#024 Michelle - Psychologist, step-mum, 4 children, GBS positive baby, overseas birth, private system, induction, pregnant at 44, home birth, surprise gender

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I am chatting with the lovely Michelle, who shares with us her unique births and pregnancy stories. From being pregnant at a time where very limited information was available for mums-to-be, to birthing overseas and expanding her family when she thought she was done having children, we cover it all with Michelle! Here is what we chat about in this episode  ✔️becoming a step-mum when entering new relationship with then husband and soon after falling pregnant unexpectedly  ✔️what her experience of pregnancy was like 20 years ago with limited resources available  ✔️having a very long labour, where looking back, things could have been different if Michelle had been able to labour in her own space  ✔️giving first to her first daughter, who was born unresponsive, had to be resuscitated, tested positive for group B strep infection and was sent to the neonatal unit  ✔️being pregnant and giving birth in Malaysia where the culture is so different to our Australian one  ✔️entrusting the system and the medical professionals for her first 3 births  ✔️reflecting on her first 3 births, including one spontaneous labour and 2 inductions and wanting to do things differently for her 4th birth  ✔️being scared into having an induction for her 4th baby only die to her age, despite having a healthy pregnancy without any complications  ✔️getting access to more information compared to her first birth, learning more about the physiology of birth, being drawn to a homebirth and trusting her body could birth her baby  ✔️how Michelle is preparing her body and mind for a homebirth without any drugs or interventions  ✔️changing the narrative around the language we use to talk about pregnancy and birth  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  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)