Growing Up Raising Us Chelsea + Emma

In this episode, we have a co-host catch up with Chels and Em all about losing, gaining and redefining our identity in motherhood. 

We walk you through a research article Em has found on the topic of identity in motherhood (think concepts like: ‘fractured identity’ and ‘expansion of self’), and we also go through your listener poll responses sharing your own experience coming ‘back’ to yourself in motherhood. As always, we share our recommendations for the week and any wins/in the bins. 

It’s a great, informative chat if we say so ourselves, and we hope you enjoy the listen x

Things mentioned in this ep:


Tom's Maternity Pads
One Day on Netflix
Linden Cook Jewellery



Join our community on instagram ⁠⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more.

In this episode, we bring you a discussion with the incredible Rebecca Black from @themindfulbirthmovement. Rebecca is a psychologist, hypnobirthing practitioner, founder of the Mindful Birth Movement and, most importantly, mum of three.

This episode is hard hitting and covers so many incredible discussions, including:


Matrescence: what it is and why it’s such a unique transformation
The socio-cultural context in which we mother within, and why it’s setting us up to fail
The perfect mother myth 
What thriving in motherhood means to her
How we can truly support, value and honour ourselves, to ultimately redefine our mothering experience 

The work that Rebecca, her colleagues and others in this space do is truly changing the narrative for mothers and we think it’s fitting to release this ep prior to Mother’s Day this weekend. We really hope you enjoy this episode and get a lot out of it - our wish is for you to feel valued on Mother’s Day and every day xx

People and resources mentioned in this ep:

Rebecca Black's instagram: @themindfulbirthmovement⁠

Website: The Mindful Birth Movement

Dr Sophie Brock 

Fair Play Cards

Join our community on instagram ⁠@growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more. 

In today’s episode, we are back with Olivia (she/her) as she shares her two birth stories. Olivia (@physio.therapeutic.yoga) is a women’s health physio, yoga and pilates instructor, and was on the podcast last week chatting all things pelvic floor. 

Olivia is also a mum to two beautiful boys and she shares her journey bringing them both earthside. Olivia’s first birth was a planned homebirth, supported by private midwives. At 41+3 weeks she ended up transferring to hospital and had a caesarean section under general anaesthetic, meaning she was asleep for the birth of her son and woke up separated from him in recovery. Olivia speaks openly about how heartbreaking this was for her and discusses the process of coming to terms with her birth going so differently to how she hoped and prepared for. She goes on to describe her second birth, a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) which she had in hospital with a private obstetrician.

Olivia speaks so beautifully about how she holds space for her two different births, and we feel so honoured that she chose to share her birth stories with us. We hope her stories make you feel less alone if you have faced similar circumstances. 

If this episode brings anything up for you and you would like some extra support, we have listed some resources below: 


PANDA - an organisation that supports the mental health of parents and families. They have a free national hotline available Australia wide (Mon-Sat): 1300 726 306
Gidget Foundation - a not-for-profit organisation that supports the emotional wellbeing of Australian new parents. 
Beyond Blue - mental health support and information for all Australians 



This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you: click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more. 

In today’s episode, we are speaking with Olivia (she/her), a women’s health physio, yoga and pilates instructor, and mum to two from Naarm/Melbourne. 

Olivia chats with us all things pelvic floor in pregnancy, immediate postpartum and beyond. Olivia is trained in internal pelvic floor release and explains what pelvic floor release involves, why it can have such a positive impact on birth preparation and recovery, and when to consider seeing a women’s health physio for internal release or other support. Olivia also answers some of your listener questions, covering prolapse, return to exercise and how different birth modes (caesar, vaginal, assisted) can impact your recovery.

We loved chatting with Olivia, we learnt so much from her and I think this discussion really reinforced to us the importance and significance of healing after birth. Olivia offers physio appointments via telehealth and in person in Naarm, and you can find out more through her instagram @physio.therapeutic.yoga 

This episode is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more. 

In this week’s episode, Chels and Em sit down and chat about their collective postpartum experiences. This conversation is sparked by Chels leaving her fourth trimester and she reflects honestly on the first three months of her second postpartum, as well as the transition to two children. Em throws back to her own postpartum experience three years ago.

We also unpack your listener postpartum experiences, chatting all things sleep, feeding, postpartum body image and more.

To join our community on instagram @growingupraisinguspodcast⁠⁠⁠ to see photos of our weekly guests, behind the scenes moments, and keep up to date with episode releases.

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more.

In this week's episode, we're joined by Keshia (she/her) and Ariel (she/her). Keshia and Ariel are mothers and business women, and have recently founded @from__day__one - a drop-in space and community for new mothers in Naarm/Melbourne. 

Keshia and Ariel share their breadth of experience and wisdom from their six collective postpartum experiences. Ariel shares insights from birthing overseas in America, and they both draw from the unique time that was giving birth during the pandemic. 

Keshia and Ariel reflect on their lives and sense of self prior to becoming mothers, and how their early corporate careers and postpartum experiences influenced their desire to create a business and change the postpartum space for good. They touch on the values and aspirations behind From Day One, and the value of collective knowledge, continuity of care and sense of community for new mothers.

We absolutely loved our chat with Ariel and Keshia, it was so validating and clear to see the passion and research that has gone into @from__day__one.  From Day One opened in early 2024, so be sure to check out their instagram or website for more info. 

This podcast was recorded on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation.  Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more.