Today we’re joined by Davina Rankin — Certified Spinal Energetics Practitioner, Somatic Therapist and Embodied Counsellor — for a deeply honest conversation about love, healing and what it really means to reconnect with yourself before inviting someone else in.

Davina shares her personal journey through celibacy and how that intentional pause became a powerful season of self-discovery. We talk about nervous system healing, embodiment, breaking old relationship patterns and learning to feel safe within yourself first.

This isn’t just a conversation about dating — it’s about identity, self-worth and showing up differently when you’ve done the inner work.

If you’ve ever found yourself repeating the same relationship dynamics, questioning your standards or wondering what it would look like to truly choose yourself first… this episode will land.

Raw, reflective and incredibly empowering. You’re going to love this one. 💫

Show links:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2shlh9Q6JuGaxzi8D1Pyv9?si=yHszNCsXRZCTo68V91rl-g

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

✨ All Things Better – A carefully curated online wellness store bringing together the best in natural products, home essentials, and feel-good finds. They source brands that align with health, sustainability, and style, so you can shop knowing you’re choosing better for yourself, your family, and the planet. ⁠Explore their range⁠.

Ooo this is such a special one 🥹🎙️

After walking alongside Katherine through her extended fertility journey, navigating endometriosis, pregnancy, and all the in-between moments… today we finally get to hear the part we’ve all been waiting for — her birth story.

And trust us — you’ll want to settle in for this. It’s raw, it’s real, it’s emotional, and of course… there’s plenty of laughter too. The kind that only comes after you’ve been through it. There are tears, there are goosebumps, and there are moments that will stay with you long after the episode ends.

If you’ve followed Katherine’s journey, this will feel like the final chapter of a story you’ve been invested in for so long. And if you’re on your own path to motherhood — whether trying to conceive, pregnant, or somewhere in between — this episode will hold you in the most beautiful way.

This is more than a birth story. It’s a story of resilience, trust, surrender, and the wild, transformative power of becoming a mum. 🤍

An episode you truly don’t want to miss.

✨ This episode is proudly brought to you by Comfy Koalas — our go-to low-tox nappy and wipe brand. If you haven’t tried their subscription boxes yet, they’re an absolute game changer (no more emergency nappy runs mid-week 🙌).

You can get $35 off your first box with the code BARELYBALANCED — which basically means two free bags of nappies. Yes please.

This week we’re joined by the brilliant Solaine Douglas, Nutritionist and women’s health expert, for a deep dive into gestational diabetes — what it actually is, why it happens, and how women can support their bodies through it.

We unpack the new reference ranges now being used in Australia, what they mean for testing, and why more women than ever are being diagnosed.

Together, we chat about:
✨ What gestational diabetes really means for you and your baby
✨ Why blood sugar balance matters long before the test
✨ The new Australian guidelines — explained simply
✨ Nutrition strategies that actually help
✨ Why diagnosis isn’t a failure — and what to do next

Whether you're currently pregnant, planning to be, or supporting someone who is — this episode will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and far less anxious about the GTT.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

✨ All Things Better – A carefully curated online wellness store bringing together the best in natural products, home essentials, and feel-good finds. They source brands that align with health, sustainability, and style, so you can shop knowing you’re choosing better for yourself, your family, and the planet. ⁠Explore their range⁠.

✨ This episode is brought to you by Chief Nutrition — the brand we’re a little bit obsessed with. Their clean, high-protein snacks are made from real food, nothing fake or processed, and they actually taste amazing. Whether it’s their beef bars, collagen bars, or liver capsules — we’re huge fans. Use the code BARELYBALANCED for 20% off your order.

This week, Katherine and Shelley dive into all things labour prep — what’s worth doing, what’s backed by evidence, and what might just be another pregnancy myth.

Katherine shares exactly what she’s doing to prepare her body for birth (and why), while the girls unpack some of the most common tips and tricks floating around the internet.

They chat about:
- Raspberry leaf tea — when to start and what it really does
- Medjool dates and how they can support a smoother labour
- Evening primrose oil — helpful or hype?
- Acupuncture and colostrum harvesting
- The benefits of sex (yep, you read that right)
...and so much more!

It’s an open, honest, and slightly cheeky chat designed to help you feel informed, empowered, and ready for birth.

Show sponsors:

This episode is proudly brought to you by Comfy Koalas, our go-to low-tox nappy and wipe brand. If you haven’t tried their subscription boxes yet, they’re a total game changer — no more running out of nappies mid-week! You can get $35 off your first box with the code BARELYBALANCED, which pretty much means two free bags of nappies.

This episode is brought to you by Chief Nutrition — the brand we’re a little bit obsessed with. Their clean, high-protein snacks are made from real food, nothing fake or processed, and they actually taste amazing. Whether it’s their beef bars, collagen bars, or liver capsules — we’re huge fans. Use the code BARELYBALANCED for 20% off your order.

Today, Katherine and Shelley have a real and honest catch-up — and things get personal. Shelley opens up about her feelings around wanting a fourth child, the tug-of-war between heart and logic, and what life has really been like with three kids under three.

They dive into:
- The pros and cons of expanding their family
- The emotional thought process behind the “maybe baby” conversation
- The realities (and chaos) of having three little ones so close together
- Why Shelley and her husband decided on a vasectomy — and how that decision feels now

It’s a raw, relatable chat for any parent who’s ever wondered if their family is complete… or if there might be room for one more.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

✨ This episode is brought to you by Chief Nutrition — the brand we’re a little bit obsessed with. Their clean, high-protein snacks are made from real food, nothing fake or processed, and they actually taste amazing. Whether it’s their beef bars, collagen bars, or liver capsules — we’re huge fans. Use the code BARELYBALANCED for 20% off your order.

Today we’re joined by the incredible Nicola Laye — a breathwork coach who specialises in guiding women to reconnect with their bodies and find calm through the power of breath.

This session is completely pregnancy-safe and perfect for the woman who’s feeling overwhelmed, scattered in her thoughts, or simply craving a moment of stillness.

Take this time for you — to pause, slow down, and calm your nervous system.
Allow Nicola’s gentle guidance to help you drop back into your body and breathe a little easier.

Save this episode so you can revisit it whenever life feels a little full — and gift yourself a few moments to simply breathe.

This week we’re joined by the beautiful Davina Rankin for a conversation that every woman — and especially every mother — needs to hear.

Together we explore what it means to reclaim your energy, reconnect with your body, and remember the woman underneath all the layers of motherhood, work, and daily life.

Davina shares gentle yet powerful wisdom around self-love, boundaries, and learning to trust the flow of life again.

In this episode, we chat about:

✨ Reclaiming your energy as a woman and learning to say no without guilt

✨ Letting go of the people-pleasing patterns that leave you feeling depleted

✨ Rediscovering who you are beyond motherhood

✨ Sitting in the pleasure of the present moment (even when life feels messy)

✨ How to love yourself harder — right now, as you are

✨ Simple daily practices to check in with your body and heart space

✨ Tuning into signs from the universe, god, or angels — and trusting the process

✨ How reconnecting with yourself brings more pleasure, clarity, and joy into your life

This conversation is your gentle reminder to slow down, come home to your body, and celebrate the woman you’ve become.

This weeks show sponsor:

This episode is proudly brought to you by Comfy Koalas, our go-to low-tox nappy and wipe brand. If you haven’t tried their subscription boxes yet, they’re a total game changer — no more running out of nappies mid-week! You can get $35 off your first box with the code BARELYBALANCED, which pretty much means two free bags of nappies.

In this honest and informative episode, Katherine and I sit down to catch up on how her second and third trimesters have been so far. From navigating tests and blood work to understanding what’s truly necessary, we unpack some of the most common (and confusing) parts of pregnancy care.

We dive deep into gestational diabetes and the glucose tolerance test (GTT) — do you really have to do it, and what are the alternatives if you’d prefer not to? We also discuss the GBS swab, how to advocate for yourself when it comes to routine testing, and practical ways to support your vaginal microbiome if you do receive a positive result.

Iron levels are another big topic in this chat — we explore why they tend to drop during the second and third trimesters, how to interpret your results, and our honest thoughts on iron infusions, including when they can be helpful and when other options might be worth considering.

This episode is a down-to-earth look at pregnancy from both a personal and clinical perspective, offering insight, reassurance, and a few light-hearted laughs along the way.

Related Episode:
Dr Lily Nichols – Gestational Diabetes: What You Need to Know

Show Sponsors:
This episode is proudly brought to you by Comfy Koalas, our go-to low-tox nappy and wipe brand. If you haven’t tried their subscription boxes yet, they’re a total game changer — no more running out of nappies mid-week. You can get $35 off your first box with the code BARELYBALANCED, which pretty much means two free bags of nappies.

https://comfykoalas.com.au

It’s also brought to you by Chief Nutrition — the brand we’re a little bit obsessed with. Their clean, high-protein snacks are made from real food, nothing fake or processed, and they actually taste amazing. Whether it’s their beef bars, collagen bars, or liver capsules, we’re huge fans. Use the code BARELYBALANCED for 20% off your order.

Today we’re joined by the wonderful Deborah Freudenmann  naturopath, author, and mum who is passionate about root-cause health and disease prevention. In this episode, Deborah shares her personal story of living with type 1 diabetes, navigating postpartum stress and anxiety, and what she’s learned about the profound impact stress has on our bodies. We dive into why stress regulation is more than “calming down” it’s disease prevention and how to build your own personal toolkit for resilience.

We chat all things:
• Deborah’s personal journey with stress and motherhood
• What actually happens in the body under chronic stress
• Why supplements and one-size-fits-all toolkits don’t work
• How to experiment and find the stress tools that are truly yours
• The invisible link between a mother’s regulation and her child’s
• Simple, realistic practices to weave into your day

You can connect with Deborah on Instagram

• @deborah_108 (https://www.instagram.com/deborah_108/)
•  https://youtrulyshine.com 
• You can also join her free weekly Wellness Letters here (https://youtrulyshine.com/pages/newslettersignup) And explore her newest eBook A Holistic Approach to Stress here (https://youtrulyshine.com/products/a-holistic-approach-to-stress-ebook) 150+ pages of education, insights, checklists, and tools to reset your nervous system.

This episode is proudly sponsored by:

✨ Chief Nutrition – Our go-to for clean, high-protein snacks that actually taste amazing. Their bars and beef jerky are made from real food ingredients you can trust — perfect for keeping energy steady through busy days (and long appointments). Use code BARELYBALANCED at checkout for 20% off your first order. ⁠Shop here⁠.

✨ All Things Better – A carefully curated online wellness store bringing together the best in natural products, home essentials, and feel-good finds. They source brands that align with health, sustainability, and style, so you can shop knowing you’re choosing better for yourself, your family, and the planet. ⁠Explore their range⁠.

This week on the podcast we’re joined by the amazing Leah Itsines – recipe developer, cookbook author, businesswoman, and mum. Leah is passionate about making healthy eating simple, realistic, and enjoyable for busy families, and she’s built a thriving community by keeping food approachable and fun.

In this episode we chat about:

• Leah’s current pregnancy journey and how she’s feeling

• Her birth plans and mindset as she prepares

• Postpartum preparation and the support she’s putting in place

• Nutrition for mums – keeping food simple, balanced, and realistic

• Children’s nutrition and her tips for feeding little ones well

• Finding balance between health, family, and real life

  
  

  ✨ Connect with Leah Itsines

  • Instagram: @leahitsines

  • Website: www.leahitsines.com.au

  
  

  Our Sponsors

  • Comfy Koalas – Eco-friendly, super soft nappies delivered straight to your door. Use code BARELYBALANCED for $35 off your first order – that’s basically like getting 3 bags of nappies for free! 🌿 www.comfykoalas.com

  • Chief Nutrition – Wholefood snacks packed with protein and nutrients to keep you fuelled and energised. Use code BARELYBALANCED for 20% off. 🍫 www.chiefnutrition.com

  • Nourishing Your Bump – The online support system you need through pregnancy and postpartum. Expert guidance, practical tools, and real mum-to-mum advice to help you feel supported every step of the way. 🤰 www.freedomwellness.com.au/nourishing-your-bump