EP6 | Julia - induction, PPH, perineal tear, NICU stay, feeding journey, support from partner and family, baby blues, mental health support, return to paid work, Space, coffee groups, travel

In this episode of The Postpartum Season 2026 Educational Series, Dr Kate Jenkins, GP and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), joins me to discuss preparing for feeding, navigating common breastfeeding challenges, and the importance of supporting parental mental health. We discuss: Kate's work as a GP and IBCLC, and her interest in breastfeeding medicine Her own challenging breastfeeding experience, including difficulties latching, nipple shields and undiagnosed vasospasm The importance of being listened to, believed and validated by healthcare professionals Setting realistic expectations about breastfeeding before your baby arrives Why breastfeeding being natural doesn't necessarily mean it will be easy Preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy without becoming overwhelmed Antenatal breastfeeding education Common misconceptions about breastfeeding Antenatal hand expressing and collecting colostrum What breastfeeding can look like in the first hours and days after birth What to expect on the second night after birth Cluster feeding and why babies feed so frequently Recognising whether your baby is receiving enough milk Signs that additional feeding support may be needed Painful breastfeeding, nipple damage and the importance of investigating persistent pain Understanding milk supply and factors that can affect milk production Concerns about low milk supply and the importance of effective milk removal What triple feeding involves and when it may be recommended The physical and emotional demands of triple feeding Why feeding plans need to be manageable and sustainable Seeking early support from an IBCLC and getting a second opinion when difficulties persist Practical ways partners can support breastfeeding When formula supplementation may be medically necessary Combination feeding Introducing bottles to breastfed babies Paced bottle feeding and reducing the risk of bottle preference The impact feeding difficulties can have on maternal mental health Navigating guilt, shame, judgement and feelings of failure around feeding The influence of social media on feeding expectations and parental confidence Recognising when protecting maternal mental health needs to take priority Supporting families to make feeding decisions that work for them Why difficulties with breastfeeding can reflect gaps in healthcare support rather than individual failure The resources Dr Kate Jenkins mentioned during the episode include: Mothersafe (NSW Australia): https://www.royalwomen.org.au/mothersafe Australian Breastfeeding Association: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au The Breast Crawl (Google) You can find out more about Dr Kate Jenkins on instagram at @dr.kate.jenkins. A big thank you to First Aid for New Parents by The Postpartum Season for sponsoring this week’s episode, which will be launching soon! Follow along on instagram at @thepostpartumseasonpodcast for updates about the launch. As mentioned in the episode, here are some postpartum support resources. Please reach out if you need help. Australia PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) Helpline: 1300 726 306 Website: https://www.panda.org.au Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 (24/7) Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

In this episode, Jes shares her experience of severe postpartum anxiety, the challenges of accessing perinatal mental health care, and how her journey eventually inspired her to create The Jellybean Gym — a space supporting both young children and their parents. We discuss: Jes's experience of a difficult pregnancy with persistent nausea and vomiting Discovering her daughter was breech at 37 weeks and changing her birth plans Choosing a planned caesarean and navigating feelings of failure before becoming a mother The importance of partner leave Meeting her daughter for the first time and not experiencing the immediate connection she had expected Recovering from a caesarean and the anxiety Jes experienced Struggling to trust her own instincts as a new mother The challenges of learning to parent together and communicating with your partner Experiencing increasingly severe anxiety and panic attacks during early postpartum The impact of anxiety on Jes's ability to eat, sleep and function Reaching a mental health crisis and recognising that she urgently needed professional support The significant barriers Jes encountered when trying to access perinatal mental health care Seeking help through urgent care, her GP, emergency departments and other services The support Jes received from PANDA during this difficult period Being admitted to a perinatal mental health unit at eight weeks postpartum Spending three and a half weeks in hospital alongside her daughter What a perinatal mental health admission can look like Accessing psychiatric care, medication and psychological support Preparing to leave hospital and the anxiety surrounding returning home Understanding that mental health recovery is an ongoing process The enormous role James played in supporting Jes through her postpartum experience Finding a supportive community through mothers' groups The importance of feeling heard and validated by other mothers How connection with other mothers can reduce feelings of isolation Why her postpartum experience inspired her to establish The Jellybean Gym Creating purposeful play classes for young children Designing a space that supports parents and caregivers as well as their children The importance of allowing families time to connect before and after classes Creating community through small groups, shared experiences and everyday conversations How building The Jellybean Gym has been part of Jes's own healing journey Jes's advice to other mothers - if something feels hard, it is hard, and you deserve support You can find out more about Jes and The JellyBean Gym at www.thejellybeangym.com.au or on instagram @thejellybeangym.

In this episode, Tayla shares her two postpartum experiences, including recovering from caesarean births, choosing to formula feed, navigating postpartum anxiety and returning to paid work earlier than she had hoped. We discuss: Finding out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with her first daughter, Emily Becoming a mother without a relationship with her own mum The enormous support Tayla has received from her mother-in-law Preparing for a planned caesarean and worrying about physical recovery Meeting Emily for the first time The challenges of those first days in hospital and adjusting to caring for a newborn Recovering physically from a caesarean birth Tayla's decision to formula feed both of her children The judgement and pressure she experienced around her feeding choices Navigating conflicting feeding advice and concerns about Emily's weight gain Learning to trust her instincts as a first-time mum Experiencing anxiety during her first postpartum season Returning to paid work when Emily was just under three months old Navigating daycare and adjusting to being away from her baby Preparing for postpartum with a second baby Maintaining Emily's routine during the transition from one child to two Practical postpartum preparation, including meal preparation and creating a calm home environment Meeting Paul and recovering from a second caesarean Feeling much more confident as a mother the second time around Watching Emily meet her baby brother for the first time The challenges of adjusting to life with two young children Feeling a temporary change in her relationship with Emily after Paul's arrival Paul becoming seriously unwell at just 10 days old and requiring hospital care How this experience contributed to significant postpartum anxiety Paul being admitted to hospital again with RSV at 10 weeks old Experiencing prolonged postpartum bleeding and the anxiety surrounding her recovery Struggling with sleep, withdrawing from the outside world and feeling increasingly anxious Why Tayla wishes she had sought mental health support earlier The importance of opening up to trusted friends and family How regular conversations with her husband and friends helped Tayla feel connected and supported Returning to paid work earlier than she wanted because of financial pressures The challenges of combining paid work, daycare and parenting two young children Tayla's positive experience with her children's daycare The joy of watching Emily and Paul's sibling relationship develop Finding greater confidence in herself as a mother, partner and person Learning who truly shows up for you during motherhood This weeks sponsor is Rest in the Postpartum Season - guided yoga nidra practices created for mothers. If you’re looking for a simple way to slow down, rest and take a little time for yourself, you can find practices ranging from five to fifteen minutes at www.thepostpartumseason.com. And if you would like to buy a Postpartum Season cap, click this link below: https://www.thepostpartumseason.com/store/p/the-postpartum-season-cap Thank you for supporting the podcast! As mentioned in the episode, here are some postpartum support resources. Please reach out if you need help. Australia PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) Helpline: 1300 726 306 Website: https://www.panda.org.au Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 (24/7) Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au

In this episode, George shares her experience of an unplanned caesarean, adjusting to her postpartum body, finding community and learning to surrender to the realities of new motherhood. We discuss: Finding out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with Teddy Deciding there may never be a “right time” to become parents Living in Sydney while most of George's family are in Tasmania Realising how important community would become after having a baby Preparing extensively for birth but much less for postpartum Hoping for a low-intervention vaginal birth Having an unplanned caesarean after more than 24 hours of labour Feeling unprepared for what a caesarean and its recovery would involve Meeting Teddy and not experiencing the immediate rush of emotion she expected The guilt and self-blame George experienced after her birth Learning to validate her own experience rather than comparing it with other people’s birth experience The role pain played in George's emotional wellbeing during early postpartum Beginning to talk openly about her birth and process some of the guilt and shame Feeling unprepared for the physical reality of a postpartum body The influence of “bounce back” culture and postpartum bodies portrayed online Wondering whether her own body was normal because she hadn’t seen bodies like hers represented Another mother reaching out and helping George realise she wasn’t alone Finding the courage to share her postpartum body online The response from thousands of women who felt seen and validated by her content Moving from struggling with her body to feeling in awe of what it has done The challenge of finding genuine friendships and community in early motherhood Finally meeting other mums who made George feel seen in her experience Navigating sleep deprivation at around six months postpartum The enormous identity shift that comes with motherhood The joy of watching Teddy’s personality begin to emerge George's feeling that motherhood has brought a sense of contentment she had been searching for You can find George on Instagram at @georgina.raynerrr.

In this bonus episode of The Postpartum Season, I’m joined by Tegan Gilchrist, a senior director at The Parenthood, an Australian advocacy organisation campaigning for the social and economic infrastructure parents need to make life work for modern families. Tegan shares some of the challenges facing parents today, including the tension between work and caring responsibilities in the context of systems designed for another era, the cost and availability of early learning, and the pressure parents can experience as their families move through different stages. We also talk about what The Parenthood is advocating for: 12 months of paid parental leave for families, high-quality and accessible early learning, and more family-friendly workplaces. Tegan explains why giving fathers and partners dedicated opportunities to take parental leave matters — not only in supporting mothers during the first year, but in establishing shared care from the beginning. We discuss the idea of the “default parent”, the role that time plays in building confidence and connection as a caregiver, and why creating better systems for families can benefit mothers, fathers, children and the wider community. We finish by talking about The Parenthood’s vision for Australian families and how parents can get involved in advocating for change. You can find out more about The Parenthood at: https://www.theparenthood.org.au Or follow along on instagram at @theparenthood. Important links that were mentioned in the episode: Address by Georgie Dent, CEO of The Parenthood, at the National Press Club: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brIRti7aEpg The Parenthood Paid Parental Leave Petition: https://www.theparenthood.org.au/first_year_foundations Also, as mentioned in the episode, here are some postpartum support resources. Please reach out if you need help. Australia PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) Helpline: 1300 726 306 Website: https://www.panda.org.au Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 (24/7) Website: https://www.lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 Website: https://www.beyondblue.org.au