Ladies, We Need To Talk

'Bounce back' culture can find someone else to pick on, we're celebrating bodies who've given birth.And this episode isn't just for the mums. It's for everyone who's ever felt the bod they were given this earth to roam in isn't good enough.Yumi Stynes meets women who've fought the insidious pressures on mums' bodies and found a new appreciation for themselves.Featuring: burns survivor and author Turia Pitt, founder of the Australian Birth Stories podcast Sophie Walker, body image researcher Dr Zali Yager and mum of two Tegan Russell.You might also like: Body ImageBirth traumaLove your boobsThis episode contains references to: body image, eating disorders, birth, baby, motherhood, parenting, stretch marks, weight gain, weight loss, bounce back, diet, diet culture, children, self love, prolapse, child birth, Australian Birth Stories podcast.

Emotional labour is the overlooked cousin of the mental load. It's managing the feelings of people around us, from being a shoulder to cry on to cheering on your colleagues. Taking the time to check in on relatives and making sure the fridge is stocked with everyone's favourite foods. Emotional labour is invisible yet vital work that falls more heavily on women.Journalist Rose Hackman reckons it's time women are recognised, and even compensated for this emotional output. Rose chats to Yumi Stynes about how this form of labour underpins our homes, relationships and workplaces, and how we can be more selective about where we put our efforts.You might also like:Solving the mental loadBeating burnoutThis episode contains references to: gender roles, parenting, motherhood, orgasm gap, sex, mental load, caring, fatigue, burnout.

Welcome to the world of swingers, where the libidos are high but so are the stakes. Join Yumi Stynes as she heads to a swinger's club and learns what it takes to open up a relationship without breaking trust. Meet the women in the swinging scene and find out what they get out of it (besides the orgasms).This episode will change the way you think about swinging, and maybe even re-frame your approach to intimacy. (R)You might also like:What we need men to know about sexHow to have great sexThis episode contains references to: sex, swinging, intimacy, couples, marriage, open relationships, LGBT, threesome, unicorns communication.

When Jamila Rizvi was dealing with the emotional sucker punch of a brain tumour diagnosis, she needed a friend who understood what she was going through. Enter, writer and comedian Rosie Waterland. Rosie knows what it's like to live with a broken brain. A childhood marked by abuse and trauma has left her struggling with complex PTSD throughout her adulthood.Rosie and Jamila have very different illnesses but lots in common. They chat with Yumi Stynes about how the world views physical and mental illness differently, the lasagne sympathy scale and keeping on keeping on when there's no cure in sight.Please note, this episode contains discussion of suicide.Listen back:Jamila Rizvi—when life doesn’t go to planRosie Waterland's mum died. She’s kind of relievedHelpful links:Lifeline 13 11 14Brain Tumour Alliance AustraliaSANE AustraliaThis episode contains references to: chronic illness, brain tumour, depression, PTSD, trauma, relationships, grief, loss, carer, caring, mental health and suicide.

Does your partner feel more like a housemate than a lover? Have you lost your spark in the overflowing laundry basket? Resentment got you snarking at each other? Get yourself to the relationship ER! If things are flatlining and you want your partnership to survive, there are treatment options.Yumi Stynes meets women who have brought their relationships back from the dead. Plus, sex and relationships therapist, Toya Ricci shares advice on how to build healthier, long-lasting connections.This episode contains references to: sex therapy, relationship therapy, marriage difficulty, marriage sabbatical, relationship sabbatical, intermission, infidelity, couples counselling, parenting, mental load, mental health.

A morning phone call from her doctor confirmed Jessie Tu's worst fears. She'd lost the baby she was carrying. Jessie and her partner had tried for months to get pregnant, and the news sparked a specific kind of grief she hadn't encountered before.The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Jessie was raised with the idea that discipline and hard work gets you results. But this was a test she couldn't ace.Jessie's path to pregnancy and loss made her confront questions about what it means to be a family and the sacrifices that mothers are expected to bear.She shares her complicated relationship with fertility in this tender conversation with Yumi Stynes.Jessie Tu is the author of The Honeyeater and A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing.Helpful links:Miscarriage AustraliaThe Pink Elephants Support networkGidget FoundationRed Nose Grief and LossLifelineThis episode contains references to: pregnancy loss, miscarriage, fertility, parenting, relationships, babies, grief, family, motherhood, womanhood, feminism, mental health.

Fillers, Botox, and injectables — they're everywhere! There was a time when getting needles in your face was a big deal. But these days, getting a 'tweakment' is as easy-peasy as getting a mani pedi.It's not just 69-year-old Kris Jenner who looks like a teenager now. Your hairdresser, barista, and the mums at the school gate are doing a Benjamin Button.In this episode, Yumi Stynes chats to women who have regular cosmetic jabs to find out their motivations. Plus, Dr Jasmine Fardouly from the University of Sydney explains how Instagram is pushing us towards the clinics.This episode contains references to: Botox, filler, tweakments, cosmetic procedures, facials, beauty industry, ageing, old, beauty standards, filter, Instagram, Tiktok, social media, body image.

In a sex saturated world, it's easy to think that everyone's having hotter, kinkier, more interesting sex than you are. But are they really?Yumi Stynes gathers together sex therapist, Georgia Grace, author Alyx Gorman and comedian Alex Lee for an urgent group chat unpacking what it means to have a satisfying sex life and why comparisons to others are a boner killer.This episode contains references to sex, marriage, orgasm gap, orgasm, lesbian, masturbation, queerness, relationships, sex positivity, sex toys, therapy, children, libido, divorce.

Your parents are elderly. Your kids need you. And it's up to you to tend to the needs of everyone. Welcome to the sandwich generation.The bad news is you'll be wading through a ton of logistical, financial and medical obstacles while watching your folks decline. The good news is you're not alone.Join Yumi Stynes in meeting two women doing their best in the middle of a sandwich, with some tips on getting your sh*t together before everything falls apart. Plus, clinical psychologist Nasalifya Namwinga has the goods on how to deal emotionally.Helpful links:Carers AustraliaThe Violet InitiativeWe want to know what you want to hear more of, take our audience survey:https://forms.office.com/r/R5uACN6GWU

Coffee enemas? Healing jade yoni eggs? Raw milk? No, nope, nup. Dr Jen Gunter is calling bullsh*t on the internet's wellness industry.Dr Gunter is on a crusade against disinformation. As a gynaecologist and internationally renowned women's health expert, she calls out influencers promoting harmful treatments and nonsense supplements for profit. And she's not afraid to take on Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop and vaginal steaming products in the process. Join Yumi Stynes as she gets a lesson in how to spot a fake, the danger of wellness charlatans, the link between wellness influencers and conspiracy theories, and what's really good for our bodies. This episode contains references to Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow, misinformation, Alex Jones, women’s health, abortion, Donald Trump, wellness industry, social media, natural health, organic therapies, alternative therapies, peer reviewed research, disinformation, conspiracy theories.

Loneliness hurts. And we know it's bad for us, worse than smoking or obesity. Even though a third of us are lonely, we're embarrassed to say so. So, what would happen if we talked about our loneliness openly? And how can we build more meaningful connections?Yumi Stynes speaks to women who are lonely, one within a marriage and one hoping to find a partner, to understand the toll it can take. Plus, psychologist Dr Bella Ingram shares tips on how we can insulate ourselves from the chill of being lonely.Helpful links:Ending Loneliness ReportBeyond BlueLifeline 13 11 14This episode contains references to marriage, friendship, relationships, loneliness, anxiety, depression, mental health, alcohol, substance use, community.

Do you need to pee at all hours of the day? Pelvic floor got you down? Are things a getting saggy down there like like a rogue bit of pizza dough or like Gary Oldman's face?There are some medical reasons why you might need to constantly rush to the loo, but the good news is in most cases your bladder is deconditioned, and you need to get your urinary tract back into ship-shape form.Tegan Taylor and Noman Swan, hosts of What's That Rash podcast are here to help!

When filmmaker Anna Broinowski turned 50, she stopped giving any f*cks about what other people thought of her. Stopped prettying herself, being concerned with niceness, and exhaled. Certified badass Gina Chick spent 67 days in the literal wilderness living off the land to win Alone Australia. Jessie Tu refuses to adhere to the male gaze.So, what happens to us women when we stop playing by the Good Girl guidebook and start living by our own rules? And what does it mean to live dangerously? Yumi Stynes sits down with Anna, Gina and Jessie at the Adelaide Festival to ask just that. Zero f*cks included.This episode contains references to Gina Chick, Alone Australia, Jessie Tu, sexism, misogyny, self-care, boundaries, strong women.

Are chick flicks and rom-coms your secret indulgence but you feel too embarrassed to admit it? Caroline O'Donoghue, host of the hit podcast, Sentimental Garbage, says it's time to stop apologising for the culture we love. Under the tongue-in-cheek banner 'Justice for Dumb Women', O'Donoghue celebrates the pop-culture we've long been told we should feel ashamed for loving, from Sex and the City to Taylor Swift (and Twilight).So, get out the friendship bracelets and drop the cynicism as Yumi Stynes and Caroline take the guilt out of guilty pleasures.This episode contains references to Sentimental Garbage, Caroline O’Donoghue, Dolly Alderton, women’s culture, women’s media, Netflix, streaming, pop culture, female friendships, para social relationships.

Our lady gardens aren't meant to smell like roses but if things are overly whiffy downstairs it might mean something more serious is going on. Bacterial vaginosis, or BV, is a common vaginal infection that can cause a stinky, fishy discharge. BV is not only uncomfortable, it can be hella embarrassing and hard to get rid of. But in good news for vaginas everywhere, researchers have discovered that BV can be sexually transmitted and treating male partners can knock it on the head.In this episode Yumi Stynes talks to Lacey about living with BV and sexual health expert Professor Deborah Bateson shares how to look after your cooch. Oh, and comedian Sarah O'Neill dedicates a song to the vagina. (R)This episode contains references to bacterial vaginosis, odour, vagina, vulva, sexually transmitted infection, BV, sex, relationships, shame, womens health.

What does the manosphere and the rise of online misogyny mean for our relationships with boys and men?The Netflix drama Adolescence shows the violent consequences of being steeped in hateful messages about women. It follows 13-year-old Jamie, an incel, angry at the world because he's been sexually rejected by a girl. The show has started conversations about the real-world consequences of online misogyny.Some boys are drawn to the manosphere by the promise of bigger muscles, getting laid and tips on getting rich, but the darker corners of these online spaces encourage violence against women and call for a return to traditional gender roles. When Andrew Tate, the hugely influential manfluencer's catch cry is "choke the bitch out", how worried should we be?In this episode, Yumi Stynes sits down with Kate Scott from the University of Sydney to talk about the allure of the manosphere and what draws boys and men away from these communities once they've been sucked in.This episode contains references to misogyny, extremism, incels, violence against women, red pill, Adolescence, Andrew Tate, manosphere, social media, gender, online activity, Hustlers University, red pill, algorithm.

Charlotte's sugar daddy took her to the fanciest restaurant in Melbourne. Soraya's gave her a trust fund. Meet the attractive young women dating rich older men as Yumi Stynes peeks into the lives of sugar babies. Find out how the online sugar dating world (the sugar bowl) facilitates the kind of romance you pay for, and what can go wrong when sex mixes with money, wealth and power. Yes, there's a holiday in Thailand that goes terribly awry (think White Lotus, with less guns). Plus, researcher Srushti Upadhyay from The University at Buffalo explains how the economy of intimacy works, and what it means for all of us when we put a price on relational labour.This episode contains references to sex, sugar baby, sugar daddy, sugar dating, beauty, wealth, White Lotus, Chloe and Greg, Chelsea and Rick, Seeking Arrangement, sex work, cost of living crisis, business, transactions.

Great sex isn't inevitable. If you're a straight woman, chances are you've enjoyed far fewer orgasms than your sexual partner(s). And yes, we know, it's not just about the big O, but isn't it time the ladies got on equal frotting footing and closed the pleasure gap? Enter: Alyx Gorman.In her book All Women Want, Alyx investigates what makes for the best sex, how to get there, and how to communicate what you want. She interviews women of different ages and life stages, dives in the science behind good sex and even takes herself to a "musky and primal" sex party.Alyx sits down with Yumi Stynes to reveal the secrets of what women want: the patterns and home truths about why we aren't satisfied in the bedroom, and how to reach the shiny pinnacle on the other side.Warning: your productivity may decline significantly after listening as you find yourself bedridden in a hedonistic pleasure dreamland, filled with 100 euphoric orgasms.This episode contains references to sex, orgasm, orgasm gap, All Women Want, sex parties, orgies, female pleasure, heterosexual, sex, partners, relationships, marriage, masturbation, pleasure.

If you think perimenopause is reserved for mid-life, think again.When other 20 and 30-somethings are out partying or decorating the nursery, how do you cope with night sweats, hot flashes, brain fog and a tired libido?What's it like to have the body of a young woman, filled with the hormones of someone decades older?Yumi Stynes meets women going through perimenopause far earlier than they expected to learn how they manage their symptoms and cope with the prospect of infertility.She also sits down with women's health expert and GP, Dr Natasha Vavrek who explains the science behind premature menopause and POI (Primary Ovarian Insufficiency).This episode contains references to perimenopause, primary ovarian insufficiency, poi, premature menopause, sex, libido, hot flashes, bleeding, relationships, cancer, chemotherapy, youth, ageing, fertility.

What happens to your sex life in perimenopause? When Salt-N-Pepa wrote Let's Talk About Sex, they didn't get to that bit. Well, Yumi Stynes is here to update the lyrics! In this no-holds-barred episode she meets women who have experienced changes to their libido and sexual function during this phase of life and finds out what help is at hand. Yumi chats to women about what got them back in the groove and sits down with sex and perimenopause specialist Dr Sheryl Kingsberg, Professor in Reproductive Biology, Urology and Psychiatry at Case Western University.This episode contains references to perimenopause, sex, painful sex, relationships, marriage, libido, vaginal dryness, irritation, genito-urinary syndrome of menopause and menopausal hormone therapy, or MHT.

Is perimenopause brain fog jamming up your workday? Are you constantly in a bad mood or irrationally angry at your kids who are only as annoying as usual? Is your memory failing you for the simplest words?Riding the hormonal rollercoaster of perimenopause has a huge impact on our brains — from mood to memory, sleep to stress.Come hang with Yumi Stynes as she meets women convinced that they're losing their minds or even going through dementia, but are, in fact, in the depths of perimenopause.Plus, Yumi chats to Dr Pauline Maki, a leading professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Obstetrics and Gynecology, to find out how can we shift our brains into gear during this phase of life.This episode contains references to perimenopause, depression, anxiety, rage, anger, irritation, mood swings, hot flashes, sleep disturbance, menopausal hormone therapy, women, parenting, mothering and relationships.

Hot flashes. Night sweats. Aching joints. Sore boobs. Welcome to your body in perimenopause!In episode one of this four-part series, Yumi Stynes speaks to women in the thick of perimenopause and battling physical symptoms. She also sits down with Dr Susan Davis, endocrinologist and world-leading expert on sex hormones and ageing to learn the best treatments for bothersome symptoms and how look after yourself in this stage of life. No sweat!Essential listening if you're going through perimenopause right now, or for those wanting to know what's over the hormonal horizon.This episode contains references to perimenopause, hot flashes, night sweats, HRT, Hormone Replacement Therapy, MHT, Menopausal Hormone Therapy, middle-age, women, hormones, vaginal dryness, ovarian retirement, estrogen, thermostat, sleep disruption, exercise, fitness, bone density.

Perimenopause: it's a huge physical, mental and sexual upheaval in a woman's life and yet, there's so much confusion as to how to make it through.Perimenopause is the months and years leading up to the last period, where a woman's hormones get feisty on their way down to retirement. This hormone fluctuation can lead to a range of symptoms, from hot flashes and night sweats to painful sex, mood swings and RAGE!In this four-part series, Yumi Stynes speaks to women in the thick of perimenopause as well as world-leading experts in the field to find out how to best manage during this phase without going postal.This episode contains references to perimenopause, hot flashes, night sweats, HRT, Hormone Replacement Therapy, MHT, Menopausal Hormone Therapy, estrogen, vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, brain fog, depression, anxiety, rage, anger, irritation, primary ovarian insufficiency, genito-urinary syndrome of menopause.

What's it like to carry and give birth to a child for someone else? What compels a woman to take on something so profound? There's more to surrogacy than cooking a bun in an 'oven', it's complex as hell.In this episode Yumi Stynes meets women who have been surrogates and hears about the joy and the heartache the experience can bring.This episode contains references to surrogacy, family, baby, parenting, adoption, Surrogacy Act, transfer of parentage, counselling, depression, mental health, pregnancy, birth, suicidal ideation.

Babies. Some women know they want them, others know they absolutely don't, and then there are the women who find themselves trying to make the call one way or another before biology beats them to it.But how do you weigh up something so monumental? And can you ever be sure that you've made the "right" decision when it comes to starting a family?Yumi Stynes sits down with journalist and writer, Gina Rushton and comedian, Penny Greenhalgh to discuss this mother of all decisions.This episode contains references to fertility, age, biological clock, women, anxiety, parenting, mothering, mum, aunty, spare parent, The Parenthood Dilemma, The Most Important Job in the World.

Our best friends are our ride-or-die, snort-laughing, crisis solving buttresses. But what happens when a friendship ends?In a romantic break-up, there's a cultural handbook instructing us all to sanctioned crying, bitching and ice-cream eating. Playlists, movies and a canon of literature are ready to validate the catastrophic pain of heartbreak. But with romantic break-ups, there aren't the same support systems in place to help us put back together the pieces.Yumi Stynes speaks to women who've been through the heartache of a friendship break-up to find out how they moved on, and what marks their former besties left behind.This episode contains references to break-ups, friendship, romantic break-ups, heart break, fighting, interpersonal tension, best friends, loss.

Swipe, date, sex, repeat. So went the life of Hope Woodard, constantly on the apps and looking for validation in the form of male attention. This perpetual cycle started from a young age and by the time she was in her mid-twenties, Hope was done. Done with terrible first dates. Done with being ghosted. Done with men. So, she set herself a challenge, to give up dating and sex for a year. Hope was going boysober.Hope chats with Yumi Stynes about the pleasure of finally getting to know herself, what she learnt from a year off the dating train, and why she hates the term 'celibate'.This episode contains references to dating, dating apps, boy sober, heterosexual cynicism, psychology, relationships, self development, self improvement, celibacy.

When Dr Rena Malik posted a video on her YouTube channel called 'Where's the G-Spot?', twelve million people tuned in to hear the answer. The urologist and sex educator has carved out a space as a reliable and trustworthy source of sex education.But Dr Rena hasn't always been so open. She grew up in an Indian family that didn't talk about sex, no sir. Then she went to medical school, where she learnt about the female body and its magical powers. She says the more you know about your anatomy and the origins of pleasure, the easier it is to have a great time in bed.So, get your notebooks, it's time to go back to school.This episode contains references to sex, vulva, penis, clitoris, sex education, g-spot, pleasure, marriage, sex schedules, relationships, marriage, long-term relationships, orgasm, female pleasure, communication.

Menstruating. An ordinary bodily function. Like breathing or sweating or digesting, it's as natural as the hairs on our heads, period (pun intended). And even though there has been some progress in our openness in talking about periods, we're still largely a bit…grossed out.Yumi Stynes investigates the lingering shame around women's bleeding and speaks to women who are shifting the tide on how we think about periods. (R)This episode contains references to menstruation, period, shame, women, blood, ovulation, hormones, women's health.

Saggy boobs, leathery skin, becoming invisible... is getting older as grim as it sounds? Ageing presents a unique challenge to us ladies, and while there's no stopping gravity, there are things to be excited about — from giving less f#*@% to not being afraid to ask for what you want in the bedroom.Yumi Stynes gets the low-down on what the hell happens to our bodies, brains and spirits as we age and how best to take care of ourselves. (R)This episode contains references to cosmetic surgery, ageing, filler, body image, death, mental health, social connection.

Mind-blowing. Intoxicating. Earth-shattering. Meet the women having the best sex of their lives after years on end of ho-hum humping.Yumi Stynes speaks to ladies who have levelled up their sex lives, learns how they made it to the promised land, and whether there's room for us all to join them. (R) This episode contains references to sex, pleasure, vulva, intercourse, marriage, dating, divorce.

What if being single wasn’t a problem to be solved but a state of bliss? For some women, living without an “other half” is the key to being complete. But even though more women than ever are single by choice, we live in a society that values couple-dom. Marriage and motherhood are still held up as the ultimate end goals. Single women are viewed with pity or worse, scorn. Living alone? Cue the lady jokes. Yumi Stynes talks to women who are happy to be free from romantic relationships and whose lives are full to the brim. (R) This episode contains references to single, dating, relationships, friendships, couples, sex.

Cheers! For a lot of us alcohol is a reward after a hard day, a way to unwind, a key part of our celebrations, but our love of a drink comes at a cost. Some women are regularly drinking at dangerous rates while others find it difficult to go without. Beyond the hangover fuzz, booze can take a toll on our health and relationships. So why are we so keen on a drink despite knowing the risks? And how can we learn to put the cap back on the bottle when we’ve had enough? Yumi Stynes talks to someone confronting their problematic drinking habit and contemplates her own sobriety along the way. (R) Resources:National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline1800 250 015 Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org.au/1300 222 222 Hello Sunday Morning https://hellosundaymorning.org/Lifeline13 11 14

Penny Moodie’s childhood was marked by catastrophic thoughts: that her parents would die in an accident, that she had contracted HIV, that she was pregnant, even though she’d never had sex. These all-consuming anxieties wouldn't leave Penny, they occupied a huge part of her life, and she developed compulsions around them which she believed would keep her and the people she loved safe.

Ahh Christmas, the festival of eating, drinking and cranky mums. Because in order to have the beautifully set table, thoughtful presents and delicious glazed ham, someone's got to prepare and plan it all. And that someone, is usually a woman, who, by 5pm, has had enough.Is there a Christmas elf who can help out? Or maybe it's time for blokes to step up and take on their fair share of the mental load.Yumi Stynes and Monty Dimond share their tips on how to redistribute the labour on and before the 'most wonderful time of the year'.

Note: This episode contains explicit content.What is it like to be a professional dominatrix? To indulge in the power play between dominant and submissive for a living?In this special bonus episode, Yumi Stynes goes into a domme's dungeon to find out what really goes on beyond the whips and chains. She discovers a world that's full of power, sexual fantasy, pleasure and pain.

Note: This episode contains explicit content. Kink, or BDSM is often played out behind closed doors. Because it's hidden from view, there's an assumption that it's just a few people at the fringes who are into kink, while the majority of us have vanilla sex. But what if interest in kink was more common than you think?Yumi Stynes meets three women embracing their kinky side. From findom (financial domination) to humiliation and cuckolding, their tastes go well beyond missionary.

Psychotherapist Esther Perel is one of the most influential thinkers on sex and relationships in the world.She helps us make sense of how we relate to the people around us and what it means to be intimate. Is intimacy just in the bedroom? Or can we have intimacy with our closest friends? How about with the guy at the coffee shop?And when we do disrobe and have sex with someone, how can we get what we desire out of the experience, whether it's a one-time thing or for the hundredth time.Esther entered the zeitgeist with her book Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence, which gave us language for the opposing promises of marriage — romantic passion and long-term security.She's since drawn millions of listeners to her podcast, Where Should We Begin, where she publishes live couples therapy sessions. (R)

It's no surprise your sex life takes a hit as a parent. You're thinly spread. There are so many things to manage in your head, from cutting up cucumbers to potty training and paying the plumber on time. Getting it on with a partner, or even by yourself drops down the priority list, below napping.Masturbation can seem like a laughable indulgence. Because when, oh when, does a sleep deprived mum with a job, a partner and a kid get time, and a dimly lit room to bring herself to O-town?Yumi Stynes and self-pleasure coach Chloe Adriana talk about how to bring mazzing back on the menu when you’ve lost your appetite.

Egg freezing is sold as a way for women to hack their fertility and buy some more time on the biological clock.Fertility companies are marketing the procedure as an insurance policy, but some experts argue it's better thought of as a lottery.Rates of egg freezing have almost doubled in recent years but the number of people coming back to use those eggs are staggeringly low and even then, there's no guarantee of a baby. Then there's the cost, between $5000-$10,000 per cycle.Alongside egg freezing, the AMH test, or egg timer test, is also being promoted as a way for women to take control of their fertility but the only way to know if you're fertile is to try and get pregnant.This episode sorts the science from the sell around egg freezing and fertility tests.Featured in this episode:Dr Tessa Copp, University of Sydney School of Public Health.

Samhita had it all. As the executive editor of Teen Vogue she was living the Devil Wears Prada life — fashion shows, fancy dinners and towering heels.She was a girlboss. But at the height of her success, cracks began to appear. She was anxious, burnt out and her body was falling apart.But Samhita was at New York Fashion Week in a fur coat and clutching a Gucci handbag, having just put Malala Yousafzai on the cover of her magazine, who was she to complain?After spending a lifetime trying to climb the corporate ladder, she started to wonder whether it was possible, as a woman, to have it all. And if so, was it worth the cost?Samhita sits down with Yumi Stynes to talk about redefining success and happiness.

There's an expectation that couples share a bed, but what if sleep isn't compatible with being in the same room as your other half? Maybe they snore, maybe they starfish, or maybe you just need a few hours without another human touching you.Is a sleep divorce, AKA, having separate bedrooms, the answer?There's a trend towards normalising sleeping separately from your partner. Cameron Diaz is doing it. So are the Beckhams. But does this arrangement spell the end of sex and intimacy? Or does it make for a better night's sleep and a better waking relationship?

Is Ozempic the drug of our lifetime? Since it burst onto the scene it's become synonymous with weight loss, with everyone from A-list celebrities to your next-door neighbour rapidly slimming down.The popularity of the drug and others like it such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, has led to demand outstripping supply, with the price of these medications falling out of reach for some. And along with the cheekbones Ozempic face has unearthed, it's also forcing us to have some uncomfortable conversations around fatness, fatphobia and what it means to be 'healthy'.For some Australian women, it's changed their lives. Others are still grappling with how the world treats their new body.In this episode of Ladies, We Need to Talk, Yumi Stynes finds out what the Ozempic era means for all bodies.

There aren't many people on your Instagram feed who are as loved and as loathed as Abbie Chatfield.Ever since Abbie shot to fame as the slut-shamed villain on The Bachelor Australia in 2019, she's been a public and controversial figure who's hard to look away from.Five years and almost 500K followers later, Abbie's built an empire on sharing her trauma dumps, UTIs, political rants and sexcapades.Abbie's openness has earnt her lots of fans but it's also made her the target of sexist and violent online threats.So how does this former real-estate girly from Brissy manage living a life in the spotlight while staying sane in the real world?

What if your man has another, equally important woman in his life: his mum?For some sons, the aprons strings are tied so tight, it’s impossible to compete with mummy. She’s his number one fan, dotes on him and interferes in his life, including his relationships. It’s not sexy.So, can a mama’s boy ever reform and stand on their own two feet in a relationship? Or will you always come off second best?Yumi Stynes and Jess McGuire lay down the law when it comes to being with a mama’s boy. Hint: they must be able to do their own washing.

As we get older, wiser, more resilient, and better placed to back seat drive, the world does not reward us. Or our grey hair.If the advances of human progress can make a potato chip taste like a beef rendang curry, why are women still, after all this time and progress, so judged by the way we look?The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery estimates Australians spend around $1 billion a year on cosmetic procedures. We're talking facelifts, tummy tucks, brow lifts, neck lifts, rhinoplasties, breast implants. And the training bras of plastic surgery, Botox and fillers.So if we're spending so much money on looking young, are we complicit in society's obsession with youth?Women, young and old, tell us their stories of what drew them under the knife (or needle) while dermatologist Dr Ritu Gupta, marketing expert Karen Ferry, make-up artist Linda Jefferyes and beauty editor Cecily-Anna Bennett help to make sense of how we got here.This episode is one of the best from the grand cathedrals of the Ladies, We Need to Talk archives.Note: Karen Ferry is now an Advertising Executive Creative Director, no longer at Leo Burnett.

Aubrey Gordon is a fat woman. She's not on a diet or trying to get thinner and that pisses some people off, but she's done apologising.This self-acceptance has been hard fought. All her life, Aubrey has had to swallow comments about her size from strangers and family alike. Like all of us, she was force-fed the idea that there is only one ideal body: a thin one.Aubrey's resistance started with her blog, Your Fat Friend, where she wrote about what it's like to live in the world as a fat person and dared to suggest that fat people deserve the same rights as everyone else. The blog touched a nerve, giving a voice to people who had been silenced and launched Aubrey’s public career.Aubrey is the co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast, which calls bullshit on the so-called wellness industry. Oh, and she has a laugh that fills up the room.Yumi and Aubrey talk about anti-fat bias, online hate and the myth of the perfect body.

You're on a date and there's a spark, the chat is great, the vibes are flowing. But come the time to disrobe, all that potential sexual brilliance comes crashing down. They're a dud root. So what on earth do you do if you've got a connection with someone, but they're not rocking your socks off? How do you have a conversation about what you like, without hurting their feelings? And can you ever turn a jackhammer into a magical orgasm wand? Yumi Stynes and sex therapist Aleks Trkulja get under the sheets and figure out how to communicate your way to the pleasure palace.

The Other Woman. The bit on the side. Side hoe. She's the biggest villain of them all. She's probably younger, hotter and she's left the girl-code far behind, because THAT woman is stealing your man, girl. So, who is 'the other woman' and what's driving her towards married men anyway? In this episode, Yumi sits down with women dating men who are teken and finds out how they navigate their own messy relationships and emotions.

Jill Stark spent most of her life defined by alcohol. Either as a hard-drinking party girl, spurred on by a culture of drinking as a journalist, or as the poster child for sobriety, trapped by a public identity that revolved around abstinence. Yumi and Jill talk about her journey to genuine sobriety on her own terms, and how she has learned who she is without booze. Resources:National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline1800 250 015 Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org.au/1300 222 222 Hello Sunday Morning https://hellosundaymorning.org/Lifeline13 11 14