Australian Birth Stories

In today’s episode Sonja takes us through her two pregnancies and births but also talks at length about her pelvic pain. She’s been diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome which was exacerbated after birth and especially when her menstrual cycle returned. Her symptoms were very similar to a prolapse - a heaviness and dragging sensation in her rectum - but she also experiences sharp, debilitating pain that can last for up to an hour and significantly affects her day to day life. She is planning for a laparoscopy to investigate endometriosis and talks about the importance of specialist care and the comfort she finds in  the stories of other women. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s such a pleasure to welcome Heidi back onto the show. You can listen to Heidi’s first two births in episode 126. Today, she shares the journey of her third pregnancy and birth, offering a unique perspective as a nutritionist and dietitian. Heidi opens up about the long road to conceiving her son, Philip, emphasising how important it was for her to feel both emotionally and physically prepared to welcome a new life into her family. We’re celebrating Spring with a spring time sale! Enjoy 20% off our online courses: The Birth Class was $249 now $199 The Birth Bundle was $349 now $279 Discovering Motherhood was $119 now $95 Welcome to the First Trimester was $67 now $53 Just use code ‘SPRING24‘ at checkout. Hurry – this offer is only valid until 31 October 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You can listen to Beth’s first birth story in episode 254 and today she shares her second pregnancy and birth story - from the perspective of a midwife and a mother. After moving interstate, Beth had two hospitals to choose from and halfway through her pregnancy, intuition dictated she change from one to the other. While she had beautiful care through the midwifery clinic, she talks about the consistent conversations about her ‘big baby’ and she takes us through the process of trusting herself, tuning out of doubtful comments and declining suggestions for growth scans and induction. Her labour was a mental game and Beth details it beautifully, especially the mother/midwife tussle and the profound difference a reassuring, trusting care provider can make to labour progression and a woman-centred birth._________ We’re celebrating Spring with a spring time sale! Enjoy 20% off our online courses for a limited time. The Birth Class was $249 now $199 The Birth Bundle was $349 now $279 Discovering Motherhood was $119 now $95 Welcome to the First Trimester was $67 now $53 Just use code 'SPRING24' at checkout. Hurry - this offer is only valid until 31 October 2024.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes we hear so much about birth - all kinds of births - that we can forget it is a normal, biological process. In today’s episode, Emily’s experience reiterates the ease of physiological birth - both at home with a single baby, and in hospital with twins. She is honest from the get-go when she admits that she wasn’t even sure she wanted to be a parent but we follow her journey of acceptance, the grief of misscarriage, the trust in her body and the preparation she did to lean into her intuition and birth all three babies with a profound sense of faith in her breath and body. If you’re currently in a period of doubt and fear (both very normal experiences in pregnancy), you’ll find so much comfort in this episode. ______ What makes The Birth Class so unique? Instead of learning from one person with one perspective, we’ve gathered nine perinatal health specialists to take you through everything you need to know about labour and birth. Evidence based information is key to thorough preparation. In The Birth Class you’ll learn from:5 midwives and an obstetrician, a women’s health physiotherapist, yoga teacher and birth doula.Listen in your own time and as many times as you like so you understand: the process of labour and the hormones involved the benefits and risks of interventions your pain-relief options what happens in an emergency caesarean what to expect in the hours after birth active preparation for a VBAC Plus, you’ll be taught practical birth skills that will help you navigate the twists and turns of labour. The Birth Class is accessible birth education that’s both conversational and wise. Best of all, it will start a conversation with you and your support person so you can both feel prepared and confident to make informed choices; the foundation of a positive birth experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.