HomeOkay, excellent. So, I'm also recording on my laptop, so then I don't, I just make sure I don't lose it. Um, where is it? This, okay. Um, I have a speaker, maybe. Great. So, I'm also recording on my laptop, on my iPad, so I don't lose it. And, um, I'd like to start with your, um, like, your own thinking. So, can you tell me about your first time, um, noticing something has changed after giving birth? Whether that was physically, emotionally, or both. Like after giving birth, body and like you don't really see it. Uh, like people not sharing about that part of their lives, so it's just, it's just, yeah, it's just confused. Do you think every your doctor explained the symptoms, like whatever you were expecting and what you actually saw in yourself really clearly? Very clearly. And was it very helpful? Um, I never asked my doctor, so that's why probably they didn't never explain to me, oh your body's gonna look like this, this is the person. But yeah, like even though I knew that, like I saw so many people but they have a one year, two year old baby and they just look normal. I knew like at some point it's gonna look normal, but at that point I knew that I look so different. What is happening? And I was just confused. Yeah, and so do you think it would have been the doctor's responsibility to tell you about these expectations or about these changes, or do you think it was your responsibility to ask them that question? I don't know. I think it could be both or like maybe before a person gets pregnant they have to start researching because when you're pregnant we get this research about baby, not about a person as we really research much about our own personal situation. And just sorry, I realized I missed one question. Um, so when you talked about your body changing, how did other people see that change in you? Um, I don't know. Other people just they knew I just gave birth. So did they talk about weight and weight loss a lot? No. Okay, so you would say maybe overall it was supportive? Yeah. Okay, that's great. Um, because I get to my pre-pregnancy body so fast that people was even shocked how a person can do it. Um, yeah, but I did it by exercising or dieting. So did you think you might have had this internal drive and maybe motivation to improve your body quickly and go back to that pre-pregnancy body? No, I actually never said, not that I never, I cared, but it wasn't my intention to go to pre-pregnancy because I know pregnancy and given birth has impacted my body so much that I could never go to pre-pregnancy body. But other than that, I am a person that do exercise regularly and it's very important for me to have like good food, healthy food, and I don't eat bad foods. It's been a couple of years that I am doing them, so that's why for me personally being healthy it was more priority. So that's why I look after what I eat and also I did regular exercise, that's why it was helpful for me to like achieve to just achieve to, uh, yeah, to my before pregnancy weight. Did yeah, this is really good. And do you ever when you reflect back have you ever felt alone even when surrounded by other people? Not very much, but sometimes when I don't know what I do, like very, very few occasions, but Ididn't know if I was, I am supported or I'm on the like I have to do this by myself. And yeah. I'm finally like I have to go just by myself and yeah okay no this is good thank you so much. Um and then I can talk to you later but it won't be questions if you want to talk this talk about this but that's it. So you want this is the interview finished completely done. Um, Maaz, do I have to speak English? Um, yes. However, you're not, like, the questions I've written, none of the questions I can understand. Uh, they're, um, written in English, but if you think some language, some questions, the answer's gonna be best if you say it in, um, Farsi. In your language, it's good. Um, I can translate them, it's just going to take me a while to translate it in English. But, it's okay, like, you can do both, you know? Okay. Yeah, that's okay. Do you want me to repeat that question again? When I gave birth, I see change, like, my body has changed so much. Mm-hmm. Yes. The moment I gave birth and I had the first look at my body, I see my body has changed so much. Mm-hmm. And I wasn't sure, I had a feeling, like, I didn't know who I am. Mm-hmm. As before that, I used to recognize myself, like, you know, very healthy person, very, like, fit person and blah, blah. But after I saw myself in the mirror, I had a feeling of, like, not new, my new body, or didn't feel my new body because it was very new and I never felt that way before. And also, yeah, my body has changed. My stomach was so big, but it was empty, so it was a very strange feeling. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. That is good. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And so the next one I would like you to say, what was going through your mind when you started sort of losing hair? You mentioned how you weren't, like, really feeling yourself. Was there anything else that was going through your mind when you started seeing the visible signs? When I started losing my hair, because a week before, I did a new hair, like, a new hair. I wanted to just, you know, come out of my comfort zone as a bigger mom. I wanted to do some changes to my hair, so I had to. That's true. That's true. Mm-hmm. After that, I changed my hair so I had color and bleach and stuff. After one week, my hair, like, it started falling. No, no, mama. How are you, Liam? Mr. Liam, how are you? How did you feel when you first stepped into this world? Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes. What about when you saw your stomach, that you said your stomach was bigger and your body was itchy? Okay, that's all right. That's okay. Is Liam okay? Is he okay? Oh, that's good. Good boy,Liam. I was going to maybe ask you, how did you feel at the time? You mentioned what was going through your mind, but I wanna know, how did you feel at the time? Which time? So when you started seeing changes, emotionally and how you felt. I feel not bad. The stomach, yeah. It's not like that I didn't, like I was surprised to see my body has changed from what I used to see, because my brain was like, oh, after I give birth, my body gonna go back to normal. But it wasn't like that. So it was something new. And mentally, I was like, you know, I was like, oh my God, like it's not like that you're going to pre-pregnancy body so fast. It's a process. So, but I didn't feel bad about myself. I just felt different to what I expected. Because I never seen, I never saw a pregnant person so close to me that I could see the before and after during pregnancy and all those things until I experienced it myself. I know I saw like my mommy used to get pregnant, but we were so little, we never cared about these things. We never, I never had to think about it. It was my turn. And yeah, that's very good. And did anything else started happening around that time that you think it was important? Yeah, I had to care for another person as well, like me. So there was like, I had to feed, I had to look after him. So I had to take care of myself as well. Yeah, that's right. Being a mom. Well, yeah. Yes, great. Thank you so much. Now we're going to the next section. So it's, had you mentioned that you never, did you ever actually see anyone with hair loss? Did you even hear about postpartum hair loss? Yeah, I heard about it. Oh, I knew it's going to come anyway. So that's why I expected it. Ria, mom, it's dangerous there. Come here. I won't go there. I won't touch anyone's shoulder. Wish, wish. Come here. Okay, very good. I'm sorry for now, but now, but she's going to have a job. Thank you so much. Did you know anyone else who had gone through something similar like yours with hair loss? Nobody talked to me as a, like, I have a friend, she, Liam, Liam, Mish, Mish. She gave birth earlier than me, but we, she never talked about hair loss. So, but I already knew that it was going to come. I already knew that this is as a part of the assignment. So, yeah. Assignment, you mean being a mom or? Assigned for being a mom, that is a part of it. Great. And like, how did you feel transitioning from being obviously just a partner and maybe single and just taking care of yourself while then obviously being pregnant and then giving birth and then becoming officially a mom? I actually felt really good because I, I found out that I am capable of so many things that I thought I would, I can't do it. Because in my mind, I was like, oh, how somebody can do that? But then I was so happy that I'm somebody's home and I can meet every need of someone and I can make it for them, if that makes sense. Yeah. And I was so happy about it. And I'm still so happy about it. That is, yeah. Which is because I'm grateful for it. It can be hard sometimes, a lot of times, but yeah. But I love being a mom, so. Yeah, that is wonderful. And other than your own experience, were there any like maybe cultural beliefs or maybe things that were said to you in the community or by your family about like women going and giving birth and going through birth after? Like, isn't going after, yeah. Not very much. I, as I said, like, when you, I, I... As I said, I spoke to my mom, but she doesn't have so much relevant information. She just has general information because she doesn't remember about everything. در � budgetsh Kita program, برای جای کنید, haj meze گذاردگان چند دشه هستند بیشتر اینجا بشین بوم بوم بوم بیشتر اینجا بشین بیشتر اینجا بشین موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقیموزیقی. Information so in our culture people live together like parents and kids like live together, but since we are in Australia, we don't really follow the cultural stuff. They call our cultural kids get raised by grandmother, like, you know, grandmother, grandfather and stuff like all involved with the kids left. But since we are in Australia, so it's different. But yeah, do you think that has played a maybe a big part or a small part in your experience as a medium part? Sometimes I see my other friends that they have extra. I never, because I know that if I had my mental, like sometime I get very upset, like yesterday and the day before, feeling so bad just because I felt like if somebody else was helping me. You mentioned how like you haven't really hung out with your friends and before, before being a mom maybe you used to hang out a lot with your friends and that transition from being Fatima before pregnancy to Fatima being a mom. Did that make a lot of difference in maybe how you had to identify yourself as a mom? Like do you think that just was different and now you have to see yourself differently? Yeah, of course, because I used to enjoy my life like as a single, like going out and like I didn't have to worry about other stuff, just myself. But now everything I have to worry about Liam, like what time is it? Is that it's nap time? What time is it? Like it's feeding time and stuff. That's why it's a little bit. Oh, this is great, thank you so much. And do your mom experience maybe explain some information about pregnancy to you when you had asked her how was her experience? Was it like yours or was it different? Oh weird, what? My friend? Your friend or mom? Oh, yeah, yeah, her pregnancy was different. Pregnancy was different and my pregnancy was different too. So what do you mean, but what made it different? I didn't have like diabetes, digestive channel diabetes during pregnancy. I didn't have like craving or morning sickness and those things a lot, but she has. She had those, so it just made it so different. And would you say that was also different for your friends when you talk about your experience? Sorry, when you talk to your friends about this experience as well, do you think it was different or was it similar to yours? And what about after pregnancy, like being a mom, a new mom to a newborn, our first born? Our new experience was similar, but she had the extra help. So, but I didn't. I don't know, she still has extra help and yeah, I see. And that was for your friend and your mom? Oh, my friend, my mama, she what my mom, to be honest, the first few whenwe were born, she had help as I like our auntie was living together, but after that we were a little bit older, so sometimes we could help. But being a mom is already hard; like people can help, but they're not gonna, you know, like do as a mom will do. Like you're not gonna breastfeed a baby; mom has to breastfeed. Um, yeah, I see you think that it's very different. Help, but that support is nice. Yes, that's nice to have extra support. Extra, extra hand always is nice. Yeah, and you said how in your culture it's very common for the new family and many family members to live together, right? Um, and do you think it's different to Australian culture? Yeah, here, I see some people that live like that, but some people get extra help, like bringing their family members from overseas and stuff. But some other families, like me, they don't have, so everybody's different. Yeah, and so you think, um, would you say that maybe, um, all of these emotions, um, has also maybe caused more hair loss or more fatigue? Uh, not, I am, I cannot say that, I don't know. So what do you think has caused the hair loss? Maybe being a part of, like, giving birth because your hormones go different. Like your hormones go up and down and a lot of these things. So after, like, especially when you're breastfeeding, because you are breastfeeding and you're still producing so much hormone and stuff, that's why the hair loss is a part of the deal. And but it will come back eventually. Now I have grown baby hairs in front of my hair and I see them, so they came back. And what about fatigue? Do you, you mentioned how, um, you didn't sleep really well last night and there are nights where you don't because of taking care of Liam. Can you, what maybe caused the fatigue? So do you have any other explanation for, um, maybe why you're feeling tired? Um, oh, because feeling tired because I'm breastfeeding and also I have to look after him, play with him, and also at night time when he wakes up, he wants breast milk again. I have to feed him then again put him to sleep many times, so that's why. Do you think, um, how is your partner helping with this? Do you think there is not much that he can do or there are things that he can do? He actually helps a lot, but there is something that he cannot do; he cannot breastfeed. Those things, so you feel supported by your partner, you would say? He's the only support I have. Yeah, and has it helped with feeling less fatigued or do you think it's just, uh, actually the days that he helped me really good, I have more energy. So yeah, I have more energy and I feel so much better. But the days that he is busy with other things and I have to do it mostly myself, I get so, uh, so tired and all these things. So yeah, um, do you think you mentioned that some of these things are just normal, um, and but do you think there were any, uh, were you concerned about it? Like even though if it's normal, wereyou still concerned about this? About what? About this being something wrong? So, um, no, I'm not concerned because it's a part of like part of uh being a mom for the first year as they're like learning so many stuff and they have a sleep regression. All those things that is part of when you were going through hair loss and fatigue and the whole period after giving birth. How did you explain this to others? Maybe your doctor? Explain what? Explain your like how you're going through this, whether it's emotions, whether physically your hair loss and maybe feeling tired a lot. I actually didn't explain to anybody because I knew it's normal and it's a part of the life that you are a mom now and you are not as a person you used to be. The new life, I just not so I knew it's normal. Just to expand on that, do you think you say it's normal because of what? Um, you were researching about before you mentioned doing your own research? Um, do you think that's what you figured out that this experience was normal? That's yeah, okay. What are the other? And other also I spoke to other my friends that they are moms as well, so they all have similar issues. So I knew that it's a part of the situation. So, did you talk to maybe your doctor about this at all or you didn't talk to her about my hair loss? And she said it's normal because you're breastfeeding. You can take a hair and nail supplement that doesn't affect your breast milk. So then I got a hair supplement and I'm taking this. So that is all, but she said it's normal, it's going to come back, don't worry, and they came back. This is the last part. I mean, oh yeah, this is going to be just a couple of questions, a couple more questions, that's it. So thank you so much for your time. Did you seek help other than medical? You said that you talked to your friends and you researched. Were there other things or that was it other than medical? Not really. I actually don't know what you mean for seeking help. Like just when you needed some help with how you were feeling? When I gave birth, my mom and my sister came and helped me for a little while and then they left. So other than those things, did you seek help any other way? No. Why do you think that might have been? Why do you think that might have been that you didn't seek help? Oh, because I knew that nobody was it family maybe or was it because I didn't have issue with my heart, so I just only. Okay. And do you think that was formed by the beliefs that um, is cultural beliefs or was it just because you were told that this is normal experience for every mom? It's yeah, it was culturalbelief or was it normality of I don't know. So was it both maybe even? I cannot really say anything because I don't know if it was cultural or if it was my own fault, but I just need to know that nobody can help me, just me. Can you expand on that? I told you, everybody's busy with their own life, that's why I didn't ask for help. Yeah. I should never, ever have considered that. No. No. Yeah. No. No. No. It was media, it was hard and also it wasn't classic. Could you expand on that a little bit? Because sometimes I don't really want to talk about my feelings or the time that I have, that's why I don't tell people. When I talk about it, I don't want to talk about it, but other than that, it was okay. And were these because of some expectations that influenced you to do this? I don't know, maybe in our culture, people who need help, they feel shy or they feel, I don't know, I don't know. Yeah, they feel shy? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay. That's it. Sorry. Oh, but I need like quality, anyway, that's okay, don't worry about it. So, what helped you? You mentioned how you saw yourself in the mirror and you had the belly and then there were the hair loss. And so, what helped you get through that time of seeing those changes? I didn't get any help, it just got resolved by itself. Only my hair supplement and also with my body, I started exercising and also eating healthy food, so that's all. So, were they mainly part of your own research that you did? Yes. Cool. So, and when you look back at those times that you had just the first periods of your being gay and becoming a mom, how does it make sense to you now? How does it make sense to you about those experiences? What do you mean? So, when you look back, how does it make sense to you now that those were the experiences that you had? To raising, like growing a human inside you and then raising it afterwardwith your body, so it just is so much. Yeah, and but now I understand the process. So yeah. And do you think your pregnancy was normal? Yeah. And what about your being a mom process? Was normal, right? You would say it was normal? Yeah. And is there anything you wish more people understood about postpartum experiences? But after being, after giving birth, I wish people understood that postpartum is like, imagine you have done massive surgery, then you were straight after, you have to look after a human being. It's not that easy and it's not like this over like a couple of minutes, you know, like what to do as a mom. This is very difficult. Yeah, it isn't like you get so tired emotionally and also physically. I wish, I don't know if people know that, but so it's, you said it's like as if you did a surgery and then needing to bounce back straight into your daily life and maybe even more. And last question, sorry, thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you'd like to share about that period of your life that I didn't ask you and you think it's important to note? I think this is all my question. Let me just... This call is no longer being recorded. lestions if you want to talk this talk about this but that's it. So you want this is the interview finished completely done. ll,Like after giving birth, body and like you don't really see it. Uh, like people not sharing about that part of their lives, so it's just, it's just, yeah, it's just confused. Do you think every your doctor explained the symptoms, like whatever you were expecting and what you actually saw in yourself really clearly? Very clearly. And was it very helpful? Um, I never asked my doctor, so that's why probably they didn't never explain to me, oh your body's gonna look like this, this is the person. But yeah, like even though I knew that, like I saw so many people but they have a one year, two year old baby and they just look normal. I knew like at some point it's gonna look normal, but at that point I knew that I look so different. What is happening? And I was just confused. Yeah, and so do you think it would have been the doctor's responsibility to tell you about these expectations or about these changes, or do you think it was your responsibility to ask them that question? I don't know. I think it could be both or like maybe before a person gets pregnant they have to start researching because when you're pregnant we get this research about baby, not about a person as we really research much about our own personal situation. And just sorry, I realized I missed one question. Um, so when you talked about your body changing, how did other people see that change in you? Um, I don't know. Other people just they knew I just gave birth. So did they talk about weight and weight loss a lot? No. Okay, so you would say maybe overall it was supportive? Yeah. Okay, that's great. Um, because I get to my pre-pregnancy body so fast that people was even shocked how a person can do it. Um, yeah, but I did it by exercising or dieting. So did you think you might have had this internal drive and maybe motivation to improve your body quickly and go back to that pre-pregnancy body? No, I actually never said, not that I never, I cared, but it wasn't my intention to go to pre-pregnancy because I know pregnancy and given birth has impacted my body so much that I could never go to pre-pregnancy body. But other than that, I am a person that do exercise regularly and it's very important for me to have like good food, healthy food, and I don't eat bad foods. It's been a couple of years that I am doing them, so that's why for me personally being healthy it was more priority. So that's why I look after what I eat and also I did regular exercise, that's why it was helpful for me to like achieve to just achieve to, uh, yeah, to my before pregnancy weight. Did, yeah, this is really good. And do you ever when you reflect back, have you ever felt alone even when surrounded by other people? Not very much, but sometimes when I don't know what I do, like very, very few occasions, but I didn'tI know if I was, I am supported or I'm on the, like I have to do this by myself. And yeah. I'm finally like I have to go just by myself and yeah okay no this is good thank you so much. Um and then I can talk to you later but it won't be questions if you want to talk this talk about this but that's it. So you want this is the interview finished completely done.Patient

Okay, excellent. So, I'm also recording on my laptop, so then I don't, I just make sure I don't lose it. Um, where is it? This, okay. Um, I have a speaker, maybe. Great. So, I'm also recording on my laptop, on my iPad, so I don't lose it. And, um, I'd like to start with your, um, like, your own thinking. So, can you tell me about your first time, um, noticing something has changed after giving birth? Whether that was physically, emotionally, or both. Like after giving birth, body and like you don't really see it. Uh, like people not sharing about that part of their lives, so it's just, it's just, yeah, it's just confused. Do you think every your doctor explained the symptoms, like whatever you were expecting and what you actually saw in yourself really clearly? Very clearly. And was it very helpful? Um, I never asked my doctor, so that's why probably they didn't never explain to me, oh your body's gonna look like this, this is the person. But yeah, like even though I knew that, like I saw so many people but they have a one year, two year old baby and they just look normal. I knew like at some point it's gonna look normal, but at that point I knew that I look so different. What is happening? And I was just confused. Yeah, and so do you think it would have been the doctor's responsibility to tell you about these expectations or about these changes, or do you think it was your responsibility to ask them that question? I don't know. I think it could be both or like maybe before a person gets pregnant they have to start researching because when you're pregnant we get this research about baby, not about a person as we really research much about our own personal situation. And just sorry, I realized I missed one question. Um, so when you talked about your body changing, how did other people see that change in you? Um, I don't know. Other people just they knew I just gave birth. So did they talk about weight and weight loss a lot? No. Okay, so you would say maybe overall it was supportive? Yeah. Okay, that's great. Um, because I get to my pre-pregnancy body so fast that people was even shocked how a person can do it. Um, yeah, but I did it by exercising or dieting. So did you think you might have had this internal drive and maybe motivation to improve your body quickly and go back to that pre-pregnancy body? No, I actually never said, not that I never, I cared, but it wasn't my intention to go to pre-pregnancy because I know pregnancy and given birth has impacted my body so much that I could never go to pre-pregnancy body. But other than that, I am a person that do exercise regularly and it's very important for me to have like good food, healthy food, and I don't eat bad foods. It's been a couple of years that I am doing them, so that's why for me personally being healthy it was more priority. So that's why I look after what I eat and also I did regular exercise, that's why it was helpful for me to like achieve to just achieve to, uh, yeah, to my before pregnancy weight. Did yeah, this is really good. And do you ever when you reflect back have you ever felt alone even when surrounded by other people? Not very much, but sometimes when I don't know what I do, like very, very few occasions, but Ididn't know if I was, I am supported or I'm on the like I have to do this by myself. And yeah. I'm finally like I have to go just by myself and yeah okay no this is good thank you so much. Um and then I can talk to you later but it won't be questions if you want to talk this talk about this but that's it. So you want this is the interview finished completely done. Um, Maaz, do I have to speak English? Um, yes. However, you're not, like, the questions I've written, none of the questions I can understand. Uh, they're, um, written in English, but if you think some language, some questions, the answer's gonna be best if you say it in, um, Farsi. In your language, it's good. Um, I can translate them, it's just going to take me a while to translate it in English. But, it's okay, like, you can do both, you know? Okay. Yeah, that's okay. Do you want me to repeat that question again? When I gave birth, I see change, like, my body has changed so much. Mm-hmm. Yes. The moment I gave birth and I had the first look at my body, I see my body has changed so much. Mm-hmm. And I wasn't sure, I had a feeling, like, I didn't know who I am. Mm-hmm. As before that, I used to recognize myself, like, you know, very healthy person, very, like, fit person and blah, blah. But after I saw myself in the mirror, I had a feeling of, like, not new, my new body, or didn't feel my new body because it was very new and I never felt that way before. And also, yeah, my body has changed. My stomach was so big, but it was empty, so it was a very strange feeling. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. That is good. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And so the next one I would like you to say, what was going through your mind when you started sort of losing hair? You mentioned how you weren't, like, really feeling yourself. Was there anything else that was going through your mind when you started seeing the visible signs? When I started losing my hair, because a week before, I did a new hair, like, a new hair. I wanted to just, you know, come out of my comfort zone as a bigger mom. I wanted to do some changes to my hair, so I had to. That's true. That's true. Mm-hmm. After that, I changed my hair so I had color and bleach and stuff. After one week, my hair, like, it started falling. No, no, mama. How are you, Liam? Mr. Liam, how are you? How did you feel when you first stepped into this world? Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yes. What about when you saw your stomach, that you said your stomach was bigger and your body was itchy? Okay, that's all right. That's okay. Is Liam okay? Is he okay? Oh, that's good. Good boy,Liam. I was going to maybe ask you, how did you feel at the time? You mentioned what was going through your mind, but I wanna know, how did you feel at the time? Which time? So when you started seeing changes, emotionally and how you felt. I feel not bad. The stomach, yeah. It's not like that I didn't, like I was surprised to see my body has changed from what I used to see, because my brain was like, oh, after I give birth, my body gonna go back to normal. But it wasn't like that. So it was something new. And mentally, I was like, you know, I was like, oh my God, like it's not like that you're going to pre-pregnancy body so fast. It's a process. So, but I didn't feel bad about myself. I just felt different to what I expected. Because I never seen, I never saw a pregnant person so close to me that I could see the before and after during pregnancy and all those things until I experienced it myself. I know I saw like my mommy used to get pregnant, but we were so little, we never cared about these things. We never, I never had to think about it. It was my turn. And yeah, that's very good. And did anything else started happening around that time that you think it was important? Yeah, I had to care for another person as well, like me. So there was like, I had to feed, I had to look after him. So I had to take care of myself as well. Yeah, that's right. Being a mom. Well, yeah. Yes, great. Thank you so much. Now we're going to the next section. So it's, had you mentioned that you never, did you ever actually see anyone with hair loss? Did you even hear about postpartum hair loss? Yeah, I heard about it. Oh, I knew it's going to come anyway. So that's why I expected it. Ria, mom, it's dangerous there. Come here. I won't go there. I won't touch anyone's shoulder. Wish, wish. Come here. Okay, very good. I'm sorry for now, but now, but she's going to have a job. Thank you so much. Did you know anyone else who had gone through something similar like yours with hair loss? Nobody talked to me as a, like, I have a friend, she, Liam, Liam, Mish, Mish. She gave birth earlier than me, but we, she never talked about hair loss. So, but I already knew that it was going to come. I already knew that this is as a part of the assignment. So, yeah. Assignment, you mean being a mom or? Assigned for being a mom, that is a part of it. Great. And like, how did you feel transitioning from being obviously just a partner and maybe single and just taking care of yourself while then obviously being pregnant and then giving birth and then becoming officially a mom? I actually felt really good because I, I found out that I am capable of so many things that I thought I would, I can't do it. Because in my mind, I was like, oh, how somebody can do that? But then I was so happy that I'm somebody's home and I can meet every need of someone and I can make it for them, if that makes sense. Yeah. And I was so happy about it. And I'm still so happy about it. That is, yeah. Which is because I'm grateful for it. It can be hard sometimes, a lot of times, but yeah. But I love being a mom, so. Yeah, that is wonderful. And other than your own experience, were there any like maybe cultural beliefs or maybe things that were said to you in the community or by your family about like women going and giving birth and going through birth after? Like, isn't going after, yeah. Not very much. I, as I said, like, when you, I, I... As I said, I spoke to my mom, but she doesn't have so much relevant information. She just has general information because she doesn't remember about everything. در � budgetsh Kita program, برای جای کنید, haj meze گذاردگان چند دشه هستند بیشتر اینجا بشین بوم بوم بوم بیشتر اینجا بشین بیشتر اینجا بشین موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقی موزیقیموزیقی. Information so in our culture people live together like parents and kids like live together, but since we are in Australia, we don't really follow the cultural stuff. They call our cultural kids get raised by grandmother, like, you know, grandmother, grandfather and stuff like all involved with the kids left. But since we are in Australia, so it's different. But yeah, do you think that has played a maybe a big part or a small part in your experience as a medium part? Sometimes I see my other friends that they have extra. I never, because I know that if I had my mental, like sometime I get very upset, like yesterday and the day before, feeling so bad just because I felt like if somebody else was helping me. You mentioned how like you haven't really hung out with your friends and before, before being a mom maybe you used to hang out a lot with your friends and that transition from being Fatima before pregnancy to Fatima being a mom. Did that make a lot of difference in maybe how you had to identify yourself as a mom? Like do you think that just was different and now you have to see yourself differently? Yeah, of course, because I used to enjoy my life like as a single, like going out and like I didn't have to worry about other stuff, just myself. But now everything I have to worry about Liam, like what time is it? Is that it's nap time? What time is it? Like it's feeding time and stuff. That's why it's a little bit. Oh, this is great, thank you so much. And do your mom experience maybe explain some information about pregnancy to you when you had asked her how was her experience? Was it like yours or was it different? Oh weird, what? My friend? Your friend or mom? Oh, yeah, yeah, her pregnancy was different. Pregnancy was different and my pregnancy was different too. So what do you mean, but what made it different? I didn't have like diabetes, digestive channel diabetes during pregnancy. I didn't have like craving or morning sickness and those things a lot, but she has. She had those, so it just made it so different. And would you say that was also different for your friends when you talk about your experience? Sorry, when you talk to your friends about this experience as well, do you think it was different or was it similar to yours? And what about after pregnancy, like being a mom, a new mom to a newborn, our first born? Our new experience was similar, but she had the extra help. So, but I didn't. I don't know, she still has extra help and yeah, I see. And that was for your friend and your mom? Oh, my friend, my mama, she what my mom, to be honest, the first few whenwe were born, she had help as I like our auntie was living together, but after that we were a little bit older, so sometimes we could help. But being a mom is already hard; like people can help, but they're not gonna, you know, like do as a mom will do. Like you're not gonna breastfeed a baby; mom has to breastfeed. Um, yeah, I see you think that it's very different. Help, but that support is nice. Yes, that's nice to have extra support. Extra, extra hand always is nice. Yeah, and you said how in your culture it's very common for the new family and many family members to live together, right? Um, and do you think it's different to Australian culture? Yeah, here, I see some people that live like that, but some people get extra help, like bringing their family members from overseas and stuff. But some other families, like me, they don't have, so everybody's different. Yeah, and so you think, um, would you say that maybe, um, all of these emotions, um, has also maybe caused more hair loss or more fatigue? Uh, not, I am, I cannot say that, I don't know. So what do you think has caused the hair loss? Maybe being a part of, like, giving birth because your hormones go different. Like your hormones go up and down and a lot of these things. So after, like, especially when you're breastfeeding, because you are breastfeeding and you're still producing so much hormone and stuff, that's why the hair loss is a part of the deal. And but it will come back eventually. Now I have grown baby hairs in front of my hair and I see them, so they came back. And what about fatigue? Do you, you mentioned how, um, you didn't sleep really well last night and there are nights where you don't because of taking care of Liam. Can you, what maybe caused the fatigue? So do you have any other explanation for, um, maybe why you're feeling tired? Um, oh, because feeling tired because I'm breastfeeding and also I have to look after him, play with him, and also at night time when he wakes up, he wants breast milk again. I have to feed him then again put him to sleep many times, so that's why. Do you think, um, how is your partner helping with this? Do you think there is not much that he can do or there are things that he can do? He actually helps a lot, but there is something that he cannot do; he cannot breastfeed. Those things, so you feel supported by your partner, you would say? He's the only support I have. Yeah, and has it helped with feeling less fatigued or do you think it's just, uh, actually the days that he helped me really good, I have more energy. So yeah, I have more energy and I feel so much better. But the days that he is busy with other things and I have to do it mostly myself, I get so, uh, so tired and all these things. So yeah, um, do you think you mentioned that some of these things are just normal, um, and but do you think there were any, uh, were you concerned about it? Like even though if it's normal, wereyou still concerned about this? About what? About this being something wrong? So, um, no, I'm not concerned because it's a part of like part of uh being a mom for the first year as they're like learning so many stuff and they have a sleep regression. All those things that is part of when you were going through hair loss and fatigue and the whole period after giving birth. How did you explain this to others? Maybe your doctor? Explain what? Explain your like how you're going through this, whether it's emotions, whether physically your hair loss and maybe feeling tired a lot. I actually didn't explain to anybody because I knew it's normal and it's a part of the life that you are a mom now and you are not as a person you used to be. The new life, I just not so I knew it's normal. Just to expand on that, do you think you say it's normal because of what? Um, you were researching about before you mentioned doing your own research? Um, do you think that's what you figured out that this experience was normal? That's yeah, okay. What are the other? And other also I spoke to other my friends that they are moms as well, so they all have similar issues. So I knew that it's a part of the situation. So, did you talk to maybe your doctor about this at all or you didn't talk to her about my hair loss? And she said it's normal because you're breastfeeding. You can take a hair and nail supplement that doesn't affect your breast milk. So then I got a hair supplement and I'm taking this. So that is all, but she said it's normal, it's going to come back, don't worry, and they came back. This is the last part. I mean, oh yeah, this is going to be just a couple of questions, a couple more questions, that's it. So thank you so much for your time. Did you seek help other than medical? You said that you talked to your friends and you researched. Were there other things or that was it other than medical? Not really. I actually don't know what you mean for seeking help. Like just when you needed some help with how you were feeling? When I gave birth, my mom and my sister came and helped me for a little while and then they left. So other than those things, did you seek help any other way? No. Why do you think that might have been? Why do you think that might have been that you didn't seek help? Oh, because I knew that nobody was it family maybe or was it because I didn't have issue with my heart, so I just only. Okay. And do you think that was formed by the beliefs that um, is cultural beliefs or was it just because you were told that this is normal experience for every mom? It's yeah, it was culturalbelief or was it normality of I don't know. So was it both maybe even? I cannot really say anything because I don't know if it was cultural or if it was my own fault, but I just need to know that nobody can help me, just me. Can you expand on that? I told you, everybody's busy with their own life, that's why I didn't ask for help. Yeah. I should never, ever have considered that. No. No. Yeah. No. No. No. It was media, it was hard and also it wasn't classic. Could you expand on that a little bit? Because sometimes I don't really want to talk about my feelings or the time that I have, that's why I don't tell people. When I talk about it, I don't want to talk about it, but other than that, it was okay. And were these because of some expectations that influenced you to do this? I don't know, maybe in our culture, people who need help, they feel shy or they feel, I don't know, I don't know. Yeah, they feel shy? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay. That's it. Sorry. Oh, but I need like quality, anyway, that's okay, don't worry about it. So, what helped you? You mentioned how you saw yourself in the mirror and you had the belly and then there were the hair loss. And so, what helped you get through that time of seeing those changes? I didn't get any help, it just got resolved by itself. Only my hair supplement and also with my body, I started exercising and also eating healthy food, so that's all. So, were they mainly part of your own research that you did? Yes. Cool. So, and when you look back at those times that you had just the first periods of your being gay and becoming a mom, how does it make sense to you now? How does it make sense to you about those experiences? What do you mean? So, when you look back, how does it make sense to you now that those were the experiences that you had? To raising, like growing a human inside you and then raising it afterwardwith your body, so it just is so much. Yeah, and but now I understand the process. So yeah. And do you think your pregnancy was normal? Yeah. And what about your being a mom process? Was normal, right? You would say it was normal? Yeah. And is there anything you wish more people understood about postpartum experiences? But after being, after giving birth, I wish people understood that postpartum is like, imagine you have done massive surgery, then you were straight after, you have to look after a human being. It's not that easy and it's not like this over like a couple of minutes, you know, like what to do as a mom. This is very difficult. Yeah, it isn't like you get so tired emotionally and also physically. I wish, I don't know if people know that, but so it's, you said it's like as if you did a surgery and then needing to bounce back straight into your daily life and maybe even more. And last question, sorry, thank you so much for your time. Is there anything else you'd like to share about that period of your life that I didn't ask you and you think it's important to note? I think this is all my question. Let me just... This call is no longer being recorded. lestions if you want to talk this talk about this but that's it. So you want this is the interview finished completely done. ll,Like after giving birth, body and like you don't really see it. Uh, like people not sharing about that part of their lives, so it's just, it's just, yeah, it's just confused. Do you think every your doctor explained the symptoms, like whatever you were expecting and what you actually saw in yourself really clearly? Very clearly. And was it very helpful? Um, I never asked my doctor, so that's why probably they didn't never explain to me, oh your body's gonna look like this, this is the person. But yeah, like even though I knew that, like I saw so many people but they have a one year, two year old baby and they just look normal. I knew like at some point it's gonna look normal, but at that point I knew that I look so different. What is happening? And I was just confused. Yeah, and so do you think it would have been the doctor's responsibility to tell you about these expectations or about these changes, or do you think it was your responsibility to ask them that question? I don't know. I think it could be both or like maybe before a person gets pregnant they have to start researching because when you're pregnant we get this research about baby, not about a person as we really research much about our own personal situation. And just sorry, I realized I missed one question. Um, so when you talked about your body changing, how did other people see that change in you? Um, I don't know. Other people just they knew I just gave birth. So did they talk about weight and weight loss a lot? No. Okay, so you would say maybe overall it was supportive? Yeah. Okay, that's great. Um, because I get to my pre-pregnancy body so fast that people was even shocked how a person can do it. Um, yeah, but I did it by exercising or dieting. So did you think you might have had this internal drive and maybe motivation to improve your body quickly and go back to that pre-pregnancy body? No, I actually never said, not that I never, I cared, but it wasn't my intention to go to pre-pregnancy because I know pregnancy and given birth has impacted my body so much that I could never go to pre-pregnancy body. But other than that, I am a person that do exercise regularly and it's very important for me to have like good food, healthy food, and I don't eat bad foods. It's been a couple of years that I am doing them, so that's why for me personally being healthy it was more priority. So that's why I look after what I eat and also I did regular exercise, that's why it was helpful for me to like achieve to just achieve to, uh, yeah, to my before pregnancy weight. Did, yeah, this is really good. And do you ever when you reflect back, have you ever felt alone even when surrounded by other people? Not very much, but sometimes when I don't know what I do, like very, very few occasions, but I didn'tI know if I was, I am supported or I'm on the, like I have to do this by myself. And yeah. I'm finally like I have to go just by myself and yeah okay no this is good thank you so much. Um and then I can talk to you later but it won't be questions if you want to talk this talk about this but that's it. So you want this is the interview finished completely done.Patient