Beyond the Bump
Beyond the Bump is a podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Sophie Pearce. It began in the baby years and has grown right alongside us, because motherhood keeps evolving long after the baby stage ends. This is a place for real conversations and honest questions, no matter how hard, about the parts of motherhood that often go unspoken. The mental load that changes shape rather than easing. The identity shifts. The stage where life doesn’t suddenly feel simpler. Wherever you are in it, the aim is the same: to leave you feeling lighter, more understood and a li...
Bumpie Group Chat: decided to take a week off whinging
We dive straight into a short and sweet Bumpie Group Chat today as surprisingly, both of us had great weeks! As we crawl out of some mild parenting trenches, we remind ourselves of the importance of help, making time for ourselves and remembering that we are doing a damn good job! We yap about…
Does anything replace the help you get from a supportive family? Parenting away from a village Don’t compare yourself to others parenting journeys Sophie’s 3 year old is sleeping better and life is looking up The sleep advice Sophie is implementing Jayde’s made new...How did you break the cycle of addiction for your children? - with Hanna, mum of 2
For this episode of Bumpies on Board, Hanna, an American Bumpie, shares with us her raw and vulnerable battle with addiction. A disease that is not often spoken about, addiction was part of her life from childhood. Hanna gives us an honest insight into the good, the bad and the ugly that she has experienced in both her addiction battle and her decade of sobriety, now as a mum of two. She shares…
How watching her parents own addiction and mental health struggles formed the blueprint for Hanna’s substance issues When throwing out drugs switched to trying them ...Bumpie Group Chat: The rollercoaster that is couple’s therapy, the torture that is Sophie’s bedtime and could Jayde be going through peri-menopause?
Even after spending a big few days in Sydney together, we still find plenty to discuss. Jayde took an early flight home to drive straight to couples therapy and gives us an update…
Firstly, we clear up the Nick/Harry confusion After a vulnerable breakdown a few weeks ago, therapy has given Jayde and Harry more tools to forge a better path forwards Sophie would people-please a therapist into getting an A+ if she could Jayde’s itchy legs spiraled into scabies, bed bugs and perimenopause and Sophie is sending her straight to the GP Should we push harde...Anyone else got the guilts around playing with our kids? - with Nicole, paediatric physiotherapist
We’ll admit it. We don’t love playing with the kids. So we asked Nicole, a paediatric physiotherapist from @nicole_kidsphysio to come and give us the insight on play and making it work for your family. We discuss…
When you don’t love playing with your kids Guilt, screens and connection Engagement vs imaginative play Finding the ‘play’ style that works for you Bossy play and how to navigate it Behind every behaviour is a communication How long do you need to play for? Does independent play even exist!? Tips for scaffolding independent play Sensory play tips and trick...Bumpie group chat: talking parental preference, a little bit of 90s parenting and a kudos to Covid parents
It’s been a big week of technology fails, Jayde’s crying going viral and as always, our youngest children are keeping us so, so humble. We dive into…
Sophie chats parental preference. It’s a lose-lose scenario Jayde’s becoming a 90s parent and it was the ice-cream that tipped her over the edge Covid Babies are on their way to finishing pre-school and this quote from Dr Becky is taking us back Jayde crying went viral… but how is she doing? The traffic light system for nervous system regulation Does music set the tone of the house or overs...You’re having twins… again?! - with Leila from Village For Mama, post partum doula and mum of 5 kids (2 sets of twins)
Last time we spoke to Leila from Village for Mama, she surprised us with a pregnancy announcement… little did she know that it would be her second set of twins! Today, she dives into life with 5 kids, pregnancy, birth, a supported postpartum and juggling multiple multiples! We chat about…
How the 20-week scan revealed Leila’s second set of twins and shocked everyone The different decision making process for round 2 Finding and selecting a live in au pair The beauty of a larger age gap between siblings Guilt around your relationship with your older children when a new baby is...Bumpie Group Chat: deep chats, a panic attack, an outburst over a viral cake and a Prima ick
This is an emotional episode of the Bumpie Group Chat and we’re feeling it. Jayde isn’t in a great place right now and she shares the weight of it all. Sophie wanted her feelings back and is now asking if you should be careful what you wish for. We dive into…
Jayde has a heavy and vulnerable share. Life isn’t in a good place and family life feels hard Parenting a teen is like postpartum Does the ‘village’ drop off after kids start school? Sophie has been on the verge of tears non-stop since the IUD came out...Can we rethink autism and move beyond the stereotypes? - with Dr Krishna Jadav Carle, developmental paediatrician
Can we move past rigid stereotypes in order to better understand and support our autistic children? To dive into this, we speak to Dr Krishna Jadav Carle who explains all the ways in which autism can present in children. She is a developmental paediatrician and Director of ACCESS Paediatric Clinic. In her book, What’s My Colour On The Spectrum?, Dr Krishna introduces the Rainbow Model, a framework to help better understand the huge variety within autism. This is such a valuable episode and we learned so much. We discuss…
The diagnostic criteria and categories Dr Krishna is seei...Bumpie group chat: a bunch of updates, a question about play dates and the old scholastic catalogue gets us again!
This week on the Bumpie Group Chat we dive into the hormonal rollercoaster of being a woman, from Sophie’s IUD removal to Jayde’s period disc recommendations. Our kids are taking us on a walk down memory lane to our old-school Book Fairs. Oh and we need your play date rules, come and share over in our Facebook group!
Pearl has said “I love you!” so Soph is taking the win Bedtime battles The ‘head fluffery’ of play dates and sibling dynamics Apple Sleeves has a music video Sophie is off to Harry Styles! And the entire family are ta...How can we raise boys to be emotionally healthy men? - with Dr Billy Garvey, developmental paediatrician
Terms like ‘the manosphere’ and ‘toxic masculinity’ are thrown around a lot lately and it has many of us worried. How do we raise boys? What does a good man look like? We speak to Dr Billy Garvey, developmental paediatrician and father of three, about his new book and how to raise emotionally healthy boys. Regardless of whether you have a son or not, this episode is filled with parenting wisdom. After we establish that Dr Billy is the intellectual hall pass of half of the BTB team, we dive into…
What is a good man and what is our aim...3, 7 & 38 year olds - is it developmental? We have lost the plot again lol sorry
As always, the Bumpie Group Chat is a rollercoaster but we know you’re alongside us for the ride, Bumpies! We vent about our current parenting pickles, we cry with pride about said children then wrap it up by searching for inspo on how to be better parents to our daughters. Wow. We dive into…
7 year olds… wtf? Third child things… we are not okay! We debut Yumi’s first single, Apple Sleeves and it’s a banger Sophie had her IUD removed and discusses the ‘why’ Soph asked TikTok what kept sisters bonded as they grew up and the answers...How can I better communicate and set boundaries with my in-laws, parents, partner and other important people in my life? - with family therapist & speech pathologist Claire Barbagallo
We are constantly asked for advice when it comes to tension with in-laws, grandparents, relationships and more. Setting boundaries is easier said than done! To help us help you, we spoke to clinical family therapist and speech pathologist, Claire Barbagallo, all about communicating with the key people in our lives. We discuss…
What do you do if your MIL wants to share your children on social media and you’re not okay with it? Shifting from boundaries = conflict to boundaries as a form of healthy communication How to get grandparents on the same parenting page as you Your non-ne...Bumpie Group Chat: what parenting boxes have you put yourself in? Plus, we share your inappropriate songs from your childhood
Mother’s Day has come and gone and we unpack our thoughts around the day - can we take the wins for what they are? We just want to feel seen! We also jump into…
Sophie’s sinking smoothly into Term 2 Shout out to the single and solo mums on Mother’s Day Craft mum realisations and cutting the parenting labels Filling up your cup alongside your child’s feels like a hack Screen time for the win, it doesn’t have to be demonised all the time Sophie watched The Sweetest Thing with her whole family… enough said We share...How did you rebuild your “village” in a new country!? Living abroad, being estranged from your own mother, PND and more - with Kerrene Taylor
We speak a lot about finding a village, but what do you do when you’ve moved across the world and find yourself starting from scratch? Kerrene Taylor (@kerrenetaylor) is an American mum living in Western Australia, documenting the honest reality of becoming a mother far from home - without the village most of us assumed we'd have. We discuss…
How Kerrene met her now-husband and moved to Perth Moving into motherhood without a relationship with her mum How Kerrene explored remothering herself before having children The term ‘morning’ sickness needs to be cancelled Her birth and postpartum journey...Bumpie Group Chat: the girls’ trip rundown, what we actually want on Mother’s Day and do the lyrics our kids listen to matter?
he Bumpie Group Chat is back after a two-week break so we have lots to catch up on! We jump straight into…
How was Jayde’s girls trip to the USA for a country music festival? The lead up to a girls trip might be even better than the holiday itself An emergency evacuation at StageCoach 🫣 Jayde’s fallen out of love with singer Riley and more in love with her husband, Harry Their emotional couples therapy breakthrough Sophie’s got a threenager on her hands A Mother’s Day hot take - is just saying exactly what you want a win-w...How do we navigate parenting in a digital world? - with Dr Jo Orlando, researcher into kids and tech
Has ‘screen time’ become a dirty word when it comes to our kids? Can we safely support them to use technology that is constantly evolving? There is a lot of fear around screens but it feels overwhelming when they’re such a big part of our lives. We want to remove the shame so we chat to researcher Dr Jo Orlando about how we navigate parenting in a digital world. We discuss…
Is screen time black and white for all children? Screens as a tool for connection and communication when you’re a tween/teen Rest or stimulation? Can screens...What do you do when you share your whole life online…and it completely implodes? - with Bella Messina
Imagine sharing your life on social media every day until one day, your relationship begins to implode. How do you show up? What do you share? Bella Messina is a single mum to 2 daughters, sharing her motherhood journey on her podcast, Tiktok and Instagram. We dive in...
Bella shares her journey leading up to her first pregnancy and struggling with HG throughout How her mental health declined but she still gaslit herself into thinking how she ‘should be grateful’ At one point do we feel ‘worthy’ of help with mental health? Bella shares how each day was a struggle...Bumpie Group Chat: germy ball pits, hospital nerves & what is pregnancy announcement etiquette?
It’s the final week of school holidays and we have some ups and downs for you, Bumpies! Sophie is still solo parenting while her husband is away and it’s getting old… time to come home Nick! Jayde had a rough time with a hospital visit for her daughter, but will be on the up once she packs her bags (last minute, of course) for a girl’s trip. We chat about…
Sophie’s at THAT stage of the school holidays - whimsy has been knocked down a peg thanks to fevers, sleep deprivation and sibling rivalry Jayde’s feel...How do we have the hard chats? Talking to our kids/tweens/teens about puberty, sex, relationships and more? - with Em Tabacaru
You might remember when your parents tried to speak to you about The Birds and The Bees. Or they left a book about puberty for you on your bed one day. Maybe they left a box of pads in the bathroom? Today we speak to Em from Pippin Girl about how to have the awkward chats with our kids about puberty, sex, consent, relationships and more - and do it a little better than how our parents might have done it! We discuss…
When and how to start discussing body changes with your children Taking your child’s pers...Bumpie Group Chat: a case for a mental load holiday, what is adult gift etiquette nowadays, the dummy has officially been ditched and can I discipline my friend’s kids?
We kick off this week’s Bumpie Group Chat episode with a petition for mandatory seasonal Mental Load Holidays. Can you imagine!? Sophie is staying with her parents for the school holidays and she’s finding parenting way more manageable. We also chat about…
Is most of the day-to-day of parenting actually made challenging by our mental load, not necessarily the kids themselves? Jayde wants to know what is the etiquette these days when it comes to giving gifts? If you’re attending an adult’s birthday, what is the protocol!? Speaking of celebrating, partying in your 30s hits diffe...What is Matrescence? The biggest transition of a mother’s life, let’s talk about it - with Claire Tonti
Matrescence. You might have never heard of it or maybe you’ve seen it doing the rounds on social media lately. It’s actually the biggest transition any human will go through in life and it’s reserved specifically for mothers. So, if it’s so massive… why is it so unknown? We speak to Claire Tonti, matrescence activist, filmmaker, singer and songwriter, to learn more. We say it often, but this really is a must-listen for everyone, mother or not!
We discuss…
What actually is matrescence? And why haven’t we heard about it until recently (if ev...Bumpie group chat: dentist mum guilt, crawling to the end of term and folks, you know you’re getting old when…
As we roll into the long weekend, we are both relieved and overwhelmed. We dive into this episode of the Bumpie Group Chat and vent about the collective anxiousness we are all feeling - from the state of the world right now to the endless Easter to-do list plus the race to the finish line of term 1. It’s a LOT! We also chat about…
What am I and who am I? Society’s obsession with labelling people and why we can’t do it all Leaning into your school community and how wholesome it can feel “Do you have ca...Do I really need a will? A hard but important chat. Law for mummies not dummies, with - Tess, wills and estate lawyer
Have you written a Will? This episode has been *highly* requested by Bumpies so we spoke to Tessa from Lyden Lane to discuss estate planning and future-proofing for our children after we are gone. Yes, it feels confronting but we know we need to adult-up and get it done for the benefit of our family. We discuss…
What actually is a Will? What happens if you pass away without one? And is it just needed when one parent dies or both!? Does debt get passed down if it’s not paid off? Boomer wealth, granny flats, intergenerational living and t...Bumpie group chat: are we overdoing kids’ birthday parties? Some positive “just you waits” and AITA for wanting to change my kids' friends?
Bumpies, today really is a mixed bag, so strap in for this rollercoaster. We discuss everything from vaping to religion, if we actually need yearly birthday parties for kids and the most beautiful ‘just you wait’ moments that had us tearing up. We dive into…
It’s Week 2 of Harry being away - how is Jayde going this week with solo parenting? The mental load around extra-curricular activities and why it can be anxiety inducing The classic trap of who has it harder and why we probably need to take that straight to couple’s counselling 😅 Possibly controversial, but should we...What are the hidden gifts of your neurodivergent brain? OCD, ADHD and more - with Jess Urlichs
You have probably seen Jess Urlichs’ beautiful poems on motherhood in your Instagram feed but you might not know much about the woman behind the words. In this episode, we speak to Jess (@jessurlichs) and dive into everything from pursuing creativity to both her and her son’s neurodivergence diagnoses. We discuss…
Jess’ current journey navigating her eldest son’s neurodivergence and how that looked for him as a baby How Jess began writing poetry and the poems that went viral Tips for turning your thoughts into poems Jess’ recent diagnosis of OCD and how this differs from the ‘OCD’ cl...Bumpie Group Chat: shoutout to solo/single parents, what’s a sleep under & am I the asshole when my MIL…
We are back with the Bumpie Group Chat and kicking it straight off with a huge shoutout to the parents out there who are doing it all, whether they’re a single, solo, FIFO or may-as-well be single mum. After a week of Harry being overseas, Jayde is feeling it and can only imagine the load you carry. We also discuss…
You can’t do it all and how Jayde is approaching life while her husband is away Sleep unders - what are they and are they ticking all the boxes for families who want to avoid sleepovers? Am I t...Bumpies on Board with Bec, the fruit girl - the darkness of HG, being a nepo fruit baby and grieving your first love
After both loving following Bec @pinatafruitgirl on TikTok, we knew we had to have her bubbly energy and articulate take on life and motherhood here on the podcast! After a quick circle-jerk fangirling over each other, we jumped straight into it…
The beauty and challenges in parenting for Bec How life looked for Bec before children growing up on a working fruit farm The tragic death of her first love at 25 years old and how messy grief can be Finding love after loss Is it hyperemesis gravidarum or not? We all share our stories with how dark and al...Bumpie Group Chat: if we aren't back next week we are on tour
We are back with the Bumpie Group Chat and honestly, we are a bit shakey and nervous. Why? Because we have recorded our sing-off and have mild regrets. If we aren’t back next week, it’s because we are either on tour or hiding in shame!
On top of our Taylor Swift renditions, we discuss…
Jayde’s low energy but getting by! Just in time for her minor day surgery Nail art hacks for low maintenance vibes Sophie needs help with the dummy… not hers, Pearl’s! Jayde shares her thoughts and Bumpies give advice, too Jayde giv...How can I parent a big personality without dulling their shine? - with Gen Muir
We have brought back a Beyond the Bump favourite, Gen Muir (parenting coach, social worker and mum to 4 boys) to help us out with a personal parenting pickle. How do you raise children with BIG personalities without dulling their sparkle? We discuss…
Jayde shares her own worries about how this dynamic plays out in her household Gen dives into how our own childhood may be triggered by our children Introverted vs extroverted personalities and how they may exist within a family How do we set a firm boundary even when their big personality rebels against it? Using communication st...Bumpie Group Chat: dare we say… haemorrhoids and could this be the start of our singing careers?!
The Bumpie Group Chat (Unfiltered) is back and we are living up to the unfiltered part of the name 😅 We jump straight into…
Sophie made the trek through Melbourne Airport solo with the 3 kids and the price she’s paying comes in the form of hemorrhoids Jayde’s booking in some important health checks Harry and Jayde had their second couple’s counseling session and came in hot off the back of a communication blunder A new therapy technique was put into practise and worked! Soph and Nick realised they’d missed an important assembly at school - relatable! Jayd...“I landed on my baby”... how do you move past mum guilt when a nightmare becomes reality? - with Abi Draycott
Abi, mum of 3 and a friend of Sophie’s, is speaking with us about her story. In this very emotional and vulnerable episode, Abi describes her journey into motherhood, the day their world shifted after a fall devastatingly impacted their newborn and the family’s road to recovery. Despite everything, Abi’s sense of humour and optimism had us in awe! We discuss…
Moving from the UK to Australia and how to keep the grandparents involved How an ADHD diagnosis transpired after becoming a mum Being a first time parent and how bitter-sweet hindsight can be How the intrusive...How do I know if I’m done? 8 adults, 1 powerful conversation - with the whole BTB team
A topic that comes up in the Beyond the Bump community daily is the big question, “how do you know when you’re done?” Yep - are you planning on having more children? And do we all get that feeling of knowing our family is complete? Or is that a myth?
This is a round table style episode where we sat down with the eight members of the Beyond the Bump team on our team weekend away and dived into our own unique perspectives. Spoiler alert, about half of us cry! We discuss…
Those of us who feel...How can I get this brain of mine to breathe? Simplifying for the sake of our nervous system with Jodi Wilson
The “nervous system” has been mentioned a lot lately and for good reason! Life is busy and our body wasn’t designed to be dealing with this level of stress 24/7. So today, we speak to Jodi Wilson, bestselling author, yoga teacher and postpartum doula, about her latest book, A Brain that Breathes: essential habits for an overwhelming world. We discuss…
What even is the nervous system and how can we slow down? How the constant mental load, multitasking and being chronically online all contribute to an overwhelmed nervous system Small daily habits that we can use to help calm our...Bumpie Group Chat: Is it couple’s therapy or co host therapy? And thanks to the Bumpies for keeping us sane!
The Bumpie Group Chat is back and Sophie reveals her vulnerability hangover. After being literally inundated with messages from Bumpies who could relate to her worries about school, Sophie shares her current reflections on how life might look like for her family. We also dive into…
Is it more acceptable to share you need time away from your kids than to say that you want to be with them as much as possible? Could hybrid learning be the answer to Sophie’s concerns? Sophie and Nick have made the decision to unenrol Pearl from pre-school and the relief is t...Anyone else struggling with drops offs? Separation anxiety, resilience & more with Orlanda, teacher, psychology dress & mother
The school year has well and truly started but that doesn’t mean separation anxiety, tough drop offs and big feelings have come to an end. We spoke to Orlanda (@mybrain.books) all about how we can support our children when it comes to starting formal care, whether that be daycare, pre-school or school itself. We chatted to her all about…
What factors influence separation anxiety or difficult drop offs? When might it be our own anxiety or when is it our gut telling us something might need to change? How can a child’s cognitive develop...
Bumpie Group Chat: is Sophie going back to homeschooling and who else is keen on a foot job?
As always Bumpies, when one of us is up, the other is down! We kick off the latest Bumpie Group Chat episode with…
Jayde and Harry have made big changes in the bedroom Sophie unveils her perfect feet and Jayde confesses she loves a foot job Pearl has had another tough week at pre-school and Sophie is reflecting on her readiness The daily grind and back-to-school routines are hitting Sophie’s family hard after a tight-knit year in the caravan - is mainstream school always the right option for everyone? Jayde shares a Rude or Fabulous - would you...Will becoming a mum ruin my career? Or will it be a superpower? - with Michelle Battersby
It’s been a busy 2 or so years for Michelle Battersby (@michellebattersby) who has grown and birthed two boys 17 months apart, all while selling her tech start-up Sunroom and beginning the role of President at global app, Peanut. We dived into her journey to chat more about…
Life before children as a woman carving a path in male-dominated boardrooms Her career progression and moving to LA to found her own tech start up Navigating pregnancy in her workplace and reflecting on how motherhood and career would look for Michelle How she reframed the changes she underwent as a moth...Bumpie Group Chat: the school year is already catching up on us and so is our age
The Bumpie Group Chat is back and it’s a bit of a different vibe to earlier in the week. Reality is sinking in and we need to talk about it…
Pearl had a tough time starting pre-school and not only is it heart-breaking, it’s making Sophie wonder how she is actually going to get work done Jayde is finally feeling her age and we dive into aging mentally and physically. Greys, fine lines and chin hairs - are we embracing them? Are we chasing beauty standards because we actually want to or is it social pressure!? Sophie...New year, new us? Couple’s therapy, starting school and a new BTB era incoming 👀
We are back, Bumpies! New year, new us? After sharing way too many digestive details, looks like we’re still the same. After a 6 week break, we had A LOT to catch up on…
How is Sophie adjusting to life back home after her lap of Australia? Jayde shares how scary navigating sick kids, a snow storm and an international health system was Goldie and Mia start new school journeys and it’s a rollercoaster of emotions Sophie’s addicted to her phone (but actually, who isn’t!?) Jayde discusses her phone usage rules for her tweens One of the girls...REPLAY: Soph’s PREGNANT, so how’s the first trimester REALLY been? Week by week pregnancy diaries with Sophie and Jayde
This week we are replaying Sophie's pregnancy diaries through her first trimester with baby number 3!
As always, we hope you enjoy! 💛
Beyond the Bump is a podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Sophie Pearce! A podcast targeted at mums, just like you! A place to have real conversations with honest and authentic people.
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