The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast

In this episode, I talk to Amy from the Lily Mae Foundation - a charity which works tirelessly to provide support to anyone who experiences stillbirth, miscarriage, neonatal death or medical termination.  Amy shares what it feels like to find out that your baby has no heartbeat, and her experience of going through the loss of a stillborn baby.  She talks about the decision making process that come...

In this episode, I am talking to Scott Mair about Paternal Mental Health!! We get into a discussion about why it is important that all pregnant women and their birth partners should know that if the birth doesn't go according to plan, especially if interventions occur, then it is not uncommon for one or both parents to feel traumatised.  While there is typically support available for the post...

In this episode, I am talking with Emma - AKA @thenakeddoula, who shares with us her very raw and painful story of the loss of her mother during pregnancy and her subsequent birth of her son by planned c-section. In early motherhood, she decided to train as a doula and hypnobirthing teacher, and she speaks about how she had a desire to create strong colourful messages to educate and empower pregna...

This is the first episode of my birth story series. I am so excited to be talking with the lovely Megan Rossiter, who shares her journey through the birth of her two children. The first was an Induction, and the second was a homebirth.    Megan talks about her journey from midwifery to motherhood, and about how she has moved on to teach antenatal courses. Her speciality is to help support new, soo...

In this episode, I am talking with Cara, an NHS community midwife who talks about her journey to becoming a popular Instagram midwife, and how she shares her knowledge with 1000’s of families who are looking to achieve a positive birth experience.  Her bubbly personality and honest, woman-centered approach leads us into a great discussion about some of the issues that pregnant women and birthing p...

During this episode, I speak with Carmelle Gentle, a midwife who is amongst many things, a feeding and lactation expert who specialises in babies with tongue-tie. Carmelle, who truly does live up to her name - Gentle by name, Gentle by nature - gave up some of her very busy time to share with us exactly what you might need to look out for when spotting a tongue tie in both a breast and bottle-fed...

In this episode, I am talking with Gordon from Mantenatal.  An antenatal company providing educational information to prepare dads-to-be for birth and fatherhood.  https://www.mantenatal.co.uk Instagram - @mantenatal  If you would like to buy a copy of the book that accompanies this podcast - click here:- Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner — https://bit.ly/Labouroflove Or...

In this episode, I am talking with fellow pregnancy yoga teacher Daisy Dinwoodie. We met in the physiological birth club on Clubhouse, discussing and sharing our very similar philosophies about pregnancy and childbirth.  Daisy shares her knowledge of pregnancy yoga and the many benefits from her classes, which are run by a local charity in Edinburgh. She talks about working with the breath,  body...

During this episode, I am speaking with the incredible Kemi Johnson, a fully trained midwife, and birth keeper, who dedicates her time to calling out bad practice within the NHS maternity system, and speaking up for pregnant women and birthing people to help them to discover the benefits of physiological birth. Kemi is currently in Dara Salaam in Tanzania, so the sound quality reflects this.   Lik...

Today I am talking to Maddie McMahon, a breastfeeding councillor with a passion to travel the country and provide breastfeeding support to areas of deprivation on her Boobie Bus, with other members from her amazing charity Maddie’s Miracle. I am delighted to share this incredible conversation that will support so many families on their breastfeeding journey.  You can find Maddie -  developingdoula...

In this week's episode, I am chatting to the lovely Zare de Candole who is a birth and postnatal doula amongst many other things.  She shares her great wisdom of what is required when preparing for the baby's arrival during pregnancy. She makes many recommendations about using a planning journal to ensure that anyone expecting a baby considers the wide variety of issues that may arise in...

In this episode, I am really happy to be introducing you to my wonderful friend Victoria Heath. Victoria is a Hypnotherapist who offers a wide range of services including Hypnobirthing, Life Coaching, and EMDR. I was delighted that she agreed to come and share her wisdom with you all so that you can learn lots of information about hypnobirthing and tips for supporting birth in general.  This conve...

In this episode, I have an in-depth conversation about birth trauma with Midwife Catherine Cooper.  We discuss why birth trauma happens and what you can do if you suspect you have experienced trauma at your birth or a birth you attended.  Catherine uses a process called the 3 step rewind which she talks about in detail. This episode is essential listening for anyone who is planning to have a baby,...

In this episode, I am pleased to welcome NHS Midwife Eleanor Copp. Eleanor is talking to us about working in a Midwife Led Unit or MLU which is a really great option to give birth in for many couples, offering a home from home style birth facility that is a step down from high-level medical care. This more natural setting gives pregnant women and birthing people the opportunity to achieve a birth...

In this episode, I am joined by doula and birth activist Samantha Gadsden, who runs the popular Facebook group Homebirth Support Group UK-  amongst others.  Our discussion takes us on a journey through the layers of what it is like to give birth in modern times with issues that pregnant people and their birth partners face all the time. Since Covid 19 and the start of lockdowns, birth at home was...

This week, in a continuation of the discussion about the birth process, I am incredibly privileged to have been joined by Midwife Amanda Burleigh. I am a huge fan of Amanda's work and all that she has achieved in maternity services, because she has really opened our eyes to the benefits of optimal cord clamping, which is the process of leaving a baby’s umbilical cord alone at the point of bir...

In this episode, I was delighted to be joined by the very knowledgeable Bridget Supple from My Baby’s Biome. Bridget is an experienced antenatal teacher who wears many hats, but in today’s episode, she is talking about gut health and the immune system. The baby’s microbiome is designed to be ‘seeded’ at birth and in the early days and months of life.  If a baby is born by caesarean section, is una...

In this episode, I am taking to Alyson Hewitt, a mother of two girls who  conceived using IVF - In Vitro Fertilisation.  We get into a conversation about what it was like for Aly when she was pregnant, how she felt emotionally and what it was like planning her birth. She gives us an insight into the way her birth partner felt, and she also gives many tips for all birth partners out there to offer...

In this episode, I am talking to the very lovely Matthew Clarke, Otherwise known as The Male Doula.  Matt is a Bowen therapist who specialises in birth work. He is also a birth and postnatal doula who is able to bring his wide range of skills to the birth room and support pregnant people and their partners throughout their journey. We get into an incredible conversation about how Matt found himsel...

In this episode, I am talking to my very first guest - Michelle Mayefske, otherwise known as The Limerick Doula.  Michelle is the mother of 5 children and advocates for others through her website and social media platforms called - Fat and Pregnant. Michelle is also in the process of writing her first book.  We get into an incredible conversation about what it is like to be plus-sized and pregnant...

In this episode, I am talking about birth plans. An essential tool for all birth partners to have to hand during the labour. The real power of a birth plan is the writing of the plan, where the pregnant woman or birthing person learns to understand what their preferences are for the birth, and how to get these across to her care providers. I also touch on the difficult subject of coercion, where a...

In this episode, I am talking about breathing and relaxation skills for labour and birth. I also cover the types of sounds you can expect to hear her make. It is important to discuss these in advance and encourage her to practice various breathing techniques when possible, especially as the birth gets closer.     To purchase copies of my various guided relaxations - contact me: sallyann@birthabili...

This episode covers the nitty gritty of what it entails to be a birth partner. There is more to come in the future, but for me, discussing these points seemed important, especially when we start looking into advocacy. It is so important for any birth partner to get a good understanding of the complexity of supporting a pregnant woman to achieve a positive birth and this episode gives you tons of i...

During labour and birth, the baby passes through it’s mothers pelvis on the way out. The positions that a woman adopts during this time should ideally be upright and gravity-assisted to maximise space in the pelvis. For this reason, it is essential to practice positions in advance of the birth, and to understand the best ones to choose - giving the baby as much room as possible.  If you would like...

In this episode, I am talking about the 2nd stage of labour - the pushing stage. This is a really important time which can easily go wrong.  As the birth partner, you need to learn about what to look out for when a woman is entering this stage, and to ensure that she follows her body at all times. It is essential to also be able to discuss this in pregnancy, so that she knows that she should only...