Content note: perinatal suicidality

In this episode Sophie speaks with midwife and Research Fellow Dr Laura Biggs, and CEO of PANDA Australia, Julie Borninkhof about the Making Sense of the Unseen partnership between the Stronger Futures CRE and the Murdoch Children’s REsearch Institute, PANDA Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia, and James Cook University.

In the episode you’ll hear discussed key findings from ground-breaking research conducted by the team on experiences of perinatal suicidality, the first study of its kind ever to be carried out. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death in Australia and other high-income countries and yet so far, we’ve known little about women’s experiences of suicidality at this time in their lives. As discussed in this episode, the research identified that perinatal suicidality is driven by experiences of shame, and feelings of being disconnected and ‘defective’ as a mother.

We talk about how societal pressures and the perfect mother myth narrative profoundly impact women’s mental health, and share stories from the research that demonstrate the profound importance of compassionate care and rehumanising relationships and care experiences for mothers. This episode is an especially important listen for all of those who work in healthcare and/or with mothers.

We want to acknowledge the 139 women who shared their experiences of perinatal suicidality with the research team, as without their generosity, this research and this conversation on the podcast sharing these important findings would not be possible.

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Episode webpage: https://drsophiebrock.com/podcast119

Connect with Laura on Twitter @l_biggs

Follow PANDA on Facebook at facebook.com/pandanational and Instagram @pandanational

Laura Biggs’ email: [email protected]

Learn more about Making Sense of the Unseen: https://www.strongerfutures.org.au/making-sense-of-the-unseen

Read the journal article: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10497323231164278

Support lines

Australia - www.panda.org.au/ - 1300 726 306

@pandanational @lifelineaustralia @13yarn

UK - pandasfoundation.org.uk/ - 0808 1961 776

USA - www.postpartum.net/ - Text “Help” to 800-944-4773 (EN)

The EU/EEA - Mental health helpline - 116 123

I share some updates and some talks I’m giving soon, along with the recording I took of when I was practicing my talk for the Matrescence Festival, organised by Claire Tonti and Lizzy Humber. In the talk I share about where the ‘perfect mother myth’ often starts in our own lives, what it is, how it connects to the broader ‘tank’ of motherhood that we’re all ‘swimming’ around in, and how mothering can be a catalyst for our own growth and development. Here are the links mentioned in the episode -

Parental Brain Summit - presenting on “Understanding the Care Career Conundrum: A Sociological Approach for Professionals" - https://info137--newbornparents.thrivecart.com/the-parental-brain-summit/

Breastfeeding Conference (May 9, 2025) presenting on "Beyond 'Good Mothers' and 'Good Babies': Sociological Insights on Cultural Ideals"

https://www.breastfeedingconferences.com.au/about/Broken-Sleep-Insights-and-evidence-based-approaches-to-infant-sleep?ref=XARAHE

Publications - Journal of Motherhood Initiative - 25th Anniversary Issue

https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/issue/view/2324

https://jarm.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/jarm/issue/view/2324#:~:text=Maternal%20Legacies,Marie%20Porter%2C%20AM

The Mother Wave - https://demeterpress.org/books/the-mother-wave-theorizing-enacting-and-representing-matricentric-feminism/

The Next Wave of The Motherhood Studies Certification - https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies email [email protected] ‘enrolment’ if you’re interested in enrolling and would like the enrolment link

In this episode, I speak with mother of two and writer Tehla Bower about her book, "A Mother's Space: Permission to Pause." Tehla candidly shares her experience of disconnection after becoming a mother and her journey to shed both external and internal expectations, ultimately drawing on her maternal experience to reclaim space and redefine herself. She describes pivotal health events affecting her and her children that prompted a significant life shift. Tehla reflects on her formerly career-centric identity and how motherhood surprisingly reconnected her with forgotten parts of herself. We discuss societal judgment of mothers, including the dismissive "what a waste" comment she received while pregnant after completing her MBA, and examine how institutions reinforce oppressive structures impacting mothers. Tehla's story illustrates how mothers live within the 'tank,' subject to rules, expectations, and judgment, but can learn to 'mother against motherhood' (O'Reilly; Rich) and reclaim a space of their own. Learn more about Tehla and get your copy of “A Mother’s Space” here – www.tehlajane.com

https://www.instagram.com/tehla_jane/

https://www.facebook.com/tehla.jane/

In this episode with leadership facilitator and founder of Matermorphosis, Babette Lockefeer, we explore the powerful intersection of motherhood and leadership. Drawing from her experience in corporate leadership development and as a mother of three young boys, Babette shares her journey of discovering how matrescence mirrors the path of authentic leadership. The conversation explores how the changes that come with becoming a mother can create unique opportunities for growth and learning, and we discuss the importance of reclaiming our role as mothers as an asset rather than a liability in professional spaces. Babette reflects on the power of mothering as a catalyst for transformation in both our personal and professional lives.

Connect with Babette:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/babette-l-85693326

Babette's leadership development company: https://www.theoryy.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matermorphosis/

Resonated with Babette's 'mountains' analogy from the episode? Check out her program - The Mother Mountain: https://www.matermorphosis.org/

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Ready to transform how you support mothers in paid work through their biggest challenges? Join Dr Sophie's professional development training - Mothers at Work - a program that equips coaches, consultants, and leaders with evidence-based sociological frameworks and practical tools to help mothers navigate guilt, the mental load, and workplace challenges while building lasting confidence in both their careers and mothering journeys. https://drsophiebrock.com/mothersatwork

Use coupon code - podcastmothersatwork - for a 10% discount. Coupon code valid until Feb 7th 2025

Julia Jones has over 15 years of experience as a postpartum doula, educator, and best-selling author and has trained over 1500 postpartum professionals in over 60 countries through her worldwide leading education training for postpartum professionals. In this episode Julia shares about her entry into the space of postpartum support, differences in postpartum support practices around the world, and the development of her long-term vision in revolutionising postpartum care practices through Newborn Mothers. Julia’s initial interest in ayurvedic practices led her down the path of offering postpartum care, but there was a lack of formal training options when she started 15 years ago. Julia shares her journey in filling this gap through her business and community. We talk about boundaries, working from data rather than assumptions, and making intentional choices. We discuss the professionalisation of postpartum care and hear Julia’s vision of a world where postpartum care is understood as integral to the health and wellbeing of families, and postpartum care professionals are given the recognition, support and respect that they deserve.

Connect with Julia:

Website: https://newbornmothers.com/

Postpartum Education and Care Professional Training: https://newbornmothers.com/training

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newbornmothers/

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If you work in mother-care and have trained in any of Dr Sophie's professional development programs or would like to, check out her upcoming in-person event: Evolve 2025 on Saturday February 22nd: https://drsophiebrock.com/evolve2025

In this solo episode, I share the story of how an accidental footnote in my sociology degree led me to discover my life's work and create the world's first Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification. Before its evolution in 2025, I'm offering this Legacy Edition of the certification with its foundational curriculum one final time - and at a $1,000AUD discount. In this episode I share what I'm doing differently next year, my thoughts on the current and future landscape of mother-support, and what makes this Legacy Edition special.

Note: The Legacy Edition special offer is closing soon. The program is in complete self-study mode to complete at your own pace, is discounted by $1,000AUD, and is available on a 12 month payment plan. If you want to be part of creating real change in how we value and support mothers, this is for you. Learn more and join here: https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies/

Resources Mentioned:

The Fish Tank of Motherhood animation - https://drsophiebrock.com/thefishtankofmotherhood

Graduate stories and transformations - https://drsophiebrock.com/clientfeedback

Legacy Edition enrollment details - https://motherhoodstudies.newzenler.com/courses/legacyedition/buy/plan/150974

In this episode, I have a personal and powerful conversation with Suzy Reading, a mother of two, an author, Chartered Psychologist and Coach. Suzy shares her profound journey of becoming a mother while simultaneously losing her father, exploring how this experience shaped her understanding of "energetic bankruptcy" and the vital importance of self-care. Through her story of navigating new motherhood amidst grief and challenge, Suzy challenges cultural narratives around motherhood that demand endless sacrifice. She offers gentle yet powerful insights about the incomplete nature of kindness when it doesn't include ourselves, and provides practical wisdom for anyone navigating loss, change, or the demanding journey of motherhood. Suzy is the Psychology Expert for wellbeing brand Neom Organics and is a founding member of the ‘Nourish’ app. She figure-skated her way through her childhood, growing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, and now makes her home in the hills of Hertfordshire, UK.

Connect more with Suzy’s work and grab a copy of her latest book, Self-Care for Winter.

Website: www.suzyreading.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzyreading/

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

Twitter: @SuzyReading

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Doors are now open for The Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification: Legacy Edition. Including lifetime access to the full classic curriculum, which has provided the cornerstone for Motherhood Studies professional development and continuing education for practitioners, professionals and business owners worldwide. Also included is a bonus module packed full of resources for you to use in your mother-supporting work, equipping you with templates, worksheets, speaker documents, client-facing materials and other resources.

The Certification is discounted by $1,000AUD for a limited time only. Learn more here: https://drsophiebrock.com/motherhoodstudies/

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*Language warning for this episode

In this episode, we're joined by Amanda Montei, the author of "TOUCHED OUT: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent, & Control."

Amanda's work, which spans from The New York Times to ELLE, brings a critical eye to the experiences of motherhood under the weight of societal expectations.

We talk about the line between the institution of motherhood and our experience of mothering, referencing back to Adrienne Rich’s work and trace some of Amanda’s experience of mothering as transformational, creative, and even radicalizing. Amanda’s work explores the body and consent, and the ways in which parenting is not just an arena where we may pass on beliefs about our bodies, but also for learning about them.

Motherhood as an area for self-inquiry and discovery, as well as social and political activism and exploration, is something we discuss - moving between both the broader social and cultural institution and intimate lived experience. Amanda shares her insights on boundaries, good girl conditioning, consent, maternal ambivalence and maternal identity, and motherhood as a source of both constraint and power.

Tune in to explore how motherhood can serve as both a refuge and a form of rebellion, reshaping identity and challenging societal norms. Follow Amanda's ongoing exploration of motherhood on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amontei/ or read a copy of her book https://www.amazon.com.au/Touched-Out-Motherhood-Misogyny-Consent/dp/0807013277 or subscribe to her newsletter https://amandamontei.substack.com/

*Download your free checklist here: https://drsophiebrock.com/checklist

*The Mothers at Work program starts August 26th, 2024. Learn more here: https://drsophiebrock.com/mothersatwork

What is the Care Career Conundrum, and how does it impact mothers in paid work? How can understanding this concept transform our approach to supporting mothers?

Download a free tool I've developed called The Care Care Career Conundrum Checklist and see how many indicators you or your clients tick off.

This checklist is part of my broader Mothers at Work program, a 5 week Training program for coaches, facilitators, consultants and leaders to drive change for working mothers.

In this episode you'll learn about the social construction of motherhood and the 'fish tank' analogy, the perfect mother myth and its impact on 'working mothers', a reflection on the language we use to describe mothers in paid work, and what the Care Career Conundrum is.

In this conversation, I speak with digital creator, speaker and mental health advocate Libby Ward from Diary of an Honest Mom, whose work has touched millions of women worldwide. I ask Libby about her journey and we talk candidly about some of the challenges that come up in opening honest conversations about modern motherhood. We speak about what it’s like to ‘go against the grain’ of normalised motherhood, and how this impacts our experiences of relationships and finding a sense of belonging within communities.

Libby also shares about the complexities of working within this space of motherhood-support, and the sometimes amplified pressure we can place on ourselves as advocates. Libby emphasises the complexities that socioeconomic factors can bring to the mothering experience through sharing some of her own life journey, and we reflect on the ways that motherhood can be a force for connection through shared experience, AND is also such a profoundly individual journey unique to each of us.

We hope you enjoy this authentic conversation about all things ‘honest motherhood’. Libby has been recognized as a mental health advocate by TikTok and her best-selling guided journal, "The Honest Mom Journal: The Struggling Mom's Guide to Struggling Less," has been a lifeline for countless mothers. You can connect with her further below.

Libby Ward - https://diaryofanhonestmom.com/

@diaryofanhonestmom on TT and IG

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Register to listen to free private podcast training for current and aspiring mother-care professionals and practitioners, '10 Ways Patriarchal Motherhood Can Show Up in Your Clients' - https://drsophiebrock.com/patriarchal-motherhood-register