Kinderling Conversation

Parenting doesn't give you much time to reflect. If you're not so tired that your eyes are falling out of your head, then you're running after small children and trying to juggle several balls at once. But talking, especially to a trained professional, can you give you the much-needed time and space to reflect on the seismic shifts happening in your life. Psychotherapists Gill Straker and Jacqui Winship have written a book about talking therapy called,The Talking Cure, Normal people, their hidden struggles and the life-changing power of therapy. They speak about how talking therapy can help you be a better parent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mastitis: the dread of every breastfeeding mother. It can make you feel truly terrible at a time when you are already sleep deprived and lacking energy. Louise Duursma is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who has been working with the Australian Breastfeeding Association (breastfeeding.asn.au) for over 20 years. She explains what mastitis is, some preventative measures and what to do if you get it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a lot of information around with tips on how to help you parent. But sometimes you just need someone to answer your specific question. That's why Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue joins host Shevonne Hunt every week for Helpline. On this episode she helps with the following challenges: a 22-month-old who has stopped sleeping well, a seven-month-olds with irregular naps during the day, whether an eight-month-old being dependent on a dummy is a bad thing, should a two-year-old have a pillow in their cot? A cat-napping three-month-old twin, should you move a happy cot-dweller to a big-boy's bed? Transitioning a 14-month-old to one day nap, inconsistent day naps for a three-year-old and a clingy 23-month-old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dini Martinez is the mum of three children, a doula and a yoga teacher. She has also chosen to home school her two eldest kids. She explains why she decided to home school her children, and how it works on a day to day basis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you're pregnant, there are plenty of things to think about. What you eat, how you exercise, what medication you can take. For many Australians, medication is what keeps them on an even keel. Going off medication is not always an option. Nicole Highet, the Founder and Executive Director of the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (cope.org.au), says that women can take control of their mental health and pregnancy - she explains how to do that without going off medication or harming their unborn child.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Letdown is back with a second season, with mother Audrey looking at the challenges of first birthday parties, childcare, moving house and sex. Co-creators and writers, Sarah Scheller and Alison Bell, drop in to chat about how they manage to make a comedy about a period of life that remains a blur for many.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the moment a woman gets pregnant, her partner can feel disconnected from pregnancy and birth. Professor Hannah Dahlen is a midwife and lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She has a few ideas on ways that partners can feel connected to the whole experience (and be a great support at the same time). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Temperament - whether a child is calm, chaotic, gregarious or reserved - is one of the most important things when it comes to raising our children. It's something they are born with that is as much a part of them as the colour of their eyes or the way their cheeks dimple when they smile. But temperament is going to have a much bigger impact on how you parent than any of those physical attributes. Naomi Hackworth from the Raising Children Network (raisingchildrennet.com.au) explains how a child's temperament affects the way we raise our child. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes with small children, it's difficult to see the forest for the trees. When it comes to tweaking challenging situations, mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue knows how to give you the perspective you need. Today on Helpline she helps parents with a 22-month-old who is starting to get fussy with food, day naps for a nine-month-old, night waking for an 18-month-old, transitioning an almost one-year-old to day care, a 14-month-old who refuses to sit in the bath, a three-year-old who is waking through the night, an 18-month-old who is waking through the night, a 15-month-old who is having tantrums in the playground.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sara Fisher and her partner have upped sticks and moved from Canberra to Perth and then back again. Not alone, but with their three children, aged six, two-and-a-half and ten months, in tow. Each time was in pursuit of the best life for themselves and their children. Sara explains why they made such a big move twice, and how Mama Tribe is helping find her support network in a town far from family. This episode of Feed Play Love is in partnership with Mama Tribe. Check out their awesome Pop Up Parties coming to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne- full details at mamatribe.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Working life is never simple once you have children. And even though we would all rather stay home with a sick child, the truth is we don't always feel like we have the choice. Which then leads to some agonising decisions about whether or not they are too sick for day care. Sarah Hunstead is a mum of two and founder of CPR Kids (cprkids.com.au). She outlines when it's okay to send your children to daycare, and when you have to keep them home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Toilet training is one of the last hurdles before the bliss of no dirty nappies. It's one of the first steps for your child towards greater independence. Actually doing the toilet training, however, can be a challenge. Karen Willcocks is from Karitane. She explains when to start toilet training, how to go about it and other things to be aware of. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Putting a kid into a harness seat every time you go somewhere can be really annoying. Necessary, but annoying. It seems that many parents are rushing their children out of booster seats before it's safe to do so. Recent research from the National Child Health Poll indicates that many parents don't understand the safest way to seat their children in a car. Director of the poll, Dr Anthea Rhodes from the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne runs through when it's safest for a child to be out of a booster seat, and when it's okay to turn a child's seat forward facing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Images of breastfeeding mothers look very serene and relaxed. You definitely don't see images where women are screwing up their faces in intense pain. And yet breastfeeding can hurt for many mothers. Jo Ryan is a sleep consultant with Baby Bliss who has been helping mothers for over 20 years. She explains why breastfeeding can hurt, and ways you can get around it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nate Cooke is a dad on a mission. He knows that life doesn't always go according to plan, particularly when you have a family. He explains how setting personal goals helped him at a tough time in his life. Nate is a life coach and founder of Gritboxx. He also shares some tips on how dads can set their own goals and feel a real sense of achievement in their lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every parent should have access to good support and guidance, which is why Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue joins Feed Play Love for Helpline every week. In this episode Chris gives advice for a one-year-old who wants to drop his second day sleep, a 15-month-old who won't sleep through the night, an 18-month-old who refuses to brush their teeth, a five-year-old who is consistently wetting the bed, weaning before going back to work, a six-year-old who finds comfort in their mother's armpits, a two-year-old who is not forming words yet, transitioning an 18-month-old to one day sleep, a one-year-old who won't give up their bottles, a ten-month-old whose sleep -both day and night- is unsettled.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many families have complained that the NDIS is difficult to navigate, but thanks to more funding for the initial planning stage, one family, in particular, found the support incredible. Kat Hurrell is a mum of two whose second child was born with mild to moderate hearing loss. She talks about the initial diagnosis and how, with the support of the NDIS, they found the right people to navigate the future for their son.For more information about the organisation that helped Kat and her family, visit The Shepherd Centre.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Giving birth to a baby pre-term can lead to all kinds of challenges for parents. Leaving the hospital without your baby being one. The stress and anxiety of seeing them in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is another. Not being able to touch them. Now research has shown that the parents of premmie babies are more likely to suffer from postnatal depression than their counterparts with full term babies. Melinda Cruz is the founder of The Miracle Babies Foundation (miraclebabies.org.au), and a mother who had three babies in NICU. She explains what it was like having babies in NICU, and what parents in this situation really need.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hannah Dahlen is a practising midwife and a Professor at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. She says that the rates of cesarean births in Australia are higher than recommended by the World Health Organisation, and that the benefits for a baby born vaginally are profound and still being uncovered.You can find more of Hannah's work at The Conversation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chances are you know a family that is affected by childhood allergies - but would you know what to do if that child had an allergic reaction? Heidi Young is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in childhood allergy and set upThe Nest to help parents and carers manage allergies well. She explains why everyone needs to be educated about severe allergies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.