In this episode I’m back after an unplanned break sharing a life update. The last few months have felt heavy. Mental health has taken work. Money has felt tight. The cost of living is no joke and juggling our small business, nanny shifts and school logistics has been a lot.

The kids are in big seasons too. Jamie’s riding those intense leap phases that flip the whole house upside down, Sophie is deep in her independent two year old era, and the sibling bickering is next level. I’m trying to be intentional with one on one time and keep everyone afloat.

There are good things coming. A mum’s retreat. Bali. A date night. More gym. More us time. And I’m ready to properly lean back into the podcast with more guests and an honest chat with T Squiz about mental load, resentment and intimacy.

Let’s stay connected 🤍

If you loved this episode, the best way to support the podcast is by following the show and leaving a quick 5 star review. It helps more mums find these real, honest conversations.

You can find me over on Instagram at @doulamarley where I share all things motherhood, birth, relationships and the behind the scenes of real life. You can also connect with the podcast page at @becomingboth.

Prefer email? Reach me anytime at marley@motheringthemama.com.au — I genuinely love hearing your thoughts, feedback and story.

Thanks for being here. It means more than you know 🤍

Hi friends!

Tonight I’m talking about something that has been on my mind every single blooody day... whether we should have a third baby.

My heart feels so clucky.. I love the idea of another little person, another sibling for Jamie and Sophie, and growing the family I've always imagined. Buuuuut my head keeps reminding me of everything that comes with that decision..

In this episode I'm unpacking the constant back and forth between what my heart wants and what real life looks like. I chat about finally reaching a stage where life feels easier now that Sophie is two, and whether we're willing to jump back into pregnancy, birth, postpartum and all the hard, beautiful chaos that comes with starting again.

I also share the things that genuinely make me hesitate, from my really difficult second pregnancy and birth experience, to running my own business, not having much of a village, finances, travel, school fees, and wondering whether we have the capacity to give another child the life we'd want for them.

But I also talk about the other side of it. The excitement of meeting another little soul. Watching another personality grow. Seeing Jamie and Sophie become older siblings again. The family I always pictured, and why closing the door on that dream feels much harder than I expected.

If you've ever felt torn between what your heart wants and what makes the most sense on paper, I hope this conversation helps you feel a little less alone.

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love if you left a review or shared it with someone who might need to hear it.

CONNECT

Instagram: @becomingboth @doulamarley @counsellormarley

Hi friends!

After an unexpected three-week break, we're back! In this episode of Becoming Both, I convince Tyron to join me with about five minutes' notice before we head off to Bali for a family holiday.

We start with a little life update.. how we're surviving winter, finally getting a little more sleep, Sophie's determined personality, and the reminder that every stage of parenting is just that: a season.

From there, we dive into a conversation that comes up in almost every family at some point: the mental load.

We chat openly about how we divide responsibilities in our own home (we'd probably call it a 60/40 split), what has worked for us, and where we've had to learn along the way. We explore why it's often not the big jobs that create resentment, but the constant stream of invisible tasks that keep a household running.

As someone with diagnosed ADHD, I also share how constant interruptions from young children can leave me feeling mentally overloaded, and why practical support isn't just about "helping".. it's about sharing responsibility.

We also unpack topics like weaponized incompetence, micromanaging, differing standards around housework, and why expressing appreciation for each other's efforts can go a long way.

This isn't about blaming mums or dads. It's an honest conversation about building a partnership where both people feel seen, supported, and valued.

In this episode we discuss:

• The mental load of parenting
• Sharing household responsibilities
• Parenting as a partnership
• Invisible labour and resentment
• ADHD and overstimulation in motherhood
• Weaponized incompetence
• Different standards and priorities at home
• Communication around domestic labour
• Appreciation and gratitude in relationships
• Why motherhood is work, even when you're at home

Whether you're the parent carrying most of the mental load or you're trying to better understand your partner's experience, I hope this conversation encourages more empathy, more teamwork, and a few practical takeaways you can use in your own home.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Come and continue the conversation over on Instagram @doulamarley @becomingboth

Appreciate the support and feedback as usual!

In this solo episode of Becoming Both, I’m sharing a little life update and opening up about something I know so many mothers can relate to &&&& that is feeling like you've lost your spark.

I chat about the exciting (and nerve-wracking) season of beginning the counselling side of my work after five years as a doula, what it's been like seeing my first clients, and my commitment to moving slowly, staying within my scope, and supporting mothers through the transitions of parenthood.

I also share some of the everyday life happenings around our family.. from Jamie getting ready to start school, to our upcoming trip to Bali, and the strange quiet feeling of having the boys away.

But the heart of this episode is a conversation about feeling stuck, flat, disconnected, or a little lost in motherhood. I talk honestly about the emotional weight of constantly giving to others, the way social media can sometimes feel like you're speaking into the void, and how discouraging it can be when you're pouring your heart into projects that don't seem to gain traction. Never from a place of ego, but just how social media seems to be these days.

Together, we explore why so many mothers lose touch with themselves after having children, and the small, realistic ways we can begin reconnecting with who we are outside of caring for everyone else.

Some of the practical ideas I share include:

• Deep breathing and slowing down

• Hydration and basic self-care

• Reducing information overload

• Listening to music

• Journaling and reflection

• Getting dressed up just because

• Reconnecting with friends

• Practising gratitude

• Making space for creativity

• Finding small pockets of time that belong to you

If you've been feeling a little lost lately, I hope this episode feels like a lil reminder that you are still in there. Your spark doesn't disappear forever.. it sometimes just needs a little space, attention, and time to re-emerge!

If you like this ep, it would mean so much to review, comment or share on your stories and tag me. You can find me over at @becomingboth or @doulamarley

xx

In this episode of Becoming Both, I sit down with the lovely Jordi, a 29-year-old mum of two from Adelaide, to talk honestly about OCD in pregnancy and motherhood. This conversation is real, raw and a huge reminder that not all anxiety is “just anxiety..

Jordi shares how OCD quietly shaped so much of her life for years before she was ever diagnosed, from intense fears around sickness and contamination to the constant need for certainty and reassurance. What looked like anxiety on the outside was actually something much deeper, and pregnancy with her first baby amplified everything.

We talk about the panic episode at 32 weeks that finally led her to a perinatal psychiatrist, receiving an OCD diagnosis late in pregnancy, and the huge emotional weight of navigating all of that while preparing to become a mum. Jordi opens up about starting sertraline, choosing an elective caesarean birth, and the shock of postpartum intrusive thoughts, including frightening fears of harming her baby, and how extremely isolating that experience can feel when nobody talks about it openly.

This episode also explores what changed the second time around: entering pregnancy with more understanding, the right support, medication already in place, and the difference that early intervention can make.

More than anything, this conversation is about honesty. About how scary thoughts do not make you a bad mother. About how OCD can hide in plain sight. And about why mums deserve specialized, informed support — not dismissal.

If you’ve ever felt consumed by fear, trapped in reassurance-seeking, or ashamed of intrusive thoughts, I hope this episode makes you feel less alone.

If this episode brought anything up for you, please know support is available — and intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and OCD in pregnancy/postpartum are far more common than many mums realize.

Helpful supports:

• PANDA – Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia Mon–Fri support line for parents during pregnancy and postpartum. 1300 726 306

• Beyond Blue 24/7 mental health support and counselling. 1300 22 4636

• Lifeline Australia 24/7 crisis support. 13 11 14

• International OCD Foundation – Perinatal OCD Resources Helpful information around intrusive thoughts and perinatal OCD.

If you’re feeling dismissed, keep seeking support. You deserve care that takes your experience seriously!

You can find me over at @becomingboth or @doulamarley. I would love to connect! Leaving a review or comment helps others find me. If you'd like to join me - feel free to email me marley@motheringthemama.com.au as I am always looking for guests to share their story xx

I’m Marley, and this episode was actually recorded previously… only to realise my two year old had somehow hit mute on the microphone. Which honestly feels pretty on brand for this season of life.

We’ve also just come out of what felt like an endless sleep deprivation spiral. About eight weeks of chaos that only really started improving after seeing a sleep consultant. So if I sound slightly delirious in this episode, that’s why.

From there, I get into returning to work and childcare, and how loaded and personal the whole conversation can feel once you become a mum.

I talk about the pressure a lot of families are under financially, and how daycare often ends up being the only realistic option because it’s the only thing subsidised. I also share my own weird guilt around using daycare three days a week while I nanny and study, and how I still catch myself feeling like I need to justify it.

We get into the research around children and primary caregivers in those early years, while also acknowledging that some kids genuinely thrive in care. Like most things in parenting, it’s not black and white.

I talk through some of the pros too. Identity outside motherhood, adult conversation, routine, financial relief, independence. But also the harder parts that people don’t always say out loud. The guilt, constant sickness, breastfeeding logistics, the mental load of organising everything, and trying to navigate workplaces that aren’t always supportive of mothers.

There are listener stories in this one too, which honestly made me feel less alone reading them.

And I share some practical things that can help. Gradual daycare transitions, having more honest conversations with employers, and why splitting the load at home matters so much more than people realise.

This episode isn’t really about telling mums what they should do. It’s more just an honest conversation about how hard it can feel trying to make decisions for your kids while also trying to survive modern life.

If you’ve been enjoying the pod, leaving a quick review genuinely helps more people find these conversations. And you can always come chat with me over on Instagram @doulamarley and @becomingboth.

Hi everyone! Tonight I chat to Mel about all things step parenting. Mel’s been a stepmum for seven years to her stepson (who’s now 13 and has autism), and she also has two young daughters with her husband. So she’s right in the thick of the juggle.

We talk about how misunderstood stepparents can feel. The “evil stepmum” narrative, the constant second-guessing, and the amount of behind-the-scenes stuff that just… goes unnoticed. School drop-offs, dinners, appointments, emotional support — all the things that make up parenting, but without always being seen as “the parent.”

Mel shares how she’s built a relationship with her stepson over time (especially through his interests), and how much patience that’s taken. We get into the walking on eggshells feeling that can come with discipline, boundaries, and trying to find your place in decisions that don’t fully feel like yours to make.

We also talk about how becoming a mum herself shifted things — especially her perspective and empathy towards her stepson’s biological mum, which is something I don’t think gets talked about enough.

There’s a bit in here around a listener question too — fears around abuse statistics, dating someone with kids, and how overwhelming that can feel when you’re thinking about stepping into that kind of role.

If you’re a step-parent, thinking about becoming one, or just curious about what it actually looks like behind closed doors — this will probably resonate.

And if you’ve been listening along, leaving a quick review helps more than you’d think. You can always find me over on Instagram @doulamarley and @becomingboth.

Hello friends!

Well, well.. Sophie’s sleep has gone completely rogue.. bedtime battles, random wake-ups, the co-sleeping convo making a comeback, and one very funny (but also painful at the time) monitor moment with Tyron. We are… not thriving on the sleep front.

We’ve just done back-to-back birthdays for Jamie (5) and Sophie (2). We skipped the big parties this year and kept it low-key, which was actually way nicer. I run through what we got them — Lego, walkie talkies, books, a little VTech camera, Baby Born — nothing wild, just things they’re genuinely into.

There’s also that weird feeling of the baby stage ending. Like I’m sad about it… but also don’t know if I can (or want to?) start again. I talk about the whole “third baby” thing .. wanting it in theory, but real life (money, capacity, everything) being a different story.

I touch on nannying and how it constantly reminds me every kid and every family is so different. What works for one just… doesn’t for another, and that’s been sitting with me a lot lately.

And then the heavier bits — feeling overwhelmed, the identity shift that still somehow catches me off guard, yelling and then feeling like crap after, body image, all of it.

I also chat a bit about moving more into counselling for mums and why that feels like the right direction for me right now.

If this feels like your current season, you’re not the only one in it.

If you’ve been listening, leaving a review actually helps more than you’d think. And you can always find me on Instagram @doulamarley and @becomingboth.