Ireland's Birth Stories

This next episode I chat to Aoife who created her page last year @down_with_croia and I'm so glad she did.  Aoife shares how she felt when she saw that positive test and the early weeks of pregnancy. During a routine 12 week scan the stenographer noticed some markers which indicated the possibility her baby had Down Syndrome. After further tests Aoife & Craig were told they were expecting a baby g...

In this next episode I share my chat with Nessa who is a wellness coach aswell as hypnobirthing birthing coach and so much more. At the time of our conversation Nessa was living in Australia but was in the process of returning home to Tipperary where she now lives with her family. Nessa planned on birthing her boy at home with the support of her partner, midwife and doula. She prepared mentally as...

In this week's episode I share my chat with @chelseahudson_1 who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. Chelsea didn't plan on birthing her boy without pain relief but he came so quickly it simply wasn't any other option. She comments on how amazing she felt after his birth and couldn't quiet believe she had experienced birth without pain relief. She was pregnant with her little girl throu...

In this week's episode I share my chat with @amandarussellryan who talks me through her two experiences with birth. Amanda suffered an early pregnancy loss with her first pregnancy and later a chemical pregnancy on her third pregnancy. Amanda chats about the birth of son which was aided by forceps as he was a stargazer. She also lost a significant volume of blood which impacted her immediate recov...

In this next episode I chat to freelance stylist and a familiar face to most of us @justinekingxx . We spoke about the moment she took that first pregnancy test, attending appointments alone and having COVID-19 at 6 months pregnant. Justine was induced as part of the hospital induction trial and very quickly felt the effects at home. I will let you hear all about her labour, how she coped and her...

In this week's episode I chat to Clare who at the time was expecting her second baby and in the throws of labour/birth preparation. We also touch on her first birth experience in 2018 bringing her little boy Sean into the world. We then chat about how she was feeling in comparison to her pregnancy with her first boy. She talks me through her level of preparation from attending @pamjdpilates weekly...

In this week's episode I share my chat with Tanja who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. Tanja came to Ireland as a student 18 years ago and fell pregnant with her little girl in her first year of college. Although she was supported by her friend she had a tough birthing experience. She was completely unaware of the birthing process and how her body would feel, she was petrified. Unfor...

In this week's episode I chat to Sinead who talks me through her five pregnancies & four births. She chats about pregnancy for the first time, feeling guilt for her first child whilst pregnant with her second baby and we then chat about her third pregnancy. Sinead suffered early pregnancy loss on her fourth pregnancy. She talks us through how devasting it was but also the physical aspect. Her symp...

In this episode I chat to Ailish, founder of @thebumproom which I'm sure many of you know well. Ailish chats to me about her first pregnancy and trying to remain somewhat focused on labour and birth after the passing of her dad. We then chat about her second pregnancy which again was a hospital birth and finally her third pregnancy which was a homebirth. Ailish is so passionate about pregnancy, la...

Many of you have been asking for another twin birth story, so here it is. Nadia gave birth to her first little girl at the age of 19 and unfortunately her experience was quite traumatic. She mentions how she carried those feeling of trauma through to the birth of her second little girl but thankfully she had a gorgeous, positive vaginal birth. Nadia and her partner decided they wanted to add to th...

In this next episode I chat to Amy who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Amy's first experience wasn't what any women should be subjected too. She was unsupported not only through the birth of her little boy but also breastfeeding. Amy & her husband decided the time was right to start trying for another when their son Nikolai was 18 months old. Four months into her second pregnancy,...

In this next episode I chat to Niamh who at the time is 26 weeks pregnant with her second baby. We chat about how she is feeling in the lead up to this baby's arrival before she shares the details of her first experience bringing her little girl Evie into the world. Niamh was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and talks me through the lifestyle changes she had to make, from adjustments to her die...

In this episode I chat to Sinead just before her little girl arrives and we then catch up couple of months after entering motherhood. Sinead attended hypnobirthing classes in the lead up to the birth aswell as utilising breastfeeding support antenatally. Attending an appointment at 24 weeks it was discovered that her little girl was breech. The hospital gave her various options including ECV but S...

**𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵**This first picture is of Nicola & Evie. Evie is Nicolas second daughter who was born last year after the loss of her little girl Ana, who was born sleeping. The following two pictures Nicola shared with me, are of Ana. This week Nicola shares the events following Ana's Birth which led to surgery and a pretty tough recovery. She felt the immediate need to conceive again so a pl...

EP62/PT1 - Nicola - IVF, Positive C-section, Coping with Grief, Late Miscarriage𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁This episode contains conversation surrounding pregnancy loss In this week's episode I chat to Nicola who shares her story through fertility struggles, grief, positive cesarean section and the loss of her daughter Anna at 23 weeks gestation. Nicola suffered an early pregnancy loss after her first round...

In this week's episode I chat to Sinead who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. Sinead was induced at 37 weeks as baby was measuring small. She made the decision to keep her circle small and told very few people she was going to have baby soon. She was supported by a great team of midwives who encouraged her to keep moving while in labour. She then shares her experience in the days foll...

𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵In this week's episode I chat to Judith who talks me through her vaginal births, multiple pregnancy losses and a late miscarriage at 16 weeks. Judith was diagnosed with PCOS which she knew could contribute to difficulties conceiving. She fell pregnant with her little boy weeks before her wedding and chats us through her pregnancy which thankfully was uneventful. She opted to have...

I spoke to Eibhlín in January when she was in her final trimester with her third pregnancy. We chatted about her two previous experiences with labour and birth, one being a homebirth on a barge she shared with her husband and the other was a hospital birth after she was diagnosed with polyhydramnios. Eibhlín then talks us through how she felt throughout her third pregnancy and we catch up after he...

In the episode I chat to Carolina who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Carolina conceived four months after she and her husband made the decision was made to start a family. She felt fine throughout her first pregnancy but at 36 weeks she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. This pain was followed by vomiting and a very noticeable feeling of the babys head dropping after a visit to th...

In the next episode I chat to Triona who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. Triona had two very different experiences, both in a hospital environment. She opted for an epidural with the birth of her little girl and thankfully she was up and walking quiet soon afterwards. It took her 7 months to conceive her little boy. Triona second experience was so animalistic. She was completely una...

𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩In this next episode I chat to Kirtsy who talks me through her pregnancy and the birth of her little girl Mia in a UK hospital. Kirsty conceived quickly and had an smooth pregnancy. On one occasion it appeared her placenta was low lying but thankfully this resolved itself with no intervention. At 38 weeks, Kirsty lost a severe amount of blood but was sent home from the hospital af...

In the next episode I chat to @sarah_tobin who talks me through her three experiences with pregnancy & birth. Before we go into her birth stories I ask Sarah to give us an insight into Tapping (EFT). I've spoken to several women throughout the past year who have gained so much from their sessions with Sarah..We then go into Sarah's birth story. Her little girl Alice passed away days after birth wh...

In this next episode Claire talks me through her two pregnancies and one birth. Claire suffered a missed miscarriage which was discovered at 13 weeks. It wasn't until her subsequent pregnancy that she realised there was unresolved feelings attached to her previous experience. She worked with @sarah_tobin early on which enabled her to really settle in and enjoy her pregnancy. Infact, she mentions t...

In the next episode I chat to Orla who talks me through her 4 pregnancies and 3 births. She experienced so much throughout her journey into motherhood. Her first little boy arrived into the world spontaneously at 26 and spent 93 days in hospital before coming home. She suffered a missed miscarriage on her second pregnancy and late miscarriage at 16 weeks on her third pregnancy. Orla chats to me ab...

In this episode I chat to Mairead who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. She planned for a homebirth with her first boy but was transferred as her waters had broken past the 24 hour time frame. She opted for an epidural which she mentions was the best decision at the time. It allowed her body to rest and recharge for her boys birth. We then speak about her second pregnancy, again she o...