The Better Birth podcast with Erin Fung

In this episode I chat to midwife Abigail Latif. Abigail is a midwife with 14 years experience within the NHS, working in community, supporting birth in MLC units & home. She recently resigned in 2022, to pursue working independently, whilst speaking up about the Uk maternity crisis, and has been actively involved in the march with midwives campaign. She also founded her own business 2021. We...

In this episode I chat to the Mamma Coach Sophie Burch about her journey navigating 3 births, birth trauma and depression, all of which led her to create her courses and books. We discuss the importance of setting time aside for your own mental wellbeing, and how modelling good coping methods and communication also affects our children's abilities to regulate their own emotions. Sophie is a Co...

What are the differences of UK and Australian midwifery? I chat to midwife and small business owner Olivia Hill about her move to Melbourne, and why working as a midwife in Australia has it's own unique benefits and challenges. Olivia runs a business supporting midwives who wish to take a break from the NHS and live and work in Australia, called AUlive. You can find her at www.auliveltd.co.uk...

What role does intuition have to play in the practice of obstetrics and midwifery? I chat to holistic OBGYN Nathan Riley about why he changed his approach to obstetrics, and why we have lost our way in maternity care. We discuss the intuition needed by any birth worker, whether that's a midwife, a doula, an obstetrician or the birthing person, and why our obstetric led approach is resulting in a c...

In this episode I listen to the wonderful Fran, who shares the birth story of her third baby. After two births on midwifery led units, Fran decided to birth at home for her third. She recounts how her birth started, and points out some key examples of the importance of surrendering to birth, listening to your body, and using all the instincts you have available to you to help your body birth your...

In this episode I chat to midwife and researcher Dr Claire Feeley about her new book  "Supporting Physiological Birth Choices in Midwifery Practice". We discuss the research that the book focuses on, and the challenges that midwives face in supporting autonomy and birthing out of guidelines. Claire talks about her initial research in to freebirth, and how led on to further research looking at...

This week's episode is all about high BMI pregnancies and water birth with the very fantastic Laura from high BMI pregnancy. It's a really common challenge for people classed as high risk due to their BMI, to be denied access to a birth center or midwifery led unit, and refused access to a birthing pool. We discuss the reasons you may be given and dispel the myths and fatphobia, and talk about how...

In this episode I chat to the talented and passionate Emma Armstrong, also known as The Naked Doula! Emma talks about how she started her birth business which turned in to an overnight success, her sweary eye catching brand and how her approach to birth education is different from most birth workers. We also chat about her first pregnancy and the loss of her mother, and her hopes and plans fo...

Myself, doula Helena Hamilton, doula Samantha Gadsden, clinical psychologist Jenna Brough, Laura from Plus Size Pregnancy, midwife Tasneem and Birthkeeper Kemi Johnson discuss the highs and lows of 2022. We chat about the escalating rates of induction and caesarean births, the Ockenden report and the impact it's had on physiological birth and choice, the independent midwifery comeback and lots mor...

In this episode I chat to Specialist perinatal mental health midwife Laura Walton, for a live Instagram Q&A on perinatal mental health. We discuss the warning signs signalling possible PND or postnatal anxiety, the differences between baby blues, PND, intrusive thoughts, OCD and postnatal anxiety, and the kinds of support is there if you think you need it. Although this episode features suppor...

In this episode I welcome back midwife Kelly Sawyer to discuss meconium. Meconium is baby's first poo, and quite often its presence can lead to a change in your birth plans, moving you to a more medicalised birth. As something that is rarely discussed antenatally, this can blindside parents meaning they're uninformed and unprepared for the implications. We cover what meconium is, what may cause it...

In this episode I chat to independent midwife Debs Neiger. We talk about what an independent midwife is and how it differs from care from an NHS midwife. We chat about the benefits (of which there's many!), how the model of care is different, and how to find an IM if you decide you want one for the birth of your baby! You can find Debs on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/debsagos/ or her web...

In this episode I chat to doulas Samantha Gadsden and Maddie McMahon about the escalating midwifery crisis. Sam, who runs hugely popular home birth and freebirth Facebook groups, has unique insight in to the challenges birthing families face due to the number of people who pass through her groups, and Maddie is instrumental in creating the March with Midwives campaign, now in it's second year. We...

Birth is unpredictable, and sometimes even though we plan for a physiological birth, medical intervention may be necessary. In this episode my client Sharon tells her birth story. Although it involves induction and an unplanned caesarean, she explains why it still feels such a positive and empowering experience. A huge thank you to Sharon for bravely retelling her story and sharing why birth prep,...

In this episode I speak to midwife Alicia Burnett about the health disparities that black, brown and asian women experience in pregnancy and birth. We talk about what the statistics are, and why black women are 4x more likely to die in childbirth, what is being done about it, and what you as a pregnant person can do to help reduce the risk of poorer outcomes as a non-white pregnant person. If you'...

This episode is Dorcas’s positive birth story. She joined my August group course and gave birth recently. She had a quick and easy labour, birthing at home in the pool, just her and her husband before the midwives arrived. A huge thank you to Dorcas for agreeing to share her story. I hope it empowers many more pregnant people to have trust in their bodies and their instincts.

In this episode I chat to Megan Rossiter from Birth-Ed about her experience of hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a condition at the extreme end of the pregnancy sickness spectrum, and affects approximately 2% of people. Different from pregnancy sickness, HG can be incredibly debilitating for sufferers, and can affect the health of both the pregnant person and the baby. so it i...

In this episode I talk to obstetrician Dr Natalie Elphinstone. Dr Elphinstone is an Obstetrician working on the south coast of Australia. She has witnessed the birth of over 1500 babies and believes in supporting women and families to make individual choices that feel right for them. And if that choice involves a caesarean section, then she’s a keen advocate for making that the best possible versi...

In this episode I chat to doula and reflexologist Catrine. We discuss the importance of postnatal planning, how reflexology can be used from pre-conception to post birth, and why the postnatal period is so important.  Catrine has been a reflexologist for nearly 20 years & has a special interest in working with people during pregnancy & beyond. Since having her babies she decided to tr...

In this episode I talk to dietician Leslee Flannery about gestational diabetes and diet. In the UK the advice given when gestational diabetes is diagnosed is to follow the EatWell plate, which promotes a balanced diet, but is this the most helpful advice? Leslee busts some myths about diet and gestational diabetes, the foods you should eat, and what to pair with what to avoid spiking blood sugar l...

In this episode I chat to deputy consultant midwife Kelly Sawyer about vaginal exams, who has been involved in the Respectful Vaginal Examinations Project at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust, which aims to improve practice and educate pregnant women and people about their rights. ⁠We discuss vaginal exams, what they are, when they're necessary and when they're not, the alternatives, and what th...

In this episode I chat to Dr Kirsten Small, a retired specialist obstetrician and gynaecologist, who now works as an educator, writer, and researcher. Kirsten is the author of the fantastic blog Birth Small Talk, which provides a mix of research informed knowledge-based posts, a lot of which focus on fetal monitoring. We chat about the types of foetal monitoring often used during labour, the resea...

In this episode I chat to journalist, author, midwife and mother Amity Reed about her experience of working within the NHS system, why she left, and the work she now does to affect change in maternity. We discuss obstetric violence, its paternalistic and patriarchal roots, and why campaigns such as her work with the White Ribbon Alliance is so sorely needed to change the outcomes for so many birth...

In this episode Dr Stuart Fischbein, US home birth obstetrician and breech and twin birth expert, visits me in my tiny village in Kent, and interviews me about my views on British birth, my own experiences, and my hopes for the future of maternity care! I chat about my births, why I got in to birth work, and how I manage running a business I’m so passionate about with 3 kids! The Better Birth podc...

What is a medical intervention? Why are they offered? Are they necessary? And how can we minimise the risk of being offered them in labour? I chat to midwife Laura Green about common medical interventions, ranging from sweeps to induction, and why informed decision decision making is so crucial. You can find Laura on instagram at @thegreenmidwife Disclaimer: The information and provided on this po...