50 | The Motherwhelm with Sharon | Birth Trauma, Home Birth & Medical Advocacy

In this episode of The Motherwhelm, I sit down with Sharon, a mum of two, to talk about birth trauma, home birth, informed consent, and finding your voice as a mother.Sharon shares two very different birth experiences. The first was a long and difficult hospital birth that left her physically and emotionally depleted. The second was a planned home birth that unfolded beautifully before a severe postpartum haemorrhage led to emergency surgery and a challenging hospital admission. Together, we explore the complexities of birth trauma, navigating the maternity system, medical advocacy, and what happens when parents don't feel heard.We also discuss informed consent, postnatal depression, raising children without nearby family support, building a village from scratch, ADHD and motherhood, balancing work and caregiving, and the ways motherhood has transformed Sharon's confidence, resilience, and sense of self.This is a conversation about trusting yourself, asking questions, advocating for your family, and recognising that healing often begins when mothers feel informed, supported, and empowered to use their own voice.If you've experienced birth trauma, are considering a home birth, want to better understand informed consent in maternity care, or you're rebuilding after a difficult postpartum experience, I hope Sharon's story reminds you that your voice matters.Topics discussed: birth trauma, home birth, postpartum haemorrhage, informed consent, medical advocacy, maternity care, postnatal depression, ADHD, motherhood identity, community, postpartum recovery.