254 | Beth Ryan, Vaginal Physiological Birth, Midwife, Birth Educator, MGP

You may already know Beth from her page Birth with Beth which is a wonderful resource for pregnant women and their support people. Today, Beth shares her story and details the challenge of the first trimester, the difficulty of Covid restrictions and the joy and hard work of bringing her daughter into the world. Based in Melbourne and accustomed to coming in and out of lockdown, Beth didn’t see her care provider face-to-face till 28 weeks. It was an experience she had guided many women through as a midwife but she admits that being on the other side offered a new perspective.  "It was funny because I had been doing phone appointments and I was the one reassuring families and then to be on the other side of it and realise how much you crave that reassurance of face-to-face care was really interesting.”  Beth was assigned a midwife who is also a co-worker; one she has an immense respect for in regards to her birth philosophy. That said, she did most of the first trimester alone, like most women, and vomited continuously throughout the day till 18 weeks. The physical toll began to affect her mental health but she was also focused on staying calm and taking a watch and wait approach.  If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click If you'd like my FREE 5-minute breathing exercise click Follow us on Instagram to keep the conversation going. To learn more about The Birth Class  my online childbirth education course head to the shop See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.