Australian Birth Stories

In Today’s episode I interview Tash about her three pregnancies and births. Tash had her first baby at Wangaratta hospital in rural Victoria. After a long posterior labour her first birth ended in an emergency C-Section. After the birth of her daughter Dempsey, Tash went on to fall pregnant with her second daughter when Dempsey was 9 months old. She had moved to Eltham from the county during this time and began seeing a GP through shared care with the Mercy Hospital in Heidelberg. Despite having healthy test results and scans at 20 weeks, Tash began to feel very unwell at 23 weeks and she went into premature labour. Her baby was born sleeping a few hours later. Tash shares very courageously her journey of delivering her stillborn daughter and how she processed her grief after such a tragic unexpected loss. Tash went on to try for another baby a couple of years later and takes us through the stress and anxiety of her third pregnancy. After much deliberation Tash decided, with the support of the Mercy staff, that she would have her little boy via elective c-section. This is a very powerful and emotional episode and I am incredibly grateful that Tash approached me wanting to share her stories. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I interview Amelia Lamont, a Midwife and Sleep Consultant. Amelia shares the story of her son Alfie and daughter Essie’s pregnancies and births. After suffering two early miscarriages, Amelia fell pregnant with Alfie and had a relatively easy pregnancy up until 20 weeks when she started to experience an irritable uterus. This involved the uterus contracting regularly in a similar way to Braxton Hicks, with no cervical change. By 30 weeks these contractions became more regular and Amelia was advised by her obstetrician to stop working and rest until the baby was due to arrive. At 40 weeks Amelia went to see her obstetrician again as she hadn't been gaining any weight and they wanted to ensure the baby was still growing correctly. It was discovered at this appointment that Amelia had reduced fluid. After having a stretch and sweep by both her doctor and later that day by a close friend who was also a midwife, Amelia’s labour failed to begin. The next day she had her waters broken by her doctor and her contractions came on hard and fast. Amelia had an epidural when she reached 6cm and then ended up having an episiotomy and vacuum delivery as both her and Alfie became distressed and unwell towards the end of the labour. During her second pregnancy with daughter Essie, Amelia discovered Essie was breech at 28 weeks. Despite trying every recommended trick to turn her, acupuncture, moxibustion, and osteopathy, Essie failed to move. At 36 weeks Amelia had an External Cephalic Version (ECV) which managed to finally rotate Essie. It was during this procedure that they discovered that once again Amelia had reduced fluid surrounding the baby. To hear more about Essie’s delivery including how Amelia's husband crashed their new car before delivery, tune into the show…. Topics covered in today’s show: irritable uterus, reduced fetal movement, reduced fluid, episiotomy, acupuncture, moxibustion, external cephalic version, epidural, vacuum delivery, midwife, sleep school, breastfeeding, retained placenta, manual placenta removal. To connect with Amelia: Amelia's Sleep Consultancy: This weeks show sponsor: are offering all listeners $10 off on their courses and kits is with the code: AUBS10 If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Kayleigh takes us through her two births. At the age of twenty, Kayleigh went off the contraceptive pill and found that her period didn’t return for over 12mths. She turned to acupuncture to try and regulate her cycle and was able to menstruate again and fell pregnant the following month. During her first pregnancy, Kayleigh experienced morning sickness and later developed tachycardia ( a heart rate that exceeds the normal resting heart rate). Kayleigh’s labour began with her waters leaking in the evening at 39 weeks. After a prolonged second stage, three hours of pushing Kayleigh had a big bleed and was rushed away to theatre leaving her husband behind holding their new son. During Kayleigh’s second pregnancy she developed kidney stones at 28 weeks. Initially, she thought she was going into early labour. She was just about to get a steroid injection in preparation for a premature delivery when tests showed that she, in fact, had kidney stones. Kayleigh’s kidney stones passed after several days in the hospital where she was monitored and given IV fluids. At 38 weeks Kayleigh noticed she had reduced baby movement one morning. Midwives came over and found her baby’s heart rate quite easily, however, the baby wasn’t moving as much as the midwives would expect. The doctors decided to induce Kayleigh based on the reduced baby moment. Nervous she would have another bleed Kayleigh had an epidural put in place but asked them not to give her the actual drugs unless there was a sudden emergency. To hear more of Kayleigh’s story tune into the show. To connect with Kayleigh Mcglynn and her beautiful photography page: This week's sponsor is . to enjoy 10% off your baby’s poster use discount code ‘birthstories’ at checkout. Topics included: PCOS, tachycardia, kidney stones, epidural, retained placenta, acupuncture, reduced fetal movement. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In today’s episode, I interview Simone Burstow. Simone has two sets of identical twins and she takes us through both her pregnancies and births. Simone went in to have an early ultrasound in her first pregnancy after she had experienced some spotting at around 6 weeks. Expecting bad news Simone was shocked to hear that she was, in fact, carrying two healthy babies. Several years after the boys were born Simone and her husband decided to try again and Simone suffered an ectopic pregnancy which resulted in her losing one fallopian tube. After this sad experience and after effectively halving her chances of falling pregnant again, Simone was incredibly surprised when she fell pregnant again with another set of identical twins. To hear how Simone was able to deliver both sets of twins vaginally and how she has navigated all things twin related tune into this week's show. Topics covered: Identical twins, twin to twin transfer, monoamniotic twins, ectopic pregnancy, fallopian tube removed, vaginal twin delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, tandem feeding This week sponsor is . The team at BodyIce Woman are offering my listeners a 30% discount with the code BODYICE30. Check out the range at If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I interview Courtney Adamo, co-founder of Babyccino Kids and author of the children’s book 9 months: A month by month guide to pregnancy for the family to share. Courtney takes us through the journeys of her five pregnancies and births. Courtney shares how her experiences with each of her previous birth journeys lead her to have the most idyllic home birth with her fifth baby Wilkie. Courtney fell pregnant for the first time at the age of 23, whilst living with her then-boyfriend Michael. At this time they had been dating for a year and a half and living in London. Despite the pregnancy coming as a bit of a shock, Courtney describes Easton’s pregnancy as a ‘welcomed surprise’. Courtney found it quite overwhelming in the early stages of her pregnancy as she had only been living in London for a year and the midwifery system in London was quite different from what she knew of the American Obstetric lead birthing system. Courtney decided to hire a private midwife because she liked the idea of seeing the same midwife throughout her pregnancy. All of her antenatal appointments were conducted in her London flat in a comfortable and relaxing environment. She was given the option with her private midwife to birth at home or at the local birthing center. Easton’s labour was long and quite overwhelming and when his labour began to slow, and Courtney was becoming increasingly fatigued, she was transferred from the birth center to the local hospital. She then ended up having an epidural and 40 hours later Easton was born. Courtney explains it was not at all what she had envisioned for her birth. Twenty-Two months after Easton’s birth Courtney gave birth to her second son Quin. After Easton’s birth experience, Courtney had decided to hire the same private midwife and try and have a natural home birth. Courtney went into labour with Quin a few days before her due date and had another long drawn out and painful labour. After labouring at home for quite some time, Courtney was surprised to hear her midwife suggest that maybe she should transfer to the hospital. Courtney’s midwife felt there was something holding her back from birthing at home. Courtney made the frightening 2 am journey to the hospital and she gave birth quite dramatically on arrival at the hospital. Despite the dramatic transfer and quick delivery, Courtney found her recovery after Quin’s birth quite remarkable and she ended up walking home three hours after delivery. She and Michael sat in the sun in Hampstead Heath with their three hour newborn and savored the rare English sunshine. Courtney fell pregnant with Ivy when she was away on a child-free holiday in New York. Another welcomed surprise as Courtney conceived at the end of her period and must have ovulated earlier than usual. Despite being quite nauseous in the first 12 weeks, Ivy’s pregnancy was very similar to that of the boys, leading Courtney to believe she was carrying another boy. After experiencing an epidural birth with Easton, and then a drug-free, but dramatic transfer birth with Quin, courtney knew she wanted to do thins differently for her third birth. When the day came, Courtney made the decision to go straight to the hospital and she had a much quicker birth with an epidural. The epidiural actually only worked for one side of her body. Courtney’s found with Ivy’s birth she was able to be more present. She remembers details vividly such as her sister’s face when ivy was born and the sounds and smells in the room, which she attributes to one of the benefits of having an epidural. When Courtney’s fourth child, Marlow was conceived there was a shift in Courtney’s view and understanding of birth. She took up Yoga for the first time in her life and she read Ina May Gaskin’s book Guide to Childbirth. Courtney also gave Ina May’s book to Michael to read and she felt that the two of them were on the same page and were incredibly well prepared both physically and emotionally for Marlow’s birth. To the great surprise of the staff at the NHS hospital staff, Courtney presented herself at 38 weeks to register for her birth. Courtney had no antenatal appointments during this pregnancy (despite having the twelve and twenty-week scans). Marlow was delivered in the water in the local Birth Center with a beautiful midwife who completely trusted Courtney to have a physiological birth. Courtney remembers how her midwife sat quietly in the corner and told her to reach down and catch her baby when the time came. Because of Marlow’s beautiful birth and the experiences she had has with her other births, Courtney felt she was now ready to have her home birth. A home birth with her four children present. She felt that Marlow’s birth has built her confidence. She felt that she and Michael had had that intimate moment with Marlow’s delivery and she was ready to share this experience with her other four children. To hear how Courtney was able to have an idyllic home birth with her fifth child Wi

InVision Photography Australia In Today’s episode, I interview Carla. Carla shares the stories of her three pregnancies and births. At 21 years of age, Carla had a benign tumour removed from her ovary and she was told at the time she had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). The doctor informed her at this time that she would likely have difficulty conceiving. This turned out to be the case, as it took Carla three years of trying to fall pregnant with her first child. Carla worked with a fertility specialist out of Epworth Freemasons Hospital and tried a number of techniques such as weight loss, diet changes and then moved on to taking Clomid. After trying with Clomid for several months and having no success, Carla’s husband was deployed in the Army to the Solomon Islands and she took a full 6 months of taking any medications and had a complete break. When he returned she had one dose of Clomid and conceived Cate. Carla shares how she loved her first pregnancy. She had wanted to be a mother all her life and she already knew that she wanted to have her child through the local caseload midwifery program near her house. Carla went into labour naturally at home with Cate. She lost her mucus plug and then 2hours later her waters went. After labouring at home with her husband and sister for support, Carla made her way into the birth center in the evening when the contractions ramped up. On arrival, she was checked and shocked to find out she was fully effaced. After only 12 minutes of pushing Kate was delivered onto a mat while Carla was on all fours. Caral’s husband announced that they had a little girl and Carla was certain she was carrying a boy so she questioned this and after a nurse double checked they were thrilled to welcome little Cate into the world. InVision Photography Australia To hear more about Carla’s recovery and the births of her other two children tune into the podcast. Topics covered in this weeks episode: polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Clomid, Fertility specialist, midwifery caseload care, natural childbirth, vaginal tearing, breastfeeding, benign ovarian tumor You can connect with the show on and Today’s episode is proudly sponsored by . Weleda is a certified natural skincare range that does not contain any mineral oil-based ingredients, and contains no synthetic perfumes, colourings or preservatives and is not tested on animals. To check out their full range head over to If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Alys takes us through her decision to have an elective caesarean section with her first son William due to his breech position and then going on to have a VBAC. Alys describes William's conception as a ‘deliberate surprise” after a few jokes around the table on a family New Zealand holiday with her partner’s family. Alys laughs about the fact that the first thing she did after taking a home pregnancy test was to go straight to the Good Guys to buy a clothes drier. Living in Canberra at the time Alys went through Canberra’s Public Hospital for her care. At 32 weeks she discovered her baby was breech. Alys’ doctor said she could decide on how she wanted to move forward. She shares how she made the decision to have a caesarean based on her readings and understandings that in a caesarean birth more of the risk is held by the mother and with a breech vaginal delivery the risk is held more with the baby. She said she probably wouldn’t make the same decision now, however, she was confident with her elective caesarean section choice at the time. When Alys found out she was pregnant for the second time she began to explore her delivery options. A girlfriend of Alys’ had recently had a Calm Birth, and another friend had had a VBAC home water birth. Having never had a contraction in her first pregnancy, Alys decided she'd like to give a VBAC a try. Alys shares how she went back and forth with the idea and it wasn't until she took her midwifery lead VBAC birth education class at Box Hill Public Hospital. that she felt confident in her decision. The midwife who lead the class convinced Alys that the benefits of a VBAC outweighed the risks. She walked away knowing that she wanted to go for a VBAC. To hear more about how Alys’ successful VBAC went tune into the show. Topics covered: Breech baby, elective caesarean, chemical pregnancy, VBAC, low milk supply, formula feeding, retained placenta. Topics covered: Breech baby, elective caesarean, chemical pregnancy, VBAC, low milk supply, formula feeding, retained placenta. To connect with the show on and If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I interview Gemma Taylor. Gemma takes us through her difficult four-year journey trying to conceive her first child Flynn. Gemma suffered from mild endometriosis and a low egg count and conceived Flynn after a stimulated IVF Cycle. Gemma shares openly the heartache in miscarrying her first transferred embryo and the joy in going on to conceive Flynn. Flynn’s pregnancy began with severe morning sickness which didn’t subside until 24 weeks. Then at 27 weeks, Gemma was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. Gemma’s labor with Flynn began at around 39 weeks after a week of pre-labor. When she went in for a stretch and sweep her midwife was surprised to find how favourable Gemma seemed and said she thought that she was going to deliver in the coming day. Several days later contractions began to ramp up on a Friday night. Gemma laboured at home until 2 pm the following day when she transferred to Randwick Women's Hospital hospital feeling exhausted after a long and trying week of on and off contractions. The midwife on duty suggested an epidural to give Gemma the chance to have some rest and they started an indiction drip to help progress her labour. With her second pregnancy, after having gone through such a long a painful journey trying to conceive Flynn, Gemma and her partner decided to try quite quickly to try and conceive again. They began the process by having the frozen embryo (which was taken at the same time as Flynn) implanted. Unfortunately, this transfer ended in a missed miscarriage which Gemma had a DNC for at 7 weeks. The next stimulated cycle for Gemma and her partner was somewhat different as the technology for IFV was continuing to evolve. There was now a new test available Pre-Implantation Genetic Testing. According to IVF Australia : “Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) is a sophisticated scientific technique which can be used to test embryos for either a specific known genetic condition or chromosome abnormality. This enables only chromosomally normal embryos or those unaffected by a specific disorder to be selected for transfer during an IVF cycle, maximising the chance of a healthy baby. Up to 70% of embryos created, either via natural conception or IVF don’t survive the first 3 months of pregnancy and many don’t achieve implantation because of those two reasons.” () To hear more about how Gemma went on to have the first mosaic embryo transferred in Australia and how she ended up delivering her second son at home with the assistance of her sister in law and business partnerJenny tune into the show. Topics covered: endometriosis, IFV, stimulated cycles, misses miscarriage, DNC, gestational diabetes, Mozaic embryo transfer, unexpected home birth, asthma, pre-labour. Today's episode is sponsored by Blossom and Glow. Blossom and Glow are offering listeners a 15% off discount. Enter ABS15 at checkout. To check out Gemma and Jenny's sandals, If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I interview Georgie Abay the founder of The Grace Tales. Georgie takes us through her pregnancies and premature births of her little girl Arabella at 34 weeks and Lottie at 33 weeks. After trying to conceive for 6 months Georgie fell pregnant with her first daughter Arabella. Georgie experienced terrible morning sickness up until 19 weeks with Arabella. After completing her Calm Birth course at 34 weeks, Georgie went into labour the next day prematurely. After going in for a routine ultrasound the staff discovered that she was going into labour. Her doctor sent her straight to the hospital to have a steroid injection and sent her home on bed rest. Georgie was due to be a bridesmaid for her best friend later that week and had a nail appointment that day in preparation for the day. Her mum said she could take her to her nail appointment and as she would be laying down in the chair she would therefore be resting. Georgie’s waters went in the nail salon in a comical movie style fashion. She ended up borrowing a towel from the salon and put that under her dress and she and her mother made their way to the hospital, via the supermarket to pack a last minute supply bag of essentials for the very early birth. Despite her waters going contractions didn’t start so, Georgie was induced to progress the labour. After labouring for 17 hours with the assistance of an epidural and forceps, Arabella was delivered 6 weeks early. Arabella was checked by a paediatrician and was then wheeled off to the special care nursery. Georgie explains that Arabella’s emotional birth and the separation she experienced was the hardest thing she had experienced. Arabella was formula fed in the special nursery and Georgie went home without her little girl. Georgie shares the heart ache she experienced in leaving the hospital without her baby. When home Georgie pumped tirelessly through the night to bring her milk supply in and was able to successfully bring in a great milk supply which enabled her to start breastfeeding Arabella when she was stronger. After two weeks of care in the special care nursery, Arabella was discharged and came home. When Arabella was 10mths old Georgie fell pregnant again unexpectedly while they were renovating their house and living at her mum’s place. At 23 weeks into Georgie’s second pregnancy she had a scan and it was discovered she had a short cervix and she had started to dilate. She was put on strict bedrest as she was at risk of early labour again. This was incredibly challenging as she had a toddler to take care of. She was only allowed to get up to shower and eat. Georgie had to insert progesterone daily and shealso had steroid shots to help prepare her body and the baby for another early arrival. She moved back to her Mum’s house and hired a full-time nanny to care for Arabella. At 33 weeks Georgie felt she was about to go into labour so she quickly moved back into her family home and her the next morning her waters went. Georgie had the support of a lovely midwife and she felt this made a huge difference to her mental strength in this labour. As contractions didn’t immediately start, she had induction medication to progress things. To hear more about Georgie’s recovery and her 6-week postpartum haemorrhage, and Lottie’s birth journey tune into the podcast……… Topics covered: premature birth, special care nursery, epidural, forceps, breastfeeding, yoga, calm birth, blood clots, post-partum haemorrhage, bed rest, blood transfusions, retained placenta, Dilation (or dilatation) and curettage (D&C) Today's episode is proudly sponsored by Pure Baby: Pure Baby is an Australian owned company who create premium, organic clothing for babies and children. The lovely people at Pure Baby are offering Australian Birth Stories listeners $20 of with the code ABS20. To check out the full range of Pure baby products head to If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Claire shares how she and her partner Steph had a home birth with their little girl LJ. As a same-sex couple, Claire and Steph used a home insemination process with sperm given to them from a very good friend. As a naturopath, Claire carefully monitored her cycles and use acupuncture to help make the process as smooth as possible. They were lucky enough to conceive on their first home transfer. Claire takes us through how she and Steph prepared themselves to co-feed LJ. Steph has never been pregnant before however, she was able to induce lactation through pumping regularly and taking natural medicines and Domperidone. Both Steph and Claire now breastfeed little LJ. To hear more listen now… Topics covered: induced lactation, home insemination, home birth, water birth, private midwife, acupuncture, naturopath, breastfeeding, placenta encapsulation, same-sex couple. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode, Elise Knowles shares the births of her three children. During Elise's first labour she was dilated to 5cm without even realising she was in early labour. This pre-labor went on for several days and she ended up having some acupuncture and a stretch and sweep. Elise was admitted later that day and was induced to help progress her labour. 3.5 hours later Raffety was born and despite having an episiotomy she suffered a third-degree tear. Elise’s recovery was slow and difficult as she was physically and emotionally drained from the delivery. She found breastfeeding Raffety very challenging which she wasn’t expecting and felt unprepared for this challenge. She shares how there is very little discussion about how difficult the initial stages of breastfeeding can be and it can lead to feelings of guilt and failure when it doesn't all go to plan. Raffety was a very unsettled baby who was later diagnosed with severe reflux and readmitted to hospital at 6 weeks of age. During this time in the hospital, while Raff recovered from a burnt oesophagus, it became clear to the staff that Elise was struggling emotionally and they advised her that they suspected she had postnatal depression. With the support and encouragement of her husband and mother, Elise was able to seek help and was connected with Better Beginnings. Her therapist diagnosed her with postnatal anxiety. Elise openly discusses the slow recovery she experienced with her tear and it was at 3mths that she got the courage to try sex again. After trying for 9mths she fell pregnant again with Tabitha. Unlike her first pregnancy Elise shares she felt much sicker with morning sickness with Tabitha and it was a very different pregnancy overall. To hear more about Tabitha’s birth and Delilah’s tune into the podcast……. Topics covered: 3rd-degree tear, postnatal depression, pelvic floor exercises, obstetrician, breastfeeding, induction, jaundice, prolapse, placenta encapsulation, Elise Knowles If you can spare a moment, please leave a review and rating in iTunes. It helps get the show to more lovely listeners. Show Sponsors: Franjos Kitchen The lovely Fran and Jo from Franjos Kitchen are the sponsors of this episode. They are offering listners 20% off their first order with the discount code ABS. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode Bridget discusses the births of her two boys. Bridget had both her children under the care of a private Obstetrician. She discusses how she came to this decision based on a family history of Preeclampsia. Bridget shares how her mum died and was resuscitated in the end stages of her first pregnancy due to preeclampsia and her baby was delivered by caesarian whilst she was in a coma. Bridget thankfully showed no signs of pre eclampsia in both pregnancies. Bridget’s first labour started with her waters breaking at home in bed and she later delivered after over two hours of intense pushing. This pushing phase resulted in Bridget ‘seeing stars’ in her left eye. This raised immediate concerns with the nurses and her doctor and she was rushed off for an emergency MRI to rule out the possibility of a small stroke during her labour. Thankfully it was, in fact, a burst blood vessel from the strain of pushing. In Bridget's second labour she was induced at 40 weeks as the baby was very low and she was in quite a bit of pain in her hips and was finding walking very difficult. Her doctor agreed that inducing her at full term was the best course of action and her labour progresses very quickly and resulted in a much shorter pushing phase and she was blessed with another very healthy baby boy. Bridget also shares with us the conception of Midnight Mums Facebook group which she is the founder of. The group was started when Bridget was living interstate and away from her family with a new baby. She was contacting a school friend online in the middle of the night and they were supporting each other through this often lonely journey of night feeds. Five years later the group now has over 80,000 members from right across Australian and the world. Tune in to the podcast to hear more details. Topics covered in this weeks episode: preeclampsia, burst blood vessel of the eye, induction, epidural, obstetrician. Midnight Mums If you can spare a moment, please leave a review and rating in iTunes. It helps get the show to more lovely listeners. Connect with the show over on If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode, Alice Bingham discusses the births of her son Cruse and daughter Winter Rose. Alice is a registered nurse. After struggling to conceive for 9 months Alice was over joyed when she became pregnant. Alice’s labour with Cruse began with her waters going and then an unexplained bleed which was very traumatic. As contractions hadn’t started and her water’s had gone, Alice was induced to progress the labour. Alice had an epidural and pushed for 30 minutes and had her healthy baby boy. On day three Cruse was admitted back into the hospital to have 24hours of phototherapy to treat jaundice. Alice was admitted back into the Pediatric Ward for Cruse's treatment and she was able to have some one on one assistance with a lactation consultant which really helped her gain confidence with breastfeeding. With Alice’s second pregnancy she only tried for one month and she was able to successfully fall pregnant with Winter. She discusses how she became quite anxious towards the end of her pregnancy as she was nervous that she might have another big unexplained bleed and need to be on constantly monitored. At 37 weeks after a very long labour of walking and another unexplained bleed Alice was admitted. Alice had an epidural but she went from 6cm to 10cm very quickly in 45minutes so there wasn’t enough time to get the epidural completed. She was able to birth her baby with the assistance of her husband, midwife and a mirror. lice also shares the challenges of bringing a second child home. She shares how her toddler ignored her for most of the first week when he brought her daughter home. We discuss the feelings of maternal guilt and readjusting to life with two children. Topics covered in this weeks episode: placenta abrasion, jaundice, phototherapy, induction epidural, toddler jealously, lactation consultants, sciatic pain. Alice In Healthy Land If you can spare a moment, please leave a review and rating in iTunes. It helps get the show to more lovely listeners. Connect with the show over on Facebook Webpage If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode Edwina shares the births of her two children Polly and Theodore. Edwina is a registered nurse and Midwife. Edwina let her confidence of being a midwife take over and she and her partner did not do any child birth education classes in the lead up to her first birth of Polly, a decision she regretted terribly on the day. After a long labour, Edwina had an epidural from a colleague who was crying cause she was so sad seeing her friend in so much pain. Eventually the epidural was in and Edwina was able to sleep. She also had induction medication to speed up her labour. Edwina discusses using the Epi-no to stretch her perineal muscles to prevent tears. She thinks this contributed to the fact that she didn’t tear in either of her births. Birthing in the hospital where Edwina works also posed added complications as her colleagues all knew she was in birth suits and a couple even dropped in to see how she was going. With her second pregnancy, Edwina was determined to do things differently and she and her husband both attended independent child birth education classes. She jokes about the fact that her sons head came out and she didn’t have another contraction for quite some time and she was chatting to her midwife while her husband was quite concerned that half his child had been born. Since having her children Edwina has started her own Child Birth Education classes teaching child birth education and Baby and Child first aide. Topics covered in todays episode include; Breech baby, Epi-no, perineal massage, child birth education classes, epidural, baby and child first aide, midwifery care. Birth Beats If you can spare a moment, please leave a review and rating in iTunes. It helps get the show to more lovely listeners. Connect with the show over on If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, I interview Sophie Cachia, The Young Mummy about her two births. Sophie was diagnosed with the poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 17 and she was told it was likely she would have a lot of trouble conceiving. Sophie started acupuncture to try and regulate her menstrual cycle when she decided she wanted to try for a baby and she was successful in her first few months of trying. She suffered chronic morning sickness in Bobby’s pregnancy and ended up taking prescription medication to help ease the discomfort. Throughout the pregnancy, Bobby measured weeks ahead in fondul height measurements. Sophie’s obstetrician at Frances Perry House in Melbourne advised her he wanted to induce her at 38 weeks to ensure the baby didn’t get too big. Sophie was given gell to induce her however they discovered she was already 3cm dilated so labour began quickly. After 26 hours of labour Sophie’s waters were broken and she pushed for over 4 hours. The prolonged pushing stage and the fact that Bobby’s shoulders got stuck resulted in Sophie needing an episiotomy and she also got an anal fissure. The fissure was so significant that Sophie had to under go surgery to repair it 6 months after the birth. Falling pregnant with Florence proved to be quite difficult for Sophie and after eight disappointing months of trying Sophie’s obstetrician decided it would be best for her to start Clomid to help her ovulate more regularly. Luckily for Sophie, she fell pregnant before the IVF process was needed. Sophie discusses announcing her pregnancy to her social media fans at 9 weeks, the differences between public and private care, challenges in epidural placement and much more. Tune in to hear the full story. Topics covered in this episode: Poly cystic ovarian syndrome PCOS, morning sickness, epidural, episiotomy, anal fissure, infertility, induction, acupuncture, Clomid, clary sage oil, Royal Women's Hospital, Frances Perry House. Cachia If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Tegan shares the stories of her three births of Bridget, Charlotte, and her newest addition Billy. Tegan married her high school sweetheart and got pregnant with Bridget at 20. Tegan’s pregnancy with Bridget was smooth and she had midwifery care through her local public hospital. Bridget’s labour went for over 30 hours as she was in a posterior position. Bridget was eventually delivered with the assistance of an episiotomy and the vacuum and after over two hours of pushing, she was delivered. Charlotte's pregnancy gave Tegan quite a lot of back ache which she saw a chiropractor for regular treatment. Charlotte was a very unsettled baby and it wasn’t until she was 11 months old that she was finally diagnosed with a dairy allergy. After falling pregnant very quickly with both Bridget and Charlotte, Tegan was surprised to find that she was struggling to conceive for the third time. After trying for12months, Tegan was diagnosed for the first time with PCOS Polly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. After being diagnosed with PCOS and after trying for a year Tegan was about to start Metformin to try and help her ovulate more regularly when she conceived naturally. For Billy’s pregnancy, Tegan had a student midwife who was a friend follow her through the pregnancy and she also had a birth photographer booked for the birth. Billy was delivered in the local hospital with the assistance of midwives. Billy’s head presented in the amniotic sac otherwise know as en caul. The midwives cut the sac as he was delivered with the assistance of gas and air. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode, I interview Fiona Harrison a Doula, Naturopath and Massage Therapist who works at Fertile Ground Health Group in East Melbourne. Fiona shares the birth story of her second son Tenzin at the Mercy Birth Centre. Fiona went through the team midwifery group practice at the birth center. After finding out her baby was breech at 37 weeks, Fiona describes how she under went an ECV (External cephalic version) to successfully turn the baby into a more optimal position for birth. ECV is a procedure where an obstetrician manually encourages the baby to change position while the mother lies in a tilted bed. This procedure is carefully monitored to make sure that the baby is not under stress. With a successful ECV, Fiona was able to birth her baby at the birth center with the assistance of a close friend, her husband, and her midwife. She discusses utilising the various treatments offered by her colleagues at Fertile Ground such as Mother roasting as well as taking homeopathic, having acupuncture administered and eating a variety of easily digestible foods. Topics covered in this episode: external cephalic version, breech babies, pregnancy induction massage, mother roasting, acupuncture, birth centre birth. To help out the show: - Leave an honest review on iTunes, Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one. - Subscribe on iTunes or download our mobile app. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode, Breeana gives a very open and honest account of her struggles with severe antenatal depression in her pregnancy with her son. Breeana’s pregnancy began with severe morning sickness and emotionally she became quite unwell. Supported through the mental health unit at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Bree saw a physiatrist throughout the pregnancy and together they decided that the best option to support her mental health was to have an elective caesarean. The Women’s were supportive of Bree’s decision and allowed her to book in her delivery. Thankfully immediately after baby Ari’s delivery Bree said she felt immediately better. Although Bree is extremely grateful that her recovery was quite quick, she wants to reiterate that post natal depression often follows antenatal depression. Bree also shares with us her decision to have a tubal ligation after Ari was born. She knew that she didn’t want to have any more children and that she didn’t feel she could possibly go through pregnancy again. Bree touches on issues of guild and shame at some of her choices she made in her pregnancy but wants to share her experience to help others support and understand antenatal depression in more detail. Issues touched upon in this episode: Depression, pregnancy termination, mental health, suicide, antenatal depression, severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum), tubal ligation, elective caesarean section, anti depressants. Resources: Pregnancy Counselling Australia ph: 1300 737 732 Life line ph: 13 11 14 PANDA Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia ph:1300 726 306 Australian Birth Stories If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I had the privilege of speaking with Lael Stone. Lael has worked in the birth community for over 14 years. She has worked as a doula, childbirth educator and Calmbirth practitioner. Lael is also an Aware Parenting instructor who has worked with women who have had birth trauma. Further to this she also teaches Sex Education to teenagers. Lael has interviewed and collected birth experience data from hundreds of Australian women throughout her career. This data provided insight and motivation to develop the About Birth Online Education Program. Today she shares with us the births of her three children who are now 17, 14 and 9 years old. Lael beautifully recounts the journey of her first pregnancy and labour where she had little to no birth knowledge and experience. This lead to a long, intervention filled, traumatic birth. This experience lead to her to explore alternative birthing options for her second birth. She decided to hire an independent midwife and doctor for a home birth. For her third pregnancy Lael explains that she wanted to draw on all her birth experience and knowledge from having worked in the field to have the best possible birth. Her third and most challenging birth unfolded very differently and challenged her in the most profound way. Tune in to hear what happened in more detail. Topics covered in today’s show: Hospital birth, epidural, episiotomy, birth trauma, home birth, water birth, footling breech baby, emergency section, neonatal care, breastfeeding, midwifery care, calmbirth. Here are a list of resources mentioned in this episode: - - If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode Amy Ozmanhodzic shares three very different and beautiful birth stories. During Amy’s first pregnancy she discovered hypnobirthing and she credits the skills she learnt from her hypnobirthing training for the three unmedicated beautiful births she was able to achieve. Amy was so blown away by hypnobirthing, that after her second child she trained as a hypnobirth practitioner and she now also works as a birthing Doula in the Byron Bay Hinterlands. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop After seeing her sister in law have a home birth, Amy decided at 31 weeks that she wanted to change her birth plans and have a home birth herself. She moved on to the community midwifery care program and didn't look back. During her second pregnancy at 39 weeks Amy’s fundal measurement (the measure of the size of the uterus used to assess fetal growth) showed that there had been little change in growth over three weeks. The midwife was concerned that the baby wasn’t growing so Amy was sent to have an ultrasound at King Edward Memorial Hospital to check on the baby's development and amniotic fluid levels. The doctor advised that her amniotic fluid was on the lower side of normal. She was advised there was 5% chance her baby would become stressed in labour. She was then advised that she would have to deliver her second baby in hospital. Amy's waters then broke as she left the hospital. to hear more tune into episode 11 of the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode Renae openly shares going through pregnancy and raising her little ‘Tinder Surprise’ baby Avery as a single parent. Renae had hyperemesis gravidarum (sever morning sickness) throughout the pregnancy which required medication. She also discovered at 37 weeks that she had pre eclampsia. The swelling symptoms of pre eclampsia coupled with living in another state from her immediate family made for an uncomfortable pregnancy which Renae didn't enjoy. After receiving test results back from the lab Renae’s private obstetrician rang her when she was 37 weeks and told her to leave work and come into the hospital as soon as possible. Avery was born by caesarean section the next day after her pre eclampsia became dangerous for both Renae and her baby. GRUBEZE: Take the mess and stress out of feeding little grubbers. Keeping their clothes dry and stain-free. The ultimate messy kids full body hazmat. Encourage baby led weaning and self-feeding with grubeze coverall, waterproof onesies for eating. Better than a bib or smock, grubeze full body coverage offers the ultimate in children's clothing protection - no more ruined clothes or multiple changes. Save valuable time and money on washing, soaking and laundry products. Easy to use, grubeze comes in a handy carry bag and features a convenient long double zip to allow for mid meal bum changes and adjustable wrist and ankles to suit any little grubber’s proportions. Extremely durable, grubeze is machine washable and can also be thrown in the tumble dyer. Made from super soft, lightweight, breathable fabric it releases heat and water vapour ensuring little grubbers stay cool and comfy while wearing it. What’s not to love? Grubeze has it all covered! If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week’s episode Melissa Ayling from Hypnobirthing Geraldton shares with us the beautiful and remarkable birth of her son Lockie who was born on the way to hospital in her car. Melissa drew on her training as a hypnobirthing practitioner to trust in her body’s ability to birth her baby unassisted with her husband receiving her little boy on the side of the road. This story is not to be missed. Melissa chose to deliver her placenta physiologically, that is without the use of the drug syntocinon. Commonly the third stage of labour is ‘actively managed’ in Australian hospitals in the management of the third stage of labour (placenta delivery). If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode Phoebe tells the story of the birth of her first child Alex. Phoebe had midwifery care through her local public hospital which has a birth centre attached. She had a healthy pregnancy with no major health concerns. When Phoebe went in for her stress test at 41 weeks, the midwives discovered that there were some irregularities with the foetal monitoring of her little boy. As a precaution Phoebe was kept in for monitoring and it turns out she wasn't able to go home until she had delivered a couple of days later. Phoebe discusses the challenges of using a balloon catheter to induce labour. She also shares how she chose to use the clip, (also known as a foetal scalp electrode which is inserted into the baby while still in utero) for monitoring her baby's heart rate. By using the clip Phoebe was not restricted by the monitoring tape that often slips and is uncomfortable for many women during labour. Phoebe drew on the skills she had gained through her reading of Juju Sundin’s Birth Skills to help her reframe the pain of her contractions to assist her through having an induced labour. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, Kate shares the story of the birth of her second son Jude. Kate had planned a VBAC for Jude's birth after having an emergency caesarean after a long posterior labour with her first child Archie. Kate discusses the challenges in falling pregnant a second time around and suffering a miscarriage. She sought help on an acupuncturist and decided to go through the private hospital system at Frances Perry House Instead of going through midwifery care at the Royal Women's. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's epidode Cara shares the story of her son Banjo's birth at Frances Perry Private Hospital in Melbourne. After labouring at home for two days Cara went into hospital to find that the baby was in a posterior position. Cara had her waters broken by her midwife in an attempt to help progress the labour however the baby failed to rotate. After using Gas and Air and then having an epidural, Cara's baby boy was delivered by an emergency caesarean section. Cara discusses taking Calm Birth classes as well as Preggie Bellies exercise classes and how she kept very healthy drinking fruit and vegetable drinks throughout her pregnancy. Cara also discusses the challenges of breastfeeding, post part blues and sever constipation that required her to return to hospital on day five after delivering Banjo. This episode will make you cry for all the right reasons. A must listen. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Emma tells the story of her prolonged posterior labour with her little boy Raphael. Emma had a relatively easy pregnancy, overseen by her local GP and the midwives at the local public hospital. Her labour began with her waters rupturing in the middle of the night and contractions started a few hours later. After labouring at home for quite a few hours Emma transferred to the hospital to find she was in fact only dilated 1cm. After morphine and several more hours of difficult contractions, Emma’s labour failed to progress due to the baby’s positioning. After induction medication, two epidurals and an episiotomy Raphael was born and Emma was able to reach down and bring him to her chest. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Katie shares the story of the birth of Edie and then her son Willem. Edie was conceived through IVF after 5 years of actively trying to conceive ‘naturally’. Willem was conceived naturally as a complete and welcomed surprise two years later. After very careful research and consideration, Katie planned to birth both her babies at home with private midwives. After labouring for 24 hours at home under the care of her private midwives, Katie transferred to hospital after the labour was slow to progress and exhaustion was setting in. Edie was delivered in a public hospital with the assistance of induction medication and an epidural. Willem's home birth took a turn when Katie passed a large blood clot early on in the labour. Katie's midwife advised her to go into hospital to ensure everything was ok and she delivered him later that day with the support of her husband and private midwife. Katie’s Recommended resources: Birth with Confidence: Savvy choices for normal birth - Rhea Dempsey Active Birth - Janet Balaskas Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth - Ina May Gaskin If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode, Lucy tells the story of the birth of her second child Holly. Both Lucy’s pregnancies were achieved with the assistance of IVF. Lucy discusses the challenges IVF, having Hyperemesis Gravidarum (server morning sickness) and gestational diabetes. Lucy was very pleased to have achieved an unmedicated vaginal delivery after having undergone an epidural, episiotomy and forceps with her first delivery of her son Dan. Lucy describes her labour as a positive induction story as she felt like it was carefully monitored by a midwife she quickly built a good rapport with. Topics Covered: IVF, Low sperm count, morning sickness, private obsetricain, induced labour, breastfeeding. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hilary's waters went at home the day before Sonny's due date. As she had tested Strep B positive, her midwife asked her to come into the hospital to be induced immediately. Sonny's labour was incredibly intense and Hilary found little to no relief in between contractions. She recalls that her husband only left her side for a one minute toilet break during the 8.5 hour labour, and even that was duly noted as being too long. Despite practicing yoga and active birth techniques from Juju Sundin's book 'Birth Skills' , Hilary found the pain overwhelming and cried out for a c-section after 5 hours. She then attempted Gas and Air which she loved. She discusses her birth plan (which stated to offer no pain relief) and doesn't recommend detailing your birth plan in this way - she wishes she had been offered Gas and Air earlier. Sonny was mal positioned and Hilary was on all fours for part of her birth, trying to turn him into a better position for delivery. She ended up delivering on her back, which was not what she had envisioned for herself. After 35 minutes of pushing, Sonny arrived. These beautiful images are the very few she has of her labour, which she'd hoped to have been able to document in more detail (being a photographer). Hilary looks forward to a second attempt at putting Juju Sundin's techniques in an unmedicated birth if she decides to try for a second baby. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a long 36 hour first birth with my son Niko, (which included an epidural, an episiotomy, forceps and then a postpartum haemorrhage) I was determined to have another attempt at an unmedicated birth centre birth. Louis' birth came right as planned the day before his due date allowing for his Dad to help out during his school holidays. Louis' labour started quickly at home in the middle of the night and resulted in the birth centre birth I had planned for. Arriving at the birth centre at 5am Louis was born at 7am and we were all home for dinner at 7pm. I used hypnobirthing techniques, yoga, pilates, massage and acupuncture to assist in the preparation for the second birth I had dreamt of. Louis dropped very little weight after his birth and I attribute this to his voracious appetite. I supplemented his first feeds with colostrum that I had pumped and frozen prior to his birth. I used the frozen colostrum and fed him through a syringe so as to avoid any early possible nipple confusion. The photo above shows me and my sister Hilary (see episode 2 for Sonny's birth story) breastfeeding together in my birth centre room just 2 hours after Louis' birth. If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class my online childbirth education course head to the shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.