We’re told boobs are sexy! Bouncy! Nutritious food banks even! But what happens when they betray you? 

Every year in Australia, around 20,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Forty per cent of those will need a mastectomy, surgery to have the breast tissue removed. Some of those women will choose not reconstruct, to stay "flat."

Yumi Stynes speaks to "flatties" about their relationship with their new bodies. You'll hear from women who've had one or both breasts removed about how their decision has reshaped their sex lives and body image and how they've found hope in new forms.

If you've got boobs, or know someone who does, this episode will make you question how you think about them. 

Featured in this episode: 

• Dr Charlotte Tottman, psycho-oncologist  

Useful links:

Upfront About Breast Cancer – What You Don't Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman

Breast Cancer Network Australia

So Brave Breast Cancer Charity

Mastectomy: Breast Surgery and Recovery

What to listen to next: 

Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?

Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid’s success

Getting to the bottom of IBS

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:  

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

This episode contains references to breast cancer, going flat, staying flat, flatties, reconstruction, surgery, chemotherapy, body image, femininity, boobs, psychology, mental health, gender. 

When she was 16, Pub Choir's Astrid Jorgensen wanted to be a nun. So how did she end up in pubs, night after night, teaching people to sing?

For years, Astrid felt like she didn't belong to the world of music. But she found her way in, on her terms. Astrid was never going to be an elite Opera singer, but in rediscovering the joy of singing for the sake of it, she invited the world to sing along too.

Astrid has fused her unique talents together to create Pub Choir — the largest choir in the world. She teaches everyday punters to sing a three-part harmony, where the audience becomes the performers.

Yumi Stynes sits down with Astrid for a candid conversation about the messiness of life, how she found her voice and began singing to her own tune.

What to listen to next: 

Turia Pitt is a selfish woman

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

This episode contains references to Pub Choir, Bulimia, Backstreet Boys, Cher, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Africa, Cranberries, Zombie, Dolores O’Riordan, Toto, Average at Best, music teacher, spiritual quest, religion, abusive teacher, music, audiation, sensory, senses, conducting, choir, crowd, stage.

Up to one in five people have irritable bowel syndrome and women are three times as likely to be affected. From bloating, cramping, constipation and diarrhea, the symptoms can be debilitating, let alone make it hard to do up a pair of jeans! 

Even though IBS is so common, there’s no cure. But there’s increasing research about the best ways to manage symptoms - from the low FODMAP diet to managing anxiety to live a better and less gassy life.  

Featured in this episode: 

• Associate Professor Jess Biesiekierski from the University of Melbourne

IBS participant study https://www.gutresearchstudy.com.

What to listen to next:  

Calling out wellness bullsh*t with Dr Jen Gunter

Sandwich generation — the women looking after everyone

Mental health: Overcoming depression

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:   

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

This episode will answer questions like: 

• What is IBS? 
• What does IBS feel like? 
• How do you know you have IBS? 
• How can you manage IBS? 
• Can you cure IBS? 
• How is the mind and gut connected? 
• What does stress have to do with IBS? 

This episode contains references to IBS, irritable bowl syndrome, HotGirlsHaveIBS , leaky gut, pain, gut pain, faecal transplants, anxiety, mental health, therapy, microbiome, FODMAP, diet, mind gut connection.

With "wellness" advice from influencers flooding our feeds, it's hard to sort fact from absolute nonsense and know what to eat to feel good.

Enter Laureate Professor in nutrition and dietetics, Clare Collins. Yumi sits down with Clare to get the low down on the good stuff we should be eating on and the nasty stuff we should avoid. How much protein is enough? Is fibre a big deal? Are probiotics bulls*#t?

This episode will help you turn down the noise on nonsense diet trends and listen to what your guts are telling you.

What to listen to next: 

Calling out wellness bullsh*t with Dr Jen Gunter

Stepmums: Why do they get such a hard time?

Endometriosis: Pain, periods, medical gaslighting

Clare and Jessie Stephens on twinning, pregnancy and envy

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:  

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

This episode will answer questions like:  

• What is your gut? 
• How does your gut affect your mood? 
• Is your gut connected to your mental health? 
• What is your microbiome?  
• How do you keep your microbiome healthy? 
• How much fibre do women need? 
• How much protein do women need? 
• What are emulsifiers?  
• What foods are bad for the gut? 
• How does the mind-gut connection work? 
• What is the connection between the gut and dementia? 
• What is the Mediterranean diet? 
• What is the MIND diet? 

This episode contains references to microbiome, diet, diet culture, emulsifiers, fibre, protein, women's health, influencers, menopause, depression, anxiety, bacteria, Mediterranean diet, vegetables, processed food, FODMAP.

Ladies, we want to hear your sex disasters stories for an upcoming episode!

Have you queefed at the worst possible moment? Maybe you screamed out your ex's name in the throes of passion? Reached for the toothpaste instead of the lube?

If you've got an awkward, embarrassing or hilarious sexual encounter that didn't go to plan, now is the time to share it with the group chat (us!).

Drop us a voice note or message at [email protected].

Turia Pitt was doing it all — working, mothering, wifeing — and she was exhausted. Being everything to everyone came at a huge cost to her mental health — she was close to burnout, and so she decided to flip the script on being a 'good woman'.

Over a decade after sustaining life threatening burns to most of her body in a grassfire, Turia's become a famous author, speaker and athlete. She also had two kids. When Turia's family moved away from their support network for her husband's career, Turia took on a lot and did it with a smile on her face. But inside, she was suffocating.

Turia realised that being selfless wasn't getting her where she wanted in life, so it was time to be selfish! She sits down with Yumi Stynes in a refreshingly honest conversation about mum-guilt, saying no, vices, disability and leaving the husbands at home to go hiking with your besties.

Turia Pitt is the author of Selfish: How to unlearn the rules that are breaking you.

What to listen to next: 

Body image and babies with Turia Pitt and Sophie Walker

Sandwich generation — the women looking after everyone

Mental health: Overcoming depression

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:  

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

This episode will answer questions like:  

• Why do I feel so tired as a working mum? 
• What does burnout feel like? 
• What can I do to feel more present with my kids? 
• How can you tell if you’re leaning on alcohol too much? 
• How do get mental health support? 
• What does it feel like to move away from family and friends with young kids? 
• How can I put myself first as a working mum? 
• How do I start saying no? 

This episode contains references to motherhood, mental load, depression, burnout, stress, disability, running, hiking, exercise, marriage, family, gender roles, parenting, boundaries, people pleasing, alcohol, mental health care plan, trauma, ironman.

She's one of the great cultural villains; the evil stepmother. Stepmums are up against it. Besides fighting bad press generated by endless pop-culture references, they're chucked in the deep end of parenting without a life boat.

Yumi Stynes meets stepmothers who've experienced the joy of loving their partner's child as well as the difficulty of slotting into a 'mum' role when the kids already have one.

Plus, researcher Dr Bailey Oliver Blackburn explains the challenges of stepmothering, from responsibility without authority to constant comparison and feeling excluded.

This episode is a celebration of the unique role that stepmums play and offers some tools to navigate a complex family dynamic.

What to listen to next:

Toxic mums

Breaking the motherhood contract

Mental health: Overcoming depression

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

Mental health: Loving someone with an addiction

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• What is it like to be a stepmother? 
• How do you blend families? 
• How many families are blended in Australia? 
• How should you approach parenting as a step mother? 
• What is 'nacho parenting'?
• What are the benefits to being a stepmother?

This episode contains references to stepmothers, stepmom, stepmum, wicked stepmother, stepfamily, family, parenting, blended families, anxiety, stress, pregnancy, Cinderella, Parent Trap, Rapunzel.

Standing by watching a loved one's addiction can be heartbreaking and confusing. One in ten Australian's struggle with a substance disorder and one in five experience gambling harm.

For every person struggling with an addiction, there are people close to them. The wives, mothers, sisters and children watching their addictions play havoc with their lives.

Yumi Stynes sits down with women who've been on the sidelines of someone else's addiction, and who've found a path through a challenging situation.

In this episode you'll hear how to look after your own mental health as a carer and how to have those difficult conversations.

Featured in this episode: 

• Caroline Thain, Manager of Clinical Advice and Governance at Headspace 

Special thanks to Dr Steph Kershaw from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use for her help with this episode. 

Helpful resources: 

• National Alcohol & Other Drug Hotline 1800 250 015  
• SHARC's Family Drug and Gambling Helpline 1300 660 068 
• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• Matilda Centre resources for mental health and substance use
• Al Anon Family Groups Australia

What to listen to next: 

Mental health: Anxiety and how to beat it

Mental health: Overcoming depression

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

What loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look like

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This episode will answer questions like: 

• How can I look after myself if my loved one has an addiction? 
• What does gambling harms and addiction look like? 
• What is it like to live with someone with alcohol dependence? 
• How can alcohol dependence affect families? 
• What is the financial impact of a gambling addiction? 
• How can I help someone addicted to poker machines? 
• How can I help someone with an addiction? 

This episode contains references to mental health, gambling, poker machines, addiction, alcohol dependence, Al Anon, Alcoholics Anonymous, support group, psychologist, alcohol and other drugs, counselling, boundaries. 

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition facing women. One in three will be diagnosed in her lifetime. From overwhelming worry to spiralling thoughts, panic attacks to avoidance, anxiety can have a huge impact. But the good news is that we know how to treat it.

In part two of this three-part mental health series, Yumi Stynes chats to Julie Goodwin, of MasterChef fame, to understand how she got on top of her crippling anxiety. She also sits down with neuroscientist and clinical psychologist Professor Bronwyn Graham to talk anxiety-busting strategies.

The episode explores how hormones, sleep, lifestyle, and medication can impact anxiety and help you emerge stronger than ever.

Featured in this episode:

• Professor Bronwyn Graham, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist
• Julie Goodwin, cook and author

If you need someone to talk to, call:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• QLife on 1800 184 527 

What to listen to next:

Mental health: Overcoming depression

The price of perfectionism

How to give zero f*cks 

Perimenopause: lifting the brain fog

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• How do women experience anxiety differently to men? 
• What does anxiety feel like? 
• What are the physical manifestations of anxiety? 
• What is the role of hormones in women’s anxiety? 
• How does sleep impact anxiety? 
• What can exercise and diet do for anxiety? 
• What are effective treatments for anxiety? 

This episode contains references to mental health, anxiety, panic disorder, panic attacks, generalised anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, perfectionism, psychiatric facility, medication, suicide, family, parenting, work-life balance. 

Hey ladies, we are working on an episode about women who’ve taken a break from their long-term relationship, to follow their own path for a little while.

If you’ve hit pause on your relationship in the hopes of getting back together stronger than before, we want to hear from you (whether it worked out in the end or not!)

If this is you, or a woman you know, drop us a line at [email protected]

One in six women will get depression in their lifetime, compared with one in ten men. So, is it hormones or circumstances or a combination of both that's makes us more susceptible? And importantly, how can we confront the black dog if it's at our door?

In part one of this three-part series, Yumi Stynes sits down with women who've been in the grips of depression to understand how they overcame it. She also lays out the essential ingredients for good mental health.

Featured in this episode:

• Professor Bronwyn Graham, neuroscientist and clinical psychologist

If you need someone to talk to, call:

• Lifeline on 13 11 14 
• Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 
• Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 
• Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 
• Headspace on 1800 650 890 
• QLife on 1800 184 527 

What to listen to next:

Loneliness — you're not alone

The price of perfectionism

How to give zero f*cks 

Perimenopause: lifting the brain fog

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. 

What to read next: 

How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhood

The dark side of being a perfectionist

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

What happens to your sex life during perimenopause?

This mini-series will answer questions like: 

• How do women experience mental health conditions differently to men? 
• What does depression feel like? 
• Is depression the same as feeling sad? 
• What is the role of hormones in women’s depression? 
• How does sleep impact depression? 
• What can exercise and diet do for depression? 
• What are effective treatments for depression? 
• What is Electroconvulsive Therapy? 

This episode contains references to mental health, depression, melancholic depression, suicide, antidepressants, SSRIs, medication, hospital, parenting, motherhood, relationships, family, wellness, health, exercise, hormones, stress, sleep, CBT, psychiatric facility, electroconvulsive therapy, ECT.