The Kick Podcast
If you are trying to get pregnant or you are pregnant and you feel a little bit overwhelmed by all you need to know then this is the right podcast for you.
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EP 1. Welcome to the kick
This is a conversation between a mother and an obstetrician, husband and wife and mum and dad of four boys. Show notes and listen here.
EP 2 - How to become an ovulation Ninja
Everything you need to know about identifying, tracking and gauging your ovulation to help you get pregnant fast. Show notes and listen here
Ep 3 What I wish every woman knew before becoming pregnant
If you are trying to get pregnant. Stop. Listen to this first then...umm, carry on. This is Dr Pat flying solo talking about a really important test you need to consider before getting pregnant. Show notes and listen here
Ep 4 - What to do after a big fat positive (BFP) on your pee-on-a-stick (POAS)
What do you do once you have done a home pregnancy test and it’s positive? We talk about your first visit to your doctor and what tests are important to have at this stage of your pregnancy. Show notes and listen here
Ep 5 - ALL the Early pregnancy symptoms
ALL the pregnancy symptoms are detailed in this episode (we counted 25) from aversions to tiredness to super sensitive gag reflex. We talk about the ones as an Obstetrician I note and the ones which are red flags and need further investigation. Show notes and listen here
Ep 6 - Bleeding in early pregnancy. What does it mean?
Bleeding and spotting an early pregnancy can be really frightening. This episode is about giving you the knowledge so you know what to ignore and what to have investigated and to help give you that sense of calm as you try and navigate the waters of early pregnancy. Show notes and listen here
Ep 7 - When your baby comes (too) early
What causes your baby to come too early, what even is 'too' early, and what can you do to help prevent it? This episode covers what you need to know about premature babies. Show notes and listen here.
Ep 8 - Why the position of your placenta is important
Your placenta is a frisbee shaped wonder pack. It does so many jobs as you are growing your baby. BUT in 1 in 200 pregnancies it can cover the cervix. In this episode we talk about what this all means. Show notes and listen here
Ep 9 - The idea of Gentle Induction (of labour)
An induction of labour. This is recommended listening for every woman who is pregnant, particularly those getting close to the end of their pregnancy. Inductions aren’t rare and can represent a challenge for some women who feel blindsided by the significant change of plans. Show notes and listen here
Ep 10 - Getting the whooping cough vaccine (and what to do about visitors)
What to do about visitors to your newborn baby? Firstly, feel confident to stand by YOUR rules. We think one of those rules could be "all visitors to have a whooping cough vaccine before visiting the baby". Show notes and listen here
Ep 11 - What are normal baby movements (and why we bang on about them so much)
Baby movements is your baby’s way of telling you all is well. A healthy baby should move. Imagine if you were really sick, you would still move around the bed and get up several times a day to go the toilet. If you lay in bed for many hours, not moving at all, you would probably be dreadfully ill. A baby that’s doing nothing is not normal. Show notes and listen here
Ep 12 - What Contraception can you take to help protect your fertility?
It's such a truism. For many women we spend most of our fertile life trying NOT to get pregnant and then when we are ready to get pregnant, spend our time being worried about our ability to get pregnant. The constant throughout all stages of your fertile life is CONTRACEPTION. Show notes and listen here
Ep 13 - What you need to know about First Trimester Screening tests
First trimester screening is a test for genetic abnormality and is commonly called the Down Syndrome screen. The types of test, the accuracy, the costs and the ability to give you a definitive answer about genetic abnormality is really not well understood by patients…and sometimes care providers. Show notes and listen here
Ep 14 - Should I have a GBS Swab?
This is one of those tests that can feel a bit icky and remind you that yep, the process of growing a baby is at times, undignified. So why have it?
GBS stands for Group B streptococcus and it is a bacteria that is normal to have in the vagina. About 20 percent of women will have GBS most of the time and it’s completely harmless, until it’s not. Show notes and listen here
Ep 15 - A heads up about Breech Birth
Having a baby in the breech position presents its own set of challenges. A baby from 20 – 30 weeks moves around tonnes and that is expected and wanted, a healthy baby moves. If the baby is still ‘head up’ at 35 weeks we will need a plan for your baby’s birth. Show notes and listen here
Ep 16 - Can you say NO to tests and treatments in pregnancy and birth?
What can you say no to during pregnancy and birth? Well, you can literally say NO to everything.
Ethically a health care provider can’t force a woman to accept any sort of treatment, even if they strongly believe their treatment plan is in the best interests of the mother and/or her baby. Show notes and listen here
Ep 17 - When you are told you have Diabetes in pregnancy
Pregnancy in diabetes, or gestational diabetes, is really common. Up to about 12-14 percent of all pregnancies. There are certain women that are more at risk of developing gestational diabetes but in fact, everybody is at risk. This can be hard because you might think – I am young, healthy and without symptoms so what am I doing with diabetes? Show notes and listen here
Ep 18 - What if you need a Caesarean Section?
We all know caesarean birth is not rare – it seems as though many of our friends have had Caesarean sections, our neighbour, maybe our sisters too BUT most of pre-birth information spends very little time on teaching us about Caesarean sections.
For some women, a Caesarean section is a mystery right up until it becomes their reality. This is where we hear, “if only someone had told me?” Show notes and listen here
Ep 19 - How to recover from a Caesarean section
We don’t usually learn about recovering from a Caesarean section until we are IN recovery. That’s not what we recommend. This can leave you blindsided, confused and disheartened. If you listened to our last ep, you’d know that caesarean section is not rare SO good birth prep means we need to include recovery from Caesarean section right? Show notes and listen here
Ep 20 - Getting pregnant with Endo
1 in 10 women have endometriosis. Painful periods, pain with sex, bloating, pelvic pain, infertility or no symptoms at all, until they try to get pregnant. If you have endo you have a few more steps in your pregnancy plan. Show notes and listen here
Ep 21 - TWINS: all the questions, all the answers
Two heart beats. Everyone has questions about twins. Fraternal, identical, same placenta, double ovulation, why twins seem more common? We are fascinated by how twins occur, how they grow in utero, how they are born. Show notes and listen here.
Ep 22 - All the LATE pregnancy symptoms
This is a long list of ALL of the symptoms in LATE pregnancy. Ok, not all. It is already the longest episode we have ever recorded. But if you’ve been wondering if you should worry about the itch on your belly or your swollen ankles or what you can do about not sleeping at night then you need to listen to this podcast. Show notes and listen here
Ep 23 - How do you know if you have pre-eclampsia?
So pre-eclampsia is not rare. About 7% of all pregnancies are affected by pre-eclampsia. Sometimes it just needs to be monitored, sometimes it can rapidly deteriorate and the treatment for you and your baby becomes a decision about whether your baby is better off ‘out than in’. need to listen to this podcast. Show notes and listen here
Ep 24 - Maybe I have PCOS?
PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome is not simply a disease of the ovaries. The ovaries are one part of this complex hormonal syndrome which CAN include symptoms such as excess body hair, increased weight, acne and insulin resistance. Or for some women, no symptoms. Until they try and get pregnant. Show notes and listen here
Ep 25 - Postpartum haemorrhage; Bleeding at birth
This is a tough subject. It is a common fear women have as they get closer to the birth of their baby. Will they bleed? Well, yes everybody has blood loss during childbirth but normal blood loss is not what everyone is worried about. It is the post partum haemorrhage. Show notes and listen here
Ep 26 - Getting pregnant: 101
Sometimes we need to go back to basics. This is a light hearted look at the 'ingredients' we need to consider when we start trying for a baby. Show notes and listen here
Ep 27- Miscarriage. The common pain we share in silence.
1 in 5 pregnancies will end in a miscarriage but even as common as this is, it's not an easy topic to talk about it. This episode may be hard for some (or all) to hear. Please make sure you have your supports in place if you choose to listen. And we hope everyone listens. Show notes and listen here
Ep 28- Tearing in childbirth (and your vagina after baby)
Tearing might be on your mind as you get nearer to the birth of your baby. We know you are worried about the pain and how it might impact on your pelvic floor health. Your sex life. Your continence. Show notes and listen here
Ep 29 - Do you know your blood type? Rhesus disease in pregnancy.
Unless you are a blood donor or have had an operation in the past, most commonly women don’t know their blood type until they are first pregnant. Show notes and listen here
Ep 30 - Assisted delivery, a really common birth intervention
We don't hear about assisted delivery as an intervention as commonly as we hear about Caesarean birth. BUT more than a third of mamas having their first baby will have their baby born with help from forceps or the vacuum. Seems like something we should know about right? Show notes and listen here
Ep 31- Ectopic pregnancy and what you need to know
This episode comes from a listener's request where she felt lost after being diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy at an early 6 week dating scan. Show notes and listen here
Ep 32- What is a shortened or insufficient cervix?
One of the things we are measuring when you have an ultrasound during pregnancy is the length of your cervix. We want it to be long and strong right up until late pregnancy and ideally past 37 weeks. Show notes and listen here
Ep 33 - Are fibroids a problem in pregnancy
Did you know that by about 45 years old, nearly every women will have little fibroids, about 2-3 millimetres in her uterus? Less common in your 20s and 30s but when it comes to getting pregnant, if you have fibroids there are some issues that you need to consider Show notes and listen here
Ep 34 - What is VBAC and is it for you?
VBAC or vaginal birth after Caesarean is possible for lots of women. There are a few ‘rules’ to help get you to your goal of a vaginal birth after having a Caesarean but the primary driver is…you have to want it. Show notes and listen here
Ep 35 - Epilepsy and getting pregnant and growing a baby
Epilepsy is pretty common, about about 1% of our population take some form of anti-epileptic medication and about 2000 women in Australia each year have a pregnancy when they have epilepsy. Show notes and listen here
Ep 36 - What you need to know about your thyroid in pregnancy
Issues with your thyroid are common in the baby-making years. In Australia about 2-3% of pregnant women are hypo or hyperthyroid. Then there is post-partum thyroditis. This is something that happens to 1 in 20 women after their baby is born.. Show notes and listen here
Ep 37 - All about the Umbilical Cord
The umbilical cord. It is a fascinating structure, incredibly well designed to do the job we need it to do, help you grow a baby. Show notes and listen here
Ep 38 - Keira Rumble: ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, endometriosis and waiting for a baby
In this episode we talk to Keira Rumble, founder of Krumbled foods and Beauty Bites. She candidly, and calmly, walks us through her 5 pregnancy losses as she continues on her rollercoaster journey to having a baby.. Show notes and listen here
Ep 39 - Part 1. Why a baby dies
This is the first of our two part series about baby loss. It was recorded ages ago but we've delayed publishing it again and again. We just thought there's too much heartbreak at the moment to add something else to the mix of 2020.
But you have requested this topic many times and we realised that it is needed. There are parents coping with the loss of their baby every day.
Ep 40 - Part 2. When a baby dies
This is part two about baby loss. It is a gentle, beautiful and at times heartbreaking discussion about what happens when a baby dies. We talk to funeral director Libby Moloney, Founder and CEO of Natural Grace.
Ep 41- Parenting your newborn with Jen Butler
We spend lots of time thinking about our pregnancy and preparing for our baby's birth but what comes next? When you finally have your baby in your arms your next thoughts will be...now what?
Ep 42 - How long to wait between babies and why?
How long between babies is a question that pops up ALOT. It is a big topic with lots of different factors in helping you make your decision.
Ep 43 - IUGR: How do you know if your baby is too small?
How many times has someone commented on the size of your tummy? Hearing "you look too small" can really send you into a spin.
So let's talk about what "too small" means.