Middle Ground Motherhood

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Middle Ground Motherhood Mother-centred thinking + action. Motherhood, urbanism, public policy, and everything in between.

Last year I wrote about my disappointment that Microsoft Copilot had been added to my desktop. Now, I’ve gotten used to ...
09/08/2026

Last year I wrote about my disappointment that Microsoft Copilot had been added to my desktop. Now, I’ve gotten used to it being there. The slippery slope we’re on with Artificial Intelligence (AI) is creating a new norm and as much as I tell myself I will avoid it, it’s unavoidable.

Where do we draw our own lines in an AI-generated world that promises to smooth over our experiences, including relationships?

I explore this question in this week's - https://middlegroundmotherhood.substack.com/p/people-will-disappoint-us-and-we?r=2s1n5y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

I first published this piece on Substack in August 2024. It’s an updated version of an article I had published in the Au...
03/08/2026

I first published this piece on Substack in August 2024. It’s an updated version of an article I had published in the Australian Breastfeeding Association magazine Essence in March 2023.

I’m sharing it again this year in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August) and in recognition of the six years I breastfed my boys, despite the odds.

Head over to to find out more about how you can support breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life.

📖 https://middlegroundmotherhood.substack.com/

What we bring to our advocacy is more than our time and resources; it’s our experience and our spirit.Check out the late...
03/07/2026

What we bring to our advocacy is more than our time and resources; it’s our experience and our spirit.

Check out the latest MGM - https://open.substack.com/pub/middlegroundmotherhood/p/where-does-the-grief-go?r=2s1n5y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

In the article, I reflect on anniversaries and celebrations, explore how to make social movements sustainable, and introduce you to some of the people who have shaped

The story of Kidical Mass Adelaide began six years ago, in 2021, when I organised Babes on Bikes, a protest that coincided with COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

In 2021, my eldest child was five years old and my youngest was one. We were still living in the presence of COVID-19 and Trump had begun his first term. I was angry that our then Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, said he wouldn’t attend COP26. It felt like climate change wasn’t being taken seriously. I was on parental leave, immersed in life with my children, feeling powerless about the world’s trajectory.

I wanted to claim back some self-determination, but I couldn’t do it alone.

In 2026, we’re celebrating Kidical Mass Adelaide’s fifth anniversary.

Together, we advocate for safer streets for families who ride bikes.

Join us for our Adelaide Climate Action Week movie screening on Sunday, 2 August, as part of Adelaide Climate Action Week

Before my sons began their first season of soccer, they needed to get everything on the list the school had provided.I w...
09/06/2026

Before my sons began their first season of soccer, they needed to get everything on the list the school had provided.

I was not keen to spend a huge sum on boots and shin pads that they would grow out of before the season’s end. We looked at the local secondhand superstore, but there were no sports items there.

That’s where came in.

Read about how to feel good on the sporting field and off, by buying secondhand sporting gear and contributing to making this sporting life more affordable for South Australian children and their families - read and subscribe to the MGM

https://open.substack.com/pub/middlegroundmotherhood/p/play-it-on?r=dqy4t&utm_medium=ios

This month, Play It On is asking the community to help raise $50,000 to keep their Holden Hill shop open and support another 1,300 children and families over the next 12 months - follow them for details on how to donate.

Matrescence is an anthropological term that describes the all-encompassing process of change – including the physical, h...
08/03/2026

Matrescence is an anthropological term that describes the all-encompassing process of change – including the physical, hormonal, emotional, social, cultural, economic, and spiritual transformation - women undergo when they become mothers.

The term matrescence was first coined by Dana Raphael in 1975, yet over 50 years later, it still hasn’t reached mainstream awareness.

When I consider the omission of matrescence from the dictionary, I am reminded of Pip Williams’ writing in The Dictionary of Lost Words, when character Esme overhears one of the men in the Scriptorium say, “Should it really be included?… It’s such an unpleasant word that I feel we should discourage its use”.

Read more in the MGM - https://open.substack.com/pub/middlegroundmotherhood/p/what-is-matrescence?r=2s1n5y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

We’re so close to making Releasing 2025: Women’s Circle happen on Sunday, 4 January 2026. I need just three more mums to...
18/12/2025

We’re so close to making Releasing 2025: Women’s Circle happen on Sunday, 4 January 2026. I need just three more mums to say yes by 21 December to go ahead.

This Circle is a chance to pause together and acknowledge everything this year has held — the growth, the grief, the challenges, the lessons, and the wins. If you’ve been feeling the nudge to slow down, reflect, and be held in community, we would love you to join us.

A place is also held for a mum experiencing financial barriers. Please use the same link below to access that place if that’s you this year.

https://events.humanitix.com/releasing-2025-womens-circle

This year, I’ll be raising a glass to a beautiful drink created through a collaboration between @ and . It’s sparked an...
14/12/2025

This year, I’ll be raising a glass to a beautiful drink created through a collaboration between @ and . It’s sparked an important conversation about the need for a new product category — “conscious drinks” — premium offerings that are more than just a “wine alternative.”

I purchased my drinks from the OzHarvest Shop and have also gifted them to teachers and friends. It’s a simple way to use our purchasing power to support local businesses and create a positive impact this Christmas.

Alcohol remains a serious issue for many individuals, families and communities across Australia. The South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence recognised the role alcohol plays in violence, and the SA Government has committed to important reforms — including legislation to introduce a minimum two-hour “safety-pause” to prevent the rapid delivery of alcohol.

I’ve written more about this — including why conscious drinks matter and how our choices can drive change — over on the MGM

https://open.substack.com/pub/middlegroundmotherhood/p/conscious-drinking-this-christmas?r=2s1n5y&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

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