She Had Brain Surgery and Built a Condom Brand: Ema Beard on Cleoh, Women's Sexual Health and Starting Over

In the finale episode of The Cyclist Pregnancy Miniseries, Jess and Kat sit down with Jess’s own postnatal care midwife, Cathy McCormack. With over 30 years of experience as a midwife, IBCLC lactation consultant, and infant mental health specialist (via the Fussy Baby Network), Cathy brings a deeply compassionate, real, and holistic perspective to what actually happens after baby arrives. Together, the three of them dive into the unglamorous and unfiltered realities of the fourth trimester. Cathy breaks down the physical recovery process, from C-section scar healing and heavy bleeding to bladder trauma, bowel care, and hormone crashes. They explore the emotional transformation of matrescence, why social media rules and contact napping pressure can turn modern mothers into martyrs, and how to spot the signs when postpartum anxiety or depression start to take hold. They also tackle the vital topic of support systems. They chat about practical ways to prepare your birthing partner, how to protect your relationship through the common dis-satisfaction of that first year, and why taking a simple "pause" can change your entire parenting journey. This candid, reassuring conversation is packed with wisdom for expectant mamas, support people, and anyone navigating life with a newborn. This series is proudly brought to you by our headline sponsor, Pure Mama. Thoughtfully developed, genuinely clean bodycare for every stage of pregnancy and postpartum: https://www.puremama.com

Navigating how you’re going to feed your baby is one of the most emotional, high-pressure parts of the journey into motherhood. Between endless baby show marketing claiming you need thousands of dollars in products to the intense guilt that can surround both breastfeeding and formula, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed before your baby even arrives. In this episode of The Cyclist Pregnancy Miniseries, Jess sits down with Bec, a midwife of 18 years, IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), holistic sleep coach, and co-founder of Nine Antenatal. Bec brings a grounded, evidence-based, and zero-judgment approach to feeding, breaking down what new parents actually need to know versus what marketing tells them they need. Together, Jess and Bec explore the realities of those early days, stripping away the noise to focus on what truly matters. Bec explains why learning to breastfeed is a learnt skill more like learning to walk rather than second nature like breathing, and why getting a deep latch onto the soft palate is essential to avoiding trauma. They get into the game-changing benefits of learning antenatal hand expressing after 36 weeks, how colostrum acts as your baby's first vaccination to protect their gut and immunity, and what is actually happening during those intense "night two" cluster feeds to establish long-term milk supply. They also address the vital, often-neglected conversation around formula feeding, combination feeding, and maternal mental health. Jess shares her own vulnerable experience with formula after a breast reduction, while Bec reinforces that midwives and IBCLCs are there to support informed choices without judgment. Whether you choose to exclusively breastfeed, formula feed, or find a balance in between, this episode is a warm reminder that a supported, healthy mother is always the top priority and that trusting your own instincts is the best tool you have. This series is proudly brought to you by our headline sponsor, Pure Mama. Thoughtfully developed, genuinely clean bodycare for every stage of pregnancy and postpartum: https://www.puremama.com

Bringing a new human into the world triggers a huge shift in our lives, and very often, a massive shift in our finances. From navigating paid parental leave and the zero-to-three money crunch to figuring out how to set your baby up with investments from birth, financial preparation can feel overwhelming fast. In this episode of The Cyclist Pregnancy Miniseries, Jess is joined by financial journalist, host of Making Cents, and author Frances Cook. Frances shares her journey from self-described financial hot mess to one of New Zealand's most trusted money experts, breaking down everything pregnant mamas and new parents actually need to know about money, without the jargon, judgment, or guilt. Together, Jess and Frances unpack the turning point where money changes from a panicky stressor into a powerful tool for life. Frances explains why time and money are best buddies, offering practical ways to keep your KiwiSaver and future investments ticking over while taking time out of the workforce so you don't fall behind. They get into the real talk on how to start joint money conversations with your partner by uncovering your core money values, and how to navigate the financial identity shifts that come with expanding your family. They also tackle the practical realities of parenting finances right here in New Zealand. Frances breaks down how to set up investment accounts like Sharesies for your kids, using small contributions to teach them long-term financial literacy rather than just handing over a cash nest egg. From surviving NZ’s notoriously crunchy zero-to-three year period with minimal government support to calling out "guilt trip marketing," this conversation is packed with actionable advice, including why Facebook Marketplace and secondhand clothes are the ultimate hacks to save your money and your mental load. This series is proudly brought to you by our headline sponsor, Pure Mama. Thoughtfully developed, genuinely clean bodycare for every stage of pregnancy and postpartum: https://www.puremama.com

Nobody prepares you for what pregnancy and birth does to your sex life. Jo Robertson is here to change that. In this episode of The Cyclist's pregnancy miniseries, Kat and Jess sit down with Jo Robertson, sex therapist, relationship counsellor, TEDx speaker, and one of New Zealand's most trusted voices on sexual wellbeing, for a conversation that is honest, warm, practical, and long overdue. Jo holds a Master of Science in Sex Therapy from Sydney University and has spent over 15 years working in sexual health through therapy, education, and research. She also has three boys and knows firsthand what she's talking about. The conversation starts where most pregnancy sex conversations don't. At the beginning. Jo walks through how desire and intimacy typically shift across the three trimesters, why the first trimester often brings a complete loss of libido that has nothing to do with how you feel about your partner, and why the second trimester can feel like a different story entirely. She also addresses the elephant in the room: the fear many couples carry about whether sex during pregnancy is safe, what the actual evidence says, and what the very limited genuine contraindications are. They get into the body image conversation that sits underneath all of this, the way a changing body can create distance between a woman and her own sexuality, the pressure to feel sexy when you feel nothing of the sort, and why Jo is clear that desire doesn't have to be spontaneous to be real. She introduces the concept of responsive desire, the idea that for many women, arousal follows engagement rather than preceding it, and why understanding this reframes the entire conversation about low libido during pregnancy and postpartum. Then there's the fourth trimester. Jo is honest about what postpartum intimacy actually looks like for most couples, the physical healing, the hormonal landscape of breastfeeding and its effect on lubrication and desire, the way a newborn collapses the boundaries between your body as a sexual being and your body as a feeding and caregiving one. She talks about the mental load, the touched-out feeling that makes physical connection feel like one more demand rather than a refuge, and why the six-week clearance from a GP is not the whole picture. Jo also speaks to partners, what the experience of watching a birth can do to someone's relationship with their partner's body, how to hold desire with care rather than pressure, and why the season analogy is one of the most useful frameworks she gives couples in her practice. Winter always becomes spring. But you have to let winter be winter first. This is the conversation to have before the baby arrives, with your partner beside you if possible. This series is proudly brought to you by our headline sponsor, Pure Mama. Thoughtfully developed, genuinely clean bodycare for every stage of pregnancy and postpartum: https://www.puremama.com

Welcome to The Cyclist Pregnancy Miniseries! While there is no shortage of medical advice out there when you're expecting, Jess and Kat wanted to create a dedicated six-part series that digs into the real, unfiltered conversations pregnant mamas are actually having behind closed doors. And all six episodes are available to binge right now. Throughout this series, Jess and Kat are joined by an incredible lineup of experts and trusted voices who have lived it, studied it, and spent their careers supporting women through the transition into parenthood. Together, they unpack the body identity shifts when you don't recognise yourself in the mirror with pelvic health physio Caitlin Fris (The Body You Don't Recognise), the evolution of intimacy and partnership with sex therapist Jo Robertson (The Relationship Shift), and the realities of career boundaries and returning to work with Pure Mama founder Lara Henderson (The Work Juggle Is Real). The series also tackles the financial realities of raising a baby in New Zealand with financial journalist Frances Cook (The Real Cost of a Baby), breastfeeding preparation, colostrum, and ditching formula guilt with midwife Bec from Nine Antenatal (The Feeding Truth), and physical and emotional recovery in the fourth trimester with 30-year midwife Cathy McCormack (The Fourth Trimester, Honestly). Whether you're pregnant with your first, navigating baby number two, or looking for a way to get your partner on the same page, this miniseries was created to make you feel seen, heard, and supported. Listen all at once or take it week by week, share it with your antenatal group, and maybe passively-aggressively send an episode or two to your support crew along the way. Follow and connect Instagram: @wearethecyclist Website: wearethecyclist.com Hit play. And send this series to a fellow mama or your partner to start the conversations that matter most.