In today’s episode of the Hidden World of Women, Emma is joined by Wendy. Wendy was a midwife in England and Australia before she left the field. Today they sit down to discuss the world of birth supports. Like any good episode of The Hidden World of Women, they go on many tangents while discussing the ways birth support shapes people’s experiences. Wendy gave us lots of brilliant openings for topics to discuss, and we are sure that everything in this episode need’s its own individual podcast.

The episode discusses:

If you want to hear more from Wendy, her book Mother Becoming can be found at: https://www.motherbecoming.com.au/shop

And the free resources she discusses in the episode can be found at: https://www.motherbecoming.com.au/free-resources

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

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We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In today’s episode of the Hidden World of Women, Emma is joined by Sherrie. Sherrie is sharing her experience with preventative breast cancer care. Sherrie’s family has a history of aggressive breast cancers caused by the BRCA gene. After Sherrie’s mum’s own cancer and positive test for this gene, Sherrie knew she wanted to minimise her own risk. A decade ago, Sherrie got a referral to Fiona Stanley’s High Risk breast ward. Until her 40th birthday she had yearly mammograms and MRI’s on her breasts. Emma had many questions about what these are like, as they are under discussed and often only available when you’re over 50. Who would have known that breast MRI’s have a space to put your boobs in?

After her 40th birthday, Sherrie was given further options on ways to manage her breast cancer risks. One of her options was a double mastectomy with reconstruction. Her mum had had a reconstruction with implants and Sherrie had seen the long-term impacts that implants had and knew they weren’t for her. Instead, Sherrie chose to have a DIEP Flap reconstruction. This procedure removed her breast tissue and used fatty stomach tissue to reconstruct the breast. Due to this procedure not being motivated by a preexisting breast cancer diagnosis Sherrie was able to spend four years thinking about her options and what would allow her the greatest quality of life. Her eventual surgery ended up being quite spur of the moment due to a cancelation, Sherrie went from not knowing if she would be able to get it done at all to being booked in next Wednesday. While there were concerns around how that would impact her life in the short term, she took the booking and went into surgery.

The surgery has a 12–18-month recovery time, at time of recording Sherrie is 7 months out and is able to begin thinking about final steps and cosmetic choices. Breast cancer often starts at the nipple, so the surgeons took her nipples and replaced them with skin from her stomach. She is now on a weighting list to get realistic nipple reconstruction surgery and then eventually she will get them tattooed. With the procedures complete Sherrie now has no breast cancer risk because she has no breast tissue!

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

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We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In today’s episode of the hidden world of women, Emma is joined by Hollie to share the story of her first child Logan. Hollie’s first pregnancy gave her no warning that her child would be born with a fatal genetic condition which affected his mitochondria. Hollie shares her birth experience, her son’s short life and the experience of grieving him afterwards. She also was kind enough to share how it felt going through her second pregnancy with her second child and the fear of losing her baby again.

Hollie has said she is consistently surprised by the effect her story has on other people when they hear it. This episode comes with the trigger warning that it is a candid and in-depth discussion of child loss. Hollie hopes that by sharing her story other parents who are having the same experience won’t feel so alone and isolated in their grief. No one thinks that in 2020 (and 2025) that there would be mothers and fathers leaving the hospital without their babies. It felt like an oxymoron, how could she be a mother without a child?

Hollie had her second baby more recently and discussed the fear that came with knowing that her first pregnancy had shown no signs of anything going wrong. No number of tests could take away the fear that her baby wouldn’t survive despite it being unlikely her second child would have the same genetic issues. Hollie chose to return to the hospital she had Logan at to give herself a sense of familiarity, she received good care there and decided it was one decision she could make to have control over the situation.

We thank Hollie for her vulnerability and willingness to share this story with us.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In today’s episode of the Hidden World of Women, Emma is joined by Nina. Nina is a dietitian who specialises in working with people in eating disorder recovery. She recovered from her own eating disorder alone and uses the experience to help other people, so they don’t have to do it alone.

This episode will cover:

Despite the heavy topic in today’s episode, Emma and Nina keep the episode light and approachable. Through talking about Nina’s experiences, we hope people feel seen and less alone. One aspect of Nina’s recovery was rescuing her dog. Her dog gave her love and a reason to keep getting better even when it was hard. You deserve to recover and build a positive relationship with your body and food.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In today’s episode Emma chats with, Teresa from Kiind. Teresa is the Peer Navigation Lead at Kiind. Her job is to provide a space for families of people with disabilities the space to take first steps in accessing support and knowing they’re not alone. Her lived experience in navigating the world of diagnosis as a family member of a disabled person allows her to better connect to the people she’s working with. No one has been in your shoes, but having support from professionals who have walked a similar path to you is so important to feeling heard and validated.

This episode covers:

As always Emma and Teresa go off on some tangents and winding thought trails. If you’re the parent or family member of a newly diagnosed person know that you’re not alone and this episode is here to support you however you might be feeling right now. It’s ok to not be ok.

Some resources listed in the episode

Kiind: https://www.kiind.com.au/

Down Syndrome WA: https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/wa/

Heart kids: https://www.heartkids.org.au/

Siblings Australia: https://siblingsaustralia.org.au/

Relationships Australia: https://www.relationships.org.au/

Carers WA: https://www.carerswa.asn.au/

Carers WA Young Carers program: https://www.carerswa.asn.au/our-services/young-carers/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility. This is a day to show love and support to the Trans community. In honour of International Transgender Visibility Day, this special episode of Hidden World of Women, Emma speaks with Josey about her experiences raising her transgender child.  This heartfelt conversation explores the emotional journey of parenting a trans child, navigating change, and ensuring they feel unconditionally loved and supported.

Topics covered include:

Josey talks about her child’s experience with the medical system and the lengths she would have to go to allow her child to access hormone replacement therapy or puberty blockers. To access medical intervention before adulthood, it would be a judge making the final call. That is a bridge she says she’ll deal with when she gets there and for now is doing everything, she can to affirm her child’s identity socially.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, allies, and anyone seeking to understand the lived experiences of trans young people and their families.

In WA a good starting point for accessing supports if you or a loved one is transgender is

Trans folk of WA: https://www.transfolkofwa.org/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode of The Hidden World of Women, host Emma chats with the incredible Allison Davies—a former neurologic music therapist, speaker, and advocate for neurodivergent individuals. Together, they dive into a wide-ranging conversation covering everything from:

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, this episode is all about embracing your brain, understanding how it works, and discovering tools to create a life that supports you. Allison was kind enough to shares personal insights into the experience of her own diagnosis and the experience of her kids diagnosis. She describes it as an incredibly vulnerable experience. Allison does highlight that is it worth doing the work to understand your neurotype because through the experience it allows people to live better and more affirming lives.

Allison talks about the science of music and the ways it can help people feel calmer and safer to myth-bust the idea that Music Therapy is unscientific. She emphasises that for patients it can help build their tolerance for other medical procedures because people don’t associate the concept of music with potential traumatisation.

 Resources Mentioned:

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

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WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode, Emma is joined by Fiona MacPherson to talk about her experiences with Lipoedema. This is a common connective tissue disorder that causes an abnormal buildup of fat that cannot be removed without surgery. Despite affecting 11% of women, Lipoedema remains underdiagnosed, often mistaken for obesity, and is not recognised by Medicare in Australia—leaving many women struggling to access affordable treatment. Many people live undiagnosed for years due to the lack of conversation and awareness about this condition.

Fiona was kind enough to share her personal journey with us, from living with Lipoedema unknowingly for years to finally receiving a diagnosis in 2022. She talks about the relief of understanding her condition, the emotional process of forgiving herself, and the importance of raising awareness so that more women can access the diagnosis and care they need.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

What Lipoedema is, how it progresses, and its connection to hormonal changes.

Fiona’s experience navigating the healthcare system and the emotional impact of diagnosis.

The financial reality of treatment, from preventative care to surgery costs.

The urgent need for greater awareness, funding, and recognition of Lipoedema in Australia

Why self-compassion is key, and how to move forward without shame or stigma.

Our goal with this episode is to shed light onto a condition that is rarely talked about and misunderstood. We always aim to provide a space for women to tell their stories without shame or fear of judgement. Through this episode we hope more people can identify a potential cause of their struggle with their body and begin working towards self-acceptance. If you’ve struggled with similar symptoms, you’re not alone and there are ways to manage lipoedema.

If you’d like to learn more visit Lipoedema Australia Foundation: www.lipoedema.org.au

If this feels relevant to people in your life, please share it with those around you. Awareness changes lives.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

We’re back for another year, and in our first episode, Emma wanted to talk about transitions. As schools, unis, and TAFEs go back, how do you cope when your baby isn’t a baby anymore?

When your child starts kindy, there’s an outpouring of support. But when they finish primary school, high school, or even uni, no one really talks about how scary change can be. In this episode, Emma McLarty joins the conversation to unpack these transitional moments—why they can hit harder than we expect, why it’s OK to not be OK, and how to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of letting go.

We do want to give a little warning: we might make parenting sound really scary and overwhelming in this episode, but we promise—it’s not as bad as it sounds! This is just a space for parents to feel overwhelmed, teary, and to acknowledge that sometimes, change just feels like it’s happening way too fast.

Tune in as we explore:

The unexpected emotions of your child growing up

Why these transitions can feel so big and isolating

The importance of finding your village and normalizing these feelings

How to balance “letting go” with celebrating growth

Practical ways to support yourself (and each other!) through these big milestones

If you're feeling daunted by school starting back this week, this episode is for you. You’re not alone—we’re in this together.

Read the blog post that inspired this episode: It's OK to Not Be OK: https://wacpps.org.au/when-older-kids-go-back-to-school-its-ok-to-not-be-ok/

Let’s keep the conversation going! Share your experience with us—how did you feel when your older kids started a new chapter?

You can find Emma McLarty: www.emmamclarty.com.au

or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclarty-a9a8735a/ 

or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmamclartycounselling

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices  

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

May is Ehlers-Danlos Syndorme (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) Awareness Month. During this month, people worldwide show their support for those with complex, multisystemic conditions. The awareness ribbon is black and white zebra striped pattern and zebra are used throughout the awareness campaign with phrases like #dazzletogether (a group of zebras is call a dazzle which I did not know and I LOVE!).

In this episode Emma speaks with Phillipa about what it is like to live with EDS and include discussion on why people with EDS are called zebras, at Med school doctors are taught that if you hear hoof beats think horses not zebras (why there is a horse in a hospital only John Mulaney knows apparently 😊) but the saying is supposed to encourage med students to look for the most obvious cause rather than jumping to the obscure and unlikely but guess what, sometimes those hoof beats are zebras and sometimes the diagnosis is the rare and complex condition like EDS – although Emma and Phillipa do questions just how rare EDS actually is!

It wouldn’t be a Hidden World of Women episode without tangents and the odd soapbox thrown in here an there, Emma and Phillipa discuss mobility aides and I am reminded of the meme that says that ‘people who don’t need mobility aides don’t fantasize about having one’, the importance of finding community and surrounding yourself with people who can show kindness, empathy and compassion and the need to advocate for yourself. We encourage you to be your own advocate and listen to your body because more often than people realise, there’s a zebra in the hospital too!

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices  

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/