The Fourth Trimester Village - Matrescence, Motherhood Rage & the Making of a Mother with Dr Edna Lekgabe

Today I chat to Mel about her path into motherhood. Mel met her partner Antonio later in life, after having come to terms with the idea that she might never become a mother. Living with emetophobia, a fear of vomiting, shaped nearly every decision Mel made in pregnancy, from her choice of care provider to her decision to have an elective caesarean. This is a candid conversation about recurrent miscarriage, navigating severe nausea and a genuine phobia throughout pregnancy, and finding calm through a planned caesarean birth. Aussie sleepwear brand ergoPouch makes TOG-rated swaddles and sleeping bags that take the guesswork out of dressing your baby for sleep. They’ve just launched their Heritage collection, a curated collection of their most loved prints from the archive, given a fresh new look. Think Coastal, Meadow, Taupe Marle and the much-loved Savannah, all in 1.0 TOG organic cotton Cocoon Swaddle Bags and Sleeping Bags. Australian Birth Stories listeners get 20% off sitewide with the code AUBS from the 19th of October to the 2nd of November. Head to ergopouch.com.au. T&Cs apply. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I chat to Kate Jones about becoming a mum for the first time to her daughter Lila. Kate takes us through months of frustrating fertility tracking, a tricky local hospital landscape after her area's only private birthing suite closed, and the vaginal water birth she had hoped for from the very beginning. She's honest and funny throughout, especially when describing labouring at home, the mental shift of transitioning to hospital, and the moment her umbilical cord snapped after her daughter was born. To see Kate's birth video head to @australianbirthstories on Instagram. ________________ OUR PROUD SPONSOR:

Beth shares two beautiful birth stories. Her first with Bernie was an 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. Mother Dose by Land Lab I rarely talk about supplements on here – mostly because so many aren’t backed by real evidence, and as someone who’s always reading the fine print, I’m pretty selective about what I’ll share with you. But every now and then, something stands out. Mother Dose by Land Lab is one of those rare finds that cuts through all the confusion. What has really impressed me is that it’s been formulated by doctors, dietitians and naturopaths – every single ingredient is there for a reason, backed by evidence and aligned with current prenatal guidelines. It includes the good stuff like choline for baby’s brain development, folate in its most active form, and a clinical dosage of ginger that’s actually proven to help with morning sickness. Over 50 health professionals have peer-reviewed the formulation, and they all said the same thing – it’s an amazing blend that delivers the kind of care every woman deserves. Whether you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, Mother Dose takes the overwhelm out of choosing a prenatal. And this time, Australian Birth Stories listeners can save $15 on Mother Dose with the code: ABS. Just head to land-lab.co to redeem the offer.

In this episode, I chat to Sarah Viliamu, content creator, model and founder of The Self Love Supply, about her two very different birth experiences four years apart. Her first birth took place in Melbourne during the height of the 2020 lockdowns and ended in a long induction with a frightening postpartum haemorrhage. In between her two children, Sarah experienced two miscarriages and speaks honestly about that grief and the anxiety that followed her into her next pregnancy. Her second birth, a spontaneous labour at home followed by a short, powerful vaginal birth in hospital, could not have looked more different. This is a beautiful episode about how much knowledge, continuity of care and the right support team can change a woman's experience of labour the second time round. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode I chat to Mel about her road to motherhood, which began with a year of unexplained infertility and a round of IVF squeezed in during a short trip home from remote Northern Territory. Her pregnancy played out almost entirely in a small community several hours from the nearest town before an unsettled labour led to an emergency caesarean and a frightening panic attack on the operating table. Mel speaks candidly about feeling disconnected from her newborn son in those first days, the baby blues that tipped into something far more serious, and the two week stay in a mother and baby unit that turned everything around. It's an honest, generous conversation. Meet Lola - the newest chair from iL Tutto’s Trend Collection, combining beautiful design with the comfort and support you need through pregnancy, feeding and beyond. With a generously cushioned seat, supportive backrest, curved armrests and soft corduroy upholstery, Lola is designed to look just as beautiful outside the nursery. Smooth electric recline, gentle glide and 180-degree swivel make it easy to find your perfect position and move comfortably with your baby. Available in Mocha, Green Olive, Taupe and Coconut. Australian Birth Stories listeners can enjoy 20% off with code ABS20 at iltutto.com.au until 31 October 2026. Cannot be used with any other offer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.