Australian Birth Stories

In episode 328 Rachel talks in depth about her ten rounds of IVF over seven years. She discloses the emotional toll of 15 embryo transfers, the challenge of seeing friends and family members fall pregnant with ease, and the simultaneous joy and fear of growing and birthing her miracle baby, Sigrid. Seventeen months after giving birth, Rachel admits that she still cries when she thinks about that day when she finally met her daughter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 327 Brigitte shares her miscarriage experiences and how they affected her care choices in her next pregnancy. Despite not having private obstetric healthcare, she opted for continuity of care with a private obstetrician but chose to give birth in the public hospital. It’s not a common model of care but it's definitely more affordable and ideal for those coming into pregnancy with health concerns or a history of pregnancy loss. After Brigitte’s waters broke, she was induced and laboured well before she opted for an epidural. She birthed her baby via emergency caesarean and knew what to expect after listening to the caesarean module in .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 326 Hayley takes us through her first pregnancy where her baby was in a frank breech position (bottom down) at 36 weeks. She listened to the breech episode with Dr Andrew Bisits that features in The Birth Class and promptly arranged to see him for a consultation. After an ECV to turn her baby was unsuccessful, Hayley confidently prepared for a vaginal breech birth with the support of her partner and her midwife-in-training sister. Baby Pippa needed breathing support in the NICU for five days after birth but has made a full recovery.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 325 Caitlyn @missmaysmoments shares the story of her two pregnancies. After navigating the challenges of PCOS, ovulation induction and IVF, Caitlyn was lucky enough to get 17 embryos and fell pregnant on the first transfer. At her 13 week scan her baby boy - Teddy - was given a terminal diagnosis of anencephaly meaning he would only survive minutes outside the womb. Caitlyn and her husband made the decision to have a termination for medical reasons (TFMR). Exactly one year later, after an anxious pregnancy, Caitlyn welcomed her rainbow baby, Rudie in an emergency caesarean. Caitlyn’s story is one of patience, heartache and hope and she articulates all the emotions of infertility, pregnancy, loss and joy with clarity and wisdom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode 324 I chat to Claire @thelifeofclaire_ who shares her first pregnancy and birth experience. After discovering that fertility rates fall dramatically after the age of 35, she organised a preconception blood test with her GP, got her mirena removed, tracked her cycle and promptly fell pregnant. She chats about her lifelong experience with migraines, the welcome relief of an iron infusion and her choice to change obstetricians halfway through her pregnancy. She had a really positive induction experience and was intent on staying active and working with her body to bring her baby into the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode I interview Nas Campanella, new mum to baby Lachlan and a disability affairs reporter for the ABC. Nas is visually impaired and has a neurological condition that affects her dexterity and balance, so her journey to motherhood has required a lot of active preparation and planning. She talks in detail about the discussions she had with obstetricians pre-conception, her exemplary care during pregnancy and birth, the guidance she received from occupational therapists and the practices she’s embraced in postpartum to adjust to new motherhood. As well as sharing a list of practical products that have helped her navigate day to day life with a baby, she discusses the warm and welcoming support she’s received from her family, postpartum doula, mothers groups and friends. You’ll love this episode. Thank you, Nas!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Julie shares her incredibly positive first birth experience. She had listened to the podcast for years before she conceived so she knew she wanted continuity of care with a midwife in a birth centre, ideally one attached to a hospital in case she needed medical support. As soon as she found out she was pregnant she was proactive with organising her care; she saw a GP, requested a referral and made the right phone calls. She laboured at home till her waters broke and once she was at the birth centre, she used active birth positions as labour progressed and birthed her baby boy in the water.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I interview Amy, the founder of the Australiasian Birth Trauma Association. In honour of her experience and Birth Trauma Awareness Week, Amy talks about the physical trauma that resulted from an instrumental (forceps) birth. She goes into detail about her pelvic floor injury and prolapse and because her story shares so many parallels with mine, I also talk about my experience with prolapse and the way I’ve managed for the past nine years.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode I chat to midwife and mum, Luka @boobtofood for the second time. You can listen to Luka’’s first two birth stories in episode 140 but today she takes us through her third birth which was an unassisted homebirth. She talks at length about her past birth challenges and the way she was feeling in the days leading up to this birth as well as the anxiety and concerns that naturally creep in as you approach 42 weeks. It may be a short birth story but it’s also full of midwifery and motherhood wisdom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I chat to Sonia who shares her first pregnancy and birth story. Sonia was adopted from India when she was four-years-old so pregnancy was particularly poignant for her as she thought a lot about her birth mother’s experience and wondered about her medical history (of which there are no records). She opted for shared care with her GP and chose to do genetic testing via Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) considering she has ulcerative colitis and her partner has MS, both of which are genetic conditions. Her labour started spontaneously but was augmented using syntocinon when she developed a fever.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.