Explore every episode of the podcast Transform Your Birth
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| Lo Mathias - Avoiding birth injury through internal pelvic release | 03 Dec 2025 | 00:54:25 | |
I have always explored the question - what can I do in my classes to help make birth better for my families. Alas - the intention of this podcast is to help you discover this too. When I learnt about this topic, of internal pelvic release, I knew this could make a big difference to helping women during the pushing phase of birth and protecting against birth injury. I reached out to Lo, and she showed me , complete with props, how we can help women release certain muscles and ligaments to create a smoother passage for the baby - and hopefully less pressure for the mother. We also discuss in this podcast the importance of post birth healing and recovery - such an important topic. I'm so excited to bring this to you - so dear ones listen on.
Some Links: Fiona Hallinan - The Pelvic Space, Melbourne (she has a practitioner directory on here) Fundamental Health, Kambah Body Ready Method - birth prep, free resources on instagram (so many good ones!) and a course for purchase. @bodyreadymethod Equilibrio Balance - Rachel Shapiro (one of my teachers) https://www.equilibriobalance.com/
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| Molly and Liam - Long early labour, letting go and surrendering, partner advocacy and support | 19 Nov 2025 | 00:45:01 | |
Molly and Liam experienced labour starting and stopping for over 3 weeks, which they now realise was a powerful lesson in letting go. We discuss how this has served them well for parenting. Molly had moments throughout her labour where she had to harness her mind, and adjust to changing circumstances, learning to take things as they come. They highlight the importance of not getting too fixated on things being a certain way and learning to roll with the changes. We also get to hear Liam's experience of birth and bonding, making this a fabulous episode to learn some powerful birth wisdom. Enjoy!
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| Tiahna - VBAC, bodywork, confident advocacy and recovery | 09 Jul 2025 | 00:50:56 | |
I absolutely loved recording this episode, as we covered such important topics that are very easily overlooked when preparing for birth. We go into the preparation of the body, using other modalities like acupuncture and osteopathy, which she believes made a huge difference to having a more comfortable pregnancy and birthing her baby. Tiahna experiences a successful VBAC, with complete confidence in her ability to birth her baby. We discuss how she worked with her caregivers, not against them, when pushing back on medical policy. We also explored the importance of recovery after birth, which can be overlooked with the excitement of a new baby. Another great story full of much wisdom from our dear Tiahna.
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| What support do women need in labour | 03 May 2023 | 00:24:09 | |
Tracey will go through why it is important women feel safe, loved and supported during labour. She highlights the importance of partners and birth support people to understand the process and not bring their own fears into the labour room. She gives the listeners a checklist of what to do and what not to do and clarifies the important role of being a labouring woman's advocate. An episode specifically for those who love a birthing woman and want to be there for her in her most powerful and vulnerable time.
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| Nicole - Independent midwife, doula and hypnobirthing all resulted in a beautiful experience | 26 Apr 2023 | 00:41:49 | |
Nicole was advised through a wise friend to seek the primary care of an independent midwife, and doula. They supported Nicole and her partner to have a beautiful straight forward birth of her dreams. With the support of hypnobirthing, she was able to use the practices to navigate a very intense labour, and be very clear on how to communicate her choices with the hospital system. A great story to highlight the power of having great support and preparation. This is a very inspiring story.
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| Tory - Birthing as a single mum, overcoming negative messages, being surrounded by the right people during and after the birth | 19 Apr 2023 | 00:27:29 | |
Tory found herself pregnant as a single mum. She discusses the pressure she felt to 'get it right,' and the conditioning women face around the way we talk about birth. She is able to access the continuity of a known midwife program and chooses her sisters to support her. All these women believe in her ability to give birth. This resulted in a straight forward vaginal birth. She has some great advice for single mums - get the right people in your corner. A great story to not only inspire single mums, but all women preparing for birth.
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| Emily K - From Midwife to home birthing mum | 12 Apr 2023 | 00:51:16 | |
Emily is a midwife and she has seen all types of birth. Making the decision of where to birth her baby was a big choice and ultimately she chose to birth at home. Emily had to come to terms with her fears. By reading 'Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth,' and doing the 'Transform Your Birth' course she manages to harness her mind and steps fully into her confidence and trust in the birth process. The result - well listen in and find out. An inspiring story to support your trust in the process of birth.
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| Kate - using relaxation to prepare, vaginal birth, overcoming tearing, the importance of building your energy before birth | 05 Apr 2023 | 00:40:47 | |
Kate's partner was concerned about her ability to handle the pain of labour. After doing the Transform Your Birth course, he soon realised the positive influence he could have on her ability to get through the birth. They committed to the practices and Kate talks about how she thinks they changed her labour. Kate experiences a straightforward birth but ultimately faces her greatest fear, tearing. She finishes her story with some great wisdom around nesting and building your energy levels before the birth. Enjoy!
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| Eddie Two births, induction, reclaiming what got lost in the first birth | 29 Mar 2023 | 00:58:23 | |
Eddie shares with us the story of her two births. Her first experience left her feeling like something got lost in the process. For baby number two, she dives deeper into the physiology of birth, and learns to appreciate mother nature's blueprint. She is determined to bring as much of herself as she can to the second birth. Once again she is facing induction after pushing it to 42 weeks. She needs to surrender to something she really didn't want to experience again. She is in hospital ready to have her second induction and something quite magical happens. Her stories will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. Enjoy!
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| Breathing for birth, the number one tool in the kit | 22 Mar 2023 | 00:33:13 | |
In this episode I'll be deconstructing the power of breathing. I'll explain why it is the top tool in the tool kit. We look at the myths around the teaching of breathing and the perils of overbreathing. I will then go on to explain what optimal breathing looks like, and how to retrain your brain. We finish this episode with a beautiful breathing exercise that will highlight to you how good breathing calmly can feel. This is a not to be missed episode. Get comfortable and learn to breathe better!
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| Hannah and Chris - Preparation, Partner Role, Induction, Cesarean | 15 Mar 2023 | 00:55:43 | |
Hannah and Chris describe their experience of managing a birth that resulted in a cesarean. Their story really highlights the power of teamwork, and advocacy by a partner who is well prepared and knows what they are doing. This made all the difference for Hannah when she had to adjust to a new plan. A wonderful interview to listen to both the birthing mum, and the father's experience. Enjoy!
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| Demystifying the pain of labour | 08 Mar 2023 | 00:28:00 | |
In this episode, we will be exploring the origins of the pain through understanding the physiology of birth. I will be giving you some ideas about managing those sensations and accessing your inbuilt resources. You will also learn about the power of the mind, and how to harness the mind in a way that supports the birth process. Demystifying the pain is the first step in making labour more manageable. Enjoy!
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| Velouria - spontaneous labour, partner support and other tools, vaginal examinations and the role of the practices | 01 Mar 2023 | 00:43:02 | |
Velouria was a nurse and had experience in working in the intensive care unit for babies, and realised she needed to work on her mindset for birth as she had seen many struggles families can experience. She prepares and starts to work on overcoming those fears and building her trust in herself. She highlights her thinking around not having unnecessary vaginal examinations and we discuss how it can interfere with labour and a woman's ability to just be in the moment. She shares a lot about the tools she used to get through and the powerful role her partner played. She experiences a tear and needs to be taken away to get some repair work. She discusses the role of the practices in preparing you not just for the birth but afterwards too. She reminds us we can get through so many things, more than we can imagine - and this realisation sets us up for parenting. A straightforward labour with lots to teach us - enjoy!
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| Anja - From fear to orgasm through surrender | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:40:52 | |
I am so excited to share Anja's story this week. When she came into my class, she was full of fear of birth and parenting. We track her process of transformation - from fear to an orgasmic birth. As women, we all need to know about orgasmic birth - it is secret women's business, and opens our minds to new possibilities. Anja shares her experience of surrendering, the key shift that opens us all to a better birth experience regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. This is an essential conversation worth listening to, as we learn to walk our own individual path in birthing these babes and being ready to parent them. You will love this episode.
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| Jos - Two births, choosing to prepare differently, partner preparation, the power of the practices, nesting, getting clear | 22 Feb 2023 | 00:47:43 | |
Jos experiences a marathon first birth, which she finds difficult to recover from. For baby number two, she chooses to prepare differently and opens herself to new possibilities. She learnt to surrender, trust more and resource herself with tools to manage. Her partner learns the power of his role, and they were set up as a team. She also decided to honour her need to nest. Her second birth was surprisingly different. She credits it to doing the practices and being clear on what was important to her and communicating this to her caregivers. Some great birth wisdom to share with you.
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| Jemima - Homebirth, mindset, breathing as a tool, the environment and the power of support | 15 Feb 2023 | 00:42:38 | |
Jemima chooses to have a homebirth and it is her second birth. Her first child was born 22 years previously. She had to overcome her own fear of the pain from her first experience when she was very young. She felt that she had failed, and judged herself very harshly. This birth gave her the opportunity to understand and reframe her previous experience, by seeing birth as a rite of passage, not a place where we need to perform and live up to some perceived expectations. She had a posterior labour, and a long early labour. She tethered herself to the breath, as her primary tool, and her partner was her rock. She talks about using the meditations to prevent her mind going into dark places, and ultimately lets go of the worry of her baby's position. She and her husband create a beautiful environment to labour in and she experienced wonderful support from her midwife, partner, mother and sister - a truly family affair. Towards the end Jemima also shares her decision making process when it came to having a homebirth. Some great insights into the mystery of birth are revealed in this story - enjoy!
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| Elley - Overcoming fear, timelessness in labour, letting go of the monkey mind | 08 Feb 2023 | 00:33:02 | |
Elley had heard a lot of stories about birth from her mother who was a midwife, and then a sister who had a difficult birth and so she came into pregnancy quite fearful. She did lots of reading and the 'Transform Your Birth' course which shifted her perspective. She went into spontaneous labour and spent most of it at home. She discusses the timelessness of birth. Her second stage needed a little help but with good care and support she was able to push her baby out, and experienced a big high afterwards. We discuss letting go of the monkey mind, and the altered state of birth. She identifies the fear tension pain syndrome as a great understanding to her being more confident in birth. Her advice to pregnant women is prepare - prepare - prepare! Thank you Elley and little Edward.
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| Leah - Perception of pain, turning a breech, spontaneous labour, Haemorrhage and transitioning into parenting | 01 Feb 2023 | 01:08:43 | |
Leah shares how she shifted her perception of the pain and overcoming her fear of birth after doing the 'Transform Your Birth' course. Her partner felt much more comfortable in knowing his role also. At 36 weeks Leah discovers her baby is in the breech position. She had to come to terms with the change of plan and she shares how she was able to shift her mindset, to open herself to the understanding that birth may not proceed in the way she wanted. She then had an ECV, which is a procedure to try to turn the baby – which is successful. Leah goes into spontaneous labour. She shares her journey through the different stages and it ends up being long. She experienced wonderful skilled care from her midwife and other health professionals. She needs help with her placenta and is amazed at how calm and ok she was dealing with this unexpected situation. She then shares how this experience prepared her for parenting.
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| Emily – 2 births, Vbac, models of care, preparation, taking back her power, finding her inner wisdom | 25 Jan 2023 | 01:01:24 | |
Emily will share with us today, two birth stories. The first resulted in a caesarean, the second was a vaginal birth after caesarean. She uses her experiences from the first birth to get very clear on what is important to her having baby number two. Emily shares her decision making around the models of care and then her subsequent relationships with both care providers. She also gives us an insight into her internal evolution through her second pregnancy, because of going through the first birth. Emily cuts down the noise, makes informed decisions that feel right for her – but more importantly starts to really tune into to the inner intelligence of the body and her mother spirit. She describes feeling calm and content in the knowledge that she will know what is right for this baby and this birth. She also feels completely confident, having processed her fears, and is ready to let go of what she cannot control. This conversation touches spaces that we have inside of us that are rarely spoken about in the context of birth. If you want to understand the evolution and wisdom of birth to transition women into motherhood – then this conversation is for you.
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| Kate – Overcoming her fear, Pre-eclampsia, Induction, claiming space to be ready for the induction, avoiding an episiotomy and feeling so proud of herself | 18 Jan 2023 | 00:43:46 | |
Kate was quite fearful of birth in her early pregnancy and then goes on to study birth deeply which helps shift her mindset. In her later pregnancy she is diagnosed with preeclampsia and needs to face an induction. During the process she is feeling rushed by her medical professionals and locks herself in the bathroom for a couple of hours. By reclaiming her space and doing it when she was ready, allowed her to endure a very long labour without any need for pain relief. She puts on noise cancelling headphones to zone out from the activity in her room. She listens to her own breath which helps her get into the zone. She also asks for the syntocinon to be turned down, so it mimics a normal labour. She talks about not feeling the time, even though it was a long labour, and asked her caregivers to not refer to time. She loved the pushing phase and felt zero pain and avoids an episiotomy. She discusses healing from tearing. She also had a big bleed after the birth – but through all of those things she was just so pleased and proud of herself. She feels it set her up beautifully for parenting. Kate's story reminds us that we are enough to birth our babies, even when we need help.
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| Sarah - Negotiating Induction, Tens machine and gas, rate of progress, episiotomy and overcoming resistance | 11 Jan 2023 | 00:47:12 | |
Sarah had a straightforward pregnancy and then was facing induction. She exercises her capacity to negotiate the stages of induction by giving herself time to see if each stage is enough to kick off her labour. This works really well for her as she only ends up needing the gel on her cervix. Her waters break spontaneously, and she manages to avoid the syntocinon. Her labour ends up progressing quite quickly. She talks about the tens machine and the gas, and how they were useful for her. She had the urge to push, but the midwives suggested it was too early not feeling she could have progressed so quickly. She did progress quickly, and we discuss rate of progress. She finds being on her back was a good position for her. She marvels at how she was able to overcome an episiotomy that gets infected. Sarah's story reminds us that we can get through things that previously we might have resisted. She finishes with – you've got this mamma. We are far more resilient than we realise. Enjoy her story, it has much to teach us.
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| Hope - Fear of birth transformed into a painless labour, her preparation and how it influenced her experience of mothering | 04 Jan 2023 | 00:30:31 | |
Hope had an intense fear of birth and a history of anxiety. She discusses her preparation, and what are the things that changed the way she felt about giving birth. She committed fully to the practices, and really shifted her inner beliefs and responses to the idea of giving birth, so much so she experienced painless labour. Hope also identifies how her birth supported her transition into motherhood. I love this story, as it can open our minds to the possibilities of how we can experience the sensations of labour.
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| Sheena - 2 births, induction, big baby, asking questions, engaging partner support, breech and caesarean | 28 Dec 2022 | 00:40:35 | |
Sheena shares her story of two babies under two different models of care. Her first birth began with an induction due to size. She reflects later that she didn't ask a lot of questions and just followed medical advice. Second time round she chooses continuity of midwifery care, and then does the 'Transform Your Birth' course. This choice engaged her partner more which put them on the same page. It also helped them to adapt to a dramatic change when the baby was breech. Sheena is very pragmatic and has taken two very different births in her stride and gives us a powerful message of trusting in yourself as a birthing woman. She believes we are born for this, and we can get over whatever speed bumps come our way. Enjoy!
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| Erika - 2 births, overcoming the negative birth culture, birthing in Bangkok and being an advocate for herself and her baby | 21 Dec 2022 | 00:33:11 | |
Erika shares her two birth stories. She had to overcome the negative culture and advice she was being given. Erika used calmbirth to lock in a new mindset. She discusses her process of change. Affirmations were a huge tool she used. With baby number 2, she gives birth in Bangkok, and this time hires a doula. Fortunately, through the confidence she experienced with her first birth, She was able to powerfully advocate for herself and her baby. I think you will enjoy Erika's and her passion for birth. | |||
| Jessica - Planned homebirth that ended in caesarean, that changed a woman forever | 11 Jun 2025 | 00:49:29 | |
This week we explore with Jessica, a paramedic, her reasons for choosing a homebirth. She invites us to see the challenges that the medical system has in trusting women to give birth. We explore the twists and turns of a posterior labour that ultimately ended in a caesarean. Jeesica shares with us the results of this experience and how it motivated her to do the inner work, and catapult her into a fierce mother. We explore how birth can take us to places we would never choose, and yet be a powerful transformer just the same. Details of Jessica: Instagram - @jessicajane_og
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| Tiahna - Breech and caesarean, overcoming feelings of failure, accepting emotions and microbial seeding | 14 Dec 2022 | 00:36:06 | |
Tiahna finds herself with a breech baby and low fluid and needing to have a caesarean. She adjusts to a new plan, which isn't easy, and she eventually overcomes her feelings of failure. She also speaks of the emotional rollercoaster that comes with birth, which is an important part of our growth as a new mother.. She has a gentle caesarean and makes some special requests which helps her to take back some control. She shares how her partner adjusted and supported her. Microbial seeding and what she learnt about herself as well as some great advice for pregnant women. This story is gold!
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| Alex - Two births, recovery from tearing, trance state and the subconscious, the role of environment and time | 07 Dec 2022 | 00:34:39 | |
Alex shares with us the stories of both her boys She shares how her preparation gave her confidence. She experienced tearing with her first, and needed to work on her fear, and bring in strategies to avoid tearing again for baby number two. She discusses the role of subconscious preparation and going into a trance state, and how that was a challenge for her second birth through extra monitoring. Her story also highlights the importance of an intimate birthing environment and not focusing on time. Lots of great learning. Enjoy!
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| Katie – shares 2 births, choice and control, preparation, big baby and induction | 30 Nov 2022 | 00:49:33 | |
Katie shares with us her story of two births. During her first birth, she felt things were done to her and she really had no choice. For her second birth she made some very different decisions. She chose a different model of care, and she sourced education beyond the hospital classes that catered to both her and her partner. This changed her second birth dramatically. Katie did acupuncture and tapping later in her pregnancy, was induced and gave birth to a 4.1kg baby, whilst being small herself. Katie also shares her experience of newborn care – using newborn osteopathy which helped both her boys with two very different conditions.
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| Welcome to Transform Your Birth | 10 Nov 2022 | 00:01:05 | |
The Transform Your birth podcast will educate, entertain and support your ability to navigate pregnancy and prepare to give birth. We can't control birth, but Tracey helps us to see how we can influence it and how it helps us to become parents. Transform Parenting Founder Tracey Anderson Askew explores birth through stories and the lens of what birth can teach us. She prepares families for birth and parenting and views birth as the catalyst for the transformation necessary to go from woman to mother, and man to father. These podcasts will share that wisdom and change the current birth narrative from what happens in birth to how birth changes us. | |||
| Corinna - 4 different births, and the wisdom from each one. | 28 May 2025 | 00:35:31 | |
Corinna shares her experience of birthing 4 babies. With each birth she reclaimed more responsibility, more confidence and trust in the process, so that by the 4th birth - she felt completely comfortable birthing at home, even though that wasn't the plan. As a result, she has had to buy new pillows! Lots of great insight from a woman who has learnt much along the way. Enjoy!
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| Shelby shares the story of her third birth - a healing birth. | 14 May 2025 | 00:56:00 | |
Shelby shares with us today the story of her third birth - which turned out to be a very healing birth. This discussion brought up some powerful wisdom around what we bring into the labour room, our experiences, our belief systems, and even the birth experiences of our own mother. We also explore the undercurrents of our nervous system and the origin of resistance to the pain, through our own innate defenses - and yet mother nature wants us to grow through the pain. In this episode we explore a topic that few talk about - the deeper currents of the birthing journey. I know you will enjoy this one.
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| Molly and Sam - Meditation, pain, short labour, waterbirth, separation after birth. | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:46:01 | |
Today we hear from Molly and Sam. What an amazing team they were. They share with us their experience of doing the practices and getting the mind on board. Sam was able to hold space for Molly who had a very short birth, ultimately a water birth. Her daughter had to have some extra help breathing, and be taken to NICU, but they were able to handle it really calmly, through having a pre determined plan. This story is really a great example of how intense situations can be handled with the right preparation. Lots of wonderful wisdom again for you this week - enjoy!
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| Cara and Liam- Hyperemesis, change of mindset, waters breaking at start, different positions for second stage. | 16 Apr 2025 | 00:48:29 | |
Cara had a pregnancy where she experienced constant nausea and wanting to vomit. As a result, she didn't have much confidence in herself to birth her baby and was considering an elective caesarean. After completing the 'Transform Your Birth,' course, she had a complete shift in her thinking, and started to entertain the idea that she could give birth to her baby. Liam also started to realise the important role he could play and they both did the practices together. Her labour started with waters breaking, and ended in a very efficient and quick labour. We also discuss how her birth experience has influenced her confidence when parenting. Some fabulous wisdom to share. Enjoy!
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| Caitlin - Mental health, induction, great support and what we can do with placentas. | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:40:03 | |
Caitlin had a history of mental health challenges. Through the support of her GP, was able to access the right people through the hospital and community to set in place support that enabled her to feel more relaxed about giving birth. She also prepared with yoga and the 'Transform Your Birth,' course that enabled her to access her own inner calm - which as an anxious person helped enormously on the day. She chose to be induced when her blood pressure was considerably high. She shares with us some great strategies that she used to support her inner calm, from affirmations to tools her partner offered to find comfort. Her birth was a wonderful experience which caused her to feel very proud of herself. As a result, her mental health post birth has been very positive as she enjoys getting to know her baby. Caitin shares some great wisdom in this episode.
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| Emma - 3 births, induction, short, water birth and a placenta that needed help | 19 Mar 2025 | 00:28:44 | |
Emma goes briefly into her first two births when she was younger and feeling good through her pregnancies. With baby number 3, she experienced a lot of pain and discomfort and chose to induce her labour. It was a short labour, and resulted in a water birth. Her placenta needed help to be removed. Emma is very pragmatic about women's ability to birth, and she reminds us all how powerful women are, and we can give birth, even when we think we can't. Enjoy Emma's stories.
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| Sarah Buckley - Oxytocin - The incredible hormone of sex, labour, birth and parenting | 26 Feb 2025 | 00:55:58 | |
Dr Sarah Buckley is trained as a GP/family physician and has further qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning. She is the mother of four adult children, all born at home, and lives in Brisbane, Australia. She is the author of "Gentle birth, Gentle mothering, and Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing Dr Buckley has been writing and lecturing on pregnancy, birth and parenting since 1997 and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, where her research is focused on oxytocin in labour and birth and the impacts of interventions. Dr Buckley's work critiques current practices in pregnancy, birth, and parenting from the widest possible perspectives, including scientific, anthropological, cross-cultural, psychological, and personal. Today Sarah talks to us extensively about the hormone of oxytocin during labour, breastfeeding and parenting. Our talk reminded me of the intricacies of mother nature's blueprint, and just how well she has set us up for birth and parenting. It left me wondering - when we interfere with birth - at what cost? She encourages us to be fully informed in our decision-making; to listen to our hearts and our intuition; and to claim our rightful role as the real experts in our bodies and our children. This episode is dense in detail, and yet left me feeling in awe of the human journey of reproduction.
Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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| Molly - 2 straight forward vaginal births, the role of the subconscious | 05 Nov 2025 | 00:36:24 | |
Molly was concerned her interview would be boring because nothing went wrong. I reassured her that people need to know that birth can be very straightforward, even a first birth. We can assume that birth is a medical procedure, when in fact it is a state of wellness. Molly shares with us the power of her preparation, the amazing role her partner played and the tools she used to get through the birth. She didn't experience the sensations as pain, but called them tightenings. An inspiring story that can open our minds to possibilities. Absolutely worth a listen.
Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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| Lizzy - PUPPs, Induction, a posterior labour and epidural used wisely | 12 Feb 2025 | 00:33:10 | |
Lizzy did her best to not overthink birth and was very selective about where she got her information. She did the Transform Your Birth course and realised very quickly that she wouldn't be in control of birth and was able to surrender to that knowledge and feel calm about giving birth. At the end of her pregnancy she experienced a very itchy condition called PUPP rash, and chose to induce at 41 weeks. Her induction kicked into gear very quickly after they broke her waters. Her baby was in the posterior position, and so she opted for the epidural. Lizzy uses it wisely, and is able to let it wear off in order to push her baby out. Lots of wonderful learning from Lizzy's story. Links: | |||
| Rebecca - Harnessing the mind during birth | 29 Jan 2025 | 00:48:37 | |
Rebecca was nervous about birth and her strategy to deal with that was to get her hands on all the books and information. She started to feel overwhelmed - and ultimately decided to do the 'Transform Your Birth,' course. This helped to bring the information to a central place. She did the practices and got clear on her plan. Bec's story unfolds spontaneously. She shares many situations where her mind got in the way, and so we have some great discussions on harnessing the mind, through the mystery of birth. We never know what is going to happen on the day, and having tools to train and harness the mind, is key to getting through whatever unfolds. Much wisdom shared in this episode. Links: | |||
| Kirsten - 2 births, birth centre and home, fear, time it takes | 15 Jan 2025 | 00:50:38 | |
Kirsten shares with us the story of her two births. The first one was long and ultimately very straight forward. She decided that her next baby would be born at home, through the local public hospital. She was surprised about how different each labour is. She experienced the sensations very differently for baby number two, and had to navigate a baby who was posterior. She talks about fear, and letting go of time during labour. Ultimately she learnt that she was strong and could do anything. She gives us all a great reminder that we are able to handle so much more than we think. Some great birth wisdom shared in this episode. Links: | |||
| 100th Episode of the Transform Your Birth Podcast | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:30:19 | |
Well we have clocked 100 episodes and been going for 2 years. It's quite a milestone, and one I am very proud of. Putting together something like this, takes a team. I want to acknowledge Katie, who inspired the idea, Lindsay who got us all set up, Nadia – our producer and Carmen who books our guests. To put something as special as this out into the world is no small feat – and worth the effort. The intention of this podcast has always been to educate, through story telling, what moves the needle. What you can learn, do or be that can make the biggest difference to how you experience whatever is on your path. So on with the wisdom.
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| Ebeny - Premature labour, avoiding induction, avoiding episiotomy | 11 Dec 2024 | 00:38:38 | |
Ebeny was excited to give birth as she had been at her friend's birth and wanted to experience the challenge. She did the 'Transform Your Birth,' course and really appreciated the focus on the partners. Now they were both on the same page. Her waters broke at 36 weeks. She pushed back on induction, trusting that her baby would come when ready. Within 48 hours she was in labour. She shares with us the many ways she was able to find comfort during a long labour. Her breath being the key tool. During the second stage, her carers were wanting to give her an episiotomy and she refused, preferring to trust the intelligence of her body to tear. It is wonderful to hear from a woman who enjoyed her birth, even though things got a little tricky at the end. Enjoy.
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| Alexandra - Getting clear on what you want, support, and being ok with whatever happens | 04 Dec 2024 | 00:35:21 | |
Alexandra felt excited by the challenge of giving birth. She did yoga and the 'Transform Your Birth' course. Even though she wanted a low intervention birth, she knew she would have to learn to be ok with whatever unfolded on the day. With an induction looming, she did everything to bring this baby on - and it worked. Through the process of getting clear, and communicating to her partner and support team what was important to her, she was able to surrender to the birth and work with her tools to get through what ended up being a fierce labour. Lots of great birth wisdom shared in this episode.
Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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| Evie - 2 births, safety, homebirth, staying calm under all circumstances | 27 Nov 2024 | 00:32:19 | |
In the podcast this week we have Evie who has had two babies. In her first birth she was in a relationship that wasn't safe. With a different partner for her second baby, she experienced safety, love and support - which changed everything. She chose to have a homebirth, wanting a more holistic approach to birth, and developed a beautiful relationship with her midwife. Her labour started with her water breaking, and finished with a baby delivered into her own hands, prior to the midwife arriving. She felt her ability to stay calm was the key to calmly welcoming her baby, even when the cord was wrapped around her neck. Some wonderful wisdom from a woman who has experienced both sides of the coin. Enjoy!
Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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| Tracey - Doing the inner work to prepare for birth | 20 Nov 2024 | 00:23:27 | |
During this episode I will talk about another form of preparation - that is, doing the inner work. Our birthing traditions focus on foods you can eat, and the growth of the baby - but rarely do we talk about the growth of the mother. Mother nature wants you to upgrade into the mother. This is a ripe time for growth and transformation so listen in to find out more.
For more on Rapid Transformational Therapy that Tracey uses to support her families, see here. https://traceyandersonaskew.com/ Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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| Baby brain: An expansion of capability and self | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:23:01 | |
In this session I am going to help you to understand a little about how a pregnant brain changes, preparing us for motherhood and to meet the needs of our children. These changes last a lifetime, and are definitely an upgrade of the system. This information has come from the book by a neuroscientist, Dr Sarah McKay, 'Baby Brain,' The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better). Links: | |||
| Chelsea - Body Work, 2 day labour, Big baby | 30 Oct 2024 | 00:56:57 | |
In this episode, Chelsea talks a lot about her preparation. She used Chiropractic, acupuncture and a women's health physio that all contributed to her pregnancy feeling more comfortable, and the birth of her almost 4.5 kg baby. She had a well prepared partner, a student midwife, and another highly skilled midwife that supported the safe delivery of her baby. Chelsea's situation in second stage could have very easily ended in a cesarean, however, with her freedom to move, and respond to what her body was telling her - and some skilled hands of the midwife she gets the baby out with only a minor tear. An Inspiring story to say the least with much wisdom shared. Absolutely worth a listen. Links: | |||
| Tayla - 2 caesarean births, adapting to the unexpected and the bonding experience | 22 Oct 2025 | 00:39:23 | |
On the podcast today, I have lovely Tayla, who shares with us her two caesarean births, both unexpected - and both very different. Tayla discusses how she had to adjust to plan B for both births, and what she learnt about herself as a result. She believes women are strong, and we can get through hard things. We also discuss bonding after birth and how the experience is different every time you have a baby. I really appreciated Tayla's openness to share with us her remarkable adjustments to the unexpected. A powerful story. Enjoy!
Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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| Tracey coaches birthing couples on how to prepare and manage induction of labour | 23 Oct 2024 | 00:25:39 | |
This episode contains important information when making decisions around induction - and understanding the full ramifications of those decisions. In the next episode of the 'Transform Your Birth,' podcast I will share with you the coaching I give all my birthing women who are choosing to induce. I will be talking about birth readiness, and how to prepare emotionally and mentally leading up to the induction, as well as what to negotiate on the day, and explore the role of partners more deeply so they know what to look out for and how to support in these circumstances. Little things can make a big difference, and so please take the time to listen, and take notes - so you can communicate to your carers how you are approaching the induction and what they can do to support you. Links: | |||
| Professor Hannah Dahlen discusses what we need to know about induction, the evidence and the importance of making fully informed decisions | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:52:40 | |
Today I am truly honoured to bring to you Professor Hannah Dahlen, to discuss a very important topic of induction of labour. If you have been recommended an induction - this is a powerful podcast to understand the full ramifications of that decision. In the next episode of the 'Transform Your Birth,' podcast - I will take this topic one step further, and share how I prepare women for induction. These two episodes together, will help you step into your power when making a decision to induce and prepare. The key message of this podcast - when making these significant decisions, we need to take into account the individual pregnancy and individual woman's choices when making these decisions. NICE induction of labour guidelines Hannah Dahlen is the Professor of Midwifery and Associate Dean in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has been a midwife for more than 34 years. She is one of the first midwives in Australia to gain Eligibility and access to a Medicare provider number and prescribing rights following government reforms in 2010. Hannah worked for nearly 10 years as a privately practising midwife alongside her role as a Professor of Midwifery. Hannah has published over 300 papers and book chapters and has strong national and international research partnerships. In 2019 Hannah was awarded a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for her significant services to midwifery, nursing and medical education and research. In November 2012 Hannah was named in the Sydney Morning Herald's list of 100 "people who change our city for the better" and named as one of the leading "science and knowledge thinkers" for 2012.
Links: Free resource: Medical Necessity vs Choice
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