Welcome to Women’s Circle and a big thank you for tuning in wherever you are today. I am speaking to Cassandra Leigh today, a woman who has literally experienced it all when it comes to pregnancy. Cass had always felt a strong desire to be a mother and yet, it would take a journey at 17 years old with a pregnancy termination followed by a miscarriage, a stillborn baby and finally the beautiful arrival of her much wanted son, Magni at the age of 30.

Cass is determined to use her experience to support other women to have really supported and calm birth experiences. This is another inspiring chat with a powerful woman and I am so grateful to share this story with you today.

We will be discussing:

• Pregnancy Termination
• Miscarriage
• Stillbirth
• Grief
• Depression
• Healing
• PTSD
• Beautiful birth after trauma
• Birth Care

If any of these topics bring up anything for you, please take space and find some helpful links below.

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

 Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

 Lifeline

13 11 14

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Connect with Cass

Instagram: @mammacass_withwoman

Welcome beautiful people, it is so lovely to have you here again today on Women’s Circle. My name is Carlie, I am the founder of Mumma Got Skills and I am bringing you the real stories of women in our community. Today I am speaking with children’s author and artist, Gwendolyn Gray. Gwen has lived and painted at her home by Horseshoe Lagoon in Casino, NSW for the past 35 years. 

Watching the daily antics of the local waterfowl on the lagoon and inspired by Beatrix Potter helped Gwendolyn to write a series about a little duckling and his adventures. Gwen is married to a local farmer and has two grown children.

She loves her home town and the local community in which she has become well-known even receiving a nomination for Citizen of the Year and also awarded Clarence Electorate Woman of the Year.

We will be discussing:

• Death of Gwen’s father leading to childhood anxiety
• Art as a coping mechanism
• Losing Gwen’s mother at 22 compounding the unresolved grief
• Helicopter parenting as an unconscious coping mechanism 
• The literal ‘breakthrough’ to healing
• Getting to know yourself is so important before you have a baby
• The power of the women’s group for bonding and support
• Finding safety in a group giving space to look deeply at yourself
• The victim mentality as a false story that blocks light
• The stories we hear impact us even in utero - what we think and say is energy!
• Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping) as a tool for releasing pain
• Our children are our healers
• The process of personal growth and healing through motherhood
• Recognising our childhood triggers through our reactions to our children
• Changing your relationships by doing you inner work
• Transformation of Gwen’s art through the healing process
• Gratefulness Practice leading to big things
• The birth of ‘Bucket the Naughty Duckling’
• The compounding stress of new motherhood

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Mumma Mentor: 

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Connect with Gwen

https://www.gwendolyngrayart.com/

Bucket the Naughty Duckling

https://inhousebookstore.com.au/search?q=Gwendolyn+Gray

Other Books/ Resources 

Radical Forgiveness -Colin Tipping

You Can Heal Yourself - Louise Hay

Welcome to season 2 of Women’s Circle, my name is Carlie and I am so grateful to have you here today as we discuss real Australian women and their journey’s to motherhood and beyond. 

Today we are speaking to Ellie D as a follow-up from her pregnancy journey now 3 months ago. You can check out our first chat on episode 11. Ellie D is a successful web radio producer, podcaster, creative and all round amazing woman who is now a mother to twin girls and a 2 year old boy.

Ellie is back to recap on the journey since the birth of her twin girls at 32 weeks after 87 nights in hospital with twin to twin transfusion syndrome. They then spent a further 5.5 weeks post birth in NICU.

I can tell you that this chat is raw and real as much as it is beautifully honest. Ellie is candid about her very present struggle with her new reality and all that it is bringing up within her to be healed.

**Please note that there are themes of post natal anxiety and depression, trauma and ptsd related to pregnancy. If any of these bring up anything within you, please find some helpful links below and seek support immediately. 

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

 Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

 Lifeline

13 11 14

 
 We will be discussing:

• The arrival of twin girls 
• Aftercare in hospital and transition to homelife
• Accepting a new reality
• Struggling to connect with children
• Doing the inner work
• Sitting with uncomfortable feelings
• Feeling isolated
• Dark Night of the Soul
• Answering the call of the Hero’s Journey
• Finding the tiny moments of light
• A universal guide
• Learning to trust yourself
• Creativity as an outlet
• Childhood wounding and emotions
• Commitment to working through the ‘hard stuff’

Welcoming you to the space.

 Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Resources and Links:

Spiritual Madness, Caroline Myss

Mama Rising, Amy Taylor Kabbaz

Everyday Creative, Mykel Dixon

Ellie’s Radio Program

Oz Now Radio

https://www.elliedofficial.com/

Welcome to Women’s Circle, my name is Carlie and as always, it is a pleasure to have you here today. In this episode I am speaking with Ionie Valdez, a talented Shaman, Sound and Sensuality healer who in her own words, is ‘passionate about supporting people in uncovering and discovering the truth of who they are’. Ionie is a mother of a three year old daughter and has an incredible story of resilience through antenatal anxiety, depression and PTSD. This is one powerful chat- there is a level of shared experience that Ionie and I discuss that drives us to support other women.

This is a sacred conversation that involves some pretty heavy (but completely necessary) topics. As always, if anything comes up for you, please find helpful links below and seek support.

We will be discussing:

• Antenatal Depression
• Growing up in spiritual family
• Sexual abuse in a relationship
• Dissociation from body after trauma
• Boundaries around our body with partners
• Safety around having difficult conversations
• Self-respect as a foundation to any relationship
• The crucial words of support and action needed in depression
• ‘It’s okay to not feel okay’
• Parenting 
• Energy Systems…we got sidetracked
• Plant Medicine as a healer
• Finding immense light and love through the darkness
• Letting go of fear is the key to all growth
• Stop making excuses around not having enough time
• Calling out our Saboteur 
• How Ionie works with men and women as a healer

Ionie is holding an Elemental Embodiment Retreat February 11th-14th in the Gold Coast Hinterland. If you feel called to journey with Ionie and her team of light workers over three days, you will experience a life changing experience. You can find more information on her website www.mystickey.com.au - link in notes.

Thank you for sharing the space with us today, there is so much to this life journey and I am so grateful to listen to and share the many different ways that women experience it. I hope you can join us next week for another unique story. If you feel called to share yours, get in touch at www.mummagotskills.com.au.

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Resources and Links:

Ionie Valdez

https://www.mystickey.com.au/

https://www.mystickey.com.au/retreats

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themystickey

Caroline Myss - The Saboteur 

https://www.myss.com/archetypes-in-depth-the-saboteur/

Welcome to episode 13 of Women’s Circle and the final episode for season one! We will be taking a break over the Christmas period and will be back in 2022. If you are new, we encourage you to go and listen to some of our other episodes and be inspired by some very special women. If you have been following from the beginning – thank you so much, it literally means the world!

Today we are speaking to one of our own! Elizabeth Lingard is a facilitator of our mums and bubs craft groups and has an interesting story of motherhood. As a young parent, Lizzy opens up about severe depression with all three of her pregnancies and how she has gathered strength to stand on her own. This is a truly inspirational story and one that I am really honoured to share with you today.

**There are themes of depression in this episode, if this brings up anything for you, please find some useful information below:

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

 Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

 Lifeline

13 11 14

 
 We will be discussing:

-       Growing up in a family with special needs 

-       Home schooling 

-       Christian Faith and strict parenting practices

-       Falling pregnant at 19 years old

-       Aspirations to be a professional dancer quashed

-       Severe depression in pregnancy and dissociating from the overwhelm

-       Putting on a ‘show face’ even when feeling isolated and alone with a newborn

-       Mother instincts despite feeling disconnected from baby

-       Young Mother’s Group a lifeline in difficult times

-       Difficulties in marriage impacting second pregnancy and another bout of depression

-       Seeking psychological support for the first time

-       The quest for self-identity

-       Shame around mental health and pressure from within the church

-       Making peace with taking anti-depressant medication

-       Connecting with third baby right from birth brings relief

-       Supporting other women enhancing the healing journey 

-       Finding the light at the end of a very dark tunnel 

-       Rewriting your past narrative with lots of love

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Welcome to episode to episode 12 of Women’s Circle. I cannot believe how much this little project has grown over the past 3 months! It is such an honour to have made Apple Podcasts Top 100 list for parenting podcasts in Australia this month. Thank you for your support. I will continue to hold space for you to tell your important stories.

Today on the podcast I am speaking to Shannon Saines. Shannon lives in Brisbane with her husband and two young children. Shannon works in online travel and shares her story today about a relatively smooth life until the birth of her second child. Lucas was born healthy and well until a routine check-up at three days old revealed some life-changing news.

**There are themes of infant distress in this episode, if this brings up anything for you, please find, please find some useful information:

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

 Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

 Lifeline

13 11 14

 
 We will be discussing:

- Fear of loss, body image and being a ‘good mum’ concerns pre-parenthood 

- The smooth journey from suburban life to mother of one

- Practicing compassion and non-judgement as a new parent

- Transferring a positive mindset from running training to parenting a newborn

- Positive self-talk and reflection as skills to support yourself on hard days

- Hearing our words reflected to us through our children

- Bouncing back to exercise after a baby

- Journey of second pregnancy and healthy birth

- No femoral pulses at day 3 and discovery of a heart-condition

- Healing post-surgery as a woman and family

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Resources and Links:

Coarctation of the Aorta

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/congenital-heart-defects/about-congenital-heart-defects/coarctation-of-the-aorta-coa

Welcome to Episode 11 of Women’s Circle, I am grateful for your precious time and just want to give a big shoutout to you and the wondrous journey that you are on. Today I am speaking with a mum who has touched my heart over the past few months of knowing her through a very special peri-natal craft group. Ellie D is not only courageous and resilient, she is also incredibly empathetic and kind to all those around her. I am honoured to share this special story with you and to bring it to you in two parts. This first episode was recorded when Ellie was pregnant, and we will catch up with her again after her birth. For all of you out there that have experienced a similar path, my heart goes out to you. Thank you to Ellie for sitting down with me and sharing her vulnerability. 

**There are themes of IVF and pregnancy trauma in this episode, if this brings up anything for you, please find, please find some useful information:

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

 Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

 Lifeline

13 11 14

 
We will be discussing:

-       Exploring the IVF journey after 15 years of infertility

-       Finding a career in Australian Music

-       Feeling like being a parent is ‘not enough’

-       Backing yourself with passion projects 

-       It’s twins! Second time round

-       Letting go of control as a theme for many recurring lessons

-       Twin to Twin T ransfusion Syndrome

-       Waters breaking at 20 weeks

-       12 weeks in hospital

-       Delivery imminent! 

Welcoming you to the space.

 Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

 Resources and Links:

 Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Information

http://brochures.mater.org.au/brochures/mater-mothers-hospital/twin-to-twin-transfusion-syndrome

 Oz Now Radio

https://www.elliedofficial.com/

Episode 10! Can you believe this little passion project has been in the world for over 2 months? I am so grateful that you are here today and I think it is so fitting that my tenth guest has been really inspirational to me as a fellow business owner in the sacred mum space. Carene Carroll is the founder of Modern Mamas, connecting local mums through mothers groups as well as being a mum of two sweet girls. I always get such a buzz when talking with Carene, she is witty, cheeky and rebellious in an utterly loveable way and once you listen, you will see how her approach to life and motherhood makes you want to be in her presence. It is my pleasure to bring this episode to you.

We will be discussing:

-       A difficult schooling

-       Finding career 

-       Doing the inner work through hardship

-       Trusting intuition to guide your path

-       Flowing with pregnancy

-       Post Natal Anxiety

-       Perceptions interfering with asking for help

-       Starting Modern Mamas 

-       Advice for other women wanting to start businesses

-       Finding purpose in what you do

-       Relaxing with  a second baby

-       Sitting with and welcoming anxiety

-       Self-care support for new mums – surrounding yourself with positive support

-       Accepting the universal lessons that come your way

-       Good morning ritual practice to keep you balanced

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Resources and links:

**If you are experiencing any symptoms of perinatal anxiety or depression, please find some useful information 

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

Lifeline

13 11 14

Other Resources:

Podcasts

Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations

 
Modern Mamas

https://www.modernmamasgroup.com.au/

Welcome to Episode 9 of Women’s Circle, a big hello to you wherever you are listening to this. Today I am speaking to Liz Dawson. Liz is an exercise physiologist, mother of two and fellow spiritual junkie. Liz has been through so much with her own health and is open and honest about the destructive habit of pushing her mind and body to the absolute limit. At just 33, Liz suffered a severe stroke which was to be the catalyst for her to begin an emotional healing journey that sees her as a much more balanced and calmer mother, wife and entrepreneur today.

We will be discussing:

-       Liz’s pathway to career

-       Pilates

-       Building your body strength post birth

-       Setting small goals and setting habits

-       Burn out and a resulting stroke at age 33

-       Working with the menstrual cycle

-       Feeling into your body and listening to its’ wisdom

-       Finding a spiritual path

-       Pre-natal depression

-       Building a strong support team for yourself

-       Being authentic and vulnerable with others

-       Parenting from a place of healing

Welcoming you to the space.

Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills

Resources and links:

**If you are experiencing any symptoms of perinatal anxiety or depression, please find some useful information:

PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia

https://www.panda.org.au/

Peachtree Perinatal Wellness

https://peachtree.org.au/

 Lifeline

13 11 14

Other Resources:

Connect with Liz

 www.kidsheartpilates.com.au

 Instagram

@lizzydaep

@kidsheartpilatesau

 
Podcast recommendations:

The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

The Lorraine Murphy Show

The Tim Ferriss Show

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Soul Sessions with Oprah

Welcome to Episode 8 of Women’s Circle, a big hello to you wherever you are listening to this. Today I am speaking about the previously taboo subject of periods. In the patriarchal society to which we are present, there has been no room for this very important cycle to exist, let alone dictate our productivity. I had the pleasure of sitting down with fellow mum and period warrior, Matilda Marsh. Matilda is the co-creator of Myoni menstrual cups and she is here to explain how we can use our cycle to our advantage in work and in life. This is such an important part of our female system and one that should be given much more love and respect. Settle in for an hour of knowledge and female empowerment!

 We will be discussing:

-       Matilda’s personal journey to co-creating Myoni

-       Understanding the menstrual cycle

-       Cultural conditioning around periods

-       Better understanding female anatomy through menstruation

-       Accessing health professionals attuned to your cycle

-       Tracking your period as a tool to understand the whole spectrum of your life

-       4 phases of the cycle and what they mean for your moods and productivity

-       Living your best life with your menstrual cycle

-       Resting as an integral part of your bleed

-       Masculine hormonal cycle is daily as opposed to the feminine monthly cycle

-       Lack of ceremony or ritual around first menstruation leading to shame?

-       Menstrual cycle symbolic of seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn).

-       Masculine cave time for regeneration 

-       Irregular cycles can still be tracked and followed to benefit you

-       Practices to support PMS

-       Are contraceptives as helpful as we think?

-       Hormones in pregnancy and linked to your cycle

-       Outlets for the mental load

-       Language to normalise menstruation 

-       Benefits of menstrual cups

 
Welcoming you to the space.

 Love, Carlie

Founder, Mumma Got Skills

www.mummagotskills.com.au

Instagram: @mummagotskills

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mummagotskills 

Resources and links:

 Myoni - Join Newsletter for workshop dates

https://myoni.love/

Tracking Apps
Flo Ovulation
Clue
Natural Cycles