Mother, Unrefined
A podcast designed to help women navigate the journey that is motherhood. Mother, Unrefined is THE place for raw and honest conversations (but with lots of laughter in between). The purpose of the podcast is to provide women with an honest and safe space to discuss their journey to and through motherhood. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of motherhood and includes discussions with like-minded women and health professionals on all topics, from fertility & conception through to pregnancy and toddlerhood. Co-hosted by two EX-business partners (Nicola & Jess) who "broke up" as friends and business partners after 5 relentless years of...
From Childhood Dreams to Christmas Schemes: Wrapping Up with Earl Grey, Caramel Slice and Career Pivots in Our Final Episode!
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And just like that, our six-part series is done!
Product Reviews
15 for you by LK join in time for the Christmas round here
Nics skincare journey Mecca-morphosis Purifying Cleansing Balm
It's an Earl Grey day and add in some caramel slice.
When you were little, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Fond mems of Maccas
On being a comedian
A bit of behind-the-scenes of being a business owner and doing what you have to do to make it w...
Fails, Wins, and our thoughts on 'Selling Sleep': Real Talk, Reviews, and Unsolicited Advice
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Welcome to episode 5 of 6! Straight into some product reviews again today. Nicola is sharing her new fav store in Brisbane and Jess is Back on the Bissell train!
We're also discusing:
Invisalign fails and hygeine
Nicola's latest reel and boomer vs conscious parenting lols
Our ideas on spoon fed vs baby lead weaning and a little sweet milk tip
To leash or not to leash and crying in the cold
Unsolicited advice from friends and family
Why we don't like the concept of selling sleep- h...
Lightening the Load: Honest Chats on Parenting, Discipline, and What No Longer Matters!
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Ep four of 6, and we felt so light after this one!
We're straight into a couple of shitty Mother, Unrefined moments
Chicken nugs, atomic kitten and proactive
Tingle Cream, Meal Prep and Fish
Georgie's first haircut
Parenting Styles and the balance between the styles - we're getting honest here
Gentle Parenting vs Toxic Positivity
Have you ever had to discipline another kid in front of their parents?
Weighted Pillows
List the things that you don't care about anymore as a mum - hello's, outf...
The beige toddler and humble pie, FIFO mum life, salt and foreskin
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We're halfway! Welcome to episode 3 of our 6-part series!
Today, we're starting with the never-ending discussion of beige food... unfortunately, after years of humble bragging, Jess is now eating humble pie.
Flipping the order and doing our product recos at the beginning. Today, we are talking about salt and glassy skin with a deinfluence.
FIFO mum life! A question we received a few weeks ago asked about this, so we wanted to share our experience with it. Nicola asked Jess some questions, particularly, what did you choose t...
Mum funks, mum dumps, old school trends and firefighter visits
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WANT TO COME TO OUR XMAS PARTY? Tickets will be going on sale THIS WEEK! Join us on our mother, unrefined Facebook page here for all of the details.
Episode 2 and we're in a mum funk already! This episode isn't our usual chirpy selves but we wanted to keep it real as usual.
We discuss everything from trying to get shit done with kids in toe 24/7, manscaping, Depop, mum dumps/journaling and a visit to Nicola's local fire station.
Looking forward to catching up next week!
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We're Back! We missed you - are you ready to party?
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Hello again! How are you? After (yet another) few months off without any warning we have decided to to come back for a six week series and we can't wait!
We thought we'd start with a little round up of us, who we are and how our friendship came to be as well as what we are doing now and some awkward moments with work
The kids catch up
Party time- join us on our mother, unrefined Facebook page here for the details
Tickle his p...
Slippery Experiences, Brushes with Fame, a Touch of Conspiracy Theory and Thank You, But...
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We're on time! We can't believe it either ;)
Starting off with the week that was...Shopping with kids, mature-aged women and thank you, but
Nicola's little slip and brush with fame which led to a little who have you seen in the wild before?
What was your last Google search?
What is your Kareoke song?
What word makes you squirm?
What were you afraid of as a kid?
What's on the menu?
Undies recommendation for the week
Bonds bloody comfy period undies<...
we should all be doing therapy
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OK we missed a week again- sorry!! It's super hard to get nap time aligned and as you will hear in this episode, we couldn't get them matched up. That's #mumlife for you!
Starting with some news from Jess - period is here! Not exactly news but after being extremely late it was for her!
Tics, butt checks and vaginal molluscum
poo smear and panic
So now the potty talk is out of the way we're here to discuss social anxiety and societal expectations via our own pe...
Guess who's back, back again... motherhood overwhelm, couples counselling and Orangutan nipples
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Well hello! It's been a while and boy have we missed our chats! We know we dropped off the planet a bit there with no explanation and no message whatsoever and we are sorry about that...life was crazy!! Anyway, we're back and so happy to be here!
Episode breakdown:
· What happened to us...not much but also sooo much!
· Going off the gram
· Mother, Unrefined moments, toddler torch intrusions and saging the house
· Doing everything and achieving nothing is how we feel right no...
Trusting your gut as a parent, interview with mother of two, Shiva Masriya on her daughter's Bacterial Meningitis diagnosis
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In today's episode we talk to Shiva, a mother of two, who touches on a life experience no mother should have to encounter. Shiva's daughter was diagnosed with bacterial (pneumococcal) meningitis at four months old. In this discussion, Shiva opens up about her daughter's story and the signs and symptoms of meningitis she wishes every parent knew (including ones often overlooked by doctors). Although confronting in some areas, this episode is altogether very informative and something every parent should listen to so they are able to continue to advocate for their child in...
kid free weekends, bad sushi and revisiting the style rut with the 15 rule
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Today's episode is sponsored by...George. Haha but in all seriousness we are sorry about the additional background noise today from the little man. Mum life is what we're all about though so why mot show it all! Today we are having a catch up and chatting about a kid free weekend away, food poisoning and a wardrobe refresh. We wanted to keep going but were really cut short so will get back to this topic at a later date and in the meantime will continue to do some shopping...are we joking...
Mum chats with Ash, her journey to motherhood, life as a solo mum and blending families
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Today's episode is a special one - we are chatting to none other than Jess' YOUNGER sister Ash about her journey to motherhood. Ash opens up about how she became a mum at 25 and shortly after left her partner. After moving back in with mum and dad she worked hard to get back on her feet and today has set up a beautiful life for her and her daughter Taylor (who is the most fabulous little girl out there - not biased at all!). We hope you enjoy this episode and thank you s...
Letting go of the to-do list, self care, digital dementia and re-doing the tv reset challenge
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God old daycare sickness is back in full swing
Episode breakdown:
· Sickness and solo parenting
· mother, unrefined and Leo calling out Nicola's constipation and a kind gesture from a stranger
· Letting go of the to-do list and giving in. The two versions of ourselves - it's a form of self care
· prioritising your health - mind fuel by waxx movement essential oil
· doing the tv reset again and chatting digital dementia and the perils of Peppa pig
- independent play a...
Parental preference - when you're not the favourite, is it bad if you let your toddler swear + parenting books
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This episode is another chit chat with US, and only us. Today we delve deep into parental preference and how we navigate the highs and lows not being a toddler's "favourite".
Episode breakdown:
· Welcome back to our world of flat footed toddlers, "mature" or old people and a lucky dip of sleep OR sleepless nights
· Bad parenting - is it bad if you let your toddler swear?
· Parental preference - when the other parent is the preference for play. The science behind play and nurture...
Mum chats with Karis from The Chaos Curation
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OK so we are officially kicking off our mum chat series with our girl crush - Karis from @the.chaos.creation
The account we love (are addicted) to following. We like the lists/ prep/ grocery hauls and cleaning vids but we also love how honest she is when she can't get it all done. She keeps it real and has even got Jess writing lists!!!
We were pumped to chat to her this week about her experience of motherhood and the changes she's seen in herself since becoming a mum. She's an...
2024 new year new us... mum style (it's a thing), new hair, NY product favs and unrefined moments
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Welcome to 2024...where we thought things would be different and we wouldn't go off track but we're back to our old 2023 selves! On a serious note, it's great to be back in your ears and we can't wait to share what's in store for this year...
Episode breakdown:
· Holiday recap - is it really a holiday if you have children? Only if you have other people to parent with....
· A haircut is as good as a holiday... and we AGREE!
· Mum style - we're getting it back and we...
Granola Tales, Burnout, Christmas presents and Netted Shoes
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Well you'd never actually know that we tried to record this episode with a bit of a plan...it definitely went off topic a fair bit (as always). Anyway, it's Christmas, we're all doing a million things and getting off track is part of the game at this time of the year so we hope you enjoy our chat about dinner, reminiscing on Granola, baby routines, present ideas and after a few weeks off we have another product reco for you! Enjoy x
Episode breakdown:
· What's for dinner?
· ...
Listeners Questions - a deep dive into some juicy questions ft relationships after babies, in-laws, threenagers and lost libido
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A few weeks ago we put a question box up on our stories for some things to discuss on the pod. We got a some great suggestions for episodes but really wanted to delve in and discuss these more specific questions so we've popped them all in one ep for you (and us)! Are any of these questions yours? Are you going through anything similar? And what do you think of these listener question eps, should we keep them coming? Happy listening and we look forward to hearing your thoughts x
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When the rage takes over! Talking mum rage & overwhelm plus sharing some tips to bring some zen back
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Ahhh mum rage, we talk about it all the time but it's been a bit extra lately. Moving states, new daycare and messed up sleep coupled with the hormonal shift at that 4-5 month postpartum mark are a few of the reasons that the rage has hit the roof for Jess lately. Luckily for her Nicola went through this about 6-8 weeks ago and shares not only her experiences but also a few tips to help cope with it all when it feels a bit overwhelming. Recording this episode was cathartic for us a...
Sleep, we miss you! Wake windows, dummies, regressions & routines with Claire from Eat, Play, Sleep.
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We're back! We had to take a few weeks there to move house, get over the daycare sickness and...sleep...lol. We know sleep is a bit of a sexy word out there to all of us parents with small kids but we thought we should get Claire from Eat, Play, Sleep on to chat about newborn sleep, wake windows, routines and to help us get back on track with the little sleep that's happening in both homes at the moment. We received so many questions from you guys too so have dedicated...
What to do when your child has speech delay, postpartum body image, breastfeeding supply issues & fav products of the week
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Welcome to conversations on the couch with Jess and Nicola. This week’s episode was recorded while we were physically together in Sydney! Shit got weird and Nicola was not okay with the amount of eye contact. We discuss postpartum body image, postpartum fashion (our go-to #mumlife outfits at the moment) and a highly requested chat about Jess’s experience with a speech pathologist for her 3 year old.
This podcast is sponsored by @runwayscout - our fav one-stop-shop for postpartum/“find yourself” fashion! But you don’t have to be in the pos...
Just a lot of sleep deprivation, book club gone wrong and what's entertaining your toddler at the moment?
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Welcome to the deep inner workings of our disjointed postpartum brains! This ep makes absolutely zero sense and you will hear us discuss topics from silly sleep deprivation moments, toddler meltdowns and possible guests to lithium batteries and book club gone wrong! Haha stick with us on this one...we will be back with a focus episode next week and hope you enjoy hearing us lose it a little in this one!
This podcast is sponsored by @onceuponapp - the easiest way to save your memories in a photo book! W...
Expectations vs reality of a first time mum, daycare sickness & relationships postpartum
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Is mum life what you expected? Today we are chatting to one of Jess' friends Tahlia, about newborn and new mum life. Talking from her birth and birth expectations, career decisions and some things that have taken her by surprise. Tahlia shares her experience so far and has some helpful little tips for those about to become parents. If you're a new mum or mum to be then this is a great listen before the new baby arrives and as always if you are enjoying the podcast then please like, follow, rate or r...
Period chat and first period stories, a little bit of newborn sleep and an open discussion on having more kids.
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What's your first period story? Period chat was a big part of the beginning of our friendship all those years ago (anyone remember our e-book?) so it's only fitting it gets it's own episode! Of course we do get a bit sidetracked as always and chat about newborn sleep (or lack thereof), product reviews and an open discussion on more kids down the line. We hope you enjoy the episode and as always please like, share, rate and review! We'd also love to hear from you so dm us of there are any...
Postpartum hormone drop, 2 weeks without tv (toddler challenge) and coping with sleep deprivation
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A bit of a crazy week where everything went a bit pear-shaped. From upset babies to the internet cutting off and toddlers deciding they no longer want to sleep! Maybe this is just the reality of of the adjustment to life with two and getting through the postpartum hormone drop? Also spoke about the constant cycle of starting a new task while you're still completing another one! and lets not forget our fav topic of the moment - the toddler no tv challenge! An honest update from Nicola.
This podcast is...
Toddlers - fussy eating, pushing boundaries, TV & our toddler reset challenge
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Catching up IRL, Dr Golly's new book, Newborn life for dads and a touch of toddler sleep
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A power-pod today as we cover a whole bunch of things in a 30 min sesh. We actually got to spend the week together this week and meet each other’s new babies which was just amazing! Of course, we didn’t get as much done as we would have liked (mum life) but we did get up to a few fun little bits that we will chat about today amongst other things like toddler sleep, newborn life for dads and The Barbie Movie! Happy listening and don’t forget to like, save, rate and re...
Taking applications for housewives, big toddler questions & a secret shopping hack ;)
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A short and sweet one this week after our week off and we are so happy to be back! Discussing some funny bedtime mishaps, unseen tasks, self worth, staying in your lane and dolls named Deborah. We also have a sneaky little shopping hack for you guys and would LOVE to know if you use it! We hope you enjoy xx
Episode breakdown:
· Construction, Mastitis, Conjunctivitis and sleep regressions
· Mother, Unrefined moments – Deborah, shower pees, bedtime
mishaps and sexy books
· A little shopping hack – here’s ho...
Toddler tantrum hacks, toxic traits and "good parenting"
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Grab a coffee and strap in, we are all over the place and ready to chat! From potato poos, frantic floor wiping and crunching to toddler hacks and "good parents" - today is filled with bulk word vomit!
Episode breakdown:
· Pelvic floor moments
· Rapidfire Q&A
· Why did you want to become a parent?
· Why did you not stop at one child?
· Would you have had kids sooner if you could?
· Toxic traits! From tidying, clean floors and old tissues - hear us vent!
· ...
Child safety, sharing photos of children online, "mumfluencers" and sharing our own experiences
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TRIGGER WARNING - This episode contains themes of child safety and assault, sexual assault and personal stories which listeners may find confronting or distressing. Please feel free to skip this episode or come back to it at a suitable time.
Wow! We're really going there... mumfluencers, child safety and how we feel about sharing images of our children online. This wasn't an easy episode to record however, we believe the discussion needed to be had.
Episode breakdown:
· TRIGGER WARNING
· Mother Unrefined moments
· Nic...
Mothers' groups, doom scrolling and sexpecations, boobs after birth and who the eff is Samantha Azzopardi?
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Maybe it’s the postpartum brain but we obviously can’t keep on track today. From mothers’ groups, introversion, bitchy resting face, nasal spray tans, fiction novels, doom scrolling, ugly newborn photos, boobs after birth and scary con artists…this episode covers it all lol. Grab a coffee and strap in, we are all over the place and ready to chat!
Episode breakdown:
· Mothers’ groups have kicked off (join the mother, unrefined below)
· Baby George and his eyes
· So bad they’re good – newborn pics
· The seven hu...
Baby George's birth story - positive hospital birth with epidural
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Welcome baby George! Coming into the world at 39 + 1 weeks with a spontaneous and very positive hospital birth, Jess welcomed her second child in early July and it was night & day to the birth of her first child. Listen now to hear her positive birth story and a few of her newborn must-have items.
Episode breakdown:
· Welcome baby George!
· Stretch & sweeps
· Spontaneous water breaking
· Contractions, early labour & hair
· Getting to the hospital & checks
· Active labour & epidural
· Recovery
· Matilda & George and their...
Things we wish we knew as first time parents, Jonah Hill and toxic ex's plus a raunchy product review from Nicola
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Welcome back to the pod! Today we are introducing baby George and discussing all the things we wish we knew as a first-time mum – hindsight is 20/20! Also talking about the troubling text from Jonah Hill and a few of our personal experiences with our toxic ex’s. One of our product reviews today gets a bit raunchy but it’s changed Nicola’s life so let us know if it’s changed yours too! As always happy listening and please like, rate or review if you are enjoying our catch ups each week. xx
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James and Nicola's birth story - positive hospital birth
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It's finally here! Nicola's birth story. This is a completely different birth to Nicola's first with Leo. It was extremely positive and she feels very fortunate to be able to share it with our listeners.
Episode breakdown:
· Early labour or Braxton Hicks?
· Mitch plays soccer while Nicola labours in the park
· Labour massage
· Shit pre-pregnancy bento
· Getting primal
· Tens machine, hospital birth, placenta delivery and a shower post labour!
Nicola's birth vlog (for James) - https://youtu.be/tWhUiQwRVLc
Nicola's prev...
Relationships and sex pre and post baby, daycare sickness with a newborn and a few of our latest purchases
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Today felt a bit like a therapy session for us. We dropped a question box on our stories a couple of weeks back and wanted to answer the top 5 on today's episode! A few heavier questions with some light ones thrown in there. We are chatting about the relationship issues after kids, love languages, sex and everyone's fav topic - daycare sickness as well as a bit of fashion, purchases and skincare. Come along for our friend therapy sesh and as always please let us know what you think of today's episode...
Threenager behaviour, discipline, unsolicited advice and fav products of the week
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Today is one of our favourite eps because it seemed like another therapy session... that every toddler mum can relate to! We delve
Episode breakdown:
Gratitute - starting the episode off on a positive note Let's talk toddler behaviour! Anyone else's toddler tell them what to do? Boundaries, funny stories, discipline and how we are dealing with the "threenager" yearsUnsolicited advice from family members & friends Thank you to our beautiful listener, Lara for sending us a beautiful gift box from her brand, Sharing is Caring. If you're looking for an amaz...When your partner needs a break (and some credit), the relationship shift in newborn life, hemorrhoids and toilet training
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Happy Tuesday! We are feeling a bit rested and ready to take on the day! Today we are chatting a bit about the adjustment from one to two and how relationships look in that time. We also want to acknowledge the Dads and other partners who do a lot and also need both credit and a break. As always there is also a bit of poo talk (toilet training this time round) and chatting hemorrhoids in pregnancy! We also want to thank everyone for joining our Mother, Unrefined Mothers group on FB, Check...
Welcome James! Nicola's transition from 1 to 2 kids, Newborn life, Scary encounters and Birthday suits
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We’re back! Jess is on the tail end of a cold and Nicola has a newborn and is sleep deprived so today involves a fair bit of babble! Nicola has had her beautiful boy, James. so today we are chatting all about her adjustment to becoming a mum of two. Her reality so far vs what she expected. We also have one very intense Mother, Unrefined moment from Nicola and one very silly one from Jess’ husband. FYI- all three kids around for this recording so prepare to hear a few extra voic...
Keeping the toddlers busy! Exchanging our favourite ideas for toddler activities and ways we TRY and keep them entertained
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Recording just before Nicola’s due date and now baby James is here! Today we wanted to discuss our favourite toddler activities and compare the ways we keep our kids entertained in the hope that we get some inspiration from each other and with any luck we can pass some of that onto you! There’s nothing too out of the ordinary here (aside from Nicola’s epic tip!) but sometimes we all just need a reminder of a few little things that help with keeping the little people entertained…especially when there is a new...
Postpartum prep! Nutrition, the epi-no, meal prep and what we are doing differently to prepare ourselves for life after birth
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Welcome to another episode of Mother, Unrefined! If you're new around here the aim of this podcast is to make every woman feel less alone on her journey to and through motherhood (however that may look).
DISCLAIMER: we won't be watching our language so be mindful around little ones.
Episode breakdown:
