Ireland's Birth Stories – Details, episodes & analysis

In this week's episode I share my chat with Julie who talks me through her two pregnancies and one birth. Julie also shares her level of preparation which thankfully came in handy while giving birth. She also shares how tough it can be in labour in a busy hospital. Her preparation absolutely enabled her to regain focus and also to give her husband the confidence to advocate for her.

Enjoy

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In this weeks episode I share Aimee's story of four pregnancies and three births. Aimee shares a profoundly sad part of her story surrounding the loss of her baby boy after a diagnosis of fatal fetal abnormalities. She share the day, weeks and months following this incredibly tough period of her life. Aimee then goes on to share her most recent birth story which was a beautiful positive Caesarean birth.

Thank you so much Aimee!

Within this link are many supports to help not only you but those around you navigating the loss of a child.

https://pregnancyandinfantloss.ie/support-links/

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In this episode I share my chat with Alice who talks me through part two of her story, the birth of her son. Alice got to the the very familiar stage in her pregnancy where she felt so ready to meet her baby. She went into labour spontaneously but was later induced for reasons which I will let Alice share. After some time the decision was made to bring her son into the world via C-section Alice also chats through her early days as a mother including solo parenting and breastfeeding.

Thank you Alice for sharing your story!

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In the next episode I chat to Orla who talks me through her 4 pregnancies and 3 births. She experienced so much throughout her journey into motherhood. Her first little boy arrived into the world spontaneously at 26 and spent 93 days in hospital before coming home. She suffered a missed miscarriage on her second pregnancy and late miscarriage at 16 weeks on her third pregnancy. Orla chats to me about Liam's birth and those immediate decisions you have to make after the loss of a baby..Throughout her fourth pregnancy she was expectedly nervous but was supported with regular scans by the medical team. She was scheduled for a section and welcomed her little boy into the wod during the pandemic. Despite Covid she speaks of the last few months so fondly..Enjoy!*This week's episode is brought to you by @babysensorykildarecarlow *

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In this episode I chat to Mairead who talks me through her two pregnancies & births. She planned for a homebirth with her first boy but was transferred as her waters had broken past the 24 hour time frame. She opted for an epidural which she mentions was the best decision at the time. It allowed her body to rest and recharge for her boys birth.

We then speak about her second pregnancy, again she opted for a homebirth. I love how Mairead speaks of the day she went into labour and she mentions her "labour project" which is a fantastic idea. Her little boy arrived quickly into the world leaving everyone in shock but Mairead, she felt powerful and elated. This was the birth he wanted!We also chat about motherhood, especially first time round. Filling that role of mother can be daunting, especially when each experience is a first.Enjoy!*This episode is brought to you by @babysensorykildarecarlow voted Best Baby Class in Ireland in the Mums & Tots Awards

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In this episode of AMW I chat to @evarosebirth. What she has created has given me the opportunity to see birth in it's rawest form. The images she captures and shares strike so much emotion in me and I know I'm not alone. Seeing a woman in the height of possibly the most transformative experience of her life is so very special.We all know Eva as the incredible birth photographer she is but she is also working tirelessly to try bring about change in maternity care. I ask Eva where her interest in birth photography originated, we chat about her plans to travel the world and also discuss the differences in our health systems.Enjoy!

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In last week's episode we ended our conversation just after this little man's arrival into the world. How peaceful and gorgeous does he look in this photo!In part two of Alice's story she speaks of the postpartum hemorrhage she suffered soon after she was settled into the ward. Alice was hemorraging for a long period before it was finally recognised and action was taken. She deteriorated quickly and spent sometime in the high dependency unit. So much happened in such a short space of time.Awareness of postpartum blood loss, what's considered normal and what's not is so so important. Please let someone know if you experience any of the below 24 hours after birth. Secondary PPH can occur up to 12 weeks afterbirth although less common.📍You are soaking a pad every 1-2 hours 📍Blood loss suddenly increases📍Blood loss suddenly changes to bright red📍You feel dizzy or weak📍You simply feel you are losing too much bloodAlice also makes a really valid point surrounding PTSD and PND which I know lots of you can relate to. Thank you Alice for sharing & bringing this conversation to the forefront

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With Alice's support I have decided to share her story across two episodes. In part 1 of her story she talks me through her pregnancy during Covid-19, her long labour and the birth of her son.Alice shares so much detail of her experience and I know it will be of such value to many of you. After a long labour it was discovered there was meconium in her waters. She decided to opt for an epidural to give her body time to rest before birthing her baby vaginally.We touch on the first few hours postpartum but I will share her experience with PPH in part 2 as I feel it really needs it own episode.Enjoy!

 

https://www.ahmidwifery.com

- Code BIRTHSTORIES10 to avail of a 10% discount on Aine's hypnobirthing course

 

 

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In this episode of AMW I chat to Tracy Donegan the creator of @gentlebirthofficial. We chat about the origins of her idea that has now developed into a tool used by people worldwide. She chats to me in detail about why she created various aspects of Gentlebirth with a particular focus on brain science.I know so many of you have utilised the Gentlebirth app not only for birth preparation but also through loss and postnatally. Tracy's voice very often puts me to sleep or dilutes the stress of my day while I listen to the Wellness track on repeat. Enjoy!

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In the next episode I chat to Jessica. We spoke when Jessica was 36 weeks pregnant about how she felt, the prep in the lead up to Bonnie's arrival and what her birth preferences were. There was so much excitement in her house with her two little ladies waiting on their sisters arrival. We then spoke a few days after Bonnie came into the world, Jessica was still on such a high. Her waters broke on her due date as per her daughters predictions. She got the epidural she wanted, they decided induction was best and she was also administered antibiotics for GBS. She had such a gorgeous calm birth surrounded by a team of midwives who read her so well."If you don't ask for the birth you want, you get the birth you are given"

 

Enjoy!

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