Everything you were never told about becoming a mother.
The Little Black Dress of Women’s Health has been recognised as one of the top four women’s health podcasts in Australia by Feedspot, a leading podcast discovery platform.
The Little Black Dress of Women’s Health: The Seven Deadly Sins Series
The Seven Deadly Sins
For thousands of years, the seven deadly sins have shaped how women are judged. Gluttony. Lust. Sloth. Envy. Wrath. Greed. Pride. Whether you are religious or not, these concepts are woven into how society talks about women’s behaviour, what is acceptable, what is shameful, what women should want and should not want.
Nowhere is that pressure more intense than in the postnatal period. You are expected to get your body back quickly. To resume intimacy. To be endlessly patient. To be grateful. Not to grieve your old life. Not to feel angry or overwhelmed or depleted.
Most women are left completely unprepared for what the postnatal period actually involves, physically and psychologically. We put enormous effort into preparing women for pregnancy and birth, and almost none into what comes after.
This project was built to change that.
Peta Titter, clinician, researcher, and founder of WHEN, specialises in the physical changes of pregnancy and the postnatal period. Frances Bilbao is an award-winning perinatal psychologist and founder of Mums Matter Psychology. They took the framework of the seven deadly sins and turned it around. Instead of using it to judge women, they used it to name and validate what women are actually going through. Physical expertise and psychological expertise in the same room, working together. That combination is rarer than it should be.
The series also explores loneliness, which was part of the original list of sins before being removed, and looks at the role of partners in the postnatal period. Both are conversations that are long overdue.
This series is for every woman navigating the postnatal period. You are not alone, and what you are experiencing is more common than anyone tells you.
Episode 1: Unveiling the Sins
In this first episode Peta and Frances introduce themselves and explain why this collaboration exists. The physical changes of the postnatal period and the psychological experience of new motherhood are rarely brought together in the same conversation. This series does exactly that, and that combination is rarer than it should be.
They trace the origins of the seven deadly sins framework and explain how it still shapes expectations of women today, whether you are religious or not. They also explain why loneliness, one of the original sins before it was removed, has been brought back into this series.
The episode ends with a question that runs through everything that follows: what happened to the village?
Developed by the WHEN Clinical Team. Clinically reviewed by the WHEN Clinical Governance Committee. Last reviewed: 22/06/2026.
With clinical input from Peta Titter, RN, Grad Cert Continence Nursing, Advanced Diploma of Pilates. Honours by Research (diastasis recti). PhD candidate, University of Tasmania. Founder and CEO, WHEN.
With clinical input from Frances Bilbao, Master of Psychology (Clinical), MAPS, Fellow of the College of Clinical Psychologists. Director and Clinical Psychologist, Mums Matter Psychology. National Convenor, APS Perinatal and Infant Psychology Interest Group. 2024 Cartier Women’s Initiative Fellow. Allied Health Awards Psychologist of the Year 2020-2021.
Special Thanks
Thanks to Jill Norton and Tim Jones for the music, Danae Thorp from Spellbox for the botanical symbolism, Cameron Heit and the team at Production Farm Studios for the production, and Alex Ennis for assistance with the artwork.
Symbolizing the Sins with Nature
Each sin in this series is represented by a carefully chosen plant or flower. The botanical selections and their meanings were developed by Danae from Spellbox. The artwork was created using AI image generation.
Need Immediate Help?
If you or someone you know is struggling during the postnatal period, it’s crucial to remember that immediate help is available. Here are steps and resources you can turn to:
In Urgent Situations:
Support Services:
Remember, you are not alone, and reaching out for help is a step toward healing. Your well-being is important, and support is just a phone call away.