New Mumma Podcast

Beth and her husband decided they were ready to start a family after they got married, so after getting her Implanon (4cm contraceptive stick in the arm) removed, they conceived relatively quickly having fun over the festive season of 2016 (hello, September baby!).Her pregnancy was pretty smooth sailing with no issues, but unbeknownst to Beth she was carrying quite a big baby. She had quite a tough, long labour with Oscar, and after soldiering on for a while asked for the epidural. When it was time to push, Oscars heart rate kept dropping, and so they tried forceps to try and get him out. Again, the forceps were unsuccessful so they had to do an emergency C-section. When Oscar came into the world, he wasn’t breathing, and was whisked away for special care. They said he swallowed meconium on his way out which was why. Oscar's face was bruised across his eye for a few days as a result of the forceps, but luckily went away without any trace.Beth and her husband were in two minds about having another baby due to covid and the unknowns, but of course fell pregnant before deciding they definitely wanted to. She was nauseous throughout the first trimester with her second, kept active and was too preoccupied with Oscar to feel sorry for herself!She had a completely polar opposite experience of birth with Reggie. She had a scheduled c-section, meaning she checked into hospital, knew when he would be arriving, and ultimately didn’t experience the same trauma as last time. The obstetrician cut out her existing scar, delivered the baby, and made a new small scar.Beth was delighted her second was a boy because her first said he would cry every day if it was a girl! He took on the big brother role really well, with a lot of thanks to the 'gift' Reggie got Oscar when he was born.Beth is English and so her family are in the UK, her husbands a few hours away, and thankfully was told about a community organisation that helps support new mothers by having volunteers come to your home and help with daily chores.Join me for this story of two opposite births, the struggles of having a family away from your own family and much, much more! Huge thank you to Beth for sharing her incredible story.And remember you are not alone; it's OK to not be OK. We're in this together and Mumma, YOU got this!Be sure to hit subscribe to hear future episodes, or share with a friend. Otherwise, if you'd like to share your story, send me a DM via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmummapodcast Community organisation for support: https://3bridges.org.au/DISCLAIMER:Please note this podcast depicts personal accounts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The views expressed are my own and are those of my guests, as such should not be relied upon for educational or medical advice purposes. The content included is not a substitute for health advice by a professional.

Patrice and her partner had planned an Italy holiday as the 'last holiday' before hopefully starting a family. Sadly, their trip was cancelled due to COVID, and so they began trying for a family. They had a few anxieties around trying, due to an earlier agreed termination at the very start of their relationship and all the misconceptions around termination affecting future chances to conceive. Patrice and her partner were delighted to have fallen pregnant straight away, so that theory did not prove true certainly in their case!Being a triplet, Patrice heard alarm bells when her doctor told her she had quite high levels of the pregnancy hormone Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), thinking she might be carrying multiples. It was in fact just the one, and after a relatively easy 9 month pregnancy Teddy made his way into the world.…but not as Patrice had 'planned'. After doing the Calm Birth course (hypnobirthing), Patrice and her partner were set on having a natural vaginal delivery. She successfully laboured at home and went in at almost 6cms dilated. All was going well until the babies heart rate kept dropping and Patrice was rushed in for an emergency C-section to get him out safely.Though Patrice felt initially like having a C-section was a failure, and felt failed by some of the midwives during her post birth care, she was relieved he was here safely and that once home she got to enjoy the newborn bubble of love. She also realised having a C-section was the first lesson of many that you cannot plan with a baby!Patrice SWORE BY her TENS machine during labour, and would highly recommend getting one.We speak about how anything with a new baby is such a steep learning curve, and just when you feel like you're getting the swing of things, you hit another milestone that needs some adaptation.Patrice talks about her return to work and really looking forward to getting that part of her life back, but again recognises there will be some changes to get used to. She also mentions her concern about the infamous 'baby brain', not to be confused with early onset dementia, and also the annoying post birth hair loss… the joys!  Join me for this fantastic story filled with the inevitable ups and downs of pregnancy, birth and becoming a new Mumma, and a huge thank you to Patrice for opening up about her journey!And remember you are not alone; it's OK to not be OK. We're in this together and Mumma, YOU got this!Be sure to hit subscribe to hear future episodes, or share with a friend. Otherwise, if you'd like to share your story, send me a DM via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmummapodcast Calm Birth: https://calmbirth.com.au/TENS machine: https://tensmachinesaustralia.com.au/DISCLAIMER:Please note this podcast depicts personal accounts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The views expressed are my own and are those of my guests, as such should not be relied upon for educational or medical advice purposes. The content included is not a substitute for health advice by a professional. 

Stacey hadn’t realised she was pregnant as she was still getting what she thought were her monthly periods. The HCG pregnancy hormone wasn’t showing up in her urine so every test she took was negative. After visiting her GP and after a positive test, she was on her way to meeting her baby girl Summer. Stacey wasn't 'textbook' ready to deliver Summer at full term, given her cervix wasn’t quite ripe and was still high. But because she wanted to have a natural delivery, she held off as long as she could before the midwife booked her in for an induction. She continued having multiple stretch and sweeps, and eventually at 42 weeks Stacey gave in and went in for an induction. Stacey feels very lucky that she did go in on that day, because Summer's heart rate kept dropping dramatically, meaning she had to undergo an emergency C section. The reason for the heart rate dropping was that there was meconium in utero (i.e. the early stool passed by a newborn) meaning the baby was under stress due to decrease in blood and oxygen. Thankfully all was ok, Summer arrived safely.Whilst Stacey didn’t consider herself to be particularly maternal, she's surprised at how much she loves being a mum. She really struggled with the lack of sleep, and in hindsight realised Summer was actually pretty good. She was confused initially around breastfeeding and sleep schedules, and one night decided to invest in a sleep program which she really valued.COVID has been tough for Stacey in thinking about Summer not being able to have the same interactions with other children as she would have in a non-COVID world. Another difficulty Stacey had was not asking for or accepting help, thinking she didn’t need it. She suggests saying yes to easy things people can help with like dishes or cleaning or cooking a meal. She also speaks about the expectations she had on her husband to 'just know' what they needed for example at the supermarket, emphasising that open and clear communication is key. She said one thing she would recommend is being quite explicit about instructions about managing the baby, i.e. the partners. Given mothers are typically with the babies more than other carers, they need to learn to share the load and give clear instruction. Join me for this honest and open story, with huge thanks to Stacey for opening up about her journey!And remember you are not alone; it's OK to not be OK. We're in this together and Mumma, YOU got this! Be sure to hit subscribe to hear future episodes, or share with a friend. Otherwise, if you'd like to share your story, send me a DM via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmummapodcast Instagram recommendation: themidwifemumma www.themidwifemumma.com.au DISCLAIMER:Please note this podcast depicts personal accounts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The views expressed are my own and are those of my guests, as such should not be relied upon for educational or medical advice purposes. The content included is not a substitute for health advice by a professional.  

Episode 6 – Katie WhitehornKatie and her partner had discussed having a baby in the future, but Corey had other plans and suitably then didn’t want to wait to enter the world.Katie's waters broke at 28 weeks whilst on their baby moon up in another state. She made her way to the hospital where the Doctor told her she wasn't leaving Brisbane without a baby(!!)She then went into labour with Corey at 30 weeks, and because Corey was breech, she had a caesarean section. Because he was premature, they then had to stay in Brisbane whilst he was in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Two months later, Katie made her way back to Sydney with the baby and one of the nurses on a commercial flight, and was then transferred to St George Private for further care. Once home, Katie and Corey didn’t enjoy trying to establish breastfeeding after he'd been fed by pumped breastmilk the entirety of his life, and decided to proceed with formula as it was best for the Corey and Mumma. Corey was diagnosed with bilateral kidney dysplasia, meaning his kidneys have cysts in place of filters. He is currently under the care of Sydney Children's hospital and is undergoing further tests to understand his condition further. Katie went back to work at 6 months and is happy with her decision to do so – particularly during covid times and being unable to enjoy typical, covid free maternity leave activities such as meeting with other mums, kids playing etc. Katie also adds that it does help that Corey is (and always has been!) such a great sleeper. Katie's dog Thor the chihuahua isn't particularly enthralled by the arrival of Corey given he now has to share his mum, which then doesn’t give Katie a break cause if she's not being a mum to Corey, she's mumming the dog! Join me for this brave and inspirational story, with huge thanks to Katie for opening up about her journey!And remember you are not alone; it's OK to not be OK. We're in this together and Mumma, YOU got this! Be sure to hit subscribe to hear future episodes, or share with a friend. Otherwise, if you'd like to share your story, send me a DM via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmummapodcast DISCLAIMER:Please note this podcast depicts personal accounts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The views expressed are my own and are those of my guests, as such should not be relied upon for educational or medical advice purposes. The content included is not a substitute for health advice by a professional. 

Amanda's journey to becoming a Mum started with some sadness, when she experienced pregnancy loss. Her experience with miscarriage then casted an anxious shadow when she did fall pregnant again, carrying the fear that it may happen again.Fortunately, Amanda and her husband conceived again two period cycles later, and had a pretty 'easy' pregnancy. She took a relatively laid back approach during her pregnancy, reading her body and continuing to do things that made her feel like herself i.e. exercising, eating foods that may conventionally be on the 'do not eat' list, amongst other things.Amanda is now a Mumma to little 4 year old Zara and 7 month old Ava. Both her pregnancies went to full term, and as someone who likes to feel 'in control', she decided to get induced both times. Amanda is really happy she chose this option and is glad she is able to share her positive induction stories.Amanda felt slightly out of her depth with her firstborn trying to be the picture perfect, on demand 'do what your baby needs' type mum, which she realised with the benefit of hindsight that it wasn’t the right approach for her. She was able to tweak her approach to the newborn stage with her second, Ava, to play to her strengths i.e. having structure and some control.She speaks about the guilt she experienced around breastfeeding; the fact she breastfed her first for longer than she did her second due to weight gain issues, but can now reflect and recognises that every journey is different, and she did the right thing for both her babies.She also thinks its important as a new mother to carve some time out for yourself. Her focus was on exercising and having a creative outlet, but also her work in the corporate accounting world. Amanda thinks the global covid pandemic has revolutionised the world of work in terms of more flexible working practices, which has allowed mothers to better balance work and home lives. She believes working mothers should be strong in self-advocating how they would like to manage their working arrangements. In saying that, she doesn’t deny the fact it is a juggle and there will be times when you feel like you have it together, and other times when you don’t!Join me for this incredibly though provoking, helpful and insightful story, with huge thanks to Amanda for opening up about her journey!And remember you are not alone; it's OK to not be OK. We're in this together and Mumma, YOU got this!Be sure to hit subscribe to hear future episodes, or share with a friend. Otherwise, if you'd like to share your story, send me a DM via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmummapodcast Amanda's career, wealth & wellness website: https://www.gorgeouspresence.com.au/Book recommendation: Expecting Better by Emily OsterDISCLAIMER:Please note this podcast depicts personal accounts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The views expressed are my own and are those of my guests, as such should not be relied upon for educational or medical advice purposes. The content included is not a substitute for health advice by a professional. 

Tamara spent the first half of her pregnancy dealing with debilitating nausea, which she was on prescribed medication to manage. She found it had such a profound impact on her mental health, whilst trying to continue to feel grateful for the gift that is a baby. Jock's birth was pretty 'straightforward', progressing naturally from 3pm to birthing him 4 hours later. Amazingly, Jock was 1 in the 80,000 births where the baby is born in the amniotic sac. Tam also had a slight complication whereby she had a retained placenta, meaning it had to be manually removed under general anaesthetic. Her breastfeeding journey hasn’t been the easiest as it was off to a delayed start as her milk came in later than the norm. That, and Jock not being the best sleeper (understatement!), amongst other things then contributed to Tam having quite a difficult time with her mental health in the first six months or so. After thinking she was just experiencing prolonged baby blues, she recognised she wasn’t in a great place mentally and after consulting with a few professionals, she's on a path to better managing her anxiety.In hindsight, one thing Tam thinks was a huge factor in her anxiety was the loss of control; as many parents can attest to… you can't control babies' behaviour! And that was tough for Tamara to grapple with. In addition, the constant worrying and anxiety around Jock's welfare and health, which played out in quite negative intrusive thoughts, proved quite difficult. But between the tough times there were of course the silver linings of overwhelming love and little 'heart explosions'! The Covid Lockdown has been a blessing in disguise for getting Jock into a good routine, and more family time with Tam's partner working from home. Tamara has been very pleasantly surprised by her resilience through such a transformative journey, and feels so grateful for the little guy Jock (aka her partners Mini me!) Join me for this raw and vulnerable story, with huge thanks to Tamara for opening up about her struggles! And remember you are not alone; it's OK to not be OK. We're in this together and Mumma, YOU got this! Be sure to hit subscribe to hear future episodes, or share with a friend. Otherwise, if you'd like to share your story, send me a DM via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newmummapodcast For support with maternal mental health & wellbeing: https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/pregnancy-and-new-parents/maternal-mental-health-and-wellbeing DISCLAIMER:Please note this podcast depicts personal accounts of pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The views expressed are my own and are those of my guests, as such should not be relied upon for educational or medical advice purposes. The content included is not a substitute for health advice by a professional.