The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast

Consent is often reduced to a simple question: “Do you agree?” But meaningful consent involves much more than that. It is about having enough information to understand what is being proposed, having the opportunity to ask questions, being free to make your own decision and knowing that you can change your mind. Throughout this episode I look at the important difference between consent and complian...

Risk is a word that is often used to describe a particular type of pregnancy, but how often do we actually stop to think about what that word means, and what it really tells us about the pregnancy? In this episode, I explore what happens when a pregnancy is described as high risk or low risk , and how easily these labels can begin to influence the way we think about pregnancy and birth. Once a pre...

Where you give birth matters — but environment is about much more than the room you give birth in. In this episode, I’m looking at what Environment really means within the SPACE Framework™ and how the physical and emotional environment around you can influence how you feel, respond and participate during labour. The people in the room, the atmosphere, privacy, noise, interruptions, lighting, equip...

CONDITIONS - What are we asking your body to do within? In this episode, we're exploring the fourth word in my SPACE Framework™: Conditions . When we talk about preparing for birth, much of the focus is placed on what you can do. You can learn about the physiology of labour, understand what your body is doing, practise breathing and relaxation, think about movement, explore your options and p...

ADVOCACY - Who protects your space when you can't? And why does that matter? In this episode, we're exploring the third word in my SPACE Framework™ : Advocacy . When we think about advocacy in birth, it can be easy to imagine confrontation, challenging every decision or having a birth partner who is prepared to fight the maternity system. But advocacy is about something much more importa...

PRIVACY: What Do You Need to Stop Feeling Observed? What does privacy actually mean during labour? In this episode, we move to the second word in the SPACE Framework™ : Privacy . Privacy isn't simply about being alone or having a closed door. A woman can have people she trusts around her and still feel completely private, while being physically alone doesn't necessarily mean she feels un...

SAFETY: What Does Safety Actually Feel Like? What do we really mean when we talk about safety in birth? In this episode, I introduce the first word in the SPACE Framework™ : Safety . When we talk about safe birth, we often think about physical or clinical safety, and of course, the wellbeing of both mother and baby matters enormously. But safety is not only about clinical observations, equipment o...

CURIOSITY: What Don't You Know Yet? How do we prepare for birth when we don't yet know what we don't know? In the first episode of Season 7, I'm exploring the word Curiosity and why I believe it may be one of the most valuable things you can bring into pregnancy and birth. We are surrounded by information, advice, opinions, recommendations and stories, but being given informati...

Words Welcome to Season 7 of The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast. This season is a little different. Rather than focusing on one particular aspect of pregnancy, labour or birth in each episode, I’m taking a single word and using it as the starting point for a much bigger conversation. The words I’ve chosen have come from decades of experience as a doula and antenatal educator, as well as from every...

In this final episode of the season, I’m bringing together many of the themes we’ve explored over recent weeks and looking at one central idea: birth is not just about the destination — it’s about the journey as well. So often, birth conversations are reduced to outcomes. Was the baby healthy? Did everything go okay? Was everyone safe? And while those things absolutely matter, they are not the ful...

In this episode, I take a deeper look at breathing and relaxation in preparation for labour — going beyond the simple advice to “just breathe” or “try to relax.” These are not magic fixes, but skills that reflect how your nervous system responds to stress, intensity, and the sensations of labour. I talk about how the modern world keeps our bodies in a constant state of alert. Our bodies are always...

Why do so many women leave their birth experience wondering, “Why did I agree to that?” In this episode, we explore a rarely discussed but deeply important aspect of childbirth — the body’s survival response, and how it can shape decision-making in labour in ways we don’t always recognise at the time. Through a powerful listener story, this conversation gently unpacks what can happen when a woman...

I’m taking a little break over the Easter holidays, but I didn’t want you to miss this episode, because it’s the final one in our postpartum series , part of this season on The Reality of Birth .  Across this series, we’ve explored what life is really like after birth—the joys, the challenges, the surprises, and all the moments in between. We’ve talked about sleep, emotional shifts, body changes,...

Motherhood is more than a role—it’s a profound transformation. In this episode, I explore matrescence , the process of becoming a mother, and what it really means for your body, your relationships, and your sense of self. I talk openly about reconnecting with your postpartum body, navigating intimacy and sex after birth, and adjusting to the new dynamics in your relationship. I share reflections o...

Bringing a new baby into your family is often described as a joyful and exciting time — but the reality is far more complex. In this episode, I share an honest, real-world look at what it’s like to welcome a newborn into your home and your family , whether this is your first baby or you already have children. We explore the emotional, physical, and practical realities of the early weeks — from sle...

Since last week’s episode was released, I’ve received so many messages from listeners asking for more information about the fourth trimester and postpartum planning that I decided to record this extra episode to explore these topics in more depth. The weeks after birth are often overlooked in birth preparation, yet they represent one of the most significant transitions for both mother and baby. In...

In this episode, I’m joined by specialist postpartum midwife Lara for a thoughtful and honest conversation about what really happens after birth. Recorded last summer, this discussion explores the often-overlooked realities of the postpartum period — not just physically, but emotionally, relationally and hormonally. Together, we unpack: Why the fourth trimester deserves as much preparation as labo...

Preparing for birth is only half the story. What happens in the weeks after your baby arrives can be just as challenging — and often more overwhelming than labour itself. That’s why I teach the Relationship Circle in my antenatal classes, a practical way to map your support network, set boundaries, and clarify who does what. At the heart of the circle is Mother + Partner + Baby , because postpartu...

Last week I talked about hypervigilance — what happens when a woman’s nervous system doesn’t feel safe in pregnancy, birth or postpartum. This week, I explore one of the most evidence-based ways to reduce it: continuity of carer. Continuity is not just about seeing the same service. It’s about being known. It’s about relationship. And decades of research show that when women receive continuity of...

Hyper-vigilance is common in pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period — but rarely named. In this episode, we explore what hyper-vigilance really is, why so many women experience it, and how it impacts mothers, partners, and babies. We talk about nervous system safety, surveillance culture in maternity care, why reassurance often doesn’t help, and what truly supports healing — without pathologi...

This episode is a little different!  I decided to answer a batch of listener questions that were shorter than the single-question episodes, and they fit perfectly with what’s coming up in the coming weeks.  As I went through them, I noticed quite a few shared a common theme, and it reminded me just how important it is to dedicate some episodes specifically to postpartum experiences, because there...

In this episode, I’m joined by Fenja , who shares her freebirth story with honesty, depth, and clarity. At a time when freebirth is being widely discussed — and often misunderstood — Fenja’s experience offers a grounded and much-needed perspective on what informed, conscious birth preparation can look like. Fenja speaks openly about the extensive work she did during pregnancy : building physiologi...

In this episode, I am exploring the hidden and often overlooked phenomenon of self-gaslighting —when women dismiss their own instincts, feelings, or inner knowing. Self-gaslighting can show up during pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood, quietly eroding confidence and disconnecting women from their power. I will break down: What self-gaslighting is and how to recognise it Where it comes from and...

So much of birth preparation focuses on what to do — how to breathe, how to move, how to plan. But none of that works if a woman doesn’t trust herself. In this episode, I’m sharing my Ten Commandments of Birth and explaining why I believe inner work is the missing piece in so much birth preparation. I talk honestly about what I’ve seen shift in women since creating Discover Your North Star , and w...

In this final episode of the year, I’m talking about something I see all the time in my work — but something women rarely feel able to admit out loud: that the desperate longing for a baby doesn’t always match how they feel once they are actually here. After more than two decades supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and those early vulnerable weeks, I’ve heard this story in so many different...