Caring for young children is challenging most of the time. Add sickness (mine or theirs) and it’s a recipe for struggle. Last week I received this message, from someone who was feeling it:

"Hi Anna. How have you managed caring for a sick kid while also being sick yourself? My husband is away and our usual go-to support person says they don’t want to catch our germs and is unwilling to help with childcare. I am exhausted and don’t know how I'll get through."

This blog is a collection of the tip…

The last few years has seen a lot more talk about mental health for parents. Maternal mental health is still thoroughly front and centre in that conversation, but if you know where to look there are some great resources for partners and non-birth parents too.

When it comes to fathers specifically, there are a range of mental health support organisations are working to help men through the transition to parenthood and its ongoing ups and downs. Stigma remains about accessing it though, and if w…

Looking to read something light-hearted and fluffy? This article isn't it! This piece has taken me over two years to write, and is not something I publish lightly. Nevertheless, it is important, and I would ask you to read on with the knowledge that I write from a place of deep love and care. 

This article is written from my perspective, that of a white, straight, cisgender biological mother who is passionate about both birth rights and children’s rights, and is written primarily for other peop…

This article was first published elsewhere in Sept 2023.

In keeping with last week’s aeroplane theme I’m going to spend today’s newsletter teasing out another commonly tossed around phrase in the parenting lexicon: “we’re all winging it.” It’s used so often chances are you’ve heard it, used it yourself or both - I know I have!

If you’ve read my book Mama, You’re Not Broken before (or listened to the chapter on “Uncertainty”) you might remember the story of me as a first timer with a very sen…

Please note there are content warnings for suicidality and psychosis on this article. If mention of these topics is too much for you right now, you may like to come back to this later. That said, it may also be exactly what you need to read, so I’ll leave it to you.

Overtime on an Unpaid Job: Hard Truths on Parenting Kids Who Hate Sleep

Pop culture tells us babies will sleep in the corner of…

Most parents have their sights set on baby's arrival, but postpartum presents its own challenges. As a postpartum doula I can help with many of these, but not all of them. I like to be upfront with my clients and let them know what my scope of expertise is, and if my skills can’t tick all their boxes, assist them in connecting with the right provider to address their unique concerns.

I began writing this document some time ago. It provides a list of, and links to, the types of services and prof…

This article was first published elsewhere in August 2023.

In case you hadn’t noticed, becoming a parent is a big deal. An assumption people often make when a second or subsequent baby (or babies, if you’re expecting multiples) comes along is that because you’ve done it before, you’ve got it covered and don’t need so much help. In some ways they’re right, but in many they’re very, very wrong.

Yes, you’ve parented a baby before, but you’ve never parented THIS baby.

If you’re the gestationa…

This article was first published elsewhere in August 2023.

What do you say when someone asks what it’s like having kids? I say “kids” purposefully because this is how the question is often raised with me, partly because I now have two children which makes “kids” the plural relevant, and partly because one child families are still treated as an unfortunate aberration rather than a valid family structure.

I’ve found those asking the question aren’t much interested in my analysis of sociolingui…

This article was first published elsewhere in June 2023.

There was a time in the distant pre-kids past when I was a gym junkie. With an exercise science degree under my belt, this was fraught with danger. Every time I stepped through the doors of a gym I was met with a wave of unqualified people giving their only slightly less experienced training buddies the shittest of shit advice, barely-teenage personal trainers cluelessly writing pelvic floor destructor programs for postnatal mot…

This article was first published elsewhere in June 2023.

What makes a Default Parent? Hint: it’s not your body parts.

Default Parents are the ones whose own lives are intertwined with their child(ren)’s to such depth it is impossible to prise them apart.

They are the ones who, if out for lunch on a weekend, are asked who’s looking after the kids.

They are the ones who know if their children’s school fees, vaccinations and dental checks …