You’re not the boss of me! Why kids deserve an explanation
This is my very first post for the Bub Hub. And, kind people, I already find myself apologising. The last thing I wanted was to be wearing my cranky pants when I wrote this. I wanted to seduce you with cheeky charm and irreverent musings. Sadly it’s not to be. I’ve tried everything to get […]
Will your relationship survive your kids?
The pressures of parenthood can put an enormous strain on your relationship. Time and money pressures, expectations of continued independence and lifestyle, living at a distance from traditional communal support networks, trying to juggle career, family and partner. These are some of the most pervasive causes of stress in relationships between parents. And to make […]
Parents! You can’t be happy all the time and that’s OK!
You must feel sad. Human emotion is not capable of being monochromatic; one must accept the full spectrum of brain chemical combos. You cannot feel happy without allowing yourself to feel sadness as well. Something I found terrifying about motherhood was the unexpected anxiety and despair. Everyone promised the oxytocin highs, the love, the desire […]
The complex relationship of attachment between parents and baby
The word attachment can mean one of two things in the world of babies. One use of the word describes the connection between a baby and a breast, the other use describes the connection between a baby and his parents. Both are incredibly complex in the ways they start and develop, mostly occurring without our […]
The benefits of skin-to-skin contact after birth
That first cuddle with your new baby is a magical time, but did you know it’s also an important time for your health and the health of your newborn? There’s plenty of research to support the benefits of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and beyond. It is said to impact positively on parent-baby bonding, breastfeeding […]
Short fiction: Becoming a mother – my love’s journey
They say you become a mother at birth. But that’s not what I saw. My sweetheart wept over a small, plastic test as I held her tightly in my arms. I kissed her strawberry-scented auburn hair and told her it would all be OK. She’d wanted this for as long as I could remember. We […]
Q&A: Sam Moran chats about mums, being a dad and hanging with Jimmy Giggle
Admit it … you have a bit of a crush on children’s entertainer Sam Moran! And why wouldn’t you … he has a nice smile, he’s great with kids and – if you keep reading – you’ll see that he has an awesome sense of humour too! What more would you want!? Here we chat […]
Q&A: Commando Steve on keeping fit with kids and being a dad
We’ve all seen the tough side of Commando Steve. He’s the one behind the dark sunnies using his military training to motivate contestants on The Biggest Loser Australia. But there’s a softer side to Commando Steve as well. He’s a dad and he knows full well the benefit of a healthy and active lifestyle. Commando […]
Pregnancy and birth in the 1970s
We all know things have changed quite a bit since the 1970s – especially when it comes to labour and birth. The general idea is the same of course – baby is on the inside, baby comes out – but the circumstances surrounding the birth experience have certainly altered. When I was preparing for the […]
How is Dad going? PND and fathers
“I just want to support her, she’s the mum.” “The little one’s doing well, that’s the main thing.” “You just have to get on with it.” “I work really hard, then I get home and there’s more work.” “I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t – whatever I do is not good […]