Ireland's Birth Stories

In last week's episode we ended our conversation just after this little man's arrival into the world. How peaceful and gorgeous does he look in this photo! In part two of Alice's story she speaks of the postpartum hemorrhage she suffered soon after she was settled into the ward. Alice was hemorraging for a long period before it was finally recognised and action was taken. She deteriorated quickly...

With Alice's support I have decided to share her story across two episodes. In part 1 of her story she talks me through her pregnancy during Covid-19, her long labour and the birth of her son. Alice shares so much detail of her experience and I know it will be of such value to many of you. After a long labour it was discovered there was meconium in her waters. She decided to opt for an epidural to...

In the next episode I chat to Jessica. We spoke when Jessica was 36 weeks pregnant about how she felt, the prep in the lead up to Bonnie's arrival and what her birth preferences were. There was so much excitement in her house with her two little ladies waiting on their sisters arrival. We then spoke a few days after Bonnie came into the world, Jessica was still on such a high. Her waters broke on...

- Story surrounding Infant Loss shared - In this episode Yvonne shares her story of experiencing the loss of her son, Noah at 34 weeks gestation. She received the devastating news that Noah had Edwards Syndrome which is considered a life limiting genetic condition. Yvonne shares details of his birth along with so much more which I'm very grateful for. We then chat about her little girl Ayla who re...

I asked some of our previous guests to share what motherhood means to them   Enjoy! Get in touch E: irelandsbirthstories@gmail.com IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of AMW I chat to Sue who talks me through the role of a lactation consultant. Being completely honest I initially thought an IBCLC helped you with a poor latch or could help with tongue tie, little did I know. We discuss how a IBCLC can support you both antenatally and also in the days following babies arrival. The continuity of care and follow-up is what makes this service so spec...

In this next episode I chat to Rosie and Adam, creators of the @the_irish_mummy podcast. We chat about Rosie's four experiences with pregnancy & birth. Together they share not only intimate details of each birth but we also discuss how mindset can have such a profound impact on your experience. Rosie made a conscious effort to educate herself after her first birth and as a result was so in tune wi...

In this episode I chat to Rosie who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. Rosie utilised the birthing pool in the Coombe and delivered her little boy safely with the support of her midwives and husband. She suffered a hemorrhage so immediately had to leave the pool to be treated. She also had difficulty with her placenta which she goes into. Throughout her second pregnancy she suffered an...

In the next episode I chat to Leanne who talks me through her pregnancy and the birth of her little boy, James. Leanne planned a homebirth, built a relationship with her midwife and prepared her home but later for reasons which she will go through, it was decided she should birth her baby in hospital. She talks me through her long labour which finally ended with a C-section to bring her boy into t...

In this next episode I chat to Tia who talks me through her pregnancy & the birth of her little girl, Sofia. Tia was diagnosed with a cyst prior to falling pregnant but in the early weeks of conceiving she learned she also had a Subchorionic Hematoma. She left an appointment at 5 weeks feeling as though "This is it, this will be the end of this pregnancy". She was prescribed bed rest for the first...

In our next episode I chat to Sinead who talks me through her two experiences with birth. Sinead gave birth to her little girl Lily 9 years ago shortly after the sudden loss of her husband, Geoff..Sinead talks us through giving birth with the support of her family and the days following Lily's arrival. Although her medical team were aware she suffered a 4th degree tear it wasn't until later, after...

"We have to stop underestimating people!"In the next episode I chat to Julie who talks me through her pregnancy & the birth of her son, Ricky. Julie has cerebral palsy as does her husband David and together embarked on the journey into parenthood with a solid plan in place. She discusses how she commenced her preparation for pregnancy two years prior to concieveing. She focused on being physically...

In this episode I chat to Megan who talks me through her three pregnancies & two births. Unfortunately Megan had a miscarriage early on with her first pregnancy. She conceived quickly with her little girl Aylla and she goes into all the details surrounding her pregnancy and birth. She speaks of her experience with PND which I know will resonate with many of you. I asked Megan to share her story on...

Trigger warning : In this episode we chat about the loss of Pam's little girl Rosie at 18 weeks gestation. Pam goes into details surrounding Rosie's birth which some may find difficult to listen too. I am so grateful to Pam for sharing her story, as loss is still very much unspoken. Thank you Pam ❤️In this episode Pam chats about her 4 pregnancies & 3 Births. During her first experience with birth...

In the last EP of 2021 I chat to Jen ( @irishmamabuys ) about her pregnancy & the birth of her son Ben. Jen welcomed her niece into her life when she was 18 months old so Ben was very lucky to have his sister waiting for him when he arrived home. Jen discovered she was pregnant at nearly 3 months, although it was a shock they welcomed the lovely surprise. She was living in Spain at the time but de...

In this week's episode I chat to Nicole who talks e through her two pregnancies & births. Nicole's first little girl was delivered via C-section after she was lying breech transverse and remained pretty comfortable where she was. Nicole suffers from low platelets therefore attempting to move her little lady in utero wasn't an option due to the risk of hemorrhage. We then chat about Nicole's second...

In this week's bonus episode I chat to Stephanie who talks me through her journey to motherhood. Stephanie suffered a miscarriage with her first pregnancy which she admits, hit her like a tonne of bricks. Thankfully, she was quick to conceive again. Stephanie suffered from SPD from the 17/18 weeks mark and attended a physio to help her manage the pain. She is actually a physio by professional so I...

In the next episode I continue my chat with Lorraine. She shares some really beautiful & intimate moments from finding out she was pregnant, sharing her news with her family and how she felt in those early weeks. She talks us through her pregnancy and we discuss how isolating it was for her being pregnant through Covid. Lorraine was induced but little Jack was particularly comfortable. The decisio...

I decided to share Lorraine's story across two episodes. What brought her into motherhood is an incredible journey and I feel privileged that she shared every detail. In this episode she chats to me about her decision to enter motherhood on her own, her journey with SIMS clinic and so much more.  Lorraine always wanted to be a mother and on her return from living in the states she felt it was time...

In the next episode I chat to Emma who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. Emma found it difficult to conceive on her first pregnancy and through investigation discovered she had a septum in her womb. After surgery to remove the septum Emma and her husband were delighted to discover she conceived three months later..Emma then talks us through her labour and birth. She was induced with H...

In this week's episode I chat to Lisa about her three pregnancies and births. Lisa's first little boy was born in hospital and she chose to opt for an epidural, followed by a very quick birth. She talks us through postpartum life first time round and the changes she made with her two subsequent pregnancies. She referred to the grove in her couch where she sat and fed her second little boy without...

In this episode I chat to Kat who holds a very special place in my hearts, she was the photographer at our wedding. We clicked and will always be in touch. She chats to me about her two pregnancies & births. Her first experience with birth was tough and with that followed a difficult life post baby as a first time mother. Kat is so honest and open which I appreciate. Her husband also shares his pe...

In this week's episode I chat to Catherine who talks me through her experiences with pregnancy & birth. Catherine has three very different births. On her first pregnancy, second stage of labour was so quick with her little man entering the world swiftly. She talks us through a rough few weeks of breastfeeding and the support she availed of to help her alleviate the constant discomfort..She had a C...

In this weeksepisode I chat to Ariana who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Ariana is the founder of @wellfedphotography and is in the process of creating a book surrounding breastfeeding. She has spoken to 120 women about their journeys and being a photographer, has ensured to capture beautiful images of those who will feature their stories. We agreed that we feel very privileged t...

In this week's episode I chat to Clare who talks me through her 3 pregnancies & births. Clare decided to opt for MLU with her hospital on her first pregnancy but was transferred up to the consultant unit as her little babies heart rate wasn't recovering after her contractions. She talks us through the details of her first birth. .She then talks us through her second pregnancy & birth which she con...