Rose Ricketson talks with Hazel Keedle, PhD, Lecturer of Midwifery at Western Sydney University and author of her recently released book Birth after Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth. They discuss her research and findings around VBAC in Australia, as well as her work in midwifery. Hazel has more than two decades of experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, educator and researcher. Hazel’s research interests are vaginal birth after caesarean, birth trauma and maternity experiences explored primarily using feminist mixed methodologies. Hazel's work is recognised nationally an ..read more

It would be reasonable to assume that the care one provides is the care one would be happy to receive. But this is not what new research reveals. Today on Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond Annalee Atia speaks with Sharon Stoliar - researcher, academic, midwife and Mother. Sharon received her Bachelor of Nursing in 2006 and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery in 2008 from UTS. She later obtained a Master of Public Health and Master of International Public Health from UNSW. Her recently published research around maternity care providers choices in childbirth, sparked some curious public debate around the et ..read more

Today our host Rose is chatting with Catherine Bell about the need for better maternity care for rural women, consent and communication in maternity care, the need for rural midwives and policy change, and more. Catherine Bell is the Birth Cartographer and creator of The Birth Map, an innovative approach to birth preparation. She is undertaking her PhD to evaluate the potential of The Birth Map in facilitating communication and decision making in maternity services. As a community activator, she is not afraid to volunteer to ensure the future is one of compassion and connectedness. She sits o ..read more

Today's episode is with Klyne Love, who shares generously about her experience with single motherhood throughout floods, housing crises and a lot of grief. Despite being a heavy topic, Klyne has a spirit of hope and optimism and holds a beautiful vision of a more mother-centred world, reflected in the work she does with mothers. Single motherhood has taught Klyne so much about herself, about care, community, wellbeing and complex social and cultural issues relating to how we look after each other, and how we don't. Klyne's story is so important, for all of us who wish to know how to support si ..read more

Jerusha Sutton is a doula, birth videographer, actor, and recently, one of the faces behind the documentary 'Birth Time'. In this episode, Oni Blecher speaks with Jerusha about life since Birth Time; what's happening in the Birth Time movement and where key researchers are at with the aligning Birth Experiences Study. Enjoy this conversation and find Jerusha through @jerushasutton www.jerushasutton.com.au @birthtimeworld www.birthtime.world ..read more

Welcome to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond! Today we bring you a special podcast recorded in May 2020 for World Maternal Mental Health day. Birth Trauma Awareness week 2022 just concluded with a powerful theme this year on Birth Injuries. Our panel discussion raising awareness of maternal mental and other health issues with experts and mothers is as timely and relevant as ever. We hope you enjoy todays long form discussion. For questions and comments on this podcast email us at hello@pbbmedia.org Our live-stream event took place on Wednesday 6th May and was streamed through Facebook live via Mate ..read more

Dr Ella Kurz is a midwife from Ngunnawal Country in the ACT. Today we chat through her work in maternal and child health research at the University of Canberra, as well the term 'parturescence' she coined in her PhD to refer to the opportunities for transformation made possible through childbirth. Ella was awarded the Stephen Parker medal for outstanding thesis for this work. She recently co-edited the anthology What We Carry: Poetry on Childbearing (Recent Work Press, 2021) and authored My Mother is a Midwife. What We Carry: www.amazon.com.au/What-We-Carry-Poetry-Childbearing/dp/0645009091 ..read more

Allison Davis joins Rose today from New Mexico, USA. Allison is a counsellor, educator and researcher of maternal mental health. Today we discuss the ecological domain of matrescence - learning to approach the challenges and struggles with a viewpoint of growth and transformation. We look at how our evolution can mirror the evolutionary processes of nature and how we can align ourselves with nature's desire for growth. Allison's work focuses on this development of mothers' psycho-ecological growth in matrescence, aiming to reframe eco-related distress as resilience, and offering a path through ..read more

Today's guest is Sarah Smits, who joins us from Lake Atitlan in Guatemala where she is learning traditional Mayan practices. Sarah is a home birth midwife, lactation consultant and body worker who incorporates her experience of travelling the world and learning about traditional midwifery practices, to provide holistic care to women and families, whilst supporting other birth workers on the path of reclaiming birthing wisdom as women’s wisdom. Today we discuss home birth midwifery practice, traditional approaches to maternal care, self-responsibility, community care, postpartum wellbeing and ..read more

Today's guest is Sera Smitten, who joins us from Lake Atitlan in Guatemala where she is learning traditional Mayan practices. Sarah is a home birth midwife, lactation consultant and body worker who incorporates her experience of travelling the world and learning about traditional midwifery practices, to provide holistic care to women and families, whilst supporting other birth workers on the path of reclaiming birthing wisdom as women’s wisdom. Today we discuss home birth midwifery practice, traditional approaches to maternal care, self-responsibility, community care, postpartum wellbeing and ..read more