Held in Motherhood with Hannah Willsmore

In today's episode we are turning the tables and doing things a little differently! In this episode I am sharing an interview that I did on a friend's podcast. Kasey Willson is a brilliant naturopath and host of Glowing Mumma Thriving Bubba The Podcast.  In today's episode we discuss active birth, accuracy of ultrasounds in pregnancy, decision making and navigating interventions lik...

If you've worked with me before or follow my social media you will know that I often speak about the importance of building your knowledge for birth. It is important to also learn about common interventions so that you can make an informed decision if you need to navigate an intervention in your labour. In this episode I chat about our high intervention rates, why asking questions is so impor...

I love hearing book recommendations from others, and so many of you have messaged to say that you loved my episode on my top pregnancy and birth books. So in today's episode I share my top five books for Breastfeeding + Postpartum. In all honesty, I would stay away from most of the books on babies/breastfeeding/sleep that you will find in big department stores as these approaches often aren&a...

If you've been wondering what exactly I've been focusing on when preparing for my own birth this is the episode for you!  My Online Hypnobirthing with Hannah Course is now here! Click here to join and start preparing for your positive birth! You can check out all the info on our Postnatal Midwifery Packages here . View all of my Online Courses on my website.  I would love to hear your th...

I can hardly believe it but I am almost 37 weeks pregnant! It's nearly baby time! I am so excited for my birth and to meet our little baby. This episode is a big one where I share all about my third trimester journey - preparing for birth, our baby shower, the things that have been going really well, and also some of the challenges I've experienced too (spoiler alert: it hasn't all...

This episode is a little different to usual - I am chatting about behind the scenes in my business and getting ready for maternity leave. I know many of you that listen have asked me to share more of the business side of things so here it is! My Online Hypnobirthing with Hannah Course is now here! Click here to join and start preparing for your positive birth! You can check out all the info on our...

While postpartum is a huge transition, there are some things you can do during pregnancy to help set yourself up for success. In this episode I share my top five tips that you can implement during pregnancy for a smoother postpartum. Postnatal Midwifery Package - Click here to view all the info on what is included, pricing and available rebates. My Online Positive Breastfeeding and Postpartum Cour...

I often hear from mamas who are really wanting to do a hypnobirthing course, but their partner isn't keen. This is a topic that isn't often discussed but I want to chat about it in this weeks episode. In this episode I unpack some of the reasons why partners may be hesitant about attending a hypnobirthing course, and how you can get them on board. These reasons can be varied but at the e...

With upwards of 30% of pregnant women in Australia having an induction of labour I believe it is essential to understand how to navigate an induction.  Some reports show that this statistic is even higher - with 45% of selected women having their first baby having an induction of labour (AIHW, 2020).  In some circumstances an induction of labour can absolutely be beneficial for a mum and/or baby -...

As I record this episode I am almost 32 weeks which means we are well and truly in the third trimester! My second trimester was relatively straightforward with only a few hiccups along the way. We have been focussing more on preparing for birth and practicing my hypnobirthing techniques, as well as regular appointments with our midwife and doula.  I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and...

In today's episode I chat about one of the topics I am asked most about - antenatal expressing. DId you know that your body starts producing colostrum from around 16 weeks of pregnancy? In this episode I chat about why women may express colostrum, the benefits, when to start and tips for optimising your colostrum expression. Remember to check with your midwife or doctor before commencing ante...

Today I chat with the lovely Tammy Obst from Flos Motherhood - Tammy is a specialised Pregnancy + Postnatal Trainer and Clinical Pilates Instructor, and today she shares some of the recent research on the benefits of exercise in pregnancy, but also how you can actually implement this into your life (including after bub arrives!).  To access Tammy's 4 Week Trial of Flos Motherhood App head to...

Being active in labour and upright birthing positions are one of my favourite topics to talk about - and with good reason! There are so many benefits shown in the research for labouring in an upright position - yet why do most women still end up birthing in the bed? I discuss all this and more in today's episode! My Online Hypnobirthing with Hannah Course is now available - special launch pri...

In today's episode I chat with the wonderful Postpartum Doula Caitlin from Mother Down Under all about postpartum preparation. It was Caitlin's own postpartum journey with her first baby that set her down the path of helping women to prepare for their postpartum period. Caitlin shares many practical tips and strategies that I know will be so helpful for you all! You can find out more abo...

Last week I popped up a question box on insta and so many of you had questions around homebirth! So in today's episode I chat about homebirth, my experience planning a homebirth and some of the recent research around homebirth safety. I mentioned the following articles/research in the episode which you can check out below: https://www.midwives.org.au/Web/News-media-releases/Articles/2019/03-M...

In today's episode I chat with the wonderful Amanda Chow - Amanda is a chiropractor, qualified childbirth educator and birth doula with training in spinning babies, active birth and pre and postnatal yoga. With this experience she has created the Nest approach to a beautiful birth and motherhood experience using the trilogy of body work, mindset and education. To find out more about Amanda an...

 ⭐ My Online Hypnobirthing with Hannah Course is here! ⭐ Special launch pricing available until March 31st 2022!⁠ Click here to view the course outline + to sign up! Today's episode is a personal one where I share what I am currently doing to prepare for birth and postpartum. I have been asked this so many times on instagram so thought I would do a whole ep to cover it. I would love to hear...

In today's episode I chat all things emotional health and self care with the wonderful Kaitlin Harkess. Kaitlin and I first met when she completed a hypnobirthing course with me in preparation for the arrival of her first baby. Kaitlin is an experienced Clinical Psychologist, registered with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA), a qualified  Meditation Teacher and Sen...

I know the title for today's episode might sound a bit controversial, but stay with me - the three areas that I chat about today can have a huge impact on your experience, and I really believe if you can address these three mistakes when preparing for your birth you will be in such a great position to have a positive experience.  I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and ideas for fu...

In this week's episode I am answering a question that I was asked on Instagram - what exactly does a midwife do?  I cover the different ways that you can work as a midwife, day to day midwife life and my favourite parts of my job. Plus some of the more challenging aspects of this work too. I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes so please get in touch on i...

Receive $20 discount on my Online Positive Breastfeeding + Postpartum Course until Feb 9th 2022! Head to the link below and enter the code PODCAST to receive your discount. https://hannah-willsmore.teachable.com/p/positive-postnatal-course/ With a number of new visitor restrictions being implemented across Australian postnatal wards many women are understandable feeling stressed and overwhelmed. I...

With a number of new restrictions being implemented across Australian maternity units many women are understandable feeling stressed and overwhelmed. In this episode I discuss the option of labouring at home until you are in active labour, why this is beneficial and tools to help you work with your contractions at home. I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes s...

In today's episode I cover why I believe all women need a birth plan, how to write one, what to include and why they are such an important part of having a positive birth (and not getting swept up in the cascade of intervention ) I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and ideas for future episodes so please get in touch on instagram - my insta is @hannahwillsmoremidwife or through my...

Hypno -what?? I know hypnobirthing sounds a bit 'hippy' and 'woo-woo', but I can assure you it's a very research backed, practical way of approaching birth that can revolutionise your birthing experience. I have been teaching hypnobirthing classes for over six years and have been lucky enough to work with over 500 couples as they prepare for the arrival of their baby. I be...

I absolutely LOVE reading and am always getting asked about book recommendations for pregnancy + birth. So in today's episode I thought I would share my all time top five pregnancy books, what I am currently reading and what's next on my reading list. WIth many people taking holidays over the Christmas/New Year period it is the perfect time to get stuck into a great book. Here are the bo...