India: Second Birth, Positive NHS Midwife Led Unit Birth, Four Hour Labour, 37 Weeks, Shoulder Dystocia, Healing Birth After Trauma

Four hours. That is all it took from her first contraction to holding her son in her arms.India is a yoga teacher, outdoor enthusiast and mum of two from the Kent coast. Her first birth left her with a 40 hour labour, a forceps delivery, and months of physical and emotional trauma to recover from. When she fell pregnant with her son on her very first attempt at trying again, she felt joy and fear in equal measure.This time she did things differently. She saw an osteopath and had weekly pelvic floor therapy before he was even born, working through tension her body was still holding from her daughter's birth. When labour came on fast at 37 weeks, she trusted her body completely. She was taken straight through to the midwife led unit, and her son was born on all fours, with no time left for the water birth she had planned, in one of the most instinctive and empowering experiences of her life.In this episode we talk about:Preparing your body for birth with osteopathy and pelvic floor therapy after a traumatic first birthWhat a genuinely fast labour feels like when it goes from first contraction to birth in 4 hoursAdvocating for a physiological birth and staying off your back, even in an emergencyShoulder dystocia and how a calm, confident midwife handled it in secondsWhy her son struggled to settle as a newborn and what finally helped him relax into his bodyThe instant bond she felt the moment he was placed on her chest, after months of feeling disconnected during pregnancyThis episode is for anyone who has had a traumatic first birth and is wondering whether their second could be completely different. India's story is proof that it absolutely can.The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.   British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery.These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTubeWant to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.