Australian Birth Stories

In this episode I interview Nas Campanella, new mum to baby Lachlan and a disability affairs reporter for the ABC. Nas is visually impaired and has a neurological condition that affects her dexterity and balance, so her journey to motherhood has required a lot of active preparation and planning. She talks in detail about the discussions she had with obstetricians pre-conception, her exemplary care...

In today’s episode Julie shares her incredibly positive first birth experience. She had listened to the podcast for years before she conceived so she knew she wanted continuity of care with a midwife in a birth centre, ideally one attached to a hospital in case she needed medical support. As soon as she found out she was pregnant she was proactive with organising her care; she saw a GP, requested...

I interview Amy, the founder of the Australiasian Birth Trauma Association. In honour of her experience and Birth Trauma Awareness Week, Amy talks about the physical trauma that resulted from an instrumental (forceps) birth. She goes into detail about her pelvic floor injury and prolapse and because her story shares so many parallels with mine, I also talk about my experience with prolapse and the...

In today’s episode I chat to midwife and mum, Luka @boobtofood for the second time. You can listen to Luka’’s first two birth stories in episode 140 but today she takes us through her third birth which was an unassisted homebirth. She talks at length about her past birth challenges and the way she was feeling in the days leading up to this birth as well as the anxiety and concerns that naturally c...

I chat to Sonia who shares her first pregnancy and birth story. Sonia was adopted from India when she was four-years-old so pregnancy was particularly poignant for her as she thought a lot about her birth mother’s experience and wondered about her medical history (of which there are no records). She opted for shared care with her GP and chose to do genetic testing via Noninvasive Prenatal Testing...

Laura talks about her two births and the difference between private obstetric care and midwifery group practice (MGP) in the public system. If you are trying to conceive or you’re in early pregnancy and you’re interested in learning more about your care options, this episode is a must-listen. As well as discussing her two very different vaginal birth experiences, Laura talks at length about her ch...

Kate about her second birth. You can listen to her first birth story in episode 155 where she discusses her bicornuate uterus and her challenging induced labour. She admits that in retrospect, she was traumatised from her first birth experience; the pain of an induced labour and the lack of both consent and privacy culminated and led to postnatal depression. As soon as she discovered she was pregn...

Madi shares her very interesting story and talks at length about her experience with postnatal depression. After her first positive vaginal birth, she was diagnosed with chiari malformation type 1 where part of the brain at the back of her skull bulges and puts pressure on the spinal column. Her neurologist confirmed that she could birth vaginally but she wouldn’t be able to have an epidural or sp...

I In today’s episode Jess shares her pregnancy and birth story. A history of mental illness gave her access to a continuity of care midwifery program at John Hunter Hospital where she was cared for by one midwife throughout pregnancy and postpartum. This invaluable support allowed her to navigate pregnancy and covid without overwhelm or anxiety. Together with her husband, Bryce, she prepared for l...

Lizzie shares the story of her pregnancy and birth with baby Bill. At a 35 week scan, she learnt that Bill had a cleft lip. Lizzie and her husband, Liam, allowed themselves two weeks to process their shock and do their research…after that they were counting down the days till they could meet their new baby. Lizzie takes us step by step through her eventful labour and every stage is punctuated by l...

Gemma shares her experience with uterus didelphys; she has two uteruses, two cervix’ and a vaginal septum. Most women with her condition have caesarean births before full term because it's common for their babies to have growth restriction or present breech and there’s often doubts about how the uterus will contract and whether the cervix will dilate. In both pregnancies Gemma had planned caesarea...

Andrea opens up about so many aspects of pregnancy and parenthood that often go undiscussed and she does so with such eloquence you could listen to her all day. She’s in a same-sex relationship so as well as sharing her IVF fertility journey she discusses the often dated language and expectations that sometimes still exist in contemporary maternity care. Her anxiety fuelled persistent concerns abo...

In today’s episode Jamie talks at length about her arthritis and her choices regarding medication in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Considering her health condition and the added complication of a broken back, she was labelled high risk and could access midwifery group practice care. She opted instead for continuity of care with a student midwife and had a positive experience in the public hos...

Today Lewarna shares the story of her first baby who stayed in a breech position despite embracing all the turning and spinning techniques. She talks about her birth preparation and her fear, and while her caesarean was planned, she actually went into spontaneous labour and felt comforted by the fact that her baby chose her birth date. Her caesarean experience was incredibly positive yet she admit...

In today’s episode Cara shares her experience of a missed miscarriage followed by 11 months of trying to conceive. After blood tests revealed she ovulates on day 18 of her cycle (not day 14 as her fertility app suggested) she fell pregnant the following month. Following an epidural and episiotomy in her first labour, she experienced a 3C vaginal tear. She had significant fear and concern about bir...

Today I interview Jo, a mother of two and GP who brings so much knowledge and advice to her story. She says that being a mother has definitely made her a better GP although she admits that so many of her expectations of parenthood were thrown out the window when she became a mum. She feels strongly about safe co-sleeping (she shares a lot of evidence around this) as well as extended breastfeeding...

Erin shares the story of her firstborn, Aiden. At her 20 week morphology scan the sonographer noted that there was an issue with Aiden’s kidneys and because they weren’t producing enough amniotic fluid, Aiden’s lung development was affected. Two days later, under the care of the maternal foetal medicine team, Aiden was given a terminal diagnosis. Erin and her husband, Mike, chose to continue with...

In today’s episode I interview Rebekah about her experience with two breech-presenting babies. She had a successful External Cephalic Rotation (ECV) in her first pregnancy and experienced a posterior labour with a vacuum-assisted birth. She suffered a distended bladder after the catheter was removed before the episiotomy wore off and she lost the ability to urinate, hence she was discharged under...

In today’s episode I interview Serena, a midwife who shares her two homebirth experiences. I always love chatting to midwives because they’re so generous with their knowledge and advice and Serena is no different. After supporting women through the MGP programme at the Mercy Hospital till 38 weeks, she consciously had to switch off her midwife mindset and actively prepare for labour. She takes us...

In today’s episode I chat to Sea who shares her three glorious physiological births. Supported by her husband and her two sisters during labour and birth, she did active preparation in each pregnancy and experienced culturally-appropriate care through Indigenous midwifery group practice. If you want to listen to an incredibly positive story that’s brimming with advice, tips and skills for birth an...

In today’s episode Chantelle shares her very rare experience with three ectopic pregnancies. It was an incredibly distressing year for her and her partner, Rowan, as they navigated the grief of multiple pregnancy losses while also dealing with medical complications. Chantelle lost both fallopian tubes but admits she felt relieved to have the opportunity to try IVF. She conceived baby Lucy on her f...

In today’s episode, I interview Rachel. Rachel was living in Bali when she fell pregnant unexpectedly. While considering significant cultural differences with her Balinese partner and what that would mean for her baby, she opted to return to Australia for the remainder of her pregnancy and birth. In her final weeks of pregnancy her relationship broke down, she navigated her hospital’s induction po...

In today’s episode I interview Nicole who shares her complicated experience with IVF. Her partner, Ash, has a low sperm count and they knew from the outset that conception would be difficult. After one blighted ovum and two unsuccessful transfers, they were overwhelmed by the process. They decided to change specialists and Nicole’s blood tests showed extremely high blood sugar levels which can aff...

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In episode 300 I interview Gemma who shares her experience of birthing in a small, rural hospital. In her first pregnancy she opted for public obstetric care at a regional hospital in the nearest large town. The day before her scheduled induction she went into spontaneous labour and found comfort in breathing practices, the shower and sitting on the toilet which allowed her to open her hips. She i...