Podcast · Kids & Family

Australian Birth Stories

by Sophie Walker · English · Kids & Family

A Podcast of Mothers' stories of childbirth. Weekly interviews with mothers giving their first hand accounts of child birth in Australia. Designed to help educate and inform first time pregnant women, parents wanting to have better subsequent births and birth enthusiasts who love to hear and tell bi

New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 1 hr 7 min
Latest: 5 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 31 min

637 | Beth - two physiological births, MGP, unmedicated hospital birth and a family centered home birth

Beth shares two beautiful birth stories. Her first with Bernie was an unmedicated hospital birth at the Mercy, and Quinn's home birth through the Joan Kerner programme, where her partner Paddy caught their daughter in their own lounge room. Beth talks honestly about the power of continuity of care, hiring a doula for both births, and why birthing at home felt like the most natural thing in the world. Mother Dose by Land Lab I rarely talk about supplements on here – mostly because so many aren’t backed by real evidence, and as someone who’s always reading the fine print,…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

21 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 12 min

636 | Sarah Viliamu - two contrasting births, induction, miscarriage, pregnancy after loss, doula support, spontaneous labour, Pink Elephants

In this episode, I chat to Sarah Viliamu, content creator, model and founder of The Self Love Supply, about her two very different birth experiences four years apart. Her first birth took place in Melbourne during the height of the 2020 lockdowns and ended in a long induction with a frightening postpartum haemorrhage. In between her two children, Sarah experienced two miscarriages and speaks honestly about that grief and the anxiety that followed her into her next pregnancy. Her second birth, a spontaneous labour at home followed by a short, powerful vaginal birth in hospital, could not have…
14 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

Mel | IVF, emergency caesarean, postpartum anxiety and depression, mother and baby unit stay

In this episode I chat to Mel about her road to motherhood, which began with a year of unexplained infertility and a round of IVF squeezed in during a short trip home from remote Northern Territory. Her pregnancy played out almost entirely in a small community several hours from the nearest town before an unsettled labour led to an emergency caesarean and a frightening panic attack on the operating table. Mel speaks candidly about feeling disconnected from her newborn son in those first days, the baby blues that tipped into something far more serious, and the two week stay in a mother and…
7 Sep 2026 · 23 min

It’s Time to Fix Postpartum Care with Senator Marielle Smith

In this episode, I speak with Senator Marielle Smith about the newly established Senate Select Committee on Women’s Health and what it could mean for women and families across Australia. We unpack what a Senate Select Committee actually is, how it differs from a Royal Commission or state-based inquiry, and - importantly - how the stories and experiences shared with the committee can help inform recommendations and future policy. We also discuss why the inquiry extends beyond postpartum care to examine broader issues affecting women’s health, including women’s pain, medical…
6 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

Mia | Two vaginal births, birth centre, single mum to blended family, Canberra

In this episode I chat to Mia, a mother of two living in Canberra, about her two vaginal births, close in age but very different in circumstance. Mia's first birth followed an unplanned pregnancy at twenty three, was quick and left her with a healthy respect for gas and air. Her second birth was carefully planned as a home birth through Canberra's continuity of care programme, but a posterior baby, reduced movements and a racing heart rate meant she ended up induced in hospital instead, birthing on an epidural she never expected to need. Mia also speaks candidly about single motherhood,…
31 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

632 | Alex - ten year fertility journey, ectopic pregnancy, unexplained infertility, IVF, vaginal birth

In this episode I chat to Alex, a yoga and bodywork facilitator from Hobart, about the ten year journey she and her husband David went through to become parents. Alex takes us through years of unexplained infertility, a life threatening ectopic pregnancy, multiple rounds of IVF, several miscarriages and the moment she finally made peace with a child-free future, only to fall pregnant naturally soon after. She speaks so openly about the mental health toll of fertility treatment, the identity shifts along the way, and her vaginal birth following a two-day labour and augmentation. This is a…
28 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

631 | Hannah - three births, induced vaginal birth, private to public maternity care, Darwin

In this episode I chat to Hannah, a mum of three living in Darwin with her husband Joff and their boys Atlas, Abel and Solomon. Hannah takes us through three very different birth stories, starting with an induced hospital birth in Melbourne during lockdown, through to a calmer second labour in Darwin, and finally a fast third birth that unfolded just as Darwin's private maternity hospital closed its doors. She speaks openly about episiotomy recovery, breastfeeding, an early pregnancy loss and what it felt like to be moved into an already stretched public system. It's a warm, honest…
24 Aug 2026 · 58 min

630 | Jess Evans - Two physiological births, pregnancy after loss, fast vaginal birth, amenorrhea

In this episode I chat with Jess Evans, a mother of two from Melbourne who has spent eight years working with baby brand ErgoPouch. Jess takes us through the misdiagnosis that delayed her first pregnancy, a joyful and completely intervention free vaginal birth with her son Hunter, and then the devastating loss she experienced when trying for a second baby, not long after her husband Craig was diagnosed with testicular cancer. She talks candidly about grief, pregnancy after loss anxiety, and finally, the whirlwind two hour vaginal birth of her second son August. This episode is honest, moving…
17 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 14 min

629 | Elise Two births, HG, DCDA twins, induced labour, special care nursery, TFMR

In this episode I chat to Elise, originally from Scotland and now living on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her partner Dan and their three children. Elise has experienced severe hyperemesis gravidarum in all three of her pregnancies, and she takes us through an incredibly quick, vaginal birth with her first daughter Delilah, the heartbreaking termination for medical reasons of her daughter Rain following a trisomy 18 diagnosis, and finally the induced vaginal birth of her twins, Posey and Ziggy, which included a frightening resuscitation moment in the birth suite. Elise speaks openly about…
13 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

628 | Tully Smyth - finding love, egg freezing, elective caesarean, breastfeeding, grief and motherhood

In this episode I chat to Tully Smyth about her winding road to motherhood and the birth of her daughter, Elke. Tully shares her honest experience of being single well into her thirties, the decision to freeze her eggs twice, and how that choice changed the way she approached dating and eventually met her partner, Ned. She talks candidly about choosing an elective caesarean, the guilt and shame she carried around that decision, and the realities of her recovery, which was far from the straightforward experience she expected. Tully also opens up about grieving her mother, who she lost to…
10 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

627 | Amy - Five births, blended family, prodromal labour, assisted vaginal birth

In this episode I chat with Amy, a birth photographer and former doula living on the Sunshine Coast, about the birth of her fifth baby, her first with her now husband after a divorce from the father of her first four children. Amy takes us through meeting her husband, the decision to grow their blended family, a frightening heterotopic pregnancy scare, weeks of prodromal labour, her waters breaking in the frozen aisle at Coles, and a birth that took some unexpected turns when her baby wouldn't move down into a good position. She speaks so honestly about needing to meet an entirely different…
7 Aug 2026 · 45 min

626 Navigating Postpartum Support with Dr Eliza Hannam

Breastfeeding and sleep concerns are common in early parenthood but unfortunately, many GP’s aren’t qualified to support you through these challenges. So where do you go for professional advice? In this episode, Dr Eliza Hannam discusses her early motherhood experiences alongside her role as a GP, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and a Neuroprotective Development Care practitioner. What does all this mean? She’s the gold standard when it comes to perinatal care. Eliza explains how she supports new parents, the rebates available for allied health services…
3 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 19 min

625 Jessie Stephens | twin pregnancy, gestational diabetes, premature birth, NICU, breastfeeding twins

In this episode, I chat with Jessie Stephens, who many of you will remember from her first birth story with her daughter Luna in episode 415. Jessie returns to share her second pregnancy and birth journey, this time with a twist nobody expected, twins. She takes us through the heartbreak of a miscarriage, the shock of discovering twins at her scan, gestational diabetes, a premature caesarean birth at 33 weeks, weeks in NICU and the reality of triple feeding two newborns. It's an honest and moving conversation about the highs and lows of a twin pregnancy and birth. Today's episode is brought…
30 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

624 Danni Duncan four babies, twin birth, emergency caesarean, VBAC, bowel cancer survivor

I chat with Danni, a mother of four living on the Gold Coast, who takes us through eight remarkably eventful years of motherhood. Danni shares her path to becoming a mum of four, including a miscarriage before her first pregnancy, the surprise of conceiving twins through ovulation induction, an emergency caesarean for her daughter Harlow, a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) she fought hard for with her fourth baby, and finally, the bowel cancer diagnosis that arrived just seven months after giving birth to her youngest, London. Danni speaks candidly about postpartum body image,…
27 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

623 | Grace - Two births, midwifery care, induction, homebirth, physiological birth, fetal ejection reflex

In this episode, high school teacher and mother of two Grace shares her contrasting birth stories from Wollongong, NSW. Her first pregnancy was meticulously researched and planned. Grace approached conception with the same precision she'd bring to organising a holiday, using ovulation tracking and basal temperature monitoring to conceive her daughter Frankie. Though she'd arranged a private homebirth midwife, a late-pregnancy scan showing low amniotic fluid led to an unplanned induction and vaginal birth in hospital. Four years later, her second pregnancy with son William unfolded very…
23 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 27 min

622 | Hilary’s Birth, MGP, Secondary Infertility, Missed miscarriage, Advanced Maternal Age, Induction, Cervical Lip

Join me today for a conversation with my sister, Hilary who shares her second pregnancy and birth with her daughter Rhoda. I was in the birth centre from the moment her waters broke. It was the first birth I’ve ever attended and such a precious experience (although I think it confirmed that I wouldn’t be the best doula). I had a few roles on the day: support sister, photographer and baby catcher. Needless to say, it was unforgettable. Today's episode is brought to you by Nutra Naturals . Made from Australian grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken bones, Nutra Naturals'…
20 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 7 min

621 | Freya - 35-week premature birth after car accident, hyperemesis gravidarum, tongue tie, perinatal anxiety

In this episode I chat with Freya, a paediatric doctor from Melbourne, about her pregnancy and premature vaginal birth of her daughter Goldie. Freya's journey to motherhood came with more challenges than most; she battled severe hyperemesis gravidarum for her entire pregnancy, was involved in a serious car accident at 34 weeks, and went into spontaneous labour at just 35 weeks. Her professional background in paediatrics influenced many of her fears around childbirth, yet she still managed to find a positive, empowering birth experience. Freya also speaks candidly about the guilt and shame…
14 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 33 min

620 | Jade - Stage four endometriosis, two vastly different births, postural headaches, fear of second birth, dream water birth, PND

Jade is a registered nurse of fourteen years, a newly qualified doula, and a birth photographer living on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband Matt, her daughters Milla, four, and Remi, seventeen months, and their beloved Westie, Doug. Diagnosed with stage four endometriosis at twenty-one, Jade spent years wondering whether motherhood would come easily. Thankfully it did, but what followed were two pregnancies and births that could not have been more different. Her first, marked by severe hyperemesis, a prolonged epidural process, postural headaches, and a postpartum she is still…
6 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 33 min

619 | Lauren - Yoga teacher, intentional conception, positive induction, dream water birth, navigating grief in pregnancy, two births

Lauren is a yoga teacher, women's circle facilitator and prenatal yoga educator living in Sydney's northwest with her husband James and their two children, Joel, who is nearly four, and Grace, who is just three months old. From the moment she came off the contraceptive pill, Lauren embarked on a deeply intentional journey into her own body, her cycle, and ultimately, her path to motherhood. She shares two profoundly different yet equally positive birth experiences at the same private hospital, and takes us through the grief, the ritual, the surrender, and the extraordinary moments that…
22 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

618 | Hannah Home Water Birth with a 5.2kg Baby, Physiological Birth with Private Midwifery Care

Hannah first shared her birth story in a previous episode (episode 402) a home water birth with her 5.1kg son Archie. Now, four years later, she returns to share the story of her second home water birth with baby August, born at 41+2 weeks and weighing 5.2kg. This episode is rich with clinical insight, raw honesty and the kind of grounded wisdom that only comes from someone who has walked both sides of the birth room. Hannah talks candidly about gestational diabetes, pelvic girdle pain, the mental load of a prolonged latent phase, stretch and sweeps, using a breast pump to encourage labour,…
18 Jun 2026 · 56 min

Fourth Trimester Village | Francesca Hung , Precipitous Labour and Finding Your Villange in Postpartum

This episode is part of The Fourth Trimester Village, a four-part series in partnership with Bugaboo exploring what it actually takes to navigate those first twelve weeks after birth. Not just physically, but emotionally, socially and practically. Because we spend so much time preparing for birth, but not nearly enough time talking about what comes after. Francesca Hung joins us to share her pregnacy and birth expereince. From a pregnancy marked by low platelet levels and a tumble down a cliff face at twelve weeks, to waking at 3:30am on Christmas morning in precipitous labour and nearly…
15 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 10 min

615 | Hana identical twins, vaginal twin birth, breech second twin, no epidural, postpartum village, breastfeeding twins

When Hana went in for her thirteen-week scan on a road trip through Western Australia, she was expecting to confirm a due date. What she got instead was the shock of her life — two babies. Identical, monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins, sharing a placenta, and completely unplanned. Having already had two beautiful home births — a water birth with her first son Zephyr in Sydney, and a rapid two-hour birth with her second son Dali through the Byron Bay homebirth programme — Hana had assumed her third birth would follow a similar path. It didn't. But what unfolded was something she now…
11 Jun 2026 · 55 min

Fourth Trimester Village | Dr Nicole Gale, newborn sleep, breastfeeding support, matrescence, postnatal loneliness

This episode is part of The Fourth Trimester Village, a four-part series in partnership with Bugaboo exploring what it actually takes to navigate those first twelve weeks after birth. Not just physically, but emotionally, socially and practically. Because we spend so much time preparing for birth, but not nearly enough time talking about what comes after. In this episode, Sophie speaks with Dr Nicole Gale, a specialist GP, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and founder of Juno Specialists in Richmond, Melbourne. Nicole brings a rare combination of clinical expertise…
4 Jun 2026 · 49 min

The Fourth Trimester Village: Postpartum Movement & Recovery: Getting Back Out There with women's health physio Heidi

Today I'm joined by Heidi, women's health physiotherapist and the woman behind Women's Health with Heidi. With over a million followers, she's become a trusted voice in pelvic floor health and postpartum recovery. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, and honestly, I think every pregnant and postpartum woman needs to hear it. In this episode, we talk about: Why recovery actually takes twelve to twenty-four months and not six weeks What the six-week check does and doesn't tell you about your body The truth about diastasis recti and why doing the wrong exercises too soon can set you back…
1 Jun 2026 · 37 min

613 | Jordan, MGP, physiological first birth, The Birth Class, pelvic floor physio, water birth

Jordan birthed her daughter Hali in the water at the birth centre of the Royal Hospital for Women, supported by her MGP midwife, after just three hours and forty minutes of active labour. She talks about managing symphysis pubis dysfunction throughout pregnancy, using a TENS machine at home, labouring on all fours in her lounge room, and how preparation through the podcast, books and birth course helped her go into labour feeling genuinely open and ready for whatever unfolded. "I still can't believe I did an unmedicated water birth. But it was the most euphoric thing ever." If you've just…
28 May 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

The Fourth Trimester Village - Matrescence, Motherhood Rage & the Making of a Mother with Dr Edna Lekgabe

If you've ever felt blindsided by motherhood — the grief, the rage, the identity shift, the loneliness — this episode is for you. I sat down with Melbourne-based perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist Dr Edna Lekgabe to talk about one of the most profound and under-discussed transitions a woman can go through: matrescence. Edna has a gift for making the complex feel manageable, and this conversation is full of those lightbulb moments — the kind that make you exhale and think, oh, so that's what's happening to me. About Dr Edna Lekgabe: Dr Edna Lekgabe is a perinatal and reproductive…
26 May 2026 · 1 hr 2 min

611 | Renako, two births, COSMOS programme, emergency caesarean, planned caesarean, postnatal support

Renako, a Japanese-Australian creative, marketer and mum of two living on the Great Ocean Road, shares two very different caesarean birth stories. Her first, Kieran, arrived via emergency caesarean at the Royal Women's after being induced at 38 weeks for low amniotic fluid. Her second, Nori, was a planned caesarean at the Frances Perry, calm, joyful, and with a birth team that doubled as a photography crew. Renako speaks honestly about fight-or-flight mode, postnatal depression she didn't name at the time, and the slow, intentional work of coming back to herself. Hosted on Acast. See…
18 May 2026 · 1 hr 30 min

610 | Beth - two physiological births, MGP, unmedicated hospital birth and a family centered home birth

Beth shares two beautiful birth stories — Bernie's unmedicated hospital birth at the Mercy, and Quinn's home birth through the Joan Kerner programme, where her partner Paddy caught their daughter in their own lounge room. Beth talks honestly about the power of continuity of care, hiring a doula for both births, and why birthing at home felt like the most natural thing in the world. Download our 9 Birth Meditation collection today- available as a standalone product for $49 or included inside The Birth Class. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See…
14 May 2026 · 49 min

609 | Managing Pregnancy Aches, Pelvic Pain & Recovery with Osteopath Dr Daniela Aiello

In today’s episode I chat with Dr Daniela Aiello, a registered osteopath specialising in pregnancy and postpartum care at Bulleen Osteopathy in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Daniela brings over two decades of experience treating pregnant and postpartum women, combined with her personal journey as a mother of two (aged 14 and 11) and founder of Continuall, a compression wear brand designed specifically for women during pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
11 May 2026 · 52 min

608 | Clare, Maternally Assisted Caesarean, Baby hearing loss, Endometriosis

In this week’s episode, I chat to Clare about her two planned caesarean births. Despite severe endometriosis, Clare fell pregnant easily and sailed through the first half of her pregnancy. However, at her 20 week scan she discovered that her baby had ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJ) and shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Her planned caesarean was straightforward but her recovery was not; extensive adhesions in her uterus caused a long and painful postpartum. She chose a private obstetrician for her second birth and jumped at the chance to have a…

About Australian Birth Stories

Australian Birth Stories is a English kids & family podcast from Sophie Walker. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Sophie Walker
Language: English
Category: Kids & Family
New episodes: Several times a week
Typical length: 1 hr 7 min
Latest episode: 5 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1242155321
Rights: 2026 Sophie Walker

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