Beyond the Bump

This week on the poddy, our beautiful VA Clare joins us for a chat about identity, and all the different versions of ourselves—before kids, during mum life, and who we’re still becoming. Jayde asks Clare and Sophie some questions about who they are both inside and outside of being a mum, and it sparked such a real and honest convo.

It’s raw and relatable, and 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...

Just a heads-up: we do talk about child sexual abuse in this chat, so please skip this one if it feels like too much right now. 

In this episode, we chat with the lovely Victoria Barendsen, a psychologist who specialises in sexual abuse prevention, about how we can keep our kids safe without them missing out on all the fun stuff—like sleepovers and playdates. Vic shares simple, age-appropriate ways to talk to our kids about body safety, boundaries, and consent. She also gives us some great tips on what to look out for in different settings, and...

This was a last-minute recording for Friday’s Bumpie Group Chat with @kristimcvee, but one we knew we needed to have 💛 

Kristi is a child abuse educator and former detective, and after the awful news this week, we wanted to bring you a conversation that could help answer some of your questions and offer support instead of fear. We cover how on earth this happened, signs to look out for, questions to ask your child care centers, why it is not your fault and changes that should be made going forward. It’s heavy, but it’s important...

In this episode, we chat with Leila, from Village For Mama, about the age-old saying, “it takes a village to raise a child” — but where is the village today? We dive into how we can rebuild this essential support system, not because it’s trending, but because it’s truly needed. We explore ways to create connection, find support, and foster a strong parenting community in our fast-paced world. Plus, we share what you, our lovely Bumpies, are doing to bring that village vibe back.

As always, we hope you enjoy! 💛

Resource links:

Village...

Welcome to the very first ep of The Bumpie Group Chat Unfiltered – your new Friday fave where nothing’s off-limits. This week, Jayde opens up about her post-surgery period, Sophie gives us an IUD update, and there’s a surprise hypnotherapy giveaway thrown in (because Jayde’s feeling generous).

Plus, Jayde shares her two cents on Sophie’s big plan to sail around Australia on a boat… and so much more.

As always, we hope you enjoy! 💛

Beyond the Bump is a podcast brought to you by Jayde Couldwell and Sophie Pearce! A podcas...

In this episode of Beyond the Bump, it’s just Sophie and Nick on the mic as they dive into all your burning questions about their family road trip around Australia. From the toughest challenges of life on the move to the biggest lessons learned, they share the highs, lows, and everything in between. Whether you're dreaming of hitting the road with kids or just curious about their journey, this episode gives an honest, behind-the-scenes look at van life with a family of five.

As always, we hope you enjoy! 💛

Beyond the Bump is a p...

This week, we chat with the beautiful Brooke — a first-time mum who shares her raw and real experience with postnatal depression and anxiety. Brooke’s story is one we haven’t heard before, and it’s a powerful reminder that every path through motherhood is different.

We’re so thankful to Brooke for trusting us with her story, and we hope you take something from this episode — whether it’s comfort, understanding, or simply knowing you're not alone.

Trigger warning: This episode touches on PND and PNA, so please listen in a way that feels right for you...

Why do we feel so much pressure to “bounce back” after having a baby? This week on Beyond the Bump, we chat with the lovely Dr. Pree, a prenatal psychologist, all about the unrealistic expectations around pregnancy and postpartum body image. We talk about where this pressure comes from, why it’s so damn hard to ignore, and how we can start tuning it out. Dr. Pree shares real, practical tips to help you feel more at home in your body—no matter what stage you’re in. If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt the weight of “g...

Welcome to EP21 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the legendary Hamish Adams-Cairns from the Sober Awkward podcast on all things drinking & dad pub culture.

Hamish has been sober for 3 years and having run a podcast on his adventures in sobriety, knows a thing or two about the experience of giving up alcohol. He also presents a wonderfully balanced and non-judgemental view on whether you drink or not.

This is an amazing, thoughtful and vulnerable chat about dads & their relationship with alcohol as well as what it means to be...

This week on the pod, we’re joined by the lovely Liv Brown from @rattle_style – and what a chat it was! We originally invited Liv on to talk about finding your style again postpartum, but in true Beyond the Bump fashion, we spiraled into so much more (in the best way).

We ended up diving deep into topics like postnatal depression (PND), postnatal anxiety (PNA), health anxiety, navigating a bub who’s unwell, coping when your own mum is unwell, and the big transition to two kids.

It’s raw, real, and full of heart. Y...

This one was a ripper! In this episode, we chat with Gen Muir — and yes, we know we say every episode is a ripper, but this one really hit home.

Sophie felt like her kids were on the trip of a lifetime, but they didn’t really seem all that grateful for it. Gen’s insights on kids and gratitude have really helped us approach the situation with more compassion, kindness, and patience.

Most importantly, it helped us realise it’s not just a "them" issue — and that took away a lot of the shame around thi...

In this episode of Beyond the Bump, we’re joined by the brilliant Madeleine Murray to answer the question so many of us have: “WTF is my cycle doing?” Madeleine breaks down the menstrual cycle using the concept of the four ‘seasons’—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—to help us better understand the natural shifts in our energy, mood, and needs throughout the month. From period pain to productivity slumps, this dummies guide to cyclical living will leave you feeling more in tune with your body and how to work with it, not against it.

As always, we hope you en...

In this episode, we chat with Joy—our wonderful Beyond the Bump newsletter editor—about her experiences with miscarriage, the transition from one to two kids, and the everyday highs and lows of motherhood. Joy brings honesty, warmth, and humour to a conversation that’s as real as it is relatable. It was truly a 'joy' having her on.

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 conversati...

Welcome to EP20 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the legendary Gen Muir on Millennial fatherhood and what’s changed over the generations. 

Gen is an experienced Parent Educator, Author, Podcaster, Obstetric Social Worker and mum to four boys who has worked with over 40,000 parents to date! Her aim is to help you understand the principles, tools and strategies that boost connection, even in tricky moments, so you become the expert on your child.

We talk about how fatherhood has changed over time, how the role of fathers has changed inc...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re joined by the lovely Clare Andrews — a maternal child health nurse, mum, and all-round legend. Clare’s no stranger to the poddy, and today she opens up about an incredibly personal journey: earlier this year, her mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 

Clare shares how she’s navigating the juggle of being both a mum and a daughter during such an emotional time. We talk about the mental, physical, and emotional load, and how grief can begin even before a loved one passes. It’s a raw and heartfelt chat about...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re thrilled to welcome back the beautiful Vicki! A few weeks ago, we chatted with Vic about sobriety — but this time, we’re diving into something different: failing as a mum. We talk about what failure can look like, how we can make peace with it, and why we’re still more than enough despite our stumbles. It’s a raw, real, and reassuring conversation for every parent.

As always, we hope you enjoy! 💛

Resource links:

drunkmummysobermummy.com

Follow Victoria on IG: @drunkmummysobe...

Welcome to EP19 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the amazing Jason Seeman from Raising Fathers on the rite of passage that is growing from boy to man then a father. 

Jason is a fatherhood guide, educator, and facilitator with over a decade of experience creating programs like Raising Fathers, The Rites of Passage Institute and The Man Cave. 

Whether he’s helping men embrace the challenges of fatherhood, designing bespoke rites of passage, or sharing his reflections through Raising Fathers, Jason is driven by a singular purpose: to elevate fath...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re joined by the lovely Rachel—aka @australianpsychologist on Instagram! Rachel helps parents raise happy, emotionally healthy kids, and in this episode, we dive into the topic of highly sensitive children. What does “highly sensitive” really mean? Is it a real thing? Could your child be one? And most importantly, how can we support them? Tune in for a warm and insightful chat full of practical tips and reassurance.

As always, we hope you enjoy! 💛

Resource links:

Follow Rachel on IG: @australianpsychologist

Beyond...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re joined by the lovely Vic for a super honest and uplifting chat all about sobriety and motherhood. We dive into the whole “mummy wine culture” — is it a harmless escape or doing more harm than good? Jayde opens up about her own journey with drinking and sobriety, while Sophie shares her thoughts on being sober curious. Whether you’re on your own sober path or just wondering what it’s all about, this episode is a warm, non-judgy space to explore it.

Resource links:

Follow Vic on IG: @d...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re getting real about all the things we wish we knew as first-time mums! Sophie and Jayde chat about the surprises, the struggles, and the game-changing lessons they’ve learned along the way. And as always we hope you love the episode as much as we did!

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.  

Follow us on Instagram at @beyondth...

Welcome to EP18 of Beyond The Balls!

This is a chat with the amazing Jonny Casella on grief, loss, love and dealing with this worst tragedy any parent could face. Jonny’s first child Mackenzie was a perfect little baby – the picture of health but at 10 weeks old, she was diagnosed with a condition called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) – a severe inherited neuromuscular condition without a cure. 

Jonny and his wife Rachael were shattered by the news. The couple had no family history of genetic conditions and undertook all the recommended preparations to have a healthy...

Today on the poddy, we chat with the lovely Dr. Beth—aka the Tooth Fairy! (Heads up: there’s some tooth fairy talk in this one.) We never imagined a conversation about teeth and dentistry could be so fun, but we learned so much! Many parents feel ashamed or anxious about their kids’ teeth, worried about being judged at the dentist. Dr. Beth shares practical tips and reassurance to help ease those fears and make dental visits less daunting. 

We hope this episode gives you confidence and puts your mind at ease. And as always we hope you lov...

Today on the poddy, we welcome back the amazing Fiona from Mama Matters! If you haven’t heard of her, you’re in for a treat—we highly recommend giving her a follow. In this episode, we dive into the pressures of motherhood and how to shake off the “shoulds” to focus on what truly matters to you. It’s all about tuning into your values and letting go of unrealistic expectations.

We hope you love this chat as much as we did—enjoy the episode!

Resources links:
mamamatters.com.au

Follow Fiona...

Welcome to EP17 of Beyond The Balls!

Dr. Hugh Porter is an obstetrician, husband, legend and father of two!

He’s experienced an amazingly varied career and quite a lot of life, so we thought there was no one more qualified to help us out with some Q&A from our audience.

We answer questions as sticky as ‘my wife wants a Caesarean but I think she can do it naturally’ all the way to ‘what’s the weirdest pregnancy craving you’ve heard of?’ with entertaining results.

We thank Dr. Porter for his...

Today on the poddy, we welcome back the fabulous Jane from ADHD Mums! It’s been about a year since Jayde had her big ADHD lightbulb moment, so we thought, what better way to mark her one-year ADHDiversary than to get Jane back on for a recap? 

As always, we hope you enjoy the episode!

Resources links:
adhdmums.com.au

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 conve...

We are so excited to have the beautiful Konnie on the poddy! Konnie is Jayde’s long-time friend (what a legend!), and we’ve managed to pull her out of her newborn bubble to chat with us all about her experience with an elective caesarean.

She dives into why she chose this birth option but also shares how hard it was to find information about it—so much out there focuses on vaginal births or emergency C-sections! Konnie spills all the things she wishes she had known before her C-section and the little gems of wisdom she’s picked...

Welcome to EP16 of Beyond The Balls!

Jeff is 38, a father of two beautiful children and has Motor Neurone Disease (MND). He was diagnosed 7 months ago and his body is robbing him of his life with his family. 

Chi’s father also passed away at 68 from MND (Also known as ALS / Lou Gehrig’s). It’s a terrible disease which shuts down your nerves, but leaves you in full faculty of everything happening around you - including what’s being taken away. That includes your movement, your speech, your dignity and ultimately your breathing. 

It sadly...

We’re so excited to have the beautiful Roisin back on the poddy! This time, we’re chatting all about daycare transitions as her twins recently started. She shares how this experience has been different from when her eldest began, the emotional rollercoaster of returning to work, and, of course, mum guilt.

We also dive into practical tips for making the transition smoother, what’s worked for Roisin’s family, and how to feel more confident about this big change. If you’re in the middle of daycare drop-offs or preparing for the future, we hope this episode gi...

In this episode of Beyond the Bump, our beautiful VA Clare jumps on the poddy with us! Both Clare and Jayde have just sent their little ones off to school for the first time, and we’re chatting all about what that transition has been like—the nerves, the tears (from kids and parents), the wins, and the wobbles.

We share our honest experiences, a few tips that helped, and the little surprises we weren’t expecting. If you’re in the thick of this big change or it’s just around the corner, this one’s for you!

Welcome back legends! Here we are kicking off another year of Beyond The Balls. In this episode we give you an update on some big changes including Chi’s wife finishing maternity leave and him taking on solo primary care. We play a bit of a ‘get to know each other’ game as well as discuss what’s on the horizon for 2025. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be back!

Resource links:

Chi’s first episode on Beyond The Bump talking about being a SAHD

Beyond the Balls is a fatherhoo...

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Lucinda from the Ready or Not podcast—a show all about women returning to work and making it work. We cover everything from navigating careers after kids to the chaos of parenting two little ones. Honestly, we chat about everything—motherhood, work, and all the in-between moments. It’s a good old-fashioned gasbag session, full of laughs, insights, and real talk. Tune in for a fun and honest convo!

As always, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Resource links:

Get 20% off Lucinda and Lauren’s Go...

We missed you, Bumpies! After a long summer break, Farmer Jayde and Trucker Sophie are back in your earholes, ready to kick off another year of Beyond the Bump. In this episode, we’re catching you up on all the highs, lows, and hilarious moments from our summer break. From family chaos to much-needed downtime, we’re sharing it all!

As always, we hope you enjoy this episode!

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 ha...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re revisiting Episode 146 with Dr. Sophie Brock, a sociologist who unpacks the ‘perfect mother myth.’ She explains why being a 'good enough' mother is not only okay but often better for us and our kids.

We discuss how social media amplifies motherhood pressures, the anger-guilt trap, and how much attention kids really need each day. Dr. Brock also shares what real self-care looks like—practical ways to care for ourselves without adding more stress.

Follow Dr. Sophie Brock on Instagram at @drsophiebrock for more insights and check out her podc...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re replaying Episode 171—a fan favourite featuring the one and only Dr. Timmy! He’s back in the poddy pod to bust myths and separate fact from fiction when it comes to pregnancy.

Can you drink coffee while pregnant? What about sushi or soft serve? Is heartburn really a sign your bub will have lots of hair? And what about those old wives’ tales—does carrying low mean you’re having a boy? Dr. Timmy covers it all!

Whether you’re hearing this episode for the first time or diving in a...

This week on Beyond the Bump, we’re revisiting one of our most-loved episodes: Episode 72, where we dive into the mental load of mothers. It’s something so many of us face daily—relentless, all-consuming, and often invisible. In this conversation, we explore what the mental load looks like, why it matters, and how we can better manage it.

Whether you’re tuning in for the first time or giving this episode another listen, we hope it resonates with you as much as it did with us and our listeners the first time around.

We hope you...

In today’s episode of Beyond the Bump, we reflect on the highs, lows, and lessons of 2024. Sophie shares her exciting plans to travel Australia in an RV with her family, while Jayde talks about her journey into farming—and so much more! From personal growth to funny moments and unexpected challenges, tune in for a lighthearted recap of the year and a sneak peek at what’s ahead in 2025.

Thanks for joining us for the last episode of 2024 legends, and for all your love and support this year—we can’t wait to see what 2025 brings!

As a...

In today’s episode of Beyond the Bump, we’re joined by paediatric nurses Alex and Bel to tackle toilet training. We chat about signs your little one is ready, why sensory issues like smells and splashes might hold them back, and even what constipation looks like in kids. Plus, we adults might just learn a thing or two about better bathroom habits ourselves! Whether you’re starting the journey or just curious, this episode is full of practical tips to help build confidence and make the transition smoother. 

Thanks for joining us, legends and as always we hope...

This episode is a chat with Nick aka Harry Couldwell, father of three and Jayde’s partner. Nick was only 22 when they welcomed their first daughter into the world, safe to say he has done a lot of growing as a father, husband and individual and it’s taken many years to look back at the story of his life as a young dad. Nick sits down with Chi and talks about all things mental health related, from how to bring your mates barriers down, the ‘taboo’ topic of dad rage and how to support a partner through tough times. N...

In today’s episode of Beyond the Bump, we chat with the amazing Jess Quinn—a Kiwi amputee mama with an incredible story. Jess shares how she had part of her leg removed as a child, the challenges her family faced, and how this journey has influenced her life and motherhood. Her resilience and raw honesty will leave you inspired, and we’re so grateful she’s sharing her story with us.

Thanks for joining us, legends and as always we hope you enjoy this episode!

Beyond the Bump is a podcast brought to you by...

This episode is a chat with Ben Pettingill, blind dad of two. When Ben was 16 he lost his eyesight overnight but he never let that hold him back and has achieved incredible things, including being a wonderful father. We have a chat on Ben’s amazing outlook on life and how he never takes anything for granted, nor focuses on what he cannot change. His tale will not only blow you away but inspire you in so many ways. If you thought parenting was hard, test doing it with your eyes closed! Ben is an absolute legend and we th...