Kirsten: First Birth, Planned NHS Home Birth, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Fast Labour, Hospital Transfer, Ventouse Delivery, Episiotomy Without Consent, Episiotomy Breakdown, Autism and ADHD

 She planned a home birth and got one. Right up until she didn't. And what happened at the hospital, at the hands of a registrar who did not ask her permission, is something she eventually made a formal complaint about. Kirsten is an independent midwife, mum of two boys, and half Dutch, growing up in a culture where home birth is simply normal. Her first pregnancy was dominated by hyperemesis gravidarum so severe she lost 10 kilos and lived on potatoes and crisps for months. Nobody mentioned HG to her until she was 36 weeks, when a patient she was treating spotted it first. Labour began quietly at 39 weeks, a walk around Hackney Downs, some swaying she could not explain, a Pride and Prejudice evening, and then her waters breaking in the middle of the night exactly when she knew they would. Labour was fast and intense. She reached 7cm at home, got into the birth pool, and pushed for two hours without progress before making the call herself to transfer to hospital. In hospital, she refused forceps and got what she wanted: a ventouse delivery. What she did not get was her consent asked before the episiotomy. Or before her cord was cut. Or before the hormone injection was given to her leg. Three things happened against her wishes in quick succession. And then she walked home from hospital, 45 minutes, with a fresh baby in a pram, because they had not brought a car seat. And came home to a flooded flat. In this episode we talk about:What hyperemesis gravidarum actually felt like across a whole pregnancy, and why nobody named it until Kirsten was 36 weeksHow being autistic affects interoception and what that meant for how Kirsten experienced labourWhat it is actually like to transfer to hospital as a planned home birth, and how to stay calm when everything changesWhat happens when a registrar does not ask your consent, and what Kirsten did about it afterwardsWhy the episiotomy breaking down led to 8 weeks of barely being able to walk, and what finally helped This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the system moved too fast and did not stop to ask. Kirsten lived it, made the formal complaint, and came back for a second birth that was everything she had planned for the first time. 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.