Survive & Thrive

How we became parents without a guidebook

February 13, 2024 00:16 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MB

Becoming a parent can change your perspective on the world and bring strong emotions to the surface. It can also prompt you to look within, to turn to the example that was set for you as a child. And if you have a complicated relationship with your own parents – or they’re not around – who do you turn to when you start wondering “Am I going about this the right way?” Chris Jephcott found himself facing the prospect of becoming a dad at the same time he was losing his own. His partne...

Making the parenthood transition in a small town

January 29, 2024 23:15 - 31 minutes - 43 MB

“My biggest fear was being isolated. I was having to give up my work. None of my friends had kids. I didn't think that our friendships would be the same after I had a kid.” Adelaide moved away from her friends and family to regional Victoria just before she fell pregnant with her first child. When her mental health took a turn, she found the services in her new hometown weren’t exactly able to handle her case. Then when she did find specialists, they didn’t stick around for long. While...

The mission to make Birthing on Country a reality for First Nations parents across Australia

January 16, 2024 00:19 - 28 minutes - 38.8 MB

Birthing on Country is about choice, and the power that comes from making your own choice. For some First Nations women it might be the choice to birth safely on the lands of their ancestors, instead of travelling thousands of kilometres away to a hospital where they don’t speak the language. For others it might be bringing a symbol of their homelands with them into the hospital, or having their placenta returned to country after the birth. As a leading advocate for Birthing on Countr...

Grounding exercise – body scan and relaxation to release tension

December 05, 2023 01:21 - 7 minutes - 10.3 MB

This grounding exercise aims to release tension from your body, adapted from Paul Gilbert’s ‘Simple Body Scan and Relaxation’ based on compassion-focused therapy. If you’re feeling wound up, this is a short body-based exercise for stress relief. Return to this exercise whenever you need. Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast, produced by Deadset Studios Visit panda.org.au for more support. Family violence support: It’s important to know that there is a risk during this time...

Grounding exercise – soothing rhythm breathing for stress relief

December 04, 2023 23:51 - 6 minutes - 9.31 MB

This grounding exercise is designed to help you focus on your breathing, adapted from Paul Gilbert’s ‘Soothing Rhythm Breathing’ based on compassion-focused therapy. When you slow down your breath, you can slow down your racing mind. It can help you feel centered and counteract stress. Return to this exercise whenever you need. Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast, produced by Deadset Studios Visit panda.org.au for more support. Family violence support: It’s important to ...

Supporting your partner and yourself, when you’re not the birth parent

November 28, 2023 01:51 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MB

Alex Fisher stood in the doorway of the hospital room holding her daughter Luca, just moments old, as her wife Lauren was rushed into emergency surgery for a massive haemorrhage. Her mind turned to the worst-case scenario. Would Lauren make it? The first few years of parenthood had been tough for both of them, and Alex had tried to stay strong for Lauren, who had perinatal anxiety and depression after giving birth to their first daughter Ivy. After all that Lauren had been through, Alex...

How our ideas of parenthood make us feel like we’re failing

November 13, 2023 23:58 - 32 minutes - 45 MB

Emma thought she would slip into parenthood as naturally as anyone. She’d been around young kids her whole life and could change a nappy by the time she was 12. But when the moment arrived, it was nothing like she expected. Mental health and fertility challenges had contributed new fears and ambivalence to Emma’s entry into motherhood – it wasn’t the love bubble joy she was expecting. It turns out that’s totally common, natural even, to feel unexpected emotions like disdain – and even r...

Going it alone – building up your community of care as a solo parent

October 31, 2023 23:58 - 30 minutes - 41.7 MB

There’s strength in numbers, and for solo parents that rings especially true. We all have those new parent moments where you feel totally isolated. And when you’re doing things on your own, without a partner or close family, that feeling can be intensified. When you find yourself as a single mum or dad, in lots of ways you’ve got to build your own path forward, and re-think how all the standard advice applies to you. There are many different ways to parent outside the traditional mo...

Our birth story – 40 years of PANDA and perinatal mental health in Australia

October 18, 2023 23:54 - 51 minutes - 71 MB

When PANDA began in Ann Lanigan’s Melbourne lounge room in the 1980s, there was nothing else like it in the country. Ann experienced postnatal depression after the birth of her third child, and only got the help she needed by pure luck. And that’s how she describes the perinatal mental health system at the time – a total lottery, with very few parents getting the treatment they needed. But during Ann’s recovery, she made it her mission to connect with other women who had experienced th...

What can we learn from confinement cultures?

October 16, 2023 23:41 - 29 minutes - 40.1 MB

Melissa was born in Malaysia but has lived in Melbourne since she was a kid. When she became a mum herself, confinement seemed like a natural thing for her to do. What confinement – or “sitting the month” looks like changes slightly from culture to culture, but broadly it involves rallying around a mum who’s just given birth, to make sure that not only the baby is safe and cared for, but the mum has everything she needs to recover as well. While most parents are trying to learn the le...

Let’s plan ahead – an action plan for becoming a parent when you have a pre-existing mental health condition

October 03, 2023 00:12 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MB

The sleepless nights and hormonal dysregulation of early parenthood can be a minefield if you’re living with an existing mental health condition. Like Renee Knight, who’d experienced depression in her teens, but didn’t anticipate the impact becoming a mother would have on her mental health. Because there are so many questions. Which medications are safe? How will I navigate new triggers? How can I prioritise my own wellbeing along with my newborn’s? What if I relapse? You don’t hav...

Who said that? How intrusive thoughts might affect you as a new parent

September 26, 2023 00:08 - 30 minutes - 41.4 MB

It took Donna a long time to decipher exactly what her intrusive thoughts meant. She had them before her son was born, but when he arrived the thoughts became much louder. But because they almost felt normal to her, she didn't know that they were a sign of something bigger. Sometimes they might feel silly, sometimes they can feel serious and very worrying. They can be a symptom of anxiety. But for a small group of new parents, they could be a sign of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. ...

When you’re deep in a spiral, Survive & Thrive is here for you

September 20, 2023 23:55 - 4 minutes - 5.81 MB

So many of us go through perinatal anxiety and depression as expecting and new parents. But even though it’s something so many of us go through, it can be difficult to reach out when you’re struggling. And that’s where Survive & Thrive comes in. When you feel like you're doing it all on your own, or you don't know how to tell the people in your life how tough things really are, Survive & Thrive is here for you. There's no judgement here. Just hope, and stories from people who have ...

Relationships

July 29, 2021 00:28 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

The big changes that come with a new baby can affect everyone in your family differently. Of course, there can be lots of excitement in anticipation of lovely cuddles with your newest family member, but there are some complicated feelings that might come up too. Everyone’s family looks different, but there’s often an expectation that this will be a time of total joy and togetherness. In reality, you might miss the way your relationships were before your bub arrived. You might find your...

Unexpected birth experiences

May 31, 2021 09:18 - 25 minutes - 23 MB

In this month’s Survive and Thrive podcast, our host Alice chats to Deb about unexpected birth experiences, and looking after ourselves around those birth experiences while juggling a newborn. Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast. Visit panda.org.au for more support. Speak to PANDA: Call the PANDA Helpline on 1300 726 306 (9am-7:30pm Monday-Saturday AEST). The Helpline provides a safe and confidential space for any new or expecting parent struggling with the challenges of becoming a n...

Good enough parenting

March 16, 2021 20:57 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

"Taking time for yourself is not just OK – it’s essential." People often come into parenting with high hopes and expectations of how they will be as parents and try really hard to be the best parent they can be. But what does this mean? How can you be a good parent, mind your mental health and not put too much pressure on yourself to meet unrealistic expectations? In this month’s podcast, Alice chats to our guest Jess, who shares some of her own experiences of the pressures of parenting and...

A gentle anchoring technique

February 06, 2021 03:59 - 4 minutes - 4.12 MB

In this bonus episode, PANDA Helpline Counsellor Helen guides you through surfing the emotional wave after feeling strong emotions, and grounding yourself in the present moment. Survive and Thrive is a PANDA podcast. Visit panda.org.au for more support. Speak to PANDA: Call the PANDA Helpline on 1300 726 306 (9am-7:30pm Monday-Saturday AEST). The Helpline provides a safe and confidential space for any new or expecting parent struggling with the challenges of becoming a new parent. Ou...

Mixed feelings when you're an expecting or new parent

January 17, 2021 05:05 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MB

The journey to becoming a parent can be exciting and joyful, but there can also be other feelings like sadness, boredom, loneliness or frustration. For many expecting and new parents, this comes as a shock, as these so-called negative feelings aren’t talked about very much. But as this conversation with our guest Khai shows, these feelings are extremely common, and even though it can be hard, it’s OK to feel this way – and it certainly doesn’t make someone a bad parent. Survive and Thrive i...

How to make your own management plan for moments of frustration

January 05, 2021 09:39 - 5 minutes - 4.67 MB

Every parent experiences frustration or overwhelm, and it can often be tricky to manage those feelings in the moment. Strong emotions can bubble up as fast as your baby can wake after finally going to sleep. In this bonus episode, we explore making your own management plan for these moments. Guided by PANDA Helpline counsellor Helen. We’ll be releasing more bonus episodes with helpful exercises for managing your emotional wellbeing each month. We know that as new parents your attention is ...

How to make a management plan for frustrating moments

January 05, 2021 09:39 - 5 minutes - 4.67 MB

Every parent experiences frustration or overwhelm, and it can often be tricky to manage those feelings in the moment. Strong emotions can bubble up as fast as your baby can wake after finally going to sleep. In this bonus episode, we explore making your own management plan for these moments. Guided by PANDA Helpline counsellor Helen. We’ll be releasing more bonus episodes with helpful exercises for managing your emotional wellbeing each month. We know that as new parents your attention is ...

Worry and anxiety

December 12, 2020 10:59 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB

Becoming a parent can be exciting but it can also bring a whole new level of worry into your life. All of a sudden you have a small human to look after! This first episode of ‘Survive and Thrive’ explores Catherine’s story of becoming a mum, and how she managed anxiety during her journey. Catherine talks openly and honestly with our host Alice about what prompted her feelings of anxiety, how she got through those difficult times, and how she grew to learn that while anxiety is often a common...

Trailer: Survive and Thrive, PANDA's podcast for expecting and new parents

December 09, 2020 02:38 - 50 seconds - 1.16 MB

Survive and Thrive is PANDA’s first podcast for expecting and new parents. We’re going to be talking about some of the feelings and changes that come with parenthood that maybe don’t get talked about enough. Every episode, we’ll be speaking with a parent who has real experiences to share, and practical tips that they’ve learned from coming out the other side. Survive and Thrive - subscribe for updates, and we’ll be coming soon, to wherever you like to listen.

Episodes