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Freya Bleathman

@freyableathman

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Children’s doctor (amongst other things!)
🎧@TheRoomPodcast cohost (@shamelessmedia)
🎥 YouTube: drfreyab

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Hi, I’m Freya 👋 by @freyableathman

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4 hours ago

Becoming a parent is rediscovering the simple wonders of the world through your child’s eyes 🫶

Stunning spring day at the Blossom Festival. At @cherryhill_orchards about an hour from the cbd.
Dog and kid friendly with plenty of space to set up a picnic rug!
We paid $15 per adult, $3 per dog and kids under 16 free! 🤎 taken in CherryHill Orchards by @freyableathman

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7 days ago

Post imms cafe date

Serenaded by uncle Elliot

Can’t believe I didn’t even know these two only a few months ago…

Double rainbow

After work drinks 💗

The sweetest little Spider-Man playing with the baby

Stoked because she’s about to catch the tram! Her fave!!

Zoo with gabs (watching the baboons)

Some of my beloved council mums group 🥰 by @freyableathman

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19 days ago

This cool dude got a zoo membership from her auntie - not sure who has been enjoying it more; her or us.

#melbournezoo #werribeezoo by @freyableathman

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a month ago

My body has changed a lot throughout my life and being postpartum has been a big one!

While my body image is usually okay in recent years, I’ve found some of the changes in this period quite challenging.

I dealt with a lot of really poor body image when I was younger and I really want to do all I can do protect my daughter for experiencing the same thing.

I’d love to know how you’ve overcome rocky patches in your own self esteem? taken in West Beach Pavilion by @freyableathman

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2 months ago

Some thoughts on my feeding journey. At the moment I am mostly breastfeeding but I love having formula available as an option (after months of triple feeding - I can’t face the thought of pumping anymore). As always, fed is best.

#breastfeedingjourney #formulafeeding #pumping taken in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by @freyableathman

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3 months ago

When I was 34 weeks pregnant, I was driving to a pregnancy massage on my first day of maternity leave.

Out of nowhere, someone drove into the back of my car and I was pushed into oncoming traffic, where I was also hit from the front.

The next few hours were a blur of whole-body CTs scans with stats about subsequent childhood cancer risks, CTG monitoring, X-rays, ultrasounds and trying to pee in a tray while lying down in left lateral position in a neck brace (I genuinely couldn’t get myself to go in the first attempt??).

One thing that really stood out to me was some tiny comments during tertiary surveys and the wheeling of my bed to radiology and the promise of an obstetric review. It’s a comment that I’m sure I’ve made before in my career. “The fetus”.

“Risk to the fetus from radiation”. “Four hours of fetal monitoring”. “Follow up fetal ultrasound”. “Fetal heart rate”.

“But that’s not a fetus”, I thought. “That’s my baby”. I got it. I’m a children’s doctor! I know that, technically, the thing in my belly is a fetus until the second it leaves my body. But the concept was so abstract that it was jarring.

I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t even hurt or angry about it.

But it did give me a moment of pause and reflection about the weight of a word I had probably said literally thousands of times before. A word that we are encouraged to say! It is medically accurate! Look at me, I know things! I am a good, clever doctor!

Shortly afterwards, I went into premature labour. The fetus was born and officially became our baby (or, technically, a neonate - if you are a good, clever doctor!).

I have been a doctor for 8 years (and a children’s doctor for 7 of them). You can be an amazing, empathetic children’s doctor without having a child of your own. I like to think that I was one! But becoming a parent has given me some insights that I think will change my practice forever.

One of those things is that the moment that second line appears on the stick covered in pee (if it is something you want), that is not a bundle of cells. I am calling them your baby. Because they are. by @freyableathman

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3 months ago

My strong belief is that however you feed your baby is best. For us, formula meant we could feed our premature baby for the first few days of life and plenty of times since then.

Having said that, breastfeeding was something I really wanted to do. I was looking everywhere for stories from people who had struggled as long as I had been struggling, who ultimately were able to have a successful breastfeeding story. I’m posting this for those people.

My lactation consultant extraordinaire was Kristy @baysidebabylife
Photos taken by @mukaportraits

(I want to be clear that I happily paid for both services above💗)

#breastfeeding #lactationconsultant #tonguetie by @freyableathman

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3 months ago

A few June outings💗

#melbournebaby #maternityleavelife by @freyableathman

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3 months ago

Get yourself to lightscape if you are in Melbourne! Beautifully curated and really cool for kids/babies and adults alike! taken in Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria by @freyableathman

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3 months ago

Annual Hobart trip for Dark Mofo - this time with a baby in tow!
Golds was a champ and it was so special to see her meet a lot of her extended family 💗 taken in Hobart, Tasmania by @freyableathman

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4 months ago

Life lately 🫣🌼

It’s been a while, friends! Tldr I had a baby 😂

Little Goldie came into the world in Feb with a bang (literally - someone T boned me on day one of maternity leave and I went into prem labour 🫠).

She loves: going for walks in the carrier, the bath, and her $2 plastic fantastic off-tune mobile.

She hates: the pram, being made to wait more than 0.25 seconds for a feed, and tummy time.
We adore her.

I’m taking over this insta account but Anne and I will be back with more podcast eps soon!! by @freyableathman

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4 months ago