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British Birthing Stories

Georgia McGivern

A weekly podcast sharing real stories of childbirth in the UK, from labour and delivery to postpartum recovery. Mothers across the UK talk openly about their personal birth experiences, created to educate, inform, and empower women preparing for birth and the early weeks of motherhood.

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#75
Yesterday · 53 min
Lisa: First Birth, NHS Hospital Induction at 42 Weeks, Gestational Diabetes, Oxytocin Drip, Pethidine, Epidural, Failed Ventouse, Forceps Delivery, Episiotomy, Third Degree Tear, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Doula
I spoke with Lisa, a birth doula and mum of three from Wimbledon, who shares the first of her three births: an NHS hospital induction at 42 weeks after a late gestational diabetes diagnosis. Lisa was planning a home birth when a glucose tolerance test at 34 weeks came back positive for gestational diabetes. She controlled her blood sugars with diet and a scan showed a normal sized baby, but she was removed from the home birth team and told she'd be induced at 40 weeks. At 36 weeks a consultant underlined the risk of stillbirth in her notes. Lisa asked for the research behind it, and neither trial she was given showed that risk for diet controlled gestational diabetes. She moved hospitals and agreed a plan with a supervisor of midwives to use the midwife led unit until 42 weeks. After weeks of sweeps, monitoring and being told she was putting her baby at risk, she agreed to be induced at 42 weeks on paper. A pessary, her waters broken, then the oxytocin drip. When the drip was turned up she had pethidine and an epidural. After an hour of pushing on her back, a ventouse cup came off twice and her son was born with forceps. She had a third degree tear, three second degree tears, lost 1.2 litres of blood and was taken to theatre without her baby. In this episode we talk about: Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 34 weeks and what it meant for her home birth plan A coercive consultant appointment, asking for the research, and finding a consultant midwife who listened How a due date moved forward by five days changed everything at 42 weeks What an NHS induction involved step by step, from the pessary to the drip, ventouse and forceps A third degree tear, postpartum haemorrhage, no aftercare advice, and why she says she wasn't traumatised The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. You can get in touch with Lisa and work with her here: Lisa runs a free monthly positive birth group in Wimbledon and anyone pregnant in South West London is always so welcome to join us (details on her website) https://www.doulaforyou.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/lisaharrisdoula/ British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#74
Thursday · 1 hr 8 min
Chloe: Two Births, Emergency Caesarean and Planned NHS Home Birth After Caesarean (HBAC) Born in an Ambulance, Induction, Membrane Sweep, Pethidine, Syntocinon, Failed Spinal, Consultant Led Care, Doula, Meconium, Fetal Ejection Reflex, Third Degree Tear
Today on the show Chloe shares both of her births. The first was an induction that ended in an emergency caesarean at Liverpool Women's. The second was a planned NHS home birth after caesarean that ended with her daughter being born in the back of an ambulance. Chloe was 23 and hadn't done any birth prep when she booked her induction. A pessary and a sweep she wasn't told about got things started, and after two nights on a busy induction ward she moved to the labour ward at 3cm. Then came pethidine, the hormone drip and contractions with no break in between. Her epidural took several attempts because her back was so muscly. After three days with barely any sleep she went from 6cm back to 4cm, and she chose a caesarean. The spinal wouldn't go in, and rather than be put to sleep she told the team she couldn't feel anything on her right side. She could. Second time round Chloe spent ten months researching. She stayed with the Liverpool Women's home birth team, said no to an induction and a repeat caesarean, and laboured at her mum's house with her mum, her sister and her doula. Her waters broke over the birth ball with meconium in them. The midwife on call was stuck at another birth, so paramedics came instead. After two hours of her body pushing on its own in the pool, she was helped into an ambulance and her daughter was born round the corner in one go. A fetal ejection reflex, a 3C tear, and a baby who needed her airways clearing, which Chloe did herself. In this episode we talk about: Why induction felt like the norm at 23 and what Chloe wishes she'd questioned Pethidine, a failed spinal and what it's like to feel part of your emergency caesarean Planning an NHS home birth after caesarean (HBAC) under consultant led care, and saying no to induction and a repeat caesarean Meconium in the waters, paramedics instead of midwives and a fetal ejection reflex in the back of an ambulance Recovering from a third degree tear and why Chloe found it harder than healing from her caesarean The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#73
September 29 · 54 min
Erin: Second Birth, Positive NHS Hospital VBAC, Spontaneous Labour, Midwife Led Unit, Birth Pool with Wireless CTG, Back Labour, Breech Baby Turned, Reduced Fetal Movements, Anterior Placenta, TENS Machine, Gas and Air, 3A Tear
I had Erin back on the pod to share the birth of her daughter, her second baby and her VBAC. Erin lives in Glasgow with her husband, their two little ones and their dogs. Her son was born by emergency C section after a 71 hour induction. This time she wanted to see what her body could do if labour started on its own. She asked to move to the NHS home birth team at her eight week booking appointment, then chose the hospital's midwife led unit when a home birth stopped feeling right. Along the way there were two episodes of reduced fetal movements, a sonographer who explained why an anterior placenta doesn't account for reduced movements, consultant appointments about continuous monitoring, and a breech scan at 30 weeks that hit her much harder than she expected. By 32 weeks her daughter had turned head down. Labour crept in over New Year. Three days of cramps, then back pain through the night after the bells, then contractions she only ever felt in her back. She got to triage at 5cm and laboured in the pool with a wireless CTG monitor. At 8cm, in transition, she was asking for a C section. While she waited for an epidural on Labour Ward, her body started pushing on its own and her daughter was born on the next contraction. Erin lifted her straight onto her chest, exactly the moment she'd pictured all pregnancy. In this episode we talk about: Planning a VBAC on the NHS after an emergency C section, and moving from the home birth team to a midwife led unit Why an anterior placenta doesn't explain reduced fetal movements Using the birth pool with wireless CTG monitoring during a VBAC Back labour, transition and asking for a C section at 8cm Birth reviews, accessing your maternity notes, and a 3A tear repaired in theatre The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#72
September 24 · 38 min
Nicole: First Birth, IVF Conception, Ghost Pregnancy, Positive NHS Hospital Induction, Failed Epidural, Ventouse Delivery, Episiotomy, Breastfeeding Challenges, Hospital Readmission
Nicole is an Australian mum living in the UK who welcomed her daughter Rosemary after a long IVF journey. Her pregnancy was smooth until a late scan flagged Rosemary as measuring small, and Nicole was booked in for an induction at nearly thirty seven weeks. She leaned hard on hypnobirthing and a strict no contact with the outside world rule to stay calm through days of waiting in hospital before anything even started. Everything changed when Rosemary would not come down and Nicole ended up pushing alone for almost an hour before a doctor, who happened to be an old family friend, stepped in with a ventouse delivery and an episiotomy. What followed was an exhausting recovery, a battle to breastfeed that ended in an official complaint, and a terrifying moment days later when Rosemary was readmitted to hospital because she was not putting weight back on. In this episode we talk about: What it is really like to be induced and spend days waiting for a bed on the ward The strange experience of a ghost pregnancy before her successful IVF transfer Pushing for nearly an hour before a doctor stepped in with a ventouse delivery Why she made an official complaint after her breastfeeding support fell short Being readmitted to hospital just a week after birth and what caused it This episode is for anyone who has ever felt dismissed while trying to feed their baby, or who is heading into an induction and wondering how on earth to stay calm. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#71
September 22 · 38 min
Steph: First Birth, NHS Hospital Birth, Preeclampsia, Gestational Diabetes, Induction, Failed Epidural, Dural Puncture, Failed Pushing, Emergency C-Section, Postpartum Haemorrhage, C-Section Infection, Birth Trauma
Steph is a first time mum from South Devon who spent her pregnancy hypnobirthing and hoping for a straightforward delivery. Instead she got appendicitis at fifteen weeks, gestational diabetes at twenty six weeks, and preeclampsia at twenty eight weeks. She was induced at thirty six weeks, and what followed was, in her own words, hell on earth. The turning point came hours into pushing, when a doctor and a midwife came in to examine her and realised she was not the nine or ten centimetres she had been coached to believe. She was eight, and her baby was stuck in the birth canal. What followed was an emergency C-section where Steph could feel everything, a dural puncture from a failed epidural that left her unable to sit up or hold her own baby for days, and a birth so far from the one she had planned that it took her years, and a second birth, to make peace with. In this episode we talk about: Getting an endometriosis diagnosis after years of being told her symptoms were normal, and conceiving naturally after being told she would need help Emergency appendix surgery at fifteen weeks pregnant and being told what would happen to her and her baby if she did not have it Being induced with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia and what the hormone drip really felt like A failed epidural, a dural puncture, and the blood patch procedure that finally fixed it three days later Why there was no golden hour after everything she had been through, and how she turned her bitterness about the birth she did not get into research and advocacy This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like their birth spiralled completely out of their control. Steph's story is proof that you can come through it and come out the other side an advocate for yourself and for other women. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#70
September 17 · 1 hr 14 min
Georgie: First Birth, NHS Hospital Induction, Coarctation of the Aorta Diagnosed at 12 Week Scan, High Risk Pregnancy, CVS Test, One Sided Epidural, NICU, Open Heart Surgery at 7 Days Old
At her twelve week scan, Georgie was told there was a problem with her baby's heart. The tests that followed gave her daughter a one to two percent chance of surviving the pregnancy. Georgie is a mum of two from London who shares her first birth story. Her pregnancy started with severe nausea that kept her housebound for weeks. Then at her twelve week scan, everything changed when the sonographer found signs of a heart condition. What followed was months of uncertainty, scans and waiting. The turning point came when specialists confirmed her daughter had a rare heart condition with a devastating survival statistic. Georgie and her husband made the decision to continue the pregnancy, taking each day as it came. Her daughter defied the odds, was born through a long and difficult induction, and had open heart surgery at just seven days old. Today she is a happy, healthy toddler. In this episode we talk about: What it is like to be told at a routine scan that something might be wrong with your baby's heart Being offered a termination for medical reasons and how Georgie and her husband made their decision A one sided epidural, an unconsented sweep, and learning to advocate for herself in labour Fighting to breastfeed in NICU when she was handed formula options instead of support What it is really like when your seven day old baby goes into open heart surgery This episode is for anyone who has been told something might be wrong with their baby and does not know how to carry that uncertainty. Georgie's story is proof that you can hold onto hope even in the hardest of circumstances. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#69
September 15 · 56 min
Gigi: First Birth, NHS Hospital Birth, Precipitous 3 Hour Labour, Pethidine, Ventouse Delivery, Gender Disappointment, Delayed Bonding
Gigi's labour moved so fast her body started pushing before anyone realised what was happening. Then the pethidine kicked in, and she was left alone in the room, unable to call out for help. Gigi is a mum of two from London, and this is the story of her first birth, her son Rupert. After an early miscarriage, her second pregnancy came quickly, though the nine months that followed were not easy. She had planned to ease gently into labour with hypnobirthing, but when it arrived the night before her booked induction, everything happened much faster than she expected. Contractions came every two to three minutes almost from the start, so close together that Gigi ended up labouring through half the tube journey to hospital. Once she arrived, pethidin took the pain away completely, but it also left her drifting in and out of consciousness, alone in a hospital room while her body began pushing on its own. What followed was a sudden dash to the labour ward, an episiotomy, an assisted ventouse delivery, and a newborn son she did not fall in love with straight away. In this episode we talk about: Labouring so fast she rode the London Underground through established contractions What pethidin really felt like, and being left alone in a hospital room once it took hold An emergency when the baby's heart rate could not be picked up properly An assisted delivery with an episiotomy and a Kiwi ventouse Not feeling an instant bond with her baby, and being honest about gender disappointment afterwards This episode is for anyone who felt like their birth, or those first days with their baby, did not go the way they expected. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#68
September 10 · 38 min
India: Second Birth, Positive NHS Midwife Led Unit Birth, Four Hour Labour, 37 Weeks, Shoulder Dystocia, Healing Birth After Trauma
Four hours. That is all it took from her first contraction to holding her son in her arms. India is a yoga teacher, outdoor enthusiast and mum of two from the Kent coast. Her first birth left her with a 40 hour labour, a forceps delivery, and months of physical and emotional trauma to recover from. When she fell pregnant with her son on her very first attempt at trying again, she felt joy and fear in equal measure. This time she did things differently. She saw an osteopath and had weekly pelvic floor therapy before he was even born, working through tension her body was still holding from her daughter's birth. When labour came on fast at 37 weeks, she trusted her body completely. She was taken straight through to the midwife led unit, and her son was born on all fours, with no time left for the water birth she had planned, in one of the most instinctive and empowering experiences of her life. In this episode we talk about: Preparing your body for birth with osteopathy and pelvic floor therapy after a traumatic first birth What a genuinely fast labour feels like when it goes from first contraction to birth in 4 hours Advocating for a physiological birth and staying off your back, even in an emergency Shoulder dystocia and how a calm, confident midwife handled it in seconds Why her son struggled to settle as a newborn and what finally helped him relax into his body The instant bond she felt the moment he was placed on her chest, after months of feeling disconnected during pregnancy This episode is for anyone who has had a traumatic first birth and is wondering whether their second could be completely different. India's story is proof that it absolutely can. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#67
September 8 · 54 min
India: First Birth, Hospital Birth After Miscarriage, Planned Water Birth, COVID Restrictions and Forceps Delivery
She had planned a calm hospital water birth after miscarriage, but gave birth during COVID restrictions with no birth pool, continuous monitoring, an epidural, forceps delivery, episiotomy, and a postpartum recovery that took far longer than she expected. India is a mum of two from Kent who shares her first birth with her daughter Maloo. After a miscarriage during lockdown, she fell pregnant again quickly and carried the anxiety of pregnancy after loss into a healthy pregnancy. She had prepared for birth with hypnobirthing, movement, breathwork and trust in her body, hoping for a hospital water birth on the midwife-led unit. But when she arrived at hospital, the unit was closed, the pool was unavailable, and she was told she needed continuous monitoring. After a long labour, gas and air, pethidine, an epidural and time in theatre, Maloo was born by forceps with an episiotomy. What followed was really hard. India experienced significant pelvic pain, later discovered her stitches had not dissolved properly, and began to understand how much her body was still holding from the birth. She also talks about the support that finally helped her begin to heal. In this episode we talk about: Miscarriage during lockdown and falling pregnant again soon after What pregnancy after loss felt like and how anxiety showed up throughout her pregnancy Planning a hospital water birth and how COVID restrictions changed her options Continuous monitoring, losing freedom of movement, and how that affected labour Gas and air, pethidine, epidural, theatre, forceps delivery and episiotomy Postpartum pelvic pain, stitches that did not dissolve properly, and healing physically after birth This episode is for anyone who has experienced pregnancy after loss, a birth that moved away from what they hoped for, or a postpartum recovery that felt harder and longer than expected. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#66
September 3 · 1 hr 6 min
Jazz: Second Birth, Positive NHS Birth Centre Birth, Home Labour, 12 Days Overdue, Low BMI, Self Advocacy, Membrane Sweep, Oral Morphine, Natural Tear
Jazz is a content creator and mum of two who shares her honest, informed take on birth. In this episode she shares the birth of her son Drew, a second positive birth in an NHS birth centre that started with hours of labouring at home. Twelve days overdue and booked in for another induction, Jazz went in ready to push back and buy her body more time. She never needed to. Her contractions started spontaneously the night before, and she laboured at home with her partner and his dad in the next room before heading to hospital already three centimetres dilated. This time she also knew how to advocate for herself, pushing back on being made consultant led again because of her low BMI, and on being told she could not labour in water. In this episode we talk about: Refusing to be pressured into another induction, and how her labour started spontaneously at home instead Pushing back on being made consultant led again because of her low BMI, and on being told she could not labour in water Taking oral morphine for back pain and having her waters broken at eight centimetres Why her body wanted to curl into a side lying position that is not considered optimal for birth Pushing for two and a half hours, tearing naturally again, and her advice for any mum in labour who needs to poo This episode is for anyone about to have a second baby and wondering whether trusting your body gets easier the second time round. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#65
September 1 · 52 min
Jazz: First Birth, Positive NHS Birth Centre Birth, 13 Days Overdue, Membrane Sweep, Full Labour Ward, Pethidine, Waters Broken, Birth Centre Transfer, Natural Tear
Jazz is a content creator and mum of two who has been sharing her life online for sixteen years. In this episode she shares the birth of her daughter Bluebell, a positive birth in an NHS birth centre after thirteen days overdue and a booked induction that never actually happened. She went into hospital ready to be induced, only to be told twice that there was no room on the labour ward. She stayed both nights anyway. When a consultant finally offered her a third membrane sweep, her body took over on its own. She went on to labour for hours in the water, get transferred to the birth centre, push for three hours across four different rooms, and welcome her daughter with no induction drugs at all, tearing naturally rather than needing a cut. In this episode we talk about: Being thirteen days overdue and turning up for a booked induction that kept getting delayed because the labour ward was full Choosing not to do hypnobirthing and trusting her body to figure it out instead Two membrane sweeps that did nothing, and the third one that changed everything Accepting pethidine and gas and air, and having her waters broken by the midwife Being transferred to the birth centre, pushing for three hours across four rooms, and tearing naturally rather than needing a cut This episode is for anyone who is dreading an induction, or who just wants to hear a birth story where the hard parts still ended somewhere good. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#64
August 27 · 55 min
Kirsten: Second Birth, Planned NHS Home Birth, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Fast Labour, Physiological Water Birth, Fetal Ejection Reflex, Physiological Third Stage, No Stitches, Healing Birth After Difficult First Experience
She had been awake for hours, then asleep for two, when she woke up to the strongest contraction she had ever felt. Her waters broke. She looked at the clock. It was 4am, exactly when she had known it would be. Kirsten is an independent midwife who shares her second birth, a home water birth that gave her everything her first had not. Her second pregnancy brought hyperemesis again, a baby measuring on the 97th centile who turned out to be 6 pounds 12, and weeks of prodromal labour that stopped every single night just before she thought it was finally happening. When labour did come for real, it came fast. She was in the shower on all fours, making the sounds any midwife would recognise, while her partner ran up and down two flights of stairs between contractions to fill the pool. Her son Arlo was born in the water at five to six in the morning. Two midwives she already knew and loved caught him. Nobody cut the cord. Nobody gave her an injection without asking. Nobody touched her without her permission. In this episode we talk about: Why weeks of prodromal labour is so hard to manage mentally and what actually helped Kirsten get through it What it feels like to go from asleep to transitioning in the space of about 15 minutes The fetal ejection reflex, what it actually is, and how Kirsten describes it in a way that finally makes it make sense How Kirsten declined suturing after a small tear and what she did instead Why she had always planned to leave the NHS, and what eventually pushed her to go independent This episode is for anyone who had a first birth that felt like it happened to them, and is wondering if they can take back control the second time around. Kirsten did. Completely. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#63
August 25 · 53 min
Kirsten: First Birth, Planned NHS Home Birth, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Fast Labour, Hospital Transfer, Ventouse Delivery, Episiotomy Without Consent, Episiotomy Breakdown, Autism and ADHD
She planned a home birth and got one. Right up until she didn't. And what happened at the hospital, at the hands of a registrar who did not ask her permission, is something she eventually made a formal complaint about. Kirsten is an independent midwife, mum of two boys, and half Dutch, growing up in a culture where home birth is simply normal. Her first pregnancy was dominated by hyperemesis gravidarum so severe she lost 10 kilos and lived on potatoes and crisps for months. Nobody mentioned HG to her until she was 36 weeks, when a patient she was treating spotted it first. Labour began quietly at 39 weeks, a walk around Hackney Downs, some swaying she could not explain, a Pride and Prejudice evening, and then her waters breaking in the middle of the night exactly when she knew they would. Labour was fast and intense. She reached 7cm at home, got into the birth pool, and pushed for two hours without progress before making the call herself to transfer to hospital. In hospital, she refused forceps and got what she wanted: a ventouse delivery. What she did not get was her consent asked before the episiotomy. Or before her cord was cut. Or before the hormone injection was given to her leg. Three things happened against her wishes in quick succession. And then she walked home from hospital, 45 minutes, with a fresh baby in a pram, because they had not brought a car seat. And came home to a flooded flat. In this episode we talk about: What hyperemesis gravidarum actually felt like across a whole pregnancy, and why nobody named it until Kirsten was 36 weeks How being autistic affects interoception and what that meant for how Kirsten experienced labour What it is actually like to transfer to hospital as a planned home birth, and how to stay calm when everything changes What happens when a registrar does not ask your consent, and what Kirsten did about it afterwards Why the episiotomy breaking down led to 8 weeks of barely being able to walk, and what finally helped This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the system moved too fast and did not stop to ask. Kirsten lived it, made the formal complaint, and came back for a second birth that was everything she had planned for the first time. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#62
August 20 · 43 min
Rhianna: First Birth, Positive NHS Midwife Led Unit Water Birth, Gestational Diabetes, Five Hour Fast Labour, Guided Pushing, Early at 38 Weeks
Rhianna is a first time mum who shares a fast and positive NHS midwife led unit water birth. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes late in pregnancy but stayed diet controlled throughout, with no concerns for her or baby Teddy. She spent months preparing with hypnobirthing, antenatal classes and online birth communities, hoping for a water birth with as little intervention as possible. When labour arrived two weeks early, it moved faster than anyone expected. Within fifteen minutes of calling the midwives, her contractions went from nothing to intense. By the time she reached hospital she was already six centimetres dilated. What followed was a water birth, a stretch of guided pushing when her baby's heart rate needed close watching, and a birth so fast that the midwives in the room told her to consider a home birth next time. In this episode we talk about: Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes late in pregnancy and staying diet controlled throughout Going from six centimetres dilated to holding her baby in under five hours Using the birthing pool and gas and air as her only pain relief Guided pushing when her baby's heart rate needed closer monitoring Witnessing a student midwife's very first birth from start to finish This episode is for anyone who wants to hear what a fast, positive water birth can really feel like, even when it happens nothing like you expected. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#61
August 18 · 58 min
Bonnie: Two Births, Forceps Delivery, Missed Third Degree Tear, Postpartum Haemorrhage and NHS Birth Centre Water Birth with Gestational Diabetes
Bonnie went into her first birth with a detailed plan for a water birth. She left theatre with forceps, a missed third degree tear and a hemorrhage that was still waiting to happen at home two weeks later. Bonnie is a certified babywearing consultant, mum of two and originally from Hong Kong. Her first birth started with real promise. Contractions kicked off the day before her due date and progressed fast. But the hospital was too busy to admit her, so she spent hours pacing a corridor in established labour with nothing but paracetamol, only to be checked and found eight centimetres dilated. From there the birth centre she had planned for was closed due to staffing, an epidural slowed everything down, and a dip in the baby's heart rate meant forceps in theatre. The real turning point came two weeks after the birth, when a tear that had been recorded as second degree turned out to be third degree, missed at the time. Bonnie collapsed at home with a postpartum hemorrhage caused by retained placenta and had to be blue lighted back into hospital, where both were finally treated. For her second birth she went in determined, fought a consultant who tried to block her from the birth centre, and this time gave birth in the water she had wanted all along. In this episode we talk about: Being turned away in early labour and told to walk the hospital corridor A birth centre closing due to staffing on the night she needed it Forceps delivery and an unplanned move to theatre A missed third degree tear and a postpartum hemorrhage at home Fighting a consultant for access to a birth centre and water birth second time round Gestational diabetes, induction and a fast birth centre water birth This episode is for anyone who has been told to just wait, who has had a birth plan fall apart in front of them, or who is preparing to fight for something different second time round. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#60
August 13 · 48 min
Lana: Two Births, First Birth NHS Hospital Birth, Meconium, Syntocinon Drip, One Sided Epidural, Baby Born Unresponsive, Retained Placenta, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Postnatal Depression, Second Birth Elective C-Section
Lana is a mum of two, a content creator and coach, who joins Georgia to share both of her birth stories. Her first labour with her son began with her waters breaking at forty weeks and three days, and what followed was thirty six hours that changed how she felt about birth completely. Meconium in her waters. A syntocinon drip that made the pain unmanageable. An epidural that only worked on one side. A baby born unresponsive after her pushing stage. Then a retained placenta that led to emergency theatre and a blood transfusion. It was the start of a postnatal depression that took months to recognise. Her second birth, an elective caesarean during a hard pregnancy with gestational diabetes, gave her something she never expected: a completely healing experience. In this episode we talk about: Labouring through the night with meconium in her waters, and an epidural that only worked on one side Being told, mid push, that her baby was likely to be born unresponsive A retained placenta, an emergency trip to theatre, and losing two and a half litres of blood Postnatal depression that showed up as rage rather than sadness, and what finally got her the help she needed Choosing an elective C-section for her second birth, and why it healed her from the first The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#59
August 11 · 52 min
Rebecca: Third Birth, Positive Home Birth, Ruptured Ovarian Cyst in Early Pregnancy, Over Ten Hour Labour, Cord Wrapped Around Neck, Managed Third Stage, Postpartum Constipation
Rebecca is back to share her third birth, another planned home birth in Devon after two positive home births before this one. She prepared exactly as she had before: hypnobirthing, positive birth stories, a supportive home birth team. Everyone told her a third baby would come quickly. It didn't. Labour lasted more than ten hours, far longer than either of her previous births, and nothing about it felt familiar. She needed her husband beside her in a way she never had before, had to change position to help her baby turn, and reconsidered pain relief she'd planned to avoid. When her son finally arrived, the reason for the long labour became clear. In this episode we talk about: Discovering a ruptured ovarian cyst in early pregnancy, and mistaking it for something more serious Changing midwives after a dismissive response to her home birth plan A labour lasting far longer than her previous two, and changing position to help her baby rotate Delivering at home with the cord wrapped around her son's neck, stomach and leg The postpartum struggle with constipation that nobody warned her about The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#58
August 6 · 49 min
Rebecca: Two Births, First Birth Unplanned Home Birth, Sent Home at 2cm, Fetal Ejection Reflex, Retained Placenta, Second Birth Planned Home Birth at 42 Weeks, Declined Induction, Physiological Birth
Rebecca is a mum of three from Devon, and in this episode she shares the first two of her birth stories. She had planned a calm water birth at her local birth centre, complete with a hypnobirthing course and a positive mindset. Her waters broke at 39 weeks after an evening walk home from a prayer meeting, and what followed was a labour that moved far faster than anyone expected. Examined at two to three centimetres, she was sent home from hospital with instructions to come back for an induction that night. Within hours she needed to push, could not reach the midwives on the phone, and gave birth on her lounge floor with two paramedics. Second time round, wanting a home birth on her own terms, she was told by a midwife that she needed to check with her senior what to do with a woman who was refusing medical care, simply for declining an early induction. In this episode we talk about: Being sent home from hospital at 2 to 3cm dilated with no bed available on the ward Giving birth on the lounge floor with paramedics after the midwives could not be reached Being told she was refusing medical care for declining an early induction Standing her ground against a consultant's stillbirth statistics at 42 weeks A four hour home birth exactly on her own terms the second time round The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#57
August 4 · 49 min
Jess: First Birth, Planned NHS Home Birth, Hospital Transfer, Meconium, Lost Fetal Heartbeat, Category 1 Emergency C-Section, Suspected Placenta Abruption
Jess is a first time mum from Cardiff who planned a home birth from the moment she found out she was pregnant. She did hypnobirthing, joined antenatal classes, and built a relationship with the midwife who ended up attending her labour. Contractions started at 40 weeks and 5 days, and she laboured calmly at home through the night with a birth pool, gas and air, and a TENS machine. After hours stuck at 5cm with a swollen cervix, she was transferred to hospital by blue light ambulance. Her waters broke naturally with thick meconium, and then her baby's heartbeat disappeared from the monitor. Within a minute the room filled with staff, and Jess was rushed for an emergency C-section. In this episode we talk about: Getting the green light for an NHS home birth and what happens when no midwives are available Labouring calmly at home with a birth pool, gas and air, and a TENS machine What it is like to stall at 5cm for hours before deciding to transfer to hospital Losing your baby's heartbeat on the monitor and the category 1 C-section that followed Why the postnatal ward, not the surgery, ended up being the hardest part This episode is for anyone who has planned every detail of their birth and needs to hear that it is okay when things go a completely different way. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#56
July 30 · 48 min
Erin: First Birth, NHS Hospital Birth, Induction, Reduced Fetal Movements, Malposition, Fetal Blood Sample, Emergency C-Section, Missed Miscarriage, Birth Trauma
Erin is a first time mum and veterinary nurse whose son's birth started with an induction at 37 weeks after two episodes of reduced movement, and ended up somewhere none of them expected. Days of gel pessaries barely moved things along, and once her waters were broken and a hormone drip started, her body reacted badly, bleeding heavily and sending her blood pressure spiking. Once that settled, her son turned out to be lying the wrong way, with staff losing his heartbeat on the monitor more than once, which led to a tense wait for a fetal blood sample before Erin went in for an emergency C section. Postpartum brought its own scare too, with her blood pressure climbing for days before anyone acted on it. She talks about: Being induced at 37 weeks after reduced fetal movements A hormone drip reaction that led to heavy bleeding and dangerously high blood pressure Waiting on a fetal blood sample to check on her baby before an emergency C section Finding out her baby's sex in theatre Postpartum blood pressure spikes and birth notes that didn't match what happened The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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