Episodes
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What a joy this conversation was. Clare Bowditch and her husband, Marty, brought their children into the world, living in a community of their own making. No back fences. Individual houses. A real modern day village. From there, they fought hard to make choices about their lives which allowed them to continue working and growing in their creative fields.
Clare shares what it was like touring with small humans, dealing with anxiety, and how creativity plays such a big part of parenting for her.
USEFUL LINKS
Books Clare loves: Self Help For Your Nerves, by Dr Claire Weekes
Motherhood - a beautiful collection of letters from Australian women (including Clare!) to themselves, on what they wish they'd known about having a newborn, edited by Jamila Rizvi
Motherhood and Creativity by Rachel Power
Down to Earth: A Guide To Simple Living by Rhonda Hetzl
Ronda Hetzle book - Down To Earth
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
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Welcome back! To start off the 2023 season, I chat with Dana Stephensen - Senior Dancer with the Australian Ballet, and mum to Jasper, 6, and 2 year old twins Lulu and Lottie.
Dana is a warrior.
She gave birth to her twins in the middle of the COVID pandemic. Her partner, Lachie (of Purple Wiggle fame) was based in Sydney for work, and Dana's son Jasper, lives in Melbourne. This caused geographical challenges in a time when travel was not an easy option. Dana shares the story of how they navigated pregnancy and birth during this time, and how a multiple birth was so different to the first time she gave birth. She tells us, graciously, about the challenges she faced and how that grew into post natal depression and anxiety. She then goes on to talk about her experience of seeking professional help, and how she feels now, 2 years on.
Her honesty and openness, is a gift. She tells her story with such grace and I feel very lucky to have heard her, and now to be sharing her story with you.
USEFUL LINKS
Dana is a Cope ambassador, and has shared her story here.
Check out the Gidget Foundation or call them on 1300 851 758
Panda are an excellent resource, and they also have a hotline for support - 1300 726 306
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
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Episodes manquant?
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A few weeks ago, on International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day, Liana told me her story. And she blew me away.
Liana is mum to Dot, and three year old Hazel. Today, she shares, so honestly and beautifully, her story of infant loss. Of having to make the decision to end her pregnancy for genetic reasons, and of her subsequent pregnancy after loss.
We also speak about the breakdown of her marriage, and how along with children's father, they now parent better than ever before.
Liana is an incredible woman. Full of strength and wisdom, resilience and vulnerability. I feel incredibly proud to share her story.
Trigger warning on this episode for infant loss.
USEFUL LINKS
Rhea Dempsey book
COPE have resources for help with infant loss
Red Nose do amazing work and are an excellent support
Sands have support for miscarriage, stillbirth, and newborn death
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
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Soon after having her baby, Catherine started to feel… off. She had outrageous amounts of energy, she rapidly lost weight, and then she started to shake and became increasingly dizzy. Eventually, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. Here, she tells her story about that journey, and how she continues to look after and maintain her health with a lifelong condition, and a toddler.
She tells me about how developing an autoimmune disease has played in to their decision whether or not to try for a second baby, and where they’re at as a family now. We also discuss how a change in your health can add an extra layer of "who am I now?!" on top of becoming a mum.
Oh, and she’s moved house 4 times in 5 years.
USEFUL LINKS
The book Catherine found in a moving box: The PostNatal Depletion Cure.
And another book she recommends, When The Body Says No.
Learn more about Hashimoto's. I knew nothing before this chat, so thank you, Catherine!
Learn more about gall stones. Fun.
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Katie is a joy to be around. She is real, honest and full of knowledge about how we can better our relationship with ourselves, and then our families. I found talking to her to be incredibly grounding and peaceful.
I hope it has the same affect on you.
USEFUL LINKS
All things Katie!
Women's circles run by Katie? Yes please.
Learn more about Katie's friend and my hero, Lael Stone.
Listen to the Nourishing The Mother Podcast.
Find out about postpartum Doula training.
Want to delve in to Motherhood Studies Sociology? Check out Dr Sophie Brock.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Kristy Jones is an amazing woman. If you haven't listened to part 1 of her story, I highly recommend it. You can listen to that here.
In today's episode, Kristy talks about what it's like being a solo mum by choice. How she juggles being the breadwinner and only parent. The challenges. The joys. The village she has created for herself and Eadie.
KJ is an inspiration, and the family she has created is proof that you can do things your own way, in whatever way works for you, and it can be glorious.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome back!
After a longer than expected mid-year break (thanks, Covid) we are back!
Grab yourself a giant cup of tea or a bucket of wine, and settle in to be schooled by the outstanding Ellen Hooper. Mum, Executive Coach, Fountain of Knowledge, Annabel Crabb enthusiast. Ellen and I talk about careers, the mental load, how damaging gender stereotypes can be for families, and much, MUCH more.
She explains how being counter cultural to design the life that works for YOUR family can be challenging, but rewarding.
A jam packed, thought provoking episode.
Thank you, Ellen!
USEFUL LINKS - evidently we spoke about a lot of things which are reference-able!
Please be mindful of your individual family circumstances with all the ideas offered up in this episode. If you feel unsafe, or as thought you need support, please contact 1800 Respect (call 1800 737 732), or Relationships Australia.
All things Ellen and her new business The Growth Collective
Sarah Nally - She Evolves Workshops
Ellen's best friend, Annabel Crabb has some excellent books, The Wife Drought, (which contains this unsurprising yet frightening graph) and Men At Work
Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In
If you feel one of you is carrying more of the mental load than the other, check out Fair Play - book and cards
Do Less, by Kate Northrup
The article that went viral but was actually just incredibly sad, about a woman asking her husband to share more of the mental load by feeding the family dog.
The Mental Load Project, by Dr Robin Miller
Episode of Mummafication with Psychotherapist, Dr Jill Gordon - Jill talks about letting dads do things in their own way, and why this is important
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Today's episode is a little different... I am the one being asked the questions.
In the year that I gave birth to our second child, Juniper, several of my closest girlfriends gave birth to their first babies. Through our conversations, and hearing them grapple with entering their Matrescence, it helped me make sense of what I'd gone through after we had our first child, Marlita, several years earlier.
I realised I hadn't spoken to my friends about the identity shift I'd gone through. I hadn't had the words. Why wasn't this spoken about more openly? And so Mummafication was born.
This is the first episode in a series of mini-episodes. Where the women who inspired this podcast, turn the tables and ask me the questions.
In the drivers seat today is Fel. You can listen to her episode from season 1, here.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What. A. Story.
Usually when people say "you HAVE to listen to this! It's AMAZING!" I immediately don't want to listen. But I'm not sure how else to say it.
You HAVE to listen to this! It's AMAZING!
Kristy Jones left New York in a very big hurry, at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, at 31 weeks pregnant. She had made the decision to parent individually from a partner, and she used donor sperm to conceive with IVF. She tells her story with humour, honesty, and a lot of integrity and respect. I adore her.
This is part 1 of her incredible story.
USEFUL LINKS
How sperm donor banks work in the States and Australia
Info on the horrific disease that is Endometriosis
The process of IVF in Australia
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Recently, I was offered a job. My husband, Leath, and I, started discussing how we felt about this, and what it would mean for our family. We decided that if we were going to do it, the best thing for us would be for Leath to resign, and be at home with our girls, and for me to work 4 days a week.
This episode, is our discussion about this decision.
So, if you’d like to listen to a tired, married couple drink a bottle of wine and discuss who stays home with the kids and who goes to work, whilst going off on tangents and pausing for long periods of time to think about their life, then this ep is for you.
Also, we close with a song.
Leath, I love you and our girls deeply. And it is an honour to make these decisions with you.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the very first episode of Mummafication, Nicolette Minster mentions that a woman approached her in the line for IVF drugs... that woman is Samantha Allemann, and in today's episode, Sam generously shares her incredible story.
Sam has made a point of being honest and open, in the spirit of making other women feel less alone. She talks about her experience in ways we don't often hear people talk. Her story of long term IVF, and the subsequent postnatal depression and anxiety she experienced, is one of strength.
USEFUL LINKS
Cope (the Centre of Perinatal Excellence) has some excellent information on postnatal depression and anxiety.
Learn more about IVF here.
Sam found this book helpful! Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts. Grab it from Dymocks.
Sam is part of this amazing Piri group at the Austin Hospital.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Melissa is a wealth of knowledge on periods, hormones, adrenal fatigue - burnout - and why hydration is so important.
Mel works predominantly with mums, helping them regulate their cycles and hormones, through supplements and diet. In our chat today, she talks about how we can prep to help ourselves, and why it's so important to nourish our bodies with the right foods. Mel offers her knowledge without judgement, and her choice of food for her desert island made me love her instantly.
She is relatable and awesome. An excellent woman to have in your corner.
USELFUL LINKS
Tired?! Run down?! Exhausted?! Learn more about how Mel can help!
Read Glennon Doyle's book. Get Untamed and find your knowing.
Check out Glennon's podcast and become obsessed like Mel and I.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Kate Berry brings people together and creates community and connection through her work. She also uses open communication to create connection with her teenage daughters. Kate talks about rediscovering herself as a single parent, how being a mum has shone a light on the parenting she received, and I gush a lot about how much I love her book.
Kate is an inspiring and magical woman who does things her way.
USEFUL LINKS
Learn more about how awesome Kate is.
Buy Kate's excellent book!
Enjoy some teen nostalgia.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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We've made it to Episode 20!
Cayley Benjamin brings years of coaching knowledge to her work, helping mums navigate the transition into motherhood. In Episode 20 we discuss motherhood as development, setting boundaries, and Cayley introduces me to the idea that moving forward, instead of looking back, is actually an amazing time where you get to decide who you want to be. Cayley is an experienced and wise Motherhood Coach, and she breaks down her advice into small and achievable suggestions.
I got up verrrrrrry early to chat to Cayley - she's in Vancouver - and it was actually the most lovely, calm, grounding way to start the day. I hope Cayley's beautiful energy stays with you all day too.
USELFUL LINKS
To learn more about the amazing work Cayley does, visit her website.
Cayley studied with Dr Sophie Brock, who is an Australian Motherhood Sociologist and mum.
Queen of boundaries - Nedra Tawwab - and incredible author.
Dr Aurelie Athan mentors Cayley and does incredible work on matrescence.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
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Stephanie March is a foreign correspondent, journalist, researcher and mum to Harriette, 1.
Steph's whole life has been problem solving, and her self worth was very closely tied to her career. Since having Harriette, she’s had a shift in priorities, and she's also found all those years of problem solving are paying off in parenting too. In Episode 19, we discuss how her career has prepared her for motherhood, and now, how motherhood is changing how she works within her career. We also talk about how the parenting you receive affects the kind of parent you are. This and many more things. Steph is an intelligent, strong, amazing woman, and I feel very lucky she said yes to sitting down with me.
USEFUL LINKS
To find out more about Steph and her incredible body of work to date, have a squiz here.
To receive more immediate updates on Steph's thoughts - follow her on twitter.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Meg and Phil took it in turns to carry and birth their babies. Two of their friends are donor dads to their 3 kids. We chat about their birthing experiences, some of the adversity they’ve faced, and why they watched Squid Games with their kids - not the 4 year old.
The relationships they nurture with their children and extended family are beautiful and admirable. And they answer my questions - naive and otherwise - with honesty and integrity.
USEFUL LINKS
For resources, information and how to support rainbow families, click here or here
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Penny Moodie has been living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) since she was around 7 years old. It wasn't until after the birth of her first baby, Benji, that she was diagnosed and started specific treatment.
In today's episode, Penny and I chat about what it's been like for her over the last 5 years - becoming a mum, being diagnosed and starting treatment for OCD, lockdowns, 2 more pregnancies, and toddler tantrums.
Penny is generous, funny and warm while she opens up about topics that are often taboo, and difficult to talk about. But that's the point, we need to talk about difficult things. And Penny is having these conversations so that other people feel less alone.
Content warning - this episode discusses mental illness, and topics which may be confronting for some listeners.
USEFUL LINKS
Awesome other podcast episodes where Penny has shared more of her history and story:
The Imperfects - Penny's husband, Hugh, hosts this podcast. Listening to them talk together is incredible - open and vulnerable and honest.
No Filter with Mia Freedman - Another fascinating and honest episode where Penny explains more about what living with OCD is like.
Have a read of Penny's website here.
If this episode has been triggering for you, I recommend you get in contact with lifeline on 13 11 14.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It's so good to be back! I've missed you!
Sophie Weiss is a gem of a woman, and to kick off the season, she shares her beautiful story of conception, miscarriage, juggling her career, and touring the country.
I really love hearing how people do things their own way, and this is exactly how Sophie, her husband Drew, and their baby, Chloe, live their life. As Sophie puts it, "there is no Golden Rule" for how to parent, and she is testament to that.
Sophie is currently in Frozen, The Musical, so her schedule isn’t 9 to 5, but she works hard to maximise her time with 7 month old Chloe. From pumping in the dressing room - her cast mates have made up a song to the beat of her pump... heaven! - to feeling guilty about saying how much she loves motherhood, Sophie is honest and generous as she chats to me in her kitchen, while her baby sleeps upstairs, a week before they move interstate. What a woman.
USEFUL LINKS
Get tickets to Frozen, if you're fast enough, here!
Melbourne listeners - find out more about COSMOS, and other pregnancy care options at the Royal Women's.
For contact details and information about the massage therapist Sophie raves about, click here.
To find out why Good Enough parenting is Great Parenting, watch this or read this, from PANDA.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The first Daddafication episode! I sit down with my husband, Leath, and ask what it's been like for him to have kids. Has he gone through an identity shift? What was it like when one or both of us returned to work? How was it for him when I was really struggling? How does working part time vs full time affect his connection with his (our) kids and what does that mean to him?
I plan to do more Daddafication episodes with men I'm not married to, but it was so nice to sit down and chat to Leath, (nearly) uninterrupted, and ask how he feels about being a dad, us, life and himself, post having kids. Leath is an incredible dad and partner, in every sense of the word.
An excellent ep for mums AND dads.
USEFUL LINKS
Mensline have a 24/7 hotline you can call for support or to have a chat.
For a bunch of helpful articles on being or becoming a dad, have a quiz here.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Tamara Oudyn delivers us our evening news, nightly, on the ABC. She instills trust and professionalism. So sitting down with her, in her house, and having a chat about identity, divorce, maternity leave, and podcasting, was a real treat.
Tamara talks about the various stages of identity shift she’s encountered since having kids, and how comfortable she is now, in her own skin.
USEFUL LINKS:
Listen to The Good Divorce
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/mummafication.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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