Australian Birth Stories

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. Despite starting with GP Shared care Claire knew that she wanted a low intervention home birth. Claire decided to start interviewing private midwives to have a home birth and she found a lovely midwife who she and Steph connected with and they hired her for their pregnancy and home birth care. 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.

This week I revisit one of my very first interviews where I chat with Melissa a hypnobirthing practitioner based in Geraldton, WA. Melissa’s story really encompasses the power of developing faith and trust in the body and its ability to birth. She talks us through her smooth first birth but it’s the arrival of her second baby that takes up most of our conversation. She discusses the techniques she used to actively prepare for labour and she talks us through the stages of birth, from first contractions to the way she let her intuition guide her through a side-of-the-road car birth, a calm, empowering and overwhelmingly ecstatic experience. 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 this week’s bonus episode I chat to Ellen, a solo mum who navigated four years of IVF to conceive her daughter, Lola. She takes us through ten rounds of IVF, her experience with Gestational Diabetes and the end of her pregnancy where she was faced with two options: and induction at 38weeks or a cesarean at 39weeks. After much thought and soul searching, she opted for a planned cesarean because it gave her more time to allow labour to commence naturally. And it did! Her joyful birth was everything she dreamed of. However, her postpartum experience was challenging and she admits that the pain, struggle and vulnerability was confronting, especially in regards to breastfeeding. Ellen’s story really clarifies the lengths some women go to conceive their babies and the importance of listening to the intuitive voice within. 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 this week’s episode I interview Rachel - a women’s circle facilitator, pregnancy and birth doula and mother of two. Rachael is incredibly well educated in the birth space and offers an insightful glimpse into the hospital system and the protocols that can often stand in stark contrast to the natural progression of labour and birth. She highlights the fragmentation of the Australian birth system, the inevitable challenges that can arise from having multiple care providers and the trauma of Hyperemesis Provardum (HG) and Postpartum Hemorrhaging (PPH). Throughout our interview she speaks from a passionate, open heart about birthing as a sexual abuse survivor, embracing birth as a rite of passage and roaring through a glorious redemptive homebirth supported by a trusted midwife and doula. This episode is brimming with facts, stats, information and inspiration. Once you start listening you won’t want to stop.  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 this week’s episode I interview Maha who talks about her experience with egg freezing as a single woman in her late thirties. It’s a pertinent topic for our times yet one that’s rarely discussed, hence Maha’s desire to share her story in the hope that it informs and empowers other women in a similar situation. A year later she started considering sperm donors yet life had a different plan; she reconnected with a long-term friend, they fell in love and started trying for a family. Maha fell pregnant through IVF on her first attempt yet her pregnancy was difficult; her placenta wasn’t the optimal size and baby Joshua was diagnosed with Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). Maha takes us right through her special journey that spans three years; it’s a beautiful story that isn’t without its challenges but is inspiring nonetheless. 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 this week’s episode, I interview Turia Pitt who talks about her life-changing accident and her journey to motherhood. Resilient, funny and incredibly sweet, Turia shares the details of her pregnancies and labours as well as the challenges of the postpartum period. Most poignant of all is the way she eased into motherhood with her second son, Rahiti, having learnt that lots of visitors are not conducive to a relaxed and restful fourth trimester. She’s just launched her new running program for mums, aptly called Run With Turia and she’s incredibly passionate about encouraging women to ease into running regardless of their mental or physical limitations. 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 this week’s bonus episode I chat to retired Olympic athlete, doctor and mother of four, Jana Pittman. Her story is a colourful one and honestly, we could have talked for hours! She generously takes us through her motherhood journey which began when she was at the peak of her athletic career. After her marriage breakup she opted to have two more children with a sperm donor and navigated medical school with solo parenthood. Most recently, she shares her experience as a junior doctor, her hopes to become an OBGYN and the very quick birth of her fourth baby. But most importantly, she shares her advice and experience as a doctor and a mum and discusses so many common issues for pregnant and postpartum women; incontinence, holistic birth, exercise after birth, IVF, varicose veins, breastfeeding challenges (including breastfeeding with implants). You will learn so much from Doctor Jana!  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 this week’s episode I interview Blair who tells the story of her traumatic first birth where a quick forceps delivery left her with significant internal damage and incontinence issues. “I felt like birth happened to me, I didn’t contribute at all,” she says. Her introduction to motherhood was challenging as she dealt with an infected hematoma, had difficulty bonding with her baby and navigated the sudden onset of postnatal anxiety. She fell pregnant unexpectedly the following year and actively prepared for an intervention-free birth which was quick, joyous and wonderfully healing, both physically and emotionally. Blair admits that she sought out stories of women who had experienced a redemptive second birth after a challenging first and now she’s delighted to be sharing her own. 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 this week’s episode I interview Bianca who, at the age of 22, fell pregnant unexpectedly and navigated the complex reality of a Downs Syndrome diagnosis. Despite multiple health professionals advising her to terminate, she chose to keep her baby, journeyed through a tumultuous pregnancy and delivered him at 34weeks via caesarean. Baby Oliver was born with a heart condition and spent 12 weeks in NICU before being transferred to Melbourne Children’s Hospital for life-saving surgery. During her second pregnancy, Bianca was determined to actively prepare for a VBAC and with the support of her caregivers, she delivered another beautiful boy. 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 this week’s episode, I chat to Bella about her journey to motherhood with her wife Moana Hope. After choosing a sperm donor and attempting a few rounds of IUI, Bella started IVF and fell pregnant on her first attempt. She takes us through the elation, nausea and worry of her pregnancy, most of which she spent in Melbourne’s long winter lockdown. Baby Svea was born after a beautiful natural birth and while the postpartum period was relatively smooth for Bella, she grew concerned when she started bleeding heavily at six weeks. An ultrasound confirmed her OB’s suspicions; she had retained 5cm of placenta and needed to have it removed. Despite the shock of having to go into hospital and be separated from Svea, Bella has recovered well and is determined to share her story to encourage other new mums to listen intently to their postpartum body and speak up if something doesn’t feel right. 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.