Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

Surviving Family Time in the Holiday Season

20 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

For many families, time spent together in the festive season can actually trigger old patterns of behaviour that lead to stress and discomfort. These...

A New Zealand Midwife talks Australian Maternity Care

18 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond we speak with Angel Temple, a New Zealand trained midwife with postgraduate education in Gender studie...

Dad and I: Sean and Lex Tonnet

06 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring healthy masculinity and aware fathering has always led this presenter, with curiosity, back to his own dad.  Like many men, wanting to unde...

Festive Season Inductions of Labour: The risks, your rights and tools to help

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Special festive season episode in response to issue raised by Shari Lyon Hypnobirthing educator from Gold Coast, Qld.Guests:Shari Lyon, Belly 2 Birth ...

How Infant Massage and Baby Wearing help your Baby Learn

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Esther Perez and Adrienne Megan Lester speak with Sally about the benefits of infant massage and baby wearing - for bonding, enhancing communication a...

From student midwife to graduation, what it's like studying midwifery in Australia

24 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we take you on a journey through studying midwifery to graduation with newly graduated midwife Rosie. We hear first hand what it is like ...

Speak Up! Postpartum and Antenatal Depression and Anxiety in Dads

15 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Recognising, responding to and repairing postpartum and antenatal depression and anxiety in dads.Pregnancy and the first year of parenthood is an exci...

Patreon Episode: Waterbirth for VBAC Part 2 of 2

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Second half of PBB Talks: Waterbirth for VBAC, recorded at Gold Coast Univ. Hospital on 10 November 2018.Bethan Townsend speaks with Caroline Jackson ...

Patreon Episode: Waterbirth for VBAC Part 1 of 2

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bethan Townsend presents the evidence regarding VBAC then her research into women's experiences of VBAC in water.Annalise Bradford (at 32 mins in) sha...

Is Vaginal Birth after Caesarean an Option for me?

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

More than one third of Australian birthing parents undergo a caesarean section for the birth of their babies, and most of those happen to first time p...

From midwifery to trauma healing: One woman's journey

01 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As a midwife, Angela Fitzgerald found she wanted to honour women’s birthing stories more than on the day they give birth. Now working in private pra...

Are you a doula? Your top questions answered with Anna Watts

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a doula (birth companion)? Being a doula isn't all roses and babies, sometimes it is tough and burnout can be frequent. This episode of PBB I ...

How Borderline Personality Disorder can look like PND

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mistaking Postnatal Depression for Borderline Personality Disorder - It's more common than you might think.Borderline Personality disorder comes with ...

Extras: NSW Health Maternity Survey: Tokenistic? One woman has her say

18 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mother of 3 and consumer advocate from Tamworth, NSW, Samantha Wibberley's response to the NSW Health Maternity Care in NSW Survey.: https://www.healt...

Speaking up for Human Rights with Eddie Ayers and Gillian Triggs

11 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A two part episode starting with an interview with ABC Radio broadcaster Eddie Ayers about what he recommends to parents who think they may have a tra...

Healing Through Stories with Susan Perrow

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Parenting wisdom of ancient and contemporary therapeutic story telling.Susan Perrow is an author, story teller, trainer and parent educator. Her first...

The Living Breathing Classroom with Mandala Diehl

27 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mandala Diehl, director of Federal Community Childrens Centre believes children thrive with a strong identity. And the key is nature. She runs her chi...

World Gratitude Day and the blessing of Gathering with Dr Lauren Tober

20 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, in honour of world Gratitude Day, Friday September 21, 2018, we are discussing Gratitude, Gathering an...

Celebrating Inclusion with Misa Alexander

14 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Misa Alexander’s son Hugo is on the autism spectrum. After noticing his behaviour in public setting him apart from other children, she set out to ed...

The Diamonds in the Darkness: When Birth doesn't go to Plan

07 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sally speaks with Krishna Reville, mother of two boys, about her lessons learned from both of her births that were vastly different to the natural, un...

Extras: Menstruation workshops with Georgie Moon

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Recording of live broadcast on 3 Sept 2018.Information: [email protected]

Belonging through Story with Annie Bryant

30 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Annie Bryant is a storyteller on a quest. She wants to understand her place in this ancient land, Australia, as a white woman. Her songs and stories a...

Tuning into Kids and Teens with Dr Christiane Kehoe

23 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tuning into Kids and Teens: The essential guide for parents, to emotional and relationship bonds with children.The importance of emotional competence ...

The Hidden Gifts of Menstruation

16 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Karin Gisler shares her perspectives on menstruation, a process that visits women for about 1/7th of her life during her fertile years.For about 4 day...

Privately Practising Midwifery in Australia with Astra

10 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond a conversation with Astra Joynt, a privately praticing midwife in NSW, Australia. We discuss the work t...

Patreon Episode: Gillian Triggs on women's rights in birth

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Gillian Triggs speaking with Sally about her experiences in pregnancy in the early '80s and perspectives about women today and what she sees as a lack...

Clearing our emotional entanglements with Family Constellation Therapy

02 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Family Constellation therapy is world renowned- in Europe and in Brazil in particular. It mitigates healing in a way that often talk therapy often can...

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent - for Clinicians PART 4 of 4

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent - for Clinicians PART 3 of 4

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent - for Clinicians PART 2 of 4

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent - for Clinicians PART 1 of 4

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Kids and Dogs: Anna's Best Tips for Safety

26 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A dog can be a wonderful addition to a family - a child can hold extremely deep feelings for for their dog that they’ll always remember. And with 4...

Rhea Dempsey on the 3 C's of social attitudes to birth

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is an extract from our live broadcast interview with Rhea Dempsey on BayFM on Monday 16 July 2018. This segment of the interview did not make it ...

Reaching into Pain and Finding Inner Strength with Rhea Dempsey

20 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Rhea Dempsey is one Australia’s best known childbirth educators and author of "Birth with Confidence, Savvy choices for normal birth". Now writing ...

Saving the planet by nurturing our kids' creativity

03 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Hanckel is a mother, author and co-founder of Inspired Education about how we as parents can foster our children's development to meet the immen...

Perinatal Support for Mothers with Doula Nathalie Solis

24 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today we are discussing the vital support continuity with a known birth worker can afford women during pregnancy, childbirth and especially postnatall...

The metamorphosis of motherhood

18 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

When you become a parent there is a shift in identity that occurs, pre-birth expectations drop away as reality kicks in. Life that perhaps was once go...

The Overlooked Phase of Matrescence with Dr Oscar Serrallach

15 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr Oscar Serralach speaks about the little recognised phase of life called "Matrescence". This period is the stage of becoming a mother and like adol...

Nature as Teacher and Healer with Gareth Vanderhope

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Gareth Vanderhope, two times British Academy Award winner in Sound Design, Author, Health Educator and Dad speaks on the importance of nature, reading...

Rites of Passage: Becoming a Grandmother with Raine, Kath and Linda

08 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Becoming a grandmother is its own rite of passage from motherhood to grandmotherhood, yet this transition is seldom discussed and not always smooth. ...

The Consumer's role in Planning Maternity Healthcare Services

01 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Are you a healthcare services consumer? Specifically - have you accessed any form of maternity healthcare services in the last few years? On Friday Ma...

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent: Part 2 of 4

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this part Bec Jenkinson looks at how often clinicians' meet the legal standard for informed consent. In a Queensland study* of the 3500+ women surv...

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent: Part 1 of 4

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

PBB Talks: A Close Look at Informed Consent - for women and cliniciansDr Bec Jenkinson speaking before a live audience at Gold Coast University Hospit...

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent: Part 3 of 4

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Bec addresses here the underlying medico-legal and cultural concerns of clinicians (ie their individual "lines in the sand"), and gives tips for women...

Patreon Episode: A Close Look at Informed Consent: Part 4 of 4

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this part, Bec Jenkinson hands over to Helen, a mother seeking a VBAC who "wanted to make sure everything was OK for me and my baby... I just wante...

One in the Hoop with Liz Ellis

24 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Liz Ellis is arguably Australia’s most well-loved netball athlete. She played for Australia 122 times and captained the national netball team for fo...

Hormones for fertility and pregnancy

18 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Eat whole foods, fruit and vegetables, get rest and get in touch with your body. Not what you’d expect from a naturopath? Well Kim Piper, aka Kim th...

Same Sex Parenting: Raising awareness of the discrimination

03 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The difficult plebiscite process for same sex marriage in 2017 highlighted the enormous discrimination and ignorance faced by same sex couples.  Thes...

Mothers in Business, the early years with Meggie & Alona

26 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Mothers in Business - the first years is the topic of our show today, we are excited to have two gorgeous mothers from our local community here in the...

Women's Circles with Vanessa Wood

12 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest Vanessa Wood is mother to two beautiful boys, she is a practicing Naturopath of 10 years, and a shamanic craftswoman who oversees and partic...

Dr John Travis on transforming relationships when baby comes

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Through his own experiences as a father, Dr John (Jack) Travis came to see how the normalised disconnection and separation of babies from their parent...

Tim Winton on keeping our boys tender and connected

29 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The power imbalances in today's masculinity overwhelmingly impact women, but they also fail boys and men in so many ways, leading to intractable lonel...

Parenting & Personality Disorders: A light in dark corners

22 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

De-stigmatising mental health and supporting stronger familiesThe celebrations and challenges of raising children can be a rich, diverse journey for a...

Vagina Conversations: A midwife's story.

15 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This episode we feature life on the front lines of midwifery. My guest Ti Harrison has been a midwife for the past 27 years and has worked across all ...

Youth Rites of Passage with Dr Arne Rubinstein

13 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many parents or carers of teens and tweens are painfully aware how quickly their young child who bounded with energy, confidence and enthusiasm can fl...

Embedding Creativity into Parenthood with Isobelle Carmody

08 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Author Isobelle Carmody shares her experiences of imbuing her journey as a mother with creativity, bringing her daughter Adelaide every step of the wa...

Adjusting Expectancy: Early experiences of parenthood

07 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A pregnant person or couple have many expectations about their birth, their baby, and parenthood. They dream into what it will be like to give birth, ...

My father, Helen

01 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we meet Kate Speedy, who embarked on a massive journey of transformation when she discovered her father was to transition to being fem...

Grace Unleashed: Birthing differently this time

28 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Grace Lee shares her three very different birth stories in three different countries, from caesarean section to VBAC to water birth in home-like setti...

Life like a modern day gypsy family; travel adventure

22 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”― Jack Kero...

Craniosacral Therapy: Healing with heart for babies, for life

15 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sally speaks with Chris Teale, Craniosacral therapist (and physiotherapist) about the osteopathic therapy known as craniosacral therapy (CST), how it ...

Male Privilege: The Impact on Raising Children

08 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

From birth, many boys are taught that to be a man you have to be competitive and emotionally tough and that vulnerability is a women's domain. How we ...

Birth stories: Reading between the lines with Hannah Dahlen

25 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Many women do not receive appropriate care when in labour, making birth more difficult and painful. They then rarely get the opportunity afterwards t...

Eco-parenting with Nature's Child

19 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

“we are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to” Terri Swearingen If we all make small changes, big things can happen. This episo...

Reconnecting our kids - and ourselves - with nature

14 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of t...

Interview with Ibu Robin Lim; Healthy Birth Healthy Earth

02 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Tune in to hear about Bumi Sehat and Robin Lim's book 'Placenta the Forgotten Chakra'. Aired live on bayfm 99.9 Byron Bay Community radio station in ...

Healing kids' anxieties through play

31 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sally's interview with Dr Lawrence Cohen, parent, child psychologist and author of titles including "Playful Parenting" and "The Opposite of Worry" on...

Mary's birthing Jesus story

23 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In honour of Christmas day 2013 on the Pregnancy Birth & Beyond show we featured the visionary story of Mary birthing Jesus. An untold story of Chris...

Patreon Episode: One way parents can get the support they need

22 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Final part of Sally's interview with Dr Lawrence Cohen on the foundation of playful parenting - the need for parents' to be supported and heard as wel...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 10. The babymoon

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

While it’s important for parents to plan a safe birth of their baby, they also set themselves up for the best possible start in their new life.  Th...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 9. Preparing siblings for birth

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Pregnancy and birth is a period of huge change for the other child or children too, so they need special preparation too.  There are some simple tips...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 8. Getting support after birth

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A new baby is completely helpless and will need lots of holding and loving attention to acclimatise to the world around them.  This means that their ...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 7. Feeding - both you and your baby

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In the early days and weeks, a mother and baby’s recovery from birth and transitioning to their new life together is assured by plenty of time to re...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 6. Sleep and settling

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

​Eessential information for safe sleep for baby and how you can get the most sleep possible in the early months.  They key to peaceful sleep for ...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 5. Buying things for baby

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There is a huge array of baby products on the market but what do you really need in the early months for your baby?  You may be surprised to find tha...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 4. Preparing mentally for birth

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The key to mental preparation for this period rests on understanding the environment a woman needs to give birth efficiently and therefore most safely...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 3. Informed consent - your rights in birth

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This episode covers informed consent and the legal need for all decisions relating to maternal and foetal care to be in the hands of the mother, not t...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 2. How the body gives birth

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There are only theories about how the onset of labour is triggered, but it is known that the limbic system in the brain releases a cocktail of hormone...

A Baby on the Way: Ep. 1. Choosing your maternity carer

19 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

​A description of the main models of care available, followed by an assessment of the evidence on which models have the best outcomes.  Probably no...

Extra PBB segments: Midwife Tina Greve

15 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Tina Greve on the distinction between normal birth and physiological birth, host Sally Cusack interviewed at Midwifery Today Conference, Byron Bay, Au...

Fostering belonging

15 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As a society, which upholds love, belonging and family, available foster carers areshamefully low. Yet there are multitudes of ways to foster a young ...

Emotional Wellbeing in Families: The Early Prevention of Mental Health

06 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

By 2030, depression will be the biggest mental health issue on the planet and currently is costing us billions of dollars a year. In this episode we ...

What's self-love got to do birth preparation

29 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Is radical self-love the missing key in birth preparation? Our guest Virginia Bobro, has been working with pregnant families and new parents for over ...

Capturing the moment: The rise and rise of birth photography

23 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Even though the camera was invented over 130 years ago, only in the last 20-30 years has the camera made its way into the birth room, and most of thos...

Preparing for Childbirth with Anna Watts

16 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Looking at the Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual aspects of preparing for childbirth, with Anna Watts. Founder of Celebration of Birth Doula A...

Taking Birth to a Positive place

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

For people listening in today or if you have friends or family with unresolved birth trauma, no matter how long ago, there are birth trauma specific ...

Stepping Up: Feeling the fear and doing it anyway

02 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Profile of an activist, volunteer and mother - Nicqui Yazdi. Sally's conversation with Nicqui covers broad terrain from how she came to train as a me...

Dad time: Maintaining your health & fitness when you become a parent

25 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

From the throes of sleep deprivation to driving our children from one activity to the next, parenthood can wreak havoc on our usual schedule. As such...

Surviving fertility challenges

19 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Fertility challenges can take many forms. Women may have experienced miscarriages, inability to fall pregnant, chemical pregnancies, or more. This has...

Food Sustainabillity starts at the kitchen table with Eva Perroni

17 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we will be looking at the links between our family kitchen and food sustainability. How and where our food comes from, the impact we a...

Breastfeeding 101

10 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Breastfeeding, a biological norm, while natural is a learnt skill for both mother and baby. Breastfeeding is for many an intrinsic part of the parenti...

Extras: Keto cooking and Oz/Israeli Family Travels

30 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sally filling in for The Belly Show on 99.9 BayFM in Byron Bay on 11 September 2017.Featuring:* Ray and Josephine Cusack with two grain free recipes, ...

Help me keep close to my baby

28 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The first minutes, hours and days with a newborn baby are crucial for setting up the best possible adjustment to life outside the womb, learning to br...

"No one told me what it would be like" preparing for postpartum

12 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When a baby is born, a new family unit is also birthed. There is a lot to learn, and to adjust to. While life goes on around you, for a new parent or ...

The Changing Landscape of Medicine - Part2. Produced and Presented by Annalee Atia.

11 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our Australian Healthcare system is considered to be one of the best in the world, it came shy just after the U.K. Second best. Countries that provide...

Extras: Drama for kids - connection, confidence, imagination

28 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Sally's interview with Shona Anderson of Nebula Drama on the many benefits the dramatic arts brings to kids.Broadcast on 99.9 BayFM Byron Bay, Austral...

raising kids who care about the earth

21 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This episode of Pregnancy Birth and Beyond we are talking about raising kids who care for the earth, sustainability and farm life. Our guest is Annie...

Blended families, change and Fatherhood

18 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Were talking about blended families, parenting and fatherhood in this episode of Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond. Our guest Erik Adams is a father, long-t...

The missing link in birth preparation

11 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

According to the Relationship Research Institute in Seattle, approx two thirds of couples find their relationship has suffered within three years of t...

Our wired-up, connected-in life. What's the fuss about?

02 Aug 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Since the invention of the mobile phone nearly 30 years ago, we have seen an explosion of wireless technologies come into our lives. Now, almost ever...