Mum Will Know

Ever had that gross sick feeling in the pit of your stomach as you go to throw out the nappy bin each day? Or felt guilty about the amount of plastic toys you have scattered throughout the house? Today I share ten tips to becoming more environmentally friendly for families with young kids. You may already be doing some of them (we all need permission to give ourselves a pat on the back) and others may be things that you can adopt and change. Every little step counts, so be inspired and make some changes…

To access the episode show notes and all past MWK episodes, click here

With 1/5 women and 1/10 men experiencing perinatal anxiety or depression in Australia today, this topic is one that needs the world’s attention. Today’s interview with PANDA CEO Julie Borninkhof, covers an overview of the many vulnerabilities and challenges as well as diagnosable mental health illnesses that affect men and women during pregnancy and in the year following a baby’s birth. Julie shares tips on how to notice if your worries go beyond the norm, how to get support, and touches on PANDA’s resources around perinatal mental health especially during coronavirus.

For episode show notes and links to PANDA and other resources Julie mentions in our conversation, click here

Researcher & midwife Hazel Keedle unpacks her latest research on women’s experiences of planning a VBAC in Australia. She shares her own VBAC experience and passionately promotes the benefits of such an experience. Hazel also shares advice for women planning a VBAC including addressing and revisiting the ‘scary stuff’ in order to emotionally prepare for your next birth.

To read the full show notes and find the link to Hazel's facebook page for further research, head to www.mumwillknow.com

Hopefully Coach Carr’s “Don't have sex because you will get pregnant and die… OK, now everybody take some rubbers” isn’t the only education you received as a teenager about contraception… 

Today I talk through the specifics – how contraceptives work, how effective they are and what side effects are common with each method. This episode is for everyone; if you feel happy having been on the pill since 14 years old, or if you’re trying to fall pregnant or currently pregnant – because that 6 week postnatal visit creeps up very quickly and you’ll want to have thought through your options so you aren’t pregnant again before your first bub turns one!

For the full show notes and links to resources to continue reading on these topics head to http://www.mumwillknow.com

Childbirth is an incredible process, but growing and carrying a baby around for 9 months and then pushing it out comes with its challenges and strains. Today I ask women’s health physiotherapist, Anna Scammell to share her advice on pelvic floor exercises, how to prepare for labour and birth, how to look after your body following birth and pretty much everything you can think might be related to childbirth and physiotherapy.

For the full show notes and to find links to Anna's website and social platforms, click here

With between 25-50% of pregnancies ending in miscarriage it’s something that unfortunately many women will experience. Despite this frequency however, research shows that women feel isolated and lonely following pregnancy loss and many recall vivid negative social responses and poor support. 

Today Claire unpacks a range of different types of early pregnancy loss and then jumps into how to practically support someone through miscarriage, what to do and say and what to avoid saying…

For the full show notes head to Mumwillknow.com

Midwife & mum Krystal Richardson shares her experience of molar pregnancy, persistent gestational trophoblastic disease, chemotherapy and finally twins. This emotional rollercoaster is raw and educational as Krystal opens up about her story from a personal and professional perspective.

For full show notes and to get the links to Krystal's recommended supports click here

One of the biggest concerns a pregnant woman has is her impending labour. And of course it is! As women who’ve done it before share their ‘wise words of wisdom’ and traumatic birth experiences, pregnant women are bound to be caught up in fear and nerves about what their own labour and birth experience will bring. And the reality of labour is – that it’s painful. But getting your head around why pain is necessary, what in fact is going on, and what can be some ways to manage the pain will set you up with confidence and tools to get through, or even enjoy the incredible labour that brings you face to face with your newborn baby.

If you'd like a discount on a TENS machine, Mum Will Know listeners can get 10% off TENS hire through Bliss Birth with code MWK10. This is the TENS machine I used in my labour and the whole hire experience was a complete breeze!

For the full show notes and links to further reading, click here

When you hear the saying “parents are their child’s first teachers” what feelings does it evoke? Pressure. Stress. Excitement. Confidence? This episode Claire talks with lecturer and researcher in early childhood literacy and learning at Macquarie University – Emilia Djonov. Hear about how building early literacy skills in our children from 0-5 years can dramatically affect their future academic achievement. Get tips on how to appropriately use technology and take note of the great list of authors that Emilia shares so you can revamp your own at-home library.
 
 For the full show notes and links to resources mentioned in the episode, click here

This week Claire talks with researcher Haylee Fox about the overuse of obstetric interventions in labour and birth in Australia today. Research suggests that this wonderful, physiological and normal event of childbirth is becoming somewhat over-medicalised through the potentially unnecessary use of obstetric interventions like caesarean section, instrumental deliveries, episiotomy, and induction of labour. Interventions that can be life-saving when used as needed, have now become overused and with that bring potential risks and costs to women, their babies and the healthcare system.

To access further show notes and links to Haylee's research paper and contact details, click here.