She's one of the great cultural villains; the evil stepmother. Stepmums are up against it. Besides fighting bad press generated by endless pop-culture references, they're chucked in the deep end of parenting without a life boat.

Yumi Stynes meets stepmothers who've experienced the joy of loving their partner's child as well as the difficulty of slotting into a 'mum' role when the kids already have one.

Plus, researcher Dr Bailey Oliver Blackburn explains the challenges of stepmothering, from responsibility without authority to constant comparison and feeling excluded.

This episode is a celebration of the unique role that stepmums play and offers some tools to navigate a complex family dynamic.

What to listen to next:

Toxic mums

Breaking the motherhood contract

Mental health: Overcoming depression

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

Mental health: Loving someone with an addiction

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• What is it like to be a stepmother? 
• How do you blend families? 
• How many families are blended in Australia? 
• How should you approach parenting as a step mother? 
• What is 'nacho parenting'?
• What are the benefits to being a stepmother?

This episode contains references to stepmothers, stepmom, stepmum, wicked stepmother, stepfamily, family, parenting, blended families, anxiety, stress, pregnancy, Cinderella, Parent Trap, Rapunzel.

Standing by watching a loved one's addiction can be heartbreaking and confusing. One in ten Australian's struggle with a substance disorder and one in five experience gambling harm.

For every person struggling with an addiction, there are people close to them. The wives, mothers, sisters and children watching their addictions play havoc with their lives.

Yumi Stynes sits down with women who've been on the sidelines of someone else's addiction, and who've found a path through a challenging situation.

In this episode you'll hear how to look after your own mental health as a carer and how to have those difficult conversations.

Featured in this episode: 

• Caroline Thain, Manager of Clinical Advice and Governance at Headspace 

Special thanks to Dr Steph Kershaw from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use for her help with this episode. 

Helpful resources: 

• National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015  
• SHARC's Family Drug and Gambling Helpline 1300 660 068 
• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• Matilda Centre resources for mental health and substance use
• Al Anon Family Groups Australia

What to listen to next: 

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

Mental health: Overcoming depression

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This episode will answer questions like: 

• How can I look after myself if my loved one has an addiction? 
• What does gambling harms and addiction look like? 
• What is it like to live with someone with alcohol dependence? 
• How can alcohol dependence affect families? 
• What is the financial impact of a gambling addiction? 
• How can I help someone addicted to poker machines? 
• How can I help someone with an addiction? 

This episode contains references to mental health, gambling, poker machines, addiction, alcohol dependence, Al Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, support group, psychologist, alcohol and other drugs, counselling, boundaries. 

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition facing women. One in three will be diagnosed in her lifetime. From overwhelming worry to spiralling thoughts, panic attacks to avoidance, anxiety can have a huge impact. But the good news is that we know how to treat it.

In part two of this three-part mental health series, Yumi Stynes chats to Julie Goodwin, of MasterChef fame, to understand how she got on top of her crippling anxiety. She also sits down with neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Bronwyn Graham to talk anxiety-busting strategies.

The episode explores how hormones, sleep, lifestyle, and medication can impact anxiety and help you emerge stronger than ever.

Featured in this episode:

• Professor Bronwyn Graham, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist
• Julie Goodwin, cook and author

If you need someone to talk to, call:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• QLife on 1800 184 527 

What to listen to next:

Mental health: Overcoming depression

The price of perfectionism

How to give zero f*cks 

Perimenopause: lifting the brain fog

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• How do women experience anxiety differently to men? 
• What does anxiety feel like? 
• What are the physical manifestations of anxiety? 
• What is the role of hormones in women’s anxiety? 
• How does sleep impact anxiety? 
• What can exercise and diet do for anxiety? 
• What are effective treatments for anxiety? 

This episode contains references to mental health, anxiety, panic disorder, panic attacks, generalised anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, perfectionism, psychiatric facility, medication, suicide, family, parenting, work-life balance. 

Hey ladies, we are working on an episode about women who’ve taken a break from their long-term relationship, to follow their own path for a little while.

If you’ve hit pause on your relationship in the hopes of getting back together stronger than before, we want to hear from you (whether it worked out in the end or not!)

If this is you, or a woman you know, drop us a line at [email protected]

One in six women will get depression in their lifetime, compared with one in ten men. So, is it hormones or circumstances or a combination of both that's makes us more susceptible? And importantly, how can we confront the black dog if it's at our door?

In part one of this three-part series, Yumi Stynes sits down with women who've been in the grips of depression to understand how they overcame it. She also lays out the essential ingredients for good mental health.

Featured in this episode:

• Professor Bronwyn Graham, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist

If you need someone to talk to, call:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• QLife on 1800 184 527 

What to listen to next:

Loneliness — you're not alone

The price of perfectionism

How to give zero f*cks 

Perimenopause: lifting the brain fog

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• How do women experience mental health conditions differently to men? 
• What does depression feel like? 
• Is depression the same as feeling sad? 
• What is the role of hormones in women’s depression? 
• How does sleep impact depression? 
• What can exercise and diet do for depression? 
• What are effective treatments for depression? 
• What is Electroconvulsive Therapy? 

This episode contains references to mental health, depression, melancholic depression, suicide, antidepressants, SSRIs, medication, hospital, parenting, motherhood, relationships, family, wellness, health, exercise, hormones, stress, sleep, CBT, psychiatric facility, electroconvulsive therapy, ECT. 

One in three women in Australia will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in their lifetime and one in six will experience depression. This Mental Health Month, it's time to find solutions.

In this three-part series, Yumi Stynes chats to leading experts about hacking your brain, hormones, nutrition (and yes, mental load) to feel better.

Yumi speaks to women with depression and anxiety about the treatments and lifestyle changes that have helped them feel better. We also look at how to look after your mental health when you love someone with an addiction.

Featured in this series: neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Bronwyn Graham, Headspace's Caroline Thain and beloved cook Julie Goodwin.

What to listen to next:

Loneliness — you're not alone

The price of perfectionism

How to give zero f*cks 

Perimenopause: lifting the brain fog

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next:

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Shame and disgust: Why we find this STI so hard to talk about

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• How do women experience mental health conditions differently to men? 
• What is the role of hormones in women’s mental health? 
• What is the role of exercise and diet in mental health? 
• How do antidepressants work? 
• What’s it like to stay in a psychiatric hospital? 
• How do I feel better day to day? 

This episode contains references to mental health, anxiety, depression, addiction, SSRIs, medication, hospital, parenting, motherhood, relationships, family, wellness, health. 

Twins Clare and Jessie Stephens have been by each other's side for all of life's firsts. The first day of school, first job, first love, first pregnancy and birth plus that time Clare dyed her hair brown (spoiler alert: disaster).

The sisters, both writers and podcasters, live in tandem. They're also competitive high achievers.

So what's it like when your best friend is also your harshest critic, most fierce rival and biggest cheerleader? How do you figure out who you are when your identity and DNA are so closely linked with another? Yumi Stynes sits down with the twins for a raucous conversation about the love and war of sisterhood.

Clare Stephens is the author of The Worst Thing I've Ever Done and host of The Pile On podcast. Jessie Stephens is the author of Something Bad Is Going to Happen and host of the Mamamia Out Loud podcast.

What to listen to next:

Sashi Perera on reinvention

Rosie Waterland and Jamila Rizvi's broken brains

Jessie Tu, on miscarriage and doing motherhood her way

The price of perfectionism

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Shame and disgust: Why we find this STI so hard to talk about

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This episode contains references to pregnancy, miscarriage, jealousy, envy, twin, sisterhood, family, depression, anxiety, relationships, Jessie Stephens pregnancy, identical twins. 

Married mum Deepa Paul didn’t have ‘sleeping with strangers’ on her bingo card. She grew up in the Catholic and conservative Philippines and married her college sweetheart. But underneath, Deepa yearned for more.   

Deepa wanted to open up her marriage, but convincing her husband took time and tears. Eventually, they settled on boundaries and set up their dating profiles. 

Having sex with new people meant that Deepa could explore her desires without shame. It also sparked a renewal in her marriage.  

In her book Ask me how it works: love in an open marriage Deepa answers the questions we all want to know about polyamory.  

What to listen to next:

The new way to date

How to have better sex, with Emily Nagoski

Esther Perel will change how you think about intimacy

Oh my kink! Pulling back the covers on BDSM

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Shame and disgust: Why we find this STI so hard to talk about

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This episode will answer questions like: 

• How does polyamory work? 
• Do people get jealous in open relationships? 
• What is couples therapy like? 
• How do you navigate the stigma of an open relationship? 
• How do you talk to your partner about sex? 
• How do you talk to your kids about your sex life? 

This episode contains references to polyamory, open marriage, wedding, sex, sexuality, marriage, parenting, children, kids, communication, couples therapy, couples counselling, infidelity, cheating, online dating. 

This is a guided meditation to help with chronic pain.  

Endometriosis hurts. It can be a gnarling, twisting, stabbing, relentless source of pain. Finding a way through that pain can be overwhelming at times. Meditation can help.  

Gynaecological surgeon and endometriosis specialist Dr Pav Nanayakkara guides you through a series of breathing exercises to shift your relationship with pain.  

This isn’t a standard Ladies, We Need to Talk episode, it’s a tool for your mindfulness toolbox. One you can come back to any time you need.  

These meditations aren't designed to replace medical pain relief or the advice of a good doctor, rather to compliment them.

What to listen to next:

Endometriosis: Pain, periods, medical gaslighting

The rage in my pelvis

When sex hurts

Perimenopause: WTF is happening to our bodies

Free to bleed: escaping menstrual shame

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

What to read next:

Shame and disgust: Why we find this STI so hard to talk about

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

This episode contains references to endometriosis, gynaecology, period pain, chronic pain, pain management, meditation, attention, acceptance, mindfulness, breathing, breath work. 

Around one million Australian women live with endometriosis. That's around one in seven, so chances are you know someone dealing with debilitating pain, medical misogyny and fertility issues because of the disease.

Awareness about endometriosis has expanded in the last few years, but there's still a long way to go. Yumi Stynes meets women who've spent a lot of time and money seeking a diagnosis and fighting to be heard.

She also sits down with Professor Caroline Ford from the Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute at UNSW who offers hope for a future with tailored treatments and less BS.

Helpful links:

Endometriosis Foundation  (these folks run support groups)

National Endometriosis Clinical and Scientific trials registry

Endometriosis Australia

Pelvic Pain foundation

Endo Zone

What to listen to next:

The rage in my pelvis

When sex hurts

Perimenopause: WTF is happening to our bodies

Free to bleed: escaping menstrual shame

Shedding the shame of herpes

The new way to date

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

What to read next:

Shame and disgust: Why we find this STI so hard to talk about

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

This episode will answer questions like:

• What is endometriosis?
• How can you tell if you have endometriosis?
• Is it normal to have painful periods?
• What are the treatment options for endometriosis?
• Does endometriosis affect your fertility?
• Does endometriosis affect your sex life?

This episode contains references to endometriosis, gynaecology, period pain, chronic pain, painful sex, medical, gaslighting, medical misogyny, cancer, fertility, infertility, IVF, uterus, lesions, laparoscopy, endo, endometrial tissue, chronic pelvic pain, adenomyosis, dysmenorrhea, chocolate cysts, blood, National Action Plan for Endometriosis.