19 – An unexpected start to postpartum… breastfeeding challenges, PND and PTSD, natural disaster and immense strength and vulnerability with Hollie Azzopardi

This week’s episode is a must listen for everyone – whether you’re a mum, a mum to be, a friend, a partner or wondering how you can best support the new mums around you. our beautiful guest hollie azzopardi generously and vulnerably shares her challenges and insights, and inspires us to trust ourselves, and really listen to the mums in our world when they are reaching out for help.

Author of The People Pleaser’s Guide to Putting Yourself First, and host of Soul Talk the podcast, Hollie Azzopardi is a writer and speaker with a focus on personal development and spirituality. She is also a mum, and shares so openly and vulnerably about her challenging journey so that other mums don’t feel so alone in their struggles, and those around them can some insight and understanding to support them.

Trigger warning – this emotional and insightful episode includes indirect and direct reference to trauma associated with birth, breastfeeding, and mental illness including postpartum depression and complex PTSD. There are points in the episode where listeners may find Hollie’s emotional state distressing. Listener discretion is advised.

In this podcast we discuss

• How Hollie’s birth experience didn’t quite go as planned, and what unfolded when she returned home

• When she started to realise that something wasn’t quite right with her breastfeeding experience

• The professional advice she sought including being told everything was “normal”

• Making the call to supplement breastfeeds and how she knew there was no choice

• Donor milk, formula and pumping

• The Northern Rivers flood and the incredible fear because of how this impacted her ability to source milk for her baby

• Postnatal depression, chronic complex PTSD and mental health

• and so much more!

SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WE MENTION OR YOU MIGHT ENJOY

• Hollie’s podcast episode about her preconception and pregnancy

• Hollie’s podcast episode about her birth

• Hollie’s podcast episode about her postpartum experience

• Hollie’s book – The People Pleaser’s Guide to Putting Yourself First

You can connect with Hollie on Instagram @hollie_azzopardi or her website www.hollieazzopardi.com

Listen to episode 19 HERE

Today’s episode was brought to you by Foraged For You. Our whole team use and love The Mothers Blend, an incredible certified organic blend of carefully selected, real and fermented foods developed specifically with pregnant and breastfeeding women in mind. If you have tried it, you’re probably a raving fan like we are! And it isn’t just for mums, this nutrient dense powerhouse that can be incorporated into any individuals diet, regardless of age or gender. Foraged for you have also recently released the Children’s Blend – an equally amazing, nutrient dense, wholefood powder created with our little people in mind.

Foraged fans will know that sales are rare, but Sheridan has kindly offered our listeners 10% off either blend until 26th June 2023 with the code BOOBTOFOOD. Visit foragedforyou.com to order yours now.

Follow us on instagram @boobtofood to stay up to date with all the podcast news, recipes and other content that we bring to help make meal times and family life easier.