If you're a mum, fatigue, loss of libido, brain fog (mumbrain), thinning hair, sagging skin and softer nails are all things we just accept as common and normal after giving birth. However, common doesn't necessarily mean normal and our next guest chats to us about his work in identifying a syndrome all mothers experience to some degree, called Postnatal Depletion. I first heard of Dr Oscar Serrallach when I was pregnant, he has written a book called The Postnatal Depletion Cure which I started to skim through when I was pregnant, however I didn't really start to look at it properly until a few months postpartum. (If I could go back to when I was pregnant I would have read his book from cover to cover twice - just to make sure I didn't miss anything!) We put so much emphasis on the birth and the baby, and like he says in the interview, birth is not the finish line. His article on Gwyneth Paltrow's website GOOP received world wide attention and in addition to practicing integrative medicine at The Health Lodge in Byron Bay, Dr Oscar has grown a real presence of social media and is a big advocate for restoring mother-centred care in our communities. Mamas you are going to love this episode.

Find out more about Dr Oscar here: http://oscarserrallach.com/

Follow Dr Oscar on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/droscarserrallach/

So there's actually 7 items that I talk about, but 5 items sounded so much better!

#1 The Mumsie Genius creation by Sunshine Coast mama Janneke. Overalls that carry your baby!

#2 Mummy Backpack - Goodbye handbag... There are so many of these available, just make sure you get one with bottle compartments and lots of pockets!

#3 Formula Dispenser - I can't believe it took me months to know these existed. Again so many available, choose one that suits!

#4 Sophie the Giraffe

Entertaining and incredible for teething!

#5 Terry Towelling Nappies - I have these all over the house to wipe up all sorts of spills. Great burp cloths too for when they are little.

#6 Overhead bibs - For when your sassy 8 month old thinks she can take them off!

#7 Hard Books - For when your baby thinks they can turn the pages of a regular book, but just end up scrunching them up! Where is the Green Sheep? It's Time to Sleep my Love are two of our faves

How to use essential oils for babies is one of the most commonly searched for terms and the type of questions I receive the most. I have been using doTERRA essential oils on Lucia who is 8 months old now, since she was about 5 weeks old.

I use Frankincense, Copaiba, Magnolia, Lavender, Roman Chamomile, On Guard (sparingly) and DigestZen. Listen to this episode to hear exactly how I do that!

Diana is a mother of 3, a midwife, a paediatric nurse, founder of Gathered Birth and the digital education editor over at Motherly - an uplifting online community full of expert tricks-of-the-trade and inspiring stories. She is also the author of soon to be released The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama, and today we dive into why token self care is not enough for the burn out mums are facing, how we collectively need to honour matrescence and the transition into motherhood, and what you can do to make 2020 the #yearofthemother

www.gatheredbirth.com

www.mother.ly

Follow Motherly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mother.ly/

Make 2020 #theyearofthemother: https://www.mother.ly/st/year-of-the-mother

Pre-order Diana's book here The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama

Angela Fitzgerald is a birth healing coach, midwife and mother. She helps women heal from birth and prepare for their next births through her unique personal coaching programmes. Angela believes that we can heal from birth no matter how long ago it was, and when we heal from our experience of childbirth we have the power to heal so much more. Today we dive into really owning our feminine power, which starts long before we have a baby and how tuning into the natural ebbs and flows of our planet we can cultivate a relationship with ourselves that can serve us right through motherhood and beyond (hint hint - our periods are not something to be ashamed of and inconvenienced by!) Seriously, if you're a woman anywhere - this is a must listen!

Find out more about Angela and her coaching programmes here: https://www.birthyourtruth.com/

Women with Wings: https://sacredwisewoman.com.au/women-with-wings/

Dear mama,

I see you, doing the best you can.

Showing up every single day,

even when you don't feel like it.

I want you to know you are a rockstar

CONT . . .

In today's episode we dive into what sperm health has dropped 50% over the last four decades and how we can take matters into our own hands when it comes to male infertility. Sarah Heywood is the Founder of The Journey, a new digital media platform dedicated to providing people with evidence based, easy-to-understand information on fertility, conception, pregnancy and the early years.We chat about how hormones affect sperm health, the role Vitamin D plays in fertility, why men- to a degree, also have a 'biological clock', why recurrent miscarriages can also be due to sperm DNA fragmentation and not just because of an issue with the woman and so much more!

In this week's edition of #mumtiptuesday learn why it's a must to meal plan for a stress-free kitchen, how to share the load, why slow cookers are life and easy snacks for new mums!

Margaux Parker is an Australian radio host, mum of four, and wife of former NRL legend, Corey Parker. Today we chat about life with 4 kids, her approach to her pregnancies and births, how surrendering to what your baby needs and letting go of what you think you should be doing is one of the most liberating things a new mum can do, navigating the double-edged sword that is social media and how to approach that with your preteens and teens, finding the time to connect with her 4 kids and why putting yourself first matters. We also chat about how, in prioritizing herself, Margaux lost 15kg in 3 months. Her approach is sensible and sustainable, and leaves excuses at the door. I hope you love this chat as much as I did!

Follow Margaux on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/margaux_parker/

TRIGGER WARNING: Miscarriage

This week's episode is super special to me. I am chatting with Alanna Jane - a mother, writer, meditation and kundalini yoga teacher who just happens to be one of my very best friends and whom I adore so much. We are chalk and cheese and have had a strong friendship from the day we met over 10 years ago on dance floor. I feel like Alanna is my own personal guru and when I find myself in situations that are uncomfortable or when I just don't know what to do, I call Alanna - she has a way of bringing calm and wisdom to any situation and always knows just what to say. Today we talk about her decision to home birth and what was involved in making those decisions and then we get pretty deep specifically about grief and miscarriages, so I urge you not to listen to this, if this is something that is quite fresh for you or you're not in the right headspace to relive some of those emotions. If enough time has passed for you, which will be different for everyone, and you do feel like you are capable of listening to it, I have no doubt you will find comfort in her words.

You can find out more about Alanna's Self Acceptance Day Retreat on Dec 8

here: https://www.instagram.com/iam.alannajane/

The book we both highly recommend is Anita Moorjani's Dying to be Me