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

More from Australian Birth Stories

1. 

   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…

2. 

   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'…

3. 

   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…

4. 

   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…

5. 

   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,…

6. 

   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…

7. 

   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,…

8. 

   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…

9. 

   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…

10. 

    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…

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