Your new audio tribe is here.
If you’re a dedicated podcast listener, pregnancy brings with it a whole new category of podcasts to unlock (yessssss!). If you’re not a regular subscriber, now is the perfect time to start. Listening to other parents sharing their stories or experts being interviewed is a great way to learn more about your own experience and feel connected to this whole new world of parenting. Many new parents can feel lonely or isolated, and podcasts can lessen that feeling. Think of them as the audio branch of your support system. Here are five parenting podcasts to have in your system and when to listen to them.
A place for women to recount their birth stories, in detail. As many new-mum listeners will attest to, subscribing to this podcast is one of the best, clearest ways to get your head around how your birth might go down. The episode names get straight to the point - Lou, Perinatal Anxiety, Elective Induction Private Obstetrician, Shari Two Hypnobirths Home Water Birth - so you know what you’re in for and can navigate to your interests. The host, Melbourne mum and holder of a Masters in Public Health, Sophie Walker is really great at extracting a linear narrative of what happened, why and how the mum felt along the way. Read more about labour myths in our blog post here too.
When to listen: While you’re pregnant, in preparation, and postpartum, when you have your own birth story and want to hear others.
This Glorious Mess: Little Kids
A new subcategory to Mamamia’s already hugely popular parenting podcast, “Little Kids” focuses on the early years of parenting. Hosted by new mum Leigh Campbell (who your ears may or may not be used to hearing talk beauty on the You Beauty podcast) and Tegan Natoli, mum of three born within 13 months (yes, that is possible). As of the first episode Leigh’s little boy is four months, and Tegan’s twin girls are 21 months and her baby boy 8 months, so they are in it with you and learning as they go. As they say, they aren’t experts, but they bring the experts onto the show to ask all the questions. Informative, fun and very relatable.
When to listen: Queue for when you’re just about to exit the newborn phase.
Tales From the Fourth Trimester
This beautiful podcast is all about “beauty and brutality of new parenthood”. Essentially, Australian Birth Stories is about the birth, The Fourth Trimester is about what happens after. In each episode postpartum doula Naomi Chrisoulakis, speaks to women about bringing their babies home, breastfeeding, surging hormones, recovering bodies, mental health, their support systems and everything else that comes with the first three months of motherhood. The episodes about how the fourth trimester is done in different cultures are particularly interesting, but every episode feels like a warm cup of calming cacao. Which, interestingly enough, if you’re in Sydney, you can order from Naomi. Delivering nourishing food to new mums is part of her gig as a postpartum doula.
When to listen: Definitely during your own fourth trimester, when every word will be exactly what you need, but if you listen during your pregnancy you'll get some great tips for when you first get home.
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood
An American podcast where hosts Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson tackle one topic at a time from managing grandparents to teaching little kids empathy. Twice a week they release a bonus agony-aunt style bite-sized episode (5 minutes or so), where on host answers a listener’s burning parenting questions. Always interesting, entertaining and funny, even if your bub is only days old, this podcast gets you thinking about how you’ll parent later down the track.
When to listen: The mini eps are great as a bit of info during quick tasks like packing the dishwasher or taking a shower.
With an episode for every week of pregnancy, this series is designed to inform expectant parents on what’s happening with baby and mum that week - think of it as a pregnancy app that talks to you. From telling your boss you’re pregnant in week 12, to obsessing about your due date in work 34, this chatty, warm podcast is like your pregnancy support crew.
When to listen: Let this podcast talk you through your pregnancy as you’re going through it and you’ll get reassurance, encouragement and relevant info that will make you feel good.
Keen to get your hands on some great parenting books? Check out our fantastic selection of bestselling parenting books now.
