Welcome back to The Kick Pregnancy Podcast! We’ve been very busy behind the scenes and are so excited to be back in your ears.  In this episode, we’re discussing everything about the menstrual cycle. We have many frequent questions from listeners about their periods and the symptoms they’re experiencing so Dr Pat is pulling back the curtain today to answer every question that impacts the cycle.  We’ll delve into how the menstrual cycle works, the days of the cycle, how the cycle changes throughout a woman’s life, the causes for irregularities, PCOS, Endometriosis, treatments, pregnan ..read more

When you become pregnant, endless information is thrown at you regarding what foods you can and can’t eat for the next 9 months. It can be very difficult to work out what is scientifically accurate and what has just been passed down from older relatives.  In this episode, Brigid is talking about safe food in pregnancy with food and safety expert, Gary Kennedy. Gary has worked with more than 1000 companies and government departments to ensure their food handling is safe and complies with health standards.  In this festive time of year, we’re all going to gatherings where food will be ..read more

This episode has a trigger warning for parents who have experienced loss.  Planning your pregnancy after the loss of a baby can be a very difficult and anxious time. There are thousands of worries running through your mind and you will want to check on the health of your baby constantly. But it’s important to remember there is also life, hope and joy after loss. Our next guest will bravely share her own story to help other parents open up and support each other to heal.  In this episode, Brigid is talking with the inspiring and remarkable Priyanka Saha. Priyanka has founded the Lily ..read more

Clotting in pregnancy and during the postpartum period can be a significant concern for a new Mum. To treat clots, doctors will try to adopt a preventative approach and prescribe anticoagulants during pregnancy and the postpartum phase to reduce the risk in at risk patients.  But who is an at risk patient?  Will the baby be affected?  In this episode, we are discussing everything you need to know about clotting. Pregnancy increases your risk of clotting by 5 to 10x and the postpartum period increases your risk 15 to 35x!  We’ll talk about the different factors that increase ..read more

Can you choose the sex of your baby?  This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions when someone becomes pregnant and has been requested from one of our listeners.   It’s easy to understand why people would want to choose the sex. Perhaps you have a family of three boys already and are hoping for a girl or vice versa.  In this episode, we discuss the stories floating around that promise to deliver a certain sex. Everybody has heard them - whether you have to face north at the time of conception or schedule your perfect date and time of conception with numerical ..read more

We have all heard about how important iron is during pregnancy, but did you know that it is just as important when you are pre-pregnancy and breastfeeding?  In today’s episode, we are talking about all matters relating to iron. Pregnant mothers' bodies need to literally make more blood to support the growing baby, and to do this she needs adequate iron levels. Through the birthing process, women lose blood, so it is important that you are not iron deficient or anemic leading into it because you need to have blood to spare.  The challenge is that you may think low iron symptoms, such ..read more

If there was a gold standard for being a Dad, it’s sure to look like Mitch Papas, who joins us today to talk about how to be a supportive partner during pregnancy and beyond. In this episode, Mitch shares the journey he and his wife, Georgia, went on as they planned to conceive and the importance of being curious, doing research and supporting your partner as much as you can.  We talk about tracking cycles, learning about your partner’s medical history, and thinking ahead so you can speak to your employer about taking time off work. Mitch shares his practical advice for how Dads can be th ..read more

Nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy is pretty common, which doesn’t make it any less yucky, but most women do start feeling better around 12 weeks. Unfortunately for some women who are diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), their experience is much more severe. We have a lot of compassion for those women battling through pregnancy. Hyperemesis Gravidarum is something that has been somewhat misunderstood and these women can be seen as someone with morning sickness who just complains a lot. We want to break that stigma today as we unpack what HG is, how it’s diagnose ..read more

We have an important bonus episode for you today to keep all our listeners up to date with the latest Australian recommendations for the Covid vaccination during pregnancy.    Due to the nature of Covid, we’re learning information as we go along. In this episode, Pat gives us the run down on previous advice from the Australian government and how this advice has changed now that we have more significant data on the effects of Covid and the Covid vaccine in pregnant women.   Pat explains what an mRNA vaccine is, how it works, the possible side effects and sheds some light on some ..read more

We get a lot of questions coming in through our DM’s and this episode is a response to a request from one of those lovely listeners who was diagnosed with Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) at week 15 of pregnancy. What is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction, you ask? Apart from being a mouthful to say, it can also be referred to as pelvic girdle pain and it’s something I struggled with during my third and fourth pregnancies. And let me tell you, it’s painful.  To help answer some questions surrounding pelvic girdle pain, what it is, why women get it and what can be done about it, I’m joined by Ka ..read more