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Featured Writers

Rebecca Mugridge

Journalist, Award-Winning Author, Blogger, Writer.Loves true crime, Stars Wars and trees.

Gina Rushton

Emily McGrorey

Hannah Vanderheide

Hannah Vanderheide is a writer, actor, and voice artist with a beautiful baby boy. She's also a body-neutral trainer, eating disorder survivor, and wellness industry sceptic who loves to write …

Olivia Funnell

Stories are more important now than they ever have been. Particularly those that are accurate, balanced and hold a reflection up to humanity. As a storyteller, I feel a great …

Emily Smith

I write, create content and edit for a variety of brands, publications and individuals in the nutrition, fitness and wellness space, including MamaMia, Good Food Australia, Emilia Thompson PhD, The …

Latest Articles

'I've started wearing shorts for the first time in more than 15 years. Here's why.'

Me and my legs. It’s complicated. Like a lot of women, I have been waging a rather futile war against a body part of mine for decades now. Ever since I was in my teens, I’ve been self-conscious about my legs. They’re short, thick and being that I have very …

By Emily McGrorey
4th March 2023 • Mamamia

Why do you get sick when you stop? Two experts explain.

When we’re really busy and stressed, like a lot of us are these days, it’s pretty common to delay R&R until you can take some proper time off, such as when you go on a holiday. The trouble is, if you head into a break completely exhausted, your immune system …

By Emily McGrorey
25th February 2023 • Mamamia

From avoiding trends to cost-saving measures: 5 things to consider when planning a renovation.

Have a few (hundred) lockdowns and countless kitchen-bench Zoom meetings seen you cast a more critical eye over your living quarters? Maybe those creaky floors and cracked bathroom tiles seemed charming when you first moved in, but now you fantasise about taking a sledgehammer to your leaking kitchen sink each …

By Hannah Vanderheide
22nd January 2023 • Mamamia

'You're not lazy. You just don't know your energy type.'

• Role: Hybrid of Manifestors and Generators – they are the multi-passionate, multi-taskers. • Percentage of the population: 33 per cent. • How they use energy: They have consistent energy, but can have inconsistent motivation, depending on how satisfying they find their work. • Strategy: Respond to what is presented …

By Emily McGrorey
14th January 2023 • Mamamia

6 ways to maintain your sex life after kids, according to the experts.

Listen to Sealed Section. On this episode, Chantelle delves into the complicated but incredibly important topic of postpartum sex, and answers questions from listeners who are trying to reconnect with their partner, and themselves, after having a baby. Story continues below. Often when it comes to advice around sex after …

By Emily McGrorey
20th November 2022 • Mamamia

"Rest and laziness are two different things." 5 things that took me 40 years to learn.

It’s taken me a really long time to learn that I’m absolutely no use to anyone when I’m tired. Taking care of yourself and prioritising rest does not mean that you’re lazy. (Say it again with me, millennials.) Rest is an essential and necessary part of life, not just something …

By Emily McGrorey
5th November 2022 • Mamamia

"Create a to-don't list." 5 practical ways to feel better about doing less.

There was once a time in my life when I felt like I had more control over my days. When I could determine what time I went to bed and what time I woke up. I could come up with a zealous to-do list and have a good chance at …

By Emily McGrorey
4th September 2022 • Mamamia

'6 things I was surprised to learn about women's health in my 30s.'

I was getting into bed last night at 9:30pm because I'm a grownup (and the mum of a toddler), and I suddenly felt my lower back go into spasm. This is new, I thought to myself, rummaging through draws and cupboards for the heat pack my Nan had gifted me …

By Hannah Vanderheide
16th August 2022 • Mamamia

"It takes more than just the two of you." 10 things I've learnt from 10 years of marriage.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on weddings, I'm just suggesting that perhaps there's a better investment to be made in making sure you're clear on each other's values and that your values and expectations of married life are aligned, and mostly you want the same things out of …

By Emily McGrorey
6th August 2022 • Mamamia

“I’m more at home than I think I’ve ever been.” Exactly how I feel about my body after my first child.

My husband had just walked in, home from work, and enquired about the loud banging sounds coming from the laundry. I basically yelled it at him, as if it was his fault... I mean, there is an argument to be made for that, but that's a discussion for another day. …

By Hannah Vanderheide
2nd August 2022 • Mamamia

"Socialise as a couple." The 7 things all healthy relationships have, according to the experts.

Whilst romantic relationships and weekly schedules might not seem like the most likely of pairings, regular meetings ensure you’re making good on one fundamental of all healthy relationships: communication. Psychotherapist and clinical social worker Marcia Naomi Berger suggests couples hold weekly 'marriage meetings' and talk through a set agenda that …

By Emily McGrorey
25th June 2022 • Mamamia

'I feel fraudulent'. The whole time I worked in the fitness industry, I had an eating disorder.

Content warning: This post deals with eating disorders, and could be triggering for some readers. "Get a head start on your summer body..." My phone buzzed, and I looked down to see an unsolicited marketing text from a major gym chain, not unlike the hundreds I’ve received over the years. …

By Hannah Vanderheide
5th June 2022 • Mamamia

'Do you have a real job as well?' I'm an actor. Here are the 6 things people always say to me.

As a group, we certainly have an unenviable reputation. Much like lawyers, comedians and car salesman, there are certain, unavoidable assumptions that follow as soon as the word “actor” tumbles out of my mouth at a party. Over the years, for better or worse, here are some of the things …

By Hannah Vanderheide
4th June 2022 • Mamamia

'I just learned about "action faking" and turns out you're probably guilty.'

Okay, so how do we overcome action faking tendencies? 1. Own up to it. According to Tamara, the first step in overcoming 'action faking' is to acknowledge you're doing it and acknowledge that what you're doing is unhelpful to the goal. (Alright okay, you got me, software course). Next, Tamara …

By Emily McGrorey
22nd May 2022 • Mamamia

"It’s so intense at the start." What I've learned from a year of breastfeeding.

Last week, I sat down at a café for lunch and mindlessly whipped out a boob to feed the wriggly little gremlin unsubtly pulling at my shirt with his little claws. I settled into the feed and stared at the menu. When I glanced up, a bright, helpful young waiter …

By Hannah Vanderheide
27th April 2022 • Mamamia

"It gets better, I promise." 5 things I wish I'd known before my baby was born.

"Congratulations! Is this your first?" I was finalising the details with my anaesthetist’s office for my upcoming c-section and the woman on the other end of the phone was uncharacteristically chatty. "Yes!" I said. "I’m quite nervous." Watch: Your questions about childbirth, answered. Post continues below. I had extra reason …

By Hannah Vanderheide
14th March 2022 • Mamamia

"They monopolise your time." The 7 signs of love bombing you shouldn't ignore.

Of course, The Tinder Swindler is an extreme example of love bombing, but it doesn’t make the behaviours any less concerning. As Mamamia's Adrienne Tam recently wrote, many people are quick to blame the victims and say they could never be conned by someone like Leviev, and honestly here’s hoping …

By Emily McGrorey
12th March 2022 • Mamamia

"You have repetitive thoughts with no resolution." The 6 signs you're an overthinker.

Tamara Cavenett, President of the Australian Psychological Society and a practising clinical psychologist, says, "People who tend to be a little bit more introverted, a little bit more anxious, quite thoughtful and considered in what they do are often overthinkers, and it's not necessarily a bad characteristic. They're often kinder …

By Emily McGrorey
26th February 2022 • Mamamia

'Isn't your partner a star!' The 10 things you should never, ever say to a new mum.

"So, when are you due?" I was three weeks postpartum and waiting for my takeaway coffee. This was just an innocent mistake of course, but at the time, it really stung. WATCH: It's okay if your first and second pregnancy symptoms don't match. Post continues after video. When I brought …

By Hannah Vanderheide
22nd February 2022 • Mamamia

'Please stop commenting on my pregnant body.'

Late in my third trimester, I walked into a furniture store and held the door for the woman coming in behind me. "Oh, I should be holding this for you! How far along are you?" she asked. "35 weeks," I said. "Almost there!" "Well, you look incredible," she said, eyes …

By Hannah Vanderheide
1st February 2022 • Mamamia

Why am I so annoyed when someone calls my baby a "little man"?

The receptionist at my obstetrician’s office cooed down the phone after confirming my blood results. I thanked her and booked my next appointment. Before the call ended she cheerfully sang out, "Congratulations on your little man". My body convulsed. "And so it begins," I sighed. I can’t be the only …

By Hannah Vanderheide
18th January 2022 • Mamamia

There's a scientific reason why everyone is falling in love with Pete Davidson right now.

"So I think if someone's dating someone that’s previously been seen as acceptable, it does give you that social influence that can encourage whom you date, or at least whom you see as acceptable to date. And I think you can see that with famous people. You can imagine if …

By Emily McGrorey
17th December 2021 • Mamamia

The key to feeling good about turning 40, or any age, according to a psychologist.

I recently turned 40 and though this probably means I’m officially too old to be using such terms, it’s had me feeling all the feels. From gratitude for making it this far, to excitement about what the next decade will bring, to total and utter confusion about what the hell …

By Emily McGrorey
4th December 2021 • Mamamia

What my calendar looks like: how I fit in an online degree with kids and work.

It seems career pivots are certainly the new norm. The average Australian has between five to seven career changes in their lifetime and people are increasingly switching careers at any age, heading back to university to switch paths and upskill. But chasing that dream career you keep putting off doesn’t …

By Claudia Strachan
17th June 2021 • Mamamia

When I was 16, I started to eat only 'healthy' foods. It took over my life, leaving me miserable.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to be aware of the nutritional quality of your food. However, for people with orthorexia, this 'awareness' is so consuming, it comes at the cost of both physical and mental health and wellbeing. Listen to Mamamia Out Loud, Mamamia’s podcast with what women …

By Emily Smith
30th November 2020 • Mamamia

We need to talk about the different reactions to Zoe-Clare and Areeba’s edits on The Bachelor.

To catch up on all The Bachelor Australia 2020 recaps and gossip, check out Mamamia’s recaps and visit our Bachelor hub page. We're only two weeks into this season of The Bachelor and well, it's already been a lot. And unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. Everyone tells me not …

By Soaliha Iqbal
21st August 2020 • Mamamia

The Signs In Doctors' Surgeries That Have Women Worried - The Quicky

Over the past few months, signs have been appearing in doctors' surgeries telling women in no uncertain terms that their family planning won't be catered for by the health professional they've come to see. So how often are these signs popping up? Are they legal? And will this become even …

By Gina Rushton
13th August 2020 • Mamamia

'I was told to take off my hijab off by a security guard. It's part of a much bigger story.'

Last Friday, on the 25th of October, I was going out to dinner in the city with my friends. After finally completing my midterm exams, and then being surrounded by a jubilant crowd in a climate protest, I was feeling empowered. The crowd’s repeated cries that “change is coming” sounded …

By Soaliha Iqbal
3rd November 2019 • Mamamia

"I was depressed and lonely for years. Then a greyhound came into my life and saved me."

1984 is a year I’ll never forget. I was living in the outback when I became seriously ill. It felt as if somebody had poured cement in to me, and I also had shooting pains down my spine. I couldn’t move my body and I was really scared. My friend …

By Rebecca Mugridge
19th March 2019 • Mamamia

"A searing pain in my vulva..." Liv had a common condition most women have never heard of.

One in five Australians experience chronic pain and it is estimated to cost the Australian economy billions every year. Yet, there has been a lack of research into chronic pain conditions, particularly those that affect women. I have recently been diagnosed with a chronic pain condition that is all too …

By Olivia Funnell
10th November 2018 • Mamamia