Welcome to EP21 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the legendary Hamish Adams-Cairns from the Sober Awkward podcast on all things drinking & dad pub culture.

Hamish has been sober for 3 years and having run a podcast on his adventures in sobriety, knows a thing or two about the experience of giving up alcohol. He also presents a wonderfully balanced and non-judgemental view on whether you drink or not.

This is an amazing, thoughtful and vulnerable chat about dads & their relationship with alcohol as well as what it means to be sober curious. We delve into the dark side of when men refuse to give up their life before kids and take responsibility, addiction and what alcohol is really costing you. Chi opens up on some of his struggles with alcohol and we share plenty of laughs along the way. Whether you’re a sober curious dad or a mother who thinks their partner might have a tough relationship with alcohol, we hope you enjoy and take something from this episode.

We thank Hamish for his time!

Resource links:

Hamish’s Instagram: @hamishadamscairns

Sober Awkward Instagram: @soberawkward

Sober Awkward Website: https://www.soberawkward.com

30 day Sober Guide: https://www.soberawkward.com/theguide

Vic's books: https://www.soberawkward.com/store

Vic’s episode on Beyond The Bump

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by SYNCD!

Get 15% off at www.usesyncd.com with the code BEYOND15

Welcome to EP20 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the legendary Gen Muir on Millennial fatherhood and what’s changed over the generations. 

Gen is an experienced Parent Educator, Author, Podcaster, Obstetric Social Worker and mum to four boys who has worked with over 40,000 parents to date! Her aim is to help you understand the principles, tools and strategies that boost connection, even in tricky moments, so you become the expert on your child.

We talk about how fatherhood has changed over time, how the role of fathers has changed including what society expects and how men are asking to be more present than ever. We talk about discipline, about tantrums & how to interpret what your child is trying to tell you by their actions: I promise you’ll leave this one feeling more knowledgeable than ever.

We thank Gen for her time!

Resource links:

Book: Little People, Big Feelings 

Website: connectedparenting.com.au

Instagram: @connectedparentingau

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by Haakaa!

Get 10% off at haakaa.co.nz with the code BEYONDTHEBUMP

Welcome to EP19 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the amazing Jason Seeman from Raising Fathers on the rite of passage that is growing from boy to man then a father. 

Jason is a fatherhood guide, educator, and facilitator with over a decade of experience creating programs like Raising Fathers, The Rites of Passage Institute and The Man Cave. 

Whether he’s helping men embrace the challenges of fatherhood, designing bespoke rites of passage, or sharing his reflections through Raising Fathers, Jason is driven by a singular purpose: to elevate fatherhood and help men step into this sacred role with confidence, intention, and heart; something Beyond The Balls is completely on board with!

We talk about what it means to transition to fatherhood in an unhealthy manner, including the situation every father has been in, which is giving up who he once was, knowing that time at the pub might be a bit more scarce - but that’s OK! Fatherhood is to be celebrated and it is ok to mourn who you once were, in order to accept and celebrate who you now are. 

We thank Jason for his time, YA LEGEND!

Resource links:

Website: www.raising-fathers.com

Instagram: @raising_fathers

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by Haakaa!

Get 10% off at haakaa.co.nz with the code BEYONDTHEBUMP

Welcome to EP18 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the amazing Jonny Casella on grief, loss, love and dealing with this worst tragedy any parent could face. Jonny’s first child Mackenzie was a perfect little baby – the picture of health but at 10 weeks old, she was diagnosed with a condition called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) – a severe inherited neuromuscular condition without a cure. 

Jonny and his wife Rachael were shattered by the news. The couple had no family history of genetic conditions and undertook all the recommended preparations to have a healthy child. They had never heard of SMA and were not aware that they were both genetic carriers for the condition. As ‘carriers’, the couple do not have the condition themselves, but have an increased chance of having a child with SMA.

In October 2017, Mackenzie Casella passed away at just seven months and 11 days old. Believing no couple should face this tragedy, the Casellas launched a campaign calling for reproductive genetic carrier screening to be routine and free for all prospective parents in Australia. This would become Mackenzie’s Mission.

What they have achieved through adversity is one of the most inspiring stories you will listen to. We thank Jonny for his time, vulnerability and willingness to share his story.

Resource links:

Mackenzie’s Mission

Rachael’s Episode on Beyond The Bump

Lumi Health

Jonny’s Instagram

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by Comfy Koalas!

Our good friends at Comfy Koalas are offering a $35 discount on your first box of nappies or wipes for a limited time only. Use code BEYOND35 at checkout.

Welcome to EP17 of Beyond The Balls!

Dr. Hugh Porter is an obstetrician, husband, legend and father of two!

He’s experienced an amazingly varied career and quite a lot of life, so we thought there was no one more qualified to help us out with some Q&A from our audience.

We answer questions as sticky as ‘my wife wants a Caesarean but I think she can do it naturally’ all the way to ‘what’s the weirdest pregnancy craving you’ve heard of?’ with entertaining results.

We thank Dr. Porter for his time and I can guarantee you he’ll be back for round 2! This was an amazing interview and he blew us away with his knowledge, candour and approach to obstetrics. Thank you to all the Ballers who submitted questions via Instagram.

Resource links:

Dr. Hugh Porter’s Instagram

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by Bubka Breastfeeding Essentials for Aussie Mums.

Bubka is an Aussie family business helping new mums regain their independence by making pumping simple. Bubka have just released Breast Pump Eco Wipes which are the ultimate on-the-go cleaning solution for breastfeeding mums.

Designed in Australia and an Aussie first, these hygienic wipes effortlessly remove tough breast milk residue from your breast pump without the hassle of washing in soap and water while you're out and about.

The unscented, chemical-free formulation contains no alcohol or bleach, providing a gentle clean every time. Packaged in a convenient resealable pouch of 40 wipes, they're perfect for travel and quick clean-ups.

Beyond breast pump parts, these versatile wipes are designed to clean a variety of baby accessories, making them an essential addition to any parent's toolkit.

https://www.bubka.com.au/products/breast-pump-wipes?srsltid=AfmBOooIIIJSQcki42QCiUo6F6g0W0jmnyH3u6nYs8FgnrkmLoJf5b4

Use the promo code BALLS when you buy a 2-pack of Breast Pump Wipes, and you’ll get a FREE "Running Late" Mum + Dad Cap valued at $25.

Welcome to EP16 of Beyond The Balls!

Jeff is 38, a father of two beautiful children and has Motor Neurone Disease (MND). He was diagnosed 7 months ago and his body is robbing him of his life with his family. 

Chi’s father also passed away at 68 from MND (Also known as ALS / Lou Gehrig’s). It’s a terrible disease which shuts down your nerves, but leaves you in full faculty of everything happening around you - including what’s being taken away. That includes your movement, your speech, your dignity and ultimately your breathing. 

It sadly is a disease that is becoming much too common. It is also incredibly poorly understood. We don’t know what causes it and there is no cure, with average life expectancy from diagnosis being 2 years.

So when we got introduced to Jeff and his wife Sarah, we agreed we would try to change that, to increase awareness of the disease. 

Jeff & Sarah came on the podcast  to talk about what they’re going through and it is one of the most profound, inspiring and heartbreaking pieces of work we could ever hope to be a part of.

Jeff talks about resilience. About being grateful for a life well lived. About love. About his family. The grace in which he & Sarah have approached his diagnosis is truly, truly astounding. They are by all definitions, incredible human beings, dealt the most unfair hand in life. 

We hope you can be inspired by this difficult interview.

Resource links:

Jeff & Sarah’s GoFundMe

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by Tommee Tippee! Happy 60th Anniversary! 

Tommee Tippee’s award-winning bottles have been trusted by parents for over 60 years. From the self-sterilising bottle range for ultimate convenience, to the #1 Natural Start Bottle designed to make switching between breast and bottle effortless, to the Advanced Anti-Colic Bottle that’s proven to ease colic, gas, and reflux, their scientifically-backed bottles support every stage of your feeding journey. Loved by parents, and we know you’ll love them too.

Welcome back legends! Here we are kicking off another year of Beyond The Balls. In this episode we give you an update on some big changes including Chi’s wife finishing maternity leave and him taking on solo primary care. We play a bit of a ‘get to know each other’ game as well as discuss what’s on the horizon for 2025. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be back!

Resource links:

Chi’s first episode on Beyond The Bump talking about being a SAHD

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is proudly sponsored by Stokke!

To celebrate, Stokke are offering Beyond The Balls and Beyond The Bump audiences a unique never before discount code on the full range - from Tripp Trapp to Flexibath to YOYO Pram - BTB15 with some Ts & Cs you can read on the website.  Go to stokkeshop.com.au to look at the range!

This episode is a chat with Nick aka Harry Couldwell, father of three and Jayde’s partner. Nick was only 22 when they welcomed their first daughter into the world, safe to say he has done a lot of growing as a father, husband and individual and it’s taken many years to look back at the story of his life as a young dad. Nick sits down with Chi and talks about all things mental health related, from how to bring your mates barriers down, the ‘taboo’ topic of dad rage and how to support a partner through tough times. Nick is an absolute legend and we thank him for his time!

Resource links:

Shedding some light during the darkness of depression - with Jayde and her brain

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventure

This episode is a chat with Ben Pettingill, blind dad of two. When Ben was 16 he lost his eyesight overnight but he never let that hold him back and has achieved incredible things, including being a wonderful father. We have a chat on Ben’s amazing outlook on life and how he never takes anything for granted, nor focuses on what he cannot change. His tale will not only blow you away but inspire you in so many ways. If you thought parenting was hard, test doing it with your eyes closed! Ben is an absolute legend and we thank him for his time.

Resource links:

If you are keen to learn more about Ben, his speaking and what he gets up to, check out

www.benpettingill.com

Follow Ben on socials –

Insta: Ben Pettingill (@benpettingill) • Instagram photos and videos

Facebook - Ben Pettingill | Facebook

TikTok

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode is a chat with Nahum Kozac, senior psychologist & relationship counsellor at Lighthouse Relationships. We have an incredible chat on techniques to maintain and improve your communication, something that we know 99% of parents struggle with! Nahum takes us through the Four Horsemen of communication and how to avoid these pitfalls and the importance of men naming and being open with their feelings. This is a cracker of an episode and we thank Nahum for his time!

Resource links:

Follow Lighthouse Relationships on IG: @lighthouse_relationships 

lighthouserelationships.com.auMegan Kozak’s Episode on Beyond the Bump: When is it time to do couples therapy? - with couple’s therapist Megan Kozak

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhood podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Chi Lo, a Beyond The Bump production. This podcast is targeted at dads, dads to be, their partners and anyone interested in the journey of fatherhood. 

We believe that every dad wants to be the best they can be so our purpose is to entertain, educate and empower our audience. We promise to have open and honest discussions in the hope to leave you feeling more supported after every listen. Join us in celebrating the ups and downs of fatherhood today!

Yeah the dads!

Follow us on Instagram: @beyondtheballs.podcast

Follow Jayde on Instagram: @londonxboston

Follow Chi on Instagram: @chi_lo

Follow @yummmchi for some cooking adventures!

This episode of Beyond the Balls is proudly sponsored by Bounce!