Becoming Mother with Theoni & Deborah

All You Want to Know About the Pelvic Floor with Physiotherapist Emma Jenkins What is the pelvic floor? These muscles which carry so much for us, and even more during pregnancy are essential to our health. WIthout any taboo, Emma, a physiotherapist specialized in women's health speaks about the role of the pelvic floor, what happens to our bodies during pregnancy and why we should all go see a pelvic floor physio at some point in our life. She also shares some tips and demystifies the pelvic floor for us and why ''We don't want a tight vagina, we want functional vaginas!'' A must-listen for every woman! Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmother.podcast/ Deborah Nguyễn: https://www.instagram.com/debo.stories/ Theoni Papoutsis: https://www.instagram.com/papoutsistheoni/ Audio Production: https://www.instagram.com/bee_tenacity/ email: becomingmotherpodcast@gmail.com

Morgen and Nicola, two women who fell in love 13 years ago, share their motherhood journey -- which wasn't an obvious one at first. From deciding who will be pregnant first, to going to a fertility clinic secretly, to choosing a sperm donor, to the process they went though to get pregnant, to defining roles within the family... It was a full journey but their unbreakable bond helped them go through it with humour and grace. Having children in a same sex marriage is not something they took for granted. By sharing their story, they want to tell other same sex couple that it is all possible, with the right tribe, the right knowledge and the right partner. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmother.podcast/ Deborah Nguyễn: https://www.instagram.com/debo.stories/ Theoni Papoutsis: https://www.instagram.com/papoutsistheoni/ Audio Production: https://www.instagram.com/bee_tenacity/ email: becomingmotherpodcast@gmail.com

Anna was 40 when she got pregnant with her first baby. It took a bit of time, and it turned out to be the first lesson in surrender. Both her birth went completely different. She trusted herself to have a natural birth and tried to be as prepared as possible. But nothing prepared her for how her second baby came to the world. With a lot of humour, Anna shares how her baby was in breech position (head up), how she tried almost everything to help him turn, and how he had another plan. She was planned for a Csection but It's in Theoni's (her doula) car that her water broke and that she handled most of her labour. Anna's story is full of hope, wisdom and a great reminder of the importance of surrender.

Pregnancy is not alway a smooth sailing. Pregnancy took a heavy toll on Elena’s body. She experienced pain, Covid and Bell’s Palsy while expecting her twins. While she wished she had trusted and listened to her body more, Elena tells us how she managed to get through by reminding herself to stay in the present, when she suddenly had to stay at the hospital way before her due date. How do you remain strong when it seems your body is giving up? How do you suddenly become the mother of twins while you are still healing yourself? With a lot of humor, joy and strength, Elena shares her story of how she overcame all sorts of challenges from the start but also how much she enjoys being a mother and seeing her children grow and learn every day. Once again, Elena’s journey is a proof of how resilient, brave and women are. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmother.podcast/ Deborah Nguyễn: https://www.instagram.com/debo.stories/ Theoni Papoutsis: https://www.instagram.com/papoutsistheoni/ Audio Production: https://www.instagram.com/bee_tenacity/ email: becomingmotherpodcast@gmail.com

How do you experience birth when you are a medical doctor practicing at a maternity ward in a hospital? In her job, most births she witnessed were not physiological. Lisa is the mother of two. She had a physiological birth both times and even decided to give birth at home for her second baby, ignoring what her colleagues might think. In spite of her fears caused by what she has been exposed to, she trusted herself. Lisa tells us how it wasn't easy for her to get pregnant the first time, how she released those fears and how giving birth at home was something she always had in the back of her mind. Lisa is passionate about bridging the gap between the clinical and emotional aspects of birth. In addition to being a medical doctor, she trained as a doula in order to bring even more to the women she supports. She loves counselling mothers about their birth choices and making them feel confident in themselves. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmother.podcast/ Deborah Nguyễn: https://www.instagram.com/debo.stories/ Theoni Papoutsis: https://www.instagram.com/papoutsistheoni/ Audio Production: https://www.instagram.com/bee_tenacity/ email: becomingmotherpodcast@gmail.com

How do you prepare for birth when you are a trained midwife? How do you experience your own pregnancies and becoming a mother after you've learned everything in textbooks? Victoria is a passionate midwife who has a lovely birthing home in Johannesburg. She tells us about her two very different personal experiences and how it shaped her as a midwife and the way she cares for her patients. She thinks that "women are meant to birth" and always knew she wanted to have a natural birth. But things didn't go as planned. In spite of complications and unforeseen circumstances, Victoria listened to her intuition and knew that, although it was not going the way she hoped for, something didn't feel right and she knew she needed to have a Cesarean section. She shares how trusting ourselves is key when it comes to birthing, but also parenting.

How does the amount of preparation change the way a birth unfolds? Mia, who gave birth to three children is the living example of the importance of preparation. Each of her babies came at a different time of her life. She prepared her first birth by the book, with all tools in hand and all the time in the world to prepare as much as she possibly could. On the other hand, her second baby came at a time when life was much busier, she not only had less time to prepare, but she was also experiencing emotional and physical exhaustion, combined with morning sickness. She had a difficult time keeping calm and let panic submerge her -- and that second birth didn’t happen the way she hoped for. For her third baby, she knew she was going to aim for a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarian), and prepared as much as she could. But it was in an anxiety fueled context -- the COVID pandemic -- that she experienced her last pregnancy and on top of that, she struggled with depression. Surrounded by her family and friends, in spite of the challenges she had to overcome, she brought each of her children to the world in an environment filled with love and kindness. It is that love that carries her and gives her the strength to keep calm. Mia shares her three birth stories with a lot of compassion for herself, self-awareness and gratitude. Her calmness is contagious and we all wished we were as cool and composed as her! Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmother.podcast/ Deborah Nguyễn: https://www.instagram.com/debo.stories/ Theoni Papoutsis: https://www.instagram.com/papoutsistheoni/ Audio Production: https://www.instagram.com/bee_tenacity/ email: becomingmotherpodcast@gmail.com

Bouncing back after a difficult birth. How do you overcome your fear of pregnancy and of giving birth? How do you handle one pregnancy after another? Olivia gave birth to her two babies 16 months apart. She thoroughly prepared for each birth, but her first one didn't go the way that she had hoped for. How do you bounce back from a difficult birth? In spite of the trauma, she decided to have another baby soon after and mindfully prepared herself even more for that birth. Olivia speaks about how postpartum and breastfeeding came more difficult than she could have imagined and how the second time, she consciously told herself not to feel so much pressure and go with the flow. She shares the wisdom she gathered from reading a lot of books and her own experience, the importance of taking charge of your birth and to be as prepared and informed as you possibly can by listening to lots of birth stories. We couldn't agree more! Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomingmother.podcast/ Deborah Nguyễn: https://www.instagram.com/debo.stories/ Theoni Papoutsis: https://www.instagram.com/papoutsistheoni/ Audio Production: https://www.instagram.com/bee_tenacity/ email: becomingmotherpodcast@gmail.com

How do you experience birth and postpartum when you have mental health challenges? How do you address the trauma of abortion while preparinig for a first birth? Kathleen shares her journey with honesty, courage and passion. She tells us how she overcame three terminations, how she prepared for her two births, her mental health issues and the ongoing challenges raising children places on her relationship with her partner. Her journey inspired her to start her own podcast "Mamas with attitude", an honest and frank conversation about motherhood. Credit: Sound & Editing wizard @bee_tenacity

How do you stay serene when you are about to give birth in the midst of a global pandemic, living far away from your loved ones and everything you are familiar with? Deborah navigated pregnancy by focusing on listening to her body's needs while her insomnias were purposefully filled with pregnancy and birth related podcasts, readings and chat with friends who already had babies... which helped inform her decision when it came to choosing what birth she wanted. While Markus' upbringing and readings very naturally led his preference for the most natural way. Together, they undertook a conscious journey before welcoming their baby in the way they had chosen.

After having witnessed hundreds of birth as a doula, Theoni experienced her own birth journey and it truly became a lesson of surrender. As prepared as she could be, some things were out of her control and she learned quickly that becoming mother meant she had to accept to release control and let some things unfold.

Welcome to Becoming Mother the Podcast. On this teaser episode, you will get the chance to meet Theoni Papoutsis and Deborah Nguyen, the hosts of the podcast. The two Doulas share their reasons for starting the podcast as well as what listeners can expect to hear on the show.

A podcast hosted by Theoni Papoutsis & Deborah Nguyen. In each episode the pair are joined by a mum who shares her journey to motherhood. In a very candid conversation, each woman opens up about her doubts, her fears, what they’ve learned along the way and their memories without any filter. The goal of this podcast is to inspire, inform and empower. Each woman is unique and has a story to tell. We hope you’ll love these stories as much as we do!