Guardian Doula’s Diary

Send us Fan Mail“PUSHHHHH! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…”Sound familiar? That’s coached pushing - when you’re told how and when to push during labour. Sometimes it’s helpful… sometimes it’s not… and sometimes, it’s just a hospital trying to beat the clock 🕒In this episode, I’m breaking down: 👉 What coached pushing actually is 👉 When it can be a game-changer (hello, avoiding forceps 🙌) 👉 When it can backfire — and disconnect you from your body 👉 What to do instead if it doesn’t feel right 👉 How having a doula by your side can make all the differenceThis isn’t about “good or bad” - it’s about informed choices and timing. 🎯🎧 Hit play and let’s talk about one of the most misunderstood parts of labour.Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThe end of your pregnancy is here, finally. The last stretch!You’ve done all the prep. You’re informed, empowered, and ready for your unmedicated birth. But...There’s one vital piece that often gets overlooked – and it’s not about your pain threshold or the perfect birth playlist.In this episode, I’m diving into the mental game that matters most in the final weeks of pregnancy – the one that can either set you up for a spontaneous, physiological birth… or lead to interventions you didn’t want.If you're nearing your due date and feeling done, impatient, or even a little defeated – this is the mindset shift you need. Because how you wait can shape how you birth. Let’s talk about the quiet, crucial battle of late pregnancy – and how to win it.Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailHave you heard this myth before?👉 “When you feel like you can’t do it anymore, it means you’re in transition – and baby’s almost here!”Me too. More times than I count!And sometimes that’s true…But - other times, you still have a while to go.And when the labour isn’t nearly over yet, that belief can really mess with your head.So in today’s new podcast episode, I’m busting this common myth wide open. We’ll talk about:👉 What the “I can’t do this” moment actually means👉 Why it doesn’t always signal the end👉 How to reframe that moment and keep going👉 How a doula helps when you hit the wallThis one is practical, and empowering – especially if you’re preparing for a physiological birth and want to know what to expect mentally and emotionally.Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIf you’ve ever wondered what specific, practical things I actually DO as a doula, and thought “do doulas just help with breathing?!”... Then this episode is for you! 👇In today’s chat, I walk you through what I actually do for my clients during pregnancy, birth and postpartum – and how it makes a very real, evidence-backed difference.Including: What my support actually looks like throughout your pregnancy + during your birth Real stories from real births (like breech babies, operating room saves, and emotional pep talks that changed everything) What continuity and trust can be like in the thick of labour What I do after the birth that helps you land softly into motherhoodThis one’s honest, super practical, and full of heart. If you’re pregnant or planning to be, you need this in your ears.Share with a mama who needs to know what real doula support looks like! 💛Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail"Do I really need a doula if… (insert your situation here)?"This is a common question I get as a doula - and in this episode, I’m walking you through the honest, evidence-backed answer.Because you might have wondered, "do I *really* need a doula if...": 👉 If I've got a supportive partner…? 👉 Or if I'm having a home-birth…? 👉 Or if I'm in the MGP…? 👉 Or if I've given birth before…? 👉 Or if my pregnancy is low risk (or high risk!)…?👉 Or if I don't want strangers in my room...?I walk through each of the questions I often hear from women who are unsure whether hiring a doula is still worthwhile - and gently unpack each one. Together, we explore why having a doula remains one of the most powerful choices you can make for yourself, your baby, and your birth story.If you’ve ever wondered whether hiring a doula is “worth it,” this episode is a must-listen.Let’s set the record straight - and get you feeling clear, confident, and supported heading into birth.Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailLet’s talk about something LOTS of women are nervous about, but few women talk about enough… perineal tearing.How common is it? Can you actually prevent it? What really causes it — and what doesn’t?Tearing is something I VERY often find my clients feel nervous about going into birth. But it doesn't have to be scary!So in this episode, I’m breaking down the truth about tearing in birth: the myths, the evidence, and the very practical things you can do during pregnancy and labour to reduce your risk.Whether you’re planning a natural birth, an epidural, or just want to feel more confident heading into the unknown — this is a must-listen. 💥Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailAre doulas really worth their weight in gold? In this episode, we dive into the research that proves just how powerful doula support can be in labour. From shorter labours to lower rates of intervention, the evidence is clear — the doula difference is real. Let's explore exactly what the research proves!4oWhere to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThe first VIDEO episode of the podcast is here, yay! 🎉 And if you've ever wondered, "how will I handle the pain of labour!?" - then this episode is for you.You’re not weak for worrying about it. You’re smart for wanting to prepare. In this episode, I’m giving you everything you need to tackle birth pain head-on:⚡ Why pain in birth is different and how to work with it⚡ Mindset shifts that will change everything ⚡ Techniques I’ve used in my own 4 births and teach my clients⚡ Why hiring a doula is one of the smartest moves for pain managementIt’s about the right support. The right strategy. And believing in your body.Listen to the episode now and start preparing for a confident, empowered birth. 💪You’ve got this - and I’ve got you.Angie,your Guardian DoulaWhere to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailA concern I hear from pregnant women all the time, is that they'd love to have an empowering, natural birth - but they're birthing in the hospital system and they're not so keen on all the unnecessary intervention that commonly comes with that...Well, today I'm here to give you all the practical tips and tricks to improve your odds of the birth of your dreams.So many people believe the myth that "birth is outside your control, so you may as well not put anything in place". What a load of rubbish! That couldn't be further from the truth. Helping women have the births of their dreams, no matter where they're birthing, is my bread and butter. So I can't wait to unpack all of this and help you navigate it all with confidence!Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailToday, my past client, Claire, shares the positive, empowering birth story of her first baby.Now as a side-note, recently, I was chatting to another client who was worried about a complication she'd encountered in her pregnancy. I sent her all sorts of super reassuring evidence. (I'm talking, a studies that looked at over 500,000 women with this complication, and 99.5% of them went on to have no issues whatsoever.) Sounds like it'd be reassuring right?Well, it was, but she called me up a few days later, sounding like her whole perspective had changed and a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She said to me "Ange... I spoke to my care providers and they told me a story of a past mother who had this same condition, and she was totally fine. I feel SO much better about everything now."At first my brain started ticking, struggling to understand why a story of one woman's great result was more reassuring than a study where 99.5% of 500,000 women had great results. But then, my face turned into a smile, and I remembered the profound power of story telling. And I remember why I so love interviewing past clients on their birth stories.There's something so precious, so encouraging about hearing the stories of other women. There's an ancient desire inside of us all as human beings, to hear stories of those who have gone before us.That's what these birth stories are all about. If other women can birth with joy and positivity, you can too. I hope this story inspires and excites you for what's possible.Enjoy it, beautiful xWhere to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailHave you ever wondered whether midwives don't like doulas? Do you *really* need a doula if you have a midwife? How are the roles different? In today's episode, Abby Sidery (seasoned midwife & mum to 2) answer these questions & more, as we chat all things midwives + doulas.The evidence shows that midwives & doulas working together brings improved birth outcomes for women. So understanding their complementary roles is a HUGE part of putting together a great birth team and setting yourself up for a great birth!Enjoy! :)My website: guardiandoula.com.auMy Instagram: @guardian.doulaAbby's website: birthcircle.com.au Abby's Instagram: @birthcirclesydneyWhere to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailLeaving at the right time for the hospital is crucial. But have you ever wondered how the heck you're supposed to know?!. Leave too early? Cascade of intervention. 🙃Leave too late? Carpark birth. 😬See why finding the "sweet spot" is huge? 💡😂In this episode, I'm going to share some tips and frameworks to help you navigate this so you can pick your timing confidently. 💪Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailOkay mama's, time for a heart to heart. This message is SO freaking important. 🙌People pleasing is such a common struggle that women face throughout their lives - and it often affects your pregnancy and postpartum. 😔I've seen & experienced the negative impact of this in my own life, and I've seen it impact my clients. I'm telling you - overcoming the need to please everyone is absolutely crucial to set yourself up well for a beautiful birth and postpartum experience - so let's unpack this today. I want you to feel super clear + confident after this episode, so you're well set up to tackle this thing mama. 💪💪💪Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailSo last week we heard my lovely past client Amber's beautifully remeptive VBAC birth story (episode 17 if you haven't listened yet!), but today, I wanted to focus on HOW to have a VBAC.Something that should be so straightforward, is unfortunately anything but that.Today, Sammy and I unpack it all and hopefully you'll have a much clearer understanding of what you can do to improve your odds!Enjoy! Hope it's helpful!PS. Please remember that absolutely none of this is to be taken as medical advice, rather this is just information to supplement your own research and conversations with a midwife or healthcare provider that you know and trust.References:AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare). (2021). Australia's Mothers and Babies 2021: Summary Report. Canberra: AIHW.ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists). (2017). Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (Practice Bulletin No. 184).Dahlen, H., Tracy, S., Bisits, A., Brown, C., & Thornton, C. (2011). Rates of obstetric intervention among low-risk women giving birth in private and public hospitals in NSW: a population-based descriptive study. BMJ Open, 1(1), e000002.Guise, J. M., Denman, M. A., Emeis, C., et al. (2010). Vaginal birth after cesarean: new insights. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 191.Hodnett, E. D., Gates, S., Hofmeyr, G. J., & Sakala, C. (2013). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (7).McKenzie, C., & Toohey, J. (2022). Home Birth and VBAC: A review of outcomes in Australia. Australian Midwifery Journal, 35(2), 17-23.Shorten, A., Shorten, B., Keogh, J., West, S., & Morris, J. (2018). Making choices for childbirth: a randomized controlled trial of a decision-aid for informed birth after cesarean. Birth, 31(1), 28-36.Simkin, P., 2021. DONA Birth Position Paper, DONA.org. Available at: <https://www.dona.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/DONA-Birth-Position-Paper-FINAL.pdf>.Klaus, M. H., Kennell, J. H., & Klaus, P. H. (1993). Mothering the mother: How a doula can help you have a shorter, easier, and healthier birth. Addison-Wesley.Kenneth J. Gruber, Susan H. Cupito, Christina F. Dobson, Impact of Doulas on Healthy Birth Outcomes, J Perinat Educ. 2013.Nursing The System (n.d.) Health policy is not evidence-based. Available at: https://www.nursingthesystem.com/post/health-policy-is-not-evidence-basedAmerican Academy of Family Physicians (1999) ‘Clinical policies: Are they evidence-based?’, Family Practice Management, March 1999. Available at: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/fpm/issues/1999/0300/p28.html Black, N. (2004) ‘Evidence-based policy: Proceed with care’, Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 10(2), pp. 239-244. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1120888/ (Balas, E.A. and Boren, S.A. (2000) ‘Managing clinical knowledge for healthcare improvements’, Yearbook of Medical Informatics, 9, pp. 65–70. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3241518/ Melanie the Midwife (2024) ‘Hospital policy vs. evidence-based practice’Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailToday, my beautiful client Amber shares her VBAC story. After a not-so-positive experience with her first daughter, she decided to hire me as her doula to help her work towards a beautiful, redemptive VBAC. She knew VBAC's don't just "happen", that they take preparation and commitment. But she wanted to experience birth as the sacred rite of passage it can be, and prove to herself that she didn't "fail" the first time - that she really could do it all along. And that's just what she did. Amber shares her experience honestly and beautifully, I know you'll love listening to her open up about her journey to VBAC :) Enjoy!PS. As mentioned in this episode, this episode is the "prequel" to next weeks episode "how to have a VBAC". I want you to take the encouragement from this story, and then take the practical tips from next weeks episode to help you in your own VBAC journey.Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIt's an unfortunate reality that with a due date around the holiday period, women are 3-4 more times more likely to be induced (this was confirmed by a study conducted by the university of QLD). Unwarranted induction of labour can have very significant impact on women's birth outcomes, and I'm afraid, it's not usually in a positive way. That's what the research shows. So it's super important to have a solid strategy for navigating these conversations with your care providers to ensure if induction is suggested (which it likely will be, based on current stats), to ensure you've got the tools to make informed and empowered decisions on this. Of course induction of labour has its place. But women being induced purely for scheduling purposes amidst annual leave requests and staffing challenges, is not that place. So today we'll discuss this very legitimate reality of "the season for induction", and I'll share some insight as to how you can make sure you don't fall victim to this.Enjoy!Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I chat to Dr Melanie Jackson about common birth myths that need some serious busting like women's birth experiences depend on it... because they do. Mel is a private midwife with her PhD, host of the amazing 'Great Birth Rebellion Podcast", and a mumma. She's worked for 16 years as a midwife caring for birthing women, and now trains + mentors other midwives. When it comes to birth, she knows her stuff. It was so much fun bouncing off each other in this episode and busting some myths (or, as she beautifully puts it, telling the truth) about birth. Misinformation is one of the most dangerous things about pregnancy. In a culture that over-medicalises birth, and commonly views pregnancy as a pathological state, it's crucial to get well informed. Pregnancy itself isn't dangerous, but misinformation is. So grab a snack, buckle up and let's bust some myths (or just tell the truth!) about birth. Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn today's episode, I chat to Ruby Kellaway. Ruby had 5 kids under 4 (yep, you read that right!) & is a passionate chiropractor who has a particular passion for working with birthing women. So much so, she's undertaken study in midwifery & is now considering becoming a doula too... Ruby is a wealth of knowledge & experience, in this episode she talks us through how chiropractic care can be helpful for expecting mumma's, and generously shares with us about all of her (very different and unique!) birth stories. Enjoy!Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWe've probably all heard of the oh-so-dreaded "cascade of intervention", but what is it *really*, and most importantly... how can we avoid falling victim to it!?Today, I'm going to tell you. Here's everything you need to know about the cascade of intervention. Enjoy!PS. Time is running out to grab your ticket & secure your spot in my workshop! Jump on this link right now so you don't miss out!Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailBuckle up, because today I am taking you on a wild ride down memory lane. After so many requests to share my own birth stories, today I'm going to spill the beans on my experience giving birth to my first child Mali. And, arguably, most importantly, sharing the mistakes I made in this birth - so that you can learn from them. I had Mali at 38 weeks, after a very long, posterior labour. And although I had a mostly very positive experience, there was certainly so much I could've done differently that would've made my birth miles better.So let's unpack those things! Grab a snack and let's get into the nitty gritty!PS. If you liked hearing my birth story + my reflections on it all now obviously being so much more informed re: all things birth now that I'm an experienced doula, let me know! If you'd like to hear my other 3 birth stories (I have 4 little ones!) maybe we can make it a series.Where to find me:👉 If you're in Sydney and are looking for in-person birth doula support, view my packages via my website www.guardiandoula.com.au👉 My instagram: @guardian.doula👉 My email: [email protected]