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Ladies, We Need To Talk
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Ladies, We Need To Talk

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Sex, health and relationships – Yumi Stynes delves into the issues women face but often find hard to talk about.  

Episodes are conversational and relatable: we talk to real women about real stuff, from sexuality, mental health, pregnancy, parenting, erotic fantasies and everything in between.

Hear from experts about the wonders of our bodies, who answer the question "Am I normal?". Women share their deeply personal stories to help you feel understood and part of a community.  

Whether it be the appearance of our vaginas, the orgasm gap or questions about our hormones, we all need reassurance sometimes and Ladies We Need to Talk has your back.

The messages we're bombarded with as women can be overwhelming and confusing. Get 8-hours of sleep. Kick goals at work. Be sexy. Look after yourself, look after your kids, your parents, your partner, your dog. Date. Try self-pleasure and masturbation. Experiment with sex toys. Be everything but don't burn out. It can be a lot. The podcast supports women, no matter where they're at in life.  

Ladies We Need to Talk brings you stories from women experiencing pelvic pain as well experts in treatment in the field. We cover conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, IBS, period pain, persistent pelvic pain and urinary tract infections.  

The symptoms experienced by women during perimenopause, the 10–15-year period before menopause are often underplayed or misdiagnosed by doctors, leaving women feeling confused and unheard. The podcast looks at some of the common symptoms connected with perimenopause, including disturbed sleep, night sweats, hot flushes, dry vagina, mood changes, brain fog and depression.  

You'll hear advice about how to cope with metal health issues. Women share their tips on sobriety and exploring being sober curious when alcohol starts to have an unhealthy impact.

You'll also hear from psychologists and case studies on how to cope with anxiety. Get practical advice on what to do when life feels overwhelming and worry takes over.  

Coercive control, a pattern of manipulative and intimidating behaviours within a relationship is also discussed on the podcast.  

Different ways of having romantic and sexual relationships are talked about openly. You'll meet swingers who go to sex parties and polyamorous couples negotiating bringing up children as well as monogamous couples dealing with sharing the mental load.  

As caregivers, women often bear the brunt of caring responsibility within the home and the wider family. You'll hear women from the "sandwich generation" who are raising their kids while looking after aging parents.  

 
147 Episodes
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Egg freezing is sold as a way for women to hack their fertility and buy some more time on the biological clock.Fertility companies are marketing the procedure as an insurance policy, but some experts argue it's better thought of as a lottery.Rates of egg freezing have almost doubled in recent years but the number of people coming back to use those eggs are staggeringly low and even then, there's no guarantee of a baby. Then there's the cost, between $5000-$10,000 per cycle.Alongside egg freezing, the AMH test, or egg timer test, is also being promoted as a way for women to take control of their fertility but the only way to know if you're fertile is to try and get pregnant.This episode sorts the science from the sell around egg freezing and fertility tests.Featured in this episode:Dr Tessa Copp, University of Sydney School of Public Health.
Samhita had it all. As the executive editor of Teen Vogue she was living the Devil Wears Prada life — fashion shows, fancy dinners and towering heels.She was a girlboss. But at the height of her success, cracks began to appear. She was anxious, burnt out and her body was falling apart.But Samhita was at New York Fashion Week in a fur coat and clutching a Gucci handbag, having just put Malala Yousafzai on the cover of her magazine, who was she to complain?After spending a lifetime trying to climb the corporate ladder, she started to wonder whether it was possible, as a woman, to have it all. And if so, was it worth the cost?Samhita sits down with Yumi Stynes to talk about redefining success and happiness.
There's an expectation that couples share a bed, but what if sleep isn't compatible with being in the same room as your other half? Maybe they snore, maybe they starfish, or maybe you just need a few hours without another human touching you.Is a sleep divorce, AKA, having separate bedrooms, the answer?There's a trend towards normalising sleeping separately from your partner. Cameron Diaz is doing it. So are the Beckhams. But does this arrangement spell the end of sex and intimacy? Or does it make for a better night's sleep and a better waking relationship?
Ladies is making a special series about WTF happens when we go through perimenopause and how to make it to the other side intact. There’s a ton of information out there about this phase, some of it confusing, a lot of it nonsense. Never fear, we’re here to help you sort fact from fanny fart!We want to hear your stories of change, from what’s going on with your bodies and brains, to sex and relationships. Has your libido hidden in a cupboard? Is the sound of your children fighting enough to send you over the edge? Does it feel like your brain has turned to sludge and your waistline is breaking new barriers? Whatever it is, we want to know!  Send a voice note or an email to ladies@abc.net.au
The Ozempic era

The Ozempic era

2024-10-2830:38

Is Ozempic the drug of our lifetime? Since it burst onto the scene it's become synonymous with weight loss, with everyone from A-list celebrities to your next-door neighbour rapidly slimming down.The popularity of the drug and others like it such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, has led to demand outstripping supply, with the price of these medications falling out of reach for some. And along with the cheekbones Ozempic face has unearthed, it's also forcing us to have some uncomfortable conversations around fatness, fatphobia and what it means to be 'healthy'.For some Australian women, it's changed their lives. Others are still grappling with how the world treats their new body.In this episode of Ladies, We Need to Talk, Yumi Stynes finds out what the Ozempic era means for all bodies
There aren't many people on your Instagram feed who are as loved and as loathed as Abbie Chatfield.Ever since Abbie shot to fame as the slut-shamed villain on The Bachelor Australia in 2019, she's been a public and controversial figure who's hard to look away from.Five years and almost 500K followers later, Abbie's built an empire on sharing her trauma dumps, UTIs, political rants and sexcapades.Abbie's openness has earnt her lots of fans but it's also made her the target of sexist and violent online threats.So how does this former real-estate girly from Brissy manage living a life in the spotlight while staying sane in the real world?
What if your man has another, equally important woman in his life: his mum?For some sons, the aprons strings are tied so tight, it’s impossible to compete with mummy. She’s his number one fan, dotes on him and interferes in his life, including his relationships. It’s not sexy.So, can a mama’s boy ever reform and stand on their own two feet in a relationship? Or will you always come off second best?Yumi Stynes and Jess McGuire lay down the law when it comes to being with a mama’s boy. Hint: they must be able to do their own washing. 
As we get older, wiser, more resilient, and better placed to back seat drive, the world does not reward us. Or our grey hair.If the advances of human progress can make a potato chip taste like a beef rendang curry, why are women still, after all this time and progress, so judged by the way we look?The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery estimates Australians spend around $1 billion a year on cosmetic procedures. We're talking facelifts, tummy tucks, brow lifts, neck lifts, rhinoplasties, breast implants. And the training bras of plastic surgery, Botox and fillers.So if we're spending so much money on looking young, are we complicit in society's obsession with youth?Women, young and old, tell us their stories of what drew them under the knife (or needle) while dermatologist Dr Ritu Gupta, marketing expert Karen Ferry, make-up artist Linda Jefferyes and beauty editor Cecily-Anna Bennett help to make sense of how we got here.This episode is one of the best from the grand cathedrals of the Ladies, We Need to Talk archives.Note: Karen Ferry is now an Advertising Executive Creative Director, no longer at Leo Burnett.
Aubrey Gordon is a fat woman. She's not on a diet or trying to get thinner and that pisses some people off, but she's done apologising.This self-acceptance has been hard fought. All her life, Aubrey has had to swallow comments about her size from strangers and family alike. Like all of us, she was force-fed the idea that there is only one ideal body: a thin one.Aubrey's resistance started with her blog, Your Fat Friend, where she wrote about what it's like to live in the world as a fat person and dared to suggest that fat people deserve the same rights as everyone else. The blog touched a nerve, giving a voice to people who had been silenced and launched Aubrey’s public career.Aubrey is the co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast, which calls bullshit on the so-called wellness industry. Oh, and she has a laugh that fills up the room.Yumi and Aubrey talk about anti-fat bias, online hate and the myth of the perfect body.
You're on a date and there's a spark, the chat is great, the vibes are flowing. But come the time to disrobe, all that potential sexual brilliance comes crashing down. They're a dud root. So what on earth do you do if you've got a connection with someone, but they're not rocking your socks off? How do you have a conversation about what you like, without hurting their feelings? And can you ever turn a jackhammer into a magical orgasm wand? Yumi Stynes and sex therapist Aleks Trkulja get under the sheets and figure out how to communicate your way to the pleasure palace.
The Other Woman

The Other Woman

2024-09-1628:23

The Other Woman. The bit on the side. Side hoe. She's the biggest villain of them all. She's probably younger, hotter and she's left the girl-code far behind, because THAT woman is stealing your man, girl. So, who is 'the other woman' and what's driving her towards married men anyway? In this episode, Yumi sits down with women dating men who are teken and finds out how they navigate their own messy relationships and emotions.
Jill Stark spent most of her life defined by alcohol. Either as a hard-drinking party girl, spurred on by a culture of drinking as a journalist, or as the poster child for sobriety, trapped by a public identity that revolved around abstinence. Yumi and Jill talk about her journey to genuine sobriety on her own terms, and how she has learned who she is without booze.   Resources:National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline1800 250 015 Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org.au/1300 222 222 Hello Sunday Morning https://hellosundaymorning.org/Lifeline13 11 14 
We’re all about labia love here at Ladies, but it seems that some women are less than enthusiastic about their lower lips. So what’s the real deal on the labiaplasty? Will cosmetic surgery really help restore the labia love to those who just aren’t feeling it? Yumi is here to unpack the problems with our flaps and give us the low-down on the down-there surgery.  
Tick, tock, tick, tock... can you hear that? It’s your biological clock and it’s about to blow! For some, deciding whether to have a baby isn’t just about fertility, it’s also about weighing up whether becoming a parent is the path best taken.  Never fear, Yumi Stynes has perched herself behind the mic to hold your hand and navigate this tricky time-bomb. 
At 31, Jamila Rizvi’s life changed forever. The discovery of a rare brain tumour knocked the ass-kicking, over-achieving media advisor and young mum sideways.  Jamila had two rounds of brain surgery, followed by radiation, and now lives with chronic health conditions. She’s had to re-map what life looks like and let go of the idea that she can control what lies ahead. Despite the challenges, Jamila’s found strength in herself and by leaning on those closest to her. In this episode, Jamila and Yumi dig into the wisdom that comes from being dealt one of life’s curve balls.   
We all have days when we look in the mirror and think “who is that hideous moll staring back at me??” But what if those days are constant and you feel like a loser in the attractiveness lottery?  Let’s face it, being hot is a social currency and the pressure to look a certain way as a woman is constant. So how can we let go of the ideal beauty standard (whatever that is on a given day) and learn to love the image looking back at us?  Yumi Stynes is here with her gal pals Myf Warhurst and Zan Rowe to cut through the bull crap and help you embody your smoking self.  
Perimenopause can be bad for your health. It’s not just the physical symptoms like weight gain, insomnia, exhaustion and loss of sex drive that can knock women sideways, the mental health impacts can be immense as well. Hormone fluctuations during this period can lead to mood swings, anxiety, brain fog and depression. To make matters worse, these symptoms are often misdiagnosed and mistreated.  Help is at hand though! Yumi Stynes becomes an honourary member of the club and gets the 411 on all things perimenopause and mental health.  Featured in this episode: Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, director of Monash University’s Health Education Research Centre Lifeline: 13 11 14   Menopause Friendly AustraliaHER Centre Australia
Have you ever had a sexual dry spell? And when we say dry, we mean years and years. Getting naked and doing the bedroom rodeo with another person can be daunting at the best of times, but especially if it’s been such a long time you’re worried you may have forgotten how to ride the horse.  Anxieties begin to take over...Will everything work like it used to? What if they don’t like my body? And what if the dog walks in?  So, how can you break the dry spell and get back in the saddle? Yumi Stynes and Jess McGuire strip bare and give no-holds-barred advice on how to reclaim your sexual power after a long absence.  
In life, there are a lot of random rules women stick to. One of them is not telling loved ones about a pregnancy until after the first trimester. But why???The answer is more often than not, miscarriage.  
Being in love feels so damn good, right? But what if you fall so deeply into your relationship, you start to forget who you are?  
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Comments (57)

Bu M

it's quite apparent how the 2nd* speaker feels about herself. Berating herself for feelings most of us have experienced. I hope she finds some solace and ways to speak kindness and grace into her life.

May 21st
Reply

Lis Stanger

Great episode. Please thank everyone involved. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

May 13th
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G DeA

Geez. I am almost 60, just met a new man and I have an appointment tomorrow to get lasered... I have never had my crotch layered or waxed but always trimmed. I would rather not remove my hair but have to admit that the porn industry has done a huge disservice to women and even men my age or older expect no or little hair. I am waaayyy too old to squat over a mirror, so off I go to spend 600 dollars I really don't have to submit to societal pressures. sux.

Oct 21st
Reply

Bridie Laffey

This was quite a hard podcast to listen to. such a big sacrifice

Oct 5th
Reply

Fiona Smith

my favorite podcast, so funny and informative 😄 😀

Sep 8th
Reply

Keira Dooley

You shouldn't have children if you're not willing to accept and love them for who they are. The parents should be utterly ashamed of themselves.

Sep 2nd
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majopareja

This episode is the exact reason why I listen to this podcast. The taboo topic and shocking experiences make this difficult conversations extremely important and necessary.

Aug 13th
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G de Almeida

Yes.... my now ex partner had the task of unloading the dishwasher, which he hated. So he unloaded the dishwasher before the dishwasher had run, and pretended not to notice that the plates still had dried spaghetti sauce. Of course, I couldn’t tell which mugs or cutlery etc .. was clean so I had to take all the stuff out and do several loads of dishes. He did not do this just once- he did it until I finally took over this hated task. We finally broke up over taking out the garbage - it was ALWAYS my job and I felt we should both be responsible, whenever the garbage was full. But he passively aggressively refused and would continue to heap garbage on a full can until it was spilling out on the floor if I didn’t take it out myself. The last straw came when I asked him to please take out the garbage... I had left it for two weeks to see if he would take it out and it was still sitting there. He said he would ( he would always agree then NOT comply) and I went to have a shower. When I came

Jun 21st
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G de Almeida

Okay so you need to have an enema first, use tons of lube, possibly use something to stretch out the area first, be prepared to get through the pain and the be really careful not to go from anus to vagina because the chance of transferring bacteria is huge. All to please a man who is constantly on pornhub and thinks that this is totally normal. I get if the woman really, really wants to try anal but it seems that the majority of women are doing it because they feel they should, or they have also been exposed to misogynistic porn and believe what they see is normal, like “ facials”. I have had friends who have tried anal and it has been BERY painful in a lot of cases- only one woman I know liked it. It seems that you need to have really open communication with your partner as well as a very caring partner, and , again, I am willing to bet that the majority of women are not able to engage their partners in discussions about sex because all men think they are gods between the sheets and f

Jun 21st
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Keira Dooley

love this!

Apr 22nd
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Jacqui du-Buisson

So glad that drinking has become a topic to get honest about. I haven't had a drink in about 8 years after I realised something that I had just done socially had become a habit at the end of every day ' to take the edge off things' once I had children. I wanted to be present for myself and my family and I didn't like the person I was becoming so I stopped. Life's much better for me now I'm not living with drinking or thinking about drinking. I found though, friends and new people I meet are a bit suspicious (not sure if that is the right word) of my decision and perhaps a bit worried that I may be judging them (which, quite frankly, I couldn't give a rat's about their choice around alcohol). I don't speak about it unless someone asks me why I don't drink and I've learned to say "I'm not drinking tonight" instead of "I don't drink" because it immediately changes the vibe of any interactions I have with people I meet in social situations. Many of my friends drink every night and quite a

Apr 19th
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Jacqui du-Buisson

making my appointment today. we need an action group to petition the government for post natal care based on the French model.

Apr 18th
Reply

Audrey

hi, any body is there?? ? where are you guys☹️ long time no see 😢 miss you so much from iran.

Apr 6th
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majopareja

I'd never heard this podcast, but I am so fascinated by this conversation's honesty and intimacy. It makes me want to listen to so much more.

Mar 27th
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snoblue07

the best

Jul 6th
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Lis Stanger

5 stars

Jun 16th
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Susan James

Thank you for the discussion on Crohn’s Disease in particular, but the whole discussion as well. It is so important to raise awareness.

Feb 29th
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Pam Gregg

Thanks for this! Great to be part of the club... but .. After 8 years menopause and 4 in preimenopause... and still hot sweats every 2 hours... how do I get out of the club!🤣

Jan 27th
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Cath Tucker

Thanks Umi, for your podcast on boobs. It was very interesting. I am 53 years old and I have Cystic Fibrosis. I was nearly always quite skinny due to the fact that we have trouble digesting proteins and fats. I have small boobs and even now that I have gone through menopause and a double lung transplant 3 years ago. I had the bikini cut which meant they operated just underneath boobs, looking like I had a boob job where I jokingly say they forgot to put the false boobs in! It has been an interesting recovery once receiving my donor’s lungs. Of course my breathing is amazing now and they saved my life. I think my boobs have been restored so well, maybe slightly on a different angle but I am happy. The scars are slowly disappearing. Your podcast has given me more confidence about my boobs. I actually prefer having small boobs, as I love my sport especially soccer which helped my health with my chronically infected lungs.

Jan 23rd
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Robert Aviles

Hahaha this pod is a massive pile of shitty garbage

Jan 20th
Reply (2)