Ladies, We Need To Talk

An "I do" between husband and wife comes with many promises, not least of which is to be truthful. So what do you do when your husband comes out as gay? For some women, it's a revelation that up-ends decades of marriage, family and identity. Can these relationships survive? And if they don't, how do you move beyond the hurt and build a new life? Yumi Stynes speaks to women who learned their husbands were gay after years of marriage and shared lives. This episode will answer questions like: How can I talk to my husband about his sexuality? How can I tell if my husband is gay? Can I ask my husband if he is gay? If my husband watches gay porn, is he gay? Where can I find support? What to listen to next: Quiet Quitting Marriage: Why Women Are Emotionally Checking Out — ABC listen What to read next: The women 'quietly quitting' their marriages — ABC News This episode contains references to divorce, coming out, sexuality, gender identity, same-sex attraction and homosexuality.

Abortion is legal across Australia, but safe, affordable access is still not guaranteed for everyone. While three quarters of Australians support abortion access, finding a GP who will help is a postcode lottery. And the fallout from the 2022 reversal of Roe v Wade is being felt in Australia, with US-inspired protests and political tactics entering the fray. Yumi sits down with GP Dr Keersten Fitzgerald to learn about the roadblocks to getting an abortion, and talks to historian Dr Prudence Flowers about the recent push to limit abortion in Australia. Other resources: If you're in Victoria, My options runs a free sexual and reproductive health service help line. In NSW, Search Plus is a new tool operated by Family planning to help with reproductive or sexual health services. Pink Elephant is a national service available on 1300 726 306 run by PANDA. This episode will answer questions like: When can I have an abortion in Australia? When can I have an abortion? What is a medical abortion? How do you get an abortion? Is abortion legal in Australia? Why do people get an abortion? What to listen to next: Quiet Quitting Marriage: Why Women Are Emotionally Checking Out — ABC listen What you don't know about the mental load with Leah Ruppanner — ABC listen What to read next: The women 'quietly quitting' their marriages — ABC News This episode contains references to healthcare, abortion, reproductive rights, surgical abortion, medical abortion and termination.

Instead of dealing with the upheaval of divorce, some women are quietly quitting their role as wife. Physically, they're there, going through the motions, but emotionally they've checked out. There's no huge conflict, but there's also no urge to try to make things work. Yumi Stynes talks to women who have taken a step back from their marriages but aren't ready to officially split. They're staying for the sake of the kids, to save money or are biding their time, waiting for the right moment to leave. And clinical psychologist Dr Cassandra Shields unpacks the reasons some women quietly quit their marriages, and the toll it takes to live separately under the one roof. This episode will answer questions like: What does quiet quitting a relationship look like? Is quiet quitting a marriage like a divorce? Is my marriage headed for a divorce? If someone's quiet quitting, is the relationship over? What to listen to next: "Traded a husband for a bestie" Why these mums moved in together What to read next: Empty-nesters on how they 'fill the void' left by children This episode contains references to separation, quiet quitting, divorce, burnt out pursuer and mental load.

We've been talking about the mental load for decades, so why are so many women still carrying it? It's the unseen mental and emotional work we do to keep our lives running — the planning, problem-solving, and remembering that often goes unnoticed. The term isn't new, but our understanding of it is changing. Yumi is joined by sociologist Leah Ruppanner, who interviewed thousands of women as part of a research project to develop tools to help manage and lighten your mental load. As part of this research, Leah's developed a simple online quiz that breaks the mental load into eight categories, helping you see where your energy is going and how you might redistribute it. Further information Drained: Reduce Your Mental Load to Do Less and Be More is published by Penguin Random House Free Mental Load Assessment | Lighten Lab | Professor Leah Ruppanner) This episode will answer questions like: What is the mental load? How can I reduce the mental load? How does carrying the load impact women? How can I share the mental load? What are the eight categories of the mental load What to listen to next: "Traded a husband for a bestie" Why these mums moved in together Worst ever dates, with Alita Brydon What to read next: Empty-nesters on how they 'fill the void' left by children Women on being in a sexless marriage and tips for reconnecting This episode contains references to the mental load, housework, invisible labour, emotional labour, parenting, emotional responsibility.

Having children is one of the most rewarding and meaningful things we can do. But what if you wish you'd never become a parent? For mothers especially, the taboo of admitting they regret their children can be incredibly lonely. Many carry their grief, loss of identity and exhaustion in silence. Yumi Stynes gets a rare window into the lives of people who love their children but admit that if they could go back in time, they'd make a different choice. Featured in this episode: Ella Reed, sociologist at Monash University researching maternal regret This episode will answer questions like: What does it feel like to regret having kids? Why do some parents regret having children? Where do you get help if you’re struggling as a parent? How does regretting children impact a romantic relationship? Why is maternal regret so taboo? What to listen to next: "Traded a husband for a bestie" Why these mums moved in together Worst ever dates, with Alita Brydon The grief no parent expects What to read next: Empty-nesters on how they 'fill the void' left by children Women on being in a sexless marriage and tips for reconnecting These grieving mothers want you to say their babies' names This episode contains references to motherhood, parenting, mothering, regret, anxiety, depression, suffering, family, mental load, support, relationships, romance.