Today I'm joined by Heidi, women's health physiotherapist and the woman behind Women's Health with Heidi. With over a million followers, she's become a trusted voice in pelvic floor health and postpartum recovery.

We cover a lot of ground in this episode, and honestly, I think every pregnant and postpartum woman needs to hear it. In this episode, we talk about:

• Why recovery actually takes twelve to twenty-four months and not six weeks
• What the six-week check does and doesn't tell you about your body
• The truth about diastasis recti and why doing the wrong exercises too soon can set you back
• What's actually happening when everything feels heavy and like it might fall out
• Why getting out for a pram walk is genuinely one of the best things you can do for both your pelvic floor and your mental health in those early weeks.

This episode is brought to you by Bugaboo.

Getting out of the house in the fourth trimester can feel enormous — and having the right pram makes a real difference to whether you actually do it. The Bugaboo Kangaroo is designed exactly for that. All-terrain wheels, one-hand fold and steering, and an XL basket for everything you need to bring. It's a single pram now and a double later, with over 20 configurations to grow with your family. Bugaboo's first tandem pram in 25 years, built because Australian parents asked for it. A certified B Corp working toward net zero by 2035.

Head to bugaboo.com to see the Kangaroo for yourself.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jordan birthed her daughter Hali in the water at the birth centre of the Royal Hospital for Women, supported by her MGP midwife, after just three hours and forty minutes of active labour. She talks about managing symphysis pubis dysfunction throughout pregnancy, using a TENS machine at home, labouring on all fours in her lounge room, and how preparation through the podcast, books and birth course helped her go into labour feeling genuinely open and ready for whatever unfolded.

"I still can't believe I did an unmedicated water birth. But it was the most euphoric thing ever."

If you've just listened to Jordan's story and thought, I want to feel that way too, I would love to support you inside The Birth Class.

Inside, you'll learn from Australia's leading midwives, obstetricians, physiotherapists, lactation consultants and doulas across ten evidence-based audio lessons you can listen to wherever and whenever it suits you. You'll also receive nine guided birth meditations, breathing exercises, an eighty-page workbook, a birth preferences template and a hospital bag checklist.

More than 8000 families have completed The Birth Class, and right now everything in the Australian Birth Stories shop is 20% off. Use the code ready20 at checkout.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've ever felt blindsided by motherhood — the grief, the rage, the identity shift, the loneliness — this episode is for you. I sat down with Melbourne-based perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist Dr Edna Lekgabe to talk about one of the most profound and under-discussed transitions a woman can go through: matrescence. Edna has a gift for making the complex feel manageable, and this conversation is full of those lightbulb moments — the kind that make you exhale and think, oh, so that's what's happening to me.

About Dr Edna Lekgabe:

Dr Edna Lekgabe is a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist based in Melbourne, specialising in mental health for women across pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. She is also a mother of two and one of the most warm, wise voices in this space.

This episode is brought to you by Bugaboo.

Getting out of the house in the fourth trimester can feel enormous — and having the right pram makes a real difference to whether you actually do it. The Bugaboo Kangaroo is designed exactly for that. All-terrain wheels, one-hand fold and steering, and an XL basket for everything you need to bring. It's a single pram now and a double later, with over 20 configurations to grow with your family. Bugaboo's first tandem pram in 25 years, built because Australian parents asked for it. A certified B Corp working toward net zero by 2035.

Head to bugaboo.com to see the Kangaroo for yourself.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renako, a Japanese-Australian creative, marketer and mum of two living on the Great Ocean Road, shares two very different caesarean birth stories. Her first, Kieran, arrived via emergency caesarean at the Royal Women's after being induced at 38 weeks for low amniotic fluid. Her second, Nori, was a planned caesarean at the Frances Perry, calm, joyful, and with a birth team that doubled as a photography crew. Renako speaks honestly about fight-or-flight mode, postnatal depression she didn't name at the time, and the slow, intentional work of coming back to herself.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beth shares two beautiful birth stories — Bernie's unmedicated hospital birth at the Mercy, and Quinn's home birth through the Joan Kerner programme, where her partner Paddy caught their daughter in their own lounge room. Beth talks honestly about the power of continuity of care, hiring a doula for both births, and why birthing at home felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Download our 9 Birth Meditation collection today- available as a standalone product for $49 or included inside The Birth Class.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly takes us on her remarkable birth journey in the remote mining town of Weipa, Cape York, Queensland. As a neurodivergent woman living 800 kilometres from the nearest major hospital, Molly's story beautifully illustrates how proper preparation, supportive care, and self-advocacy can lead to an empowering birth experience even in challenging circumstances. Her candid discussion of experiencing "baby pinks" - postpartum euphoria - rather than the more commonly discussed baby blues provides invaluable insight for families and care providers alike. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in remote birthing, neurodivergent experiences in pregnancy, and the full spectrum of postpartum mental health.

Today’s episode is brought to you by iL Tutto, a brand known for supporting parents through those early, precious moments with your baby.

They’ve just launched something really special, the new iL Tutto + Boba Teddy-Fleece Baby Carrier. It’s designed to feel like a soft, wearable cuddle, keeping your baby close, calm and connected wherever you go. If you’re looking for a way to stay close to your baby while still having the freedom to move, you can discover the new Teddy-Fleece Carrier at iltutto.com.au and enjoy their 15% off intro offer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.