Birth Tales – Details, episodes & analysis

In today's episode I'm chatting to Maria about her two pregnancies. Her first was very sadly an ectopic pregnancy and she shares her journey of expectant management, which left her feeling very lonely and anxious. When she conceived again and got through the first trimester, Maria loved her second pregnancy. She planned to birth her baby at home but ended up accepting an induction at 42+2. She talks about her experience of a 3rd degree tear, the amazing postnatal care she received and how healing her birth felt following her loss.

I'm so grateful to Maria for sharing so honestly about her ectopic pregnancy and just want to flag to you listening that thats what we speak about for the first few minutes of our conversation in case you'd prefer to save this episode for another day.

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

Maria's IG: https://www.instagram.com/maria.iggy/

Maria's story: https://ectopic.org.uk/stories/an-expectant-management-experience

In this week's episode I chat to Tassy about her planned c-section. She conceived quickly after coming off the pill and Tassy really enjoyed being pregnant and learning about birth. At 32 weeks her midwife flagged concerns around her baby's small size and after accepting some additional growth scans she quickly realised the birth centre birth she had hoped for was becoming increasingly unlikely. Tassy shares how empowering it felt to choose a caesarean over the induction she was being recommended and how ultimately it felt like a really special and positive way to birth her baby. This is such a lovely example of the value of education in making informed choices and I know you're going to love hearing Tassy's story.

Tassy's IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_littlegrape/ 

Little Grape: https://thelittlegrape.co.uk

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode we're hearing about Jessi's two vastly different births. Her first - an induction that sent her into uterine hyperstimulation and was heavily influenced by covid restrictions. Her second - an empowering waterbirth in her living room with continuity of care from an amazing homebirth team.

She shares how her first birth influenced the choices she made around her second, what a physiological labour was like in comparison to an induced one and how her postpartum healing differed after the two.

Jessi's IG: https://www.instagram.com/tokissthecook/

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode we've got India back on the podcast to tell her second birth story. Having had a planned c-section after discovering her daughter was breech, India was keen to try for a VBAC this time round. She talks us through the preparation she did; lots of reading, gentle movement, acupuncture, reflexology and taking a hypnobirthing course. Her care team encouraged her to book in a c-section as a back up plan and as the scheduled date came around with no sign of her baby, India made the decision to go ahead with the caesarean.

We talk about all the things she did differently this time, the challenges of being post-op with a toddler to look after, her vastly different breastfeeding journey and the transition from one to two children.

If you haven't heard India's first story and want to give that a listen before diving into this one it is episode 10 of the podcast.

Sign up for the postpartum planning session: https://sincere-union-68693.myflodesk.com/dwmlbecfzt

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode Anaïs shares the story of her freebirth. She always knew she wanted to give birth to her baby at home and whilst it wasn't necessarily the plan to birth without midwives present, when her labour began she felt so calm and confident that she never felt the need to call them. She spent a lot of her labour in the shower and felt herself communicating with her baby throughout as a way of reassuring herself and checking in with the process. With the support of the couple's amazing doula, Lucy was born into her father's arms in the bathroom.

Anaïs shares some of the resources that helped her connect strongly with her intuition and her birthing body, she talks about trusting and surrendering over preparing in the conventional sense and she explains her decision not to call the midwives immediately after the birth, instead choosing to prioritise her family's oxytocin bubble a little bit longer. 

Anaïs's IG: https://www.instagram.com/anaiskegels/

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode we're hearing from Louise about the birth of her son Rex. She shares her experience of miscarriage; how that changed her perception of pregnancy and how she used keeping busy as a coping mechanism. 

At 39 weeks a scan suggested she was carrying a big baby so she decided to accept an induction which lead to uterine hyperstimulation and after a long and exhausting labour her baby was born with the assistance of forceps.

Louise talks about her very difficult postpartum experience; a bad case of mastitis which lead to being hospitalised with sepsis, and the postnatal depression and post traumatic stress disorder which ensued.

Sepsis Trust: https://sepsistrust.org/about-sepsis/

Louise's IG: https://www.instagram.com/louisemariebowen/ 

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode we're hearing from Alice about her two births; the first in the birth centre, the second at home.

Her eldest daughter Izra, who was born in the pool on the MLU, needed some special care after the birth due to meconium aspiration and Alice shares her experience of having a prolapse soon after the baby arrived.

When she fell pregnant again, despite her husband not supporting her choice, she planned to have her second baby at home. This is such a brilliant birth story as Alice ended up doing a park run in early labour on Christmas Day, birthing her baby at home whilst her family were visiting and still managing to squeeze in a festive roast before bedtime.

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode we're hearing from Sophie who was one of the very first guests on the podcast and she is back to share her homebirth experience.

After finding out she was pregnant by surprise at her friend's wedding, Sophie admits she found this pregnancy tougher than her last due to sickness, tiredness and lots of travel for her partner's work. She hired the same lovely doula who supported her first birth and on the whole felt very confident in her ability to birth her baby considering things had gone smoothly with her previous birth.

Her labour began at 39 weeks and she birthed her baby in the water at home supported by her midwife, partner, doula and mum with her toddler sleeping soundly upstairs. She shares what a calm and positive experience the birth was, the tools she used to keep herself focussed and relaxed when things felt tough, and how she went about introducing her toddler to her new little sister.

This was actually the final episode I edited before birthing my second son at home and it was perfect for getting me in a positive birth mindset so its well worth a listen for anyone who is giving birth soon!

Sophie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/sophiexanneliese/ 

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode I'm speaking to Rosie who had her baby girl Poppy 9 months ago. At her 12 week scan blood tests showed low levels of PAPP-A which resulted in multiple extra scans through her pregnancy and conversations starting early around a potential induction.

As it turns out, Rosie's labour began spontaneously shortly before 37 weeks on the day she was supposed to be moving house. When her waters released the move was put on hold and she ended up giving birth at her mum's local hospital. She shares how the experience differed from what she imagined, the amazing high she felt in the weeks following the birth and how with hindsight she wishes she had got everything prepared a little bit sooner! 

Rosie's IG: https://www.instagram.com/rosiefitzy1/ 

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In this episode I'm chatting to Rochelle about her second birth which took place just 2 weeks before recording! Her pregnancy differed in so many ways from her last; she suffered with terrible morning sickness for the first 5 months, had the added worry of a subchorionic haematoma and found at 20 weeks that her baby had a ventricular septal defect. Despite all the extra tests and complications, Rochelle was able to go ahead with the homebirth she hoped for and - after what she describes as an extreme dress rehearsal the day before - she birth her daughter in the water at home with her membranes still intact.

We discuss how she prepared for her second labour, the incredible benefits of having continuity of care from a known midwife and how her homebirth was a surreal and magical experience.

Rochelle's IG: https://www.instagram.com/roshiimcinscottii/ 

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

This episode is sponsored by Milestoneable. Visit their website here: https://milestonable.com