Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond PBB Media Incorporated

Today, Oni Blecher and Naomi Jannsen both speak with Dr. Oscar Serrelach. Naomi joins us as a guest interviewer for this conversation with Oscar Serrelach for the upcoming Postpartum Conference hosted by Well Supported Mother. 

Dr Oscar specialises in postnatal depletion and his medical expertise centres around optimising Mothers health and wellness. “He deeply believe that if Mothers are well, families can be well.  And if families are well, then society has a much better chance of being well." Researching Postnatal Recovery for almost 10 years, Dr. Oscar Serrallach has shared his knowledge on Postnatal Depletion and fourth trimester healing with his revolutionary book, “The Postnatal Depletion Cure.” Today, Dr. Oscar Serrallach continues to offer medical consultations and retreats around Byron Bay New South Wales in Australia, whilst building the resources and community for the MotherCare Project alongside his partner Caroline.

For those of you who don’t know or are new to Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond; Dr Serrelach, his wife Caroline, and The Health Lodge have also been long time supporters of us here at PBB Media and have also contributed greatly to Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond podcast since its inception. Big thanks to you two for being such active, supportive, and generous members of our community.

Naomi is a traditional medicine practitioner, with over 20 years of experience. She weaves a wealth of expertise from diverse healthcare settings to provide clinical care and education.  She is dedicated Advocate for Traditional Medicine especially in Women's Health and Birth/Reproductive Health services. She holds the vision of Culturally oriented and Mother centred experiences for Women during childbearing and rites of passage. Naomi often speaks at conferences and for podcasts to inform on the importance of Cultural Practices and Medicines in Women's Health. Pertinent to this interview, Naomi is hosting a postpartum conference in Coolangatta, Tweed in December. 
Today, Naomi and I speak to Oscar, and each other about some of the sciences and themes that will be highlighted in Naomi’s upcoming conference where Oscar will be a key note speaker.  This was a really enjoyable conversation that reiterated my own sense of purpose or re stoked the fire of advocating for mothers and families with young children. 

Please see their website details below !

POSTPARTUM CONFERENCE DETAILS:

https://www.gentletraditions.xyz/professional-conferences-well-supported-mothers-collective

https://www.droscarserrallach.com

https://www.gentletraditions.xyz

In this epsiode, Oni Blecher speaks with Edie Barltey. Edie is a Sexologist and Art therapist with a background in psychotherapy. Edie has also complted her doula training and has assisted birth. Her approach as both a therapist and a human being is open minded, non-judgmental and heart centred. 

Edie’s work aims to normalise conversations around sex and pleasure and the social and cultural discourse around both. She sheds light on topics relating to nervous system health, navigating stress and overwhelm, self worth, self compassion and acceptance, dealing with chronic pain or illness, menstrual cycle health, consent, boundaries and relationships. In this interview we also cover menstrual shame; the topic of Edie's thesis. Edie’s work expands into realms of the grater human experience, with healing and wellbeing. She offers a safe space, where anything and everything can be spoken, acknowledged, seen and accepted

In this conversation, we span many topics and curiosities; all aligning to embracing the body at many different life stages. 

Enjoy this conversation and check out Edie's work here:

https://www.ediebartley.com

@with.edie

Today I speak with Sali McIntyre and Naomi Jannsson.

Sali is an antenatal educator, author midwife, Arvigo practitioner and teacher, and mother of four adult children, all born at home. She also runs Heart and Soul of Wellness which is a wellness centre in Murwillumbah where she runs pregnancy and postpartum groups, amongst many more offerings. 

Naomi is a traditional medicine practitioner, with over 20 years of experience. She weaves a wealth of expertise from diverse healthcare settings to provide clinical care and education.  She is dedicated Advocate for Traditional Medicine especially in Women's Health and Birth/Reproductive Health services. She holds the vision of Culturally oriented and Mother centred experiences for Women during childbearing and rites of passage. Naomi often speaks at conferences and for podcasts to inform on the importance of Cultural Practices and Medicines in Women's Health.

Together, these two run a festival called Birth Wellness festival, which is a coming together of parents, families, and practitioners and clinicians in the area for greater connection of community and services relevant to the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period. In this interview we speak a lot about the importance of gathering in real life embodied spaces to create greater sense of care and togetherness in community. 

Birth Wellness Festival: 

https://events.humanitix.com/birth-wellness-festival-2024

Sali: 

https://heartandsoulofwellness.com.au

Naomi: 

https://www.gentletraditions.xyz/

In this episode, Oni Blecher speaks with Fiona O'Shaughnessy. Fiona is a mum of 3, doula, childbirth educator, independent consumer representative for the Northern NSW LHD and a consumer advocate, representing the charity Hygieia Health. She's speaking to us today in her capacity working with Hygieia. 

Hygieia Health is dedicated to the sacred work of birth and the impact it has on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of women, their families, and birth workers. They believe that “Peace on Earth begins at Birth,” as Jeanine Parvarti Baker so poignantly stated. As a non-profit organization with a charitable purpose of promoting the prevention and treatment of birth trauma, they strive to provide birth workers, obstetricians, midwives, and doulas with the knowledge and skills necessary to care for themselves and others, and to return birth to its rightful place as a profound rite of passage. Their mission is to support women on their journey to childbirth, ensuring that they receive safe and trauma-free birth services and support. They aim to raise awareness of the occurrence and consequences of birth trauma and provide women and birth workers with the tools and support they need to prepare for and experience a safe, positive birth.

Advocacy groups such as Hygieia Health, Homebirth Australia, Maternity choices Australia, and us here at PBB Media to name a few, spend a considerable amount of time translating some of these deeply rooted political stirrings or changes in to smaller bite sized information segments so that we can all come together in our united aim to ensure optimal freedom of choice in childbirth, however that may look for you.

You may have a relative, a friend, a neighbour who is interested to birth at home. You may know a midwifery student who has the aim to become a privately practicing midwife. Even if home birth is not on your radar, you may even just empathise with the right to choose a birth environment that feels safe and right. Advocacy groups do so much work, but lets not forget our own capacity to advocate for our fellow human beings, even if their choices look different to ours. The meaning of advocacy is ‘public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy’. 

We always welcome your feedback and thoughts. Leave us a review, rating, instagram comment or DM, or simply be in touch via email through hello@pbbmedia.org We have left some great links below in relation to information sources that Fi mentions throughout the interview.

Thanks for tuning in ! 

@hygieiahealthltd

@bumps_birth_and_beyond 

@homebirth_australia

@bornathomefilm

Survey link: 

https://tr.ee/pENQCpTihh 

Excerpt from Hygieia Health Instagram regarding proposed changes:

“You may have seen a video circulating yesterday where Senator @larissawaters asked the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (CNMO) about proposed changes to insurance for homebirth during Senate Estimates - we’d like to thank Senator Waters for her questions.
If you're wondering what this all means, please keep reading.

We feel the collective anger, fear and in some cases hopelessness about this issue, understanding it's deeply rooted in the lived experiences of women and midwives who have had to fight for women’s rights in childbirth for decades.

What We Do Know: The Government will conduct a consultation process in the coming months, aiming to have details finalised by the end of the year.  The proposed insurance would only be available for midwives providing homebirth care to women with 'low risk' pregnancies. This could mean that midwives might not...

"This is so needed!" PBB weaving love into our community

In this episode, Annalee and Sally, two of the founders of PBB Media and former presenters of our show, get together to discuss the history of our Outreach Hub, how it started and how it has evolved over time and all that it has to offer our community.
The PBB Outreach Hub offers free baby and toddler clothes every Friday from 10am at the CWA Hall in Mullumbimby (corner of Tincogan and Gordon Sts).  We welcome any good quality donations of clothes to keep them circulating.  

We also hear from two mums, Calindy and Hope, who have found some clothing treasures for their little ones.  Alice also shares her story of being supported by the hub in the early days after the 2022 floods when her first child was only 6 months old.  Alice still loves to come and visit, catch up with friends and swap some kids' clothing, now with her second child in tow.

And finally we hear from one of our volunteers, Jess, a mum of 3 who gives her time to help run the hub and play with the little ones while mums look through the clothes and shoes.

We thank everyone who contributed to this podcast and look forward to seeing you at the Hub!  

If you are interested in volunteering at the hub, we just ask for 4 hours of your time per month and in return you have a lovely social time, making cups of tea and sorting the donated clothes into the boxes.  Enquiries: sally@pbbmedia.org

In this episode, Oni Blecher interviews Tallulah and Xanthe. Both are Bachelor of Midwifery students in the final year of their studies.  

Tallulah grew up on Bundjalung Country and was immersed in a community that favoured an integrative approach to healthcare and wellness, Tallulah felt an innate pull to participate. Along her journey, she felt a deep calling to support women and families, naturally falling into midwifery. 

Xanthe first felt the calling of midwifery at 14 years old. She spent the next decade thinking about the seed that was planted from such a young age, eventually realising that this calling could no longer be ignored. She truly loves midwifery with her whole heart, and feels incredibly privileged to be walking into a profession that is so rich in culture and practice since the beginning of humanity.

Tallulah’s philosophy is to be led by women and families. As Culturally Safe care is inherently defined by the perspectives of those receiving care, Tallulah aspires for the women she serves to feel the power handed back to them as the primary decision makers. Tallulah hopes to fulfil a graduate position in Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) and go on to facilitate home births as a private practice midwife, whilst offering a sliding scale of cost to make safe birth more accessible. 

Xanthe hopes to work alongside some of our most vulnerable people groups in the community as a midwife, also within a continuity of care model. She is driven by the desire to provide holistic care, where women, birthing people, and families feel deeply respected and heard. She strongly believes in the potential of the childbirth continuum being a time that can have deep and lasting positive change for families and communities when care is provided well.
 
Both Tallulah and Xanthe had the privilege of undertaking an overseas placement in remote Papua New Guinea in November 2023 of which they talk about during this interview. It was here that their love for midwifery was solidified. They were reminded of the role of midwifery as primary healthcare, servicing families and communities. Being remote and without basic resources or staffing, the two learnt the value of teamwork, being resourceful and acting on instinct. 

Tallulah and Xanthe cherish the relationships they build with women and their families and see the art and profession of midwifery as an immense privilege, they can’t imagine doing anything else!

If you have any questions for these two, feel free to send us an email at hello@pbbmedia.org