Building Birth Confidence

After a traumatic or difficult birth, walking back into a maternity setting and trying to speak up is one of the hardest things you can be asked to do. Not because you lack confidence, or preparation, or the right words, but because the last time you tried, it may not have worked. Your body remembers that. Your nervous system remembers that. In this episode, Katie explores what advocacy actually m...

The moment you walk through the hospital doors, your brain starts making assessments, and for anyone who has had a difficult or traumatic birth before, those assessments can trigger a fear response before labour has even begun. In this episode, Katie explains why hospitals register as threat environments in the brain, why this is a clinical issue rather than just a comfort one, and what you can do...

All the internal preparation in the world is harder to access when you are in the middle of labour and the people around you do not know what you need. In this episode, Katie turns outward and talks about who belongs in your birth team, what they need to know, and how to prepare them properly. This includes the conversations worth having with your midwife, what to ask for in terms of specialist su...

After a traumatic birth, the drive to control everything about the next one makes complete sense. In this episode, Katie talks honestly about why that drive, however understandable, tends to keep people exhausted and stuck rather than actually prepared. She separates out what is genuinely within your control from what is not, and explains why accepting that separation is one of the most useful thi...

For a lot of people who have been through a traumatic birth, the idea of writing a birth plan feels pointless or painful or both. In this episode, Katie reframes what a birth plan is actually for when you have a difficult history, and walks through exactly what to put in one so that your care team understand what you have been through, what you need, and how to support you before you are in the ro...

So many people preparing for birth after a difficult experience are carrying two fears at once: the fear of the birth itself, and the fear of being too scared to cope. In this episode, Katie talks honestly about why the standard advice to eliminate fear before labour is unhelpful for anyone who has been through something traumatic, and what a more realistic, useful approach looks like instead. Thi...

There is an idea that changes everything about how you approach this birth. Trauma isn’t caused by what happens to you, it’s caused by what feels too much to bear. In this episode, Katie explains what that distinction actually means, why it gives you more control than you might think, and how it shifts the whole question of birth preparation from ‘how do I stop bad things happening’ to ‘how do I m...

The scan is fine. The midwife says everything looks good. And yet there's this flatness, this going-through-the-motions feeling, like you're present at all the appointments but not quite inside them. In this episode, Katie explains exactly why that disconnect happens after a difficult previous experience, why it isn't rejection of your baby, and what to do with the guilt that piles...

There is a thought that sits quietly underneath the fear for so many people who've been through a difficult birth: this was my fault. In this episode, Katie names it directly - the self-blame, the guilt, the shame - and explains where it comes from, why it isn't the truth, and what to do with it that actually helps. IN THIS EPISODE: The specific self-blame thoughts that come after a diff...

Maybe you've heard the word tokophobia before and felt a flicker of recognition. Or maybe you've never heard it - and you've just been carrying this particular dread without a name for it. In this episode, Katie explains what tokophobia actually is, why having a name for it matters, and what it means for the support you can ask for. IN THIS EPISODE: The difference between general bi...

Have you ever wondered why 'just calm down' makes absolutely no difference when you're scared about birth? In this episode, Katie explains the actual neuroscience of fear,  in plain language, so you finally understand why your body responds the way it does. And why that response is biology, not failure. IN THIS EPISODE: What the amygdala is and why it fires before your thinking brai...

If you're pregnant again after a difficult birth or pregnancy experience, and you're scared, and exhausted, and wondering why you can't just feel excited like everyone else seems to, this episode is for you. In this first episode of Series 2, Katie names what fear after perinatal trauma actually looks like from the inside, and why none of it is weakness. IN THIS EPISODE: Why fear af...

Your uterus is one of the most powerful, and misunderstood, organs in your body. But if you’ve experienced a difficult or traumatic birth before, it can be hard to trust it. In this gentle, informative episode, Katie explains: How the uterus works during labour (with insights from hypnobirthing and Mindful Birthing by Nancy Bardacke) Why fear can create tension in the uterine muscles, and how rela...

If you freeze in appointments, forget your questions, or leave feeling like you weren’t heard, this short episode is for you. Katie gently explores why trauma makes it hard to speak up, and shares CBT tools, midwifery insights, and a short breath and anchor practice to help you feel more prepared for your next maternity appointment. ✨ What you’ll hear: Why the “freeze” response is common in pregn...

Choosing a planned caesarean after a traumatic vaginal birth can bring up a lot of emotions, fear, doubt, shame, even guilt. But your choice is valid. And you are still having a beautiful, empowered birth. In this short, compassionate episode, Katie gently reframes the decision to have a C-section and offers practical ways to personalise the experience. The episode closes with a simple soothing to...

If you've ever walked out of an appointment thinking, “I didn’t say what I really wanted to say,” or “I wish I’d asked more questions,” this episode is for you. Katie gently explores how birth trauma can make it harder to speak up during pregnancy and shares simple, practical tools to help you feel more confident and heard in maternity appointments. The episode ends with a short visualisation...

After a traumatic birth, many people feel a deep need to regain control. But birth is unpredictable, so how do we navigate that uncertainty without feeling powerless? In this short, empowering episode, Katie explores the difference between control and influence, and guides you through a calming hand-on-heart practice to help you reconnect to your inner strength and clarity. ✨ What you’ll hear: Wh...

If you’ve been putting off preparing for birth because you don’t feel “ready” yet, this episode is for you. In this powerful and compassionate episode, Katie explores how fear, avoidance, and waiting for confidence can keep us stuck in a cycle of inaction, especially after birth trauma. Using insights from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy, you’ll learn how taking small,...

When you’ve experienced birth trauma, hope can feel risky, even dangerous. But what if preparing differently this time is the very thing that makes a different experience possible? In this short, empowering episode, Katie offers a gentle mindset shift to help you explore the possibility of a better birth, and guides you through a short safe place visualisation to help activate calm, hope, and trus...

When you’re pregnant again after a traumatic or difficult birth, fear can show up fast, and it can feel like something’s wrong with you . But what if that fear is actually your body’s way of trying to keep you safe? In this short, soothing episode, Katie shares a powerful mindset shift to help you understand your anxiety with more compassion, and ends with a short guided compassionate exercise to...

In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast , Katie dives into the topic of pain in labour, a subject often surrounded by fear and anxiety. Whether you’re feeling apprehensive because of a challenging previous birth or simply unsure of how to approach this part of labour, this episode is packed with insights and tools to help you reframe pain as purposeful and manageable. By understan...

In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast, Katie dives into the experience of dealing with the uncertainty of birth, an aspect that many find difficult, especially after a previous traumatic experience. She shares valuable strategies for navigating the unknown with a calmer, more prepared mindset and provides tools to help you feel more at ease with uncertainty. Whether you’re worri...

In this episode, Katie explores how to create a birth plan that truly empowers you, especially if you’ve had a difficult or traumatic birth experience before. A birth plan is more than just a document—it’s a way to communicate your needs, boundaries, and preferences to your care team. Katie walks through the key elements of a birth plan, including birth environment, emotional needs, pain managemen...

In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast , we dive deep into the different birth options available to you, whether you’re considering a vaginal birth, a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean), or a planned Caesarean. Hosted by Katie, a mental health midwife, antenatal teacher, and hypnobirthing instructor specialising in pregnancy after traumatic birth, this episode is designed to pr...

In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast , host Katie, a mental health midwife, antenatal teacher, and hypnobirthing instructor, explores how a birth debrief can empower you as you prepare for your next pregnancy. A birth debrief is an opportunity to reflect on your previous birth, helping you process what happened and gain clarity on why certain decisions were made. Katie discusse...