It's Perinatal Mental Health Week! In this conversation with Julie Borninkhof, clinical psychologist and CEO of Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia, we talk about my experience with postpartum anxiety, how to protect your mental health, what to do if you find yourself struggling - and how to help family and friends who have had a baby.

Julie is the CEO of Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia – or PANDA – an
organisation that supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood.

For 40 years, PANDA has worked to break down the barriers faced by expecting and new parents reaching out for help for mental health and wellbeing issues. It provides information, support and advice to parents affected by perinatal mental health and has Australia’s only free, national helpline service for women, men and their families affected by perinatal mental health.

If you or someone you love needs support:
● PANDA Helpline on 1300 726 306 (9am-7:30pm Monday-Saturday) or panda.org.au
● Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7) or lifeline.org.au

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, and I hope that the stories shared on this podcast about postpartum after loss help with raising awareness of what that experience can be like. And with this episode, where I'm talking to Rowie Davies, a postpartum doula from NSW's Central Coast, I hope we take things a step further, with ideas, insights and advice on how to support friends, family or people in your community who may go through loss. A massive thank you to Rowie for her open-hearted and generous sharing of her and her son Billy's story and her honest advice. Find Rowie on Instagram @honouringyoubyrowena

Regan Figg sees motherhood not as a place where you lose yourself, but a place of opportunity. As a former exercise physiologist, yoga and meditation teacher, and health and wellness coach, Regan unexpectedly experienced postnatal depression and anxiety after the birth of her first son. 

Now a mum of three, she mentors mothers to uncover the gold that exists in their motherhood experience, to create balance in blending business and motherhood and to lead pleasure-filled lives.

Join us for a juicy convo about why she banished the Good Mother, how she brings pleasure into her kid-filled life and what she thinks about people shouting "more self care" (spoiler alert: it doesn't work). 

Website: https://reganfigg.com

Instagram: @regan_figg

Book

In this episode, postpartum doula and infant massage instructor Mazz Napier joins to me to share her story.  We talk about lots, with a focus on learning to get comfortable with the opposing emotions that often coexist in motherhood - for Mazz, the grief for the baby she'd lost and joy for the new baby in her arms. We cover tuning out the external noise, pressures and expectations, particularly around sleep. And Mazz's career shift and what she's so passionate about a well-supported postpartum that fosters personal growth.

Find Mazz
Grab her postpartum journalling guide 

It's not what the books say. It's not what the sleep training industry says, or your cousin or the person in your mothers group. Today we're talking about what we know from research and studies into the brain development of babies and how that interacts and impacts their sleep. I really hope this helps kill some of the noise that exists around sleep that can be really stressful, worrying and filled with a sense of failure (at least that's been my experience when I had a baby who didn't do what the books said she *should* but was in fact very normal).

I'm joined by Dr Amber Hart, a mum of three girls, GP, lactation consultant (IBCLC) and director of Maternal and Infant Wellbeing Melbourne, a multidisciplinary clinic in Parkville, Victoria. She's also accredited through The Possums Clinic. 

Anna Lahey, mother of four and founder of Vida Glow, joins me to talk about her fourth postpartum - the one that she planned and prepared for meticulously, but which didn't go quite as she expected (to say the least). From a NICU stay and serious health scare to hyperlactation and mastitis, Anna shares what the experience has taught her, and what she knows about motherhood, and herself. 

The baby's out - what next?! A LOT. The first few days after you give birth is a potent cocktail of postpartum hormones, establishing feeding, afterpains and so much more. Things I had no idea about first time around! I'm joined by the wonderful Beth Ryan (@birthwithbeth) to talk about what to expect from your first week or so postpartum, and how to optimise your recovery and bonding in this intensive moment. 

Find Beth's fabulous birth education course, Power Birth here

Follow Beth on Insta: @birthwithbeth

In this episode, I'm chatting with Leonie Akhidenor about everyone's favourite juicy topic: sex and relationships. Specifically, what happens when you add a baby (or three) into the mix.
 
Leonie is a relationship coach, mum of 2 toddler boys, host and founder of the Parenthood Podcast, a podcast about parents for parents. Parents call in with confessions of what is keeping them up at night and Leonie explores these topics and provides unsolicited advice. The podcast explores all topics from sexless marriages, to surviving affairs and overcoming the daily resentment that can build in relationships. Leonie is also a property developer, part-time model and is well versed in juggling it all. 

Find Leonie: 

Follow the parenthood podcast on Insta @parenthoodpod 

All other channels via https://linktr.ee/parenthoodpodcast

I have so much respect for Rachael Rose - mother, women's circle facilitator and educator - and I loved hearing her reflections on what postpartum changed for her, from how she saw herself in the world to how it changed how she works.
 
NAOMI will get you $150 off her women's circle facilitator course

You can find her on Instagram @the_rachael_rose

Aaaaaand you can find my new postpartum cookbook here for the special launch price of $29!

Join me and Dani Potter for a chat about her two different postpartum periods, filled with unexpected challenges.

Dani works with families on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Find her:
www.beyondbabydoula.com / @beyondbabydoula

Register for my free Cooking Hacks for Doulas class on July 21.

Download my free sweet potato, cannellini bean and mozzarella bake recipe here