027 - Natalie | 2 births, covid lockdown, MLU, birth pool, episiotomy, forceps, NICU, twins, doula, ARM

In today's episode I'm chatting to Natalie about her 2 experiences of birth. Natalie conceived sooner than she had planned and found herself feeling disengaged from her pregnancy. Having prepared for a homebirth, her plans were derailed when the country went into national lockdown during the final few weeks of her pregnancy, so when her waters broke she transferred in to the MLU. After a long, uncomfortable pushing stage her son's birth was assisted with forceps. As Jude needed some extra monitoring in the NICU and her partner couldn't stay due to covid restrictions, Natalie found herself alone on the postnatal ward for her first night postpartum which she found really difficult. This whole experience really shaped her plans for her subsequent birth, which again she intended to be at home for, but when she found out she was carrying twins Natalie was immediately marked high risk and put under consultant lead care. She hired a doula to help optimise her chances of a more positive experience, immersed herself in preparing for a twin birth and advocated for herself to get the midwife lead care she wanted. Despite ending up birthing in the hospital once again, Natalie had a very calm, positive and unmedicalised birth with a really supportive team around her which she hopes will pave the way for future midwife lead twin births.   Natalie's doula, Tortie: https://www.bristolbirthsupport.co.uk/meet-our-doulas   My website: www.serenalouth.com My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/