Growing Up Raising Us Chelsea + Emma

Welcome to our first ‘In Your Words’ episode. In Your Words is a new segment in which we hear directly from multiple parents on their experiences on a certain topic. We ask our listeners a few questions on a topic, and they send us voice notes to share with you all. Our first In Your Words is on the topic of homebirth. 

Today, June 6th, is International Homebirth Day. In bringing you this episode, we want to honour women and birthing people’s decision to birth at home as well as the supportive, dedicated, and knowledgeable homebirth midwives out there supporting them through the transformative experience that is labour and birth. We also want to bring awareness to and normalise homebirth as a safe and wonderful option for birthing people.

In this episode, we asked our 9 incredible guests two questions: why did you choose to birth at home and what does homebirth mean to you? 

Thank you to our guests in this episode, listed in order of appearance:


Lilly (she/her), a full spectrum doula @softcentre, website: soft-centre.com.au 
Aimee (she/her), doula + birth photographer @lifelaidbarephotos, co-host of @homebirthstoriesaustralia
Emilie (she/her), birth + postpartum doula @edenbirths
Libby(she/her), mother to a 4 month old
Elsie (she/her), host of @birthingathome_apodcast, website: birthingathome.com.au + organiser of Homebirth Victoria Network (Australia) @homebirthvictorianetwork
Emily (she/her), leader of her local International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) chapter, creator of ourcesareanscars.org, + mother of two
Laura (she/her), a doula @heldinbirthwithlaura + co-host of @homebirthstoriesaustralia
Emma (she/her), co-host of @babybrainpodcast + mother of two
Sophie (she/her), mother of two 

We are so grateful for all of these women for sharing their insights and experiences on this topic. We’re so proud of this episode and hope that you enjoy it. If you think this episode will resonate with someone in your life, please share it with them. 

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.

We acknowledge that sovereignty of the lands on which this podcast was recorded was never ceded and pay our respects to the original storytellers of this land. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more. 

Today, we have an episode that deeply impacted both of us. Please know this episode is about child and infant loss. It’s a powerful episode and we think so important to share, but please only listen if you feel able.

Today, we’re joined by Sarah (she/her), an incredible mother to three children. Two of her children are with her earthside, but Sarah’s first beautiful son devastatingly passed away just one month after he was born. We will let Sarah introduce her beautiful son to you.

Sarah joins us on the podcast to share his story, as well as her own experience navigating his birth, life and death. She discusses how her grief has evolved over the years (and how the saying ‘it gets easier with time’ isn't totally true) plus the family traditions she uses to honour her son and his memory; social stigmas associated with infant loss and grief; and what she did and didn’t find helpful in the days, weeks and months after her son’s death. 

We were truly so honoured that Sarah joined us to share her and her son’s stories. Grief is a normal, devastating part of our lives and it is often left unspoken. We hope this episode helps in a small way for anyone navigating loss, or perhaps for anyone supporting someone who is grieving. 



Resources for parents or loved ones experiencing child or infant loss:


Red Nose Grief and Loss - they have a 24/7 Support Line


PANDA


The Perinatal Loss Centre


The Pink Elephants Support Network



Statistics mentioned from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

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 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.