Skip to content

The must-hear advice for every new mum

The Room

Hosted by Freya Bleathman, Georgia Allison and Rafa Husain

47m
Transcript

Original podcast

Summary

Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.

In this episode of The Room, hosts Georgia Allison, Freya Bleathman, and Rafa Husain review and discuss practical advice submitted by listeners for new mothers. The hosts share personal parenting wins and losses from the week, including navigating toddler childcare drop-offs, managing low birth weight appointments, and carving out connection time through weekly date nights. They then explore the harsh realities of the fourth trimester, the challenges of breastfeeding, navigating maternal instinct, and the importance of self-advocacy and communication in relationships during the vulnerable postpartum period.

  • Start your maternity leave earlier if possible to enjoy some rest before the baby arrives. 9:44
  • Understand that gut instinct is not an instant switch but a muscle that builds over time. 42:57
  • Seek out lactation consultants early if breastfeeding is painful rather than struggling through weeks of misery. 18:42
  • Consider attending a circle of security or parenting course to learn attachment styles and communication. 16:14

Chapters

  1. 0:04
    Episode Introduction and Sponsor Teaser

    Hosts introduce the show, theme, and the episode’s sponsor, Little Ones.

  2. 3:05
    Triplet Birth Journey and Advocacy

    Georgia recounts her triplet birth experience, hospital advocacy, and the importance of support for multiples.

  3. 28:37
    Couples Therapy Before and After Birth

    Rafa discusses the value of pre‑ and post‑birth therapy, communication skills, and relationship resilience.

  4. 37:30
    Nappy Selection and Practical Tips

    The hosts give a quick PSA on choosing nappies, highlighting Little Ones’ features and affordability.

  5. 38:04
    Trusting Your Gut Instinct as a New Mum

    Freya shares listener advice on trusting gut instincts, overcoming doubt, and learning from experience.

  6. 45:12
    Wrap‑Up and Quickfire Advice

    Final quickfire round of advice and a teaser for future episodes.

  7. 45:48
    Parenting Advice as Skincare Tips

    Compares parenting advice to skincare, emphasizing personalized experimentation.

  8. 46:25
    Happy Song Game Changer

    Shares how a specific song helped the hosts cope during car rides and daily life.

  9. 46:56
    Celebrating Small Wins

    Wraps up the episode by acknowledging the helpful tips shared and looking forward to future content.

Highlights

  • 1:28

    Positive Maternal Health Checkstory

    Freya shares a parenting win about attending an eight-month maternal child health appointment for her premature baby and finally receiving positive feedback instead of anxiety.

  • 3:05

    Triplet Childcare Drop-off Strugglesstory

    Georgia discusses her weekly parenting loss dealing with difficult drop-offs for her three-year-old triplets, balancing the icky feeling of leaving with the beauty of their bond.

  • 4:57

    Date Night Admin Stackingstrategy

    Rafa explains how she and her husband use a weekly date night to stack household admin planning with making cocktails together, recommended by their marriage counselor.

  • 12:46

    The Fourth Trimester Mindsetinsight

    Rafa compares the overwhelming feeling of the first month with a newborn to returning home at 5 AM after a massive night out, emphasizing the need for a marathon mindset.

  • 16:14

    Circle of Security Courseinsight

    The hosts discuss the evidence-backed Circle of Security parenting philosophy and course, which helps parents raise securely attached children by understanding safe havens.

  • 25:58

    Advocating in the Hospitalstrategy

    Georgia recounts how she advocated for her triplets to be fed simultaneously in the NICU rather than staggered, pushing back against hospital routines to establish a schedule.

  • 36:35

    Couples Therapy Statisticsdata

    Rafa shares data discussed in couples therapy regarding the U-bend of relationships, noting that only about a quarter of couples remain happily married after the first year.

  • 42:57

    Maternal Instinct as a Muscleinsight

    The hosts discuss how feeling lost or unable to read a newborn's cry is completely normal, explaining that gut instinct builds over time rather than arriving immediately.

Quotes

  • “Trust your gut. And people said that to me postpartum.”
    Freya Bleathman · 38:32
  • “I was like, I'm a little bit dusty. Probably one too many. Anyways, yeah. So a bit of a win.”
    Rafa Husain · 7:47
  • “I was like, I have no idea what she wants. She's crying, I don't know if she's hungry, I don't know if she's tired, I don't know if she's in pain.”
    Freya Bleathman · 38:46
  • “Don't make any drastic hair changes within the first year postpartum.”
    Freya Bleathman · 45:23
  • “Can be as simple as turning on the tap and dipping bub's toes in the sink when they are fussy and letting them splash about.”
    Freya Bleathman · 45:41
  • “You literally have to take what you like the sound of and try it and see how it feels.”
    Georgia Allison · 45:55
  • “It's not normal to feel sad all the time and equally, it's not normal to feel happy all the time.”
    Rafa Husain · 46:08
  • “That was an absolute game changer for both of us in the car, play it all the time, still works and I honestly wouldn't know what to do without that song.”
    Rafa Husain · 46:28
  • “You deserve to be in the pics.”
    Rafa Husain · 46:52
  • Little Ones 1:12–1:24
  • Little Ones 27:27–28:32
  • Little Ones 37:20–37:50

About this episode

In today's episode: What’s the best piece of parenting advice you’ve received? We asked our hosts and listeners to share their advice for new mums to make the transition to parenthood that little bit easier. Thank you to Little One’s for making this episode of The Room possible! Get exceptional nappy performance at an Everyday Low Price, only available at Woolworths. The Room is produced by Dimity Kirkwood, video produced by Scott Walton, and executive-produced by Lucy Hunt. Our social media team consists of Naima Fatema, Erin Taylor and Divya Simmie, and our partnerships managers are Tabitha Rachmat and Tahnee Malina. We're a new show, and the best way to support us is by clicking ‘follow’ on Apple and Spotify, and we're super grateful to anyone who leaves a five-star review while they're at it. Also! An old-fashioned 'Tell a Friend In Real Life' is equally appreciated. You can follow The Room on Instagram and TikTok. Follow our hosts on Instagram here: Freya, Rafa and Georgia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

0:00
47:56

9,440 words · 4 speakers

Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

Topics

  • Instagram
  • Royal Women
  • Mum Matters
  • Imagine Heath
  • The Room Podcast
  • Shameless Media
  • Wurundjeri land

Page updated · transcript and summary are machine-generated