Steph became friends with Tracey through their mother's group - you may remember her from a previous KICBUMP episode titled "Postpartum, poop and prams" with another friend  Emma. In today's episode, Steph wanted to chat to Tracey about something that almost none of us have experienced but so many of us are curious about or at the very least fascinated by - home births.

Tracey's story is just incredible. She birthed her 4 month old son Airlie at home (which was planned), but without any midwives present (which was definitely unplanned)! Hear how she educated herself on home births, what she equipped herself with in the lead up, how she attained her midwives and her advice for any mums looking at this as an option for their birth plan.

And on another note, we love hearing your 'Toddler Tantrum Tales'! If your toddler has cracked it over something hilarious (like not being allowed to eat the dog food or crying over some broken eggs that they sat on) please send yours in to us @kicpod on Instagram. Voice notes and written messages welcome! 🥰

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(Without the therapist...)

It's not a regular Monday catch up for Steph & Laura today. Instead, the girls sit down for what is essentially an extremely open, raw and honest therapy session among friends. Although technically there's no therapist, the girls air out some things that have been weighing on them for a while, and open up to one another about their deepest insecurities - some of which they have never expressed to each other before.

Among the tears shed, there are some very powerful and beautiful words shared with one another, and it amplifies just how strong the friendship is between these two besties. If you can relate to these topics, we hope that you also have someone in your life you can confide in like this.

 

SPECIAL SHARE:

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, book by Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

KIC UPDATE:

We'd like to introduce our newest strength trainer Sami Rose! In these 10 brand NEW resistance style Masterclasses, Sami will introduce you to new lifts & combinations, bring back the classic movements you know and love as well as practice powerful affirmations, enabling you to build muscle, improve stamina and celebrate your body. New to KIC? Head to our website for a 7-day free trial.

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Rachel Baker is the founder of the sexual wellness brand LBDO, whose mission is to break down taboos and stigmas around sex and pleasure by normalising the conversation - and boy do we normalise the conversation today!

Not only does Rachel do a fantastic job at explaining the importance of taking care of your sexual health & wellbeing, along with educating us on what we can do to help better our lives in this area, she also creates an extremely comfortable space for Steph & Laura to open up about their own sexual experiences and share details you wouldn't have heard before on this podcast!

Rachel also covers the pleasure gap that exists between men and women, what we can do to understand our bodies better, and sex & pleasure in motherhood too. Check out her wonderful products at lbdo.com.

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In Steph & Laura's catch up today, they debate whether an encounter Laura had with someone was them hitting on her, or recognising her. You be the judge!

They also respond to a D&M about something a lot of us can relate to - outgrowing your high school friends in your 20s and 30s, plus a follow up from the 'Nightmare Neighbours' chat last week, including some WILD stories that you guys sent in.

 

SPECIAL SHARES:

• Steph – Diary Of A CEO, podcast episode with Alex Cooper
• Laura – Wellmania, series on Netflix

 

KIC UPDATE:

We have had two new recipes drop in the KIC app - Our One Pot Pesto Lasagna as well as a delicious Gooey Carrot Slice

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What an incredible story Lisa Messenger and her bestie Sarah Megginson share - one that initially started with heartache, where Lisa tried for a baby for 8 years and did 16 unsuccessful rounds of IVF, then becoming a magical story where during a discussion about Lisa's struggles, Sarah offered the most selfless thing a person could offer - to carry Lisa's baby for her!

With Sarah now nearly 6 months pregnant, she and Lisa share in today's episode everything that we're curious to know - the process of surrogacy, how it all came about, how it feels being pregnant with someone else's baby, and what Lisa is going to tell her unborn son when he's older. Their friendship and pregnancy journey truly is something special, and you can follow it all on their shared Instagram page @mummyatlast.

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In Steph & Laura's catch up today, Steph reveals that her previous neighbours were absolute nightmares, where they once called the cops on her husband Josh for something he did. They also address a D&M regarding how the pill has affected someone's exercise regime and what to do when your exercise is limited, plus we hear from customer service workers about the things they're sick of!

 

SPECIAL SHARES:

Steph – Words On Bathrooms Walls, Netflix film

Laura – The Imperfects, podcast episode with Ben Crowe

 

KIC UPDATES:

If you're in need of some cooking inspiration, we have a few new recipes in the KIC app - our Peri Peri Chicken Tray Bake (version 2.0), and our Crumpet French Toast. Not to mention our Hot Cross Buns recipe because let's be honest, we're all still eating Hot Cross Buns well after Easter... (okay everyone except for Laura!!)

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If you happen to be watching I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here on Channel 10, you will have just seen today's KICPOD guest Harry Garside walk into the South African jungle. How fitting that the 25 year-old Olympic medal winning boxer is taking on months of immense physical and mental challenges to not only raise money for charity, but for personal growth. After hearing today's episode, you'll agree that this will be a walk in the park for Harry in comparison to some of his previous feats.

Harry is one of the few men in sport who challenges gender stereotypes, wearing whatever he feels good in whether that be a dress, a skit, nail polish, or a suit and tie. Harry pushes every boundary in his life, often challenging his mental and physical limits with things like laying in a freezing cold lake at 5am in winter, or not talking for days. He even stops mid conversation for 30 seconds during today's episode to do a mindfulness exercise that he has set for himself. Nothing can get in the way of his dedication to becoming the best possible version of himself, which we admire so much and hope to learn from.

In today's chat we also discuss finding your identity, how he navigates toxic masculinity, and the benefits of getting out of your comfort zone.

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In Steph & Laura's catch up today, they discuss the recent Gwyneth Paltrow interview that went viral due to its toxic messaging, and express why this was so problematic. Laura also reveals that she's been living with / putting up with something for FAR too long that could have easily been resolved with one quick trip to the shops. It turns out many people have also been living with broken or dysfunctional household items, and some prove to be extremely dangerous!

 

SPECIAL SHARES:

Laura – Dark Waters, Netflix film with Anne Hathaway

Steph – Getting out of your comfort zone

Mandy – Let Go, book by Hugh van Cuylenburg

 

KIC UPDATE:

We are now into week 2 of the KICRUN Club. We now have three programs/distances to choose from in the app - 0-5km, 5-10km and the new 10-21km if you're keen to get half marathon ready! 

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Today's KICBUMP episode kicks off with a Harvey update from Steph, where you will not BELIEVE what he was holding in his hand. It left producer Mandy gobsmacked and Steph face palming!

We then hear from the amazing Mel Wells - an Embodied Leadership and Intimacy Coach trained in Holistic Sex, Love and Relationships, Eating Psychology and Holistic Health.

When pregnant with her now 7 month old baby Sky, Mel's plan was to have a home birth with no intervention. But when he arrived at just 30 weeks, Mel's plan had to quickly pivot to something she initially wanted to avoid completely. In today's episode, she explains how giving birth means surrendering completely and trusting western medicine even when it may not always be your first preference.

She also shares her wisdom about the importance of sex and intimacy in a relationship when becoming a parent.

Check out Mel's book ‘The Goddess Revolution; Make Peace with Food, Love your Body, Reclaim Your Life’, her podcast 'Love, Sex & Magic', and her sacred space to nurture women traversing the spiritual portal of matrescence, 'Maiden to Mother'.

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In Steph and Laura's catch up today, they discuss the insane societal pressures placed on women and how contradictory a lot of the messaging is, they share stories of when they've spotted famous people in the wild (and you'll hear why Steph has never lived down her first encounter with Andy Lee), plus we gave the TikTok #SpillTheTea challenge a go where the entire studio may or may not have ended up covered in tea!!

 

SPECIAL SHARES:

Laura - Ted Lasso, Season 3 - Apple TV series

Steph - The Imperfects episode 'Chrissie Swan - Honesty'

 

KIC UPDATE:

Our KICRUN Club is back and starts today! There are now 3 distances you can choose from - 5km, 10km or our brand new 10-21km program. If you have any questions about the recent updates to KICRUN, we have an explainer blog post at keepitcleaner.com/kicrunexplained

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