Episode 77 is shared by Jess living on the land of the Wurundjeri peoples. Jess shares her two birth stories today, her first birth experience in a hospital which was very traumatic and then her beautiful homebirth. She also shares her conception journey and her experience of private midwifery car. Having a private midwife for Jess was was fantastic during her labour and birth of Iris, but was also a fantastic support when she chose to go to hospital for her 3rd degree tear....
Episode 76 is shared by the wonderful Courtney living on the land of the Palawa people in Lutruwita. Today Courtney is sharing her birth story of her fourth baby and second homebirth. Courtney was the 3rd mum to share her story for the podcast so it was so awesome to have her back! For those who haven’t heard Courtney’s previous birth stories we recap these in the first half and then she shares her serendipitous surprise, a fourth baby, and the birth story of Henry. This is a beau...
Episode 75 is shared by L. A first time mum living on the land of the Wurundjeri and Bunurong Peoples. She shares her pregnancy story and how her frequent engagement with the hospital system due to her debilitating hyperemesis gravidarum influenced her decisions around what model of care she wanted and hoped for. Ultimately, despite back and forth and advocating for the same, L was unable to access midwifery continuity of care or a homebirth through the publicly funded model. She ...
** We discuss trauma and obstetric violence in this episode** This is episode 74 and it’s shared by Eliza living on the land of the Western Kangoulu peoples. She shares with us her traumatic c-section in remote QLD, and how for her 2nd baby, initially influenced by lack of access to any other supported birth model, she chose to freebirth and had an extremely healing and magical VBAC. Thanks to Eliza for being so open and seeing the value in story sharing. We do talk about t...
Episode 73 is share by Hala living on Kanamaluka country, the land of the Palawa People. She shares her experience with accessing midwifery continuity of care and ultimately her decision in labour with her second baby to stay at home and birth her bay girl Solène in her bath tub - just how she had envisioned. And then chose to go to hospital for a check up after the birth of Solen’s placenta. We talk about many topics in this episode including the power and importance ...
This is episode 72 and is shared by Rhiannon living on the land of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. Rhiannon shares how her homebirth transfer with her first baby influenced her decision to freebirth her second baby. We talk about the opportunity for inner growth that pregnancy and birth can offer, how she decided on freebirth and her engagement with private midwifery for her antennal and postnatal care, and of course her two birth experiences that were extremely different! ...
This is the 71st episode and is shared by Amy living on Turrbul & Yugara country in QLD. As you’ll hear more of in this episode, Amy herself is a fraternal twin and was born at home many moons ago. So in a way, she was born to homebirth! Which she did and shares in this episode, with the birth story of her first baby, Elliot. Amy shares with us her pregnancy journey, a bit about her own birth story and of course the beautiful birth of Elliot. Resources: Born ...
This is the 70th birth story and it’s shared by Haley mum of 2 living on Awabakal country. After a traumatic first caesarean with her first baby Nora, Haley eventually chose to hire a private midwife and plan her homebirth and vaginal birth after caesarean with baby Remy. Haley shares her pregnancy journey, her labour at home and ultimately the decision to transfer into hospital, which ended up resulting in a second caesarean. Haley’s story really is incredible, whilst we laugh a ...
Episode 69 is shared by Brooke, a first time mum who chose to freebirth her first baby, Mana-kai. Brooke talks us through her pregnancy, her reflections on mothering and grieving her maiden self and then her very cosy birth of Mana-kai, labouring without electricity due to power outages for much of her labour. She also shares her post partum journey, chatting about breastfeeding and the challenges of her prolapse. Resources: How to Belly MapVideo of Belly MappingI cou...
Episode 68 is shared by Genna who lives on Wurunderji land. After Genna’s IVF journey, she chose to have a homebirth with her first baby, Freddie through the publicly funded homebirth program. She also shares how invaluable midwifery care was during her pregnancy, labour, birth and post partum experience, especially in the context of her significant prior mental health struggles including at the time undiagnosed ASD, and her ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, and then also having previously had a psy...
Episode 67 is shared by Amy who lives on Gubbi Gubbi country in Queensland. Amy shares her two homebirth stories, which includes one in a publicly funded hospital homebirth program and then her second with a private midwife. We chat about her experiences with both models, her episiotomy and then her fear around tearing, her desire for a water birth and so much more. Please make sure to share this episode or any others you’ve listened to, whether it’s wth friends, or on social medi...
Episode 66 shared by Tegan in Queensland. This episode unfortunately, is a roller coaster & I’m so grateful to Tegan for sharing her story. It’s difficult to summarise Tegan’s story into a quick intro, but how’s this - after being accepted and excluded from the local publicly funded program MULTIPLE times in her pregnancy with her second baby, Tegan made the decision to birth at home, unassisted. We talk about so much in this episode too, like GBS diagnoses, antibiotics, gut health,...
This is episode 65 and it’s shared by Meg in NSW who shares her experience being a first time mum who chose to have a homebirth. She shares her journey to finding homebirth, her pregnancy journey, the birth of her baby girl Dylan & then her post partum experience including post partum hameomorrahe and breastfeeding difficulties influenced by a severe tongue tie. A fantastic episode for anyone planning a homebirth for the first time! Resources: Birth Time: The Documentary...
Episode 64 is shared by Amber who is a mum to two homebirth babies. Today she shares the fantastic story of the birth of Delilah at 42 + 5 weeks at home, and then the birth of Bette, who was a planned homebirth with midwives, but ended up being an accidental freebirth at home as the midwives didn’t make it in time! We also chat about family centred birth and changing the narrative around homebirth and birth. Resources Evidence on post dates baby written by Dr Rachel Re...
Episode 63 is shared by the amazing Alice. Alice is the creator of Halo Mumma, which is a free website resource to support those on their pregnancy after loss journey. Alice herself today shares the loss of her twins Ayla and Millie, and the trauma which this created, not just from the pregnancy, but the induction of labour, post partum, and including a delayed PPH. During the pregnancy of her rainbow baby, Vinny, she ended up switching to homebirth in order to foster a more...
This is the 62nd episode and it’s shared by mum of 3, Mel from Newcastle who shares her incredible stories with having 2 babies after 42 weeks and planning 3 home births through the publicly funded system. Mel chose to have a publicly funded homebirth with her first baby, but at 42 weeks, she was coerced into an induction due to the criteria of the program. After a 5 day induction, Oscar was born. For her second baby, she planned another homebirth with the the publicly funded prog...
In episode 61, I chat with Emma who is a student nurse and midwife who shares her positive homebirth turned hospital birth story. After labouring for well over 20 hours at home, Emma was forced to come to terms with transferring to hospital. We chat about her experience of a publicly funded (ie. free) homebirth program, having a doula, her long labour, the emotional journey of accepting the need to transfer, and she also shares her powerful birth story, where despite having an epidural ...
This is the 60th birth at home story! And it shared by Racheal in Victoria, mum to 2 babies both born at home. Growing up Rachael, alike many people, thought homebirth was a bit ‘woo woo’. Meeting her home birthed husband, now paramedic, they began on a homebirth journey for their 2 babies, choosing private midwifery care. We also chat about the emotional experience of the baby when it is born, its transition to life outside the womb and the impact of social media on perceptions and underst...
In episode 59, Sahara a midwife and IBCLC shares her 3 homebirth stories. Sahara shares her journey to finding homebirth and choosing to become a midwife. We then hear about her experience in a publicly funded homebirth program during the start of COVID 19 in Melbourne and the challenges she faced — she then shares her two home births under the care of private midwives. We go on some interesting tangents in this episode and we also talk about loss and also the trauma associated with a p...
Episode 58 is shared by Sam from WA. She is a midwife of 13 years, who has recently become endorsed and is working privately. She is mum to 3 children, 2 of which were born at home. Today she shares her story of finding homebirth and eventually having 2 of her own homebirths. She shares her birth stories and we chat parenthood along the way. Resources: Fiona Hallinan https://www.thepelvicspace.com.au/Support the show Reach out: www.emdrwithelsie.com.au @birthingathome_apodcast ...