Spotlight On: Bella and Lu, Hosts of Fifth Trimester
There’s a certain magic that happens when two people meet at exactly the right moment in life. For Bella Brennan and Lu Reeves, that spark became The Fifth Trimester.
It’s the podcast that puts a name to life after the newborn trenches - the big, brilliant chapter of rediscovering yourself after kids, where you’re not quite who you were, not fully who you’re becoming, but excited for this next version of you.
Equal parts pop culture goss, beauty and fashion chats, friendship therapy, and “thank god it’s not just me” moments, it’s become a go-to listen for mums craving laughs, honesty and a little escapism.
Between them, Bella and Lu bring a relatable, lived-in perspective to the mic. Bella has spent 16 years working across women’s media, while Lu’s career path — spanning architectural sales, floristry and corporate life — reflects a creative brain with a practical edge. Together, they have that rare “we share a brain” chemistry that turns each episode into something that feels like a voice note from your funniest friend.
We sat down with the duo to talk careers, creative chemistry and the disco-ball meet-cute that kicked off their friendship (yes, it involves a Flight Facilities Decades night). They share the lightbulb moment that inspired the podcast, the behind-the-scenes realities of keeping episodes “snacky,” and the celebrity gossip rabbit holes they can’t stop thinking about — alongside the bigger, more meaningful thread running through it all: the idea that your hobbies, identity and joy don’t disappear when you become a mum. They’re just waiting for you in the fifth trimester.
Hi Bella and Lu, thanks so much for joining us! To start, could you both share a little about your careers outside of the podcast? How did your paths lead you to this point?
Bella: I have worked as a writer in women’s media for 16 years, starting off in mags before moving to digital. I’ve had pretty much every job imaginable – from sub-editor, entertainment reporter to digital managing editor! In 2022, I took the leap to go freelance and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve written for publications like Sunday Life,Urban List, Body & Soul and The Sydney Morning Herald on topics I’m truly passionate about.
Lu: I've dabbled in a little bit of everything from architectural sales to floristry and finally to corporate, which as a creative person, I find really refreshing. I like compartmentalising work and hobbies.
Like with all great duos, we have to ask - how did you two meet, and what clicked between you as friends and collaborators?
Bella: Lu and I knew of each other for many years and mixed in similar circles, but we didn’t actually fall in friendship love until 2023 at the Flight Facilities Decades night! It’s the most romantic meet-cute of all time, under the sparkles of a disco ball and strobe light, we hit it off. We are later-in-life best mates, which I think really speaks to the idea of The Fifth Trimester and re-emerging to rediscover who you are in this chapter of life.
What sparked the idea of starting The Fifth Trimester? Was there a particular moment or experience that made you think, ‘We need to do this!’
Bella: The idea came from a night out we had in our own fifth trimester, which was followed by a whole year of fifth trimester energy in our friendship group. We were at a Mel C gig on a Saturday night, footloose and kid-free, when our friend turned to us and said, “We’re in our fifth trimester!” It was such a lightbulb moment for us.
It was a pivotal night where we realised that all of our old hobbies and passions can still co-exist with being mums. From there, we tinkered with the idea of turning this unspoken stage of motherhood into a podcast.
Lu: I had sworn off the idea of ever podcasting as I didn't want to risk being compared to my sister who is a very successful podcaster, but I remember saying to Bella a while back 'if I was ever going to do it, I think you and I would be a good pair.' Sometimes it feels like we share a brain, we love all the same things, we're on the same wavelength. It makes sense.
You’re part of the ‘We Don’t Have Time for This’ network - how did that partnership come about?
Bella: It’s a real family-run business! We are Kate Reeves and Gemma Pranita’s ‘little sister’ show, because Kate is actually Lu’s real-life sister. Lu is known as ‘Sister Lu’ in the We Don’t Have Time For This universe and she has appeared as a guest several times on their show over the years. The listeners adore her, so a spin-off little sister show made complete sense.
I couldn’t have asked for better mentors and creative soul sisters to guide us through this. I was (and still am) an OG listener of their show so it’s a very full-circle moment to now be part of their network. It’s an absolute career highlight!
Every new project has its learning curve - have you had any funny or memorable moments while getting The Fifth Trimester off the ground?
Bella: We recorded a pilot episode to include in our pitch, and right before we hit record, we spiralled and said, “WHAT IF OUR IRL CHEMISTRY DOESN’T TRANSLATE?!” Luckily, it did.
Lu and I could talk til the cows come home and our incredible producer KD has her work cut out for her. We’re two months in and you’d think we’d be getting better at keeping our eps tight and sub 30 minutes, but alas, we’re not there yet! Episodes are intentionally snacky and half an hour or less. KD is an absolute gun at editing us down!
Lu: We also had to feel our way when it comes to the type of content we put out, topics we cover and how much of our personal lives we share with the listeners. The first episode, we released was very news-bulletin style and we really took on the roles of reporters.
We quickly learned that in podcasting you need to find ways to relate to your audience demographic and the best way to do that, as we've learnt, is to let them in to your world, give your honest opinions and serve your authentic personality.
You cover a lot of pop culture on the show - what’s the most ridiculous celeb gossip you’ve obsessed over recently?
Bella: The Brooklyn Beckham bombshell statement was wild. Absolutely unprecedented times, so of course we had to race into the studio to record a breaking news episode to unpack it all.
I have way too many celeb-based Roman Empires that keep me up late on TikTok too - obscure things from the ‘noughties’ like Bardot lore and where the Milky Bar Kid is now. It’s nice to have a place to be able to share all this silly knowledge.
Lu: I still think about the Princess Kate family portrait photoshop fail every single day of my life. More recently, the Kyle and Jackie O split has been dominating my thoughts for the past few weeks.
You also give beauty and style inspiration every week - what’s one product or hack you swear by as a busy mum?
Bella: If I’m feeling particularly meh, I’m a big fan of a few drops of Tan Luxe on my face to give me the illusion of health and energy. Lu has also just gotten me onto lip liner with gloss - so simple, so much pout! And I can't live without my Hilary Holmes’ primer and Golden Hour Glow Setting Spray.
Lu: I recently got a lash lift and I will never look back. That paired with 'done' brows, and you can walk out of the house bare faced and look like you've really got your life together.
Looking ahead, where do you see The Fifth Trimester going? Are there any new ideas or directions you’re excited to explore with the podcast?
Both: We have been blown away by the response to the poddie, so ideally, we’d love to just keep building our beautiful community and making shows that can bring some joy to busy mum’s lives. In the long-term, we’d love to increase the number of shows we do to capture the full news cycle at the start and end of the week. It’s a fast-moving beast!
We’d LOVE to host some events to meet the listeners. I’m imagining a Fifth Trimester disco session somewhere with amazing music and sweaty dance floor vibes.
One last question for a bit of fun... If you could spend a day with any celebrity mum, who would it be and why?
Bella: Oh my god what a great question. I’d time travel back to the 90s and spend the day with Princess Diana at Disneyland!
Lu: Kris Jenner! That's a machine I'd like to see in action! Plus, I've heard she's actually hilarious and very much the Kris we know and love IRL.