Birth Time: the podcast

Series Two: Risk Factors in Childbirth and Who Defines Risk? This series topic was borne from the recent happenings in the world of homebirth in Australia around Professional Indemnity Insurance for Privately Practicing Midwives and the potential parameters that they will have to practice within.  Advocacy efforts are underway to ensure that women can continue to choose where and with whom they give birth and that midwives can continue to support them. Homebirth Australia (HBA) are asking people to write to their MPs informing them of how the proposed insurance will impact them personally. Please refer to HBA Instagram for more information: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia Episode Five: Whose risk is it anyway? Dr Stuart J. Fischbein MD Dr Stuart J. Fischbein MD or otherwise lovingly known as Dr Stu, is a community-based obstetrician and an Associate of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. He is a published author of the book “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” and has published many peer-reviewed papers relating to homebirth and breech birth out of the hospital setting. His research on 100 home twin births has been submitted for publication. After completing his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, Dr Stu, spent 24 years assisting women with hospital birthing and, for the next 13 years, was a homebirth obstetrician who worked directly with midwives. Since retiring from attending home births in 2022, Dr Stu has turned his focus to traveling around the world as a lecturer and advocate for reteaching breech & twin birth skills, respect for the normalcy of birth and honouring informed consent. He hosts the weekly Birthing Instincts podcast with co-host Blyss Young and together they offer hope, reassurance and safe, honest evidence supported choices for those women who understand pregnancy is a normal bodily function not to be feared.  We talk with Dr Stu about his vast experience supporting breech and twin birth at home, we discuss risk and what it means to different women and different practitioners, and we pick his brain about insurance, the political climate around birth, money, obstetrics, the system and plenty more. Be sure not to miss this one. Dr Stu isn’t scared to say it how it is, and we are so grateful and hold the deepest respect for his honesty and knowledge. Links Dr StuInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthinginstinctsWebsite: www.birthinginstincts.comPodcast: www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series Two: Risk Factors in Childbirth and Who Defines Risk? This series topic was borne from the recent happenings in the world of homebirth in Australia around Professional Indemnity Insurance for Privately Practicing Midwives and the potential parameters that they will have to practice within.  Advocacy efforts are underway to ensure that women can continue to choose where and with whom they give birth and that midwives can continue to support them. Homebirth Australia (HBA) are asking people to write to their MPs informing them of how the proposed insurance will impact them personally. Please refer to HBA Instagram for more information: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia Episode Four: Two birth stories with Mia Briski Mia is a transformational birth coach and vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) mumma of two, whose daughter Kali was born at home on this day (the day of our interview) in 2022. In this episode Mia shares with us her two very different births stories - an emergency caesarean and then a home birth. Like so many, Mia’s emergency caesarean story kicks off with being induced and not knowing if and how to push back - the next chapter involves her overcoming her obstacles and having a beautiful birth at home. If Mia was planning a VBAC at home today having previous gestational hypertension, Mia would fall into Cat B/C within the Australian College of Midwives Guidelines for Consultation and Referral. As a result, Mia would not meet the proposed ‘low risk’ criteria which would allow a privately practising midwifes practice to be covered by professional indemnity insurance under the proposed changes, despite the fact that Mia had a straight forward, safe and beautiful VBAC at home. Mia’s story shows us why a woman should be the person who determines what risk she is or is not willing to take. Now Mia is harnessing the power of positive psychology and her own experience to guide women through home birth and to break down barriers.  Links Mia BriskiInstagram: www.instagram.com/miabriski Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series Two: Risk Factors in Childbirth and Who Defines Risk? This series topic was borne from the recent happenings in the world of homebirth in Australia around Professional Indemnity Insurance for Privately Practicing Midwives and the potential parameters that they will have to practice within.  Advocacy efforts are underway to ensure that women can continue to choose where and with whom they give birth and that midwives can continue to support them. Homebirth Australia (HBA) are asking people to write to their MPs informing them of how the proposed insurance will impact them personally. Please refer to HBA Instagram for more information: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia Episode Two: Choosing a future homebirth after two caesareans with Katelyn Commerford In this episode Jerusha and Jo talk with Katelyn, who is a mother of two gorgeous girls, both born via caesarean – one under the care of a private obstetrician and one following a homebirth transfer with a private midwife. Katelyn lives in Western Sydney on Darug land with her children and husband, Sam. She works as a doula, vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC) mentor and educator, Kangatraining instructor, and women's circle facilitator, specifically hosting homebirth transfer circles and VBAC support circles. She is also President of Homebirth NSW, co-host of the Australian VBAC Stories podcast, and perhaps most importantly, is a woman whose future birth choices would be drastically impacted by the professional indemnity insurance changes as they are currently proposed.  Katelyn takes us on the journey of her two labour and birth stories and openly shares some of the intricate details of her experiences and how they have shaped her decision making. She discusses with us the emotions that come with a homebirth transfer and how often women feel like they don’t belong. We loved chatting with Katelyn and were struck by her ability to share her story with such raw and honest conviction. She shows us through her story the significance of a woman’s right to choose and the absolute importance of the woman defining risk for herself and her baby. Links Katelyn CommerfordWebsite: www.katelynthedoula.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/katelyn.doulaandnbacKangatraining: www.instragram.com/kangatraining_penrith VBAC Podcast: www.instagram.com/australianvbacstories Homebirth NSWWebsite: www.homebirthnsw.org.auInstagram: www.instragram.com/homebirthnewsouthwalesFacebook: www.facebook.com/HomebirthNSW Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series Two: Risk Factors in Childbirth and Who Defines Risk? This series topic was borne from the recent happenings in the world of homebirth in Australia around Professional Indemnity Insurance for Privately Practicing Midwives and the potential parameters that they will have to practice within.  Advocacy efforts are underway to ensure that women can continue to choose where and with whom they give birth and that midwives can continue to support them. Homebirth Australia (HBA) are asking people to write to their MPs informing them of how the proposed insurance will impact them personally. Please refer to HBA Instagram for more information: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia Episode Two: Homebirthing twins with Bibi Coxon In this episode we are delighted to share our chat with Bibi Coxon. Bibi shares her own birth stories including the unassisted homebirth of her twins, as well as her work as a midwife supporting physiological twin births.  Bibi is a midwife and mum to 3 babies all born at home, including twins in Australia. Her work and passion is in supporting women to have a positive birth experience. Bibi has two degrees in Midwifery. One Italian and one Australian. She has been teaching and educating actively in both countries and in both Italian and English.  Bibi is learning more and more from Breech Without Borders about breech and twins and will be training along side the Global Midwifery Director, Kristine Lauria in Italy 2024 and in Australia in April 2025 (registration link below).  The current situation places twin pregnancy into high risk clinics without continuity of care and without midwifery care which leads to higher rate of cesarean section and often trauma and separation from babies. Bibi's dream is to be able to offer to every woman pregnant with twins at least midwifery continuity of care and normalise vaginal twin birth even when 1 or 2 babies are breech.   Her ultimate dream is to normalise twin homebirth, when conditions are physiological. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed talking to Bibi.  Links Bibi CoxonWebsites for Homebirth: www.yourholisticmidwife.com.auWebsite for Twins (under construction) www.birthingtwins.comBreech Without Borders: www.breechwithoutborders.orgNewcastle Link for registering for Breech Without Border training for April 2025: www.breechwithoutborders.regfox.com/newcastleBibi's Instagram: www.instagram.com/your_holisticmidwifeTwins Instagram: www.instagram.com/birthingtwinsPodcast - Your Holistic Midwife: www.podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/your-holistic-midwife/id1714194516Podcast - Birthing Twins (Launching 1st October 2024): www.podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/birthing-twins/id1768434007 Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series Two: Risk Factors in Childbirth and Who Defines Risk? This series topic was borne from the recent happenings in the world of homebirth in Australia around Professional Indemnity Insurance for Privately Practicing Midwives and the potential parameters that they will have to practice within.  Advocacy efforts are underway to ensure that women can continue to choose where and with whom they give birth and that midwives can continue to support them. Homebirth Australia (HBA) are asking people to write to their MPs informing them of how the proposed insurance will impact them personally. Please refer to HBA Instagram for more information: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia Episode One: Exploring the concept of risk with Kristyn Begnell from Homebirth Australia In this episode Jo and Jerusha chat with Kristyn Begnell from Homebirth Australia. They explore the concept of risk, who gets to define it and how this potentially violates human rights and ethical practice guidelines. Kristyn is a mother of two young girls, living on Darug and Gundungurra country in the Blue Mountains of NSW. After researching different models of care, Kristyn planned a homebirth with a privately practising midwife (PPM) for her first child but transferred to hospital at 37 weeks due to medical complications unrelated to pregnancy. She describes her birth experience in a public hospital as traumatic. Kristyn saw the same midwife during her second and third pregnancies and had a successful homebirth after caesarean in 2018. This experience propelled her into maternity advocacy, particularly homebirth advocacy, when she became a consumer representative for her local publicly funded homebirth program and joined Homebirth NSW (then Homebirth Access Sydney) in 2018. She has since been a consumer representative for the Australian College of Midwives, the Bureau of Health Information, the NSW Ministry of Health, The Agency of Clinical Innovation, the LEAPP Guidelines, her local health district and has been the National Convenor of Homebirth Australia since 2021. Kristyn testified at the recent NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry both as a consumer and as a representative of Homebirth Australia. Links Homebirth AustraliaInstagram: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australiaFacebook: www.facebook.com/homebirthaustralia Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Interlude Interlude One: Hannah Dahlen AM Jerusha Sutton and Zoe Naylor had a beautiful catch up with Hannah Dahlen who chatted with us about what she’s been up to and what’s been happening in the world of birth over the past few years since we filmed Birth Time. We touched on research topics, book writing, the NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry, Professional Indemnity Insurance for privately practicing midwives and much more. Hannah was the very first person we interviewed for Birth Time: the documentary, so it feels appropriate that she is our first “interlude” interview between series. Hannah is the Professor of Midwifery and Associate Dean (Research and Higher Degree Research) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has been a midwife for more than 34 years. She is one of the first midwives in Australia to gain Eligibility and access to a Medicare provider number and prescribing rights following government reforms in 2010. Hannah worked for nearly 10 years as a privately practising midwife alongside her role as a Professor of Midwifery. Hannah has published over 300 papers and book chapters and has strong national and international research partnerships. In 2019 Hannah was awarded a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her significant services to midwifery, nursing and medical education and research. In November 2012 Hannah was named in the Sydney Morning Herald’s list of 100 “people who change our city for the better” and named as one of the leading “science and knowledge thinkers” for 2012. Links Hannah DahlenInstagram: www.instagram.com/hannah.dahlenFacebook: www.facebook.com/hannahdahlen Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld Jerusha SuttonWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography Jo HunterWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/kaftanmama Zoe NaylorWebsite: www.kaftanmama.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/kaftanmamaFacebook: www.facebook.com/kaftanmama BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.  

Series One: Birth Trauma One in three women in Australia experience birth trauma. With so much information flying around on this topic - and off the back of the Birth Experience Study and the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma - we decided to make this the focus of our first series, to bring some clarity and detailed information to this enormous issue. Episode Five: Trauma informed compassionate care with Billie Harrigan We had a fabulous chat with Billie Harrigan and discussed what trauma-informed care means and how it can be put into practice. Billie talks about trauma-informed care being as lifesaving as hand washing and CPR. She says it’s one of the most basic skills needed for maternity care, yet it is the most neglected. Billie has been serving birthing families for about 40 years as a traditional birth companion (what Canadians used to call “the neighbour” and the rest of the world understood to be the community midwife), an educator for parents and professionals, a breastfeeding counsellor, lay pastoral counsellor, and an integrative perinatal health consultant.   She has taught midwives in 125 countries in the skills of physiological birth and is the author of the world's first certification course for becoming trauma informed specific to the perinatal client. She is the founder of Birth Trauma Ontario, an organisation that focuses on the causes and the solutions for obstetric violence and advocates for prevention through creating alternatives to today's technocratic medicalised birth services industry and its astounding rates of abuse and trauma. Billie has now turned her attention to training new traditional birth companions as part of this alternative so that parents have more options for welcoming their precious babies.  Links Billie HarriganWebsite: www.harriganhive.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/billieharriganBio site: www.bio.site/billieharrigan Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series One: Birth Trauma One in three women in Australia experience birth trauma. With so much information flying around on this topic - and off the back of the Birth Experience Study and the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma - we decided to make this the focus of our first series, to bring some clarity and detailed information to this enormous issue. Episode Four: Trauma informed birth debriefing and so much more with Fiona Reid We had the great pleasure in having a discussion with the fabulous Fiona Reid. We could listen to her beautifully heartfelt articulate reflections all day long. Fiona has practiced midwifery for over 30 years. She has worked in rural, regional, and metropolitan centres. She has worked in several midwifery roles including private midwifery practice, birth centres, MGP and overseas in Papua New Guinea and India. She has worked as a Midwifery Clinical Specialist in a Level 6 Maternity Hospital and as a Clinical Midwifery Consultant in a Level 5 Maternity Hospital, and she has developed and taught Midwifery Studies in two universities and at TAFE.    In 2018 Fiona initiated and developed a Formal Birth Debriefing Service using Trauma Informed Care principles at a regional hospital and in that capacity, she has debriefed 567 women, families, and practicing midwives. She now understands the urgent need for deep compassion driven care in maternity services for everyone involved in receiving care and for those providing care if we want to modify trauma by protecting the ‘humanness’ of expert, clinical practice.  Links Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series One: Birth Trauma One in three women in Australia experience birth trauma. With so much information flying around on this topic - and off the back of the Birth Experience Study and the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma - we decided to make this the focus of our first series, to bring some clarity and detailed information to this enormous issue. Episode Three: Maternity experiences, birth trauma and the BESt study with Dr Hazel Keedle In this episode we chat with the awesome Dr Hazel Keedle. We dive deep into the background of and findings from The Birth Experience Study (BESt) and how it has contributed to and informed The NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma. Dr Hazel Keedle is a Senior Lecturer of Midwifery and Director of Academic Midwifery Programs at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. Hazel has experience as a clinician in nursing and midwifery, she’s also an educator, and a researcher. Her research interests are vaginal birth after caesarean, birth trauma, and maternity experiences, which she explores primarily using feminist mixed methodologies. Dr Keedle is the author of the book "Birth after Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth," which is based on her PhD findings. Dr. Keedle is also the lead researcher on the largest Australian maternity experiences survey, The Birth Experience Study (BESt) and the BESt International Collaboration. Here are the papers discussed: Pelak, H., Dahlen, H.G. & Keedle, H. A content analysis of women’s experiences of different models of maternity care: the Birth Experience Study (BESt). BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 23, 864 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06130-2 Keedle, H. & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). Incorporating co-design principles and social media strategies to enhance cross-sectional online survey participation: The Birth Experience Study. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 00, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12945 Keedle, H., Lockwood, R., Keedle, W., Susic, D., & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). What women want if they were to have another baby: the Australian Birth Experience Study (BESt) cross-sectional national survey. BMJ open, 13(9), e071582. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-071582 Keedle, H., Keedle, W., & Dahlen, H. G. (2022). Dehumanized, Violated, and Powerless: An Australian Survey of Women’s Experiences of Obstetric Violence in the Past 5 Years. Violence Against Women, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012221140138 Keedle, H., & Willo, P. (2022). A Poetic Inquiry of Traumatic Birth Through Bearing Witness. Qualitative Inquiry, 28(8-9), 938-945. https://doi.org/10.1177/10778004221093424 Links Dr Hazel KeedleInstagram: www.instagram.com/hazelkeedleInstagram: www.instagram.com/hazelkeedlevbacresearcherTwitter: @HazelKeedle Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series One: Birth Trauma One in three women in Australia experience birth trauma. With so much information flying around on this topic - and off the back of the Birth Experience Study and the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma - we decided to make this the focus of our first series, to bring some clarity and detailed information to this enormous issue. Episode Two: A conversation with Sharon Settecasse In this second episode of the Birth Trauma series we talk with Sharon Settecasse. Sharon is a mother of two young ones, she is a twin and she lives on Dharawal country. She was born with her twin on the Eora Nation, lands of the Wangal and Gadigal Peoples, birthed by her mother Yolanda, a migrant settler from Argentina, the land of the Comechigones peoples. She is the co-founder of Better Births Illawarra, a community volunteer organisation that is fiercely committed to all mothers and birthing parents having access to empowered births. She also runs women and femme circles for mothers and parents on their birth journeys. Her work, life and play is rooted in collective liberation, love, and resisting and dismantling systems that oppress and separate us from each other.  In this podcast we discussed how important consumer advocacy is in generating change (spoiler: it’s very important) and what the landscape looks like off the back of the NSW Parliamentary Birth Trauma Inquiry (spoiler #2: it ain’t over yet). Consumer advocacy is how real change has been made over the years - and now is a time of huge need for us to come together and stand for what we want in maternity care, and to eliminate preventable birth trauma. We just loved chatting with Sharon. She is the perfect combination of awesome, powerhouse, badass activist and caring, passionate, gorgeous human who exudes so much warmth and love. Links Sharon Settecasse - Better Births IllawarraWebsite: www.betterbirthsillawarra.org.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/betterbirthsillawarraInstagram: www.instagram.com/birth.incolour  The section of the Birth Trauma Inquiry which has EVERYTHING ie. all the media, the full Birth Trauma Report, and link to all the submissions and hearings: www.betterbirthsillawarra.org.au/birthtraumainquiry Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Series One: Birth Trauma One in three women in Australia experience birth trauma. With so much information flying around on this topic - and off the back of the Birth Experience Study and the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into Birth Trauma - we decided to make this the focus of our first series, to bring some clarity and detailed information to this enormous issue. Episode One: An interview with Athena Hammond In this first episode of the Birth Trauma series, we interview Athena Hammond. Athena is a midwife and a psychotherapist, who lives in the beautiful Northern Rivers village of South Golden Beach. She has a background in research and teaching, and has worked in many different ways to support women and families over the past twenty years. Athena holds a PhD with her research centred on birth unit design. She has worked clinically as a midwife in both hospital and homebirth. Nowadays, Athena is focused on working as a therapist with a range of folks, including women, midwives and obstetricians. She has a special interest in birth trauma, is the mum of a grown up son and makes a mean bowl of guacamole. We talk with Athena about her work as a therapist, and the what, how and why of birth trauma. We discuss both physical and psychological birth trauma, how it can manifest and different ways to process negative experiences, as well as much much more. Links Athena Hammond - The Birth Counsel Website: https://www.thebirthcounsel.com.au Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebirthcounsel Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworldFacebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   JerushaWebsite: www.jerusha.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasuttonFacebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography JoWebsite: www.midwifejo.com.auInstagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunterFacebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-nowTHE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbookMERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.

Inaugural Episode: An interview with Melanie Briggs In this inaugural episode of Birth Time: the podcast, we have a yarn with Aboriginal midwife legend Melanie Briggs. For those who have seen Birth Time: the documentary, you will know that we interviewed Melanie about the Birthing on Country Project and Waminda. We catch up with Mel to find out where things are at since the release of the doco.   Melanie is an Aboriginal woman, mother of two and midwife. She is a descendant of the Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr peoples, living on Wandandian country within the Yuin nation.   Melanie is a senior midwife and Birthing on Country Project Officer at Waminda, which is a Women’s Health and Welfare Aboriginal Corporation. Waminda is Aboriginal-led and community controlled, and guided by the principles of self-determination.    Melanie was the first endorsed Aboriginal midwife in NSW, and the second endorsed Aboriginal midwife in Australia.   We talk with Mel about Birthing on Country (BoC), which is a continuation of thousands of years of knowledge and practice, which provides holistic maternal, child and family health care that embeds cultural integrity and safety during pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care. BoC is about Aboriginal women from community led by Elders and Aunties, to taking back control for their Minga’s (mums) to birth healthy beautiful Gudjaga’s (children) in a safe space that is centred around culture and then throughout the continuation of Minga’s and Gidjaga’s life cycle.   Links Waminda Website: www.waminda.org.au  Birth TimeWebsite: www.birthtime.worldInstagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworld Facebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld   Jerusha Website: www.jerusha.com.au Instagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasutton Facebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography Jo Website: www.midwifejo.com.au Instagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunter Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo ZoeWebsite: www.kaftanmama.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/kaftanmama Facebook: www.facebook.com/kaftanmama BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-now THE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbook MERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop Enjoying the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Thanks for listening, we appreciate every single one of you.