Today on the podcast, Holly, a mother of three beautiful boys, shares her contrasting birth experiences and her journey with mental health. At 21, just before a powerlifting competition, Holly unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant. With no prior understanding of physiological birth or available care models, she takes us through the path she chose while navigating a diagnosis of hypertension due to high blood pressure readings. When she became pregnant with her second child, Holly knew she wanted a more aligned experience. She found an OB who immediately recognised that her previous hyperten ..read more

On today’s episode, we hear the positive hospital birth story shared by Alex. As an aesthetic nurse familiar with private hospital settings, Alex decided she felt most comfortable with a private OB care model. After finding an OB she felt aligned with, she immersed herself in education that supported her birth choices, carefully absorbing only positive birth stories and information that resonated with her hospital-based journey. Alex shares how her dedicated preparation helped her stay anchored in trust when she experienced prodromal labour. She also details all the tools that helped her along ..read more

On today’s episode, we explore the contrasting journeys of Brooke’s two births. Brooke's first pregnancy was a planned and smooth experience, much like her initial birth plan. She envisioned a minimal pain experience, even joking she would "walk backwards into the hospital." However, the reality was a traumatic birth that left her shaken. Initially accepting this as normal, it wasn't until she heard other women who had experienced trauma similar to hers, describe their second births as empowering, that she began to question her own experience and the trauma she carried. When Brooke unexpectedl ..read more

On today's episode, I have the pleasure of welcoming first-time mother Ashneeta to the show. She will share the transformative journey of bringing her son into the world. After enduring the heartache of a pregnancy loss, Ash channeled her grief into a commitment to her health, spending the next year working with a naturopath to create the healthiest, most nurturing environment for her future baby. As Ash recounts her birth, she shares the moment she realised her surges were different from those described in other women's stories. Yet, her mindset remained strong, rooted in the belief that alth ..read more

On today’s episode, we welcome back midwife and mother of three, Amanda. Amanda first shared her journey in episode #45 of Positive Birth Australia, where she recounted her first two home births. This time, Amanda’s pregnancy came as a surprise, arriving sooner than her family had anticipated as they were planning to travel around Australia in a van. Despite the unexpected timing, she embraced her baby’s timeline and welcomed the joy of pregnancy. Having experienced spontaneous labour at 37 weeks with her previous birth, she was prepared for another early arrival. However, as is often the case ..read more

To celebrate the release of our soulful 20-minute birth affirmation tracks, today's first micro-episode will focus on the power of birth affirmations and intention-setting during pregnancy. We'll explore how to incorporate them into your daily life to cultivate a strong, healthy mindset as you prepare for birth. ✨ The differences between affirmations and intentions ✨ The power they hold when used in a daily practice ✨ How these practices can help you prepare for birth and beyond And at the end of the episode, I'll walk you through a simple, easy, 5-minute intention-setting practice that incorp ..read more

On today's episode we hear from first-time mother, Jess, as she shares her empowering hospital birth story. After two and a half years and four pregnancies, it was finally Jess's moment to welcome her baby into the world. With two sister-in-laws as midwives - one specialising in homebirth -Jess found herself surrounded by a wealth of knowledge and support, which sparked her excitement and deepened her understanding of childbirth. Guided by her midwife relatives and initially considering a homebirth, Jess ultimately felt most comfortable birthing in a hospital setting. However, she didn't just ..read more

In today's episode, I sit down with Poppy, the host of Out the Gate Parenting, to explore her two distinctly different birth experiences. Poppy was inspired to choose homebirth after her sister's peaceful home delivery, contrasted sharply by witnessing a friend's hospital birth. Knowing this was the right path, Poppy engaged a homebirth midwife shortly after she consciously conceived her first child. However, as her birthing time approached, an uncomfortable encounter led Poppy to question the support she was receiving. This experience ultimately influenced her decision to forgo a private ..read more

Welcome to today's episode, where we delve into the transformative journey of Fiona, a birth educator and doula whose experiences in childbirth deeply reshaped her life. Fiona admits that initially, she knew very little about pregnancy and childbirth. However, inspired by the profound insights from Ina May Gaskin's book, Fiona embarked on a path that dramatically altered her perspective on birth. Fiona shares her first birth experience at a birth center, where she faced a challenging six-hour pushing phase and the looming threat of medical intervention. This initial encounter, marked by moment ..read more

In today's episode, I am delighted to welcome the visionary creators of the Australian documentary, Born at Home, which explores the intimate world of homebirth. Following the empowering experience of her second child's birth, Amanda, with her extensive background in birth advocacy and evidence-based maternity care, felt an undeniable call to create a resource that could educate and empower other women. When she shared her vision with Eleanor, her friend of 15 years, Eleanor was immediately on board despite having no information on what they were creating.  As they ventured into the world ..read more