The Power of Birth

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The Power of Birth

The Power of Birth is a platform for promotion of women's health and all things mama related
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01/08/2024

Breastfeeding is often depicted as effortless and natural. Your baby is hungry, you pull down your shirt, unhook your bra, help your baby latch on, and continue on. Some mothers walk while feeding, do the grocery shopping with a feeding baby in a carrier, feed while having a conversation, cooking dinner, or tending to other children. I've seen it all. Yet, the reality for many is far more complex.

When I had my first baby, I was completely shocked at how little milk I produced, how I couldn't calm my screaming baby with my b***s, how absolutely ravenous and thirsty I was all.the.time. I did not know that my baby had to learn to feed. I did not know how sore, bloody, and painful breastfeeding could be, or that it took up an average of 1,800 hours of my time in the first year (a full-time job takes 1,960 hours). The constant physical and mental load of pumping, feeding, burping, latching, and positioning was all so exhausting. Even not being able to leave for too long because your body is needed. Eventually, it got easier, but I never enjoyed it.

With my second baby, I had an oversupply issue, to the point she was drowning, unsettled, and it was such a stressful experience for both of us. By 8 weeks, she wanted no breast anywhere near her, not even a bottle, and had complete oral refusal. How could a baby reject the very thing that naturally keeps them alive? Three days later, after some emergency appointments, she took a bottle with extremely thick reflux formula that I believe saved her life.

I recognize the importance of breastfeeding and that many have wonderful, bonding experiences. However, we must also acknowledge the toxic narratives around it that make mothers invisible, and even traumatized (yes, breastfeeding trauma is real).

This World Breastfeeding Awareness Week, we must call for more than just encouragement to breastfeed. We need ongoing support and damage control to ensure that mothers are truly supported in their breastfeeding journeys. It's time to change the narrative and provide the resources and understanding that mothers and families deserve. Let's make sure every mother has the support she needs, not just the pressure to breastfeed.

28/07/2024

M A T R E S C E N C E
By now, you may have heard or seen this word floating around. That's because every single mother has experienced this in some form. We just now have a name for it! I love this image because it embodies growth, and this is the lens I view motherhood. It changes you, and in many ways, it feels like it breaks us because "there is suffering inherent within it." But that is not the whole story.

Matrescence is the becoming of a mother, the rebirth of a woman. This transformation begins from preconception, right through to each developmental stage your child/ren reach, you are also continuing to develop, change, learn, struggle, grow..

This is a developmental passage of BECOMING. The change occurs biologically, psychologically, socially, politically, economically, and spiritually and reoccurs with each baby.

We BECOME mothers through
👉 disorientation to reorientation
👉 navigating endings and beginnings
👉 letting go and starting over
👉 deconstruction and reconstruction
👉 loss and gains
👉 push and pull
This is all part of matrescence.

When I created this page, back in April 2020, while anxiously anticipating the birth of my second bub, I wanted a name that represented what I knew but didn't have the words for. I named this page The Power of Birth, but matrescence is what I was referring to! I knew even before I had my own babies that women changed once becoming a mother, I saw it happen to others!

Can you recognise matrescence in your life?

Did you feel a loss of identity?
Did you feel an array of emotions; joy, love, sadness, empowerment, loss, conflicted, overwhelmed?
Ambivalence?
Have your likes/dislikes changed?
Have you re-evaluated who you spend your time with?
Have your relationships changed?
Was there existential questioning?
Do you have a new worldview or attitude towards things?

Those are just a few examples, and you may have said yes to some and no to others.

I hope this helps you understand your matrescence journey a little better ❤

References:
Aurèliè Athan, Ph.D.
Alexandra Sacks, M.D
Nikki McCahon
Artwork: B.D.esigns

25/07/2024

I'll be sharing some of the conversations I've been having in a bit of a different way because there is SO many gems in season 4 and I just don't want you to miss out!!

In episode 57: Navigating Prenatal Diagnosis I interviewed Pieta Shakes from about her journey with receiving a prenatal diagnosis in her third trimester and how that completely turned her world upside down and the mission she is on a mission to improve psychosocial support for parents facing similar challenges.

Swipe through the slides to read some of they key takeaways and insight into this epic conversation that I learned so much from. This conversations reshaped how I think about supporting families who experience pregnancy trauma and/or prenatal diagnoses.

So grateful for wonderful people like Pieta 🩷

🎧 Listen Now via link in bio or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts!!

04/06/2024

Words I uttered to myself many times after the birth of my firstborn.

I eventually stumbled across Matrescence: the developmental passage of becoming a mother where changes occur biologically, psychologically, socially, economically, and politically. It helped give me perspective, and I have been diving deeper into these changes ever since.

Aside from normal developments, I couldn't ignore the profound impact of a woman's mental and physical health during this vulnerable time that the matrescence doesn't necessarily explain.

1 in 5 mothers have depression and/or anxiety
1 in 3 describe their birth as traumatic
1 in 4 report pelvic floor dysfunction
22% of mothers experience suicidal ideation postpartum
1 in 5 babies require SCU or NICU admissions
Roughly 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage
6 babies are born still in Aus every day...

I say this because over the years, as I have had the privilege of being with women and hearing their experiences and how they perceive and interpret them, I notice that it's not just about matrescence that explains how we can have a baby and never be the same, but by what happened to us before, during, after. We can no longer see ourselves as one person. It's a person before X happened, and a person after X happened.

So, how do you have a baby and ever be the same?
You don't. You won't. You can't.
You are forever changed.

So, while some people around you may seem unchanged, sometimes it is about what happened to you, or them, to help explain differences. Not to bid you against each other, but to deepen the understanding ourselves and the world around us 🩷

02/06/2024

I'm 5 years into motherhood and bathroom breaks are still a shared experience 😅

I remember in the early days I had some incontinence and urgency in needing to go to the bathroom and I remember the first time I had to take my baby to the bathroom while feeding... breastfeeding was HARD and one day I got him on after a painful latch I desperately needed to wee and I instantly panicked. How do people feed when they need to go to the toilet?! Do I take him with me? Do I have to take him off the breast, leave him screaming, go to the toilet then come back and try latching again? Uh how do people do this?! And with that I sped to the bathroom while continuing to feed. I felt so weird and awkward about it but it was all too much and that's where we ended up.

Through the years I've cuddled, soothed, answered questions, opened things, kissed boo boo's, all while in the bathroom.

Motherhood really has a way of getting you out of your comfort zone 😅

I just loved this image by
I feel haha here's to another week of shared bathroom breaks haha

16/05/2024

Episode 55: Your Maternal Brain: Challenging 'Baby Brain' & Relearning How Motherhood Changes Our Brain (for the better!)

Have you ever considered that having a baby changes your brain in a way that is actually enhancing your abilities and function over developing deficits? Is baby brain real?

This is exactly what this episode is about. I chat with the brilliant neuroscientist and author of Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood scult our brains (for the better), about multiple myths, changes, enhancements, and challenges around the maternal brain. We talk maternal instincts, intrusive thoughts, hormones, moving from "me" to "we", mental health, baby brain and even paternal brains.

There is so much humour weaved with information in this episode, and it was such a pleasure to chat with Dr McKay. 🙏👌

Her book is an eye opening read, I particularly had feelings about the fact that the maternal brain was only thought to be studied from 2009 🫠🫠 we are still learning so much about motherhood, matrescence and the changes that come with the transition. As Dr McKay says, be kind to yourself 🩷

EPISODE IS LIVE!! https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194

15/05/2024

NEW BLOG POST ALERT!!

I have been working on this blog for months!! And the timing aligned perfectly for day! I hope you'll take this opportunity to learn more about HG and why we need more awareness, support and accessible treatment options.

Here is a snippet of the blog:
"I have heard stories of women who were refused medication from doctors and pharmacists due to fears it was unsafe for the baby, however, offered "therapeutic abortions". Yes, you read that right. Instead of providing women with adequate treatment options to survive a HG pregnancy, in fear of sabotaging the baby's health and safety, they were offered to terminate them instead. . For what it's worth, I was even offered an abortion in both of my pregnancies before further treatment for the condition was considered..."

Link https://www.thepowerofbirth.net/post/there-s-no-such-thing-as-severe-morning-sickness-it-s-hyperemesis-gravidarum-and-it-s-not-all-in-y
Thanks for reading 🩷

📸 .and.feathered

15/05/2024

Statistics are important because they tell a story.

This story is one of despair.

Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) is more than just severe morning sickness; it is a debilitating condition that impacts every aspect of a woman's life. There is a dire need for better education and compassion within the medical community. The fact that 32% contemplate su***de and 52% consider terminating a much-wanted pregnancy screams at the severe mental and emotional toll of HG.

There is a ripple affect in terms of impact, but that ripple can also be for awareness, treatment, health and healing.

See .org.au for more support and info.

15/05/2024

How do you know if you have Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG)?

There is a screening tool available to rate how severe your nausea and vomiting is and if you require more intensive treatment for symptoms, and for your health during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, not all healthcare providers know about the PUQE-24 scale (love the name right 😉) so if you do it yourself and introduce your healthcare providers to it, that helps! It's legitimate, scientifically valid, and reliable.

For more info check the link in my bio.

For more info and support please check out the orgs / websites of and .org.au there are people out there who know what you're going through and can help!

Info from NSW Health.

15/05/2024

The impact of a Hyperemesis Gravidarum pregnancy is significant, with the impact seeping deep into every facet of your life both during pregnancy and for many women, a long time after.

I did a post on the biopsychosocial impacts on my personal life a little while back but wanted to specifically do one for HG.

I have tried to put the information in this Infographic to make it easier to understand. Obviously not every person who has experienced HG will have all of them, but I guarantee you most of them will tick one too many.

Is there anything you'd add?
What impact did HG have on you?

Info was taken from

14/05/2024

Just some red flags to look out for if you have 🫠

14/05/2024

I remember the day I felt like I was going to die. Sounds dramatic, but reality was I couldn't stop vomiting despite not eating or drinking for several days. I felt chronically nauseous all the time, I was in pain, I was alone with my 9 month old trying to care for him but I couldn't get my head out of a bucket. I was 12 weeks pregnant.

I called my mum to take me to this hospital because I really did feel like I was dying, slowly being poisoned, and nobody around me understood - hell, ai didn't even understand. I just knew something was wrong.

Thankfully the hospital didn't just tell me it was morning sickness, like other healthcare providers had, and admitted me for 24 hours, gave me several bags of IV fluids, checked on baby and gave me ondanzatron. I felt so hopeful, I left repeating the word "hyperemesis" to myself.

By the time I got home, I was uncontrollably vomiting again and crawled on my hands and knees from the car to the bed. That night, my mind went dark. I couldn't do this anymore, not again. The only answer in my mind was to terminate the pregnancy. I made a clear plan. I lived with that fantasy for a while.

If you have struggled with HG or know someone, please advocate for their health and needs, care for them, listen to them, and be with them if you can. HG is incredibly isolating and impacts every aspect of life.

Great places to find more information and support are
Hyperemesis Australia

To all the women and families who have faced the brutality and survived HG, the battle may not be over, but you are not alone 🩷

10/05/2024

Many women enter motherhood and are shocked at how angry they feel. The intensity, frequency, and duration are important to consider here, but I would like to talk about why mothers feel so angry.

In episode 54 of Can We Talk About This podcast, I chatted with psychologist Yara Heary, who said, "we have so many reasons to be angry," and I couldn't agree more. Mothering in systems that weren't designed for us makes it incredibly difficult to not only meet our family needs but also our own. It is easy to feel unsupported, overwhelmed, overstimulated, and with the demands of motherhood so high, our own needs, physical and emotional, often become a last priority - anger is a signal of an unmet need.

Our attention is split, we are working with little peoples emotions, usually in isolation, sleep deprived, carrying the mental load, trying to make sense of our new life, identity and all the changes that come with it. It's a lot.

When I asked community what triggered your anger I had loads of responses including: touched out, being needed 24/7, no one is listening, meal refusal, never getting a break, mothering alone, sickness, unsettled baby, everyone talking to me at once, constantly repeating myself, constant noise, how hard it is to do anything for myself. I SEE YOU!

There are other explanations such as perimenopause, PMDD, trauma, sleep deprivation, depression, and anxiety that are also worth considering.

Is your anger protecting another emotion? Your body is trying to tell you something. What do you need?
Does something feel off about your anger?

Learning to identify your anger-related triggers and managing your stress can help, but if you feel like you need more support, I urge you to get it (which can be easier said than done, I know 🩷).

Listen to episode 54 We Have So Many Reasons To Be Angry: Unpacking Anger & Rage on the podcast! Link in bio or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts!!

Link to episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194

02/05/2024

Its Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month!

When I first saw this, I thought it was brilliant and wanted to share it with you. Created by which provides a visual representation of various nervous system responses to perceived threats, organised into categories such as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn.

Each category correlates with specific physiological and emotional states that people might experience when reacting to stress or danger.

👉 "fight" section includes descriptors like "energetic," "hot," and "tense," indicating an active and aggressive response.
👉 "flight" section features terms like "flighty," "trapped," and "coiled," associated with the urge to escape.
👉"freeze" is depicted with words like "cold," "heavy," and "numb," reflecting immobilization and shutdown responses.
👉 "fawn" includes "attentive," "aware," and "slow," which are associated with appeasing behaviours to mitigate threat.

This tool is designed to help individuals recognise and articulate their emotional and physical states in response to stress/threat, aiding in self-awareness and emotional regulation. You can download a copy from bio 👌

Do you recognise your activated parasympathetic nervous system state? I'm a fighter 😅

Do you find this helpful?

01/05/2024

Just in case you needed the reminder to give yourself grace 🩷

Repost from

01/05/2024

I have the privilege of interviewing Ariane Beeston in the coming weeks and have just finished her book - Because I'm Not Myself You See: A Memoir of Motherhood, Madness & Coming Back from the Brink.

What a wild ride motherhood can be, but to experience postnatal psychosis and live to tell your story - there are just no words!

Ariane is so poetic, profound, inspiring, raw, and real in this book. Giving us some insight into the mind and life of a mother who is experiencing "psychotic depression," who never really discloses what she is experiencing due to fears of having her baby taken from her.

I laughed, I cried, my heart ached, I saw myself in some of her thoughts, and I wholeheartedly agreed with her take on stigma, diagnosis, and lack of support for mothers and perinatal mental health. This book is so important for the world to read.

Her book is available May 21st, 2024, and her podcast episode with me will be released shortly after if you are keen to listen.

Thank you for saying the hard things out loud so others can be seen but also so we can learn and do better 🩷

So much love to you 🩷

#

18/04/2024

All 6 episodes of the Mental Health Mini Series are now LIVE!!

I wanted to offer you some basic psychoeducation and practical strategies to help you navigate the emotional intensity of motherhood.

Ep 4: Mindfulness
If you struggle to be present in the moment, live in the past or future, rush through life or feel too much in your head, this episode is for you. Mindfulness is not just meditation. I take you through 2 exercises using your senses to bring you out of your head and back into your body, there here and now, helping to ground yourself and just be. So much power in applying mindfulness in your life, even in the smallest ways.

Ep 5: Acceptance
I talk about the full range of human emotions and how at times we don't allow ourselves to feel them all. I debunk some myths about acceptance (hint: it's not giving up or just tolerating yourself 😉) and take you through a meditative acceptance practice, giving you the chance to consider that no emotion is permanent and to ride the emotional waves.

Ep 6: Make Self Compassion Your Superpower
So many people I meet lack self compassion. How can we be kind to others and not ourselves? I talk about challenges of practising self compassion, how self compassion precedes gratitude, self compassion on your brain, and strategies for changing your inner dialogue.

Have you tuned in yet?!

Which episode is your favourite?!?!

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194

or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts!

04/04/2024

"We have so many reasons to be angry" - Yara Heary

To me, no truer words have been spoken 😆 I had the absolute privilege to chat to Yara from on anger and rage in motherhood, a conversation I have been wanting to have for a very long time and she did not disappoint!

Have you ever experienced anger? Exploded at your kids or partner? Felt out of control, helpless, or just irritable all the time? Yeah. Me too. Like Yara said, it's because we have so many reasons to be angry. Let me just list a few:

👉 The mental load
👉 Default parenting
👉 Reparenting yourself
👉 Identity and relationship changes
👉 Sensory overload
👉 Lack of support or breaks
👉 Unmet needs
👉 Lack of freedom / spontaneity / creativity
👉 Lonely and/or isolated
👉 Societal expectations (and our own internalised beliefs) of perfect and intensive mothering
👉 Perinatal trauma
👉 Work like you don't have children and have children like you don't work

Is there anything you would add?

It is only natural to have feelings of anger when we are living in systems that weren't designed for mothers to thrive, and so we just survive.

Stay tuned for this chat dropping on Can We Talk About This podcast next week!!! I can't wait to share it with you.

03/04/2024

Have you tuned into the mini series yet?!

I have episodes dedicated to teaching you nervous system regulation techniques, as well as giving you some background info.

I wanted to offer some direct support so you could add some of these skills to your mental health toolbox. This is what I consider to be self care!

So far, I have released exercises including
Body Scan
Box Breathing
Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Each of these exercises brings you out of your head and back into your body, fostering self awareness and relaxation. The purpose is to bring you from dysregulation to regulation, through small manipulations of mind, breath, and muscle (so far 😉).

Have you tried them yet?! What did you think?!

Stay tuned for 3 more episodes dropping this week!!!

Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194

or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts xx

25/03/2024

Say their name!

Elsie
Whittaker
Nayara & Nabela
Luna
Asher

"Sadly, in our country around 100,000 families go through miscarriage every year and a further 3,000 experience stillbirth, neonatal loss or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)" - CEO Red Nose

Do you know the power in saying their name? Never underestimate the impact a name can have. You are acknowledging someone who is missing from the family. Say their name because they did exist, they are apart of the family and they will never be forgotten 🩷

My hope is that we continue to do better in acknowledging and supporting families who have lost.

has a wonderful Hospital To Home program supporting parents after loss which you can refer yourself or refer a parent on behalf of them to the program. 🩷

Sending love to you all today 🙏🩷

24/03/2024

Season 4 has dropped with 3 new episodes!

I began the season with a Mental Health Mini Series for mums that will be six episodes in total. Every episode is short in timing as I know it can be difficult to listen to podcasts when you're in the trenches of mothering. The idea is to help give you some psychological tools and techniques and further resources, packing your mental health toolbox full of strategies to get you through those challenging days, weeks or months. I want to help you manage, survive and thrive!!

Episode 48: Body Scan
I give you a run down of what it is and why it's helpful, and then we go into the how, and we do a body scan together.

Episode 49: Box Breathing
Breathe with me in this very simple technique that helps you not only regulate, but helps you have better quality sleep!

Episode 50: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
My all time favourite technique that I still use to this day! It's proven to help with many mental health challenges, including perinatal depression and anxiety but also for overwhelm, rage, exhaustion and other experiences and emotions we have as mothers. Tune in to get a 15 minute PMR, you'll thank me later!

I would love to know what you think about them!?!

Stay tuned for the next 3 episodes!!

Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194

#

13/03/2024

SEASON 4 OF CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS PODCAST COMING SOON!!!

I'm releasing not one but three episodes this week!!!

I am SO excited to share season 4 with you all, I am having some EPIC conversations and I even have a little treat for you in a mini series form.

I love offering you as much information, tools, and resources as I can to help make mum life that little bit easier and I absolutely LOVE having these important conversations.

Make sure you've subscribed to the podcast to know when we drop the first 3 episodes!

Thanks for listening, sharing, posting and reviewing the poddy. I love doing it and every listener matters to me 🩷 I do it for YOU! 🩷

13/03/2024

Has anyone seen the recent comments made at the Australian Birth Trauma Summit held this week? If you missed it, an OB had the mic after several women shared their stories of birth trauma and explained that unrealistic expectations of birth and being all about the *experience* was problematic.

*face palm*

Completely missing the point.

Self blame is a huge burden almost all women with birth trauma carry and I just want to let you know that you having certain hopes, aspirations and plans for your birth did not cause the problem.

Our expectations are rooted in basic human rights.
✅️ the right to respectful maternity care
✅️ the right to informed decision making
✅️ the right to privacy and confidentiality
✅️ the right to dignity
✅️ the right to choose
✅️ the right to protection
✅️ the right to bodily autonomy
✅️the right to be listened to
✅️ the right to support
✅️ the right to compassion
✅️ the right to open and honest communication
✅️ the right to advocate
✅️ the right to woman centred care

Often, in maternity care and practice, we fail to meet these rights due to a variety of systemic, institutional, and cultural challenges.
- the overmedicalisation of childbirth
- lack of individualised care and continuity of carer
- power imbalances and communication barriers
- limited access to alternate birthing options
- disrespectful and abusive practices
- insufficient support for hospital staff
- hospital policies over evidence based practice
- bias and discrimination

I mean, I could go on and on, this is all just off the top of my head!!

It just shows we have a longggg way to go.

We've got a fragmented system, and working and birthing in such a system comes with its challenges for both sides. It's not just about improving individual experiences, it's about transforming a system that continues to fail in honouring women's rights, choices and voices.

For the sake of future mothers.

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Videos

Ep.60: Relationship Changes & Challenges in Parenthood with Elly Taylor WHAT A WHOPPER OF AN EPISODE WHICH IS NOW LIVE! Why don't we talk about the challenges in our relationships after children?! When we become a parent, a mother, sooooo much changes. Wile our experiences are unique, there is also some common ground and our relationships can take a hit. All of a sudden, there is a divide, maybe some resentment and anger, some dissatisfaction with each other, a non existent sex life, low intimacy, and even our bids for connection may change. It can be so hard when you are in the trenches of motherhood to even fathom putting effort into your relationship. We go from feeling like partners to feeling like flatmates. Help?! Elly Taylor is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to relationships and parenthood, and she shares some of her wisdom with me in this episode. We Talk about differences and changes between men and women, why relationships change and why dissatisfaction and divorce is so high post children. Elly shares insight into what's normal, preparing your relationship for parenthood, stages of relationships and how they can evolve (ie growing apart and growing together), maintaining intimacy and connection, the importance of self awareness and supporting each other in our struggles. This was such an eye opening and validating conversation and I highly recommend the Beocming Us model if you work with couples/parents, or if you are seeking couples counselling to find a therapist who uses this model. See the show notes for all the links! Link in bio or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts! This one is a must listen whether you are a parent or not!! Happy listening!! #podcast #becomingus #ellytaylor #thepowerofbirth #antenataleducation #postnatalcare #relationship #relationshipcounsellor #therapist #parents #parenthood #motherhood #mother #Birth #pregnancy #postpartum ##perinatalmentalhealth

Ep.59: Amber's Story: Surviving Preeclampsia, HELLP Syndrome & Birth Trauma Amber Melissa Kennedy had two agonising birth experiences with preeclampsia, but her second pregnancy and birth pushed her past her limits. Amber attempted a VBAC which was supported by her careproviders, however everything changed after the epidural was inserted, leaving her in intense and chronic pain all over her body and no one knew why. Amber speaks to both her pregnancies, births and postpartum experiences, highlighting the realities of medical complications and the dangerous birth narratives around them. I am grateful for advocates like Amber who is working hard to make change for those suffering medical conditions and complications in the perinatal period. You can find her @daughtersoflucina To listen to her episode see the link in bio or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts!! 🎧🎙 Happy listening 🩷 #podcast #poddy #podcastepisode #thepowerofbirth #motherhood #pregnancy #birth #postpartum #CanWeTalkAboutThis #preeclampsia #preeclampsiaawareness #hellpsyndrome #epiduralcomplication #birthtrauma

Episode 55: Your Maternal Brain: Challenging 'Baby Brain' & Relearning How Motherhood Changes Our Brain (for the better!) Have you ever considered that having a baby changes your brain in a way that is actually enhancing your abilities and function over developing deficits? Is baby brain real? This is exactly what this episode is about. I chat with the brilliant neuroscientist and author of Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood scult our brains (for the better), @drsarahmckay about multiple myths, changes, enhancements, and challenges around the maternal brain. We talk maternal instincts, intrusive thoughts, hormones, moving from "me" to "we", mental health, baby brain and even paternal brains. There is so much humour weaved with information in this episode, and it was such a pleasure to chat with Dr McKay. 🙏👌 Her book is an eye opening read, I particularly had feelings about the fact that the maternal brain was only thought to be studied from 2009 🫠🫠 we are still learning so much about motherhood, matrescence and the changes that come with the transition. As Dr McKay says, be kind to yourself 🩷 EPISODE IS LIVE!! https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194 #pregancy #birth #postpartum #motherhood #mumbrain #babybrain #neuroscience #maternalbrain #maternalhealth #mothering #maternalinstincts #bonding #brainsynchrony #psychology #intrusivethoughts #maternalbrainchanges

Episode 54: We Have So Many Reasons To Be Angry: Unpacking Anger & Rage in Motherhood with Yara from @lifeafterbirthpsychology What a whopper of an episode and great timing for #maternalmentalhealthawareness month!! This topic is a big one for me because of the struggles with rage that I had after my second baby. So I hope it reaches those who are struggling with anger/rage, I know how lonely, lost, and guilty you can feel 💔 Yara was a fabulous guest who brought so many facets of anger in motherhood to light, including just simply validating the fact that mothering in systems that make us invisible and lack support is a huge contributor. Yara talks about perfect mothering and internalised beliefs around what a good mother is, how anger is a very misunderstood emotion, recognisable differences between anger and rage, the role of hormones and menstrual cycles, barriers mothers face in terms of support, and we both share snippets of our own experiences with rage. Have you ever wondered why am I so angry? Tune into this episode to explore some possible reasons and I highly recommend Yara's self paced course Why Am I So Angry - head to the link in her bio for more information @lifeafterbirthpsychology Sending you all love 🩷 and thanks for listening!! https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194 or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts!! #canwetalkaboutthis #podcast #mumrage #angrymum #anger #rage #thepowerofbirth #lifeafterbirthpsychology #motherhood #matrescence #motheringalone #whyamisoangry #wehavesomanyreasonstobeangry #perinatalpsychologist #perinatalmentalhealth #perinatalhealth #mentalhealth #emotionalhealth

Episode 47: Brianna’s Story: The Dark Cloud that Follows You After Loss I had the privilege of chatting to local mama Brianna @briannadearden who shared her experience in her first pregnancy which was full of excitement and preparation to then find out at 14 weeks her baby had passed at 10 weeks gestation. Brianna talks about the devastating realisation she had been carrying a dead baby and openly talks about what her physical loss looked like and the aftermath of her ‘missed miscarriage’ and the impact grief, sadness and post traumatic stress symptoms had on her mind and life. Brianna shares her feelings and experiences throughout her second pregnancy and into her birth and the dark cloud of grief and anxiety that followed her throughout. Brianna talks of an empowering birth experience but a difficult postpartum with a very unsettled baby, feeding struggles and trying to decipher anxiety and intuition as a new mother. Thank you to our wonderful supportive listeners this year! We've grown so much and I credit that to all the women who come on and share their stories with this community. Your voices are stronger together and valued here 🩷 Link in bio for the pod or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts! Link to episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/can-we-talk-about-this/id1572162194 If you are struggling with pregnancy loss or infant loss, please reach out to these amazing organisations who can support you www.pinkelephants.org.au www.sands.org.au www.postpartum.net If you are struggling with your mental health in pregnancy or postpartum, please reach out to www.panda.org.ay www.postpartum.net #podcast #womenshealth #reproductivehealth #loss #pregnancyloss #miscarriage #griefandloss #rainbowbaby #shareyourstory #healing #linkinbio #website #thepowerofbirth #CanWeTalkAboutThis

Ever considered having a mothers blessing instead of a baby shower? Baby showers tend to focus on the baby, and that's absolutely ok! The babies need our focus 😆 But what tends to happen is that it becomes solely about the baby, and the mother often fades into the background despite being the most important person in it all. A mothers blessing is a beautiful way to acknowledge her transition and transformation, to talk about matrescence and what it can look like, to talk about ways we can support her, to talk about the seasons of motherhood and the realities of this transformation, to give her, the mother, a supportive, loving, connected, and encouraging entry into what is hard to put into words. But I think all the women present did it justice 🩷 My sister at the end of it all, thanked everyone for their love and said, "we don't tell each other nice things enough" and I think we all felt that. I love women supporting women. I love that we can be vulnerable together. I love that we can acknowledge more than just the fact a baby is coming, because having a baby is so much more than that. It changes every part of you, and that doesn't get talked about enough. 🩷🩷🩷 #motherblessing #babyshower #womenscircle #motherhood #matrescence #perinatal #pregnancy #birth #postpartum #emotionalhealth #reproductivehealth #affirmations

Episode 46: Rebecca’s Story: Perinatal Acute Anxiety, Tokophobia, Postnatal Depression, OCD & PTSD I LOVE that we can talk about the hard things together. In this week’s episode I chat to Rebecca from @perinatalstoriesaustralia about her intense mental health struggles during pregnancy including acute anxiety and tokophobia (clinical fear of childbirth) and how those things impacted postpartum, eventually being admitted to a mother and baby unit for weeks to seek immediate support for her mental health. Rebecca was later diagnosed with postpartum OCD and PTSD. There are many parts of Rebecca’s story that are heartbreaking but more common than we think. I hope that by Rebecca sharing and allowing an open and honest conversation about perinatal mental health challenges helps others who are also struggling. “Motherhood is often beautiful and brutal at the same time” and generally, mental health in the perinatal period is so misunderstood, stigmatised and silenced. This is a conversation worthy of your time. You can search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts or link in bio ❤️ You can find Rebecca @perinatalstoriesaustralia #podcast #poddy #episode46 #perinatalmentalhealth #mentalhealth #postpartumocd #motherhood #womenshealth #perinatalmoodandanxietydisorders #pnd #ppd #ptsd #birth #birthtrauma #tokophobia #pregnancy #postpartum #anxiety

Episode 45: It's Just the Baby Blues... Or Is It? Too often struggling mums go to get support for their mental health and are told, “its just the baby blues, it will pass” when really, it’s not the baby blues. I, your host, perinatal mental health advocate, and masters psychology student with certifications in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) thought an episode addressing all things baby blues would be helpful to this audience so that we can have an understanding of what is normal and what is not in early postpartum. I describe what the baby blues looks like, common symptoms, hormonal fluctuations, ways to help you through it as well as when to seek help. You can download free resources for your emotional health when you subscribe to thepowerofbirth.net or if you head to the printable PDF page there is plenty for you to explore. You can find the Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth on whatever platform you get your podcasts (Spotify, Apple, Google, Audible etc) or check link in bio 😊🙏 Happy listening!! #podcast #podcasting #poddy #CanWeTalkAboutThis #thepowerofbirth #mothering #motherhood #babyblues #postpartum #pregnancy #birth #perinatalmentalhealth #postnataldepression #hormonedrop #linkinbio #4thtrimester #womenshealth #mothercare #psychoeducation #itsjustthebabyblues

Episode 44: “More Than a Healthy Baby” - Perinatal Trauma and Post Traumatic Growth Dr. Erin Bowe, perinatal psychologist and author of ‘More Than A Healthy Baby: Finding Strength & Growth After Birth Trauma’ joins me on the pod to chat about perinatal trauma and post traumatic growth. She sheds light on the importance of addressing perinatal trauma culturally and systemically by sharing her experiences of traumatic births and breastfeeding, and how that redirected her personal and professional life. We chat about differentiating ‘little t trauma’ vs. ‘big T trauma,’ and delve into the psychology of trauma. Dr Erin helps us understand how trauma gets misdiagnosed, offers insight into therapies and support including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as an intervention to treat trauma, and explores the concept of meaning-making. We chat about how post-traumatic growth can emerge from adversity and what that looks like. This episode is so insightful! Her books are absolutely brilliant and you can get your hands on a copy if you tune into the episode and DM me the code word hidden in the episode 😉 This is a conversation for anyone who has experienced perinatal trauma: pregnancy, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding trauma, and who wants to understand what trauma is and that there is possibility in overcoming it. You can tune in to Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening, sharing, reviewing and supporting the pod! Shout out to Dr Erin Bowe and The Kind Press for giving some of our lucky listeners a free copy of her books – make sure you tune in to see how you can get one! Link in bio

Who doesn't love a freebie?! Dr Erin Bowe and The Kind Press publishing have generously offered 10 lucky people in our community a copy of either More Than A Healthy Baby: Finding Strength and Growth After Birth Trauma or Social Media Detox For Mums, A New Way to Find Balance. To get your hands on a copy, make sure you tune into episode 44 of Can We Talk About This podcast by @thepowerofbirth and DM me the code word you heard in the episode - it's also just a really great episode!! First 10 people only!! Quick!! Episode just dropped! Happy listening!!! LINK IN BIO FOR PODCAST or available on any poddy platform. #freebie #poddy #podcast #podcasting #CanWeTalkAboutThis #thepowerofbirth @drerinbowe #perinataltrauma #birthtrauma #posttraumaticgrowth #healing #author #psychologist #morethanahealthybaby

Episode 43: Sex After Baby & Rediscovering Sensuality Can We Talk About sex after having a baby?! Join me as I chat with Vanessa, mum and sex therapist from @authenticawareness about all things s.e.x after baby and feeling sensual again. We talk about the 6 week postpartum check and how that is a missed opportunity to help couples sexually, and Vanessa generously shares her wisdom of body image changes, fluctuating libidos, differences in sexual desires between men and women, 360 degree communication, quality sex over quantity, adjusting to challenges becoming a mother like feeling touched out and exhausted and what that means for sex and intimacy. We also chat about birth injuries and the impact on individuals and couples and returning to sex and navigating this often overlooked aspect of postpartum sex and recovery. You can find Vanessa @authenticawareness and be sure to visit her website for resources to help you! Link in bio or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts ❤️❤️ #postpartumsex #sexafterbaby #sensuality #sexualdesire #intercourseafterbaby #intimacy #couples #sextherapy #sextherapist #thepowerofbirth #birth #postpartum #pelvichealth #CanWeTalkAboutThis

Episode 42: Bec’s Birth Story: Embracing Healing After a Traumatic Homebirth (HBAC) Bec Black, a perinatal psychologist and birth educator @themindfulbirthmovement joins me to share for the first time publicly, her third birth story, an attempted HBAC (homebirth after caesarean). Bec takes us through her emotional and physical struggle, the unforeseen challenges she faced during labour, and her transfer to the hospital. We also chat about her postpartum experience and grappling with the fact her birth was traumatic. In this episode, Bec opens up about the unexpected challenges she faced, her journey of acceptance and healing, and how her experience shapes her practice as a psychologist. Tune in now! 🎧 Link in bio or search Can We Talk About This by The Power of Birth on your favourite podcast platform. #PodcastEpisode #BirthTrauma #HealingJourney #PerinatalPsychologist #Birth #Pregnancy #CanWeTalkAboutThis #Podcast #Poddy #Postpartum #BirthInjury #HBAC #TraumaticBirth #PelvicHealth #Hypnobirthing #PerinatalMentalHealth #PerinatalPsychologist #ThePowerofBirth #TheMindfulBirthMovement

ATTENTION ALL NSW AUSTRALIAN MOTHERS AND MIDWIVES, OBGYNs & BIRTH WORKERS!! The NSW Legislative Committee on birth trauma needs YOUR experiences and insights to drive meaningful reforms that will help shape the future of maternity care! 1 in 3 women describe their birth as traumatic. 6% develop PTSD following childbirth. 1 in 10 experience obstetric violence in Australia. These statistics are awful! The NSW Legislative committee on birth trauma is giving you until 11th August to put in a written submission if you have experienced or witnessed obstetric violence. This is the first of its kind in Australia as we currently have no legislation to protect women against harmful and dehumanising practices and interactions. Your story matters. Your experiences are valid. Your voice is powerful. Link in bio to write your submission. What is obstetric violence? The act or omission by a healthcare provider that causes physical, emotional, or psychological harm to a woman during pregnancy, childbirth or in postpartum. It involves violations of a woman's rights, dignity, autonomy, and bodily integrity. It can occur in forms of forced caesarean sections, episiotomies, vaginal examinations, excessive force during labour/delivery, derogatory language, humiliation, disrespect, refusing to provide info or support, lack of informed consent, coercion. It is not limited to these examples. On the podcast Can We Talk About This by The Power of Birth episode 34 I chat with Dr Hazel Keedle, leading researcher on obstetric violence about that very thing! If you have experienced obstetric violence, I am so sorry this happened to you and I hope you seek support 💔🩷 I am always here to help you find it. #obstetricviolence #thepowerofbirth #birth #pregnancy #birthtrauma #postpartum #maternitycare #obstetrician #midwife #doula #birthworker #healthcare #nswmums #nswgov #standagainstobstetricviolence #violenceagainstwomen

Episode 41: Tips for Finding the Right Therapist Join your host Amber-lee in this unique episode where she dives into the practical tips and personal experiences of finding the right therapist or mental health professional during the perinatal period / motherhood. The perinatal period comes with its own set of challenges, and it’s crucial to have a mental health professional with specialised knowledge in perinatal mental health. Amber-lee, a passionate advocate for maternal wellbeing, shares valuable insights on navigating this process, from researching their expertise and training to feeling comfortable and safe. “I hope this episode empowers you to reach out for help if you are struggling and make informed choices in choosing those who will support you.” - Amber-lee Remember, these tips apply not only to psychologists but also to other mental health professionals like psychiatrists, occupational therapists, counselors, psychotherapists, social workers, mental health nurses, GPs etc. Tune in now! Link in bio or search Can We Talk About This by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts. #PodcastEpisode #MentalHealthMatters #PerinatalWellbeing #FindTheRightSupport #Empowerment #YouAreNotAlone #PerinatalMentalHealth #Motherhood

Episode 40: C-Section Recovery & Pelvic Floor Health with a Perinatal Physiotherapist Calling all new mums and women’s health enthusiasts! Episode 40 of Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth has dropped! Woohoo! 40 episodes!! Join me as I delve into an insightful conversation about c section recovery and pelvic floor health with the amazing Kath @fitnestmama , a perinatal physiotherapist. She shares her wisdom in postpartum healing, recovery expectations, signs of potential issues, returning to exercise and so much more. This episode emphasises the importance of seeking support from Women’s Health Physios, who play a crucial role in optimising pelvic health. We also discuss our hopes for improved healthcare practices. Whether you’ve had a caesarean section or not, this one is a must listen! You can listen now on any podcast platform! Remember to subscribe to stay updated and share with fellow mum friends ❤️ Happy listening!! #podcast #canwetalkaboutthis #thepowerofbirth #fitnestmama #womenshealth #womensthealthphysio #csection #bellybirth #caesareansection #pelvicfloor #pelvichealth

Episode 39: Danni’s Story: Navigating Infertility and IVF in Rural Australia In this episode I chat to Danni-leigh, a rural mum who shares her IVF journey. We chat about her experience first trying to start a family, to having huge cysts on her ovaries and finding blocked fallopian tubes and having them removed, drastically changing her conception journey. Danni shares insight into what IVF looks like living in rural Queensland, the many disappointments and challenges she’s faced, to the anxiety and joy she felt finally falling pregnant and having her son. Danni talks about the costs of IVF on her body, mind, relationships and finances and feelings of giving up hope. I am grateful to Danni for putting herself out there and sharing the realities of what IVF families go through. Link in bio or search Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth wherever you get your podcasts. Happy listening ❤️ #podcast #poddy #australianpodcast #reproductivehealth #ivf #perinatalmentalhealth #ruralaustralia #pregnancy #birth

Episode 32: Research Project: Perceptions of Birth and Wellbeing After Birth Debriefing Among Women Who Describe Their Birth as Traumatic Results are now available from my student research thesis for Psychology. I had the privilege of researching an underserved population, the 1 in 3 women who describe their birth as traumatic, and looked at perceptions of birth and birth debriefing within this population. This episode is a little different as it is just me, Amber-lee, your host behind the chatting on my own haha and I also talk about what led me down the childbirth rabbit hole 18 months ago. There’s a lot of information in this episode but I hope you find it interesting! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode 31: Responsive parenting: there’s no such thing as a perfect parent Yep, you read that right, there’s no such thing as a perfect parent! Yet we (society) expect parents to be perfect in their parenting and have perfect children. When you become a mother you are bombarded with advice, from how to birth, feed your baby, baby sleep, deal with big feelings and so on. It never ends! This episode aims to talk about parenting culture and how we are influenced in our parenting choices and decisions. Rebecca from @growinggentlypsychology shares her wisdom on managing our emotions as parents and getting confident in ourselves even when we are feeling the pressure. Tune in on your favourite podcast app by searching Can We Talk About This podcast by The Power of Birth Happy listening! #pregnancy #birth #birthstories #birthprep #birtheducation #birthexperiences #birthrights #midwife #doula #physiologicalbirth #physiologyofbirth #birthinterventions #birthplans #birthexperiences #modelofcare #supportpeople #birthingwoman #mama #motherhood #postpartum #birthtools #advocate #hireadoula #doula #thepowerofbirth #podcast #informativepost

Episode 30: They say it takes a village to raise a child but mothers need a village too! Welcome back to season 3! The beautiful @emmagray_____ from @thenurturedvillagehampers chats to me about her experiences entering motherhood the first and second time and the challenges of her personal transition. She gets real about the realities of motheirng without a village and the evolution of her new found charity The Nurtured Village Hampers. Emma is honest and open in this chat and shares her why. Your impact can never be too small and Emma shows us just that. You can listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! #pregnancy #birth #birthstories #birthprep #birtheducation #birthexperiences #birthrights #midwife #doula #physiologicalbirth #physiologyofbirth #birthinterventions #birthplans #birthexperiences #modelofcare #supportpeople #birthingwoman #mama #motherhood #postpartum #birthtools #advocate #village #thepowerofbirth #podcast #informativepost