Ireland's Birth Stories

This week I share my chat with Una who talks me through her two birth stories. Una gave birth to her first baby at 38 weeks after discussing an induction with her consultant. She also opted for a walking epidural which to her gave great relief. She welcomed her daughter and looks back on her birth with positive memories. She then revisits discovering she was pregnant with twins and the shock that...

This week I share my chat with Angel who I'm sure you all know. Angel previously shared her first experience in EP163 followed by a lovely chat around building community which I will link below. This time we chat through her second pregnancy and hope of a homebirth. As her first son was a big baby, Angel was met with concerns around the size of her second baby and whether she would in fact be...

This week I share my chat with Niamh who talks me through the birth of her three girls. Niamh shares the moment she discovered she was having triplets and what a shock it was. At 29+6 days Niamh felt something was off so was admitted to hospital, she was convinced she would get to 35 WKS but the decision was made very quickly to bring her babies into the world immediately. Each of her girls were b...

This week I share the first episode of the NICU Series. My guest Karen shares the birth of her first baby, Tadgh. She went into spontaneous labour at 35 weeks with her waters breaking at home. She gave birth to her little man vaginally and unmedicated and got to feel that sense of "pure love" as she held him for the first time. Karens motherly instincts told her something wasn't righ...

This week I share my chat with Aimee, it was such a pleasure to chat to her again, felt like chatting with a friend. She talks me through the decision that led to deciding to try for another baby and discovering she was pregnant. She invested so much time into prepping for the VBAC that she really wanted and hoped for. After much consideration and conversation with her husband and consultant Aimee...

This week I share my chat with Matti who talks me through the birth of her daughter. Matti was induced, she talks me through labour, having the ultimate nap and waking up to hearing the news she was 9cm dilated. She reminisces about the moment she touched her babies head just as she was being born and the rush of excitement she felt at the prospect of meeting her baby. Matti then shares how things...

EP229 Megan, Twin Pregnancy, Partial Termination (Termination For Medical Reasons) at 24 Wks, Vaginal Birth, C-section, Loss & Grief This week, I share my chat with Megan, who talks me through her twin pregnancy and the birth of her babies. At her 21 week anatomy scan, Megan was told that while her little boy was developing just as expected but her daughter, Selki, had been diagnosed with a li...

This week I share my chat with Lorna who shares each of her two birth stories. Lorna also brings us through trying to conceive (TTC) and seeing her first positive pregnancy test after so many investigations. We then talk through her pregnancy, care and the various interactions she had with health care professionals. At 40+ weeks Lorna did go into labour herself but the decision was made to bring h...

This week I share my chat with Siofra who shares each of her two birth stories. Siofra was breech born vaginally at 33 weeks and spent some time in the NICU. She then talks me through her second pregnancy and the relief she felt as she got past the 33 week mark to full term. Siofra went into labour spontaneously and did want an epidural but her baby was very much on her way so there was no time to...

This week, I share my chat with Lucy, who talks me through her two very different birth stories. Lucy’s first baby, her son, was born at 32 weeks via emergency C-section. After three weeks in NICU, he was finally discharged, and Lucy and her husband walked out of the hospital for the first time together as a family of three. When they decided the time was right to start trying for their second bab...

This week I share my chat with Kitty, who talks me through her first pregnancy and the birth of her daughter. Kitty shares how she felt seeing a positive pregnancy test when starting a family wasn't part of her immediate plan. After taking time to process the news and sharing it with her loved ones, her mindset began to shift and started preparing for birth. She revisits going into labour spontane...

This week I share my chat with Aoife. She talks me through her diagnosis of endometriosis in her 20s and the concerns she had about the impact it might have on trying to conceive. Thankfully, she conceived without delay and shares the story of her first pregnancy and the birth of her daughter. Aoife was induced just shy of 42 weeks and fully expected a long labour. Much to her surprise, her daught...

This week I share my chat with Róisin, who talks me through her pregnancy and the birth of her son. Throughout her pregnancy, Róisin was told she had a low-lying placenta, but the hope was that it would move as her pregnancy progressed. However, at 31 weeks, she suffered a severe haemorrhage and was admitted to hospital. Things changed suddenly, and the decision was made to bring her baby into the...

This week I share my chat with Chiara, who talks me through her four pregnancies and three home births. Chiara experienced an early pregnancy loss with her first pregnancy, which was incredibly difficult but ultimately strengthened her decision to start a family. Chiara chose to give birth to each of her babies at home, supported by two midwives and a doula. As a midwife herself, she understands j...

This week, I share my chat with Laura, who talks me through the birth of her daughter, Saoirse. Laura is so honest at the beginning of our conversation, sharing how she felt when she saw the positive pregnancy test. Her pregnancy was unplanned, which brought a huge shock and a mix of emotions. She changed her mindset and started putting a lot of time into educating herself and preparing for the mo...

This week, I share my chat with Silvija. Together with her wife, she went through a long journey to bring their baby girl into the world. After nine fertility treatments and four pregnancy losses, they finally saw that positive pregnancy test with no fading lines. Silvija shares everything about their fertility experiences, including the decision to try double reciprocal IVF. We talk through her p...

This week, I share my chat with Paige, who I'm sure many of you will recognise. In this episode, Paige shares the birth of her fourth baby. During her pregnancy, Paige experienced sickness and quickly realised that medication would be necessary this time around. Later, in her third trimester, she noticed reduced fetal movements on a number of occasions. During a routine appointment with her consul...

This week, I’m sharing my chat with Úna, who talks me through her three very different birth experiences. During her first pregnancy, Úna was closely monitored after her baby was diagnosed with IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction). As concerns grew, she was admitted to hospital for more intensive monitoring, and her baby was born by c-section at just 29 weeks. Úna shares her experience of naviga...

This week I share my chat with Alana, who talks me through each of her two birth experiences. Alana dedicated a lot of time and effort to preparing for birth, making sure she stayed fit and strong throughout both of her pregnancies. With her first baby, she laboured at home for as long as possible before heading to the hospital, arriving just in time. Her baby was born shortly after, with the supp...

This week, I share my chat with Shauna who talks me through each of her birth stories. Shauna absolutely loved being pregnant and really thrived in the lead-up to welcoming her first baby. At 42 weeks pregnant, she was induced, and what followed were two long and intense days of labour. Shauna credits hypnobirthing with helping her stay grounded and focused throughout the experience. At 42 weeks +...

This week, I’m sharing my chat with Sarah as she talks through each of her three birth experiences. After spending a year trying to conceive, Sarah discovered she was pregnant just before making the final decision to move forward with fertility treatment. She reflects on the birth of her first daughter, a birth she still looks back on fondly, despite some difficult moments surrounding intervention...

This week I share my chat with Gráinne who talks me through her three positive hospital births. Gráinne gave birth to her first baby in hospital which was a positive experience once she got settled into the delivery suite. Following her first experience she decided to opt for home birth with her second baby. Although she didn't end up giving birth to her baby at home she did have the continued sup...

This week, I share my chat with Stephanie, who talks me through each of her three positive hospital births. Stephanie first shares her TTC journey and everything that surrounded it, from visiting multiple HCPs for advice and support to reading a book recommended to her that changed everything. After welcoming her first baby, Stephanie experienced multiple pregnancy losses, which we discuss in deta...

This week I share my chat with Leah who revisits her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter. Leah discovered she was pregnant shortly after a move to New Zealand. Together Leah and her partner decided being closer to home was the best choice for them when raising a family. The made their way back to Ireland and immediately got in touch with a home birth midwife. Leah chats through labour which sh...

This week, I share my chat with Susan, who talks me through the birth of her son. Susan enjoyed her pregnancy but found the last few weeks waiting for baby to arrive really tough. She was ready to meet her baby, but each day that came and went felt so long. She shares just how tough she found waiting for signs of labour and for her baby to come into the world. Susan went into labour spontaneously,...