The VBAC Homebirth Stories Podcast

In this episode, I spoke with the amazing Catherine Bell from The Birth Map.  We talk about how Catherine's birth and postpartum experiences led her to the creation of The Birth Map.  I asked lots of questions about the birth map and the bias attached to some of the evidence. We discussed:  What is birth mapping What are the benefits of birth mapping The fast birth pathway How the birth map was created and born into the world There are 11 different models of care in Australia Over 800 different policies making it tricky for women to navigate the system How the birth map will support you with each choice you may be faced with during labour and birth Facing our fears right in the face, and break it down and make plans for the next birth.  How birth debriefs are integral to understanding what to do for your next birth Catherine is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to birth, and I am so grateful that she shared her wisdom and experiences with us in this podcast episode.  Listen to this fabulous episode now! Here’s more about Catherine: In becoming a Mother, Catherine was frustrated with the 'need to know' nature of maternity, so trained as a birth doula and breastfeeding counsellor and educator to fill the knowledge gap and support other women.   Combined with her Master in Science Communication, this led to the development of Birth Cartography and the invention of The Game of Birth.  Her book, The Birth Map, is the subject of her PhD study into communication and decision-making in maternity services.    Connect with Catherine:  my IG@birthmapping Get access to the free Birth Map game and e-book here: https://birthmap.life/member-access/ More from Ashley: The VBAC Village Insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ashleylwinning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ashleywinning.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join our VBAC Homebirth Support ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Group here ⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, I celebrate making it to 100 episodes!! Reflecting on the journey, I share some of the lessons I've learned, challenges, highlights and what's to come for the podcast in the future (hint - I need your help!) Highlight audience contributions: I share some of the feedback I've received from listeners over the years My Fav Podcast Episodes: I discuss some of my fav podcast episodes over the years and why they were my favs. The most listened to podcast episodes: Some of your fav and most listened to podcast episodes The Analytics: Exact listens, numbers and stats for the podcast Express my grattitude: Without you this podcast wouldn't be as a successful as it is. Without women sharing their personal VBAC Stories and Guest Experts sharing their wisdom, research and time - I appreciate you all - Thank you. I hope you enjoy this episode, Ashley More from Ashley Join me in my new Group Mentoring Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I talk about Vaginal Exams. You may know them as VE's. Vaginal examinations, or VE's, are a common practice in childbirth that involve checking the cervix for dilation and effacement. However, there is growing evidence that suggests these examinations are not helpful in birth and may even be harmful. Here are some key reasons why vaginal examinations are not helpful in birth: Inaccuracy: Vaginal examinations are notoriously inaccurate and subjective. Different practitioners may have different interpretations of the same examination, leading to inconsistencies in care. Additionally, a woman's cervix may be dilated or effaced in one moment but then return to a previous state, making the information gained from a VE unreliable. Risk of infection: The use of gloves during vaginal examinations does not eliminate the risk of infection, and the introduction of bacteria can be harmful to the mother and baby. Research has shown that the risk of infection increases with the frequency of VE's. Pain and discomfort: Vaginal examinations can be painful and uncomfortable, and can cause anxiety and stress in women during labour. This can lead to a release of stress hormones that can slow down labor and make it more difficult. Distracts from intuition: The focus on dilation and effacement can distract practitioners from other important signs and signals that indicate progress in labor, such as the position of the baby, the frequency and strength of contractions, and the mother's intuition. Potential for unnecessary interventions: VE's can lead to unnecessary interventions, such as artificial rupture of membranes or induction of labour, based on the assumption that the labor is not progressing as it should. However, these interventions can increase the risk of complications and interventions, such as c-section. If you are a bit of a birth nerd like me and want to find out more here is an article written by my mentor Dr Rachel Reed Enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join me in my new Group Mentoring Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I discuss the signs of a posterior birth & why it is just a variation of normal birth. Do you know this secret about posterior birth? It's a variation of normal - yetttttttt so many women have unnecessary disruption to their births. YES - even in a homebirth you can get railroaded to transfer early because your birth isn't following the good old-fashioned "textbook" birth map! Some things that are normal and can happen in posterior births: Longer breaks in between contractions (following it's own pattern) Pushing earlier in the birth every few contractions (this is not the classic "pushing stage" it's pushing your baby down and around into position to be born vaginally Back pain and possible leg numbing (from babes head pushing on your nerves) You can be fully dilated and still no baby for HOURS!!! (because the baby needs to come down low and turn around). So you see the old "textbook" birth story isn't the only type of birth and we need to start normalising posterior births! Have you had a posterior birth? Are you worried about one? Enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join me in my new Group Mentoring Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, we meet Briana Mum of three, two boys and one little girl and lives in Virginia, USA. Briana planned for a homebirth with first baby, had a great experience. Had pre-term labour at 31 weeks and baby came around 37 weeks. The birth was straight forward around 9 hours and baby was born at home. Second baby everything was going to plan up until 20 weeks and during that time she was looking at houses and she was hit in a car accident. She ended up suffering from a placental abruption and she was rushed to hospital. She found out her baby's heart rate had decreased dramatically. She was put under GA and rushed into surgery in a bid to save her baby's life. Unfortunately, her baby didn't make it. A devastating loss. She had a classical C-section and was told that any other babies need to be born via C-Section. With baby three Briana looked around with supportive midwives for a homebirth and couldn't find anyone. She was told by many that it was "too risky" and encouraged to birth in hospital. She was unsure during her pregnancy if she would vaginally birth or have a repeat C-section and at 31 weeks she decided to have a VBAC in the hospital and was seeing midwives for antenatal care. She started to learn about physiological birth and then felt like hospital birth wasn't the right path. She started to research it further after seeing some Instagram videos and posts and completely changed her mind about her birth environment. She did not inform the midwife of the change of birth plans and continued with the antenatal support and appointments. Briana went into labour around 40 + 5 and she planned to labour alone as much as possible with a friend who planned to come & support her around 7 pm. Within 30 minutes of her friend arriving her waters broke and her body started pushing and her baby was out. Briana said it was the toughest labour and intense from the start, but one of the best birth experiences she has had so far. Enjoy this episode, Ashley x Resources from this episode: Special Scars, Special Hope FB Page Follow Briana on Instagram Undisturbed Birth with Dr Sarah Buckley Podcast Episode listen here Instinctive Birth with Dr Rachel Reed listen here More from Ashley Join me in my new Group Mentoring and snap up early bird pricing here Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I discuss ways you can celebrate and feel calm at the end of your pregnancy. At this point in your pregnancy, I know you are probably feeling really tired. You’ve got aches and pains and you’re just longing to have that beautiful bundle in your arms! The last few days or weeks of waiting can be the hardest! I know it was for me! I had to fill my days with something. I would have gone crazy otherwise! Knowing this, I like to encourage new mamas to take the last few weeks or days of their pregnancy to get organized for baby, to pamper themselves, and to really savour their pregnancy. Doing this makes time fly by faster and you’ll create special memories in the process! Some of the points I mention are: Be organised and prepared for your homebirth & arrival of your baby Get pampered Switch of from social media Get your mindset right Focus on being happy and relaxed (and how to do that) Make a date for your Guess Date I hope you enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join the VIP Waitlist for Group Mentoring - Click here Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, we're going to dive into a topic that's close to my heart: finding your calm. As someone who's naturally inclined to overthink and worry, I've had to learn how to cultivate a sense of calm in my life. And trust me, it's a skill worth having. In this podcast, I'm going to share with you some of the techniques that have worked for me, as well as some practical tips for incorporating them into your daily routine. I hope you enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning Free Workshop: Homebirth - How to get the emotional and mindset support you need in pregnancy

In this episode, I talk about natural induction methods. I share a bunch of natural induction methods that are shared among the natural birth community and are often discussed and tried. Here are some of the methods I discuss: Acupressure Evening primrose oil Walking Spicy foods Nipple stimulation Castor oil Red raspberry leaf tea Walking up curbs While I share these methods with you I want you to deeply explore whether you need to try these methods or if it is a mindset challenge that you need to work through. I discuss the potential risks of these interventions and provide some ways that you can work on your mindset and take some steps to prepare yourself for a longer gestation. As tempting as it may be to try to naturally induce labour for a homebirth, there are several reasons why you should avoid doing so. Here are some of the top reasons why you should not try to naturally induce labour: Increased risk of complications Premature labour Ineffective Uncomfortable or painful Lack of evidence Distraction from the natural process False sense of control MINDSET MINDSET MINDSET I hope you enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning Free Workshop: Homebirth - How to get the emotional and mindset support you need in pregnancy

In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Claire about her successful HBAC. Claire had the uphill battle of trying to find a healthcare provider to support her in a homebirth after caesarean with Type 1 diabetes. It's incredibly challenging for women planning a homebirth to find a supportive midwife (although the midwives are growing in numbers each day yay!) let alone finding someone to support you if you have Type 1 diabetes. Claire's sugars were under control during her pregnancies and she birthed bigger babies 9.13 and 10.15 Claire had planned a homebirth with her first baby and after a fairly healthy pregnancy around closer to 40 weeks she found she was becoming borderline pre-eclampsia towards week 40. She tried some "natural" induction methods which led to a 4 -day long on and-off labour. She got to 10cms and pushed and had a very high BP and transferred to hospital. That birth ended in her baby being born via C-Section. Second pregnancy Claire found herself pregnant at just 10 month postpartum. She hired the same midwife and had a super healthy pregnancy. This birth she went into labour spontaneously and she shares her birth story and experienced navigating shoulder dystocia at home! Listen to this episode now to get all the birthy goodness. Ashley x RESOURCES FROM THIS PODCAST: Book: Homebirth Cesarean: Stories and Support for Families and Healthcare Providers Book: Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes: Your Month-to-Month Guide to Blood Sugar Management  Facebook group: Natural Birth for Type 1 Diabetics  More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I discuss the benefit of a homebirth - especially VBAC homebirth. While it's important to weigh the risks and benefits of any birth option, there are many benefits to having a VBAC homebirth. Here are some of the most compelling benefits in bullet points: Higher chance of a physiological birth Higher chance of having a VBAC Increased control over the birth process & team present Improved outcomes for mother Lower rates of interventions Potentially reduced risk of infection Increased comfort and relaxation More personalised care & potentially respectful care Increased bonding with baby Reduced stress and anxiety I explain these bullet points in more detail in this episode. I hope you enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I discuss how you can prepare your children for homebirth. Homebirth can be a beautiful and transformative experience, but it can also be a confusing and potentially scary event for children who may not understand what is happening.  Here are some tips for preparing your children to attend a homebirth: Prepare your children: Children should be prepared for the upcoming birth. This includes talking to them about the process and what to expect. Birth videos, books, and stories can be helpful in preparing your children for the event. Hello Baby, Welcome Home, and Mummy's having a homebirth are great books for children to read and understand what's going on. Conversations about roles, pain, and birth: Children should be aware of their roles during the birth process, including what they can do to help and how they can provide support. It is also important to have conversations about pain and birth and to explain what to expect during labour. Be prepared for whatever: It is important to be prepared for the possibility of a quick labour, labouring during the night, or even not wanting children there on the day. Creating a plan is a good idea, but keep it fluid - so you can go down different paths and not be too attached for a certain outcome. Have a backup plan: It is important to have a backup plan in case the children become overwhelmed during birth or if something unexpected occurs. This can include having a trusted friend or family member come over to help with the children, or having a designated area for them to go to if they need a break. Get them involved: Children can be involved in the birth process, such as helping to bake a birthday cake for the new baby or being an attendant for the mum. Additionally, activities can be planned for the children to keep them occupied during birth. They could help with keeping you hydrated, patting your forehead or rubbing your arms to feel included. This will be age dependent on how involved you would like them to be. In conclusion, preparing your children for a homebirth is an important part of ensuring a positive and supportive environment during the birth process. By discussing the process, roles, and expectations with your children, they can be better prepared for the experience and can feel more involved in the birth of their new sibling. Children should also be aware of the unpredictability of birth and the importance of having a backup plan in case they need support or need to take a break. I hope you enjoy this episode, Ashley x More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I share my experience of going from one baby to two (and three).  I remember when I was pregnant with our second baby and I wondered if I could love another child as much as I loved our first.  Or could I give our second one as much time as our first.  Mother guilt at times consumed me and I worried about how to balance my time and love between two little ones.  I also thought my firstborn would be losing out on time from me as well.  I'm going to answer some of the common questions and thoughts that mums going from one to two children may be thinking.  Here are some of the questions I go through in this episode: Will I love my next baby as much as my first Am I being selfish?  Will I have enough time? With the next baby along comes more confidence, multitasking skills kick in and you start to care less about things that felt so important with just one. Limit your expectations of who this new baby will be.  Often the babies are completely different experiences Consider your support circle :  Postpartum doula Hire a cleaner Get your family, friends, and partner on board Organise freezer meals: Start double batching meals (making two serves one for now and one for another time) Ask family/ friends to help cook meals, or send fresh ones when the baby is born Hire a food service to deliver fresh meals Is it hard?   This depends on many factors which I discuss: Support Age gaps Your temperament Your children's temperament Your birth (whether it was postive/ was traumatic or if you suffered physical birth injuries.  Enjoy this episode,  Ashley x  More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, we meet amazing Lizzie.  Mother of two boys who lives in Carolina, USA.  Lizzie shares her first pregnancy & birth story which happened during 2020 when Covid hit.  She had many missed appointments due to the pandemic and the ones she had were short and impersonal.   She ended up being diagnosed with hypertension and was told she would be induced.  Throughout the induction process, Lizzie found it a long and drawn-out experience and after the waters were broken at 6cms she ended up going in for a C-Section.  She had complete mistrust in the medical community after that experience.  10 months later she found herself accidentally pregnant again and knew she wanted to have a VBAC.  She hired a homebirth midwife but felt red flags throughout the pregnancy, but felt like they were her only option for a home birth.  While they were better than the OBGYN before, she felt they would transfer her again so hired a doula at the last minute for extra support.  Lizzie knew she needed to go into labour by 42 weeks or she would lose the support of the midwives, so she did as many "natural" things to induce her baby around 41 weeks, including a stretch and sweep and went into labour just before 42 weeks.  She was in labour and found comfort in standing upright and continued to labour like this for 12 hours.  A second midwife showed up around this time and she feels there was an energy shift.  The baby's heart rate wasn't reading well so she was told to lie down on my back on the bed so they could get a better read.   She found this quite uncomfortable and the midwives called an ambulance to transfer her to hospital.  She was strapped in the back of the ambulance in the final stages of labour.  Her main midwife told her doula to stay and help empty the birth pool that Lizzie never used and they both never made it to the hospital in time.  She ended up birthing her baby vaginally within an hour or so of arriving at the hospital.  There is so much more to this story than I can share here I hope you enjoy this episode!  Ashley  More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this episode, I talk about creating a safe circle of support for your VBAC Homebirth.  I start this episode by sharing my experience with creating friendships and some of the challenges that I've had over the years making friends.  I share some tips for finding friendships with the people who light you up and make you want to be a better version of yourself.  Sometimes we stay stuck in old friendships that no longer serve us, and just leave a cloud of negative or old energy.   When we grow as people we need to find those who are right for us now.   Many people can struggle to find those friendships.  I want you to understand where you are now with your circle of support and how you can cultivate & grow new circles of support.  And as always I share with you my own experiences and stories.  3 Ways to create your circle of support 1. First you have to believe you are worthy of having the support you crave.  Of being around people that treat you the way that you feel you deserve to be treated 2. Put yourself out there to connect with people.  You have to go out in public to mingle and meet people, or if you meet people online you need to take the next step to go out in person.   So many people myself included feel anxious about going out and meeting people in person - but I believe deep and real connections need to have a physical presence - even just to feel that person's energy and hug them.  Or look into their eyes. 3. Be generous and vulnerable I notice that people get super busy in life, especially mothers.  And everyone is different.  Some people are anxious, some people are introverted so they may not like to talk or get out as much as your average extrovert. Enjoy this episode now! Ashley x More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning

In this podcast episode, I discuss how you can connect with your intuition more deeply.  I thought it would be good to talk about connecting to your intuition. And I think this is a really good topic because it's something that is I find one of the most important things at our disposal, that we as people can use and utilise.  And so some of us might naturally have very strong intuition. And some may find that we may be strong in our intuition, but we don't listen to it.  Sometimes it's a little bit harder for us to listen to that voice or even recognize that voice at all. So I kind of want to share my experience and where I've been coming from, and how I've been reconnecting with my intuition lately. You will hear some of my journey up-leveling my intuition and I will give you practical examples of how you can start connecting with your intuition today! Ashley x More from Ashley Join our VBAC Homebirth Support Group here  Insta: @ashleylwinning