Kinderling Conversation

Can you imagine how awful it would feel to have a cold and to not be able to complain? To feed when your nose is blocked, when drinking is your main sustenance? Babies must feel worse than a man with man flu when they have a cold! Dr Elysia Thornton-Benko explains how you can make babies feel more comfortable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you heard of the 'fourth trimester'? It's the idea that the three months after your baby is born, he's still in a very vulnerable and dependent state. He's not quite ready for the world and needs his mother constantly. Postpartum doula Karina Lane from Mum Friday says this is the time a postpartum doula is worth her weight in gold. While you concentrate on the baby, she helps to nurture you. Karina explains what a postpartum doula does, and how to check you've got a good one.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Staying at home all day with a small child can make you hate the sight of your own four walls. If the floor is also littered with dirty clothes, toys and food detritus then chances are you crave a cleaner, tidier house. But not all partners see eye to eye when it comes to the level of cleanliness required for sanity. Ginny Lindsay, a psychotherapist at From 2 to 3 counselling explains how we can find domestic bliss through a bit of communication and compromise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothercraft Nurse Chris Minogue joins Shevonne Hunt to help parents with their babies. In this episode Chris explains how to toilet train a three-year-old, how to get a partying toddler to sleep, how to stop a 13-month-old from hitting, what to do with a 15-month-old who is waking, hysterical, in the night, how to elongate the cat-naps of a three-and-a-half-month old, helping a three-year-old to ditch the dummy and helping a six-month-old who hates the car.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you find a language to speak about the deepest loss? Mother Jenny McGregor's son Jamie died when he was only 16 months old. Through the support of Red Nose Australia (rednose.com.au) Jenny found that music and song helped her to deal with her grief. Now she's trying to get the album she made out to other bereaved parents. You can find the album at jennymcgregor.com.au She talks about the best way to support another parent who has lost a child, and how music helped her get through the hardest time of her life.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you have a baby or small children, many of life's stressors seem to collide. Often there will be financial stress, as one parent takes time off work. There can be relationship stress as you work out your place in the new family structure. And then, of course, there's baby-won't-stop-crying stress. Matthew Johnstone and Dr Michael Player have produced a book called Stress Less, Proven methods to reduce stress, manage anxiety and lift your mood. They give some quick tips to help parents cool down when things are heating up. You can get a copy of their book at all good bookstores or online at Angus & Robertson and search "Stress Less".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While many of us are already thinking of hiding spots for excess chocolate, Life Education is reminding parents to keep children on a teeth-cleaning regime. They have found that more than half of Australia's kids aren't cleaning their teeth twice a day, and that many fall off the cart during school holidays. Kellie Sloane from Life Education (lifeeducation.org.au) takes us through the secret squirrel ways children are avoiding cleaning their teeth, and gives us some tricks to get them brushing better.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TV presenter and author Jess Rowe is on a mission. She's combating the idea of perfect motherhood, one instagram image of average food at a time. Jess has said often and loudly that she can't cook, and that she's about as far from a domestic goddess that one can get. In her latest book Diary of a Crap Housewife she goes a step further, letting us all have a cheeky peek into her chaotic, glittery and 'perfectly imperfect' life. Jess tells us why her husband now orders his meals online and why leaving a job she loved for her family is a statement in feminism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women in Australia have a number of choices when it comes to where they have their baby. You can birth in a private hospital, a public hospital, a birthing suite or at home. Professor Hannah Dahlen from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University explains why women choose to birth at home, and how to do it safely.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne Stonehouse is an early childhood education consultant. She has seen what works best for children in early learning settings, which is why she believes that the relationship between carer and educator is so important. Anne explains how parents can work with their educators, even when they feel pushed for time.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the easiest way to teach a child mindfulness? Clinical psychologist Shona Innes worked with children for many years before trying her hand at picture books. The resulting series is known as the Big Hug Books, and one of them, Your mind is like a garden, is all about teaching children the benefits and skills of mindfulness. Shona explains why mindfulness is important for children, and the simplest ways to help them do it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue answers your parenting questions. On this episode of Helpline she tackles:Resettling a six-month-old jet setterGetting sleep rhythms right for a five-and-a-half-month-oldDay naps for a 12-month-oldWeaning baby number one when you want to have baby number twoHelping a 15-week-old with eczemaGetting a six-month-old to give up the nippleSorting out sleep patterns for a six-month-oldTo submit your questions for Chris, email us at helpline@theparentbrand.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What works best with parenting? Law or full-time writing? Jaclyn Moriarty has done both. She talks about careers and motherhood, her love of Roald Dahl and her latest book Gravity is the Thing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may think a new parent needs cute little onesies or an 'educational' toy that will make their baby a genius. Jenny Ghobrial is an entrepreneur who understands that sometimes what new parents need most is to be able to pay their bills. She started Bill Fairies as a way for friends and family to gift their loved ones some peace of mind. She talks about her inspiration, and explains how Bill Fairies works.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's nothing like a cold when you're pregnant to make you feel completely flat. You're already being careful about what you eat and adjusting to your changing body, and now you're congested and feeling awful. General Practitioner Dr Elysia Thornton-Benko takes us through what you can and can't do to alleviate the symptoms of a cold.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It goes without saying that a baby brings great change (and joy) to a couple. Often support focuses on the birth parent, as they're recovering from labour and possibly breastfeeding. But non-birth parents are facing seismic shifts in their lives as well. Postpartum Doula Karina Lane from Mum Friday says that it's important to recognise that partners need support too. She explains how partners can ask for help, and get the support they need.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaslighting is a very particular style of manipulative and emotionally abusive behaviour. It can start to surface when one partner wants to leave a relationship. If you have children together, leaving someone who uses this type of manipulation can be very difficult. Co-parenting after separation is another challenge. Counsellor Dr Stephanie Sarkis has written all about this in her book Gaslighting, How to recognise manipulative and emotionally abusive people... and break free. She describes what gas lighting looks like, and how to manage a separation and co-parenting with a gaslighter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Red Nose Australia are well known for their work preventing Sudden Unexplained Death in Infancy (SUDI), but having successfully reduced the rates of SUDI significantly they are turning their attention to the prevention of stillbirths. Recent international research that was co-funded by Red Nose Australia has found that sleeping on your side in the last trimester has a huge impact on the risk of stillbirth. Jane Wiggill, Chief Midwife at Red Nose Australia, explains why this finding is so important.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With more awareness around anxiety, you might think that it is the most common condition that child psychologists treat. It's not. Parents who have children with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD) are the most frequent visitors to psychologists. Dr Caroline Moul is from the School of Psychology at Sydney University and the Co-Director of the Seedling Lab. She explains how ODD is defined and the treatment options available.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothercraft nurse Chris Minogue answers your parenting questions. In this episode she looks into the following topics:Daylight savings sleep advice for a 16-month-old who is recovering from illness and has had broken sleep as a resultIs hysterical night-time waking for a teething 15-month-old a bad habit or a sign they could be in pain?Can you get a two-and-a-half-year-old to stay asleep until 7am?Helping a five-month-old settle during the day when they thrash about and resist sleepHow to encourage a 15-month-old to drop one or two overnight feeds to work toward him sleeping through the night?How many milk bottles should an eight-month-old have in a 24 hour period?Dealing with separation anxiety in a nine-month-oldWill a 14-month-old who refuses to drink cow's milk be lacking in nutrients?Submit your questions for Chris by emailing the Feed Play Love team at helpline@theparentbrand.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.