Cuppa with a doula

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the incredible Shanice In this episode we chat all about  ✔️discovering she had a uterine septum during laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis and getting that removed before trying to conceiving  ✔️her husband working FIFO which made it hard to line up ovulation with his work schedule  ✔️going down the path of obstetrician led care as Shanice felt this would be better due to her previous gynecological surgeries  ✔️finding out at 19 weeks that her cervix was very short - getting a cervical stitch put in to help prevent premature birth  ✔️lifestyle changes Shanice had to make after getting a cervical stitch to support her body through the pregnancy  ✔️having her cervical stitch emergency removed at 35+4, a week before it was planned due to having signs of preterm labour  ✔️having an extensive 2nd degree tear after birth  ✔️finding it difficult in the early postpartum period to sit to feed baby Levi with her tears  ✔️traveling around Australia when Levi was a newborn baby in their rooftop tent, the logistics of traveling with a baby and how they made it work  ✔️ Follow Shanice on their epic adventures around Australia https://www.instagram.com/yondertravellers/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Rachel  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️trying to conceive and knowing that something wasn’t right - going on letrozol for 6 cycles and only ovulating twice  ✔️deciding to go on IVF and deciding between light and regular IVF  ✔️collecting 22 eggs from her IVF cycle but having none fertilize due to egg-sp*rm interaction problem  ✔️doing IVF rounds using ICSI fertilisation and oocyte activation which gave Rachel the most fertilised embryo  ✔️after her last round of IVF and collection, Rachel felt the best she ever had and advocated for a fresh embryo transfer as she felt this was the right way to go  ✔️conceiving after almost 18 months of waiting and over a year of going through IVF  ✔️being accepted into MGP model of care, doing private hypnobirthing and breastfeeding classes as well as attending hospital birth classes to know the hospital’s policies and what to advocate against!  ✔️Rachel felt that she couldn’t have an unmedicated birth as she had trouble to conceive and felt that birth would be difficult  ✔️Rachel not believing she was in labour for 2 days when she had regular surges, she kept thinking “this is going to get worse, this may not even be labour!”  ✔️not getting sleep for 3 days prior to birth as the surges were worse when Rachel laid down and then after a long prelabour, Rachel’s labour beginning  ✔️Rachel being in disbelief after the birth that she had done it without pain relief as she thought the intensity of labour would get worse and there would be a pain where she would be asking for an epidural  ✔️Finding great support in the Facebook group IVF Australia  IVF Support Group Australia - Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/105615329563232?locale=fr_FR  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Ann, all the way from the USA who shares with us the story of her motherhood journey and in particular the birth and death and her baby Elijah who passed away at term due to a small placenta size. Since then, Ann has created an amazing organisation in the USA called measure the placenta, backed by research showing that the detection of small placentas through measuring the placenta during pregnancy could help prevent a large number of stillbirths.  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️wanting to be a mum but also working her first 3 pregnancies around her PhD so that she could try and finish it  ✔️having very heavy bleeding during her second pregnancy, being told it was likely an impeding miscarriage, despite seeing a heart beat on the ultrasound, but turned out to be a subchorionic haematoma and baby survived  ✔️falling pregnant with her 4th baby (thinking this would be her last), everything going well until 39 weeks of pregnancy ✔️being in denial that Elijah could be dead even though Ann hadn’t felt movements for a very long time and Elijah was an active baby  ✔️still being in denial during Elijah’s labour, trying to pretend that he would be born alive  ✔️birthing her son Elijah, stillborn, and agreeing to do an autopsy and test on his placenta to find out the cause of his death  ✔️meeting with the pathologist after reading the report of Elijah’s placenta analysis to find out why Elijah died and being dismissed or not being helped in finding the cause of her son’s death  ✔️connecting with Dr Harvey Kliman so he could determine the cause of Elijah’s death, being that Elijah’s size was too big for his small placenta  ✔️creating “Measure the placenta” an association trying to create change and get placenta measured in the prenatal period  ✔️how measuring the estimated placental volume (EPV) could prevent full term stillbirth and why you should request it at your next ultrasound!  ✔️pregnancy after her son’s Elijah’s stillbirth and how she navigated the “most stressful” time of her life  ✔️having 63 prenatal appointments during her 5th pregnancy with her rainbow baby  Measure the placenta - https://www.measuretheplacenta.org/  https://www.instagram.com/measuretheplacenta/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  In today’s episode, I am chatting with Shantelle whose little boy Bowie was born at 24 weeks of gestation and spent 8 months in the NICU. Shantelle has already shared her story on the podcast (link below) and agreed to come back to help set a scene for what a NICU stay is like, talk about the language used and what it means, the different machines and more, a must listen if you are facing a NICU stay and want to be as informed as possible. We chatted about In this episode, Shantelle shares quite a few photos of Bowie, his breathing equipment, what a NICU pod looks like and more so if you want to see those, head over to Youtube or use the link below, search for the channel Cuppa with a doula and you’ll be able to see the wonderful photos that Shantelle shares with us  ✔️The NICU being a very warm and humid environment  ✔️How the pods in the NICU are organised and why there might be a different number of babies in each room  ✔️The ratio of nurse to baby  ✔️If able to, trying to say “hi” or engage with other NICU parents as they will understand exactly what you are going through and will be able to relate and really see you  ✔️Creating a social circle if able to, planning social events, catch ups and also including the dads or patners who may not be able to access mental health services through the hospital and may feel more isolated than the mum  ✔️The mental health impact having a baby in the NICU can have on parents as well as the potential trauma  ✔️Milestones for a premie baby  ✔️The trauma that never goes away even after baby is home from the NICU and the potential triggers that might bring this trauma back  Cuppa with a doula YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@cuppawithadoula  Shantelle’s pregnancy, birth of Bowie and NICU stay https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000598084215  Charities mentioned in the episode, most are in Western Australia where Shantelle lives  Helping little hands https://www.instagram.com/helpinglittlehands_australia/   Miracle babies foundation https://www.miraclebabies.org.au/  Life’s little treasures foundation https://lifeslittletreasures.org.au/  Tiny Sparks WA https://www.tinysparkswa.org.au/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Grace who is a mum to baby North and quite a strong minded woman as you will hear in this interview!  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️not knowing what her options are, going to her GP to confirm pregnancy and being told she will do shared care  ✔️going to antenatal appointments at public hospitals and feeling so unsupported, not heard or listened to and being very triggered  ✔️working hard to prepare for a positive birth by listening to podcasts, doing hypnobirthing, preparing affirmations, moving her body  ✔️advocating for herself in hospital and declining interventions as Grace felt informed and confident in her choices  ✔️Grace’s partner perfectly finding his role during the birthing, due to doing hypnobirthing and Grace and him talking about his role  ✔️Having trouble with breastfeeding from the start: baby not latching properly, Grace was in a lot of pain during feeds, her pain was dismissed by the hospital midwife as “having a low pain threshold”  ✔️Seeking help for breastfeeding as Grace knew something wasn’t right  ✔️Losing a lot of weight due to breastfeeding a lot and having to bounce baby to sleep  ✔️Experiencing postnatal rage, doubts about whether she is a good enough mum  ✔️Grace finding her mum’s tribe, having friends who she can say her worst thoughts to and who truly understand and validate her  Australian breastfeeding association - get help with breasfeeding or baby’s latch - https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/ If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Sarah, who is a special ed teacher, mum to 2 and now an author of her very own book “Little Harvey’s big feelings”, which you will hear more about on the podcast very soon!  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️tossing between birthing at a birth centre or having a home birth with a private midwife, based on her sister’s two births and the fact that her sister is a midwife in an MGP program ✔️deciding to birth at the birth centre where her sister works and have her sister as a secondary midwife for the birth  ✔️loving doing hypnobirthing, reading Rhea Dempsey’s books, feeling very prepared for birth and being flexible (things didn’t go to plan at all!)  ✔️Sarah’s labour beginning at 38+6 (which she wasn’t expecting for another 2 weeks), not being ready, not having food in her house  ✔️Having to birth at a different place of birth than what she had planned as the birth centre already had a laboring mum  ✔️Embracing the change, embracing the unknown, being happy that things happen the way they did  ✔️Having Harvey’s tongue tie released at 6 weeks and being able to breastfeed pain free 2 weeks later, continuing to breastfeed for the next 17 months  ✔️falling pregnant a little bit sooner than Sarah has planned but being so excited to embark on a new pregnancy  ✔️planning a homebirth with the private midwife who was there for Harvey’s birth (Lynn) and her sister Chris as a secondary midwife  ✔️Layla’s birth unfolding so fast that Lynn (primary midwife) didn’t have time to make it and Chris found herself having to somehow fill that gap  If you want to follow Sarah on her instagram https://www.instagram.com/the.rhyming.mum/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Kellie, mum to 2 living in Brisbane and who has made it her mission to share motherhood as it is on instagram @naturallykellie_  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️falling pregnant first go when trying for their first baby, which Kellie was not expecting at all  ✔️interviewing her OB to ensure that they would be supportive of Kellie having an undisturbed birth and be able to birth on her own terms  ✔️doing hypnobirthing and how beneficial this was for both herself and husband  ✔️finding out she had gestational diabetes without too much more explanation and going into a panic thinking she had done something wrong that would have caused this, only to find out that having hemochromatosis puts her at a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, regardless of anything else  ✔️what having hamochromatosis meant during her pregnancy to check that her iron levels weren’t too high  ✔️finding the early postpartum days very hard, being very emotional and crying a lot, but not because she was sad  ✔️getting a phone call when baby was a week old to say that it was picked up during heel prick test that baby’s TSH was high, meaning she had hyperthyroidism  ✔️falling pregnant with baby 2 on the first try, after “leaving it to the universe” but also deciding to wait a bit longer, not knowing they had already conceived  ✔️deciding to do things differently and have a homebirth this time around, her husband being very onboard while Kellie was a bit hesistant initially  ✔️only telling selective people in her circle she was having a home birth as she didn’t want people’s negative opinions or fears or didn’t want to answer “what if” questions  ✔️having a quicker labour for her second, with her daughter present for the pushing phase and then watching her birth her baby sister’s placenta on the couch  ✔️Kellie’s appendix rupturing when she was 6 weeks postpartum, having to manage giving her breastfed baby expressed milk and pumping to keep her supply going  If you want to follow Kellie on her instagram https://www.instagram.com/naturallykellie_/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  Before we dive into the episode, let me introduce you to this week’s sponsor: Executive Alice, taking care of all the behind the scenes of your business so you can do what you do best Find Steph and get in touch with her here https://www.instagram.com/executive.alice/  In today’s episode, I am chatting with Janelle from “The Wild Orange Tree” who is a women’s health occupational therapist and is passionate about helping mums and mums-to-be transition well into this new sphere that is parenthood and help address any challenges or changes that it comes with!  ✔️what is a pelvic health occupational therapist (OT) and how to get access to one through Medicare, private health or private paying  ✔️the role of a pelvic health OT, looking into our menstrual cycle, our pelvic floor health, dividing into both the physical and emotional side of motherhood and pregnancy  ✔️the very important role oxytocin plays after the birth, during our motherhood experience and what happens when we lack this oxytocin hormone  ✔️the uniqueness of motherhood and the support we need all throughout our parenting journey, not just the initial 6 weeks after baby is born  ✔️the difference between our western society and other asian and African cultures where motherhood is celebrated, rituals are celebrated, parents are supported every step of the way  ✔️motherhood as a rite of passage and what its three phases are   ✔️the 5 essential needs we have in postpartum and how community is at the centre of it all  ✔️giving yourself permission to evolve as a human being and become a new version of yourself with new beliefs  You can find Janelle here https://thewildorangetree.com.au/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Cobi, actually on the day of this episode being released is Cobi’s boy’s Sidney’s 2nd birthday, so happy birthday to you little Sidney In this episode we chat all about  ✔️initially going through an OB-led model of care, thinking she would get the highest possible care for herself and baby  ✔️having a friend tell her about home birth and meeting with a private midwife, deciding this was the right option for her  ✔️in hindsight seeing how negative her OB was, never really giving her info, just telling her how it will be, not accepting of Cobi’s birth choices or wishes  ✔️hiring a private midwife at 20 weeks and building a beautiful relationship which spanned beyond Cobi’s pregnancy!  ✔️Cobi’s labour with Sidney beginning at 41 weeks, 1 week after her husband started his leave (he was a DIDO worker at the time)  ✔️Cobi’s parents being present for her labour, having her mum braid her hair, having them support her during this transition  ✔️Cobi’s labour unfolding very quickly and finding she needed her dad present to help ground her and her partner and bring some “chill vibes” to her birth  ✔️Birthing her baby boy Sidney (4.2kg), in the shower, on her own terms, without her midwife who didn’t have time to make it ✔️Solo parenting for 4 weeks at a time while her partner is FIFO and away  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Mel who at the time of this recording is a mum to her daughter Alaska and has since welcomed into the world her baby boy Lakai  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️knowing she wanted to be a mum at a young age and having her daughter Alaska at 22  ✔️finding out about home birth by total chance and just knowing instantly that this was the way to birth for her  ✔️still getting a referral for MGP after hiring private midwife and going to MGP appointment to really realise that this environment wasn’t where Mel wanted to birth  ✔️listening to a lot of birth podcasts to really understand the variations of labour, the last one she listened to being one with a mum who had pre-labour for days  ✔️Having pre-labour surges come on at night, 2 nights in a row but that would fizzle out by the morning  ✔️Loving the pushing phase, feeling so much better while pushing, being able to eat again  ✔️choosing to not suture her 2nd degree tear and let it heal naturally  ✔️finding her flow as parent and going with Alaska’s cues  ✔️focusing on postpartum for her second pregnancy and really diving into traditions and meal train to improve her recovery  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the extremely funny Katherine, I had an absolute blast recording the 3 incredible births of Katherine, who gave birth to her 2 children and was a surrogate for a couple in Australia !  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️having difficult access to birth education 14 years ago, but doing calm birth to help her prepare for a physiological birth  ✔️birthing her son with the same obstetrician, being very obedient and accepting an induction of labour  ✔️not feeling completely done with her family but her husband being totally done after having 2 kids  ✔️diving into the world of surrogacy, telling her husband, who initially was against the idea  ✔️drip feeding information about surrogacy to her husband who started to come around and accept the idea  ✔️steps to become a surrogate, from finding intended parents to counseling with IVF clinic to independent counseling to legal documents to being approved by a surrogacy commission before being able to actually begin the IVF process  ✔️finding her intended parents right before the global pandemic  ✔️beginning the process of transferring an embryo as the intended parents had embryo frozen  ✔️discussing birth choices with intended parents and during pre-counseling about how Katherine would like to birth as she has autonomy over her body  ✔️how the pregnancy and birth unfolded, birthing at home with baby’s intended parents present and involved  ✔️how Katherine breastfed surro baby for a bit while intended parents were around and then continued to express breastmilk and donated over 150L of milk to babies in need  ✔️how Katherine’s journey as a surrogate, someone who has birthed at home and is a doula has educated her children around fertility and birth in a whole different way  Australian Surrogacy community Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftsaust?locale=fr_FR  If you are looking for donations of breastmilk or want to donate breastmilk https://www.facebook.com/hm4hb/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation focused on the three pillars of birth, what they mean and how they apply to the environment in which you will be birthing. This is something I found I have mentioned in a few birth story but that I feel really needs its own episode to really discuss the depth of it, so here it is!  In this episode I chat about  ✔️how the mothers and babies report 2021 reflects the current maternity system in Australia if birthing in a hospital  ✔️why 97% of women in Australia birth in a hospital vs only 0.5% birth at home  ✔️how women’s due date is probably leading to an increase in rates of induction in Australia  ✔️women’s labour being observed and women being put on a clock as soon as they arrive to hospital  ✔️the huge difference in the rates of instrumental deliveries amongst first time mums vs subsequent labouring mums  ✔️how the rates of episiotomy for labour WITHOUT an instrumental delivery has increased in the last 17 years  ✔️the three pillars of births: needing to feel safe, private and undisturbed during labour  ✔️how to create a more safe environment when birthing in a hospital - starting by finding continuity of care either through MGP or student midwife or doula or student doula  ✔️how to create an oxytocin rich environment when you are really accepting and surrendering to labour contractions ✔️why women find that labouring in the bathroom of the birth suite helped them to progress in their labour or “restart” their stalled labour  ✔️how to have the set yourself up and your space to have the most physiological induction possible  ✔️using the BRAIN accronym to make decisions Mother and Babies report 2021 Australia https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies/contents/summary  Sarah Buckley’s instagram https://www.instagram.com/drsarahjbuckley/  Find a student midwife via Call the Student Midwife Australia https://www.facebook.com/groups/1029725940418733?locale=fr_FR or A student for every woman https://www.facebook.com/groups/280671229026793?locale=fr_FR  Cuppa with a pro with Student Midwife Kiersten https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000622071330  Birth mapping with Catherine Bell https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000644133020  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Alyssa, a busy mum to 3 children In this conversation we chat about  ✔️having a long conception to conceive her first daughter due to an undiagnosed thyroid condition  ✔️Having her waters break or leak around 37 weeks and having an ultrasound later in the pregnancy showing low fluid levels and a “small baby” ✔️agreeing to be induced due to low fluid levels and baby showing as being on the small side  ✔️what the induction process was like for Alyssa and having a doctor encourage her to see how her body was responding to the induction before having the oxytocin drip put in ✔️receiving the syntocinon (synthetic oxytocin) injection to birth the placenta without consent being asked  ✔️feeling very very sick throughout the whole of her pregnancies but managing it better which each pregnancy ✔️wanting to have a different model of care this time around and very much wanting continuity of care through a private midwife  ✔️the vast difference of care between her first pregnancy with extra ultrasounds in a very medicalised environment compared to having a private midwife and just “chilling out” at home  ✔️experiencing an asthma attack for the first time during her 2nd pregnancy, without having had a history of asthma  ✔️how Alyssa involved her daughter into the pregnancy and birth of her baby brother and advice on what she would do differently  ✔️finding out that she was unexpectedly pregnant, being shocked as Alyssa’s second baby wasn’t 1 year old yet and booking the same private midwife as for her 2nd straight away  ✔️Alyssa breastfeeding her last baby until well past 2 years of age and enjoying this last journey  ✔️Alyssa’s postpartum advice to tune out the noise and parent your baby the way that feels right for you, rather than the way that others want you to do it  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  In today’s episode, I am chatting with the Sally Cusack, secretary from Maternity Choices Australia (MCA). MCA advocates to improves women’s birthing options state wide. In today’s conversation we chat about the following  ✔️how to make a complaint to the hospital if you have received a service you are not happy with or about the way you were treated in birth/postpartum  ✔️why hospitals are usually unaware of the birth and postpartum experiences of women  ✔️how to give feedback to your local maternity  ✔️what the best birth finder and why it is helping to drive change in hospitals  ✔️how best brith finder can help give hospital a REAL perspective on the reality of birth, especially when your nearest hospital is HOURS away from you…  ✔️needing to realise that we are conditioned to be compliant with what professionals tell us and that we need to fight that to be able to advocate for our choices  ✔️use the BRAIN acronym when seeking medical advice or when going through the hospital system - Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition and Nothing  ✔️a disconnect during birth when birthing in a hospital - mum pushing a baby out and OB/midwife putting gloves on “hurry up” feeling  ✔️needing to be feeling private, safe and unobserved during birth to favour the physiological unfolding of labour and maximise oxytocin release  ✔️how the hospital’s environment lighting and overall feel can negatively impact your labour or cause labour to stall  ✔️how to have the most positive birthing experience even when birthing in the hospital  Maternity Choices Australia website https://www.maternitychoices.org/  Best birth finder website https://www.bestbirthfinder.org.au/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. What I wanted to address today was something that I have seen around “the price of freebirth” piece written by the ABC and add more to the conversation as I feel some very important points were not discussed.  In this episode I chat about  ✔️why freebirth isn’t on the rise but rather we are able to share it more easily and freely these days  ✔️looking into stats from the most recent Australia mother and babies’s report and how they are reflecting the current hospital system failing women   ✔️the hospital has its own interest at heart and has put in place policies and procedures to avoid being liable of being sued  ✔️women in the early 1900’s birthing at home as hospital was ONLY for sick people  ✔️trying to find alternate birthing options for women who don’t want to birth in an unfamiliar environment with rigid protocols and guidelines  ✔️women’s options if they don’t want to birth in a hospital: home birth, publicly funded home birth program or freebirth  ✔️lack of access to midwifery related care when living rurally or remotely (i.e. no private midwife available, maternity ward of hospital closed)  ✔️is there a deeper agenda for the release of the article? Is there a wish for the doula industry to be regulated? Brittany’s episode https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000647856082  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into part 2 of the amazing conversation I had with Brittany. After taking us through her first 2 birth, one heavily medicalised and one where she almost accidentally birthed her baby at home, Brittany reflected and decided to take a different path for the birth of her third son   In this episode we chat all about  ✔️how Brittany’s second birth and postpartum influenced her to do differently this time  ✔️finding out that her GP who doesn’t support home births, used to be an obstetrician but had to stop practicing because he had multiple lawsuits against him for malpractice !  ✔️chatting with a friend who was having a freebirth really opening Brittany’s eyes to the possibility of free birthing at home  ✔️planning a home birth with a private midwife, 10 hours from home as Brittany lived very remotely, feeling happy and supported in her decision and excited to give birth with her private midwife ✔️realising that the home birth she had planned probably wouldn’t work due to the logistics of her husband not being able to take a whole month off work, not knowing when baby will arrive ✔️feeling uncomfortable with the idea of a freebirthing even though her husband was supportive and a friend had given her resources  ✔️carefully studying potential risk factors for neonatal death ✔️Brittany becoming an expert on her own body and starting to trust herself and her sensations. Also reading a first responder handbook got Brittany going “oh is that it? It’s pretty straightforward!”  ✔️A few days before labour beginning, Brittany’s doula drove through flood water for 15+ hours to get to her so she could be present for the birth  ✔️Receiving an unexpected phone call from the GP that Brittany had seen, advising her that she didn’t support home birth and wasn’t comfortable with her choice to birth at home without medical help  ✔️What medical negligence is and the fact that a woman is her own sovereign body and can make decision against medical advice even if they result in the harm of her unborn baby  ✔️Brittany being at peace during her birth, ticking things in her head, reassuring her that everything was fine  ✔️Baby boy being born calmly in the birth pool, caught by Brittany, being totally fine after a one hour labour!  ✔️Brittany’s placenta not coming out for a little bit despite trying feeding, sitting on the toilet, tincture release and gentle traction until her doula gave her a homeopathic pill which peeled off the placenta straight away!  ✔️Having a cord burning ceremony  ✔️Reflecting on how her freebirth went and feeling saddened by the fact that she didn’t experience that for her first two births  Follow Brittany and her adventures on her socials page https://www.instagram.com/brittanybflinn/  You can watch Brittany’s birth video through this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6XNPj1ts6g  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Brittany who, at the time of the recording was living on a remote cattle station and is now traveling around Australia in their camper trailer with her husband and three beautiful boys.  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️sharing the fertility load with the partner and not it only being the responsibility of the women  ✔️choosing to have an OB for her first birth only because she thought “well I’m paying for private health insurance, I might as well hire a specialist”  ✔️finding out her first baby only had a 2 cord vessels and seeing her OB appointments very frequently ✔️”doing the good girl thing” as Brittany puts it and going to hospital as soon as her waters broke, leading to labouring alone on the ward ✔️Brittany putting all her trust into her OB, thinking she had her best interest at heart during the pregnancy and delivery of her baby  ✔️her son being born with a wound on his scalp due to the use of ventouse and the suction it had created  ✔️seeing in hindsight that Brittany was actually saying to the OB and midwives what was happening - she was having back pain, had a cervical leap, couldn’t lay on the bed, but wasn’t listened to   ✔️Brittany taking radical responsibility for her lack of knowledge and preparation into labour and accepting that the way her first labour unfolded was due to handing over her power to the hospital staff  ✔️contemplating not having anymore children after her first due to everything she went through  ✔️wanting to be the “dream patient”, wanting her midwife to approve of her ✔️beginning labour at 38+3, like with her first son, not wanting to rush to hospital, laboring at home, and labour going from very manageable to hitting transition and pushing while walking from bathroom to bedroom  ✔️not having time to process what was happening as Brittany’s labour was so quick  ✔️Brittany pushing at home while husband is scrambling all their stuff an trying to get her in the car, Brittany holding back and just wanting to push this baby out but husband wanted to make it to hospital  ✔️giving birth 1 MINUTE after arriving to hospital, being in shock due to all the adrenaline that had been rushing  ✔️Brittany’s birth wishes not respected due to all the staff in delivery room panicking  ✔️Brittany going to the postpartum ward without her baby who had to go to special care nursery and be put on oxygen, experiencing going to the ward without her baby for the second time  ✔️taking the time to reflect on her birth experience and finding that the fact that she had a village during her postpartum positively influenced the way she saw her birth even though she felt a bit “ripped off” that things didn’t go according to what she wanted   Follow Brittany and her adventures on her socials page https://www.instagram.com/brittanybflinn/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

In today’s episode I am bringing you a very special guest, Brittany, who at the time of the recording was living on a cattle station with her husband and 3 boys and is now traveling full-time around Australia in their camper trailer  I had some technical issues during the edit of this episode, it was actually edited twice because it didn't save properly and once I reedited it, it wouldn't export as a video so unfortunately, this one will be an audio only episode, sorry about that.. Before we dived into Brittany’s epic three birth stories, we had a really deep conversation around birth and the birth portal and conditioning that has happened in our life, here is what we chat about  ✔️how Brittany came to the decision to homeschool her 2 older boys and why it works well for her family  ✔️the conditioning that we had since our young years, believing that we need an institution or someone to validate us, from school years all the way to anything related to our health or pregnancy  ✔️Brittany’s vision of what advocacy in the hospital system looks like for her, especially as a first time mum  ✔️How Brittany’s views of pregnancy and birth evolved from her first to third pregnancy and why she ended up free birthing her third son  ✔️the fact that mums or birth partner’s role shouldn’t have to advocate for their rights during labour and should just be immersed in the portal of labour  ✔️the difference between the logical and mammalian brain and how different “being safe” can be  Find my FREE Youtube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” To help you navigate the system and learn about the different models of care available, what normal means, what consent is, questions to ask your health care provider and so much more, you can find it on my channel @Cuppawithadoula or via this link https://www.youtube.com/@cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Website www.cuppawithadoula.com Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the incredible Kirsty, Australia’s first woman to receive a uterus transplant and subsequently fall pregnant. This is a story of hope for women out there who have had to have a hysterectomy or were born with a genetic defect meaning that they can’t carry a pregnancy.  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️falling pregnant the first time very quickly but having a miscarriage before conceiving their daughter Violet 2 months later  ✔️going through a midwifery group practice model for her first pregnancy and having a student midwife  ✔️doing a hypnobirthing class not only to educate herself but to also help her husband prepare for birth, being a support partner and learn more about the physiology of birth  ✔️being diagnosed with low PAPP-A protein and having to take a baby aspirin for her first pregnancy  ✔️labour beginning and feeling pain in her back, going into hospital to have saline injections then coming home to continue to labour  ✔️getting to full dilation and pushing but because of baby’s brow presentation, Kirsty felt her pushing wasn’t enough and ended up birthing Violet via C-section ✔️following Violet’s delivery, Kirsty had a severe postpartum haemorrhage, leading her to lose 11L of blood, her body going into Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) and shock and she was placed into an artificial coma for 2 days to help her body recover  ✔️the importance of donating blood and plasma to help anyone who may need blood products at some point, like Kirsty did  ✔️Kirsty’s milk coming in 7 days after her c-section (5 days after she had awoken) ✔️After some difficult beginnings with breastfeeding and topping-up, going to breastfeed Violet for 14 months until Kirsty started IVF treatments  ✔️How Kirsty stumbled upon a clinical trial for a uterus transplant in Australia and became Australia’s first uterus transplant and went on to give birth to her baby boy Henry  ✔️Doing IVF as part of criteria for the clinical trial ✔️Getting a phone call on Christmas’ eve to give Kirsty a date for her uterus transplant surgery, January 10th 2023  ✔️Kirsty’s embryo transfer working on the first go, getting pregnant after the first ever Australian uterus transplant  ✔️Navigating a high risk pregnancy where Kirsty was on anti-rejection medication after her transplant and developed gestational diabetes as a result of being on steroids  ✔️Planning an elective C-section at 37 weeks at the hospital where Kirsty’s transplant happened with her transplant team  ✔️Having both her partner and mum present for the birth of her son Henry  Follow Kirsty on her socials page https://www.instagram.com/myuterustransplantaus/  Link to Kirsty’s transplant and the team at UNSW https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2023/12/kirsty-has-given-birth-to-a-baby-boy--a-year-ago--she-didnt-have  If you want to start donating blood or look into it further https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood    If you would like some birth trauma support or more information  https://birthtrauma.org.au/  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Purchase Catherine Bell’s book through here ⁠https://birthmap.life/?affiliates=78⁠  Check out Catherine Bell’s work at ⁠https://birthmap.life/⁠  Play “The game of birth” head over to ⁠https://birthmap.life/the-game/⁠  If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here ⁠https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA⁠  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula⁠  Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula⁠  Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  In today’s episode, I am chatting with the very funny Catherine Bell who has written the book “The birth map” and is on a mission to get things moving as she putting the concept of her book through the academic lens and doing her PhD   In this episode we chat all about  ✔️the story behind how a birth plan evolved into a birth map through Catherine’s research and realisation that woman going through the system are on a conveyor belt  ✔️the different types of birth plans that exist: collaborative birth plan, self-directed birth plan where woman prints off her own plan, self-directed birth plan where woman communicates this plan with her care provider ✔️describing the birth map like a GPS recalculating your itinerary when things arise and how it is the same in labour, as events unfold, your labour might take a different direction but your itinerary is recalculated because you prepared yourself for this  ✔️changing the language we use in the system, ie. When you hear “consent” think decision, I have to make a decision so that you know that you do not have to say yes, you can say no !  ✔️using the acronym BRAIN to help you make decisions - Benefits, Risks, Alternative, Intuition, Nothing  ✔️there is no wrong decision even if you make a decision that your care provider doesn’t feel comfortable with  ✔️how Catherine developed “the game of birth”, an online game based on the Mother babies 2018 report of outcomes in Australia to illustrate how each decision will influence the outcome of a birth  ✔️some interventions in birth come with a package (ie an epidural comes with a cannula being inserted to get a drip of syntocinon to augment the labour, a catheter to release urine and continuous monitoring (CTG) of the baby)  ✔️understanding how the different pathways work and what might be a “turning point” into labour that led you down a different pathway   ✔️reframing the different types of caesarian into: emergency before labour caesarian, non-emergency before labour caesarian, in-labour emergency caesarian and in-labour non-emergency caesarian  ✔️using the birthing pool test (developed by Michel Odent, French OB) to help you make a decision as to whether you are at a turning point and may need to look into an assisted delivery or c-section  ✔️navigating postpartum and planning it out, especially as both parents are going through a transformative phase of their life, know as matrescence and patrescence  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Find my FREE Youtube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” To help you navigate the system and learn about the different models of care available, what normal means, what consent is, questions to ask your health care provider and so much more, you can find it on my channel @Cuppawithadoula or via this link https://www.youtube.com/@cuppawithadoula To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. In this second part, Carla takes us through her postpartum period after the birth of her son Theo, her breastfeeding journey, her second pregnancy and how her first brith influenced her model of care this time around. In this conversation we chat about ✔️not having any issues to initially breastfeed but Carla’s son had a severe tongue and lip tie which led to her milk supply dropping in the first 5 weeks postpartum ✔️trying to increase her milk supply to avoid formula top-ups after her son’s weight was dropping by pumping, resting and eating nutritious foods ✔️having to get her son’s lip and tongue tie revised again at 4 months by laser as the frenulum reattached and Carla noticed the same latching issues he was having as a newborn were coming back ✔️being in tune with her body and ovulation period so Carla knew exactly when was the right time to conceive when she decided to expand her family ✔️doing “midwife shopping” before she even fell pregnant to make sure that she would find the right person for her home birth ✔️intending to breastfeeding during her labour to help release oxytocin and increase the sensation of labour ✔️planning to tandem feeding both her toddler and newborn and seeing it as a great opportunity to reduce her risks of mastitis and create a healthy milk supply ✔️relaxing for this upcoming birth as she trusts her midwife and feels that her birth will unfold the way it will but she can count on her midwife and herself to keep her baby safe Listen to Carla’s first birth story here Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here ⁠https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA⁠  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula⁠  Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula⁠  Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Carla, who at the time the recording was a mum to one and pregnant with her second and has since welcomed her second son into the world.   In this conversation we chat about  ✔️falling pregnant while not completely planning it but leaving it to faith  ✔️wanting to find a birthing option that was less medicalised and more wholistic in its approach to better align with Carla  ✔️self-referring herself to the local midwifery group practice (MGP) to ensure she would get continuity of care during and after her pregnancy  ✔️as a very athletic women, Carla not noticing too many changes in her body’s ability to move or exercise until late into her 3rd trimester  ✔️shifting her focus from looking athletic and being strong to accepting her pregnancy body and moving with it in ways that would help her to reduce body aches and help with labour  ✔️forming her birth wishes by informing herself of recent research, asking friends and relatives about their birth experiences and going to pregnancy circles and mum’s meet-up ✔️Being bullied by OB on call to agree to an augmentation of labour with syntocinon as OB believed labour wasn’t happening fast enough and Carla’s baby needed to be out within 24 hours of her membranes rupturing  ✔️Experiencing uterine hypertonia (essentially a contraction that will NOT stop, no relaxation of the uterus muscle) due to augmentation of labour which was putting her baby at risk  ✔️Getting drugs to stop the syntocinon from working due to uterus hypertonia, which meant Carla was unable to birth her baby vaginally and had to have an elective c-section  ✔️Feeling happy in the end with her decision to have a c-section and feeling great in the hours following it, being mobile within hours of the surgery  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. In today’s episode I am finally giving you a quick update on my 3rd trimester (a bit late as baby has obviously been born now 🤣), but more importantly, I am telling you the story of our second girl’s birth  In this conversation I am telling you about  ✔️model of care we decided to go through after changing our birthing plan in the 2nd trimester  ✔️feeling like I was going into labour at 37 weeks and panicking as I didn’t have my hospital bag and birth prompts ready and handy  ✔️working through my fears, especially working on “not panicking” during labour (which I did during my first labour) and wanted to avoid this time around  ✔️the benefits of having a student midwife when you don’t have access to continuity of care through the public system  ✔️mapping my birth with my birth partner and preparing my partner for what I wanted, told him what to look out for and what I was declining  ✔️what I did to try and flip baby when I learned that she was in a breech position  ✔️seeing baby’s breech position as a variation of normal and changing my birthing map around it but wanting to have a breech vaginal birth  ✔️presenting to hospital at 40+6 for reduced foetal movement and being prepared to decline an induction ✔️having a crisis of confidence at 40+6, loosing faith that labour would start on its own, needing reassurance that my body was working towards labour  ✔️labour beginning at 40+6, birthing baby girl at 41 weeks, on the floor of our caravan after a very quick 2-hour labour  ✔️being in total shock of everything that happened and not realising fully that my labour was over and baby was here, pure bliss!  ✔️finding having a newborn much easier the second time around, but difficult to deal with a toddler at the same time  If you haven’t listened to it, you can find my first birth story here: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000624323163 My first trimester update for this pregnancy here: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000609190548 My second trimester update for this pregnancy here: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000621320865  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  In today’s episode, I am chatting with the lovely Beth who is a birth photographer in the Hawkesbury region, NSW.  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️what is a birth photographer and how does Beth try to get the best photos and adapt to the birth environment without disrupting it  ✔️capturing raw and genuine moments during both labour and birth  ✔️how to hire a birth photographer and what happens after the initial reach out  ✔️birth photography expectations  ✔️dads and partners sometimes being reluctant to the idea of birth photography but coming around when they see the moments captured and being thankful that they have such photos  ✔️what happens if the birth is missed, whether that is because it all happened too fast or the birth plan changed in the case of a caesarean  ✔️when is the best time to call your birth photographer in for your birth  ✔️pricing of birth photography reflecting the emotional and physical involvement of the job, as well as the on-call time which can be draining  ✔️what pricing to expect based on the experience of the birth photographer and their equipment  You can view Beth’s work and get in touch with her through her website https://naturalfocus.com.au/  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I am chatting with the lovely Hannah, who shares with us 2 pregnancies and births. TRIGGER WARNING, in this episode, Hannah talks about the pregnancy and birth of her baby girl Olive who unfortunately passed away hours after being born.  ✔️getting pregnant with her first daughter Billie and experiencing anxiety (both due to her knowledge as a midwife and having a pre-existing anxiety condition)  ✔️how Hannah prepared herself and her partner for her labour and birth  ✔️finding out in labour that Billie was in a brow presentation and being at peace with having a c-section but finally birthing her vaginally  ✔️having shingles in the early weeks postpartum  ✔️finding out at 20 weeks that Hannah’s cervix had shortened, which meant getting weekly monitoring at the hospital and potentially getting a cervical stitch  ✔️Hannah’s waters breaking at 22 weeks and 3 days  ✔️seeing a neonatologist to discuss potential outcomes of a premature birth and what could be expected  ✔️Hannah and her husband Ben facing an impossible decision to continue with the pregnancy or induce labour at 22 weeks  ✔️Hannah’s labour and birth of Olive who lived for a few hours after being born  ✔️how Hannah has been working through her grief and is creating projects to carry on Olive’s legacy ✔️going through a postpartum journey and ongoing health issues while grieving the loss of her baby girl  ✔️telling her 2.5 year old daughter about the loss of her sister  The beginning of Olive’s pregnancy and birth story is at 00.36.45  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I am chatting with the lovely Michelle, who shares with us her unique births and pregnancy stories. From being pregnant at a time where very limited information was available for mums-to-be, to birthing overseas and expanding her family when she thought she was done having children, we cover it all with Michelle! Here is what we chat about in this episode  ✔️becoming a step-mum when entering new relationship with then husband and soon after falling pregnant unexpectedly  ✔️what her experience of pregnancy was like 20 years ago with limited resources available  ✔️having a very long labour, where looking back, things could have been different if Michelle had been able to labour in her own space  ✔️giving first to her first daughter, who was born unresponsive, had to be resuscitated, tested positive for group B strep infection and was sent to the neonatal unit  ✔️being pregnant and giving birth in Malaysia where the culture is so different to our Australian one  ✔️entrusting the system and the medical professionals for her first 3 births  ✔️reflecting on her first 3 births, including one spontaneous labour and 2 inductions and wanting to do things differently for her 4th birth  ✔️being scared into having an induction for her 4th baby only die to her age, despite having a healthy pregnancy without any complications  ✔️getting access to more information compared to her first birth, learning more about the physiology of birth, being drawn to a homebirth and trusting her body could birth her baby  ✔️how Michelle is preparing her body and mind for a homebirth without any drugs or interventions  ✔️changing the narrative around the language we use to talk about pregnancy and birth  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I am the one stepping behind the mic to finally deliver to you the birth story of my first born, while pregnant with our second. In this talk, I tell you all about my journey from deciding to become a mum, to conception, pregnancy and beyond. I chat all about  ✔️navigating trying to conceive, not knowing my cycles and my body well yet and learning all about ovulation  ✔️experiencing a miscarriage after 9 months of trying to conceive and the perspective that it gave me   ✔️using the BRAIN acronym during pregnancy to help determine my options for birth  ✔️how I managed my pregnancy as an Exercise Physiologist ✔️how I prepared for my birth, decided what I preferred and navigated the system  ✔️finding the wait from 37 weeks (full-term) very challenging and being of two minds of wanting to have the baby soon but also wanting baby to stay in to mature for longer  ✔️my prelabour, how I managed it, finding my zone, doing what felt right for me and how things changed once I arrived to hospital  ✔️finding the transition into parenthood very challenging and experiencing the baby blues  ✔️feeling sadness and other negative emotions in the first 6-8 weeks of baby’s life  ✔️feeling anxious about partner returning back to work and looking after our daughter on my own  ✔️the process of deciding to have another child and what that was like  I am currently 33 weeks pregnant, if you are interested in my current pregnancy journey here are the summary of my first and second trimester  First trimester - https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/pregnancy-series-01-miscarriage-1st-trimester-recap/id1663704129?i=1000609190548&l=en-GB  Second trimester - https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/pregnancy-series-02-alicia-full-time-caravan-traveling/id1663704129?i=1000621320865&l=en-GB  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Maddy, mum to baby boy Sully. In this conversation we chat all about  ✔️being so in-tune with her body that she knew she was pregnant within days of conception  ✔️beginning her pregnancy thinking she was quite informed due to her background as a nurse but realising she didn’t know as much as she could have  ✔️having extra growth scans to check for potential growth restriction due to bicornate uterus  ✔️having the mindset of “I just want a happy and healthy baby, I’ll be fine with whatever”  ✔️having a relative close to her lose her baby at term and how this shaped Maddy’s view of “just wanting a healthy and live baby”  ✔️experiencing postpartum rage, not being heard by her GP or antenatal psychiatrist and trying to find strategies on her own to navigate it  ✔️choosing to be induced due to reduced foetal movement late in pregnancy and past trauma and what the induction was like for Maddy  ✔️having an unwell 3 day old newborn, taking him to the emergency department where he was diagnosed with febrile seizures  ✔️having her newborn baby in NICU for 2 weeks  ✔️mix-feeding due to hospital stay but trying to keep a good breastmilk supply by pumping regularly  ✔️managing to reverse mix-feeding by 2 months and exclusively breastfeed her son  ✔️what Maddy plans to do for her next pregnancy and breastfeeding journey  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Amber, musculoskeletal physiotherapist with an interest in women’s health and soon to be a mum of 2. In this episode, Amber takes us through her first pregnancy and first for her son and how she decided to do things differently for her second pregnancy, we also chat about  ✔️waiting to have an established career before having children despite having a strong desire to start a family  ✔️societal expectations on pregnant women and mothers when it comes to work load, maternity leave and return to work  ✔️how Amber prepared for both pregnancy,  postpartum and breastfeeding during her first pregnancy  ✔️setting herself for a successful breastfeeding journey by beginning her learning before baby arrived ✔️spontaneously going into labour at 37+4 without expecting it as a first time mum  ✔️how Amber managed to stay in her zone at the hospital despite being made to feel that there was a real sense of emergency  ✔️having to bargain with the hospital to have her wishes respected and even then being bullied into doing things she didn’t want to  ✔️the power of breastfeeding education and how it helped Amber to get a good start to her breastfeeding journey and be confident to troubleshoot potential issues  ✔️challenges that come with having an oversupply of milk and how long it took to regulate her supply  ✔️donating unwanted milk to her local community  If you are looking for or wanting to donate breast milk to help families, there are Facebook groups that might help such as  Human milk 4 human babies (there is a group for each state in Australia)  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I back behind the mic to give you an update on how my pregnancy has been going as well as all the things that have changed since my first recording including  ✔️living full-time in our caravan with a 19 months-old and we see our travels moving forward with a newborn  ✔️listening to your intuition and changing my care over as it didn’t feel right for me  ✔️transferring my pregnancy care interstate from QLD to NSW and how I did it  ✔️taking an active part in your pregnancy, preparing for birth, following up on referrals  ✔️current pregnancy symptoms in my second trimester  ✔️birth education I did for my first birth and for this upcoming one  ✔️birthing tools I used for my first birth and ones I am hoping to practice more and use this time around  ✔️postpartum preparation, considering sleeping arrangements, naps, meal prepping  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Emma, mum to 2. In this episode, Emma takes us through how she dived into motherhood at 23 and the birth of her son. In this conversation we chat about  ✔️unexpectedly falling pregnant at 23, 6 months into a new relationship   ✔️birthing in a hospital by default as she didn’t really know what options were available to her  ✔️feeling lucky to have experienced what she thought was the norm, an undisturbed physiological birth in a hospital, with midwives that were “hands-off” ✔️developing strong mother intuitions reassuring her than she knew what was best for her baby and following those  ✔️Emma’s partner, Jake, experiencing postnatal depression in the early postpartum period, difficult to find his place as a new dad ✔️returning to exercise quite quickly and feeling the consequences 6 months postpartum  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to work with me head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  In today’s episode, I am chatting with the lovely Amber who has previously come to the podcast to share with us the birth story of her first born.  In this episode we chat all about  ✔️what is the pelvic floor, what its function are and how our breath works in relation to the pelvic floor muscles  ✔️what a pelvic floor lift should feel like and the importance of both learning to strengthen and relax the pelvic floor muscles  ✔️when is the best time to get a pelvic floor assessment to check on overall health  ✔️integrating pelvic floor exercises into your normal exercise routine so then it becomes part of your daily life too  ✔️what real time ultrasound of the pelvic floor is, how it is done and what is measured  ✔️how a physiotherapist’s assessment can help you to assess overall health, meet your goals and achieve what you want to do  ✔️the benefits of Telehealth when it comes to physiotherapy/exercise physiology and the benefits they provide  ✔️debunking the myth that having a c-section means you don’t have to worry about rehabbing your pelvic floor postpartum  ✔️caring for a caesarean scar, scar mobilisation, what it is, who can help and how to get started  ✔️the importance of core muscles in order to be able to do exercises correctly and not feel pain anywhere else  ✔️regressing exercises when returning back to exercise to ensure correct activation, engaging core muscles and having good technique  ✔️considering the lack of sleep/interrupted sleep during the postpartum period and how that might impact our recovery when returning back to exercise  If you want to listen to Amber’s birth story for her first born, you can find it here https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/021-amber-physiotherapist-van-willebrand-disease-hypnobirthing/id1663704129?i=1000622853589&l=en-GB  You can find Amber on her socials at https://www.instagram.com/amberhanrahan.physiotherapist/  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  In this new series, I am interviewing professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise. In today's episode I am chatting with a very passionate student midwife Kiersten who takes us through the behind the scenes of her midwifery studies, what being a student midwife looks like and where her aspirations for the future. In this conversation we chat about  ✔️the role and benefits of having a student midwife to help bring continuity of care to the antenatal and postnatal period  ✔️inability of student midwives to attend homebirths  ✔️learning to practice holistic midwifery, being taught by Rachel Reed, learning to critically analyse and think  ✔️supporting women’s informed decisions regardless of what those decisions are  ✔️how a student midwife can help bridge the gap for women who missed out on a continuity of care model for their pregnancy  ✔️how to find a student midwife  ✔️researching what you’re interested in knowing and what you want to learn more about to avoid being overwhelmed by all the info out there  ✔️finding mum friends during the postpartum period  ✔️student midwives being burned out due to the high case load demand on top of studying, placements without financial rewards  ✔️managing trauma as a student midwife and resources available  If you are looking for a student midwife, there are 2 Facebook groups you can post or search in   Call the student midwife https://www.facebook.com/groups/1029725940418733  A student for every women https://www.facebook.com/groups/280671229026793  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to see my offerings including doula work, birth and parenting education classes head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Emma, mum to 2. In this episode, Emma takes us her second birth, an empowered and inspirational one, which took place at home, undisturbed with her partner and doula present.  In this conversation we chat about  ✔️how Emma’s first birth experience led her to explore further options for her 2nd birth  ✔️experiencing the stigma of having a baby outside of the hospital system  ✔️surrendering to the idea of free birthing, accepting full responsibility, which ever the birth goes, feeling a deep sense of trust in her body and instincts  ✔️involving her son into the birth preparation and teaching him about what birth is, what it can look like ✔️how to get her daughter’s birth registered after a free birth  ✔️reflecting on her previous postpartum and wanting to do things differently. Taking the time to honor her body postpartum and setting firm boundaries this time around To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to work with me head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Lenny In this conversation we chat about  ✔️learning about her cycles prior to conception via natural family planning and falling pregnant quickly after trying ✔️having clinical knowledge as a midwife going into her pregnancy and being able to contrast her clinical knowledge with what she was experiencing  ✔️doing hypnobirthing to help partner be prepared and gaining a deeper understanding that she didn’t have before ✔️wanting to experience a homebirth for the their last child but being met with a reluctant GP and a partner who needed convincing  ✔️finding a private midwife and going down the homebirth pathway with confidence in her ability to birth undisturbed  ✔️as a health professional herself, highlighting the need for other professionals to give autonomy to women to make decisions for themselves and their baby and not rely on someone telling them what to do  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  If you would like to work with me head over to www.triskwell.com  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  In this new series, I am interviewing professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise.  In the first episode of this new series, I am chatting with the lovely Chloe from Chloe Halter Nutrition about all things postpartum depletion, the factors that may contribute to it, reframing our postpartum and giving ourselves permission to do it the way we want  In this conversation we chat about  ✔️out of nowhere starting to have intrusive thoughts at 8 weeks postpartum  ✔️building a strong support network in the early postpartum period to help her navigate her motherhood journey  ✔️feeling like intrusive thoughts were a symptom of postpartum depletion rather than postpartum depression  ✔️viewing postpartum has a continuum where mothers can experience symptoms of depletion many years after having their baby  ✔️reflecting on her previous postpartum during her second pregnancy and trying to do things differently  ✔️symptoms of postpartum depletion and the multitude of factors that play a role into it  ✔️the impact of breastfeeding on postpartum depletion ✔️finally we finish off by Chloe telling us about her very fast birth as a first time mum and how she really tuned into her body despite midwives telling her that she “still had long to go”  If you want to get in touch with Chloe, head over to her website https://chloehalter.com.au/  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Ebony, mum to two girls. In this conversation we chat about  ✔️experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) from 6 weeks of pregnancy  ✔️having preeclampsia during early labour after being monitored on/off during 3rd trimester  ✔️experiencing a very big blood loss post delivery (postpartum haemorrhage)  ✔️having a very rough start to motherhood, being separated from baby, both sick with an infection and trying to establish breastfeeding  ✔️mixed feeding baby due to low milk supply post blood loss ✔️society having an opinion on how Ebony should settle her baby and what she shouldn’t do so she isn’t “spoiling” her baby  ✔️ the cultural differences between our society and African societies when it comes to baby wearing and settling a newborn  ✔️being more confident in her parenting style with baby 2, not putting adult expectations onto a baby  ✔️learning to lean on others in your support network to help you with the load of parenting, especially when having babies 18 months apart  ✔️having a healing birth and parenting in a much more relaxed way  ✔️receiving a late diagnosis of postpartum depression after her 2nd daughter was born and struggling for a while ✔️learning mental health strategies to help improve mental health and put things in perspective  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Katie, mum to baby boy Alexander.   In this conversation we chat about  ✔️the different models of care options available as a first time mum, which option Katie went for and how she found it  ✔️disliking being pregnant because of the discomfort, aches and pains but looking forward to the birth of baby ✔️experiencing urinary incontinence in the 2nd trimester ✔️dealing with a hypertonic pelvic floor with the help of a women’s health physiotherapist, working on relaxing muscles and using dilators  ✔️spontaneously going into labour, waters breaking and labour stalling for a few days  ✔️pressured into getting an induction by obstetrician  ✔️trying everything to have the most natural labour and avoid induction with help of her doula  ✔️the power of labouring at home in a comfortable and relaxed environment, feeling safe and loved, helping to bring on contractions  ✔️the intensity of transition on Katie’s body after a very fast dilation from 4 to 7cm in 20 minutes  ✔️feeling so relieved after getting the epidural, felt like she could instantly relax and could get back in her zone and finally get some sleep  ✔️baby not breathing really well at birth, having a room full of doctors and specialists and baby needing to go to NICU for a day ✔️experiencing postpartum haemorrhage  ✔️feeling no sensation in her pelvic floor straight after birth and experiencing urinary incontinence as a result and feeling terrified that this would be her reality now  ✔️loving her breastfeeding journey, once her son’s tongue ties were released and still breastfeeding at 16 months  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Bethany, mum to baby boy Flynn.   In this conversation we chat about  ✔️doing as much research as possible during pregnancy to feel empowered  ✔️being told baby had a high risk of trisomy 21 and how it affected Bethany’s pregnancy  ✔️preparing for birth and doing calm birth course  ✔️the waiting game that starts once going “past your due date” and how it mentally was draining for Bethany  ✔️going into labour a day before scheduled induction and being in disbelief that she was actually in labour   ✔️not feeling like herself in the first weeks after baby’s arrival  ✔️feeling like she had no motherhood instincts and other intrusive thoughts  ✔️reaching out early to find help for her mental health  ✔️not wanting to be alone with baby early on due to feeling anxious  ✔️debriefing birth and fourth trimester with a psychologist To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Alana who at the time of the episode is a mum of one boy with one underway, now mum of 2 boys.  In this conversation we chat about  ✔️being diagnosed with haemochromatosis in pregnancy and how it impacted on Alana’s iron levels during pregnancy and postpartum  ✔️having a long first labour and the trauma that was involved  ✔️mental health in the postpartum period and knowing that something wasn’t right but being told it was “just the baby blues” ✔️mixed feeding baby until baby refused breastfeeding  ✔️navigating a difficult start to postpartum and how long it took for Alana to see her mental health get better after seeking help from a psychologist and regularly exercising ✔️finding a new routine once baby is here, getting out of the house and surrounding yourself with supportive people  ✔️body image in the postpartum period  ✔️reframing postpartum weight loss and seeing more in terms of feeling like you have the body strength to look after baby and carry them around as needed on a daily basis  ✔️having an unexpected 2nd pregnancy and how that affected both Alana and her partner  ✔️how normal it is to not be jumping for you straight away when you find out you are pregnant, needing time to adjust to the news  ✔️preparing differently for her 2nd postpartum period  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I am stepping behind the mic to let you in on how my pregnancy is going but not only, TW in this conversation I chat about my early miscarriage as well as ✔️how my miscarriage affected my subsequent pregnancies  ✔️symptoms difference between 2nd and 3rd  pregnancy  ✔️4 main birthing options in Australia: GP shared care, midwifery group practice (MGP), private obstetrician (OB) and private midwife  ✔️trusting the process for 2nd pregnancy vs having to advocate for what I wanted in my 3rd pregnancy  ✔️the importance of following up on your referral in case it hasn’t been sent (like it happened to me)  ✔️how the midwifery group practice (MGP) works (at least in my experience)  ✔️questions to ask during your midwife appointment to ensure the place you are birthing at aligns with your needs and wants  ✔️what to consider for your postpartum   To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Hayley, mum to one girl, two boys and one angel baby.  In this episode we remember and honour the birth of Rylee Phinneas, an angel boy looking after his siblings and parents from above In this conversation we chat about Hayley’s 4 births, which include the following TW: second trimester loss and stillbirth, story starting at 49.20 ✔️first pregnancy being uninformed and only able to rely on family member’s own experience  ✔️unable to have epidural during 1st induction due to mum being present and mum’s beliefs around pain management  ✔️having a stretch and sweep done for 2nd pregnancy which lead to irritated cervix and non-progressive but painful contractions  ✔️fear during birth that something bad would happen to her or her baby  ✔️preparing physically, mentally and spiritually for a homebirth for 3rd birth  ✔️working through and releasing birth fears  ✔️getting psychic reading early in pregnancy with baby 4 which was confronting  ✔️experiencing gender disappointment while still loving her baby  ✔️having a very difficult pregnancy with lots of bleeding and not being heard by medical professionals  ✔️second trimester loss, how this went for Hayley and how she felt  ✔️choosing to see the positives and wanting friends and family to celebrate the birth of her son  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey,  Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Ally, mum to one little boy.   In this conversation we chat about  ✔️hyperemesis gravidarum and how Ally managed it  ✔️why Ally felt called towards having a homebirth as a first time mum  ✔️voluntarily transferring to hospital as Ally felt this was the right decision for her after a lengthy posterior labour  ✔️unconsented procedure performed by OB at hospital  ✔️hospital rules during labour due to being 42+1  ✔️having to fight to be heard by midwives on the ward hours postpartum as Ally was concerned about her baby’s health  ✔️having a termination  ✔️partial molar pregnancy and its repercussion for Ally’s future pregnancies  To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast.  If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA  This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube  Follow me on social media for more content  Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula  Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula  Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode!  Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Charlotte, mum to one little girl. In this conversation we chat about ✔️choosing to have a homebirth as a first time mum ✔️seeing a GP for a referral who labelled homebirth as “dangerous” and “something that should be illegal” ✔️suffering from pubic symphysis pain in her 2nd trimester and how she managed it ✔️long posterior labour and hospital transfer which felt like the right thing to do for Charlotte ✔️feeding from one breast only due to a breast reduction ✔️experiencing postpartum anxiety while trying to do everything “by the book” ✔️intrusive thoughts and how they manifested for Charlotte To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Sarah, now mum to 2 boys. In this conversation we chat about ✔️suffering from debilitating period pain from a young age ✔️being diagnosed with endometriosis and being told to start a family sooner rather than later ✔️fertility tests showing low AMH and smaller-sized ovaries ✔️TTC for many months without any results ✔️suffering a miscarriage after many months of TTC ✔️trying to conceive with a FIFO husband who wasn’t always here during ovulation window ✔️falling pregnant naturally ✔️pregnancy after loss ✔️trying to regain some control and booking an elective induction ✔️raising a child with a deaf husband and how they have had to adapt their routine ✔️teaching AUSLAN from a young age ✔️mental load of motherhood ✔️very challenging first 6 months of motherhood ✔️seeing a therapist to feel validated and heard To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Stephanie, mum to 2 kids with an 8 year age gap. In this conversation we chat about ✔️having a surprise pregnancy at 19 ✔️feeling treated like a child and being told how the birth was going to unfold because of her age ✔️being forced into interventions to the convenience of the hospital ✔️not being informed and not knowing that you can decline interventions ✔️feeling traumatized by first birth ✔️having another children 8 years later ✔️preparing her daughter to have a sibling ✔️going through a private midwife and involving daughter in pregnancy and birth ✔️having a healing and empowered home birth where Stephanie felt in control of her body To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Maggie, mum to 2 boys. In this conversation we chat about ✔️feeling educated for first pregnancy but realising later on that you don’t have to agree with everything the doctors say ✔️learning that you can ask question and decline procedures ✔️having an unnecessary assisted delivery because it was convenient to the OB’s schedule ✔️having a very difficult start to breastfeeding, nipple trauma, wanting to successfully be able to breastfeeding due to formula shortage ✔️learning how breastfeeding and milk supply works ✔️the importance of using correct terminology when talking about genitals and sex ed ✔️birthing after 42 weeks and the stress this caused on her and her husband ✔️fast labour and using the breath to breathe baby out, experiencing foetal ejection reflex To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning back into our conversation with Narin for part 2 of her birth story. In this conversation we chat about ✔️the reality of Narin’s postpartum came crashing with her expectations of it ✔️ experiencing the baby blues for first 2 weeks of baby’s life ✔️finding your village and getting help around the house ✔️the messages that social media send us about how other mums are doing ✔️fighting the idea of “bouncing back” after having baby ✔️being strong and regaining pre-pregnancy body ability ✔️honoring your body after birth for everything it has done To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Narin, mum to a little boy and living in Sweden In this conversation we chat about ✔️initially not wanting children due to the thought that labour and birth was painful and a sacrifice for women ✔️finding herself unhappy about her birthing options but lost at to what else is available ✔️by pure chance discovering that a home birth is an option for her ✔️feeling supported and heard by her private midwife ✔️the awe she felt for her body during pregnancy and labour ✔️creating rituals in pre-labour ✔️feeling ecstatic about birth To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)

Hey hey, Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Shantelle, mum to a little warrior! This episode contains the following trigger warnings: prematurity, long NICU stay In this conversation we chat about ✔️waters breaking at 23 weeks of pregnancy ✔️the reality of facing a baby born extremely prematurely ✔️navigating the NICU system and learning to make connections while at the hospital everyday ✔️shuffling life to be closer to hospital ✔️mental health and seeing the positive side of things ✔️expressing on the clock, feeding expressed breastmilk and becoming a milk donor ✔️celebrating milestones that parents with a full-term baby wouldn’t celebrate and take for granted ✔️ charities and help available for NICU parents in Western Australia (WA) Some charities that Shantelle mentions in her episode and which she used (and are based in Western Australia at least) —> Tiny Sparks (WA) - charity for high risk pregnancies and babies born sick or prematurely, helps parents, can provide services and care packages, information for parents and families https://www.tinysparkswa.org.au/ —> Life’s little treasures (WA) - provides information for parents, families around prematurity, care packages, breast pump hires, have a regular Facebook live chat for parents and families to answer questions, give away gifts https://lifeslittletreasures.org.au/ To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast. If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube Follow me on social media for more content Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Alicia :)