Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

When you become a parent there is a shift in identity that occurs, pre-birth expectations drop away as reality kicks in. Life that perhaps was once goal orientated or career focus shifts as life with a baby forces a new daily rhythm, a slowing down, surrendering and letting go for a new way of being in the world. My guest Kari Azuma, leadership development coach and mother, from Santa Barbara, California joins us in a conversation about her transition to motherhood, birth as an opportunity for introspection and personal evolution and finding your passion and power as a mother. This episode focuses the lens on motherhood, my guest Kari specially works with mothers. Yet, what ever gender you identify as this episode speaks to all parents in the transition that occurs with the birth of a new family member.Produced and presented by Lara MartinCopyright 2018 PBB Media and Lara Martinwww.pbbmedia.com

Dr Oscar Serralach speaks about the little recognised phase of life called "Matrescence". This period is the stage of becoming a mother and like adolescence the person undergoing it cannot go back to their former life. Also like adolescence, it needs support, but as it lacks even a widely known name, few women get the support they need to take up the full opportunities this transition brings. Oscar also speaks about the syndrome of Postnatal Depletion that develops as a result of unsupported matrescence.References:www.oscarserrallach.comwww.pbbmedia.org/matrescence-support.htmlmatrescence.comOur blogpost on this episode with more references:http://www.pbbmedia.org/ne-plus-ultra/were-you-supported-during-your-matrescenceProduced and presented by Sally Cusack.Copyright PBB Media and Sally Cusack 2018www.pbbmedia.org

Gareth Vanderhope, two times British Academy Award winner in Sound Design, Author, Health Educator and Dad speaks on the importance of nature, reading and sound for children's wellbeing. It has been well researched that children need nature for their senses; for learning and creativity, for empathy and resilience. This natural world is enhanced through the use of sound and stories in our lives, where reading plays such an important role in the lives of our children, families and communities. Gareth is just about to publish his first junior fiction adventure novel, laced with these themes. Join me - your host Sean Tonnet - as Gareth and I weave the love of adventuring, the joy of growing up and the dizzing heights of fathering, into a compelling story for a lifetime.www.garethvanderhope.comFirst aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay Australia on 4 June 2018.Copyright PBB Media and Sean Tonnet 2018

Becoming a grandmother is its own rite of passage from motherhood to grandmotherhood, yet this transition is seldom discussed and not always smooth. It can bring up unresolved aspects of a woman's relationship with her adult children, and herself. However as Raine Sharpe, grandmother for 20 years says, it also presents an enormous opportunity for personal growth that can be brought into the new relationships she must navigate - with herself, her children, the family circle, and wider society. This in turn brings a grandmother into a fuller, more realised version of herself with wisdom we can all benefit from.Kath Hellmann and Linda Collerson also share their new experiences of grandmotherhood. Kath is an expectant grandmother, pondering her upcoming transition, and Linda is a brand new grandmother, whose early experiences have not been quite what she anticipated.Raine Sharpe is writing a book on Becoming a Grandmother. If you would like to participate or would like more information, email: raines@australis.net Presenter: Sally CusackFirst aired on BayFM Byron Bay on 14 May 2018.Copyright PBB Media and Sally Cusack 2018

Are you a healthcare services consumer? Specifically - have you accessed any form of maternity healthcare services in the last few years? On Friday May 25th 2018, Sally Cusack & I spent the day up at Tweed Heads, attending a Consultation workshop as part of the governments plans to develop a National Strategic Approach to Maternity Services. The consultation was hosted by the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC). The expected outcome for the NSAMS project is a document to guide national maternity services policy.Along with about 20 other people we debated and discussed, listened and contributed to the conversation. What should maternity services look like in the future? What are the main frameworks and who are the key stakeholders? What’s missing from the current system and how do we go about attaining a system that delivers better outcomes for mothers, their babies, their families and those that work within these systems?I have the beautiful Sally Cusack in the studio, join us as we discuss all this and more on this special episode of Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond.Further reading on overdiagnosis raised by Sally: https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/overdiagnosis-is-harming-patients-and-action-is-required-says-chief-medical-officer-20181014-p509jx.htmlProduced and presented by Annalee AtiaCopyright PBB Media and Annalee Atia 2018.www.pbbmedia.org

Liz Ellis is arguably Australia’s most well-loved netball athlete. She played for Australia 122 times and captained the national netball team for four years; she won two world championships and two commonwealth games. But for Liz, having children came with five years of fertility challenges. She has written a guide to shine the light for others, "If at First you don't Conceive". Listen to our interview with her here.(NB Please be aware that there is some background noise of Liz's young child, however subtle).First aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay on Monday 21 May 2018.Copyright PBB Media, Kimberley Lipschus 2018

Eat whole foods, fruit and vegetables, get rest and get in touch with your body. Not what you’d expect from a naturopath? Well Kim Piper, aka Kim the Naturopath has a lot to say about well being and about hormones and this is a vital part. Hormones - we all have them, and fertility, pregnancy and post natal/partum are key times for learning to manage them for optimum health. Check out some of her wisdom in this episode. References: http://kimthenaturopath.com/Presenter: Kimberley LipschusCopyrightPBB Media 2018, Kimberley LipschusFirst aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay, Australia on 16 April 2018.Image credit: Katie Smith on unsplash.com

The difficult plebiscite process for same sex marriage in 2017 highlighted the enormous discrimination and ignorance faced by same sex couples.  These challenges are often accentuated for same sex couples when they decide to start a family.   In this program, we’ll explore the landscape of same sex parenting with renowned local psychotherapist and educator, Monique Rutherford.  From starting a family, raising children and affirming relationship, same sex couples do this all on the backdrop of an often discriminative, heteronormative culture.  Host Sean Tonnet speaks with Monique Rutherford about her lived and professional experience of the issues of same sex parenting.References:www.moniquerutherford.com.auFirst aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay, Australia on Monday 30 April 2018.Copyright Sean TonnetPBB Media 2018Other references:Interrelatewww.interrelate.org.auCircle of Security www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/

Mothers in Business - the first years is the topic of our show today, we are excited to have two gorgeous mothers from our local community here in the Northern Rivers of NSW, Meggie Danielson & Alona Rosenberg of WeMove studio in Mullumbimby and many more adventures! We are looking into the life of mothers over a series of 6 shows in the coming year and this episode here is our first. We wanted to look at the joys and challenges of being a mother and small business owner servicing the local community. We’re also in the business of celebrating women and acknowledging the unique needs & desires mothers have for themselves, their families and communities here at PBB. Wonderful today, both our guests migrated to Australia and have chosen our beautiful shire as the place to raise their children.This episode of Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond podcast was produced, written and presented by Annalee Atia. It first aired Live on 99.9 BayFM (Byron Bay, Australia) on Monday 23rd April, 2018. Interviewees: Meggie Danielson & Alona Rosenberg Copyright PBB Media, Annalee Atia 2018

Our guest Vanessa Wood is mother to two beautiful boys, she is a practicing Naturopath of 10 years, and a shamanic craftswoman who oversees and participates in several Women’s circles and has been a magnificent flash-mob 80’s dancer with the famed Cassettes. There has been a resurgence of women’s agency and the value of women individually and as part of society. We have been watching as this unfolds, unfurls and sometimes becomes undone. We have been watching it in the media, around the world in different countries and in our own lives, with our women friends, women in our family and women around us in the community. We have been watching it unravel with in us, too. It can feel uncomfortable, empowering, inspiring dangerous.. Women have been silent in so many many ways for so many centuries. In fact, Dr Amanda Furman who wrote and presented a groundbreaking 4-part series on the history of women called - The Ascent of Woman delves deeply into the place of women in society over the course of written history. She argues that the status of women is a barometer of a society’s tolerance, fairness and openness and that for the most part over the past 10,000 years women have been oppressed, denied basic freedoms and considered a means to an end. In this episode we are talking about Women and the value of sitting together in Circle.We have been watching as the movement of Feminism evolves and matures to become one that recognises women for their own capacities, rather than merely hoping for women to receive the same ‘deal’ that men have. Sitting in Circle with other women supports us to recognise where we are at, where we have been and where we are headed. It affords us the much needed support and empowerment and sustains us along the journey. It helps set us free from self judgement and fosters in us, compassion for others. For many women the practice of gathering has stayed alive and strong throughout history, and for some, it is a new concept, one they are rediscovering.Join us is celebrating this beautiful tradition!More information and to get in touch with Vanessa, visit - www.pbbmedia.orgCopyrightPBB MediaProducer/Host: Annalee AtiaInterviewee: Vanessa WoodMusic bite on this podcast: Habanot Nechama / Lovers

Through his own experiences as a father, Dr John (Jack) Travis came to see how the normalised disconnection and separation of babies from their parents (eg through forced sleep schedules, isolation in cots) rather than recognising a baby's needs for closeness has created generations of families that struggle to keep together. Jack calls a father's negative reactions after the arrival of a baby "Male Postpartum Abandonment Syndrome" and shares many ideas and resources for healing.NOTE: Guest mic issues are fixed in 2nd half of this episode.Interviewers: Sean Tonnet, Sally CusackDr John Travis:* Connected Couples, Thriving Families: www.connectedandthriving.org* Alliance for Transforming the Lives of Children, www.aTLC.org* Meryn Callander, "Why Dads Leave", www.whydadsleave.com * John Travis, "MPAS In a Nutshell", www.tinyurl.com/MPASNutshellResources recommended by Jack:* Jed Diamond, "The Irritable Male Syndrome" , www.theirritablemale.com* James Prescott's Somato-Sensory Affectional Deprivational Syndrome (SSAD) (caused by not treating babies like mammals), www.tinyurl.com/jwtPrescott* School of Life videos by Alain de Botton: https://www.youtube.com/user/schooloflifechannel/videos, "Why you'll marry the wrong person" https://tinyurl.com/whyNYT or https://tinyurl.com/whySMH* Jean Liedloff, "The Continuum Concept", www.tinyurl.com/Callander* Elly Taylor, "Becoming Us", www.ellytaylor.com* Mankind Project www.mkpau.org* Byron Katie www.byronkatie.com* Susan Campbell and John Grey "The 5 Minute Relationship Repair" www.tinyurl.com/Campbell5Min"Honesty Salons" www.susancampbell.comhttps://healingcouplesretreats.com/five-minute-relationship-repair/ - Honesty Salon* Pam Leo, "Connection Parenting" ("Let's raise children who don't have to recover from their childhood") www.connectionparenting.com* Shadow Work: www.scottjeffrey.com/shadow-workFirst aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay Australia on Monday 2 April 2018.Copyright 2018 PBB Media, Sally Cusack, Sean Tonnet

The power imbalances in today's masculinity overwhelmingly impact women, but they also fail boys and men in so many ways, leading to intractable loneliness and 'wordless rage', as described by author Tim Winton. Tim's latest book The Shepherd's Hut traces the change the main character young Jaxie makes as he breaks away from toxicity to something different by being exposed to different ways to being a man. Tim's hope for all boys and men is they too can break away and find their way to peace, which for him was found in surfing, relationships and learning to express himself. Interviewed by Luke Addinsall and Sally Cusack.Copyright 2018PBB Media, Sally CusackCredits:Guest: Tim Winton, Author of The Shepherd's HutProducer: Sally CusackCo-interviewer: Luke AddinsallOther references:* Dr John Travis, co-founder of the Alliance for the Transforming the Lives of Children* David Leser, journalist "Men, Women and the Whole Damn Thing" https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/the-great-sexual-reckoning-how-did-we-get-here--and-what-happens-now-20180124-h0npcc.html* Jackson Katz, www.jacksonkatz.comLuke Addinsall also features in this podcast on male privilege: https://www.spreaker.com/user/pregnancybirthandbeyond/pbb05022018lukeaddinsallmalepriviledge-1First aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay on Monday 26 March 2018. Interview recorded at BayFM on 20 March 2018.

De-stigmatising mental health and supporting stronger familiesThe celebrations and challenges of raising children can be a rich, diverse journey for all of us. Even when we are feeling mentally strong, there are moments when life, relationships and parenting is a bumpy road. For 1 in 10 people, living with a personality disorder and parenting can add a tremendous strain to our family experiences and bonds. An umbrella term for more commonly referred to conditions like borderline, narcissism, obsessive compulsive, avoidant and schizotypal, personality disorder can cause significant distress and impairment for the person and families. In this episode, I'll be traversing the mindscape of personality disorders, wellness, parenting and relationships with Dr Michelle Townsend; a Research Fellow at the Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute and Project Air Strategy for Personality Disorders at the University of Wollongong. Shining a light on a rarely recognised area of parenting, this show will help de-myth the stigma around mental health, whilst providing strategies and support for those living with a personality disorder.24 Hour support for mental illness is available via Lifeline on 13 11 14.Presenter and producer: Sean TonnetCopyright PBB Media 2018, Sean TonnetFirst aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay on Monday 19 March 2018Link to Project Air and Dr Michelle Townsend: www.projectairstrategy.org

This episode we feature life on the front lines of midwifery. My guest Ti Harrison has been a midwife for the past 27 years and has worked across all models of care and around the world. Ti recently performed at the Vagina Conversations 2018, Byron Bay. Ti shares her monologue and we discuss further different aspects of this well crafted written piece. Warning some aspects of this episodes contains sensitive content. We are talking about women's bodies and in-particular about women's vaginas. Topics: Vagina Birth trauma Consent Vagina examinations MidwiferyProducer & host: Lara MartinGuest: Ti Harrison

Many parents or carers of teens and tweens are painfully aware how quickly their young child who bounded with energy, confidence and enthusiasm can flip. Like a switch has been clicked their child suddenly is unrecognisable. Dr Arne Rubinstein is an expert on adolescent development and passionate advocate for supporting young people to transition to young men, with a toolbox of skills. Interviewee: Dr Arne Rubinstein, Founder, The Making of Menand The Rites of Passage Institutethemakingofmen.com/Copyright 2018PBB Media, Kimberley Lipschuswww.kimberleylipschus.comFirst aired on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay, Australia on 26 February 2018.