You can be doing everything “right” and still be running on empty.

In this episode, Natasha Charles joins us to talk about what happens when success starts to cost more than it gives. After more than 20 years in people and culture leadership, including senior executive roles, she walked away from the title and the income, as a solo mum of two.

We talk about what burnout actually is, what chronic stress does to the body, and why you can look completely capable on the outside while your system is struggling on the inside. Tash shares the first signs she noticed, what finally made her stop pushing through, and how she handled the guilt, the fear and the identity shift of leaving.

We also get honest about life now: what’s different, what’s still hard, and what “enough” looks like.

If you’ve ever quietly wondered whether your career is costing you too much, this one is for you. You’ll hear the early warning signs not to brush off, one small shift you can make this week, and what leaders and employers can do to better support women.

Find Tash on Instagram: @TheChangeCoach_byncc

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a DM on instagram or email us at hello@hormonehealthstudio.com

Pre-order my new book Before Hormones here.

Have you ever felt like your brain is different since becoming a mum? You're not imagining it. Motherhood brings profound changes to the brain, influencing everything from memory and emotional regulation to stress, attention and the way we respond to our children.

In this episode, I’m joined by Ema Taylor to explore the science of matrescence and what actually happens to your brain as you transition into motherhood. We discuss the areas of the brain that change, how shifting hormones influence neurotransmitters and impact mood, cognition and emotional wellbeing, and why you might feel more sensitive, overwhelmed or simply not quite like yourself after having children.

We also share practical strategies to support your brain, nervous system and mental wellbeing through the demands of motherhood.

If you've ever wondered why you feel different since becoming a mum, this episode will help you better understand the science behind those changes — and what you can do to support yourself through them.

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a DM on Instagram or email us at hello@hormonehealthstudio.com.

Ever wondered what it’s really like behind the scenes at Hormone Health Studio?

In this episode, I sit down with Ava, our admin coordinator and student naturopath, to chat about her role at HHS, what it’s like being part of the team, and how she’s growing her knowledge of naturopathic care while working alongside our practitioners.

A little behind-the-scenes look at the people, passion and purpose behind HHS.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) has had a recent name change to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS) - talk about a name glow up!

We welcome the new name change as its a shift to a whole-body health and medical perspective. PMOS doesn't just impact the hormones, it impacts multiple body systems, including hormones, metabolism, and mental health, rather than just the ovaries.

This episode is dedicated to discussing the details of the new name change as-well as recapping the diagnostic criteria, PMOS phenotypes (spoiler alert, you can be more than one phenotype), and what treatment/management actually looks like when you're in clinic dealing with it in real life.

TW: Eating Disorders

• We also make note of the large Australian cohort study (n=8,467) which found a significant association between PMOS and an increased link to disordered eating and eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa, binge eating.

Episode Resources

• Rotterdam Criteria
• PMOS Phenotypes Explained
  • Data-driven subtypes of polycystic ovary syndrome and their association with clinical outcomes
• Lancet Article: Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, the new name for polycystic ovary syndrome: a multistep global consensus process
• PMID: 31056307
• Catch our other episode with Endocrinologist Dr Soji Swaraj: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) Across The Lifespan

Throughout this episode, we use the term 'women' when discussing PMOS. We acknowledge this language may not reflect the identities of all listeners, including those assigned female at birth (AFAB) who do not identify as women but who may also experience PMOS. Additionally, where we cite research or studies on PMOS that do not distinguish between gender identity categories, we use 'women' to remain consistent with the original source material. This terminology choice is not intended to exclude or erase any individual's experience.

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a DM on Instagram or email us at hello@hormonehealthstudio.com.

If you're a local parent in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie, chances are you've already heard of Amy Chatburn Stevens, she's a bit of a legend around here when it comes to supporting new parents and their bubs on the feeding journey. We're so thankful to have her join us today to chat about what it takes to set yourself up for a positive breastfeeding journey.

Topics covered with Amy

• Where should you even begin when it comes to preparing to breastfeed?
• Are there things you can do during pregnancy to get their body ready?
• What should you have on hand at home before the baby comes?
• What happens in that first hour after birth, and how can moms advocate for the best start?
• How to tell if you have a good latch?
• Conversations around low/over milk supply,
• Tongues ties,
• How to know if your baby is getting enough milk.
• Amy's personal opinion on dummies and common breastfeeding products/gadgets

Amy's qualifications

• International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC),
• Registered Nurse,
• Registered Midwife,
• Masters Degree Child and Family Health Nursing.

Where to find Amy

• ASC Lactation Website
• @ibclc.amy

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a DM on Instagram or email us at hello@hormonehealthstudio.com.

The nervous system is running the show and influencing our mood, hormones, digestion, recovery and relationships. And most of us were never taught how it actually works.

In this episode, we break it all down with our ultimate nervous system Naturopath - T'Keyah (TK).

TK explains the difference between your sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) states, and why your body responds the way it does under stress. She also discusses the fawn response, a learnt behaviour and survival state that is often missed. Did you know the nervous system is a real-life, tangible thing!

We also spend some time on something so many of us are quietly struggling with, how to actually do less. In a society that glamorises busyness and hustle, especially online, it can feel impossible to slow down when you're already overstimulated from work, children, and social pressures. TK gets honest about why that pull is so strong, and what it's really doing to our nervous system."

As TK put it: "The goal was never to be calm. It's to have a resilient nervous system".

Content note: This episode briefly discusses the role of sexual trauma and chronic health concerns

Something is shifting. The way we talk about Herpes in 2026 looks nothing like it did ten years ago.

This episode is dedicated to changing the way we speak about this very, very common virus - Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). Because HSV affects an enormous proportion of the global population, yet it remains one of the most stigmatised, misunderstood, and under-discussed diagnoses in sexual health.

Today we're joined by Jessie, Naturopath and founder of Botanical Abundance, who specialises in hormonal, vaginal, and sexual health.

In this episode, we're going more than skin deep. We're talking about how common HSV actually is, how it spreads, why so many people go undiagnosed for years, where the stigma came from, how naturopathic care can support people, including neurodivergent folk living with HSV, what it means for fertility and pregnancy, and what someone who has just been diagnosed actually needs to hear right now.

Let's get this episode to Go Viral, excuse the pun... But this conversation is one everyone needs to be having.

Episode Resources

• Jessie-Anne, Botanical Abundance - Join her waitlist for "The Ultimate Guide to Herpes"
• Comfortable In My Skin - Herpes Stories
• Good Vibes Clinic
• @IntimateEcology

Abbreviations Used

• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)
• Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
• MetaDaddy aka @Meta

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a DM on Instagram or email us at hello@hormonehealthstudio.com.

Sorry we ghosted you, but here's the tea on where the bloody hell we've been!

Also, this weeks episode we're exploring the gut–brain axis, and a program called Nerva that we've been recommending to clients for a few years now with some genuinely incredible results.

We're joined by Amy Coen, Accredited Practising Dietitian at Nerva, a clinically validated gut-brain therapy program for IBS and other disorders of gut-brain interaction. Amy brings firsthand clinical experience as well insight into her role educating healthcare practitioners across Australia to deepen their understanding of the gut-brain axis and its role in gastrointestinal symptoms.

In this episode we cover:

• What the gut–brain axis actually is (and why it matters for digestive symptoms)
• How the brain influences bloating, pain and bowel changes
• What Nerva is, how it's structured, and who it's for?
• How long before people start noticing results?
• Some interesting (and funny) case studies - #freethefart
• Why hypnotherapy can feel confronting — and what the science actually says
• Is Nerva appropriate for those with suspected or diagnosed endometriosis?

So whether you're a practitioner or someone navigating your own gut health journey, this one is worth a listen.

If you are interested in Nerva and you are a current or prospective client - please reach out to us at directly hello@hormonehealthstudio.com or get some further information on Nervas website or Youtube.