In this episode, I’m joined by sisters Hannah and Em. Hannah is a mother to three children: Iris, Oaka, and Charlie. Iris and Oaka are angel babies, who Hannah very sadly lost during her pregnancies with them, before she had Charlie, who is now 20 months old. So I’d obviously like to include a trigger warning here as we do discuss Hannah’s story of miscarriage and pregnancy loss at a few points throughout today’s chat. I’ve put some resources below that I encourage you to visit if this episode brings anything up for you. Hannah’s story in episode 4 touches on pregnancy and parenting after multiple pregnancy losses. She also shares her motherhood journey with Charlie: from birth, breastfeeding, sleep challenges, and relationship and friendship shifts. 

Em is a mother to an almost 3-year-old son, Wilbur. In episode 5, Em shared her experience of breaking up with her partner who she’d been with since they were in high school due to his infidelity. All of this happening while Em was navigating new motherhood with a young toddler. She speaks about navigating being single for the first time since she was 16, dating as a single parent, navigating co-parenting, and her motherhood journey with Wilbur. 

Sharing these things that aren’t spoken about very often is so important in others feeling less alone, and I thank you for your honesty Hannah and Em. 

Today’s chat is such a raw and open conversation about their experience of growing up through their parents' hostile divorce, which had a massive impact on them, with both of them living alone in commission housing and having to work to get themselves through their final years of high school as a result. Following the divorce, both of their relationship's with their mother was impacted as well, and they don't have her as a part of their lives today. So they speak about how that has been in their own motherhood journeys. They also touch on how their parents' divorce has influenced their attitudes to their own parenting choices and styles, and on Em’s outlook to her co-parenting relationship with her son’s father. We also catch up on how parenthood has shifted for them in the 8-9 months since we recorded and how everything is going for them now.

You can listen to Hannah's story in episode 4 of season 1 here.

You can listen to Em's story in episode 5 of season 1 here.

PANDA: ⁠https://panda.org.au/⁠

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

Pink Elephants: ⁠https://www.pinkelephants.org.au/⁠

SANDS: ⁠https://www.sands.org.au/⁠

Follow our instagram ⁠⁠@definitelybabypodcast⁠⁠ for photos of weekly guests, and episode updates and releases.

The Definitely Baby theme music was written by Hagan Mathews and produced at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@sleeplessfootscray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The photo in the podcast logo was taken by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@maki.levine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wadawurrung, the Wurundjeri Wilam and Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation. Australia always was and always will be the land of the First Peoples. Every month, I Pay The Rent and so can you - click⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to learn more.