Postpartum Stories With Steph

When your baby arrived did you have all these expectations around sleep, like that they would sleep for hours at a time in their bassinet and easily drift off each night to the land of nod? Yeah me too. Did you feel pressure to have them on a schedule and linking sleep cycles? Samesies. Are you incredibly familiar with the term ‘wake windows’? Yep, I am you.

And when that little bundle arrived, and none of your expectations around sleep were met how did you feel? Overwhelmed? Alone? Lost? Frustrated? Babe, you are not alone.

Today on the podcast I’m joined by Fiona Weaver from Mama Matters. Fiona candidly shares her experience of sleep expectations not being met and how it led her to learn more about biologically normal infant sleep. In fact, she now works with parents to support them through sleep challenges in an honest, gentle way.

You can find Fiona on Instagram @mamamatters.au and check out her website www.mamamatters.com.au

If you liked the sound of my online mothers group - The Mama Collective, you can join here: www.postpartumwithsteph.com/the-mama-collective

If you want to work with me you can download my packages at www.postpartumwithsteph.com and get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode or any of the others please leave a 5 star rating and written review to help other people find the podcast.

You can connect with me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph

Yay a new podcast episode!!

Today I’m joined by the wonderful Lulu Well who shares her very vulnerable and raw postpartum story that was very much influenced by her traumatic birth.

Like many of us, Lulu went through a period of pleasing everyone around her except herself, saying yes to everything to keep everyone else happy and finally getting to a point of embracing the word “no”. Whilst dealing with PTSD which stemmed from her birth, Lulu sought help from a psychologist and started to rewrite her own birth and postpartum story. Her experience has also led her to become a postpartum doula (go gurrrrl!)

It was an absolute joy to hear Lulu’s story and I hope you enjoy it.

You can find Lulu on Instagram @thesunspell

If you want to work with me you can download my packages at www.postpartumwithsteph.com and get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode or any of the others please leave a 5 star rating and written review to help other people find the podcast.

You can connect with me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph

Welcome to 2021! This is the first new episode I’ve done in a while and I’m pretty excited about it.

Today I’m Joined by Jaren Soloff, a registered dietician, and IBCLC based in the US. Jaren combines her expertise as a skilled nutrition therapist and lactation consultant to support individuals looking to heal their relationship with food and body, specifically with women and birthing people in postpartum.

Jaren is also the author of The Postnatal Cookbook which was released in December. The book includes 75 easy, healing, and protein-rich recipes designed with new mums in mind.

Today we chat about how to look after yourself nutritionally in postpartum, body image and the pressure to “bounce back” after birth. Please note; this is a body positive space and we do not discuss weight loss or dieting tips.

 

You can connect with Jaren on Instagram a @fullcrcl. Or visit her website: https://www.fullcrcl.co/the-postnatal-cookbook You can purchase her book here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-postnatal-cookbook-jaren-soloff/book/9781646040995.html

If you want to work with me you can download my packages at www.postpartumwithsteph.com and get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode or any of the others please leave a 5 star rating and written review to help other people find the podcast.

You can connect with me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph

Just a quick one today to say a big huge thank you to everyone who has listened to the podcast!

And to all of the beautiful souls who have volunteered their time to share their stories with me.

If you like the cut of my jib you can work with me in 2021! I still have availabilities for postpartum doula support so please get in touch if you would me to walk alongside you in postpartum.

You can download my packages at www.postpartumwithsteph.com and get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

You can connect with me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph

Merry Christmas! X

Do you struggle with mum guilt? Do you feel like you are always putting yourself and your needs last? Well this is the podcast for you! Today I chat with Dr Sophie Brock, a sociologist and motherhood researcher. She’s also a single mother to her three-year-old daughter (you can hear her postpartum story back in episode 18).

Her work advocates for the liberation of mothers from the myths of perfect motherhood. We chat a lot about mum guilt, martyrdom and the motherhood penalty.

Sophie offers online education through a membership, courses, and individual mentoring, and hosts The Good Enough mother podcast. You can connect with her on Instagram @drsophiebrock or visit her website www.drsophiebrock.com

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If you want to work with me in 2021 you can download my packages at www.postpartumwithsteph.com and get in touch for an obligation-free chat.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode or any of the others please leave a 5 star rating and written review to help other people find the podcast.

You can connect with me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph

You asked, I answered.

Today’s episode is with little ole me, where I answer the questions you sent me via Instagram. I touch on village building, finding support, creating your ideal postpartum and looking after yourself holistically.

The tips and ideas I use here are really just scratching the surface in terms of the work I do with clients (I wish I could tell you all of the things but then the podcast would run for 6 hours!)

As I mentioned in the intro, bookings for 2021 are officially open! And I’m already booked out for February. You can download my packages at www.postpartumwithsteph.com and get in touch for a obligation-free chat.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode or any of the others please leave a 5 star rating and written review to help other people find the podcast.

You can connect with me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph

On today’s episode I’m joined by Karli Smith. Karli is a kick-ass doula living in the Mornington Peninsula, and has two children.

Her experience of postpartum was overall positive, as she had realistic expectations around sleep, and newborn needs (like how they want to sleep on you all day!!) She struggled with sleep around the six month mark, and feeling isolated at times.

Karli’s two positive birth experiences were also the catalyst for her career change. Concerned at hearing so many stories of birth trauma she quickly realised that her positive experience was considered rare and trauma had become normalised in the birth space. So she became a doula. And now she empowers women to find their voice, know their rights and prepare for a positive birth experience.

You can find Karli on Instagram @karlismith.doula or visit her website www.karlismith.com

You can find me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph or www.postpartumwithsteph.com

Don’t forget to enter my competition for a free 1:1 Postpartum Pep-Talk with me. Just leave a review of the podcast and send me a screenshot!! Winner announced October 9.

In the middle of the night when Sophie was 41.5 weeks pregnant, she had a gut instinct to look in her husband’s phone, something she had never done in the six years they had been together.

What she learned in that moment would go on to shape her postpartum experience and the rest of her life. Her husband was having an affair.

She confronted him immediately after finding the texts, and in that moment, she went in to labour.

I’m so grateful to Sophie for sharing her story on the podcast this week. While it is heartbreaking, it’s also an empowering story of motherhood, sisterhood, and discovering strength and resilience.

Dr Sophie Brock is a Sociologist who specialises in Motherhood Studies, and a single mother to her three-year-old daughter. Her work advocates for the liberation of mothers from the myths of perfect motherhood. She offers online education through a membership, courses, and individual mentoring, and hosts The Good Enough mother podcast. You can connect with her further on Instagram @drsophiebrock or visit her website www.drsophiebrock.com

You can find me on Instagram @postpartum_with_steph or visit my website www.postpartumwithsteph.com

Make sure you check out the Keep Birth Wild podcast too! You can find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/keep-birth-wild/id1503478810

Instagram: @keepbirthwild.podcast

Today’s episode is a big one and I’m so excited to bring it to you!

I’m joined by Dr Kyl Myers who candidly shares her experience of Gender Creative Parenting.

In 2016 Kyl and her husband Brent welcomed Zoomer into the world. They didn’t assign a gender to Zoomer and use they/them pronouns when referring to them. When Zoomer is ready they will decide who they are. The idea behind this is to not assume Zoomer’s gender based on their anatomy and to raise Zoomer in an environment where they can understand gender beyond stereotypes.

As we know, gender stereotypes are forced on children when they are still in utero, with baby clothes separated into pink and blue in stores, couples throwing trucks or tiara gender reveal parties and slogans on onesies reading ‘future president’ for boys and ‘daddies little princess’ for girls.

Kyl also shares her postpartum story navigating breastfeeding, loneliness and how it took her nearly two years to start feeling like herself again.

She has recently written a book called Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting, she has a TEDx Talk, and was recently featured in Time Magazine.

Kyl is warm, funny and so generous in what she shares with me in this episode. I hope you love it as much as I do.

You can find Kyl on Instagram here: @kyl_myers

Time Magazine Article: https://time.com/5885697/gender-creative-parenting/ 

Raising Them: Our Adventure in Gender Creative Parenting: www.amazon.com.au/Raising-Them-Adventure-Creative-Parenting/dp/1542003687/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

TEDx Talk: Want Gender Equality? Let's Get Creative: www.youtube.com/watch?v=12t7PYilNQQ 

NY Magazine Article: www.thecut.com/2018/04/theybies-gender-creative-parenting.html

You can find me on Instagram here: @postpartum_with_steph

And check out my new website: www.postpartumwithsteph.com

Here are some stats that might shock you:

-1 in 3 women will experience in continence after giving birth

-1 in 2 women live with prolapse

-90% of women will experience sexual dysfunction in the 12 months after giving birth

-30% of women are doing pelvic floor exercises incorrectly

If you’re like me you would have received a pamphlet from the hospital with the 1 in 3 stat about incontinence, but no other practical, ongoing support.

So I’m excited to bring you this podcast episode today during Women’s Health Week with Pelvic Floor Physio Kelly Pendlebury where we chat about all things core and floor. Kelly shares her wisdom and insights about women’s health post-birth and offers advice for anyone who falls into any or all of the above groups.

I learned a lot from this interview and I would strongly encourage anyone suffering to contact a women’s health physio for support. Unfortunately this is another area of postpartum where women can be left behind but hopefully with more awareness (and Medicare funding!) we can help make some changes.

You can find Kelly on Instagram @flourish_physiotherapy and on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/FlourishPhysiotherapy/

Also, I have a new website! Learn more about me and my offerings here: www.postpartumwithsteph.com. And come say hi on Instagram here: @postpartum_with_steph