Growing

Beth Ryan and Lilly Claxton
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  • Parenting
  • Updated twice weekly

Growing is your handbook for birth, babies and beyond brought to you by midwives and mums Beth Ryan and Lilly Claxton. Join us every Wednesday for a solid dose of solidarity as we explore all things motherhood.

  1. 10 hr ago

    Do I Actually Feel...Done? | Leaving pregnancy behind, brain fog fatigue and a relationship reset

    Okay, this week we're going straight in. Lil’s house nearly went up in flames but actually just went up in fog (brain fog). She’s also navigating the stretch that comes with more kids and her relationship has had a welcome little reset (of sorts).  Beth has happily welcomed weekends back into the chat in a really wholesome, no-pressure kind of way. But her growing pain is a big one, so brace yourselves. We hold hands while navigating the surprisingly heavy realisation at reaching the end of growing her family and how utterly unready she and her husband  feel about the finality of saying goodbye to pregnancy, newborns and the early-baby years. It’s big and bittersweet. Perhaps the biggest surprise is realising that you can be completely content with your family while still grieving the end of a chapter you aren't quite ready to close. Rebuild - Beth has been hitting her exercise classes hard and finding a new flow—and a little more confidence along the way. Get it, girl. Lil is trialling a weekend digital detox. Hallelujah. Brick praise be.  Recipe - Lil made this wintry chicken soup for her household and it slaps in the most nourishing way. Recommendation, but actually a reverse recommendation: Girly girls… what knickers are we wearing?! Seamless, comfortable, breathable, natural fibres… does the perfect pair exist? Please tell us what you're buying. And have you downloaded Too Good To Go?! Mystery boxes aplenty, potentially enough to feed many a little mouth. Beth’s into it.  And as always, come and join the conversation over on Instagram at @growingthepodcast. Tell us: are you feeling the brain fog, how did you handle closing the baby chapter?  Rebuild, Recipes & Recommendations

  2. 4 Aug

    It's Giving Slump | A midyear energy dip, sleepless nights and choosing self care even when it's inconvenient

    Okay, so we’re a good four-and-a-bit months into life with our little babies and, truth be told… the tired in us is tired. Beth has been managing naps for the better part of five years now and, look, it’s a lot. Speaking of five years, her first baby has just celebrated her fifth birthday, and isn’t that just magic in itself? Meanwhile, Lilly’s house is also a little bit chaotic on the sleep front. It’s working… kind of. But she’s had the realisation that self-care and an exercise routine probably aren’t going to look convenient in this season of motherhood and she’s choosing to prioritise them anyway. Recipes & Recommendations Beth is recommending her LED face mask. We know… it’s wildly indulgent, but Beth’s verdict? Worth it. Here’s a little comparison to save you the research.  Lil is living in her cosy Linen House dressing gown. Recipe Tin Eats’ Birthday Cake is every bit as delicious as everyone says it is. Yes, it’s involved. Yes, it’s absolutely worth it. Lil’s current breakfast obsession is a throw-together porridge with cinnamon, sultanas, peanut butter and a splash of vanilla. Add an egg while cooking for extra protein, or top with Greek yoghurt to serve. And on the rebuilding front? Lil has treated herself to a few new exercise outfits because she deserves them and she’s a Pilates Princess, after all. Beth has booked her first exercise class in.  Yehaaa. Look at us go. As always, come and join the conversation over on Instagram at @growingthepodcast⁠. We’d love to know what’s one small thing you’re doing this week to rebuild and refill your cup?

  3. 28 Jul

    It’s A Rebuild Not A Bounce Back | Postpartum body image, self confidence and deciding something needs to change

    It’s all about confidence baby? Or something like that. This week we fall (read: tumble) down the rabbit hole of postpartum body image and a significant loss in confidence. In truth a loss in some ways, of ourselves. We are simultaneously ready to be swallowed whole by motherhood but don’t want to be spat out on the other side and not recognise our beautiful selves.  Identity shifts in motherhood are huge and honestly kind of cataclysmic in their own right so we try and tease out our thoughts on it all and who we are between milky mumming 24/7.  Recipes & Recommendations Lilly is recommending a Mexican version of the viral Hot Honey Beef⁠ Plus this episode The Imperfects – Confidence⁠ that inspired today’s chat. She’s also obsessed with the Kmart Spot Cleaner⁠ paired with Vax Platinum Professional Cleaning Solution⁠ for bringing couches and feeding chairs back to life. Beth is happily living cruise control version of the Marley Spoon life and shares her simple cradle cap treatment using QV Dermacare , QV Baby Gentle Wash and a soft baby comb like this one. If today’s conversation resonated with you, we’d absolutely love to hear from you.  Come and join the conversation over on Instagram at @growingthepodcast⁠ and tell us: what’s one small thing you’re doing this week to slowly rebuild your confidence?

  4. 21 Jul

    What A Week Folks | Postpartum, PMS and RSV Hits Hard

    This week on Growing, we’re deep in the reality of winter with little kids. Beth shares the scary experience of RSV sweeping through the family, the emotional rollercoaster of navigating ED with sick babies, and why trusting your instincts as a parent matters. Lil is navigating the less glamorous combination of postpartum and PMS, reflecting on just how much women carry, while celebrating the beautiful relief of watching Franklin settle into his happy little self. We also chat about the unexpected magic of slowing down. Sometimes the best play doesn’t come from another activity it comes from boredom, imagination and letting kids create their own little worlds. This weeks R&R:  Beth is loving Couples Therapy on SBS, open-ended toys and a hearty meatball soup. Lil is recommending Ottolenghi’s Chicken Marbella⁠ and the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil⁠ (or the more budget-friendly MCo Beauty Smoothing Almond Oil Body Wash⁠) for a little everyday luxury. Glimmer girls - we know you get it and god we’re grateful.  Follow us! @growingthepodcast @birthwithbeth_ @lillian.beth

  5. 14 Jul

    No One Gets Sicker Than A Husband | Winter Bugs, Mastitis Remedies And A Dummy Fairy Update

    This week on Growing, Beth has unfortunately had the house guest nobody asked for… mastitis. We chat about just how hard breastfeeding can be, and why getting the right support matters. Beth has also shared some fantastic evidence-based mastitis resources on her Instagram, plus gives our Glimmer Girlies a tiny sneak peek at a very exciting secret she can’t wait to share. Meanwhile, the Dummy Fairy has officially worked her magic at Lil’s house. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to cure Lil’s husband of the dreaded man flu. Some things are simply beyond even fairy-level powers. Beth has your Sunday breakfast sorted with fluffy pancakes and a lip gloss that’s giving peak Y2K nostalgia. Lil is loving the children’s books Fairy Beach, Fairy Forest and honourable mention to Here Come the Cousins, plus a batch of homemade muesli bars that make the perfect nourishing postpartum snack. As always, thank you for being here, Glimmer Girlies. We adore you. 🤍 IG @growingthepodcast Hosts: @birthwithbeth_ & @lillian.beth

  6. 7 Jul

    She's Still In There: Identity shifts, postpartum fatigue and getting out the door with little kids.

    This week on Growing we’re wondering where our inner girls have disappeared to. We chat about the all-consuming season of motherhood, how many layers of our former selves feel quietly tucked away, and the strange mix of missing the freedom of “before” while knowing, we wouldn’t trade where we are now for the world.  Beth gets wonderfully practical, taking us through exactly how she manages to get a toddler and two tiny babies out of the house.  Meanwhile Lil’s postpartum fatigue has finally caught up with her and the very real tension of desperately wanting to soak up every moment while also needing five uninterrupted minutes.  This week Lil is recommending a comforting chicken pot pie recipe, while Beth loved reading The Heir Apparent. Lil wants to shout out Namastudio’s sentimental name prints⁠, and the Babybee Luna Pram⁠ — bought second-hand and absolutely obsessed. As always Glimmer Girlies, thank you for spending a little part of your week with us. We hope this episode reminds you that even if parts of yourself feel a little dormant right now, they’re still there — and so are we. 🤍

  7. 30 Jun

    Does The Dummy Fairy Toilet Train?

    This week on Growing we’re (as usual) deep in the beautiful chaos of motherhood. Lil is currently negotiating with the dummy fairy and wondering if, while she’s collecting dummies, she could kindly also toilet train a toddler at the same time? Her glimmer this week is Walk & Talk officially returning - so if you’re a Brisbane mama needing coffee, sunshine and company, slide into Lil’s DMs.  Meanwhile Beth is firmly in the trenches navigating the intense reality of breastfeeding two babies. Amongst the chaos comes a beautiful full circle moment with the twins and a reminder that sometimes the very best things in life look nothing like ‘the plan’ Beth is recommending a breastfeeding cover from Promised The Label for distracted babies and feeding on the go, while Lil has been hooked by Silver Elite — a dystopian read with just enough lust to successfully drag her off her phone, which frankly feels like personal growth. Recipe wise Beth has whipped up a meatball recipe for us, while Lil is loving a breakfast crumble moment — think apple crumble energy, but throw in some nuts, seeds and yoghurt so it feels vaguely nourishing. And a huge thank you to our sponsor Sound Slam⁠ — an incredible Aussie-made learning tool helping little ones build the early literacy skills that support school readiness through fun, play-based learning. Big fans over here. As always Glimmer Girlies — thank you for being here, we’re so glad you are 🤍  Join us on Instagram @growingthepodcast @birthwithbeth and @lillian.beth and if you haven’t already left us a 5 star review wherever you listen we would be so grateful.

  8. 23 Jun

    Breaking News: This Is Hard

    This week on Growing we’re discussing a fairly groundbreaking revelation: motherhood is amazing and also, very hard. Possibly the biggest slice of humble pie either of us have ever consumed. One universal truth remains - men could absolutely never. The constant questioning of am I doing enough? Am I doing this right? and the vulnerability that creeps in when comparison enters the chat. Beth reflects on life with the twins and how, with a little hindsight, some parts of this season have felt heavy. It’s a lot… but gosh golly, it’s worth it. Meanwhile Lil would like to formally acknowledge that she misses the era of spontaneous vinos with girlfriends. And can we all agree we are somehow simultaneously under and overstimulated at once? How is that possible. Science, explain. Beth has a bliss ball recipe to tackle the breastfeeding munchies and is currently loving the surprisingly elite shhhhhh setting on ErgoPouch Drift Away White Noise Machine⁠ — highly recommend giving it a whirl. Lil is recommending house slippers, ignoring the state of your floors, and stocking the freezer with these Shredded Mexican Beef Burritos⁠ because future you deserves support. A little love this week for Sound Slam a brilliant Aussie-created, play-based learning tool. Grounded in the science of reading, it helps little ones develop phonological awareness through connection, play and learning that genuinely feels fun (which frankly is the dream). Perfect for families wanting to build confidence before those school years arrive. As always, thank you Glimmer Girlies. Motherhood can feel enormous, beautiful, relentless and deeply humbling all at once — we see you, and we’re so glad you’re here 🤍 Follow us! @growingthepodcast @birthwithbeth_ @lillian.beth

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About

Growing is your handbook for birth, babies and beyond brought to you by midwives and mums Beth Ryan and Lilly Claxton. Join us every Wednesday for a solid dose of solidarity as we explore all things motherhood.

Information

  • Creator
    Beth Ryan and Lilly Claxton
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    161
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Beth Ryan and Lilly Claxton
  • Show Website
    Growing

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