Elsa Silberstein

We’re told boobs are sexy! Bouncy! Nutritious food banks even! But what happens when they betray you?Every year in Australia, around 20,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer. Forty per cent of those will need a mastectomy, surgery to have the breast tissue removed. Some of those women will choose not reconstruct, to stay "flat."Yumi Stynes speaks to "flatties" about their relationship with their new bodies. You'll hear from women who've had one or both breasts removed about how their decision has reshaped their sex lives and body image and how they've found hope in new forms.If you've got boobs, or know someone who does, this episode will make you question how you think about them.Featured in this episode: Dr Charlotte Tottman, psycho-oncologistUseful links:Upfront About Breast Cancer – What You Don't Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte TottmanBreast Cancer Network AustraliaSo Brave Breast Cancer CharityMastectomy: Breast Surgery and RecoveryWhat to listen to next:Will we ever have a cure for endometriosis?Embracing imperfection was the key to Astrid’s successGetting to the bottom of IBSYou can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.What to read next:How Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhoodWhat loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look likeThe dark side of being a perfectionistWhy genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex lifeThis episode contains references to breast cancer, going flat, staying flat, flatties, reconstruction, surgery, chemotherapy, body image, femininity, boobs, psychology, mental health, gender.

Kate Miller loves to garden topless. "It is just so liberating, and it's so nice at dusk," says the 39-year-old from the Lockyer Valley/land of the Yuggera and Ugarapul people in Queensland.

Esther Perel is on a mission to make us feel less alone. The world renowned psychotherapist says we've lost touch with the village but she's here to help us reconnect.

Building and maintaining a village doesn't just happen. It takes effort. It means showing up even when it feels hard or inconvenient, says psychotherapist Esther Perel.

Dr Corrine Low says heterosexual relationships are costing women financially. And she’s got the life experience and the data to back it up.When Corrine was married to a man and a new mum, she was the main breadwinner, shouldering the domestic load...and she was FED UP.Corrine’s research has found that even though we’re doing more paid work than ever, women still do most of the unpaid labour at home and it’s hurting our back pocket (and our feelings).Dr Low talks to Yumi Stynes about practical ways for women to have more equal relationships, share the mental load and connect our romantic and financial decisions.This episode will answer questions like: What is domestic labour? Do women do more work at home than men? How can we create more equal families? How does work gender inequality impact relationships? What is mum burn out? What can you do to distribute the mental load fairly?What to listen to next:Emotional labour with Rose HackmanTuria Pitt is a selfish womanMental health: Anxiety and how to beat itHas Ozempic killed body inclusivity?You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.What to read next:Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgeryHow Turia Pitt's body image changed in motherhoodWhat loving someone with an addiction or dependence can look likeThe dark side of being a perfectionistThis episode contains references to gender roles, family, relationship, men, mental load, domestic labour, utility, having it all, children, parenting, child care, work life balance, mental health.

MasterChef's Julie Goodwin has a bubbly exterior but underneath are demons she's fought for decades.

Anna-Nicole Del-Re has never had a boyfriend. Supplied Anna-Nicole Del-Re considers herself a "relationship virgin".

Experts say estrangement can feel like an "ambiguous loss". Pexels When Jessica realised her son was withdrawing from their relationship in his early 20s, her immediate reaction was to panic.

Aarthi pushed back against having her breast reconstructed. Supplied When Aarthi Ayyar-Biddle needed a single mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she wondered if removing both breasts would be best.

Not long after giving birth to her son, Heather was asked by a stranger at a restaurant: Are you his mum or grandma?