Welcome to cuppa with a doula, a podcast dedicated to sharing real stories on all things pregnancy, birth and parenting. Every week you will hear a mum or mum-to-be telling their story of pregnancy and parenting. Some stories are raw but all are real and told without any taboo. I'm your host Alicia, Exercise Physiologist and Doula. Through this podcast I hope to help you find information, reassurance and for you to feel like you are seen and heard. You are not alone so join in and enjoy the show!
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!
Alicia :)
#040 Rachel - PCOS, IVF, ICSI, fresh embryo transfer, MGP, long pre-labour, water birth, surprise gender
Saturday, November 9, 2024 • Duration 01:28:11
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Rachel
In this episode we chat all about
✔️trying to conceive and knowing that something wasn’t right - going on letrozol for 6 cycles and only ovulating twice
✔️deciding to go on IVF and deciding between light and regular IVF
✔️collecting 22 eggs from her IVF cycle but having none fertilize due to egg-sp*rm interaction problem
✔️doing IVF rounds using ICSI fertilisation and oocyte activation which gave Rachel the most fertilised embryo
✔️after her last round of IVF and collection, Rachel felt the best she ever had and advocated for a fresh embryo transfer as she felt this was the right way to go
✔️conceiving after almost 18 months of waiting and over a year of going through IVF
✔️being accepted into MGP model of care, doing private hypnobirthing and breastfeeding classes as well as attending hospital birth classes to know the hospital’s policies and what to advocate against!
✔️Rachel felt that she couldn’t have an unmedicated birth as she had trouble to conceive and felt that birth would be difficult
✔️Rachel not believing she was in labour for 2 days when she had regular surges, she kept thinking “this is going to get worse, this may not even be labour!”
✔️not getting sleep for 3 days prior to birth as the surges were worse when Rachel laid down and then after a long prelabour, Rachel’s labour beginning
✔️Rachel being in disbelief after the birth that she had done it without pain relief as she thought the intensity of labour would get worse and there would be a pain where she would be asking for an epidural
✔️Finding great support in the Facebook group IVF Australia
#039 Ann - “small placenta may be the leading cause of full term stillbirth”, advocate, 4 live babies, small placenta stillbirth, baby after stillbirth
Sunday, October 27, 2024 • Duration 01:48:12
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Ann, all the way from the USA who shares with us the story of her motherhood journey and in particular the birth and death and her baby Elijah who passed away at term due to a small placenta size. Since then, Ann has created an amazing organisation in the USA called measure the placenta, backed by research showing that the detection of small placentas through measuring the placenta during pregnancy could help prevent a large number of stillbirths.
In this episode we chat all about
✔️wanting to be a mum but also working her first 3 pregnancies around her PhD so that she could try and finish it
✔️having very heavy bleeding during her second pregnancy, being told it was likely an impeding miscarriage, despite seeing a heart beat on the ultrasound, but turned out to be a subchorionic haematoma and baby survived
✔️falling pregnant with her 4th baby (thinking this would be her last), everything going well until 39 weeks of pregnancy
✔️being in denial that Elijah could be dead even though Ann hadn’t felt movements for a very long time and Elijah was an active baby
✔️still being in denial during Elijah’s labour, trying to pretend that he would be born alive
✔️birthing her son Elijah, stillborn, and agreeing to do an autopsy and test on his placenta to find out the cause of his death
✔️meeting with the pathologist after reading the report of Elijah’s placenta analysis to find out why Elijah died and being dismissed or not being helped in finding the cause of her son’s death
✔️connecting with Dr Harvey Kliman so he could determine the cause of Elijah’s death, being that Elijah’s size was too big for his small placenta
✔️creating “Measure the placenta” an association trying to create change and get placenta measured in the prenatal period
Cuppa with a pro #08 Shantelle - NICU mum “my baby is a miracle, born at viability at 24 weeks”
Sunday, June 2, 2024 • Duration 01:07:24
Hey hey,
Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.
In today’s episode, I am chatting with Shantelle whose little boy Bowie was born at 24 weeks of gestation and spent 8 months in the NICU. Shantelle has already shared her story on the podcast (link below) and agreed to come back to help set a scene for what a NICU stay is like, talk about the language used and what it means, the different machines and more, a must listen if you are facing a NICU stay and want to be as informed as possible. We chatted about
In this episode, Shantelle shares quite a few photos of Bowie, his breathing equipment, what a NICU pod looks like and more so if you want to see those, head over to Youtube or use the link below, search for the channel Cuppa with a doula and you’ll be able to see the wonderful photos that Shantelle shares with us
✔️The NICU being a very warm and humid environment
✔️How the pods in the NICU are organised and why there might be a different number of babies in each room
✔️The ratio of nurse to baby
✔️If able to, trying to say “hi” or engage with other NICU parents as they will understand exactly what you are going through and will be able to relate and really see you
✔️Creating a social circle if able to, planning social events, catch ups and also including the dads or patners who may not be able to access mental health services through the hospital and may feel more isolated than the mum
✔️The mental health impact having a baby in the NICU can have on parents as well as the potential trauma
✔️Milestones for a premie baby
✔️The trauma that never goes away even after baby is home from the NICU and the potential triggers that might bring this trauma back
#038 Grace - OCD, BMI bullying, positive hospital birth, meconium, water birth, painful breastfeeding, losing too much weight, postnatal rage, mum guilt
Sunday, May 26, 2024 • Duration 01:35:47
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Grace who is a mum to baby North and quite a strong minded woman as you will hear in this interview!
In this episode we chat all about
✔️not knowing what her options are, going to her GP to confirm pregnancy and being told she will do shared care
✔️going to antenatal appointments at public hospitals and feeling so unsupported, not heard or listened to and being very triggered
✔️working hard to prepare for a positive birth by listening to podcasts, doing hypnobirthing, preparing affirmations, moving her body
✔️advocating for herself in hospital and declining interventions as Grace felt informed and confident in her choices
✔️Grace’s partner perfectly finding his role during the birthing, due to doing hypnobirthing and Grace and him talking about his role
✔️Having trouble with breastfeeding from the start: baby not latching properly, Grace was in a lot of pain during feeds, her pain was dismissed by the hospital midwife as “having a low pain threshold”
✔️Seeking help for breastfeeding as Grace knew something wasn’t right
✔️Losing a lot of weight due to breastfeeding a lot and having to bounce baby to sleep
✔️Experiencing postnatal rage, doubts about whether she is a good enough mum
✔️Grace finding her mum’s tribe, having friends who she can say her worst thoughts to and who truly understand and validate her
Australian breastfeeding association - get help with breasfeeding or baby’s latch - https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/
#037 Sarah - Endometriosis, birth centre, hypnobirthing, home birth x2, midwife sister, tongue tie release
Sunday, May 19, 2024 • Duration 01:28:58
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Sarah, who is a special ed teacher, mum to 2 and now an author of her very own book “Little Harvey’s big feelings”, which you will hear more about on the podcast very soon!
In this episode we chat all about
✔️tossing between birthing at a birth centre or having a home birth with a private midwife, based on her sister’s two births and the fact that her sister is a midwife in an MGP program
✔️deciding to birth at the birth centre where her sister works and have her sister as a secondary midwife for the birth
✔️loving doing hypnobirthing, reading Rhea Dempsey’s books, feeling very prepared for birth and being flexible (things didn’t go to plan at all!)
✔️Sarah’s labour beginning at 38+6 (which she wasn’t expecting for another 2 weeks), not being ready, not having food in her house
✔️Having to birth at a different place of birth than what she had planned as the birth centre already had a laboring mum
✔️Embracing the change, embracing the unknown, being happy that things happen the way they did
✔️Having Harvey’s tongue tie released at 6 weeks and being able to breastfeed pain free 2 weeks later, continuing to breastfeed for the next 17 months
✔️falling pregnant a little bit sooner than Sarah has planned but being so excited to embark on a new pregnancy
✔️planning a homebirth with the private midwife who was there for Harvey’s birth (Lynn) and her sister Chris as a secondary midwife
✔️Layla’s birth unfolding so fast that Lynn (primary midwife) didn’t have time to make it and Chris found herself having to somehow fill that gap
If you want to follow Sarah on her instagram
#036 Kellie - OB, hypnobirthing, GD, haemochromatosis, baby hyperthyroidism, encaul birth, home water birth, appendicitis 6 weeks PP
Sunday, May 12, 2024 • Duration 02:02:44
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Kellie, mum to 2 living in Brisbane and who has made it her mission to share motherhood as it is on instagram @naturallykellie_
In this episode we chat all about
✔️falling pregnant first go when trying for their first baby, which Kellie was not expecting at all
✔️interviewing her OB to ensure that they would be supportive of Kellie having an undisturbed birth and be able to birth on her own terms
✔️doing hypnobirthing and how beneficial this was for both herself and husband
✔️finding out she had gestational diabetes without too much more explanation and going into a panic thinking she had done something wrong that would have caused this, only to find out that having hemochromatosis puts her at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, regardless of anything else
✔️what having hamochromatosis meant during her pregnancy to check that her iron levels weren’t too high
✔️finding the early postpartum days very hard, being very emotional and crying a lot, but not because she was sad
✔️getting a phone call when baby was a week old to say that it was picked up during heel prick test that baby’s TSH was high, meaning she had hyperthyroidism
✔️falling pregnant with baby 2 on the first try, after “leaving it to the universe” but also deciding to wait a bit longer, not knowing they had already conceived
✔️deciding to do things differently and have a homebirth this time around, her husband being very onboard while Kellie was a bit hesistant initially
✔️only telling selective people in her circle she was having a home birth as she didn’t want people’s negative opinions or fears or didn’t want to answer “what if” questions
✔️having a quicker labour for her second, with her daughter present for the pushing phase and then watching her birth her baby sister’s placenta on the couch
Cuppa with a pro #07 Janelle - Women’s health Occupational Therapist “motherhood as a rite of passage”
Sunday, May 5, 2024 • Duration 01:04:06
Hey hey,
Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.
Before we dive into the episode, let me introduce you to this week’s sponsor: Executive Alice, taking care of all the behind the scenes of your business so you can do what you do best
Find Steph and get in touch with her here https://www.instagram.com/executive.alice/
In today’s episode, I am chatting with Janelle from “The Wild Orange Tree” who is a women’s health occupational therapist and is passionate about helping mums and mums-to-be transition well into this new sphere that is parenthood and help address any challenges or changes that it comes with!
✔️what is a pelvic health occupational therapist (OT) and how to get access to one through Medicare, private health or private paying
✔️the role of a pelvic health OT, looking into our menstrual cycle, our pelvic floor health, dividing into both the physical and emotional side of motherhood and pregnancy
✔️the very important role oxytocin plays after the birth, during our motherhood experience and what happens when we lack this oxytocin hormone
✔️the uniqueness of motherhood and the support we need all throughout our parenting journey, not just the initial 6 weeks after baby is born
✔️the difference between our western society and other asian and African cultures where motherhood is celebrated, rituals are celebrated, parents are supported every step of the way
✔️motherhood as a rite of passage and what its three phases are
✔️the 5 essential needs we have in postpartum and how community is at the centre of it all
#035 Cobi - OB, switched to private midwife at 20 weeks, FIFO husband, birth at 41 weeks, accidental freebirth, 4.2kg baby
Sunday, April 21, 2024 • Duration 01:08:21
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Cobi, actually on the day of this episode being released is Cobi’s boy’s Sidney’s 2nd birthday, so happy birthday to you little Sidney
In this episode we chat all about
✔️initially going through an OB-led model of care, thinking she would get the highest possible care for herself and baby
✔️having a friend tell her about home birth and meeting with a private midwife, deciding this was the right option for her
✔️in hindsight seeing how negative her OB was, never really giving her info, just telling her how it will be, not accepting of Cobi’s birth choices or wishes
✔️hiring a private midwife at 20 weeks and building a beautiful relationship which spanned beyond Cobi’s pregnancy!
✔️Cobi’s labour with Sidney beginning at 41 weeks, 1 week after her husband started his leave (he was a DIDO worker at the time)
✔️Cobi’s parents being present for her labour, having her mum braid her hair, having them support her during this transition
✔️Cobi’s labour unfolding very quickly and finding she needed her dad present to help ground her and her partner and bring some “chill vibes” to her birth
✔️Birthing her baby boy Sidney (4.2kg), in the shower, on her own terms, without her midwife who didn’t have time to make it
✔️Solo parenting for 4 weeks at a time while her partner is FIFO and away
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
#034 Mel - Indigenous birthing on country, mum at 22, private midwife, hypnobirthing, 3-day labour, pregnant, wild pregnancy
Sunday, April 14, 2024 • Duration 01:03:41
Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Mel who at the time of this recording is a mum to her daughter Alaska and has since welcomed into the world her baby boy Lakai
In this episode we chat all about
✔️knowing she wanted to be a mum at a young age and having her daughter Alaska at 22
✔️finding out about home birth by total chance and just knowing instantly that this was the way to birth for her
✔️still getting a referral for MGP after hiring private midwife and going to MGP appointment to really realise that this environment wasn’t where Mel wanted to birth
✔️listening to a lot of birth podcasts to really understand the variations of labour, the last one she listened to being one with a mum who had pre-labour for days
✔️Having pre-labour surges come on at night, 2 nights in a row but that would fizzle out by the morning
✔️Loving the pushing phase, feeling so much better while pushing, being able to eat again
✔️choosing to not suture her 2nd degree tear and let it heal naturally
✔️finding her flow as parent and going with Alaska’s cues
✔️focusing on postpartum for her second pregnancy and really diving into traditions and meal train to improve her recovery
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!
Alicia :)
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!
Alicia :)
✔️Kellie’s appendix rupturing when she was 6 weeks postpartum, having to manage giving her breastfed baby expressed milk and pumping to keep her supply going
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!
Alicia :)
To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.
If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA
This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!
Alicia :)
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