Nadiya was just 21 when she gave birth to her first child, Musa, in 2006. Although she was hoping for a quick and stress-free birth, her labour ended up taking 5 days from the first contractions to her baby finally being born. She and Clemmie discuss how her anxiety stopped her from attending antenatal classes, how sustaining a 3rd/4th degree tear during birth impacted her relationship with her son in the first few weeks of his life, and how ice lollies were an important part of her...

Michelle chose to give birth privately after researching all the options available to her, but didn't look into c-sections as she was convinced she would have a vaginal birth. Clemmie and Michelle discuss Kate Middleton, calcified placentas, and how it felt when Michelle had to have an elective section after going past her due date. They also take a listener question about feeling negatively towards your body during pregnancy. Find out more about Michelle's app Peanut...

DJ and broadcaster Annie Mac joins Clemmie this week to discuss the birth of her first son in 2013. With a history of speedy births running in the family, Annie was expecting her baby to arrive at a similar pace and decided not to make a birth plan in order to not create too many expectations. Annie and Clemmie discuss the noises women make during labour, how knitting was used to help midwives and why placentas are so fascinating. They also take a listener question about antenatal classes and...

Mother of two Cathy Kamara talks to Clemmie this week about the birth of her first daughter, who arrived two months early by emergency section following a fall. Her baby was kept in neonatal care for two months to help her temperature and breathing, which led to Cathy losing confidence in herself as a mother. She also tells Clemmie about being a mum with achondroplasia, a common form of dwarfism, and how that impacted the way she and her baby were cared for during pregnancy and...

Scummy Mummy Helen Thorn gave birth to her first daughter in a birthing pool at home with no pain relief. She and Clemmie talk about having an ‘annoyingly perfect’ birth, using a TENS machine, and why birth sometimes involves sieves. They also take a question about pooing during labour, and Clemmie explains why midwives often get excited about it. You can find Helen on Instagram: instagram.com/helenwearsasize18 Follow Clemmie's Mother of Daughters...

Candice was told at 38 weeks that her baby was likely to be born by section, but she was induced and went through a long labour when her baby became overdue. She tells Clemmie how the doctors took her to the very edge of labour before performing an emergency section, and then how, catastrophically, her post-surgery pain was ignored, leading to life-threatening sepsis. Candice and Clemmie discuss the black birthing experience and the results of the MBRRACE report, which showed that in the UK,...

Birth Stories with Clemmie Hooper is supporting the global climate strike on Friday 20th September, organised by Greta Thunberg and the UK Student Climate Network. Young people have woken up much of the world with their powerful Fridays for Future school strikes for the climate. As we deal with devastating climate breakdown and hurtle towards dangerous tipping points, young people are calling on millions of us across the planet to disrupt business as usual by joining the global climate...

Laura Jackson joins Clemmie this week to talk about the birth of her daughter Sidney. Laura discusses why she decided not to have a birth plan, how having an epidural helped her regain control after pain caused her to panic and worry during labour, and how she felt both overwhelmed and underwhelmed when the baby finally arrived. They also take a listener question about different methods of induction. Find out more about Laura’s new project Hoste here: https://hostelondon.co.uk/ Follow...

CW: This episode features discussion of baby loss. Michelle was told at 37 weeks pregnant that, devastatingly, her baby no longer had a heartbeat. She talks Clemmie through how, with the help of her midwife, she was able to birth her baby vaginally and spend time with her before she and her husband left the hospital. Clemmie and Michelle discuss how she felt when the unthinkable happened, how they managed to find moments of light and hope alongside their grief, and how Michelle and her...

Journalist and author Bryony Gordon joins Clemmie this week to share the story of her daughter's birth six years ago. Bryony struggled through the pregnancy, which was unplanned, and was terrified of giving birth. She tells Clemmie how the pregnancy impacted her mental health and addictions, and how she ended up with an emergency c-section. They discuss wanting to be naked in labour, Bryony's theory that pregnancy was like the film Alien, and how women's bodies are incredible during...

Doula and women's health practitioner Maisie Hill joins Clemmie this week to talk about the birth of her first son, Nelson. Maisie knew from the start that she wanted a home birth in a birthing pool, and that she could use her expertise to help her through pregnancy and labour. Maisie and Clemmie also discuss how an earlier miscarriage impacted the birth, and why she took the unusual decision to not have scans during pregnancy. Maisie's book Period Power is out now.  Follow Clemmie's...

Pre- and post-natal fitness expert Shakira Akabusi joins Clemmie this week to discuss how she managed her OCD, needle phobia and anxiety during her second birth. Shakira’s positive first birth created high expectations for the second, but she had to fight to get the care she needed and struggled to find time to connect with the pregnancy. Clemmie and Shakira discuss mental health provisions in the NHS, what it feels like to have an epidural and the unfair stigma around pain relief in...

On the first episode of Birth Stories, Clemmie meets the author Francesca Segal. Francesca's identical twin daughters were born prematurely by emergency c-section at 30 weeks, and spent the first 56 days of their lives in a neonatal intensive care unit. Francesca and Clemmie discuss instincts, how it felt to be separated from the babies and what it was like when they finally came home. They also take a question about gender disappointment and how to come to terms with something you didn't...

Birth Stories is due to arrive very soon! Midwife and mother of four Clemmie Hooper (aka Mother of Daughters) chats to brilliant guests about the amazing and unique ways they had their babies, looking honestly at the highs and lows of childbirth in a weekly podcast. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy