This week’s episode is full of feelings, fears, laughter and the kind of friendship that carries you through the chaos of motherhood.

Lil’s growing pain hits deep: her parents will be away when her second baby is due, and it’s unearthed a much bigger emotional wobble - that age-old fear of expanding your family and wondering how everyone will cope with the shift. Beth gently holds space, offering reassurance, validation and the reminder that worry often shows up when we’re standing on the edge of something beautiful.

Beth’s growing pain is a little more tick tick boom -  quite literally. ’Tis the season for paralysis ticks, and an unexpected trip to emergency threw her week off. All is well now, but the girls chat through what happened, what to look for, and share the NSW Health Tick Fact Sheet for fellow Aussie parents - you can read it here.

And if, like Lil, you need to level up your first-aid kit (sadly tick off not included), check out Rhythm First Aid for family-friendly kits and resources.

R&R (Recipe & Recommendation)

Beth’s Recipe: A gift from her mum and the perfect silly-season starter: Confit tomato and ricotta crostini. Fresh, quick, delicious.

Beth’s Recommendation: A beauty fave for daily wear: the Maybelline foundation (it’s on sale, so treat yourself).

Lil’s Reverse Recommendation: Skip the movie Regretting You (trust us). Instead, grab popcorn + Malteasers and sit outside the cinema catching up with a girlfriend — infinitely better.

Lil’s Recipe: This delicious, crispy potato “salad” — flavourful, easy and so satisfying. Watch it here.

Don’t mind Lil’s dulcet, slightly sultry tones this week — she’s sick as a dog and tries not to complain about it *too* much.

Beth’s throwing her hat in the ring for the Hot-Mess Mum Award after dropping a few too many mental-load balls (don’t even get us started on the drama that is the Centrelink portal).

It’s honest, funny, and full of the small moments that make motherhood both ridiculous and relatable.

Lil’s R&R

Recommendation: Eau Bags — the perfect blend of chic and practical.

Recipe: Lil’s Yiros Wrap Shopping List — coming to @growingthepodcast this week!

Beth’s R&R

Recipe: Chewy choc-chip cookies — simple, sweet, and guaranteed to lift your mood.

Recommendation: Twoobs Shoes — comfy, sustainable, and perfect for mum-life on the go. 

This episode is proudly brought to you by Looma Collective — the Aussie brand creating beautiful, practical essentials for little ones. Everything they produce is designed to make everyday moments calmer, comfier and more sustainable. Use code GROWING20 for 20% off and thank us later. 

Explore the full range here

Follow along on Instagram @looma.collective

The girls are sharing their glimmers - from Beth’s pregnancy fatigue finally lifting to Lil being back teaching some scrummy, nurturing classes for mums.

And as for growing pains…both are physical this week.  Beth’s pelvis is hanging on by a thread, and Lil’s got two big, itchy problems she needs to get off her chest (literally).

Plus, the girls are introducing a brand-new segment, it’s Mum’s version of Relaxing and Rejuvenating: R&R (Recipe & Recommendation) - because who doesn’t love a good rec and a quick win?

Recipe: Vegan Banana Bread — add choc chips (vegan or not), and Loco Loves are elite if you’re feeling fancy.

Recommendation: The Tineco Mop — she’s spenny but worth every cent. Wait for a sale and always follow the cleaning and care instructions.

Beth’s R&R

Recommendation: Ambra Pregnancy Undies — not sexy, but soft, practical, and so comfortable.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Looma Collective — the Aussie brand creating beautiful, practical essentials for little ones (and their parents). From bibs to bedding, everything they make is designed to make everyday moments calmer, comfier, and more sustainable.

Explore the full range at looma.com.au

Lil’s R&RFollow along on Instagram @looma.collective

This week, we sit down with the wonderful and wise Courtney Adamo — mother of five, writer, and creative who has beautifully navigated motherhood from newborn days through to tweens and teens.

This conversation feels like a big, reassuring and warm hug for both Lilly and Beth — and we hope it lands the same way for you. Together we talk about:

• The rituals and rhythms that shape family life

• How to create moments of connection and calm amidst the chaos

• Little traditions that make the everyday feel special and intentional

• The evolving seasons of motherhood — and how to meet them with grace

It’s a grounding, heart-warming chat full of wisdom and gentle reminders that family life doesn’t have to be perfect and that raising little kids is a beautiful but hard season.

You can find Courtney on Instagram @courtneyadamo

Discover her beautiful new book The Family Home — available here

Rommer is officially back — and we’re celebrating!

Their beautifully designed, practical mealtime range is made for real family life — from starting solids to snack time on the go. Growing listeners get 20% off when you use code GROWING at checkout. Valid until 31st October (excludes bundles). Shop the full range here

Tune in wherever you get your podcast, please share this episode with a friend!

This week, we put out the call — “What are your growing pains right now?” — and the response was loud and clear: first trimester survival.

From nausea that’s simply relentless, to exhaustion that hits like a truck, to the juggle of parenting a toddler while growing another tiny human — we see you, and we (absolutely) feel it too… deep in our bones.

There’s no silver bullet (we wish there was), but in this episode we share our go-to tips, small comforts, and mindset shifts that help make this season of survival just that little bit softer. Our biggest takeaway? Be gentle on yourself -  this is not the thriving chapter, and that’s okay.

Rommer is officially back, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Their beautiful, practical mealtime range has everything from starting-solids essentials to snackware for toddlers - all designed by an Australian brand that gets it.

Growing listeners get 20% off - Use code GROWING at checkout. Valid until 31st October (excludes bundles). Shop the full range here

If you’re deep in the first-trimester trenches or supporting someone who is, this one’s a warm hug and a reminder to go easy on yourself.

This week the girls chat with the gorgeous Leila from Village for Mama, who shares the wild, journey that has shaped her motherhood so far.

From welcoming her first baby, to twin boys, to now being pregnant again - and then discovering at 20 weeks that she’s having twins for the second time (!!) - Leila speaks so generously about surrender, identity, intuition and the unexpected paths motherhood can take us on.

It’s a warm, layered conversation about joy and shock, expansion and exhaustion, and how sometimes life writes the script for us. 

Instagram: @villageformama

Website: villageformama.com

Recipe Book: Explore Leila’s beautiful postpartum recipe book here 

Rommer is officially back - and we are so here for it. Their beautiful, practical kids’ mealtime range is perfect for starting solids, toddlers, snacks on the go and everything in between.

Growing listeners get 20% off - Use the code GROWING at checkout. Offer valid until 31st October (excludes bundles). Shop the full range at: rommer.co

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts and share this episode with a fellow mum who loves an honest story about the twists and turns of family life.

In this candid and emotional episode of Growing, host and midwife Beth shares the incredible news - she’s pregnant with twins!

From the moment she found out she was expecting again, to the surprise that unfolded at her dating ultrasound, Beth takes listeners inside her first trimester experience - the physical, emotional and mental ups and downs of twin pregnancy.

You’ll hear her talk through:

• How it felt to discover she’s expecting again

• What happened at the dating scan (and the moment she realised there were two!)

• The type of twins she’s having

• What’s been similar - and what’s been completely different - this time around

• The emotional rollercoaster of early pregnancy, nausea, fatigue, and juggling two little ones at home

This is an open, vulnerable conversation about the realities of early pregnancy, especially when it’s a complex or high-risk pregnancy like twins. Beth reflects on the joy and overwhelm that come with growing a family while still caring for young children.

Whether you’re in your first trimester, navigating a twin pregnancy, or simply love hearing the raw side of motherhood - this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to follow @growingthepodcast on Instagram for behind-the-scenes updates and upcoming episodes.

This week, the girls sit down with the incredible Gabrielle from G.Lorri Labour Bodywork to chat all things pregnancy, body preparation and labour support. If you’re pregnant, planning to be, or curious about how bodywork can support birth, this episode is full of insight, warmth and practical wisdom.

Together they explore:

• How bodywork can support labour progress and reduce tension

• Breath, movement and positioning as birth preparation

• Why pelvic mobility, soft tissue work and body awareness matter

• The link between nervous system safety and labour outcomes

• How to prepare your body gently and intentionally throughout pregnancy

Beth and Lil also share their frustrations around how birth and bodywork aren’t always easily accessible — and why they believe every woman deserves to feel supported in these ways.

• Visit Gabrielle’s website here

• Follow on Instagram @g.lorri.labourbodywork

• Download Gabrielle’s Labour & Stretch Guide here

Resource referenced in this episode: Spinning Babies

This episode of Growing is proudly brought to you by ergoPouch and their Drift Home Baby Monitor. With a 360° pan tilt camera, an integrated sound machine, and a built-in What to Wear temperature guide, it takes the guesswork out of safe sleep and helps you feel confident at bedtime.

Use the code GROWING20 for 20% off (selected styles only, T&Cs apply). Offer valid until 5/10/25.

Shop ergoPouch here

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, please share this episode with a friend or fellow parent-to-be who wants to learn more about preparing their body for birth in supportive ways.

This week on Growing, Lilly opens up about what pregnancy planning looks like for her this time around. It’s part reflection, part preparation, and fully honest in the here and now. 

We chat candidly about: 

• VBAC plans and what it feels like to carry the weight of a previous birth into the conceptualising of the next one

• How she’s thinking about her birth team and the kind of support she wants around her this time

• The “in between” moments, where excitement and nerves live side by side

• Why preparation in pregnancy isn’t about perfection, but about feeling held, resourced and supported

This is one of those episodes that feels like sitting down with a friend who says the quiet things out loud. Whether you’re planning your first baby, your third, or simply reflecting on your own birth experiences, there’s warmth, solidarity, and gentle encouragement here.

Revisit Lil’s first birth story with Ru: Listen here and Learn more about VBAC with Dr Hazel Keedle: Listen here

This episode is proudly supported by ergoPouch and their brand-new Ellska Cot - a beautifully designed sleep space with ergoPouch’s trusted focus on safe sleep and comfort.

Use the code GROWING20 for 20% off (selected styles only, T&Cs apply). Offer valid until 5/10/25.

Shop ergoPouch here

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend who’s also navigating pregnancy planning or dreaming of a VBAC.

Follow us on Instagram @growingthepodcast for more honest chats about pregnancy, birth, and matrescence.

This week, Beth reflects on the first year of life with two little ones — the joy, the love, and the messy, beautiful reality of it all.

She shares candidly about the parts of motherhood that haven’t necessarily gotten easier, but instead have become part of the fabric of daily life — the laughter, the chaos, and the constant juggle of toddlers, work, and relationships. It’s a season that feels relentless at times, but also deeply rewarding as new rhythms settle in.

This episode is a warm hug and a big exhale for any parent anticipating change, moving through transition, or simply wondering what life with two kids might feel like on the other side of that first year.

This episode of Growing is proudly brought to you by ergoPouch and their Drift Home Baby Monitor. With a 360° pan tilt camera, an integrated sound machine, and a built-in What to Wear temperature guide, it takes the guesswork out of safe sleep and helps you feel confident at bedtime.

Use the code GROWING20 for 20% off (selected styles only, T&Cs apply). Offer valid until 5/10/25.

Shop ergoPouch here

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

Share this episode with a fellow parent who could use some solidarity and a reminder that joy can live right alongside the juggle.

Follow us on Instagram @growingthepodcast for more real-life reflections on parenting, pregnancy and matrescence.