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Ladies, We Need To Talk

ABC Australia

Ladies, We Need to Talk goes deep on the women's health and relationship issues that are setting your group chat on fire.

Come hang with the fabulous Yumi Stynes as she takes a candid, non-judgemental and often hilarious look at the deeply personal stuff that's hard to bring up, even with your closest mates.

You'll meet incredible experts to help you improve your wellness, manage the mental load; survive break-ups and prioritise your mental health.

With sensitivity, personal stories from real women, and serious smarts, this show is for women who feel the squeeze between work, their private life, and their pelvic floor.

Get in touch with episode ideas, feedback, or just say hi! Ladies@abc.net.au

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28 episodes
weekly
Avg 26 min
English

Episodes 28

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Monday · 30 min
Women-led sex parties: Consent angels and orange wedges
Imagine entering a space where your wildest sexual fantasies are on full display - minus the creepy dudes. Forget keys in a bowl and seedy nightclubs, women are flipping the stereotype, creating sexy playgrounds on their own terms. Yumi Stynes steps inside modern sex parties where consent is non-negotiable and women of all ages and backgrounds feel safe to indulge their deepest desires. This episode will answer questions like: What is a sex party? Who goes to sex parties? Who runs sex parties
September 21 · 22 min
Why tradwife content is so seductive
From making bubble gum by hand to tranquil depictions of motherhood, why is the tradwife fantasy so appealing and why can't we look away? During the pandemic, tradwives like Nara Smith and Hannah Neeleman from Ballerina Farm dominated our algorithms. They baked perfectly scored sourdough loaves in spotless kitchens and made cereal for their toddlers from scratch. These women depict an enviable, calm lifestyle that very few women can attain. While some influencers reject the label of tradwife,
September 14 · 27 min
"I'm actually gay": My husband's best kept secret
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:
September 7 · 28 min
Our bodies, our choice. But are abortion rights under threat?
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 F
August 31 · 28 min
Quiet Quitting Marriage: Why Women Are Emotionally Checking Out
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
August 24 · 25 min
What you don't know about the mental load with Leah Ruppanner
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
August 17 · 30 min
"I wish I'd never had them": the pain of regretting kids
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, socio
August 10 · 29 min
‘I'm always going to be the mistress’: Dating a married man
There’s a special kind of fury reserved for the 'other woman.' She’s often depicted as a home wrecker and immoral, but is she misunderstood? Unlucky to fall for someone who’s already taken? Yumi Stynes speaks with women whose hearts belong to married men and discovers that beneath the stereotypes are complicated love stories built on hope and promises in the face of deception. Psychologist Liz Neal also explains what forbidden love does to the brain and why it can be so enticing. (R).
August 3 · 25 min
"Traded a husband for a bestie." Why these mums moved in together
Have you ever fantasised about raising kids with your bestie? Well, some women are doing it for real. And these mum communes or ‘mummunes’ don’t look like your average share house. These women are sharing a roof, chores, bills and the mental load of raising their kids. For some, it’s the antidote to a nuclear family structure that left them drained and resentful. For others, it’s a handy, albeit overcrowded solution to the struggles of single motherhood. Yumi Stynes speaks to women who are
July 27 · 26 min
Worst ever dates, with Alita Brydon
It’s truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in the modern world has endured at least one truly disastrous date. It is, regrettably, a rite of passage. Author Alita Bryson has been on hundreds of them! One guy asked her if it was okay to marry your cousin, another trolled people online for fun while yet another literally drove off mid-date. While her dating life was catastrophic, Alita realised it made great fodder for entertainment and so she started the Instagram page Bad Dates
July 20 · 29 min
The grief no parent expects
At some point in life, we all lose someone we love. But losing a baby is an unimaginable heartbreak. Our children are not meant to die before us. In the wake of that loss, families are left reeling. Navigating shock, confusion, and overwhelming grief as they face a future without a much-loved child. Yumi Stynes meets two women who have experienced infant loss. They share how they moved through their grief, how they celebrate their babies, and how people in their life stepped up- or stepped awa
July 15 · 34 min
The cost of birth trauma
One in three Australian women describe their births as traumatic. Long labours, health scares, emergency interventions, feeling ignored, and lasting physical and psychological injuries can turn what's meant to be one of life's biggest moments into something deeply distressing. Yumi Stynes hears from women still coming to terms with their birth experiences, sometimes years later, and finds out what can be done to prevent traumatic births. (R). Featured in this episode: Dr Jessica Caudwell-Hall
July 13 · 24 min
How to deal with an empty nest
For most mums, the day their kids leave feels like a victory. You might even be planning what you'll do with all that free time. No more mountains of laundry, arguments over dinner or acting as a free taxi service. But for many women, an empty nest isn't just freedom, it's loss. When motherhood has shaped so much of your daily life and identity, the silence can be unsettling as you move around a house that was once loud, busy and joyful. Yumi Stynes chats with women who have navigated the gri
July 6 · 27 min
Jess Mauboy steps into her boss lady era
Jessica Mauboy was just 16 when she burst onto our screens, barefoot in the red dirt of Alice Springs, belting out Whitney Houston at her Australian Idol audition. She may have finished runner-up, but it launched one of Australia's most enduring music careers including starring in The Sapphires and representing Australia at Eurovision in 2018. Despite two decades in the spotlight, fame hasn't changed Jess, and she's never lost touch with her connection to Darwin, returning between tours to r
June 29 · 28 min
Am I stuck in a sex rut?
When we're dating someone new, the rush is electric. The pull towards sex can feel immediate, an almost magnetic urge to rip each other's clothes off. But as the years stretch on and the demands of life ramp up, sex becomes just one more activity on a chaotic checklist; competing with the demands of chores, kids and sleep. And when the urge does strike, it's intimacy vs. doom scrolling in bed, and somehow, the phone wins every time. Yumi Stynes meets women who are trying to wriggle free from
June 22 · 26 min
The ugly side of the beauty industry with Jess DeFino
Botox, vampire facials, bone smashing and now cadaver fat fillers: the beauty industry is expert in selling extreme (and painful) treatments in our endless pursuit of perfection and eternal youth. For years, Jess DeFino worked at the heart of this machine as an assistant editor for the Kardashian family. She saw firsthand how the goalposts of beauty are constantly shifting, making it out of reach, no matter how much time, money and energy we pour in. Now Jess is calling bullsh*t on the beauty
June 15 · 29 min
The women who've never had sex
We live in a sexed-up world. From chiselled fictional teenagers in steamy high school dramas to Sabrina Carpenter’s innuendos, it feels like everyone’s doing it. But what happens when adulthood arrives and you're still a virgin? Plenty of women haven’t had sex. Some are waiting for the right person, some are waiting for marriage, and some haven't had the opportunity. Virginity has gone from being something women were expected to protect to something they feel they have to explain. So how do
June 8 · 27 min
I’m in love with a narcissist
Love bombing. Gaslighting. Coercive control. Narcissists can crash into your life on the charm offensive. They begin with intense affection, compliments and grand gestures. But behind that charm can be manipulation and intense criticism. In the worst cases, they control every aspect of their partner's life. It’s disorienting to be with a narcissist, and often people with narcissistic traits have very little insight into their behaviour. Yumi Stynes chats to women who’ve been in love with narci
June 3 · 29 min
The health gap no one talks about
For all her life, Chloe Hayden, star of Heartbreak High, has struggled to get doctors to take her health complaints seriously. And she’s not alone. Autistic women have poorer physical and mental health than neurotypical people. From shorter life expectancy to higher rates of suicide, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. In this episode Grace speaks to autistic women about being misunderstood and misdiagnosed and the toll this has taken on her health. She also investigates the root
June 3 · 31 min
The relationship spectrum
"It can be difficult…when your approach to socialising and relationships doesn't look like what other people might expect." There's a long-held stereotype that autistic people are not empathetic and aren't interested in relationships. The reality is that, like everyone, autistic women and girls want connection, they may just come to it in different ways. In this episode, Grace looks at how autism and relationships intersect, from friendships and partnerships to parenthood. She also explores wha

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