Australian Birth Stories

In today’s episode I chat to writer and new mum, Maggie Kelly who shares her home-turned- hospital birth story. She was 30 weeks when she decided to plan a homebirth and found support and wisdom in her local independent midwives. At 41+3 she lost her mucous plus but also noticed that her baby’s movements had significantly slowed - an immediate red flag. She talks us through the next few days; mourning the homebirth she wouldn’t experience, being admitted to hospital, the induction process and her thoughts and feelings during labour and after birth. Maggie isn’t afraid to share the most confronting aspects of new motherhood but in doing so she offers reassurance for all of us who have felt exhausted, defeated and disappointed after 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode and in honour of #HomebirthAwarenessWeek, I chat to Jerusha Sutton about her two home births and her work as a doula and birth photographer. Eloquent and educated, Jerusha tells a beautiful story of pregnancy and birth and emphasises the importance of trusted and supportive midwives and doulas in the birth space. She also talks at length about her recent documentary, Birth Time, which has won a slew of international awards and is now available to stream online. It’s essential viewing for everyone but especially for those currently pregnant and preparing for 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ash London speaks really openly as a first time mum about her fears and anxieties in pregnancy and postpartum. Ash had to go off anxiety medication when she conceived and she was expecting her symptoms to exacerbate with pregnancy hormones but the opposite was true; she enjoyed a very calm and instinctual pregnancy. She practised yoga and meditation to settle her mind and read all she could about birth which allowed her to focus on the wonder of the experience instead of getting caught up in the fear of the unknown. Open, honest and laugh out loud funny, Ash’s story will make your day (and will no doubt encourage you to plan for postpartum support, too!). 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode and in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I talk to Paige who was diagnosed with breast cancer when her first baby was nine months old. Paige has the BRCA1 gene and following six months of chemotherapy she chose to have a double mastectomy without reconstruction. Upon completing three rounds of radiation, Paige’s pathology results confirmed that she had a complete recovery. It was the best news, made even sweeter by a positive pregnancy test shortly afterwards. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join me today for a conversation with my sister, Hilary. She recently gave birth to her daughter, Rhoda, and I was in the birth centre from the moment her waters broke. It was the first birth I’ve ever attended and such a precious experience (although I think it confirmed that I wouldn’t be the best doula). I had a few roles on the day: support sister, photographer and baby catcher. Needless to say, it was unforgettable. We chat about Hilary’s first birth (you can hear it at length if you scroll right back to episode 2), her missed miscarriage and secondary infertility and we take you step by step through her labour. We had a lot of fun recording it so we hope you enjoy listening to our sisterly banter. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Abby bravely shares her journey with infertility. Abby was diagnosed with endometriosis at 17 but it wasn’t until she was in her early thirties that she started actively trying to fall pregnant. Her egg count and quality was excellent but her endometriosis posed significant complications. Abby takes us through the physical and emotional pain of her journey, the comfort in talking to other women on the same path and the light that came with her very last embryo, baby Remielle. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode, I chat to Emma @emmaisaacs for the second time (you can hear all about her first five births in episode 73). Today she shares the story of her home birth in LA when the pandemic was at its peak and the Black Lives Matter riots could be heard from her house. She made the decision to live stream the final hours of her labour on Instagram in the hope that it would shift the perception of birth for her viewers. She didn’t know it at the time, but 60,000 people tuned in, sent heartfelt messages of love and awe, and watched her give birth to her baby boy, Louis. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s episode is different from most because Em didn’t realise she was pregnant until she birthed her baby. After going to her GP in January complaining of abdominal bloating, she was encouraged to limit fast foods and take a multivitamin. A month later she was told that she was experiencing bloating due to stress. In early April, after working all day and experiencing severe pains, she started bleeding and went to the hospital. The doctor in Emergency presumed she had a heavy period but less than twenty minutes later she had birthed her baby boy who was born en caul. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode I interview Hollie who shares her inspiring twin birth story. She speaks beautifully about her pregnancy and birth experiences, which includes gestational diabetes, continuity of care with midwives and the valuable role of passionate student midwives. Hollie’s partner, Hayley, carried their first baby and experienced a straightforward induced labour and birth. Ten months later, Hollie gave birth to their daughter. Hollie never expected for her next round of IVF to be a successful first go, she also never expected to fall pregnant with identical MCDA (one placenta, two sacs) twins. 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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s episode Tara shares her intuitive journey to motherhood and the power of family-centred birth. She was working in the air force during her first pregnancy and was denied the opportunity to have a home birth as the Defense Force policy dictated care from a private obstetrician. Her pregnancy was stressful; she experienced workplace bullying and harassment which led to an official medical discharge during maternity leave. Her second pregnancy was a completely different experience and she planned and experienced a glorious family-centred homebirth supported by midwives. At three months postpartum after suffering low milk supply, she made the decision to have her breast implants removed. She fed her baby four hours post-op and her milk supply immediately increased, so much so that she could express 100ml from each breast.    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 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.