Ladies, We Need To Talk

There’s a special kind of fury reserved for the 'other woman.' She’s often depicted as a home wrecker and immoral, but is she misunderstood? Unlucky to fall for someone who’s already taken?   
Yumi Stynes speaks with women whose hearts belong to married men and discovers that beneath the stereotypes are complicated love stories built on hope and promises in the face of deception.    
Psychologist Liz Neal also explains what forbidden love does to the brain and why it can be so enticing. (R). 
This episode will answer questions like: 
What’s it like to be the other woman?
How do people hide affairs from their partners?
Why do people have affairs?
Where does the ‘seductive mistress’ trope come from? 
What to listen to next:
"Traded a husband for a bestie" Why these mums moved in together
Worst ever dates, with Alita Brydon
The grief no parent expects
What to read next:
These grieving mothers want you to say their babies' names
Empty-nesters on how they 'fill the void' left by children
This episode contains references to cheating, infidelity, sex, relationships, marriage, women, the other woman.

Have you ever fantasised about raising kids with your bestie? Well, some women are doing it for real. And these mum communes or ‘mummunes’ don’t look like your average share house.  
These women are sharing a roof, chores, bills and the mental load of raising their kids. For some, it’s the antidote to a nuclear family structure that left them drained and resentful. For others, it’s a handy, albeit overcrowded solution to the struggles of single motherhood. 
Yumi Stynes speaks to women who are rewriting the rules of motherhood and finds out what there is to gain when you challenge the status quo.  
This episode will answer questions like: 
Can you raise children with your best friend?
Should you raise children with a romantic partner?
Why do women feel burnt out as wives and mothers?
Has the nuclear family become outdated for women?
Do you need men to raise kids?
What are the challenges of raising kids with your best friend?
How do communal living arrangements deal with money?
How does dating work in a mummune?
Why do women initiate household and child care more than men? 
What to listen to next:
Are you mum or grandma? Having a baby at 47The women who've never had sexOne true love or many: Monogamy vs. open relationshipsWhat to read next:
These grieving mothers want you to say their babies' namesEmpty-nesters on how they 'fill the void' left by children
Why these women have never had a partnerThis episode contains references to child care, parenting, mothering, single mum, alternative family structures, romantic partner, heterosexuality, patriarchy, mommune, mummune, commune, shared living, alternative living, community, individualism, village.

It’s truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in the modern world has endured at least one truly disastrous date. It is, regrettably, a rite of passage. 
Author Alita Bryson has been on hundreds of them! One guy asked her if it was okay to marry your cousin, another trolled people online for fun while yet another literally drove off mid-date. 
While her dating life was catastrophic, Alita realised it made great fodder for entertainment and so she started the Instagram page Bad Dates of Melbourne, publishing anonymous submissions of terrible dates so that women could take comfort in each other’s suffering (and laugh at each other’s misfortune).  
Alita has some sage advice for anyone out there brave enough to date. 
Further information: How to date like a dangerous woman is published by HarperCollins. 
This episode will answer questions like: 
How can I meet someone new?
Is it ok to ghost someone?
Should I pay for dinner on a date?
Can I leave a date if I don’t like the other person?
How can I meet a potential date safely? 
What to listen to next:
The new way to dateThe ugly side of the beauty industry with Jess DeFinoIs your attachment style messing with your love life?Jess Mauboy steps into her boss lady era 
What to read next:
Empty-nesters on how they 'fill the void' left by children
Why these women have never had a partner
These grieving mothers want you to say their babies' names
This episode contains references to Bad Dates of Melbourne, dating, dating apps, Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, relationships, sex, orgies, orgasms and how to date like a dangerous woman.

At some point in life, we all lose someone we love. But losing a baby is an unimaginable heartbreak. Our children are not meant to die before us.
In the wake of that loss, families are left reeling. Navigating shock, confusion, and overwhelming grief as they face a future without a much-loved child.
Yumi Stynes meets two women who have experienced infant loss. They share how they moved through their grief, how they celebrate their babies, and how people in their life stepped up- or stepped away.
And registered psychologist, Rachel Ficinus explains how grief can be ongoing and the strategies to help you and your loved ones navigate a life-changing loss.
If you need help:
Red Nose Australia offers counselling and support for anyone affected by the loss of a pregnancy, stillbirth, death of a baby or child. Their phone number is 1300 308 307
Lifeline on 131 114
Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 
This episode will answer questions like:
How do I deal with grief when a loved one dies?
Who can I talk to when my child dies?
What should I say to someone who's child has died?
How can I help someone who's grieving?
Where can I find support after I lose my child?
Does grief have an end point?
What to listen to next:
How to deal with an empty nest — ABC listenJess Mauboy steps into her boss lady era — ABC listenWhat to read next:
These grieving mothers want you to say their babies' names - ABC NewsWhy these women have never had a partnerThis episode contains references to grief, child loss, infant death, bereavement and Red Nose Australia, organ donation, DonateLife.

One in three Australian women describe their births as traumatic.
Long labours, health scares, emergency interventions, feeling ignored, and lasting physical and psychological injuries can turn what's meant to be one of life's biggest moments into something deeply distressing.
Yumi Stynes hears from women still coming to terms with their birth experiences, sometimes years later, and finds out what can be done to prevent traumatic births. (R).
Featured in this episode:
Dr Jessica Caudwell-Hall, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Nepean Hospital.
Sophie Carroll, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist, Enlighten Health Collective.
With special thanks to Amy Dawes at Birth Trauma Australia.
If you need help:
Perinatal Wellbeing Centre: (02) 6288 1936
PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia): 1300 187 263
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Birth Trauma Australia organisation