A conversation with Tony Tow. The first of a series of speaking with new fathers about their initiation into fatherhood. Statistics show that going from Man to Father is not an easy ride, and while women get the bulk of prenatal, birth and postnatal attention, new fathers are pretty much left on the sideline without much support or guidance. New fathers often return to work quickly after the birth and maintain a ‘normal’ life whilst everything around them has been turned upside down. This series is my intention to offer more awareness enquiry about how men are doing in the early weeks, months and years of fatherhood. In this episode, I speak with Tony Tow from www.Mantribe.com.au - I had the pleasure of supporting Tony and his wife, Jess Osie as their Doula for the two births of their babies. You can record a question for me to answer on my podcast: www.speakpipe.com/annamaria Learn more about Tony Tow: www.mantribe.com.au/tony Follow me: Instagram - www.instagram.com/annamaria_boelskov/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/annamarianutriti…stherbalistdoula Website - www.annamaria.com.au/ Podcast - podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mums…re/id1236441866

In pregnancy and the postpartum, we benefit greatly by understanding the many valuable tools we have available to us which can make a difference to our wellbeing, the birth and the postpartum recovery. In this episode, I speak with Dr Vibeke Murphy of @vibeke_murphy www.drvibekemurphy.com who is a Sydney based chiropractic, yoga teacher and health consultant. Listen in and learn how chiropractic treatments work and how this may help you feel your very best in pregnancy and recover well in the postpartum.

In this episode, learn how you can be proactive in caring for your mental health and how to reach out for support and prepare for the postpartum. I speak to Dr. Michela Sorensen about mental health in motherhood. It is crucial that we acknowledge the highs and lows of becoming a parent. Mental health is important and it is crucial we look after our emotions and state of mind - especially as parents. You can find Dr. Michela Sorensen on her website: https://www.drmichelasorensen.com/ and on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmichelasorensen/ For more support and information about mental health you can reach out to https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/national-help-lines-and-websites

Meditation is an invaluable skill to have for any new parent. Learning to meditate and incorporate it into your daily life is a gift to yourself, your child(ren), family and surroundings. In this episode, I speak with Vedic Meditation teacher Jess Osie about the benefits of meditation - specifically Vedic Meditation. This technique is simple, easy and incredibly helpful for anyone wanting more clarity, connection and energy. Listen to the experience of fellow mother Jess Osie about her journey from anxiety to meditator, teacher and mother - the life philosophy and practices that she has for her self and her family, as well as her meditation community, is nothing short of inspiring and admirable. Jess Osie offer all Mumspire listeners a 10% discount if you decide to learn to meditate with Jess. You can find out more about Jess and get in touch with her here www.jessosie.com and follow her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jessosie/

In this episode, I speak with Sydney based Jennifer Hazi who is a practising Midwife and mother of 5 about how a birth plan can be helpful for you and your birth team. Use your birth plan as a way of preparing you for your labour, birth and postpartum. A birth plan can serve you as a tool to help you prepare for the birth of your baby as well as a way for you to easily share your wishes and preferences with your birth team. You can read more about our guest Jennifer Hazi on https://www.jenniferhazi.com/ where you also can download her Birth Tool Kit.

My conversation with paramedic Theo Mallos will help you feel confident about what you need to know about emergencies and what you can do at home to keep your child(ren) safe. Do you know what to do if your child is showing signs of feeling unwell? Do you wonder when you should call emergency? Do you know what to do while you wait for the ambulance in the event of an emergency? Getting familiar with and confident about risks and emergencies when you start a family will help you to make sound decisions to ensure your family's safety.

My conversation with dentist Dr Steven Lin unlocks ancient knowledge that easily can be used by every household to ensure your child’s optimal jaw and teeth development and long-term oral health. This is something you can start from the first year of your baby’s life. It is everyone's nightmare to have to spend thousands of dollars on braces and dentist bills - not only expensive but also uncomfortable. The solution is in your food, by eating the foods that are required for the development of the bones you can prevent a lot of tooth-ache further down the track. Listen to Dr Steven Lin's expertise and be excited about how much you can actually do to give your child a great start in life with strong and beautiful teeth.

I have Helena Mooney back on the podcast to talk about toddler tantrums and how aware parenting techniques can help us build a stronger connection with our child and support them in their developmental expression. We discuss tips and ideas on how to act during a tantrum, reasons why they appear and how you can predict them, as well as why children get tantrums and how it’s good for their development. These core steps help us be more empathic with our own needs and feelings when parenting is challenging but it also helps us support our child and leads the way for easier parenting, stronger connections and less tantrums.

This episode dives into the facts of meat consumption and how to be health conscious and looking after the environment at the same time. Joel Hughton (Kingsmore Meats) takes us through the facts and shares his personal journey of fatherhood and being an ethical butcher.  In this conversation we discuss the cost of meat products, the facts of ethical farming and why grass fed and grass finished meat matters.

This week's guest on Mumspire is Dr. Sujay Kansagra, the director of Duke University’s Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program and author of the book “My Child Won’t Sleep.” Together we discuss and dive into the differences between co-sleeping and sleep training and dispel some myths that could be holding you from helping your baby sleeping soundly. There is not just one method to get you and your child sleep well at night but several. Our mission is simple - to help kids (and parents) get a good night’s sleep and Dr. Sujay has some brilliant insight and wisdom to share in this episode.

World renowned Australian photographer Anne Geddes gives us an insight into her personal journey of motherhood and the passion behind her remarkable work with babies and families. Anne shares her wisdom on why we must honour the miracle that our individual journeys are into motherhood and why we need to share our stories and celebrate our babies.