I listen to my client Emma's story of her second pregnancy and birth. Emma talks about why she chose to do a course with me, and the impact it had on both her own confidence in navigating the NHS maternity services, but how reassuring it was for her partner. She talks us through bumps in her pregnancy, and how despite the birth center being closed, she ensured she had a positive and magical birth! If you'd like to find out more about the courses I offer, go to www.better-birth.co.uk

In this week's episode I chat to Ashley Winning, a doula, birth educator, fellow podcaster and mum of 3. Ashley talks about her 2 unplanned c-sections, and why she chose to freebirth at home with her third child. We chat special scars, posterior birth, risks and benefits of an HBAC, and the importance of intuition. It's an important episode for anyone hoping for a vaginal birth after a caesarean!If you want to contact Ashley for support with your VBAC or HBAC you can find her at...

Emma's back! I chat to the Naked Doula about the birth of her second child. Whilst the birth didn't take the path she had hoped and dreamed of, Emma's story is one of tenacity, faith, instinct, intuition and power, and demonstrates the importance of knowing yourself, your body, and your options. This story is raw, emotional and inspirational. Thank you so much Emma for your vulnerability and authenticity sharing such a powerful birth story! We also talk about Emma's new book, the Fearless...

Joanne and Gareth did my complete hypnobirthing course in preparation for their first baby. I was so happy when Joanne got in touch as we worked together back in my old life when I worked in Canary Wharf in Corporate marketing, and I was super excited to support her throughout her pregnancy! Joanne and Gareth planned a home birth, but their baby had other thoughts and decided to throw a spanner in the works and surprise Joanne on her due date! Listen to how strong, in control, and empowered...

"just hop on the bed" "I'll be back in 10 mins to monitor baby" "I can't hear baby well so we'll just pop on this CTG"... They're common occurrences in a hospital birth, but even the most well prepared birther can have their birth re-railed by seemingly innocuous circumstances. I chat to doula Georgie about the common things that can derail your plans for a vaginal birth if you're planning to birth in hospital. Georgie is doula in Oxfordshire, who home educates he rtwo older children and...

I chat to Maddie McMahon, doula, doula trainer and breast-feeding counsellor, about the history of the doula role and what the skills and training doulas receive. We chat about the differences and overlap between midwives and doulas, the value a doula can bring to the perinatal period for a pregnant person and their family, and how their roles have evolved over the years to the current modern day. Maddie is a mother and step mother to 3 children, doula and breastfeeding counsellor of 20...

Catch up on my Instagram live with @hazelkeedle and @drfeeleyrm talking about the U.K. birth trauma enquiry. On 9 January 2024, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on birth trauma in the UK Parliament will set up an inquiry to investigate the reasons for traumatic birth and to develop policy recommendations to reduce the rate of birth trauma. Research shows that about 4-5% of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after giving birth – equivalent to approximately...

We often focus so much on the birthing person's experience of birth, but we forget that birth involves two people... and what about the baby? I chat to ex-midwife, birth keeper and wise woman Joy Horner about how baby's experience birth, and the impact this can have on an emotional, neurological and cellular level. Joy was a midwife for 21 years, and worked 16 years as an Independent homebirth midwife. She now works as a Sacred Birthkeeper, Perinatal Consultant, and Wise Woman. You can find...

Tearing! It's something we all worry about when it comes to birth, but what happens if you DO experience a tear? I chat to independent midwife Abigail Latif, and women health physio Beth Sutcliffe, about how tears are identified and treated. We discuss what to expect immediately after giving birth, how your tear may be fixed, and why and when to see a women's health physio, as well as the common complaints postnatally after a tear. Abigail is an Independent midwife and founder of maternal...

Breathing is something we all do naturally and instinctively, but does how we breathe matter during pregnancy and particularly during birth? I chat to doula and biomechanics expert Shellie Poulter about how breathing techniques we teach in hypnobirthing actually affect not only how we're feeling, but the biomechanics effects on muscle, tissue, pelvic floor and labour itself. We chat coached pushing and why it's harmful, the different breathing techniques and how they differ, and what exactly...

What does LGBT stand for, and how does this community experience pregnancy and birth differently in maternity care? I chat to Laura Rose Thorogood about the experiences of the LGBT community throughout pregnancy and birth. From language, inclusion and care, we chat about the changes that need to be made, and how healthcare providers and the public can educate themselves to be empathetic, kind, and inclusive. Laura-Rose is a married lesbian mother of four donor conceived children by IUI and...

It's virtually impossible not to be labelled as high risk these days, but what does it ACTUALLY mean? I chat to midwife Daisy Kelly about the high risk label, why context and personalised care is so important, and what you can do if you're given the label of high risk. We talk rights, advocacy, delving in to statistics and making sense of chance and risk, and talk in more depth about specific situations such as PPH, big babies and other common "high risk" labels. Disclaimer: The...

Birth & breast-feeding. There is such a huge impact on infant feeding depending on what happened during your birth. From drug use for induction or pain relief, so caesarean birth, mother baby separation, and so much more. I chat to Bea, a hypnobirthing and infant feeding specialist, about what can have an impact on your infant feeding journey postnatally, and what you can do if your birth affects feeding. Bea is from Bea’s Birth & Boobs and is a hypnobirthing teacher and antenatal...

It's the end of another year, and myself and my birth worker friends and colleagues review the highlights and worst bits of 2023, as well as our hopes and predictions for 2024. I hope you've had a wonderful year, and if you're expecting a baby in 2024, get in touch to get educated, empowered and ready to meet your baby! Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on...

I chat to Cherie Seah Flood, a queer & genderqueer birthworker and photographer based in Oakland, California, and the co-founder of the Asian Birth Collective. The collective is a small community platform for Asian perinatal providers & pregnant folks that has grown beyond the US, which has created a much needed space for Asian birthworkers from all walks of life to connect with each other. In this episode we discuss Asian cultural care, ancestral knowledge and racism in maternity...

Compassion fatigue is something which many healthcare professionals experience, particularly in caring professions such as midwifery. Running on a tank empty of compassion can lead to a lack of empathy towards those you care for, which can mean less than ideal care for pregnant people at best, causing trauma to them at worst. It also has impact on midwives' own mental health. I chat ti psychologist dr Jenna Brough about what compassion fatigue is, and how it affects both midwives and pregnant...

I chat to Donna, one of my previous hypnobirthing clients, about her planned freebirth. She explains all the prep she did beforehand, why she chose to birth unattended by midwives, and what happened on the day. If you are interested in the idea of freebirth, go join doula Samantha Gadsden's freebirth course on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/freebirthemergencychildbirth/ You can also book on to a hypnobirthing and antenatal class with me. Go to http://www.better-birth.co.uk for...

I thought I would treat you all to a guided relaxation. This short relaxation helps you visualise a wonderful, peaceful forest. The track is best listened to whilst sitting or lying down somewhere quiet. Enjoy! When you're pregnant, worries and fears can creep up and affect how you're feeling about giving birth. Hypnobirthing can be a fantastic way to help with this. Hypnobirthing is a birth preparation technique using guided hypnosis to prepare for a positive birth. Classes are a...

Intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy or ICP is a condition that affects about 1% of pregnant people. It is a complication caused by the liver and acid bile build up in the body and can cause increased risk of other pregnancy conditions such as gestational diabetes. It commonly causes extreme itching which can be distressing and affect every aspect of life during pregnancy. I chat to Katie, a mother and midwife, about ICP. You can find support for ICP at charity...

Pregnancy can be a challenging time for any pregnant person, but for someone who suffers with an eating disorder it can be a particularly difficult and potentially triggering experience. I chat to birth worker Charlotte Mindel about how various eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia and compulsive overeating can affect a pregnant person, the considerations midwives and doctors should be making, and where to find support. Charlotte is a mother, birth coach, and motherhood coach. She...

We have all heard "thank god I was in the hospital because the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck!" but how dangerous is a nuchal cord, and why does it happen? And what causes cord prolapse and what can be done when it occurs? Cords wrapped around babies necks and cords slipping out first... they sound like total emergency disaster situations! But whilst one is an obstetric emergency, the other isn't. We talk nuchal cords and cord prolapse with independent midwife Debs Neiger. This...

Does your placenta magically pack up after 40 weeks? It sounds unlikely, and yet it's a justification given to thousands of pregnant people who are recommended induction. I chat to researcher and doula Sophie Messager about this possible myth, and why maturation of the placenta may have helpful and physiological reasons. We discuss induction, research bias, and how the patriarchy has all affected births and our bodies and babies. Sophie is a long time respected doula, rebozo expert, author...

Have you heard of prodromal labour or what to do if you experience it? Our expectations of length and progress of labour is largely dictated by what we've seen on TV... which means we expect our waters to break, contractions to start, a mad dash to hospital and a baby arrives. So what do we do when we experience intense contractions with no cervical change, which may last days? Because that is what prodromal labour is! And it can be exhausting, and worrying, particularly if you're dismissed...

I chat to previous hypnobirthing client Lillian about her wonderful healing home birth! Lilian joined my group hypnobirthing course in January 2023 to prepare for the birth of her son after a negative experience first time around birthing her daughter. She recounts how despite doing a hypnobirthing course the first time round, she felt she didn't "do the work", and why she decided to prepare more thoroughly this time around. She describes her early labour and amazing hands off home birth. A...