Becoming Mum

Kate Caddle is an award winning life coach, writer and speaker, who works with women whose lives look great on paper, but don’t feel so great on the inside. By helping them overcome jealousy, comparison and perfectionism, Kate empowers women to live their #bestlife through thriving health and happiness. But as you’ll hear in today’s episode, things haven’t always been so rosy for this now thriving and happy Gold Coast woman. Today she opens up about her infertility struggles starting with...

Louise Mackie is the founder of Yogi Tree, which was born as a vehicle for her many passions and creative exploration. A deeply soulful woman dedicated to the service of women in her community, Louise is passionate about using the gifts mother nature has given us including crystals, essential oils and flower essences to enhance the wellbeing of women – particular pregnant and postpartum ladies. She is also a yoga teacher, holistic birth practitioner and placenta encapsulation specialist. We...

Nikki Bergen is the amazing lady behind The Belle Method, which is described as pelvic health meets Pilates. And more recently, The Bump method which is transforming exercise in pregnancy and in post partum. Nikki is a Pilates Instructor and professional Dancer based in Toronto who is a new mumma that has her own story of fertility struggles. She opens up about that in this episode as well as practical and interesting advice for the mums-to-be and the recovering mumma. Her message, which I...

Mums-to-be spend so much time thinking about and preparing for the birth, the nursery and what name they’re going to give their child, but in today’s episode Nikki McCahon who runs Mama Tribe talks about the importance of a postpartum support plan. Founded in May 2017 by two lonely mums who had no family and friends nearby, Mama Tribe has become an Australia, New Zealand and now Kuala Lumpur mum meet-up community with thousands of mum meet ups held weekly in over 50 locations. The goal at...

Amy Taylor-Kabbaz started her career as a journalist at the ABC, working her way up from producer and news reader in regional South Australia to senior producer at ABC Sydney. When Amy started a family though, everything changed. Today we are going to hear about how she made that change from her media career to now Editor and Creator of Happy Mama Magazine, Author of best selling book Happy Mama: 'the guide to finding yourself again’, and host of the Happy Mama Movement podcast. She is...

Jaclyn Harris is a Naturopath and Pregnancy Wellness Consultant, with 15 years experience. Based in Tasmania, Australia Jaclyn is passionate about helping women going through IVF and Fertility struggles to create the positive pregnancy they dream about. And not just surviving IVF but actually enjoying the process. In today’s episode we talk about Jaclyns own fertility struggles and the importance of preparing holistically for IVF, birth and motherhood. There is so much that we can do as a...

Nadine Muller is a Registered Emergency Nurse with the Australian Air Force with over 12 years experience, an avid health and fitness enthusiast – she’s also a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Coach and runs her own Online Coaching and Mentoring business. After we connected online I saw that Nadine was going through Hyperemesis Gravidarum aka #HG (or the condition that Princess Kate has!) I wanted to get her honest take on what it’s like as I am beginning to discover it’s more common than...

Jen Butler is Baby & Toddler Consultant passionate about helping mumma’s find their flow in motherhood. She is a Registered Nurse, Midwife, Maternal and Child Health Nurse, Lactation Consultant and mother of two, so it’s safe to say she really knows her stuff. With her extensive clinical experience in working with families, Jen teaches parents to not only better understand behaviours, triggers and natural cycles that can aid their sleeping and feeding routines, but also appreciate that their...

Emily Jade is a breakfast radio host, television presenter and writer based on the Gold Coast with over 20 years experience in the media. She is also very versed in the heartache that goes along with trying to start a family and today you’re going to hear a very raw and honest tale of how her and her husband Gerard brought their two miracle children into the world. It took them 2 years to fall with daughter Millie and after 32 transfers and a miscarriage their son Teddy was born last year....

Fellow Gold Coaster Chrystal Abernethy is a 32 year old mother of two to her beautiful girls Pearl and Gypsy. Otherwise known as Mumma C Essentials on Instagram, Chrystal gives other mums a real honest view of parenting and motherhood, mixed in together with two of her other loves – crystals and essential oils. In this #realmumtalk episode we dive deep into her experience with post natal depression. Please note that if you are experiencing PND right now, may I ask as a matter of self care...

Lisa Bondarenko, based in Adelaide, South Australia runs a private counselling practise and provides specialist support to patients and couples primarily dealing with fertility issues and IVF treatment. This is how Lisa and I met, she was my counsellor and the reason I didn’t go completely bat-shit crazy. She also runs retreats and workshops, is a keynote speaker and author of Silent Tears – an authentic account of the highs, lows and everything in between that is often experienced through...

Amberley Harris is a 36 year old mother of 2, a registered midwife and founder of Maternal Instincts - a breastfeeding support business designed to educate & inspire the modern mama. Having been a midwife for over 10 years now, she believes that breastfeeding is absolutely achievable with the right support and she has given a modern makeover to the daggy breastfeeding videos produced in the 80’s and 90’s! NOTE: This is not an episode shaming mothers who haven't been able to breastfeed or...

Jo Anderson is a food, brand and lifestyle photographer (one of the best if you ask me!) who just happens to be a really great friend of mine. A mother of two herself, Jo is someone who has been there from the start of my fertility journey and someone who has always been such a beautiful shining light in my life. She exudes a warmth and wisdom that makes everyone she comes into contact with want to be her friend! And after listening to this episode, I am sure you will agree! We talk about...

Shari Lyon is the director and founder of Belly2Birth, where she teachers couples about the many options they have when it comes to bringing their little cherubs into the world. She is an award-winning Hypnobirthing Australia practitioner passionate about spreading the message of positive birth and passionate about educating couples and mums to be about all their possible options. It’s not all about natural births either, that’s what makes Hypnobirthing Australia so different – Shari offers...

Amanda Cavallaro, founder of the Anxiety Wellness Queen, has a background in Psychology, Criminology and Counselling and is passionate about reducing the stigma associated with mental health. Tired of the traditional and somewhat robotic methods used to treat anxiety, Amanda works one-on-one with clients in a way that validates your unique story and circumstance allowing you to feel comfortable and supported. In this episode we chat about how we can deal with anxiety as it pops up in...

In this episode we get a raw insight into Gold Coast fat loss and nutrition expert Ash Lane's birth story and just how challenging the early days were for her and her husband. In this #realmumtalk episode we cover: (3:20) the documentary that changed Ash's fear based mindset - The Business of Being Born (11:30) how Calm birth classes not only prepare the woman for birth, but is incredibly valuable for partners as well (17:20) Ash's experience of going into labour at 36 weeks and 4...

In this episode I chat to Dr Nat Kringoudis, doctor of Chinese medicine, Acupuncturist, Author, Speaker and all-round natural fertility expert. She's also the founder of Melbourne women's health clinic, The Pagoda Tree, where her powerful fusion of Western and Chinese medicine, has helped thousands of women change the way they think about their health. Nat is also the creator of Yo'Nuts and producer of HealthTalks TV. And bonus, I get to call her my friend - someone that has been there for...

In this first episode, I open up about how I had to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to fall pregnant the way I thought I would. When you're young, you think making babies is as simple as having sex (if only!) Boy was that about a kazillion miles from the truth! This journey was a 5 year journey for hubby and I and in this episode I talk about: (06:00) how guilty I felt as all of closest friends fell pregnant and I couldn't be there for them in the way that I wanted (07:00)...

Morning sickness - it's like paying for a wild party you never got to go to! I honestly don't think anyone could have prepared me for how sh*t I was going to feel and how robbed of my health I could possibly be! This is my personal experience and some of the things that helped (and didn't do squat!) In this episode I talk about: (03:55) debunking the myth 'the sicker you feel the healthier the baby' (04:45) my experience with acupuncture (05:40) taking Vitamin B6 (I took this brand) (06:30)...