The Lowdown with Bravemumma

13: Quick Tips & Tricks - How to Build Your A-Team

Your healing journey with pelvic organ prolapse - POP
When you've just been diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse you can feel so alone. The journey to heal, to move forward and be the best you can takes some time. The first thing you need to do is surround yourself with the right people who can support you, known as your A-Team. 
Find out who needs to be on your team and how to find them. 
These tips can be yours to download free - HERE

12: How to Start Your Healing Journey with Pelvic Organ Prolapse, with Psychologist Nicola Brown.

DESCRIPTION
As a clinical psychologist, executive coach, wife, mum and stand up comedian - Nicola Brown was working through her own lived experience with pregnancy loss, while supporting other women as a fertility counsellor. 
Nicola shares her heroic journey about how her and her wife lived through 7 years of trying to become mums and when that special day arrived - it was nothing like they imagined...and more so what was to come next. 
Warning: This episode talks about birth trauma, miscarriage and suicide. 
This episode is for you if you want to know about;
IVF 
pelvic organ prolapse 
birth trauma 
multiple miscarriage 
episiotomy and forceps delivery 
mums and bubs separated at birth 
C-section birth and vaginal birth 
complicated births and the impact on midwives 
childbirth education and information overload 
Women’s pelvic health physiotherapy 
family history of breast and ovarian cancer 
prolapse surgery, risk factors, relapse 
misdiagnosis of prolapse through multiple medical professionals 
prolapse and pain 
physical exercise with prolapse 
men and non-binary gender diverse people with pelvic floor issues 
different stages of prolapse and bilateral avulsions 
suicide and chronic pain caused by POP  
colostomy bag 
emotionally isolating 
pessaries 
reformer pilates 
time and healing
LINKS FOR YOU
Grab yourself a cuppa from Madame Flavour and use code BRAVE20 to receive 20% off your first order. 
Where to find Nicola Brown: 
Website: https://nicolabrown.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnicolabrown/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsnicolabrown
Helpful links mentioned in the show:
FemFusion: https://www.femfusionfitness.com/
Head Space: https://www.headspace.com/
Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/
https://www.curablehealth.com/
CREDITS
Host - Stephanie Thompson
Executive Producer & Editor - Dave Stokes
Podcast logo artist - Khrystyna lukashchuk
Brand Designer - Brodie-Rose
Original Soundtrack - Steven Robinson 

11: What are the signs you have might have endometriosis? And what to do next...with Let’s Talk Period podcast host Isabella Gosling.

DESCRIPTION
When your surgeon says, ‘your pelvic pain is due to a sexually transmitted infection’ (STI), but your gut knows differently - what do you do? 
Isabelle Gosling and her mum had to self-advocate for better diagnostic surgery and answers. Isabelle was finally listened to, only to discover she was living with endometriosis and adenomyosis. 
This episode is for you if you want to know about;
painful periods 
endometriosis 
adenomyosis 
chronic illness
how to have open conversations with your daughter 
advocating for better pelvic health support
pelvic surgery and Laparoscopy 
infertility and IVF 
how to get specialised help
Intrauterine Device (IUD) for hormone management and conception
breakthrough bleeding 
Pouch of Douglas 
how to manage symptoms of Endo like fatigue, pain
build your A Team to support you
vaginismus 
sexual health 
invisible illness and disability 
LINKS FOR YOU
Grab yourself a cuppa from Madame Flavour and use code BRAVE20 to receive 20% off your first order. 
Let's. Talk. Period. Podcast 
CREDITS
Host - Stephanie Thompson
Executive Producer & Editor - Dave Stokes
Podcast logo artist - Khrystyna lukashchuk
Brand Designer - Brodie-Rose
Original Soundtrack - Steven Robinson 
 

10: World Mental Health Day - LIVE Hour of Power & Women‘s Health with Tammy Lee from Mumma Life Is Now

The Lowdown with Bravemumma are trialing a LIVE format with the idea of having conversations about women's health that are unscripted, because as we know sometimes the best things come from those unplanned experiences. 
This conversation is for you if you want to know more about: 
perinatal and postnatal anxiety 
adjustment to motherhood and parenthood 
perfectionism, OCD and control in parenthood
SIDS 
how to work through information overload
some signs to look out for when caring for someone with mental health needs 
sleep deprivation 
Mum's and Bubs mental health support unit 
how becoming a village can help you and others
how COVID impacts mental health for new parents 
common does not mean it's 'normal' 
fears and miscarriage 
medications
Links for you:
World Mental Health Day 2021
Bravemumma
Co-host Tammy from: Mumma Life Is Now 
The Gidget Foundation
Lifeline 13 11 14 for 24/7 Crisis Support 
Thank you to Tammy for sharing her story LIVE and helping other mumma's living with anxiety and/or depression. 
 

9: What are Hypopressives? And how they can help your pelvic organ prolapse symptoms, with certified trainer Hayley Wildsmith.

DESCRIPTION 
What do childbirth, prolapse, Hypopressives and motherhood all have in common? This amazing woman - Hayley Wildsmith. 
This episode is so impactful. After recording I was left feeling surprised by what I learned and inspired to do further research on Hypopressives. Women living with POP and Levator Ani Avulsions are often told there is nothing they can do to ‘fix’ their prolapse. This chat with Hayley may just flip this common opinion on its head? 
There was so much to cover in this important conversation. It’s both thought provoking and in depth. With it being so extensive, it’s well worth grabbing a BIG cuppa and listening until the end. 
This episode is for you if you want to know more about:
pelvic floor dysfunction
pelvic organ prolapse    
Levator ani avulsions 
POP surgery 
Top tips for women thinking about surgery and/or recovering from surgery 
Postnatal depression and anxiety for women living with POP 
pelvic floor exercises and anatomy  
Hypopressives
pain with sex
Hypotonic  
*professional advice from your medical care provider should be sought prior to commencing any programs or exercises to see if it suitable to you and your body. 
LINKS FOR YOU
Grab yourself a cuppa from Madame Flavour and use code BRAVE20 to receive 20% off your first order. 
Auckland Hypopressives is offering our first 50 listeners a special for the General Online Hypopressives course.
Use the code: NZD50 (in capital letters)
 
CREDITS
Host - Stephanie Thompson
Executive Producer & Editor - Dave Stokes
Podcast logo artist - Khrystyna lukashchuk
Brand Designer - Brodie-Rose
Original Soundtrack - Steven Robinson 

8: How to Restore Your Pelvic Floor with pelvic guru Bernadette Lack

DESCRIPTION 
Bernadette is a trained midwife and has a wealth of knowledge and experience with women's health particularly in the area of women’s pelvic health. Bernadette spent many years working as a midwife around the world with different cultures and in regional remote areas of Australia.  
This episode is for you if you want to know more about:
Pelvic floor dysfunction
Pelvic organ prolapse and avulsion
Women's Health
Holistic approach to pelvic health
Pregnancy programs
Epic health and birthing
Caesarean birth
Vaginal birth
Incontinence
Pelvic floor functions during daily activities and during childbirth
Importance of exercise 
Your vulva is not your vagina 
Incontinence from an early age
Birthing politics - birth wars 
*Language warning: a couple of 'f-bombs' trickled throughout our stories 
LINKS FOR YOU
Grab yourself a cuppa from Madame Flavour and use code BRAVE20 to receive 20% off your first order. 
Bernadette is gifting 15% off her online courses for our listeners:
Use this code: brave15
https://coreandfloor.com.au/
 
CREDITS
Host - Stephanie Thompson
Executive Producer & Editor - Dave Stokes
Podcast logo artist - Khrystyna lukashchuk
Brand Designer - Brodie-Rose
Original Soundtrack - Steven Robinson 

7: Why YOUR Birth Story matters, with Sophie Walker from Australian Birth Stories Podcast

DESCRIPTION 
When you’ve interviewed over 250 women and had three very different births of your own, you are more than qualified to talk to us about birth stories. 
Sophie Walker is the creator of the Australian Birth Stories Podcast. She has created a platform for women and their partners to listen and become informed about all birthing methods through the lived experiences of others. 
In this episode we talk about how Sophie’s passion for helping others began when her first birth did not go to plan and her subsequent pelvic organ prolapse. She knew she wanted this to change for her next birth - and she did. Find out about Sophie’s next exciting project. 
This episode is for you if you want to know more about:
Various methods of childbirth
Pelvic organ prolapse during childbirth 
Birth trauma for mums and their partners 
Episiotomy and forceps in childbirth 
Postpartum haemorrhage
How we lose confidence in the birthing process
How to support pregnant women and new mums during COVID-19
Childbirth education 
*Sophie shares her first birthing experience which was traumatic. It could be triggering for some listeners, you can skip past beyond 6:50mins, or choose to tune in later. 
LINKS FOR YOU
Grab yourself a cuppa from Madame Flavour and use code BRAVE20 to receive 20% off your first order. 
Sophie Walker is gifting $20 off her online courses for our listeners:
$20 off online childbirth education course The Birth Class or 
$20 off postpartum course Discovering Motherhood
Use this code: Bravemamma
https://australianbirthstories.com/shop
 
CREDITS
Host - Stephanie Thompson
Executive Producer & Editor - Dave Stokes
Podcast logo artist - Khrystyna lukashchuk
Brand Designer - Brodie-Rose
Original Soundtrack - Steven Robinson 

6: What...? Your Vulva Is Not Your Vagina! Kath Mazzella tells us why it’s to important to know the difference.

DESCRIPTION 
September 20th marks World Gynecologic Oncology Day.
Our guest is Kath Mazzella, advocate for change in gynaecological and sexual health asks the question: Why is it that our society still refers to the vulva as the vagina?
Kath is a cervical cancer survivor and following her own difficult journey into the unknown realm of women's  gynaecological health and subsequent surgery is passionate about ensuring women and all sectors of society are educated and comfortable with conversations relating to this very important subject. 
There is little information relating to cancer or health related issues with the vulva. Shame and embarrassment relating to gynaecological cancers...to this day there are no vulva diagrams.
There is still so much we have to learn about women's health. 
This episode is for you if you want to know about;
Female genitalia
Societal shame and lack of information
Recognising symptoms of genitalia health issues
Sexual health
Taking action when something 'doesn't feel right'
Gynaecological cancer risk factors
Pain during sex and urination  
Pudendum
Your vulva is NOT your vagina
LINKS FOR YOU
Grab yourself a cuppa from Madame Flavour and use code BRAVE20 to receive 20% off your first order. 
Websites: World Gynecologic Oncology Day
We would like to give a special thanks to Kath. She kindly agreed to let us share her story today on World GO Day, even though she has been pioneering for change and created 10 September as International Gynaecological Awareness Day (IGAD). www.kathmazzella.com
 
CREDITS
Host - Stephanie Thompson
Executive Producer & Editor - Dave Stokes
Podcast logo artist - Khrystyna lukashchuk
Brand Designer - Brodie-Rose
Original Soundtrack - Steven Robinson