The episode discusses:

• The benefits of midwifery at an individual and social scale
• Having power and agency throughout your pregnancy and labour
• Continuity of care and how it benefits patients and care providers
• Entering the birthing space with knowledge and self-advocacy skills

If you want to hear more from Wendy, her book Mother Becoming can be found at: https://www.motherbecoming.com.au/shop

And the free resources she discusses in the episode can be found at: https://www.motherbecoming.com.au/free-resources

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

After her 40th birthday, Sherrie was given further options on ways to manage her breast cancer risks. One of her options was a double mastectomy with reconstruction. Her mum had had a reconstruction with implants and Sherrie had seen the long-term impacts that implants had and knew they weren’t for her. Instead, Sherrie chose to have a DIEP Flap reconstruction. This procedure removed her breast tissue and used fatty stomach tissue to reconstruct the breast. Due to this procedure not being motivated by a preexisting breast cancer diagnosis Sherrie was able to spend four years thinking about her options and what would allow her the greatest quality of life. Her eventual surgery ended up being quite spur of the moment due to a cancelation, Sherrie went from not knowing if she would be able to get it done at all to being booked in next Wednesday. While there were concerns around how that would impact her life in the short term, she took the booking and went into surgery.

The surgery has a 12–18-month recovery time, at time of recording Sherrie is 7 months out and is able to begin thinking about final steps and cosmetic choices. Breast cancer often starts at the nipple, so the surgeons took her nipples and replaced them with skin from her stomach. She is now on a weighting list to get realistic nipple reconstruction surgery and then eventually she will get them tattooed. With the procedures complete Sherrie now has no breast cancer risk because she has no breast tissue!

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Hollie has said she is consistently surprised by the effect her story has on other people when they hear it. This episode comes with the trigger warning that it is a candid and in-depth discussion of child loss. Hollie hopes that by sharing her story other parents who are having the same experience won’t feel so alone and isolated in their grief. No one thinks that in 2020 (and 2025) that there would be mothers and fathers leaving the hospital without their babies. It felt like an oxymoron, how could she be a mother without a child?

Hollie had her second baby more recently and discussed the fear that came with knowing that her first pregnancy had shown no signs of anything going wrong. No number of tests could take away the fear that her baby wouldn’t survive despite it being unlikely her second child would have the same genetic issues. Hollie chose to return to the hospital she had Logan at to give herself a sense of familiarity, she received good care there and decided it was one decision she could make to have control over the situation.

We thank Hollie for her vulnerability and willingness to share this story with us.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

This episode will cover:

• What a dietitian is and how they can help in eating disorder recovery
• Nina’s experience with her eating disorder and what encouraged her to recover
• What the recovery process can look like
• How you can support someone you love in recovery

Despite the heavy topic in today’s episode, Emma and Nina keep the episode light and approachable. Through talking about Nina’s experiences, we hope people feel seen and less alone. One aspect of Nina’s recovery was rescuing her dog. Her dog gave her love and a reason to keep getting better even when it was hard. You deserve to recover and build a positive relationship with your body and food.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

This episode covers:

• Post diagnosis grief
• Advice on ways you can access support as a family
• Feeling frustrated by the way society, treats disabled people and their families
• Reminding carers to care for themselves

As always Emma and Teresa go off on some tangents and winding thought trails. If you’re the parent or family member of a newly diagnosed person know that you’re not alone and this episode is here to support you however you might be feeling right now. It’s ok to not be ok.

Some resources listed in the episode

Kiind: https://www.kiind.com.au/

Down Syndrome WA: https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/wa/

Heart kids: https://www.heartkids.org.au/

Siblings Australia: https://siblingsaustralia.org.au/

Relationships Australia: https://www.relationships.org.au/

Carers WA: https://www.carerswa.asn.au/

Carers WA Young Carers program: https://www.carerswa.asn.au/our-services/young-carers/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Topics covered include:

• Josey’s initial response and emotional journey
• Grieving the imagined future, you had for your child and the evolution of parental expectations
• How to show up for your trans child with love and affirmation
• Social transition vs. medical transition – what’s the difference?
• The positive impact that being gendered correctly has on trans children

Josey talks about her child’s experience with the medical system and the lengths she would have to go to allow her child to access hormone replacement therapy or puberty blockers. To access medical intervention before adulthood, it would be a judge making the final call. That is a bridge she says she’ll deal with when she gets there and for now is doing everything, she can to affirm her child’s identity socially.

This episode is a must-listen for parents, allies, and anyone seeking to understand the lived experiences of trans young people and their families.

In WA a good starting point for accessing supports if you or a loved one is transgender is

Trans folk of WA: https://www.transfolkofwa.org/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

• What is music therapy, and how can it support neurodivergent brains?
• Being diagnosed with AuDHD (Autism + ADHD) and what that journey looks like
• Do you need a formal diagnosis, or can self-identification be enough?
• Finding spaces and strategies that work for your unique neurotype
• And because this podcast can never run without one or two tangents: How many cats is too many cats?

As part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, this episode is all about embracing your brain, understanding how it works, and discovering tools to create a life that supports you. Allison was kind enough to shares personal insights into the experience of her own diagnosis and the experience of her kids diagnosis. She describes it as an incredibly vulnerable experience. Allison does highlight that is it worth doing the work to understand your neurotype because through the experience it allows people to live better and more affirming lives.

Allison talks about the science of music and the ways it can help people feel calmer and safer to myth-bust the idea that Music Therapy is unscientific. She emphasises that for patients it can help build their tolerance for other medical procedures because people don’t associate the concept of music with potential traumatisation.

 Resources Mentioned:

• Learn more about Allison Davies: allisondavies.com.au
• Australian Music Therapy Association: austmta.org.au

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Fiona was kind enough to share her personal journey with us, from living with Lipoedema unknowingly for years to finally receiving a diagnosis in 2022. She talks about the relief of understanding her condition, the emotional process of forgiving herself, and the importance of raising awareness so that more women can access the diagnosis and care they need.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

What Lipoedema is, how it progresses, and its connection to hormonal changes.

Fiona’s experience navigating the healthcare system and the emotional impact of diagnosis.

The financial reality of treatment, from preventative care to surgery costs.

The urgent need for greater awareness, funding, and recognition of Lipoedema in Australia

Why self-compassion is key, and how to move forward without shame or stigma.

Our goal with this episode is to shed light onto a condition that is rarely talked about and misunderstood. We always aim to provide a space for women to tell their stories without shame or fear of judgement. Through this episode we hope more people can identify a potential cause of their struggle with their body and begin working towards self-acceptance. If you’ve struggled with similar symptoms, you’re not alone and there are ways to manage lipoedema.

If you’d like to learn more visit Lipoedema Australia Foundation: www.lipoedema.org.au

If this feels relevant to people in your life, please share it with those around you. Awareness changes lives.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

When your child starts kindy, there’s an outpouring of support. But when they finish primary school, high school, or even uni, no one really talks about how scary change can be. In this episode, Emma McLarty joins the conversation to unpack these transitional moments—why they can hit harder than we expect, why it’s OK to not be OK, and how to navigate the emotional rollercoaster of letting go.

We do want to give a little warning: we might make parenting sound really scary and overwhelming in this episode, but we promise—it’s not as bad as it sounds! This is just a space for parents to feel overwhelmed, teary, and to acknowledge that sometimes, change just feels like it’s happening way too fast.

Tune in as we explore:

The unexpected emotions of your child growing up

Why these transitions can feel so big and isolating

The importance of finding your village and normalizing these feelings

How to balance “letting go” with celebrating growth

Practical ways to support yourself (and each other!) through these big milestones

If you're feeling daunted by school starting back this week, this episode is for you. You’re not alone—we’re in this together.

Read the blog post that inspired this episode: It's OK to Not Be OK: https://wacpps.org.au/when-older-kids-go-back-to-school-its-ok-to-not-be-ok/

Let’s keep the conversation going! Share your experience with us—how did you feel when your older kids started a new chapter?

You can find Emma McLarty: www.emmamclarty.com.au

or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-mclarty-a9a8735a/ 

or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmamclartycounselling

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices  

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode Emma speaks with Phillipa about what it is like to live with EDS and include discussion on why people with EDS are called zebras, at Med school doctors are taught that if you hear hoof beats think horses not zebras (why there is a horse in a hospital only John Mulaney knows apparently 😊) but the saying is supposed to encourage med students to look for the most obvious cause rather than jumping to the obscure and unlikely but guess what, sometimes those hoof beats are zebras and sometimes the diagnosis is the rare and complex condition like EDS – although Emma and Phillipa do questions just how rare EDS actually is!

It wouldn’t be a Hidden World of Women episode without tangents and the odd soapbox thrown in here an there, Emma and Phillipa discuss mobility aides and I am reminded of the meme that says that ‘people who don’t need mobility aides don’t fantasize about having one’, the importance of finding community and surrounding yourself with people who can show kindness, empathy and compassion and the need to advocate for yourself. We encourage you to be your own advocate and listen to your body because more often than people realise, there’s a zebra in the hospital too!

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au 

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices  

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

While being blind in a world made for sighted comes with its challenges Penny shares with  Emma how she tackles those challenges and Emma had a lot of questions - there were just so many things that Emma had never considered and as a result the huge episode became two long episodes!

How do you parent five children? Seriously, how do you change a nappy when you can’t see what you are potentially about to put your fingers in? How do you travel as a blind person - is it REALLY safe for you to ride a push bike? What’s it like being the only blind person in the room? How can organisations make themselves more accessible to blind and visually impaired people? What technology and skills do you use as part of your everyday life?

Penny looks at life with an upbeat attitude and as an adventure which helps given she’s been in some interesting situations. She thinks that for all a situation which might feel daunting and impossible, there is a solution to it or at the very least a funny story to be had!

Part One can be found here: https://hiddenworldofwomen.podbean.com/e/e64-whats-it-like-being-blind-part-1-the-hidden-world-of-women/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

While being blind in a world made for sighted comes with its challenges Penny shares with  Emma how she tackles those challenges and Emma had a lot of questions - there were just so many things that Emma had never considered and as a result the huge episode became two long episodes!

How do you parent five children? Seriously, how do you change a nappy when you can’t see what you are potentially about to put your fingers in? How do you travel as a blind person - is it REALLY safe for you to ride a push bike? What’s it like being the only blind person in the room? How can organisations make themselves more accessible to blind and visually impaired people? What technology and skills do you use as part of your everyday life?

Penny looks at life with an upbeat attitude and as an adventure which helps given she’s been in some interesting situations. She thinks that for all a situation which might feel daunting and impossible, there is a solution to it or at the very least a funny story to be had!

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Find Ginger on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gingerzephyr

Find Ginger on Instagram: @highvibehustler

Find Ginger on Tiktok: @gingerzephyr

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Kiah started her business in 2019 after her husband suggested that she use her skill set and passions and start Declutter with Kiah. With the support of her friends and family she started helping people make their spaces enjoyable to live in.

In this episode Emma and Kiah talk about shame, shame around not being able to do it alone, shame in asking for help. So many people are wrongly led to believe that being unable to keep their home organised without hiring external help is the sign they’re failing. Emma shared how she decided to start reframing the way she thought about asking for help, pointing out that when she hired someone to clean her home she was employing another woman and giving her the ability to provide for her family.

Kiah talked about the shame some people feel about having their clutter seen and the perception of judgement from other people. With all her clients she wants to make sure they know that she has seen it all. There is nothing embarrassing about needing help learning a skill.

Decluttering and organisation is a skill. People aren’t born innately understanding how to put things away, sort, organise and dispose of their possessions. Kiah’s father instilled in her the ability from a young age. Like you would hire a plumber to fix your sink you should think about hiring the right professional to help with your home.

To find Kiah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/declutterwithKiah

To Find Kiah on Instagram: @declutterwithkiah

To find her website: https://declutterwithkiah.services/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode of The Hidden World of Women, Emma is joined by former host: Melanie Brown!

Melanie shares her story losing a friend to ovarian cancer and caring for someone who was dying. This experience prompted her to start participating in Frocktober, a month long event of wearing dresses every day to raise awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research.

This year Melanie is spending the month wearing her wedding dress. She talks about the experience of doing something so outrageous as a generally introverted person.

As Melanie and Emma are both passionate about healthcare, self advocacy and women's health they talked about the experience of being a patient and caring for a patient and as always the episode goes places that were unexpected and unplanned 😀

Here are the links Melanie mentioned in this episode:

Understanding ovarian cancer booklet (PDF): https://www.cancer.org.au/assets/pdf/understanding-ovarian-cancer-booklet

Latest research on a potential new blood test for ovarian cancer: https://www.ocrf.com.au/news/107/melbourne-team-on-the-verge-more-accurate-ovarian-cancer-test

Link between ovarian cancer & endometriosis: https://www.ocrf.com.au/news/108/ovarian-cancer-versus-endometriosis

The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation: https://www.ocrf.com.au/

Frocktober general info: https://www.ocrf.com.au/get-involved/fundraise-for-ovarian-cancer-research/frocktober

My Frocktober fundraising page:  https://www.frocktober.org.au/my-fundraising/3516/melanie-brown

Instagram:  @meljrobson

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Michelle talked about how she felt like she’d been an unofficial doula for the last 20 years after helping advocate for her friends and family within the hospital system. She became a doula officially after she realised how difficult the medical system is to navigate alone and she wanted to do something to help people.

Often, when we think of a doula, people think of a hippy woman who’s job is alternative medicine or we think they’re some sort of midwife. For Michelle, she views her calling as filling in the gaps to support people in the birthing space, from fulfilling physical needs like bringing someone food or drinks to doing emotional support work reminding women in labour they have options and a voice that should be listened to.

Michelle and Emma are both passionate advocates for supporting families in the perinatal period and so they also discuss mental health, lowering standards, the importance of setting realistic expectations, as well as covering how to become a doula and the pros and cons of the role.

In the episode Emma spoke about the Preparing for Parenthood course, more info is available here:

https://wacpps.org.au/preparing-for-parenthood/?fbclid=IwAR2ycKswp-MXi5PQVCgOW8534xX7VfcalHvD3PXR1bGzAngFtOL_ip2tBBE

Michelle spoke about Vicki Hobbs - Doula Training Academy, more info available here.

https://doulatrainingacademy.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR0a7O-ulSVS79784z0Nkfb6Zn3dUVmUKKTZVBCeiAqR50xATRgcIN_KEOs

If you want to find Michelle her business is Perth Doula Services and you can find her website here: and her Facebook here:

https://perthdoulaservices.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR2_hLsmBKt1poD3uwLc5P-8QjrH30uw_VUUKj3uCn-0AGVMcyUxIjpFe4Y

https://www.facebook.com/PERTHDOULASERVICES

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

If you want more information on Women’s Health Week you can check out the Jean Hailes site https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/womens-health-week with information about each day’s prompt. If you want to get in touch with Kath you can find her website here https://www.kathmazzella.com/ 

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Emma asked about what drew Kitty to metal art (a broken gate that will one day be fixed….maybe) her experiences learning the craft (spite is apparently a good motivator) and the impact it has on Kitty’s mental health.

In te episode Kitty spoke about having PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and agoraphobia (https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/agoraphobia?fbclid=IwAR0wrC63VXhtFNtU4CD75RGpiZo80EvN3Epn3vLjzElZN2kP-2ezpUtuh7E) . She describes her work teaching metal workshops as “intense exposure therapy” that forces her to face her fears head on.

When asked about how to start metal work Kitty gave a list including TAFE courses, YouTube or you could learn from Kitty herself in one or the workshops she runs for “Women on the tools.”

You can follow Kitty on socials

Instagram: @the.maiden.of.metal https://www.instagram.com/the.maiden.of.metal/?fbclid=IwAR0JK2ALs9uOtOmVEOKINCx-Ymc6T0gl9UVrDBP64N53IxHjYAOEAA4YusI

Facebook: @themaidenofmetal

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100083096270970

Check Out Women on the Tools: @WOTTPerth

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100077399405954

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode I spoke with Emma Atkinson about her experience living in a heterosexual marriage with two children and then, after divorce, exploring her sexual identity and questioning who she is attracted to. We touched on ‘coming out’ to her mum and children, what it was like to not only navigate dating after years of marriage (when the internet wasn’t even invented the last time she was dating, let alone internet dating!) but dating in a same sex relationship for the first time, we talk about labels, acceptance and the celebration that Pride can be as well as so many other topics in between.

In the episode Emma spoke about a TV show but couldn’t remember the name, it was It’s a Sin.

I am always grateful that people agree to be guests and they are so open with sharing their experiences. This interview is Emma’s public ‘coming out’ so I am beyond grateful that she trusted me enough to participate in the podcast episode. Thank you!

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode I chat with Lisa Saunders from Own Your Health Collective about all things menopause and healthy aging in general.

If you want to find out more Lisa and her business partner Natalie have information on their website www.ownyourhealth.com.au as well as a podcast specifically focused on perimenopause called Peri Menopause Power (available on all good streaming sites but here is a link to make it easier https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/peri-menopause-power/id1588187655).

In the episode Lisa spoke about stress and the benefit of mindfulness to your health in menopause and in healthy aging. If you want to find out more about mindfulness we have a course on our sister organisation The Hidden World of You https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/courses/introduction-to-mindfulness/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In the episode Richelle speaks about her experience with diagnosis, the importance of early detection (the power is in your hands), how other people’s reactions impacted her, what not to say (note to self; do NOT say ‘you’ll be fine’), and ways to support self.

Richelle spoke about how breast cancer made her re-evaluate her life and her priorities and how important it can be to positively reframe and see the silver lining in situations.

I could have gone on talking to Richelle for hours and I would have loved to explore more about how she re-evaluated her priorities and shifted focus and careers but sadly we ran out of time so I hope Richelle will join me again to dig into that further!

In the episode we spoke about the importance of getting to know your own breasts, checking them regularly and knowing what is normal. You can check out this link for information on how to perform a breast self exam https://www.breastcancer.org/screening-testing/breast-self-exam-bse and Richelle also spoke about Breast Cancer Care WA who have a range of different information on breast cancer, self exams, what next etc https://www.breastcancer.org.au/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

50 episodes seems like a milestone so I posted on socials to ask listeners what we should do to celebrate and it was suggested we talk to someone about turning 50. In the episode I spoke with Pip Brennan, author, independent lived experience advocate, and passionate women's health advocate about her experiences of turning 50. We talked about the fears that many people have around milestone birthdays, the reality of turning 50, the 7 year cycle, societies perceptions of aging women, embracing the grey, claiming your power and oh so many more things. 

In the episode Pip recommended The Light Makers Manifesto and The Artist's Way as great starting points for journaling and finding stillness and all things Brene Brown.

Thanks so much Pip for interrupting your holiday to join me. I appreciate your time, energy and story.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Megan invited Kate Fielding to be our guest. Kate has played Basketball at local, state and national levels and now she plays AFL (Australian Football League) at a local level. Kate was a part of a local women’s AFL team that brought home 3 premiership trophies. We thought Kate could speak about her experiences in sport and the exciting changes to women’s sports that Kate has seen from the limited number of sports available to girls when she was growing up to the options for girls now.

I hadn’t expected to here about the systemic barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion that Kate experienced in her previous football club. No change facilities for the women’s teams, no toilet paper in the women’s toilets, having a ‘women’s rep’ on the board, a board member comparing their appearance to performers at a local strip club, and not even hanging their premiership flags or photos!

It is 2022, I was not expecting to hear these stories.

Despite all of this Kate still loves sport and her passion is infectious.

Thank you Kate for sharing so openly and thank you Megan for co-hosting (especially the parts where you asked the sports questions that were WAY out of my scope of knowledge!)

I really enjoyed this episode and, as a result of the conversation I just had a conversation with the chair person of our board about DEI and ways we can do better.

If you want to find out more about what Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing are up to you can find them here https://cwsw.org.au/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Whether it is the advertising for incontinence pads in the mother to be or new mother bags or the television advertising for incontinence products as women age it seems that women accept this as ‘normal’ and just the way it is now.

As we are a week out from Women’s Health Week I wanted to take this opportunity to address this issue that impacts so many women. In this episode I spoke with Women’s Health Phsyio Stephanie from Lion Rocker Pysio https://lionrocker.com.au/ about incontinence, continence, what a women’s health psysio consult might look like and how women’s health physio can make a real difference to a woman’s continence.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode Bri shares how her family doesn’t look how she anticipated. Bri and her husband have two children. When they took him to the hospital with wheezing from a virus their suspicions were confirmed. Ari had a genetic condition. After a plethora of testing it was confirmed that he has a very rare form of Muscular Dystrophy and to their knowledge he is the only living person with that form of MD.

Not to be left out, their eldest son was later diagnosed with type one diabetes. They hit the genetic lottery.

Bri shares how the diagnosis impacts their family, struggles with NDIS, juggling therapy and hospital appointments, as well as the absolute joy that their two boys bring to their lives.

It is really easy to get jaded, tired, cranky when life hands you lemon after lemon but Bri is light and relaxed (at the end of a long day at work!). When I asked what her secret is she said she gave up wine and she gives gratitude at the end of each day. Being grateful for the positives she has in her life every day helps refocus her perspective.

In the episode Bri spoke about some resources:

Muscular Dystrophy Support Australia https://www.facebook.com/groups/240404516426752

Muscular Dystrophy WA https://www.mdwa.org.au/

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

The 2016 Census counted 1,260 sex and/or gender diverse people in Australia, 26% of those identified as transgender. This count is not considered to be an accurate count, due to limitations around the special procedures and willingness or opportunity to report as sex and/or gender diverse. People who have been treated with disrespect, abuse and discrimination because of their sex or gender may be unwilling to reveal their sex in an official document. 

In this episode of The Hidden World of Women, I spoke with Melissa who is a transwomen from Melbourne Australia. I will admit, I had some broad understandings of some of the issues that trans people would face in Australia but it was interesting to discuss issues with Melissa that wouldn’t have occurred to me. It’s not as simple as just saying ‘my outside doesn’t match who I am on the inside, so I’m going to live as a woman now’. I thought there would be difficulties with having to come out to friends relatives and colleagues but I didn’t consider the surgeries that were possible or the level of interest that strangers would show. 30-40 hate prank phone calls in a night from a stranger? What? Why? Who does that?

Thank you Melissa for your time and sharing so openly. If listeners want to get in contact with Melissa you can find here here:

W: www.melissagriffiths.com.au ;

 Facebook (The Real Melissa Griffiths -@melissachloegriffiths): https://m.facebook.com/melissachloegriffiths/ ;

Melissa Griffiths Transgender Supermodel Advice Page. https://m.facebook.com/mgtgsupermodeladvice/

 Instagram (#/@melissacgriffiths): https://www.instagram.com/melissacgriffiths ; Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagriffithsgga/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissaracing

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuZOwq_qiJi7N3pZNlbI6kw

Supports available include:

WAAC www.waac.com.au

Freedom centre for people under 26 who are GLBTQIA Support for LGBTIQA+ young people | WAAC

PFlag for parents of GLBTQIA+ www.pflagwa.org.au

Trans folk of WA Trans Women - TransFolk of WA  

Switchboard (Victoria) Switchboard Victoria

Globe (Victoria) GLOBE | Connecting & Nurturing LGBTIQ+ Communities (globevictoria.com.au)

If you are looking for support

Crisis care: 1800 199 008

Lifeline: 131114

Kids Help Line: 1800 551 800

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

ADHD looks very different in girls and women to the stereotype of the naughty boys who are disruptive and destructive, always in trouble and doing the wrong thing. It can look like fidgeting, hyper focus, or an inability to concentrate, overachieving or zoning out. It can look like 200 different hobbies (often the supplies are just gathering dust). It can look like DOOM piles (did not organise, only moved), it might look like anxiety or depression, it might be sensory seeking or sensory overload or it might be….oh look a butterfly!

There are three categories of ADHD; hyperactive-impulsive, inattentive and combined so it really can look very different in different people.

In this episode I spoke with Angela, a qualified and successful health professional, who talked about her process of being diagnosed with inattentive ADHD. Angela spoke about how ADHD impacts her executive functioning which is the skills required to facilitate the behaviours required to plan and achieve goals. Angela also spoke about her history with anxiety and depression in the past and questions whether they were actually symptoms of the self-criticism and downward spiral of negative and degrading commentary that constantly ran through her mind that came from the undiagnosed ADHD. Angela also speaks about some of the strategies that she uses to support her functioning and how her life has changed for the better in the six months since diagnosis.

In the episode Angela spoke about some resources:

How to ADHD on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/howtoadhd

ADHD WA: https://www.adhdwa.org/

ADHD Australia: https://www.adhdaustralia.org.au/

Angela has also put together a list of resources that will be published on the Women’s Health and Wellbeing Service https://whws.org.au/ blog in the next week.

Thank you Angela for sharing your story so openly and sharing about your experiences so far on your journey to diagnosis and how far you have come.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Despite how common FDV is in Australia there is still shame and stigma and fear of judgement so we don’t talk about it and if we do then people don’t know what to say or where to look. This is the second part of our episode focusing on family and domestic violence and sexual violence.

Names have been changed to protect identities. Issues discussed in this episode are of a sensitive nature and may provoke emotional responses, support phone numbers have been included at the end of the show notes.

In the first part of this episode I spoke with Cassie about her experiences with FDV, sexual violence and we left Cassie’s story with her leaving that relationship. In this episode we talk about the court system, the support of a refuge, relationships after leaving an FDV relationship. Cassie doesn’t hold back and shares so many of her experiences and learnings.

I want to again say a big thank you to Cassie for sharing so openly in this no holds barred conversation.

You don’t know who needs to hear this and know they aren’t alone. Please share this episode so that they can know there is support available!

If you are looking for support for family and domestic violence or sexual violence here are some supports:

Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline: 1800 007 339

Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline: 1800 000 599

Sexua assault resource centre: 1800 199 888

1800 respect: 1800 77 732

Crisis care: 1800 199 008

Lifeline: 131114

Kids Help Line: 1800 551 800

Financial counselling Australia: 1800 007 007

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

So many women in Australia experience violence and yet we still don’t talk about it. There is still shame and stigma and fear of judgement. This episode focuses on family and domestic violence and sexual violence. Names have been changed to protect identities. Issues discussed in this episode are of a sensitive nature and may provoke emotional responses, support phone numbers have been included at the end of the show notes.

In this episode I spoke with Cassie about her experiences with FDV, sexual violence, the court system, the support of a refuge, relationships after leaving an FDV relationship. Cassie doesn’t hold back and shares so many of her experiences and learnings. Huge thank you to Cassie for sharing so openly in this no holds barred conversation.

There was so much that we covered in this episode that we split it into two parts.

You don’t know who needs to hear this and know they aren’t alone. Please share this episode so that they can know there is support available!

If you are looking for support for family and domestic violence or sexual violence here are some supports:

Women’s Domestic Violence Helpline: 1800 007 339

Men’s Domestic Violence Helpline: 1800 000 599

Sexua assault resource centre: 1800 199 888

1800 respect: 1800 77 732

Crisis care: 1800 199 008

Lifeline: 131114

Kids Help Line: 1800 551 800

Financial counselling Australia: 1800 007 007

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Up until 2019 it was fair to say that most people may have experienced some job related stress. When does stress stop being stress and start being burn out? In 2019 the World Health Organisation officially recognised work place burn out as a medical diagnosis. Since then, we have had a global pandemic and stress levels didn’t reduce, they increased exponentially.

According to research from Indeed, 58% of employees surveyed identified as suffering from burn out and almost 40% of those said it was worse as a result of the pandemic.

In this episode I spoke with Dr Jenny Brockis, author of ‘Thriving Mind’, award-winning speaker, facilitator, author, and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician. I spoke with Jenny about her own experiences of burn out and the recovery as well as hints and tips on how to recognise the warning signs and actually do something about them.

I first met Jenny when she was speaking about Burn Out at a Women in Technology WA event and I had so many ah ha moments, then I read ‘Thriving Mind’ and it was such an easy read with really practical tips for how to make small changes that were easy to implement that would have positive impact on your life and mental wellbeing.

I really enjoyed speaking with Jenny about her experiences and am so grateful for the opportunity to chat about all things mental wellbeing.

If you want to find out more about Jenny you can head to her website: https://www.drjennybrockis.com/ or check out her podcast Thriving with Sarah and Jenny https://podcasts.apple.com/br/podcast/thriving-podcast-with-sarah-and-jenny/id1574349850?l=en

.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In the last episode I spoke with Tonya, a former Army Reservist and a new Navy mum.  In this episode I spoke with Jill a former Army Reservist and an experienced Army mum.  Jill shares her experiences of being a single mum in the Army Reserves and how inclusive that experience was. Who would have thought that you could bring your kids to training nights at the Army Reserve? I’m going to be honest, I didn’t. 

Jill then spoke about her experiences with her daughter joining the Army and Jill’s experience being the mum of an Army Officer (including having to salute her daughter!). Jill talked about some of the practical ways that you can support your children who dedicate their lives to Defence as well as ways that it impacted her having her daughter in the Army.

Jill spoke about some of the amazing opportunities that her daughter has had to travel the world and how Jill has also had opportunities that others wouldn’t even think of as well as talking about how far the Army has come (maternity uniforms people, pregnant women need maternity uniforms!).

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

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WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode I spoke with Tonya Bailey who shares about her experiences in the Army Reserves. Tonya also spoke about how she shared stories of being in the Army Reserve with her children, so she wasn’t surprised when one of them shared that he was planning to join Defence, but he took a while to work out which branch of Defence he was interested in (Army, Navy or Airforce, how do you choose?). While Tonya had almost expected that he would join the Army he had to break the news to her that in fact he wanted to join the Navy. Like most mum’s Tonya just wanted him to be happy and she celebrated.

Tonya is just at the start of her Navy Mum journey, a journey that was made so much more difficult thanks to Covid and the lock downs, travel bans, restrictions etc. Tonya had some useful hints and tips to share for other parents who are just starting their journey as a parent of a Defence member. Not surprisingly, I cried, surprisingly so did Tonya and I thank you Tonya for your openness in sharing your story and being vulnerable and letting me dig into wounds that you perhaps didn’t know existed.

The Hidden World of Women is a podcast brought to you by Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services. Help us get the word out about the podcast by hitting subscribe and sharing it with people you know who may be interested.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

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WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode I spoke with Nicky Thomas who joined the Army Reserves for half a second before moving straight over into the army and was a member of the Australian Army for just shy of 9 years before moving back to the reserves. Nicky shares her experiences of being in the army, deployment, getting married and having children in the army and then being an army wife with a small baby while her husband was on deployment.

Nicky had some wonderful experiences in the Army and shares how the Army supported her during her time as a member of Defence. There were times when it was hard, but there are times in life that are hard and life is what you make it.

Thank you Nicky for sharing so openly. I think we may have jumped up on a soapbox for a minute but we did really well to keep it to only a minute up there!

If you found this useful or interesting or you think that someone would benefit from hearing this episode, don’t keep it to yourself, share it.

If you want to follow Nicky her social media handles are:

Instagram: @Nickythomasofficial

FB: www.facebook.com/nickyt5

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in.nicky-thomas-leadership-coach

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In the first episode of this series, I spoke with Helen Burgess who was a peace time veteran and was in the Royal Australian Air Force for 16 years with a civilian husband who followed her through her RAAF career.

Helen spoke of her love of planes, her experiences in the RAAF, getting married, being pregnant in the Air Force (before there were maternity uniform options), finding herself after she left the RAAF, living with PTSD, and more.

Thank you Helen for sharing your experiences.

Some of the support agencies that we spoke about where veterans can access some supports:

RSLSA https://www.rslwa.org.au 

Working Spirit https://workingspirit.org.au/

Open Arms https://www.openarms.gov.au/

Soldier On https://soldieron.org.au/

Sailing On https://www.sailingonwa.org.au/

Buddy Up https://www.buddyupaustralia.org.au/

Connected By https://connectedby.org/

Our Veterans Forge https://ourveteransforge.com.au/

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode we spoke about how Paola found her passion and how she followed it to achieve success and international recognition for that work and how that journey led her to Western Australia. I am always very grateful that my guests are so open to share their experiences and Paola also shared what it was like to move to the other side of the world, despite social expectations that she should stay home and care for her parents, what it was like to do that alone with no family or social support.

The conversation covered forensic science, motherhood, making friends as an adult, moving countries all alone, what it means to be ‘normal’ and many other topics.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode Emma speaks with Jayde Robinson-Clancy from the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing https://cwsw.org.au/ to discuss the issues that surround International Women’s Day. We discuss this years theme for International Women’s Day as well as discussing whether International Women’s Day is still relevant in 2022? While we intended to focus on the theme for IWD2022 it wouldn’t be an episode of The Hidden World of Women if we didn’t go off on at least a dozen tangents.

We delve into what are the underpinning ideas around gender equality, gender equality, social bias, and violence against women. We also touched on QANTAS uniforms for flight attendants, school uniforms, whether women should need to smile, should you accept an apology if the words and actions don’t align. Safe to say we covered a lot of ground with this topic and I am grateful to Jayde for her time.

The website that Jayde spoke about are:

United Nations Women’s site https://www.un.org/en/observances/womens-day

ANROWS https://www.anrows.org.au/

Our watch https://www.ourwatch.org.au/

Preventing Violence Together https://pvt.org.au/

International mens day https://www.internationalmensday.info/

If you want to attend the virtual event you can contact info@cwsw.org.au to register.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

There are many pathways into higher education regardless of whether you decide to home school your children or go through main stream school system.

In this episode I spoke with Danika about her experiences of alternate pathways to further education. Danika started a university degree while she was completing year 10 and then did not attend year 11 and 12 and instead studied a university degree and a TAFE certificate without needing her WACE, or ATAR.

In this episode we discuss the different path, people’s expectations and different options, the pressures from teachers and the pressures from peers as well. We also discuss some of the obstacles to studying at TAFE and the learning curve from swapping from writing for year 10 to writing for university.

In the episode we talk about Open University https://www.open.edu.au/ and the support they gave in this entry into university.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

As we get closer to the start of the school year a number of parents are starting to consider whether a traditional route of schooling is the best option for their children and family or whether perhaps home-schooling would be a better fit and just what a home-schooling journey may look life. For some families the thought of home-schooling fills them with excitement. Others can be almost paralysed with fear.

In this episode I chat with Paris about her experiences with home-schooling her boys. Paris home-schooled her boys for 5 years and I home-schooled my son for 3 years. Together we discuss the highs and lows of home-schooling, some of the common fears, some of the myths and some hints and tips for parents who are considering home-school for their family.

Some useful links

Education Department WA – Home School https://www.wa.gov.au/service/education-and-training/school-education/home-schooling-western-australia

Home Education WA - HEWA https://hewa.wa.edu.au/

WA curriculum - https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/curriculum-browser

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Being a stepparent has many challenges, negotiating different parenting styles, not wanting to overstep but wanting to do the best you can for children that come into your life.

No parenting is easy, there are lots of additional stressors and challenges that come with step parenting.

In this episode Emma talks with Jen about her experiences of being a step mother of two young girls.

Books that Jen speaks about; StepMonster https://www.amazon.com.au/Stepmonster-Look-Real-Stepmothers-Think/dp/1517071380 , The Happy StepMother https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Stepmother-Empower-Yourself-Thrive/dp/037389225X , StepCoupling https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/976033.Stepcoupling .

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

This is the second part of the episode talking to Kelly and Sam Pilgram-Byrne about their experience and journey into motherhood and having to be a part of changing laws to be able to become mums. This episode picks up just after I have asked them if everything they went through was worth it.

I would love to give a brief synopsis of what we covered in this episode but oh my goodness, what didn’t we cover? Fostering, same sex marriage reform in Australia, raising a non-binary child, and so many more tangents.

HWW episodes are normally around an hour but this conversation dug into places the three of us weren’t expecting. We diverted off topic (surprise, surprise) but the conversation was too valuable to cut after the journey to motherhood discussion sort of wrapped up so I have cut the episode into two parts and this second part is an adventure that’s for sure!

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Where do babies come from? Well when a mummy and daddy love each other very much…. But what happens when the couple doesn’t involve a daddy? What happens when it’s a mum and a mumma who love each other very much?

In this episode I talk with Kelly and Sam Pilgram-Byrne about their experience and journey into motherhood. I was amazed to find out that only a short time ago it was illegal for single women and women in a same sex couple to be able to access IVF. If Sam and Kelly wanted to have a baby they would have to take a man with them to the appointment and get him to lie and say he was one of their partners. They did not want to start their family based on a lie (not to mention one of them not being able to be on the birth certificate and the ‘dad’ having custody rights!) They made a decision. They would have to change the law.

Obviously they didn’t change the laws alone, but can you imagine having to change the laws so you can become a parent? I can’t.

HWW episodes are normally around an hour but this conversation dug into places the three of us weren’t expecting. We diverted off topic (surprise, surprise) but the conversation was too valuable to cut after the journey to motherhood discussion sort of wrapped up so I have cut the episode into two parts and the second part will be released in a fortnight.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

This series focuses on the fact that not all journeys into motherhood look the same. There are many different ways to become a parent.

Journey into Motherhood – IVF egg donation

Approximately one in 35 women are unable to produce their own oocytes (eggs). For those women their options for having a family are to 1) not have children, 2) look to adopt, or 3) experience pregnancy via oocyte (egg) donation.

In this episode of The Hidden World of Women, I speak with Monique who went through the process of donating eggs twice. In the episode Monique says that you have to be under 40 to donate eggs however the requirements have been updated and now women have to be under the age of 35 to donate eggs. For more information you can check out this document https://www.conceptfertility.com.au/files/3415/9287/6930/Egg_Donation_12-3-3_UserTemp_15.pdf

In the episode Monique talks about an article she read in the local paper highlighting the shortage of donor eggs for IVF. I said I would try to find out if there were still the long waitlists to access donor eggs. Not surprisingly I have found it difficult to find that information. Some clinics advertise that there are no wait times but an article that specifically focuses on how hard it is to access donor eggs https://www.childmags.com.au/how-hard-is-it-to-access-donor-eggs/ states that Australia has an egg donor shortage.

I found it fascinating to talk to Monique. As the saying goes ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and I am fast realising just how much I don’t know about the alternate routes to becoming a mother. I had no idea what the process was to donate eggs and as always I am very grateful to Monique for sharing her experiences so freely.

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

This series focuses on the fact that not all journeys into motherhood look the same. There are many different ways to become a parent.

In this episode Emma speaks with Cinta about her journey to become a mother. While not an unconventional journey into motherhood Cinta did start a little earlier than some and was pregnant while sitting her TEE (now ATAR). Cinta talks of how her Irish Catholic upbringing added an extra layer of concern over having to break the news of a teen pregnancy to her family and friends.

In the episode Cinta mentioned the adolescent clinic at King Edward Memorial Hospital and information is available here https://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/Our-services/Service-directory/Adolescent-Clinic Cinta also mentioned special considerations (now called Special Provisions) she had for sitting her TEE (now ATAR) and information is available here https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/assessment/examinations/special-provisions

Emma and Cinta also spoke of high schools that are in Perth with childcare provisions for young parents. In the episode there were two schools mentioned however it turns out there are a lot more options available. Information around the inclusion of pregnant students at school as well as specialist schools with childcare facilities and young father inclusion can be found here http://det.wa.edu.au/detcms/inclusiveeducation/child-protection/public/resources/Guidelines.en?page=14

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

This series focuses on the fact that not all journeys into motherhood look the same. There are many different ways to become a parent.

In this episode Emma speaks with Rebecca about her journey to become a mother. Rebecca and her husband both knew from an early age that conceiving naturally may be challenging for them and so they explored both IVF and adoption.

Rebecca shares her story looking into both adoption and IVF while focusing on sharing her and her husband’s experiences with adopting their son here in Western Australia.

Rebecca talks about the requirements and stages of the adoption process. If you want more information about the process of adopting here in Western Australia you can check out this link https://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/FosteringandAdoption/AdoptionAndHomeForLife/Pages/AllAboutAdoption.aspx

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

It didn’t quite go to plan and instead, in the conversation Emma and Kate talk about how we can create spaces to share birth stories, how we can talk about our experiences of pregnancy, birth and motherhood and ways that we can support mums and create safe spaces.

During the episode Emma and Kate mention that we are trying to create a space where parents can share their birth stories (where mums can share their experiences and where support people can share their stories as well). We see this as having two main benefits, one is a space for people to share experiences that shaped and impacted them and the other is that for expectant parents it can be a village to learn from. If you would like to share your birth story please send it to info@whws.org.au

In the episode Emma mentions a previous episode where Georg and Joanne share their experiences of perinatal mental health issues, that is available here https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-nngt7-10881c2

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Almost 10 million Australians know someone who has been impacted by suicide, that’s almost half the country. With 6 boys and 2 girls taking their lives every day in Australia there are 8 families every day who are losing a child. We want them to know they are not alone while also recognising that everyone’s experience is different. This is one person’s experience of being impacted by suicide, everyone’s experiences are different, but we hope that by talking to Claire we will let others know that they aren’t alone.

Claire channelled her focus after losing Kai to raise money to fund Tomorrow Man to be able to deliver workshops in schools to with the aim to save lives of young men by changing the stigma around men expressing their emotions. 

If you are looking for more information about how you can support people in your life who may be at risk of suicide this website has a range of useful information https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/worried-about-someone/

Kai Eardly Foundation, Kai Fella https://thekaieardleyfoundation.com.au/

Kai Fella facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kaifella

Youtube clip of skateboarding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq2elrkEBTU

Tomorrow man https://www.tomorrowman.com.au/

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode I talk to Carisa Montooth about her experiences of an interracial marriage, raising a biracial daughter and dating in 2021!  

The episode started out intending to talk about how attitudes to interracial marriages have changed over the years, it started out with Carisa talking about her and her husband’s experiences and meandered from there! We went on to talk about dating in 2021 (where do you even start!), healing from past relationships, relationship counselling, the importance of boundaries to protect relationships and just about every topic in between.

If you want to connect with Carisa you can find her on social media:

Website: www.carisamontooth.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carisamontoothlovecoach

Twitter: www.twitter.com/CMontooth

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/carisamontoothlovecoach

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

While the statistics tell us that Heart failure accounts for almost one in 50 deaths, equating to one person dying of heart failure every three hours, or eight deaths each day being due to heart failure Amy was not expecting her fit and healthy 36 year old husband to die in his sleep.

In the episode Amy speaks of her experience of looking into the ocean and thinking it would be easier to swim out and never come back in. If you are experiencing thoughts like this you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ for support or reach out to a loved one the way that Amy did.

Amy has written a book about her journey called Sink or Swim it is available from good book shops or via Amy’s website http://www.amyowilliams.com.au/

If you want to connect with Amy you can find her on social media:

Amy’s facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/sinkorswim.amywilliams/

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/amyowilliams_author/

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

As always I want to thank Lisa for sharing so openly about her experiences and for finding humour,  resilience and hope.

As we are sharing this to raise awareness for Stroke Week 2021 here is some information from https://strokefoundation.org.au/ :

Stroke attacks the brain, the human control centre. More than 27,400 Australians had a stroke for the first time in 2020 – that is one stroke every 19 minutes.   

When a stroke happens, more than 1.9 million brain cells die each minute. The longer a stroke remains untreated, the greater the chance of stroke-related brain damage. 

This National Stroke Week be "United by Stroke" by sharing the F.A.S.T message with your family and friends. You could save a life – possibly your own. 

Using the F.A.S.T. test involves asking these simple questions: Face Check their face. Has their mouth drooped? Arms Can they lift both arms? Speech Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you? Time is critical. If you see any of these signs call triple zero (000) immediately.

Thanks again to Lisa for putting a real-life story to National Stroke Week and helping us raise awareness.

For more information you can check out https://strokefoundation.org.au/

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Big thank you to Fran and James from Hullabaloo who were the videographers for the event and who were able to provide the audio that we were able to use for this episode.

In the episode Jo speaks about PANDA they can be found here: https://www.panda.org.au/

Another resource is Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

And of course WHWS offer perinatal mental health counselling, groups and courses www.whws.org.au

Fran spoke about a short video that she produced last year to raise awareness about fathers experience of PNDA https://vimeo.com/545362808?fbclid=IwAR0KIcnyUDvrDJp7mQYU_YRBQlVvy8JPDIPknn_VNAfH7zpO95rSdVQoBus

In the outro I shared that in our online learning platform, The Hidden World of You, you can use the code 1FREE to get your first month free. On there you will find a range of courses, workshops, books on a range of topics including parenting and mental health and in the outro I specifically mentioned Not What I Was Expecting course focusing on PNDA as well as a self compassion course and anxiety course. You can find out more from http://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/landing-page/

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode of The Hidden World of Women Sophie shares her experience with a late term miscarriage. While somewhere between 1 in 4 and 1 in 10 (depending on which source you look at) pregnancies result in miscarriage, only 1 or 2% of pregnancies will end in a late term miscarriage (a late term miscarriage happens between 12 and 24 weeks). While 1 or 2% of pregnancies ending in late miscarriage may seem like a small percentage, if you are that 1 or 2% then it is huge, life changing and brutal!

When you think the 2020 birth rate for Western Australia was 32,677, 1%= 326, 2%=652. Between 300 and 700 women experienced a late miscarriage last year just in Western Australia and yet we very rarely hear about it. For parents who experience pregnancy loss and miscarriage that loss stays with them and impacts them for life and yet the general public is often unaware of how that loss shapes and affects parents.

Sophie shared her experience of excitement of a gender scan turning to a horror story as she heard they couldn’t find her baby’s heartbeat, having to tell her sons and then having to birth a baby she would never get to take home and her regret at not holding her son. After 2 years she is starting to find herself and heal but Harrison has taken a piece of her with him.

If you or someone you know has experienced miscarriage or pregnancy loss you are not alone. SANDS supports families who have experienced Miscarriage, Stillborn or New born death. The Australian website is https://www.sands.org.au/

The UK site is https://www.sands.org.uk/

Sophie spoke of a Facebook group set up for mothers who have experienced miscarriage and the loss of a child https://www.facebook.com/groups/littledoves/

Red Nose Grief and Loss (formally SIDS and Kids) https://rednosegriefandloss.org.au/

If you are struggling after the loss of a child please reach out for support, contact SANDS or visit your GP for a referral. Red Nose Grief and Loss have a 24 hour phone line 1300 308 307

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Thanks Charlotte for joining me!

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Thanks Kate for joining me and if anyone would like more information you can find Kate at https://brightmums.com.au/

If parenting is not what you were expecting we have workshops specifically tailored to that at https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

If you or someone you know here in Western Australia is due to give birth or has recently given birth WHWS has a fantastic event coming up ‘The elephant in the room’ https://drpac.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/11113

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

If you want to follow Jane you can check her out on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jane.ofthe.wild.urban.wardrobe/

If you are looking for a fantastic # to follow check out #advancedstyle

And don’t forget if you want to keep up to date with what we are offering at Women’s Health and Wellbeing Services www.whws.org.au

Check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

Or check out The Hidden World of You our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Useful links:

Outcare https://www.outcare.com.au/

Keep an eye on the WHWS blog for a write up of the event and photos in the coming days https://www.whws.org.au/blog

To keep up to date on what is happening at WHWS you can check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

As mentioned in the speeches WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

These recordings as well as the leadership workshops and more content on leadership will be added to The Hidden World of You, our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Tash, a mother of two, who shares her story of living in a domestic violence relationship for over 20 years. Tash talks of her experiences whilst in the relationship and of the journey to finally leaving, and the personal growth she has experienced since then.

Thanks for listening :)

Keep an eye on the WHWS blog for a write up of the event and photos in the coming days https://www.whws.org.au/blog

To keep up to date on what is happening at WHWS you can check us out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

We also continue to add content to our Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ

As mentioned in the speeches WHWS (and this podcast) rely on donations to support our community. If you would like to make a donation you can head to our Give Now page. https://www.givenow.com.au/whws

These recordings as well as the leadership workshops and more content on leadership will be added to The Hidden World of You, our online learning platform https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Links from the show: Multiple birth association of WA facebook https://www.facebook.com/pdmba WHWS Parent Group (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/groups/582342785825721 WHWS Circle of Security Group https://www.whws.org.au/event-details/circle-of-security-parenting-day WHWS Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ/videos WHWS Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices Hidden World of You https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

Links from the show

Beyond Blue https://www.beyondblue.org.au/home

Lifeline 131114

Kids Help Line 1800 55 1800

WHWS Parent Group (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/groups/582342785825721

WHWS Circle of Security Group https://www.whws.org.au/event-details/circle-of-security-parenting-day

WHWS Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCju-8oH3lDHZYi18wvgSJTQ/videos

WHWS Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/womenshealthandwellbeingservices

Hidden World of You https://hiddenworldofyou.com.au/

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Lisa, who shares her experience of having a hysterectomy at age 42. Lisa talks us through what lead to her decision to have her uterus removed, and of the feelings she went through before and after the surgery. She also discusses her recovery and what supports she used in her healing, including the website Hyster Sisters which can be found at: www.hystersisters.com/ (Please be mindful of personal experiences discussed on this site, which include positive and negative ones).

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Kate, a photographer and actor whose specialty is boudoir photography. Kate shares her journey as a model in her youth, before a cancer diagnosis stopped her in her tracks, leading her on a completely different life path. Kate shares her experiences photographing many women and how empowering it can be for them. Her work can be found at www.vergestudio.com.au

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Vicki, who shares her journey to motherhood from infertility through to conception via egg donation. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of becoming a mother despite early-onset menopause.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined Jo, her shares her experience of severe postnatal depression after the birth of her second baby. Jo talks about her symptoms leading up to her admission to a Mother Baby Unit and how this hospital stay with her baby helped her. She offers insight into the journey through postnatal depression including how she recovered and healed, and the impact on her family and relationship with her baby of PND.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Robyn who talks about how she and her FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) partner have maintained a good long-term relationship, whilst negotiating parenting when one partner is away for regular periods of time. Robyn discusses tips and strategies they use to thrive in the FIFO family lifestyle.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Marie Mercier who talks about sex and pleasure after birth. Marie completed her sexology Masters thesis on this topic, interviewing women about their experiences (or lack of) of regaining their sex life after having a baby.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined again by Till Heike to talk about stillbirth, pregnancy loss and neonatal loss. Till is the WA state coordinator of SANDS; an organisation that support bereaved parents and families. In this part 2 episode, Till shares more of her own experience of a stillbirth and what happened after she left the hospital without her baby daughter Claudia.

Please visit www.sands.org.au for more information.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Till Heike to talk about stillbirth, pregnancy loss and neonatal loss. Till is the WA state coordinator of SANDS; an organisation that support bereaved parents and families. Till shares her own experience of a miscarriage and also the stillbirth of her daughter Claudia in this part 1 episode.

Please visit www.sands.org.au for more information.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Jazmin to talk about premature babies. Jaz shares her experiences of each birth, and the rollercoaster of emotions that came along with them. We discuss what she found helpful in getting through her births, and what support any parent needs if they experience a premature birth.

In Australia, organizations such as Miracle Babies and Life's Little Treasures support parents and families of premature babies.

Thanks for listening :)

In this episode, Melanie is joined by Sarah to talk about Endometriosis. Sarah shares with us her journey and living with endometriosis for over 20 years. Endometriosis Australia was particularly helpful for Sarah in her journey. 

Did you know there is app for Endometriosis? The app can be very useful for tracking symptoms, triggers, patterns and more for you and your doctor to become familiar with - you can follow the link HERE to learn more.

You can also learn more from the Pelvic Pain Foundation HERE, along with 2 books we would recommend to learn more HERE and HERE.  Thanks for listening!

In this episode we meet our host Melanie with her first guest Emma, and discover what the Hidden World of Women will be covering, What WHWS as an organisation is and more. We talk about the Women’s Health week, starting on the 7th of September and running through to the 11th of September. You can find out about the Womens Health Week HERE. You can find out about our wellness warriors program and the self-care session we discuss by clicking HERE as well as the City of Gosnells Protective Behaviours Parent Workshop by clicking on the links above.  Thanks for listening!