How many women are… genuinely happily married?

The Room

The hosts of The Room podcast launch their first episode as a trio by analyzing survey results from 20,000 Australian women on marriage happiness.

Key takeaways

• 32% of surveyed Australian women reported 'thriving' in their marriage, while another 41% said it is going really well.
• The hosts discuss a viral TikTok by Brooklyn Apataya about marrying well before kids and taking solo postpartum trips to Sicily.

Main topics

• Marriage satisfaction statistics
• Postpartum self-care and solo travel

Notable quotes

The person you have kids with is so important.

Conclusion

The episode offers a relatable, data-driven look at modern marriage, encou

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:05) Welcome to The Room, where mothers meet to share their inner world. I'm Freya, one of your hosts. And I'm Georgia. I'm Rafa. Speaker 4 (0:14) We're here! This is our first episode as just a trio. I actually cannot believe that we are here. I remember when I Speaker 3 (0:22) first heard about this podcast and I was pregnant and I was like, oh great, this could not be better timing for me. It didn't even cross my mind to... think that I could potentially be a host of it. And I applied for it actually when Goldie was about, well, when I was about six weeks postpartum. I actually Speaker 4 (0:37) cannot believe you did that six weeks postpartum. I can't Speaker 3 (0:40) believe it either. But I remember after our first audition, because, you know, there were a couple of rounds and we afterwards caught up and got a drink. And we didn't know necessarily that we were going to be the, well, Speaker 2 (0:52) we Speaker 3 (0:52) didn't know that Speaker 2 (0:53) we were going to be the three that ended up doing it. For the listeners benefit. Freya, you've got a little one maybe we should run through. Yeah, Speaker 3 (1:02) quick TLDR. If you haven't heard episode zero, but do listen to episode zero. I've got an eight-month, almost eight-month-old Goldie. Speaker 4 (1:09) And I have triplet sons. They're almost four years old, Speaker 2 (1:15) Jude, Marlo and Finn. And I've got two-and-a-half-year-old Rumi and... 15-month-old Lila, and similar to Freya, I was on mat leave number two when the audition video call-out went out. It's so Speaker 4 (1:29) good. It's so good, guys. And this is the best thing. Like, the three of us meeting each other in 2026, who would have thought it? Like, we wouldn't have crossed paths with each other. Speaker 2 (1:37) Should we get Speaker 4 (1:37) into it? I reckon. Before we get into it, this episode of The Room is brought to you by Mixer, the expert, sensitive skincare brand that works for your entire family. This week, we'll be talking about how many women are actually happy in their marriage. We anonymously surveyed 20,000 Australian women and are so excited to share their answers with you today. Yeah, Speaker 2 (1:59) I feel like the shameless census was like one of the highlights of my year. And I had so many friends submit answers and they were like, gosh, this was... I mean, for those that might remember, it was also the same week as the Australian government census, which I just laugh at. And I was like, this is the more interesting one. And all of my friends paid so much more attention to the shameless one, because it was the first time that I think outside of your... traditional medical surveys or if you don't see a regular psychologist that someone kind of was able to submit their answers around, you know, so many different topics that impact Australian women. And my girlfriends were like, that was amazing, you know, like 15, 20 minute survey to like put, you know, their thoughts down. So I personally am so like fizzing with excitement to see the stats and the data that we get to bring to life each week and kicking off with a absolute whopper of a topic, I think. Speaker 4 (2:53) Oh, absolutely. And for the listeners, we don't actually know what the data says yet. Rafa, you are the holder of all of the secrets. I'm Speaker 2 (3:01) the keeper of Speaker 4 (3:01) the Speaker 2 (3:01) information. Yeah, I think you'll be surprised by what the results show. This Speaker 4 (3:07) episode and what we're Speaker 2 (3:08) going Speaker 4 (3:08) to cover today couldn't be more timely. I have just spent two and a half weeks. away from my children with my husband in Italy. It was absolutely incredible. I was there for one of my best friend's wedding in Tuscany. We had a week, just Matt and I, my husband, Matt and I went away. Yep. That's right. Kid free. Triplets were in Australia. I know. With Speaker 2 (3:31) grandparents. Honestly, Speaker 4 (3:32) shout out to the biggest village that I have, truly. This week, this viral TikTok, which was just super timely because I was also in Sicily when I watched it, it's by the user Brooklyn Apataya. She is a, I think a New Zealand creator, but she's living in Sydney and she is on a beach relaxing and talking about why it's so important to marry well before you have kids. So we've got the TikTok. Should Speaker 2 (3:56) we Speaker 4 (3:56) watch the video? Please listen in and... Let's have a chat about it. It's Speaker 1 (4:01) important who you marry and who you have kids with because I'm alone on a beach in Sicily right now because when I finished breastfeeding, my husband said to me, I want you to go and book a trip to anywhere you want in the entire world. And I was like, no, no, no, it's not. financially smart to do that. It's not wise. We've got a baby. And he said, no, I need you to go and book a trip anywhere you want in the entire world to go and remember who you are again. I breastfed our son for 15 months. But before that, I was pregnant for nine months. So for about two years, I didn't know myself at all without a baby attached to me. My husband has always encouraged me to remember who I am outside of just being a mum. And so I did. I booked myself a two week solo adventure. And I've been soul searching on the beach in Sicily and it has been so good for me and not an ounce of me is anxious that my husband isn't doing the best job or worried that my son's needs aren't being met like my husband knows exactly what he's doing he's the best dad in the world and I'm just here filling my cup so that I can go home and be the best mum in the entire world so I hope that this encourages someone to marry well it's worth the wait what Speaker 3 (5:07) do you think so I mean first of all What a dream. I mean, I think she's literally on the beach in Sicily looking so refreshed and happy and just sounds so relaxed. I let all power to her. I am so happy for her. I think that set the bar Speaker 2 (5:24) pretty high, isn't it? It does. Postpartum videos. It does. And how to. I don't know, enable that sort of happiness so soon after having a bubba. Speaker 4 (5:34) Absolutely. And 800,000 people liked it. And that says a lot. And honestly, the comments were very supportive, very supportive of like, this is the dream and, you know, so on, which Speaker 2 (5:46) we Speaker 4 (5:46) can get into. Speaker 2 (5:47) I think if we all were able to have a two-week holiday overseas, we'd be thriving, wouldn't we? Yeah. And we'd take it. You'd take it. You'd take it. If it's up and up, you'd take it. But having Speaker 3 (5:56) said that, like, and looking at all the comments, Like I felt almost a bit ashamed that it did stir something up in me when I saw it that wasn't wholly just like go-get. That's such a normal Speaker 2 (6:07) reaction. Yeah. I Speaker 3 (6:09) feel like there was a little bit of, I don't know, envy or something in there. And a little bit of, mm, nice facade. Yeah, Speaker 2 (6:18) yeah. Because I think it's important. We want women in Australia to be thriving and that level of happiness. Yeah. And then it's hard to watch that if you're not thriving. If you're not feeling Speaker 4 (6:27) it. Speaker 2 (6:28) Or Speaker 4 (6:28) if you're Speaker 2 (6:28) not in that stage to kind of go, oh, my God, must be nice. Well, Speaker 4 (6:31) exactly. And I think, I mean, generally wrapped for this woman, and I love the premise of the video, which was marry well before you, or choose well before you have children. The premise of that is, yeah. So important. So important. And bang Speaker 2 (6:44) on, I would say. That's probably the main takeaway. Yeah. Speaker 4 (6:47) She Speaker 2 (6:47) sort of starts with. the partner you choose is so, the person you have kids with is so important. And I was like, yeah, that's bang on. That's bang on. Which Speaker 3 (6:56) I, and I totally agree with it. So I think my little flicker of like that kind of ugly emotion is me. I Speaker 2 (7:04) was laughing at the comment that was like watching this on loud so my husband can hear. I think it had like 20,000 likes. And I think to your point, it's this, she's a content creator, right? Like perhaps that. content is out there to be provocative, to have these conversations. It wouldn't be going viral if she was so cute. No, Speaker 4 (7:23) no, Speaker 2 (7:23) exactly, exactly. And there's so many mixed comments in the video. There's not Speaker 4 (7:28) as many as that I thought. There was a lot of people. There Speaker 2 (7:30) was a lot Speaker 4 (7:30) of support. There was so much support because I think I lent more towards your first impressions, Freya, that I was like. Whoa, must be nice. Yeah. That was my first impression. And, I mean, that's saying something because I just spent two and a half weeks. I'm hearing myself, guys. Listeners, I am hearing Speaker 3 (7:49) myself, okay? The self-worth is there. Speaker 4 (7:52) I promise there is. But I just feel like there are other ways. I just feel like. I completely agree with the premise of it. That, you know, please choose wisely when you're having children. Agreed. Could not agree more. However, I just think this is an extreme example. Speaker 2 (8:07) Yeah, it is. And there are so Speaker 4 (8:08) many other ways that you can be honoured for the sacrifice that you have made by carrying, birthing and then breastfeeding your child. Yeah. But Speaker 3 (8:16) the micro gestures aren't sexy. They're not going to go viral. Do you know what I mean? Like this went viral because she spent two and a half weeks in Sicily that her husband organised. Yeah. Soul searching. Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's got all the buzzwords. I do Speaker 2 (8:30) like that it's created a push to think about. Yeah, that's true. Perhaps if you are, and I do really believe that where you are in your stage of postpartum really impacts how you're going to respond to that video. If you're having, if you're on two