logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2020
8m 4s

‘I chose to have a baby, by myself’

BODY + Soul
About this episode
Alexandra Collier is one of the rising number of Australian women who have chosen to be a solo parent. At age 39 she was artificially inseminated with donor sperm and conceived her son, Quinn on her first round of IVF. Although motherhood is, by her own acknowledgement, the hardest thing she’s done - she has also battled the pre-conceptions and criticisms that still come with ‘choosing’ to get pregnant, and raise her son alone.   Her poignant essay, first published in the Good Weekend shone a light on the judgement she faced, but also the light it has brought to her life.   You can find Alexandra on Instagram at @alexandracollierwrites and online here.    You can read Alexandra’s full story originally published in the Good Weekend, and can be found via The Sydney Morning Herald here.    You can join the conversation, or drop us a question, via the Healthy-ish Australia Facebook page, here.   If you’re up for funny memes and health inspo follow Body+Soul on Instagram at @bodyandsoul_au   Or, head to bodyandsoul.com.au for your daily digital dose of health and wellness.   Each Sunday, you can pick up the latest copy of the Body+Soul/Stellar flipbook inside The Sunday Telegraph (NSW), the Sunday Herald Sun (Victoria), The Sunday Mail (Queensland), Sunday Mail (SA) and Sunday Tasmanian (Tasmania). 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Mar 2025
Reflections on the ending of Healthy-ish
Each Thursday, host Felicity Harley and Body + Soul's digital editor Holly Berckelman chat through three stories that made them spit-out - or guzzle - their green juices. Or wine. This week, they reflect on the four years Felicity has spent hosting the podcast now it's sadly comi ... Show More
10m 23s
Mar 2025
Zoe Marshall is proof manifesting actually works
Author and podcaster Zoe Marshall delves into the concept of ‘manifestation’ and shares how she has successfully manifested in her life, including her husband, and gives you the tools to try it, too.  WANT MORE FROM ZOE? For more on the Kalio Summitt see here or @kailo_aus. Kalio ... Show More
29m 18s
Feb 2025
Your sex life’s missing ingredient; peeing warning; breast cancer shock
Each Thursday, host Felicity Harley and Body + Soul's digital editor Holly Berckelman chat through three stories that made them spit out - or guzzle - their green juices. Or wine. This week, they chat about the missing ingredient in the bedroom (see story here); Australia’s worry ... Show More
11m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2020
049: Reducing Worry and Navigating the Health of Baby in 4th Trimester With Pediatrician Dr. Mona Amin
While pregnant, you read all the books in anticipation for the day your baby is born. Then you head home with your baby without a guide and you’re left wondering how do I navigate this fourth trimester? On top of figuring out the health of your baby, worry sets in. You start to w ... Show More
1h 6m
May 2019
“Happy Mother's Day” with Claire Holt
Recorded three days before giving birth, actress Claire Holt shares how she discovered she was pregnant, when she told her family, and the different experiences she’s had as her body has changed. Kayla also share her own pregnancy journey! Reference:https://www.manrepeller.com/20 ... Show More
1h 17m
Nov 2022
Post Partum Psychosis
It's more than just the "baby blues". Yvette chats to Catherine Cho, Author of A Memoir of Motherhood and Madness, all about her experience of perinatal mental health issues which she had after giving birth to her first child.  Follow Mentally Yours on social media... www.twitter ... Show More
26m 13s
May 2023
Exercise, Weight & Your Postpartum Body
Giving birth is one of the most empowering things a woman can go through, yet sadly there's still pressure to snap back into shape. We should work out because we enjoy it, not from pressure or aesthetic goals and in doing so it can have a huge impact on maternal mental health. Th ... Show More
48m 12s
May 2020
Giving birth to a wiser self, by Elizabeth Lesser
One icy morning on a Vermont farm, Elizabeth Lesser is witness to a miraculous thing: the birth of a bleary, bleating baby lamb. Years later, as a midwife, she is still filled with this sense of awe and wonder at every birth. It’s through that process of coaching new life into th ... Show More
31m 45s
Sep 2020
Postpartum Journey: Navigating Depression, Bridging the Generational Gap and Loving Our Bodies with Sara Ahmed
No matter how much time you take to prep the nursery, baby-proof your home or reread  “What To Expect When You’re Expecting” - nothing will ever truly prepare you for what's to come. In Ep. 29 of Season 2, we sit down with Sara Ahmed to talk about postpartum depression, the ... Show More
1h 22m
Aug 2023
1845: Meeting My Baby Wasn’t Love at First Sight — and That’s OK by Kimberly Zapata with Healthline on Postpartum Depression
Kimberly Zapata with Healthline talks about her experience with postpartum depressionEpisode 1845: Meeting My Baby Wasn’t Love at First Sight — and That’s OK by Kimberly Zapata with Healthline on Postpartum DepressionHow you feel affects every precious day of your life. Healthlin ... Show More
10 m
May 2024
#205: Overcoming Mom-Shame + Postpartum Anxiety w/ Cameron Rogers
May is mental health month and MOMS need more mental health support. Today we’re joined by Cameron Rogers, a content creator who openly shares about the ins and outs of motherhood. In this episode, Cameron shares… why she doesn’t share her kids names and faces online what postpar ... Show More
43m 5s
May 2023
It Was Just Another Day, But I Gave Birth | Part Two of Rebecca’s Birth Stories
After a traumatic, unnecessary cesarean in an Australian hospital, Rebecca knew that she’d get pregnant again, and would not enter the medical system. She had a completely wild, peaceful pregnancy, and free birth with just her family present. (Be sure to check out our instagram p ... Show More
38m 23s
Apr 2024
First Trimester Realities vs. Expectations: My Unfiltered Journey Through Nausea, Body Changes, Mental Health Struggles and Becoming a First Time Mom
In this episode, I take you behind the curtains and dive deep into the real and raw journey of my first trimester as a first time mom. I talk about mental health, coping with nausea, and the curveballs of pregnancy diets. I also discussed the importance of early midwife applicati ... Show More
1h 7m