wynter can she herself and all her potential reflected in the world around her are just some of the moments touched on. Elena also opens up about her state of mental wellness, IVF and the isolation of her miscarriages. Elena, like myself, is a true believer in the connective power of shared stories and I am so very grateful for all she shares with us here in this episode.

Episode Twenty Nine

This week’s episode with Adrienne Oliver holds a number of reflections on the experience of Black motherhood. We talk about Black mothering as an act of defiance, engaging in joy as resistance and the cosmic reparations we are hoping to seed through our very existence as a new age of Black mothers. We also unpack the truth and weight of the work and hopes we hold, for our generation and especially our children. I am full of joyful thanks to Adrienne for coming on this journey and sharing such deep truths. It is an episode that offers connection for Black parents and people and critical contemplations to cultivate understandings held by non-Black persons.

Episode Thirty