029 - Emma | 2 births, MLU, gas & air, water birth, continuity of care, homebirth transfer, ARM, co-sleeping, mastitis

In today's episode Emma shares her stories of birthing her two daughters. Her first pregnancy went smoothly on the whole; she fell pregnant easily, was lucky enough to experience the sought after second trimester glow and married her husband a few weeks before the baby arrived. She talks us through the emotional challenge of becoming a mother having sadly lost her own mother as a teenager and how art psychotherapy helped her to process the grief that arose. When her due date arrived, Emma and her husband celebrated by cooking a recipe that supposedly helps to get labour started… and her contractions started shortly after! Emma laboured in the MLU and her baby was born gently in the water. During her second pregnancy Emma opted for a homebirth and talks us through the things she did differently to prepare for her next birth, from the books she read to regular reflexology treatments which all helped her to feel positive and confident in the lead up to the birth. When the time came, Emma loved labouring at home but eventually transferred into the hospital when her labour stopped progressing. She shares her experience of co-sleeping and how surrounding herself with a strong support network positively shaped her postpartum experience.   Emma's website: https://hungryromantic.co.uk/ Emma's IG: https://www.instagram.com/hungryromantic/   My website: www.serenalouth.com My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/