In today’s episode, Meg shares her two positive inductions. She fell pregnant at 39 with her first baby yet her advanced maternal age (AMA) didn’t affect her care options or her birth choices. She knew she wanted continuity of care and accessed the MGP programme at her local hospital alongside the support of a student midwife. Her induced labour was relatively quick but she admits that the second (pushing) stage was her greatest challenge. In her second pregnancy she embraced the lessons shared in The Birth Class and loved the guidance and direction of her midwife while birthing her baby. Meg ..read more

Laura’s story is unforgettable as she describes the healing power of birth with honesty and grace. She came to pregnancy with a history of mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, PTSD and eating disorders that stemmed from childhood and adolescent sexual abuse. She has worked closely with her psychologist to work through her trauma but she admits that the final part of her journey was labour and birth; she considered it a powerful way to heal and connect with her body. She surrounded herself with supportive care providers, embraced birth education via The Birth Class and laboure ..read more

This episode is for all the women who have messaged me begging for a positive story about vaginal birth after a severe perineal tear. Here is all the inspiration (and information) you’ll need! Diana shares her experience with a fourth-degree tear and details her shock when she was told that she had a recto-vaginal fistula. She admits that she did very little birth preparation and was happy to go with the flow but when it was time to birth her baby, she couldn’t feel anything because of the epidural. Furthermore, her baby was born in one push. Diana’s complications made for a physically and men ..read more

In this episode Kristy shares her journey with MS alongside her first pregnancy. She opted for continuity of care with a private obstetrician and admits she was happy to go with the flow for her birth options. At 37 weeks, when protein was detected in her urine and her blood pressure was elevated, her obstetrician recommended an induction because she had concerns about preeclampsia. Kristy’s birth experience was incredibly positive but in the days afterward, when new MS symptoms arose and her baby lost over 10 percent of his birth weight, she started to feel overwhelmed by the challenges facin ..read more

In this episode, Catherine shares her two very different birth experiences. Her first baby didn’t engage and at 41+4, she opted for an induction. After a long labour and an epidural, she wasn’t progressing and felt it best to have a caesarean. While her postpartum was beautiful, she navigated feelings of failure and a significant lack of self-confidence. Following two devastating missed miscarriages, Catherine conceived again and opted for private midwifery care. Informed, prepared and surrounded by a supportive and protective birth team, she experienced an empowering Homebirth After Caesarean ..read more

In today’s episode Paige shares her birth experiences in Gladstone (population 60,000+) where the hospital is currently on bypass for all maternity patients. It’s a huge issue and a prime example of the maternity system crisis (we’re seeing similar situations in Geelong, Victoria and Burnie, Tasmania). She takes us through her two pregnancies and births, including her second where she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes but was educated enough to request a different treatment plan and avoid an induction. At 39 weeks she didn’t know where she would birth - an unsettling feeling - and when h ..read more

In this episode Paige shares her incredibly positive first birth experience. If you are new to the podcast or feel like you want an encouraging story to inspire you, this is it. After conceiving easily, she started listening to the podcast and knew she wanted a continuity model of care. She contacted Canterbury Antenatal and Postnatal Services (CAPS) and was accepted into their programme. From there she listened to @the.birth.class on repeat and armed herself with knowledge and skills. Her labour started spontaneously and she stayed home till her waters broke. As she says: “Knowledge is power ..read more

In today’s episode Phoebe from @thememo shares her pregnancy and birth experience. The first-half of her pregnancy was relatively smooth but at her 20 week scan the sonographer noticed that her cervix had shortened significantly and she was promptly taken to the maternity unit in a wheelchair. She was officially diagnosed with an insufficient (also known as incompetent) cervix and a week later she had a cervical stitch put in and was on strict bedrest till 28 weeks. Under the care of a private obstetrician, she opted to be induced at 38 weeks and after labour began she chose to have an epidura ..read more

In this episode Dani shares her two birth experiences and compares induced labour to a spontaneous one. She admits that when we went in for an induction with her first baby, she had no idea that it can often result in a more painful labour and intervention. In her second pregnancy she decided to do everything she could to inform herself and prepare for a physiological birth. As well as talking in detail about the skills she used in her births, she also shares her experience with hip dysplasia as both her babies were diagnosed days after birth.  It's here! My new book, The Complete Au ..read more

In this episode I chat to Mel Wilson who shares her two birth experiences alongside her challenging postpartum periods. Her first birth was an emergency caesarean under general anaesthetic which left her with lots of unanswered questions. She talks in detail about the lack of connection she experienced with her firstborn and the subsequent dismay and guilt she carried throughout postpartum. She opted for a planned caesarean with her second baby despite being persistently encouraged to attempt a VBAC. When her baby was five months old her marriage broke down and she shares the overwhelm and sil ..read more