Babies cost money - but how much exactly, and whether it will stress you out or you'll sail through, depends on your choices and planning. In this ep, I chat to financial coach Rebecca Pritchard, a mum of two who takes us through what she did and offers advice on where to save and what conversations to have that will help avoid common relationship pitfalls. She's helped me a ton!

If you'd like to chat to Rebecca: https://www.rebeccapritchard.com.au/

I'm joined by Lael Stone (https://laelstone.com.au/) on this episode to talk all things Aware Parenting and how it can help us find a happy middle ground between authoritarian and permissive parenting, through holding space, setting loving limits, meeting our own needs, and working through our own baggage. I love Lael!

This episode is brought to you by Babybee, Australian-owned and designed prams cominging quality, safety and style. Not only does Babybee let you try their prams at home with free returns for nine months, they also offer an industry-leading 3 year warranty for total peace of mind. With thousands of five star reviews, around the clock customer care and up to $200 of free accessories with every pram, what are you waiting for? Go visit www.babybeeonline.com and check them out for yourself!

Use promo code BABY20 for 20% off all full-priced Babybee prams (cannot be used in conjunction with other offers). 

Jessica Chapnik Kahn is a singer-songwriter, author and poet. She's also a mum - and an example of how motherhood and creativity don't need to be mutually exclusive. In fact, her experience shows just how becoming a parent can open up a new layer of inspiration.

Madre, the book of poetry that Jessica began during her postpartum (available here) is a raw account of the magic, mystery and unravelling that motherhood brings - it's bloody beautiful.

Interested in becoming a postpartum doula? Sign up to Newborn Mothers training - the live round kicks off on February 22 - using my link and I'll give you a free mentoring call to say thank you! 

Many of you will know Leigh Campbell through her popular podcasts (This Glorious Mess Little Kids and You Beauty), via her work for Mamamia and from Instagram. In this epsiode, originally published in 2019, we dive deep into her fertility struggles, perinatal anxiety, breastfeeding challenges, relationship changes and the strange combination of heartbreak and happiness that she found while dealing with a new baby and the terminal illness of her father at the same time.

This episode is sponsored by Addison, the chic and practical clothing label for the modern mum. Addison offers pregnancy and breastfeeding-friendly styles that are super cute, and they're giving you free shipping with the code FOURTHTRIMESTER. 

In years gone by, the message has been loud and clear: bedsharing kills babies. But what does the science say? And why are big organisations like Unicef and the UK's Lullaby Trust now promoting safe bedsharing? Can you ever be safe when you sleep with your baby? And if you're part of the 75% of parents who do fall asleep with their babies at some point, exactly how do you reduce the risks? 

I invited Carly Grubb, creator of The Beyond Sleep Training Project, to break down the research behind bedsharing and why these days many midwives and doctors avoid blanket 'co-sleeping is dangerous' advice and instead teach people the guidelines around safely sharing a sleep surface. Whether or not you think you'll bedshare, the message is clear: know how to do it safely, so you're not caught unawares. 

It took four years for Sophie Gleitzman to fall pregnant. It took only moments at her 19 week scan to realise that her much-wanted baby's life might be at risk. As it turned out, her son Jack (now a happy and healthy primary schooler) needed heart surgery soon after he was born and Sophie's motherhood journey began in the NICU. But while the intensity of life in NICU was often heart-wrenching, Sophie says it gave her a priceless perspective that she believes has changed her approach to parenting - and life. 

In this episode, Sophie shares her story - why her milk didn't fully come in until 3 weeks postpartum, what it was like to go home and find a way without the NICU regime and the relief of realising they could find their own way -- as well as advice for parents who find themselves in the NICU.

Bernadette Lack is a midwife, personal trainer, mum and pelvic floor expert--she has helped hundreds of women sort out their post-baby pelvic floors with her Core and Floor Restore programs. Here, she shares her own experience with incontinence, pregnancy, home birth, and restoring her pelvic floor health... and gives plenty of tips on how you can too.

Side note: when we recorded this ep, I was pregnant and B was newly pregnant (but not publicly sharing that!). She's now a mum of two. 

Follow her @coreandfloorrestore and find her programs at www.coreandfloor.com.au

This episode is brought to you by Babybee, Australian-owned and designed prams combining quality, safety and style. Not only does Babybee let you try their prams at home with free returns for nine months, they also offer an industry leading three year warranty for total peace of mind. With thousands of five star reviews, around the clock customer care and up to $200 of free accessories with every pram, what are you waiting for? Go visit www.babybeeonline.com - and use the code BABY20 to 20% off all full priced Babybee prams (cannot be used in conjunction with other offers).

To celebrate five years of conversations with postpartum women and experts in the space, I'm bringing you a summer series of the greatest hits of Tales from the Fourth Trimester!

And to kick it all off, I'm going right back to the first episode, where I shared my story of becoming a mum for the first time. If you've been around for a while, you've probably seen evidence of my less-than-picture-perfect first postpartum. The first weeks at home with my new baby were very beautiful, extremely brutal and, ultimately, what set me on an entirely new career path. Tune in to hear how my mothering, and business, began. 

What is it like to have you beloved mother pass away before you have children, and ache for her when you do? How do you learn to mother yourself? Tune in to hear Ali Heppell's story. Ali is a circle facilitator, postpartum doula and matrescence educator in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria. Find her @aliheppell_mothercare

In this ep, we talk about Kristal's postpartums, including D-MER, postpartum depression and anxiety and military wife life, and how she navigated early motherhood. 

Find Kristal's book and services here: https://mamaswingwoman.com/