Australian Birth Stories

In this week’s episode I interview Stacey. Stacey took quite a while to get her periods back after going off the pill. She sought out acupuncture and Chinese herbs to try and regulate her cycles. She found this very effective and was able to conceive her first daughter. She went into labour prematurely after losing her mucus plug at 29 weeks. Shownotes 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.

Libby struggled for four years to conceive her daughter Izzy. She was so shocked to discover she was pregnant after a holiday away in Hawaii. Due to previous health concerns related to blood pressure, Libby wasn’t able to birth through a birth center or do a home birth which is something she would have loved to have done. Instead, she decided to go Private and she trained in hypnobirthing through the help of her mother who is a trained midwife. Today’s episode is proudly sponsored by Tooshies by TOM. Tooshies,  gentle on bottoms and the planet. 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.

Steph didn’t plan to fall pregnant. She had just moved to Byron Baby and was doing long distance with her partner when she found out. At the age of 38, she had assumed she perhaps wouldn’t have a child however she was thrilled once the pregnancy progressed. Shortly into her pregnancy, she decided to end her tumultuous, long-distance relationship as she felt she couldn’t be the best mother she wanted to be for her child under the strain of her relationship which involved domestic violence. Steph deliberated for some time whether she should move back to Melbourne to be closer to her closest girlfriends or to stay in her new town of Byron Bay where her parents lived. She decided to stay in Byron and booked in with a private midwife through the Lismore Birth House to have her baby. To hear more tune into this weeks episode. 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 Gabrielle. Gabrielle takes us through the difficulty of having a miscarriage at 10 weeks whilst living in New York. She didn’t share her loss with those around her at the time and found it a very challenging and isolating time. Gabrielle went on to conceive and deliver her first daughter whilst living in New York. After a drug-free active labour, she suffered an unexplained and traumatic post part haemorrhage. To hear more of Gabrielle's story and how she returned to Melbourne and became a doula, tune into this week's show. 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.

Penny started trying for a baby later in life when she met her partner. After struggling to conceive for sometime she decided to go on a planned overseas trip and happily she discovered she was pregnant whilst away. Due to a history of cervical health concerns and surgery, Penny’s obstetrician advised that if she were to try for a vaginal delivery, there was a high chance or uterine rupture. With this knowledge in hand Penny scheduled an elective caesarean. To hear more about today’s show tune into Penny’s episode. To find out more check out Penny's show notes on the Australian Birth Stories web page here: 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 show, I interview Chelsea Thomas. Chelsea shares her two pregnancies and births through St Vincents Private hospital with Dr. Lionel Steinberg. Chelsea was lucky to conceive very easily stayed very healthy throughout her first pregnancy. She took Calm Birth classes and meditated regularly. She confesses that she wrapped up work a little too soon by taking 6 weeks off prior to her due date, so when Jude was 8 days late she was definably ready for him to come out. She had labour inducing acupuncture through the Pagoda Tree in Melbourne and later that day her contractions began. Topics covered: calm birth, acupuncture, private obstetrician, The Pagoda Tree, emergency caesarean, elective caesarean, mothers groups. 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 Lizzy Williamson. Lizzy fell pregnant really quickly after deciding to try and found out she was pregnant when holidaying in Paris. Lizzy enjoyed embracing her changing body after years of being body conscious as a dancer. She embraced yoga and really enjoyed her pregnancy. Lizzy joined the birth center in Randwick and envisaged a water birth for her first birth experience. Lizzy was nearly 42 weeks when her labour started and she managed her contractions at home for most of the day. When her husband left the room to call the midwife, Lizzy suddenly felt the urge to push and she delivered her own baby completely unexpectedly onto some towels she had thrown under herself at the last minute. To hear more of Lizzy’s story tune into this weeks episode. Topics covered: mastitis, accidental home birth, postnatal depression, exercise for mental health. 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 interviewed Lilly. Lilly takes us through the births of her two boys Lenny and Bobby. After trying to conceive for 11 months, Lilly was thrilled to find out she was pregnant with identical twins. After nearly a year of trying, sadly they lost their twins at 10 weeks. Lilly went on to try to conceive naturally for another 6 months when her Obstetrician recommend they try Clomid. After their first round of Clomid they conceived Lenny. At 26 weeks Lenny was diagnosed as being Breech and they booked in for an elective caesarean. At the time Lilly was happy with her decision to have a c-section, her sister had had one and recovered well and she felt happy with their decision. Lilly’s caesarean did no go to plan as shortly after delivery she fainted and it was discovered she was bleeding internally. To hear more about how Lilly was determined to try for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) tune into this weeks episode. Topics covered: breech birth, elective caesarean, VBAC, birth trauma, mastitis, nipple thrush, post-traumatic stress, nerve damage, iron infusion. 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.

Brooke was very surprised when she found out she was pregnant the first time. A few weeks earlier she had had the Nuva Ring inserted as a method of contraception. After she had discussed the pregnancy with her partner of 7mths and the shock began to settle Brooke became excited about the pregnancy. Brooke's baby was breech at 38 weeks and she had an ECV performed to turn him successfully. Brooke had  prodromal labour for days preventing her from sleeping and she was eventually induced to bring  on labour. To hear more about Brooke’s delivery, her breastfeeding challenges with vasospasm and thrush, her battle with secondary infertility and threatened molar pregnancy tune  into this weeks show. 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.

Peta fell pregnant at the age 23 shortly after getting married. Shortly after discovering she was pregnant Peta began experiencing some bleeding from a subchronic hematoma. After several ultrasounds and blood tests at the 12-week mark, Peta began to feel much better and she went on to have a great pregnancy. With little knowledge of birth options at the time, Peta was comfortable putting her trust in the midwives at the hospital and she spent the end stages of her pregnancy researching breastfeeding. To hear more about Peta’s challenging first birth and her subsequent second and third births at home. Tune into this weeks show. 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.