Australian Birth Stories

In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Sarah shares her experience with breast cancer diagnosis in her second pregnancy. She urges everyone to check their breasts regularly because it was only when she was massaging stretch mark cream into her breast at 28 weeks that she felt a lump. An ultrasound showed a tumour and a biopsy confirmed she had stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma; a triple posit...

In this episode, Teagan articulates the heartache of not being able to feel or see her baby being born, a moment she’ll never get back and one that still prompts a lot of sadness and regret. She had an emergency caesarean after an induction and this followed a covid pregnancy where she didn’t see a midwife till 37 weeks. Her story really highlights how imperative woman-centred care in the operatin...

In episode 346 Mikaela discusses her eating disorder and tendency to over exercise which prompted her body to stop menstruating. She was intent on conceiving so she stopped exercising, ate well and then fell pregnant within six months. Her first birth was positive and after feeling indifferent to breastfeeding, she was surprised to discover that she really enjoyed it and went on to feed for two ye...

In this episode Phoebe from @sageandclare details her long journey to pregnancy and her two very different vaginal births. After close to three years of trying to conceive unsuccessfully, she was diagnosed with PCOS, endometriosis and Natural Killer (NK) cells. She began her IVF journey and fell pregnant on her second cycle but unfortunately, this coincided with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome w...

In this episode Emily shares the details of her challenging ectopic pregnancy which was treated with a strong medication called methotrexate. Unfortunately the pregnancy hormone levels stayed in her body for five months which extended her grief and contributed to an anxiety diagnosis. She immediately sought professional help from a psychologist and psychiatrist and went into her second pregnancy w...

In this episode, Alana details her long and challenging fertility journey. After years of IVF using her own eggs and donor sperm, she navigated the loss and grief of multiple chemical pregnancies and miscarriages. Alana and her partner, Amanda, made the decision to use Amanda’s eggs because the quality of Alana’s weren’t genetically viable. After the first transfer Alana fell pregnant and, despite...

In episode 342 I talk to Casey about her three caesarean births. Casey’s story really highlights the importance of listening to your intuition, advocating for yourself and seeking continuity of care. In her first pregnancy, she entered the third trimester with migraines and persistent vomiting. After presenting to hospital for the second time, she was insistent on staying overnight before being di...

In episode 341 Eliza shares her pregnancy and birth experience as a mother and a student midwife. Her first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage and she takes us through her grief and loneliness as well as her choice to miscarry naturally at home. Her next pregnancy was smooth and straightforward right up till 39 weeks when a late scan showed that her baby’s head was small and she was advised to have...

In today’s episode, Cammie shares her two wildly different birth experiences and emphasises a little known but important fact: if you don’t feel supported or respected, you can change care providers at any stage of pregnancy. For her first pregnancy she opted for private obstetric care and while she intended to have a low-intervention birth, she was induced and had an epidural and vacuum-assisted...

In this episode Madi shares her experience with PCOS which was diagnosed when she was seventeen. She was warned that she may have fertility issues so when she was 21 she conceived her baby girl, Flow. Living in rural Tasmania, she opted for independent midwifery care through Launceston Birth Centre, despite the two-hour drive from her hometown. Her birth experience was quick and joyous but as she...

When Kate was seven months pregnant with her second son, her husband, Nathan, was injured while playing a game of football. Their whole world turned upside down when doctors informed them that he had fractured his C3 vertebrae and was a quadriplegic. Kate admits that she totally forgot about her pregnancy as soon as she learnt of Nathan’s accident but thankfully his nurses stepped in and coordinat...

In this episode I interview Paige, a midwife and mother who takes us through her two pregnancy and birth experiences. Her first baby was diagnosed with oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid) at 41 weeks and Paige was induced the next day. After a few hours of labour a code green emergency caesarean was called and despite knowing what was going to happen, Paige went into shock and doesn’t remember a...

If there’s one word to describe this episode with Emma, it’s joyful. She takes us through her three pregnancies and births in between nomadic living in a bus and on a sailing boat. Her first two births were really smooth but in her third pregnancy a fibroid was discovered on an early ultrasound and it created persistent issues around where she would birth because she was at risk of postpartum haem...

In today’s episode Eloise takes us through her eventful pregnancy journey. Her pregnancy was a surprise and at eight weeks she learned she was pregnant with twins (two sacs, one placenta). She opted to take things day by day instead of getting too concerned about what life would look like with two babies. Her calm and grounded nature definitely helped when she was diagnosed with a blood clot in th...

In today’s episode Laura talks at length about the layers of loss she experienced with her ectopic pregnancy; the loss of her pregnancy, her fallopian tube and the knowledge that in future pregnancies, she wouldn’t have the blissful naivete of early pregnancy. She also talks in detail about her gestational diabetes diagnosis and the hospital policy surrounding it, her knowledge as a dietitian and...

In today’s episode, I interview Silje about her pregnancy and birth with fraternal triplets and what life’s like with four children under three. After a caesarean with her first baby and a relatively smooth postpartum experience, Silje was so excited to be pregnant for the second time. She admits she walked so confidently into her dating scan but she never expected the sonographer to count three b...

After preparing for a physiological first birth with midwives in her local birth centre, Alannah’s plans changed at 35 weeks when an ultrasound revealed a persistent right umbilical vein which can be associated with birth defects. She sought the guidance of a private obstetrician in her local public hospital and at 41 weeks, after a long, hard labour, she birthed her baby boy. A postpartum haemorr...

In today’s episode Sasha articulates the challenge of navigating the healthcare system as a woman of colour. The prejudices she has experienced in life and her knowledge of the disparities in maternal outcomes for black women informed her decision to choose continuity of care with a private obstetrician alongside the gentle, maternal support of a doula. She speaks so beautifully about her pregnanc...

In episode 330 I interview Avril about her two birth experiences under private obstetric care. Her first baby was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and after weekly ultrasounds from 30 weeks, she opted to be induced at 38 weeks. Following hours of posterior labour, she chose to have an epidural and because of her baby’s posterior position and deflexed head, a forceps-assisted b...

Today’s episode is a little different in that my friend, Jodi, interviews me about my first pregnancy and birth. My pregnancy was really straightforward and I chose midwifery care in a birth centre. I had every intention of experiencing an intervention-free vaginal birth but in retrospect, I can see that I didn’t do enough mental or physical preparation, hence why I created The Birth Class. Hosted...

In episode 328 Rachel talks in depth about her ten rounds of IVF over seven years. She discloses the emotional toll of 15 embryo transfers, the challenge of seeing friends and family members fall pregnant with ease, and the simultaneous joy and fear of growing and birthing her miracle baby, Sigrid. Seventeen months after giving birth, Rachel admits that she still cries when she thinks about that d...

In episode 327 Brigitte shares her miscarriage experiences and how they affected her care choices in her next pregnancy. Despite not having private obstetric healthcare, she opted for continuity of care with a private obstetrician but chose to give birth in the public hospital. It’s not a common model of care but it's definitely more affordable and ideal for those coming into pregnancy with health...

In episode 326 Hayley takes us through her first pregnancy where her baby was in a frank breech position (bottom down) at 36 weeks. She listened to the breech episode with Dr Andrew Bisits that features in The Birth Class and promptly arranged to see him for a consultation. After an ECV to turn her baby was unsuccessful, Hayley confidently prepared for a vaginal breech birth with the support of he...

In episode 325 Caitlyn @missmaysmoments shares the story of her two pregnancies. After navigating the challenges of PCOS, ovulation induction and IVF, Caitlyn was lucky enough to get 17 embryos and fell pregnant on the first transfer. At her 13 week scan her baby boy - Teddy - was given a terminal diagnosis of anencephaly meaning he would only survive minutes outside the womb. Caitlyn and her husb...

In episode 324 I chat to Claire @thelifeofclaire_ who shares her first pregnancy and birth experience. After discovering that fertility rates fall dramatically after the age of 35, she organised a preconception blood test with her GP, got her mirena removed, tracked her cycle and promptly fell pregnant. She chats about her lifelong experience with migraines, the welcome relief of an iron infusion...