In this episode, George shares her experience of an unplanned caesarean, adjusting to her postpartum body, finding community and learning to surrender to the realities of new motherhood.
We discuss:
Finding out unexpectedly that she was pregnant with Teddy
Deciding there may never be a “right time” to become parents
Living in Sydney while most of George's family are in Tasmania
Realising how important community would become after having a baby
Preparing extensively for birth but much less for postpartum
Hoping for a low-intervention vaginal birth
Having an unplanned caesarean after more than 24 hours of labour
Feeling unprepared for what a caesarean and its recovery would involve
Meeting Teddy and not experiencing the immediate rush of emotion she expected
The guilt and self-blame George experienced after her birth
Learning to validate her own experience rather than comparing it with other people’s birth experience
The role pain played in George's emotional wellbeing during early postpartum
Beginning to talk openly about her birth and process some of the guilt and shame
Feeling unprepared for the physical reality of a postpartum body
The influence of “bounce back” culture and postpartum bodies portrayed online
Wondering whether her own body was normal because she hadn’t seen bodies like hers represented
Another mother reaching out and helping George realise she wasn’t alone
Finding the courage to share her postpartum body online
The response from thousands of women who felt seen and validated by her content
Moving from struggling with her body to feeling in awe of what it has done
The challenge of finding genuine friendships and community in early motherhood
Finally meeting other mums who made George feel seen in her experience
Navigating sleep deprivation at around six months postpartum
The enormous identity shift that comes with motherhood
The joy of watching Teddy’s personality begin to emerge
George's feeling that motherhood has brought a sense of contentment she had been searching for
You can find George on Instagram at @georgina.raynerrr.
A big thank you to ergoPouch for sponsoring this week’s episode.
Use the code PPS20 at checkout to receive 20% off the ergoPouch range. Valid until 31 October 2026. Terms and conditions apply.
You can find out more about ergoPouch at @ergopouch, and you can browse their range at www.ergopouch.com.au.
As mentioned in the episode, here are some postpartum support resources. Please reach out if you need help.
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