Australian Birth Stories

In today’s episode Leonie shares her experience with perinatal anxiety and depression which manifested as a profound sense of defeat in pregnancy and visceral rage in postpartum. She opted for talking therapy with a psychologist and managed her symptoms but she was still overwhelmed at birth when the love for her baby wasn’t immediate. It’s so important to talk about these experiences because studies show that up to 40 percent of mothers don’t feel love for their baby at birth (instead, it grows and develops over time). Leonie had two positive vaginal births with a private obstetrician who encouraged her despite her requests for planned caesareans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following on from her birth story in episode 419, Leila shares her early postpartum experience with twins. She organised a foundation of strong and trustworthy support including private midwifery care, a postpartum doula and a meal train involving her closest friends. Despite her preparation she still had moments of overwhelm; the sheer amount of hours required to feed and settle twins is significant and it left very little space for anything else. She takes us through the importance of ready-made meals, her breastfeeding challenges, the upheaval of an unexpected hospital admission and the discovery of a prolapse at four months postpartum. Leila also shares her twin-mum must-haves so if you’re pregnant with multiples, you’ll love this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode, I interview Shelley who shares her two pregnancies and births. Shelley has herpes simplex virus (HSV) and experienced considerable stress throughout pregnancy which led to an outbreak. Despite planning a vaginal birth, Shelley consulted with her care provider and made the informed decision to have a caesarean birth (there are significant risks to the baby if the mother births vaginally with an active HSV outbreak). In her second pregnancy, Shelley was proactive in preventing an outbreak and had a successful VBAC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth’s newborn baby was readmitted to hospital to treat jaundice which is one of the primary reasons a baby will need to return to hospital after discharge. She had to navigate conflicting medical advice and opinions on the ward which isn’t an uncommon experience in the postpartum health space. I encourage you to listen to this episode because it really highlights the importance of breastfeeding education and having support people to advocate for you. Elizabeth will be back in a few weeks time to share her pregnancy journey and incredibly positive birth under the care of MGP midwives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Leila shares her beautiful birth stories; her first at home, and her second which was a twin birth in hospital at 41+2. Leila thoroughly educated herself about birth and postpartum in her first pregnancy so when it came to her twin pregnancy, she was well aware of how she wanted to be supported and opted for a private midwife to help her navigate the hospital system. Despite going well beyond her estimated due date, she achieved what she calls “homebirth in the hospital” with her twins. She’ll be back in a few weeks time to tell us all about her postpartum experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Naomi takes us through her first pregnancy and admits that she was so focussed on her birth preparation that she didn’t once think about her postpartum journey. Her birth was challenging and the newborn days were full of anxiety, severe sleep deprivation and a lot of not-knowing. Four months later she learnt about traditional postpartum care which inspired her to become a postpartum doula. Her knowledge and experience informed her next pregnancy and birth; she opted for an independent midwife and a doula, planned a homebirth, filled her freezer with nutrient-dense food and employed a postpartum doula to mother her as she mothered her baby. Naomi is wise, warm and a wonderful source of information for anyone who is pregnant and hoping to plan and prepare for postpartum.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Dara discusses her choice to have a private obstetrician and the steps she took to educate herself and plan a vaginal birth. Towards the end of her pregnancy she decided that being focussed on one birth option didn’t feel right so she started exploring what an induction, emergency caesarean and planned caesarean may look like. It proved to be a worthwhile practice because at 41 weeks her baby wasn’t engaged and her cervix was long and firm; instead of opting for an induction, she chose to have a planned caesarean which was an incredibly positive experience for her.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alice, a mother who experienced worsened varicose veins during postpartum, talks about the hereditary aspect of the condition and undergoing surgical removal. They discuss the symptoms, pain, management, surgical referral, self-administered injections, and emotional journey. They share their experience with postpartum varicose veins, diagnostic tests, treatment options, surgery details, and recovery. Parents also discuss the challenges of healing, multiple birthdays, relying on support, and respecting children's privacy.

Jessie, a woman with a history of anxiety and depression, shares her surprise first birth story. She discusses her preparations for labor and birth with a pelvic floor physiotherapist and the choice to have an epidural. Jessie also opens up about her mental health and breastfeeding challenges, emphasizing the joy of being a mother and the deep love she has for her baby.

Billi, a clinical psychologist, discusses her experience of discovering her pregnancy at 14 weeks and her planned homebirth that required a hospital transfer. She shares the highs and lows of postpartum, the mental challenges, and the relationship adjustments. Billi highlights the benefits of being in a mother's group and the value of conversations with other moms. The podcast also touches on unexpected pregnancies during COVID, the disappointment of birth not going according to plan, and the influence of motherhood on career choices.