British Birthing Stories

Georgia McGivern

A weekly podcast sharing real stories of childbirth in the UK, from labour and delivery to postpartum recovery. Mothers across the UK talk openly about their personal birth experiences, created to educate, inform, and empower women preparing for birth and the early weeks of motherhood.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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20 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes20

Newest first

Thursday · 48 min
Erin: First Birth, NHS Hospital Birth, Induction, Reduced Fetal Movements, Malposition, Fetal Blood Sample, Emergency C-Section, Missed Miscarriage, Birth Trauma
Erin is a first time mum and veterinary nurse whose son's birth started with an induction at 37 weeks after two episodes of reduced movement, and ended up somewhere none of them expected. Days of gel pessaries barely moved things along, and once her waters were broken and a hormone drip started, her body reacted badly, bleeding heavily and sending her blood pressure spiking. Once that settled, her son turned out to be lying the wrong way, with staff losing his heartbeat on the monitor more than once, which led to a tense wait for a fetal blood sample before Erin went in for an emergency C section. Postpartum brought its own scare too, with her blood pressure climbing for days before anyone acted on it. She talks about: Being induced at 37 weeks after reduced fetal movements A hormone drip reaction that led to heavy bleeding and dangerously high blood pressure Waiting on a fetal blood sample to check on her baby before an emergency C section Finding out her baby's sex in theatre Postpartum blood pressure spikes and birth notes that didn't match what happened The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tuesday · 30 min
Tash: Second Birth, Positive NHS Hospital Birth, Precipitous Labour, Waters Breaking at Home, Fetal Ejection Reflex, No Pain Relief, Born in 13 Minutes
Tash shares her second birth story, a precipitous NHS hospital birth that started with her waters breaking at midnight and ended just thirteen minutes after she walked through the doors. Tash is a mum of two. Her first birth with her daughter Betty was a positive NHS hospital birth with an epidural, though panic during her first contraction sent her hypnobirthing prep out the window. With her son Leo, her waters broke unexpectedly at midnight, days before a planned induction, and contractions came three minutes apart with no gaps from the very start. She talks about: A precipitous second labour that started with waters breaking at midnight, days before a planned induction Labouring through an hour long car journey with contractions three minutes apart and no pain relief Arriving at hospital already crowning, and a birth in a triage side room before the midwife even had her name Fetal ejection reflex, and what it felt like when her body pushed the baby out almost on its own A frightening first night at home when her fast birth meant her son hadn't drained the fluid from his lungs Why the epidural was completely right for her first birth, and completely unnecessary for her second The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 23 · 34 min
Gabby: Third Birth, NHS Precipitous Vaginal Birth After Emergency C-section and VBAC, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Manual Removal of Clots
Gabby is an American mum of three living near Cambridge who comes back to share her third birth, after an emergency C-section with her first and a successful VBAC with her second. Labour started fast, in the shower, and she nearly gave birth in the car on the way to the Rosie Hospital. Her daughter arrived within minutes of arriving, but minutes later Gabby began to haemorrhage, losing nearly two litres of blood and needing a manual removal of clots, fully unmedicated. She was discharged the same day, without iron tablets. She talks about: A precipitous labour that went from the shower to nearly the car Giving birth again within minutes of arriving at hospital Postpartum haemorrhage, a manual removal of clots, and what that actually felt like Being sent home the same day without iron tablets after losing nearly two litres of blood How this birth compared to her first C-section and her VBAC The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 21 · 47 min
Gabby: First and Second Births, US Emergency C-section After Failure to Engage, Miscarriage, Successful NHS VBAC, Hypnobirthing
Gabby is an American mum of three living near Cambridge. Her first daughter was born in Tampa, Florida after hours of pushing with no progress, ending in an unplanned C-section. After moving to the UK, she went through a miscarriage before falling pregnant again with her second daughter, throwing herself into hypnobirthing and Spinning Babies to prepare for a VBAC. When her waters broke in hospital, her daughter arrived in three pushes, completely unmedicated. She talks about: The US maternity system, a big baby, and being told her body might not manage a vaginal birth Miscarrying at home and what that grief looked like while settling into a new country Preparing physically and mentally for a VBAC with hypnobirthing and Spinning Babies Being counselled on repeat C-section risk mid labour and how she handled it What an unmedicated VBAC actually felt like from first contraction to delivery The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 16 · 53 min
Rebecca: First Birth, Positive NHS Hospital Planned C Section, Maternal Request, Large Baby Worries, Consultant Midwife Support, Tongue Tie, Delayed Milk Coming In
Rebecca is a first time mum to Harry, and she chose a planned C section for her first birth. She had lived with health anxiety for years before she even got pregnant, and a family history of shoulder dystocia made the idea of a natural labour feel frightening rather than exciting. By her twenty week scan, doctors kept telling her the baby was measuring big, and that fear only grew from there. At twenty eight weeks she told her midwife what she wanted. The midwife questioned her. Everything changed when Rebecca met a consultant midwife called Hannah. She gave Rebecca two hours of pure clinical honesty, no judgement, just facts and statistics. Hannah even wrote on her notes to stop mentioning the size of the baby. For the first time in her pregnancy, Rebecca felt calm, in control, and completely certain she was making the right choice for her. In this episode we talk about: Choosing a planned C section by maternal request, and having to ask more than once before anyone properly listened Living with constant warnings about having a big baby, and what actually happened when he was born What it really feels like to be on the operating table for a C section, and why it was far less frightening than she expected Why her milk did not come in until day ten, and the emotional day it finally happened Discovering and treating a tongue tie privately after breastfeeding became painful and unsettled This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they had to justify wanting a planned C section, or worried that asking questions makes you difficult. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 14 · 59 min
Jess: Two NHS Hospital Water Births, Miscarriage Journey, Hyperemesis, Stuck Coil, Episiotomy, TENS Machine, Retained Placenta, Second Degree Tear, Gender Disappointment
She had wanted a water birth from the beginning. She had worked with families around birth for 13 years. She thought she knew what to expect. And then labour actually started, and she learned what it really feels like to be in it. Jess is a mum of two boys from the Midlands who had two positive NHS hospital water births. Her first was a long one. She laboured through the night at home, got sent back from hospital at 1cm, returned a few hours later, and eventually got into the pool. She pushed for an hour before needing an episiotomy she had not seen coming. Her son shot out so fast the midwives had to catch him. Her second was calmer, faster, and she picked her baby up out of the water herself. Before any of that though, there was a lot to get through. Two years of trying. Two miscarriages, one of them traumatic. Severe nausea in both pregnancies that she did not know she could get medication for the first time around. And second time, a stuck coil that took far longer to remove than it should have, polycystic ovaries, and a new job she had to tell her boss about at 6 weeks because the sickness had already taken over. In this episode we talk about: What two miscarriages felt like and how pregnancy anxiety shaped her first birth experience from the very start The difference between knowing how to advocate for yourself and actually doing it, and how her first pregnancy taught her to show up differently second time around What it is really like to be sent home at 1cm after labouring through the night An episiotomy she did not see coming and a recovery she had not prepared herself for despite years of postnatal support work A stuck coil that delayed her second pregnancy for longer than expected and what it took to get there Severe nausea in both pregnancies and how medication made a real difference second time around A retained placenta, a second degree tear, and a recovery that was genuinely easier than the first Gender disappointment with her second son and why she believes making space for that feeling is the only way through it This episode is for anyone heading into their first or second birth wanting to feel calmer, more prepared, and less alone in whatever they are feeling. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 9 · 55 min
Jo: First Birth, Unexplained Infertility, Adoption Journey, Epilepsy and Chronic Kidney Disease, Consultant-Led NHS Hospital Induction, Five-Day Induction, Labour Stopped Twice, Forceps Delivery in Theatre, Episiotomy, Birth Trauma
Jo had been trying to conceive for years. She was told she had unexplained infertility. She decided not to do IVF. She decided to adopt. And then, completely out of nowhere, she got pregnant. Jo is a mum of two girls from the North of England who shares a story unlike any other on the podcast. Her family came to her in two completely different ways. Her eldest daughter was adopted at 11 months old. Her youngest arrived as a total shock pregnancy two years later, after years of being told pregnancy was unlikely. Because of her epilepsy and chronic kidney disease, Jo was in consultant-led care throughout. Her baby was breech and had to be turned by ECV at around 35 weeks. At 38 weeks, growth concerns meant an induction was booked. What followed was five days in hospital, two pessaries, a hormone drip, labour stopped twice due to infection markers and heart rate concerns, a spinal block, a rotation in theatre, and a forceps delivery. Her daughter was born blue. Jo was vomiting from the spinal while listening to the team work on her baby. It was 90 minutes before she could hold her for the first time. In this episode we talk about: What the adoption process actually looks like from start to finish, including the stages, the home assessments, and what you are asked to consider Managing epilepsy and chronic kidney disease through pregnancy and why certain pain relief options were not available to Jo What a five-day NHS induction feels like from the inside, and what nobody tells you about pessary removal How the team stopped Jo's labour twice and what that experience was like in the moment Why the birth reflection service at her hospital helped her make sense of what happened and why she wishes it had been available to her husband too This episode is for anyone who has had a birth that went nothing like they expected and is still trying to make sense of it. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 7 · 57 min
Monika: Two Births, First Hospital Birth, Birth Trauma and PTSD, Planned NHS Home Birth, Precipitous Labour, Born Before Arrival in the Shower, No Midwife or Doula Present, Husband Caught Baby
Monika is a mum of two from Bedfordshire who shares two very different birth stories. Her first was a hospital birth that left her diagnosed with PTSD. A midwife from out of area who had never been to the unit before, waters broken accidentally during an internal examination, hours of pain with no support, and a postnatal period full of flashbacks. She knew before she left the hospital that she would need help to process it. So second time around she did things completely differently. She hired a doula at six weeks pregnant. She researched home birth until it stopped feeling scary. She joined a dedicated NHS home birth team who visited her at home, knew her history, and knew her daughter's name. She declined monitoring scans at 42 weeks because she trusted how she felt. And then at seven in the morning on a warm July day, standing in a narrow bathtub on all fours, she told her baby they were going to have to do this together. And they did. In this episode we talk about: What it is like to be left alone in a hospital corridor for over two hours in labour with no midwife available How a traumatic first birth led to a PTSD diagnosis and what getting that support quickly looked like The gradual process of coming around to home birth after swearing it would never be for her What it actually feels like to go to 42 weeks under a home birth team with no pressure to intervene Delivering her son in the shower before anyone arrived and what made it feel safe rather than frightening This episode is for anyone who had a traumatic first birth and is wondering whether it is possible to feel differently the second time. Monika's answer is yes. Completely, entirely, yes. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 2 · 46 min
April: Third Birth, Positive VBAC After Two Emergency C-Sections, Water Birth, No Continuous Monitoring, Physiological Third Stage, Third Degree Tear
She had been told she would die if she tried to birth at home. She had been railroaded into a theatre she did not want to be in. She had lost 2.5 litres of blood. And she came back for a third time and did it completely on her own terms. April is a mum of three and a doula and antenatal teacher who shares the birth that changed everything. Her third pregnancy was unplanned and she spent months not even knowing if she wanted to continue it. But once she made her decision she built the most detailed birth plan of her life. A consultant midwife who came to her home. Hybrid care that meant a home birth team attended her. No GTT. No consultant appointments. No Syntocin. And when the time came, her waters broke on a walk, she laboured quietly at home for nearly two days, got to hospital at 4 centimetres, and her son was born in the pool at 10.17am. Her midwife appointment that day was at 10.30. In this episode we talk about: How April built her dream birth team after two traumatic C-sections What hybrid care is and how to access it if you want a VBAC Why April chose not to tell the hospital her waters had broken for nearly 48 hours and the research behind that decision What it felt like to finally birth vaginally after everything she had been through How the right care team can transform not just your birth but your entire postpartum experience This episode is for anyone who has had a traumatic birth and is wondering if they can ever feel safe doing it again. April did it. And it was everything. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 30 · 57 min
April: First and Second Births, Two Emergency C-Sections, Failed Induction, Large Baby, Bonding Difficulties, Birth Trauma, Attempted VBAC
She planned a home birth. She hypnobirthed. She did everything right. And after two days of induction at 42 weeks, her son was born by emergency C-section at 10 pounds. She never even got to hold him for the first four hours. April is a mum of three from the East Midlands who shares two very different but equally difficult emergency C-section births. Her first, at 22 years old, left her separated from her baby in recovery, unable to breastfeed, and spending the first six months of her son's life struggling to bond with him. Her second was supposed to be her VBAC. She had done the research, fought her way into the midwife-led unit, laboured in the pool for hours, refused Syntocin, and got to 10 centimetres. And then an obstetrician she had been battling all night took her to theatre anyway. She lost 2.5 litres of blood. She came out with a blood drain in her scar. And she left the hospital knowing she had been let down. In this episode we talk about: What it is like to be 22, in labour for two days, and separated from your baby after a C-section How April fought to access the midwife-led unit for her second birth as a VBAC patient What actually happened in theatre and why April still has unanswered questions How being autistic affected her experience of both births and why nobody understood her decisions What birth trauma really looks like and how it can take years to process This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the system failed them. April is proof that your instincts matter and your choices matter and you are allowed to say no. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 25 · 1 hr 21 min
Emma: First Birth, Identical Twin Pregnancy, Termination for Medical Reasons, Chemical Pregnancy, MCDA Twins, Threatened Premature Labour at 27 Weeks, NHS Induction, Emergency C-Section, Blood Transfusion
She had already been through a termination for medical reasons and a chemical pregnancy before she ever got to carry her twins. And when she finally did, she spotted them on the screen at six weeks before the sonographer did. Emma is a mum of identical twin boys, now three and a half, who shares an honest and wide-ranging story about what a high risk twin pregnancy actually looks and feels like from the inside. MCDA twins sharing one placenta meant fortnightly consultant appointments from the second trimester, a scary admission at 27 weeks with threatened premature labour, and a delivery at 36 weeks that started as an induction and became a C-section in the early hours of the morning. Her boys were healthy. Her birth team were warm and calm. And then she went home four days later and the real work began. Emma is just as honest about the year that followed as she is about the birth itself. The loneliness of those first nights in hospital alone with two babies. The breastfeeding journey that she wanted to make work and eventually had to let go. The postpartum rage that came from nowhere and scared her. And the community of mum friends she found about a year in that she says changed everything. In this episode we talk about: Termination for medical reasons and how grief can sit underneath the drive to just keep trying What an MCDA twin pregnancy involves and how the monitoring affected Emma's experience of being pregnant Being admitted at 27 weeks with threatened premature labour and a fibronectin result that gave a 60% chance of delivery within two weeks An induction at 36 weeks that stalled and became a C-section, and how Emma felt the decision happen before it was ever explained to her Breastfeeding twins and the moment something had to give Maternal rage, postpartum loneliness, and what finally helped This episode is for anyone expecting twins, anyone navigating pregnancy after loss, and anyone who felt like the postpartum hit them in ways nobody had prepared them for. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 23 · 1 hr 15 min
Charlie: Three Births, Teenage Pregnancy at 17, Premature Labour at 36 Weeks, Ventouse and Episiotomy, Two Miscarriages, Positive NHS Hospital Hypnobirthing Water Birth, Positive Unplanned Lockdown Home Water Birth, No Pain Relief
She found out she was pregnant at 15 weeks. She was 17. She had not packed a hospital bag, had not read a single book, and had no idea what was about to happen to her body. Charlie is a mum of three from Sheffield who shares three births that could not be more different from each other. Her first, at 17, was a premature labour at 36 weeks with a low-lying placenta, a hormonal drip, an epidural she pressed too many times, a ventouse delivery, a traumatic room, and a wave of guilt that stayed with her for years. She did not want to be a teenage parent. She was ashamed of her pregnancy. And then she held him, and all of that shame turned into something else entirely. Between her first and second births came two miscarriages. One managed at home on her own. One at 17 weeks, with a tiny coffin and a midwife she will never forget. Charlie went back to trying almost immediately after each loss, and the anxiety that followed her into her second pregnancy was unlike anything she had experienced. She called her midwife out to check for movements more than 20 times. And when she walked into that delivery suite at 41 weeks and was recognised by a midwife who knew her sister, everything shifted. She breathed her son out in a pool of water so clear you could read the hospital towel through it. Nobody made a sound. Her third baby was conceived on a whim during lockdown, three weeks after her son's christening. She barely told anyone she was pregnant. She set up a birthing pool in the living room, sent the boys to the grandparents, drove to Dunelm to pick up a rug during contractions, and came home to waters breaking straight onto it. Thea arrived at 5pm. By evening Charlie was in bed eating a takeaway. The baby slept through the night. The house was spotless. In this episode we talk about: What it is really like to find out you are pregnant at 17 and go through it entirely alone The ventouse delivery Charlie was not prepared for and the guilt that followed her into early motherhood Two miscarriages, what medical management actually looks like, and how the NHS care differed between them The anxiety pregnancy after loss brings and the midwife who came to Charlie's house 20 times How hypnobirthing changed everything and what a truly calm water birth actually feels like A lockdown home birth with no gas and air mouthpiece, a confused partner, and a baby who arrived in three hours This episode is for anyone who has ever come to motherhood the hard way and wondered whether they would ever feel at peace with it. Charlie did. And her story shows exactly what is possible when a woman finally gets the support she deserves. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 18 · 56 min
Annabel: Two Planned NHS C-Sections, Breech Baby, Miscarriage, Secondary Infertility, Breastfeeding Challenges, Tongue Tie, Postpartum Constipation, Honest Postpartum Recovery
She always wanted a C-section. From the time she was a teenager. And when her son turned out to be breech, she finally had the reason she felt she needed to say yes. Second time around, she asked for one with no hesitation at all. And she would do it again without question. Annabel is a journalist, TikTok creator, and founder of The Moon Suit who shares two planned C-sections on the NHS. Her first birth was with her son Jasper, who was breech, in England before the family moved to Iceland two weeks after surgery. Her second, her daughter Ophelia, came after a long road of secondary infertility, a miscarriage before Jasper, breastfeeding into Jasper's second year affecting her cycle, and a frightening bleed early in Ophelia's pregnancy. Both births were calm and controlled. Both recoveries had their challenges. What makes this episode stand out is how honest Annabel is about everything that sits around the births themselves. The brutal breastfeeding journey with Jasper that lasted nine months of pain. The loneliness of early motherhood in Iceland with no village around her. The postpartum constipation that she describes as worse than anything she experienced in either surgery. And the very real emotional weight of gender disappointment with her first pregnancy that she sat with for a long time. In this episode we talk about: Why Annabel always wanted a planned C-section and how she navigated the NHS conversations to get what she wanted second time around What it is actually like to go through a planned C-section twice and how the two experiences compared Secondary infertility after extended breastfeeding and the book and lifestyle changes that she credits with helping her conceive Ophelia A miscarriage before Jasper and a significant bleed in Ophelia's pregnancy and what those experiences were like emotionally Breastfeeding with tongue tie, Raynaud's Syndrome, and mastitis for nine months and why it was completely different second time Postpartum constipation after a C-section and what actually helped What it is like to raise two small children without a village and how much that changed when family came to stay This episode is for anyone who has chosen or is considering a planned C-section and wants to hear from someone who has done it twice and has absolutely no regrets. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. You can follow Annabel on social here and if you'd like to buy her Moonsuit you can purchase it here British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 16 · 1 hr 2 min
Zoe: Two Positive NHS Hospital Births, Epidurals, Gender Disappointment, Childhood Trauma, Delayed Bonding, Morphine First Birth vs Epidural Only Second Birth
Zoe always knew she wanted pain relief. But like a lot of women, she found herself surrounded by messaging that made her question that. Until a pregnant midwife said something that stuck with her. You don't get a certificate for how you have the baby. Zoe is a mum of two boys from West Yorkshire who shares two positive NHS hospital vaginal births, both with epidurals, and an honest account of the emotional journey into motherhood. Her pregnancies were smooth and uncomplicated, but her fears were never really about the birth itself. They were about whether she would bond with her baby. Whether she was supposed to be a mother at all. Growing up without the mother-daughter relationship she had always craved meant that becoming a mum felt like something she had everything riding on. Her first birth went well medically, but she was given morphine while waiting for the anaesthetist, which left her quite out of it when Leo arrived. What she was not prepared for was the night that followed. Alone on the postnatal ward at 1am, flooded with drugs, not knowing what to do with a screaming newborn, her husband gone. By the next morning, she was obsessed with him. Second time around she went in with knowledge and confidence, knew exactly what she wanted, and had a calm and positive experience from start to finish. In this episode we talk about: The advice from a pregnant midwife that gave Zoe permission to choose the birth that was right for her What it was really like to be alone on a postnatal ward in the early hours with a newborn and no idea what to do How medication affected her presence at Leo's birth and why she made different choices second time around The difference in bonding between her two births and why she felt guilt about the gap Why Zoe thinks women need more honest expectations around postnatal care and support This episode is for anyone who has ever felt pressure to do birth a certain way when actually their gut was pointing somewhere else entirely. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 11 · 49 min
Charlotte: Second Birth, NHS Birth Centre Birth, Two Miscarriages, Prolonged Early Labour, Retained Placenta, Theatre, Informed Second Birth, Becoming a Doula
She had two miscarriages, a traumatic first birth, and a husband who said he could never put her through it again. And then she came back, did everything differently, and pushed her son out standing in a doorway on her own terms. Charlotte is a mum of two from Leeds who shares her second birth story at an NHS birth centre on Christmas Day weekend. After a first birth that left her with birth trauma, breastfeeding struggles, and months of emotional recovery, Charlotte decided that if she was going to do this again, she was going to understand everything. She threw herself into evidence-based research, hired a doula for birth prep, changed her midwife at 20 weeks by making a formal complaint, and went into labour armed with a clear birth plan and a husband who finally understood why it mattered. Labour started with gentle contractions at a Christmas nativity play. Over three days of stop-start early labour, Charlotte made her way to the birth centre on Boxing Day evening, spent hours labouring in the pool, and then found herself in transition in a corridor, standing in a doorway, refusing to get on the bed. Her son Noah was born with her husband holding her up and the midwives catching. It was everything her first birth was not. And then her placenta was retained again, and she went to theatre for the second time. But this time her husband and baby came with her, and the people in that room treated her like a person. In this episode we talk about: Two early miscarriages and the lack of NHS support that followed How Charlotte used research, podcasts, and a birth prep doula to rebuild her confidence after a traumatic first birth Making a formal complaint to change her midwife at 20 weeks and why it was worth it Three days of stop-start early labour over Christmas and what that was actually like Having her waters broken without clear consent during a vaginal exam at 7cm Transitioning in a corridor and pushing her son out standing in a doorway with no pain relief A retained placenta for the second time and why the theatre experience felt completely different How an empowered second birth gave her the reserves to cope with a baby who ended up back in hospital with an NG tube Why this birth was the reason she became a doula This episode is for anyone who had a traumatic first birth and is trying to work out whether they can do it again, and how to do it differently. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 9 · 45 min
Charlotte: First Birth, NHS Hospital Birth, Birth Centre Transfer to Labour Ward, 9 Days Overdue, Meconium, Hypnobirthing, Informed Consent, Coach Pushing, Retained Placenta, Theatre, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Birth Trauma, Hypermobility
She was in the birth centre for the first time, on the beanbag, breathing through her contractions with her mum and her husband by her side. And honestly, she was doing it. And then her waters broke properly, and in the space of a few minutes, everything she had prepared for changed. Charlotte is a first time mum from Leeds who spent her entire pregnancy doing everything right. She hypnobirthed, she went to NCT, she went to the gym all the way through, and she was fit, healthy, low risk and genuinely ready for it. But the moment meconium appeared in her waters, everything shifted, and suddenly decisions were being made for her without anyone really stopping to explain what was happening or ask her what she actually wanted. And just like that, her birth stopped feeling like hers. What followed was two hours of coach pushing with no urge to push at all. A retained placenta that would not budge. A trip to theatre alone while her husband sat in a room with a screaming newborn he had never held in his life. And a neurological exam on her toes while she was bleeding, because nobody could find the notes from the anaesthetist appointment she had attended specifically for this moment. In this episode we talk about: What meconium in your waters actually means and how one moment can flip an entire birth plan How Charlotte's mum asking a single question kept Charlotte off the oxytocin drip entirely What coach pushing really feels like and why Charlotte believes it made everything so much harder Retained placenta, theatre, and what it is like to be separated from your baby in those first moments The postpartum that followed, a baby who cried for six months, and what Charlotte wishes she had known What informed consent really looks like and what happens when you do not get it This episode is for anyone heading into their first birth feeling prepared and confident. Because preparation matters enormously. And so does knowing that even when it goes sideways, you are allowed to ask why. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. If you would like to connect with Charlotte or use her services you can find her on Instagram here and you can check out here website here. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 4 · 1 hr 7 min
Lauren: First Birth, Positive Planned C-Section, Vanishing Twin Syndrome, NHS Antenatal Care, Breastfeeding Struggles, Scar Recovery
She never wanted a vaginal birth. Not once. She knew exactly how she wanted her baby born. And after a small battle with her midwives, she got it. A calm, planned C-section. Baby on her chest at 3.15pm. And she would do it exactly the same way again. Lauren is a first time mum from Kent who shares a warm and honest account of planning and delivering a positive NHS planned C-section with her son Louis. Low risk, informed, and clear on what she wanted, Lauren had to push back on initial resistance from her midwives before her decision was accepted. Her antenatal care left her feeling invisible and unsupported at times, including a deeply difficult moment at her 12-week scan when she discovered she had been carrying twins, and one had not survived. But when she got into that operating theatre, everything changed. The birth itself was calm, controlled, and positive. What came after was harder than she expected. Breastfeeding was painful and relentless, and the postnatal ward left her alone overnight with a newborn after major surgery, calling for paracetamol at 1am and waiting until 4. But Lauren came through it all with clarity, pragmatism, and a really beautiful perspective on what it means to make an informed choice and stand by it. In this episode we talk about: Why Lauren chose a planned C-section and how she handled the initial pushback from her midwives Discovering vanishing twin syndrome at her 12-week scan and processing that loss What it actually feels like in the operating theatre and how Lauren stayed calm The reality of the postnatal ward after a C-section and why she chose to go home after one night A really painful breastfeeding journey and the silver nipple shields that finally turned it around Why she is going back for a planned C-section second time around and why she feels more nervous this time This episode is for anyone who knows in their gut how they want to birth their baby and needs to hear that it is okay to stand your ground. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 2 · 48 min
Shannon: VBAC After Three C-Sections, Hospital Birth Centre Water Birth, Fourth Birth, Shoulder Dystocia Concerns, Large Baby, Second Degree Tears, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Birth Coercion, Lockdown Birth Trauma
They told her she would bleed out. They told her her baby would get stuck and die. They told her she would traumatise the entire home birth team. Shannon had three C-sections, an NHS system fighting her at every turn, and a fourth baby tracking on the 97th centile. She went ahead anyway. Shannon is a mum of four and a doula from the UK who shares four birth stories shaped by hypermobility syndrome, COVID lockdown, birth coercion, and a fierce determination to achieve the VBAC nobody wanted to give her. Her third birth in April 2020 left her alone in recovery during COVID, separated from her husband, and threatened with being parted from her newborn daughter over a temperature spike. She locked that trauma away. And then, when her youngest was two, she decided she wanted a fourth baby and the vaginal birth she had never had. What followed was one of the most extraordinary acts of self-advocacy in the history of this podcast. From the midwife at her booking appointment who played the dead baby card within minutes, to a 36-week appointment where she was ambushed by the head of community midwifery and told her baby would be born dead and her birth team traumatised. Shannon fought every single appointment, armed with statistics and research. She was not signed off for a home birth until 38 weeks. Then, in active labour, the hospital told her the home birth team was not available. She cried. She got in the car. And she went in and did it anyway. In this episode we talk about: What it is really like to give birth during COVID lockdown and how the restrictions affected Shannon's third birth and recovery How Shannon educated herself on VBAC statistics after three C-sections and used that knowledge to push back The tactics used against her at that 36-week appointment and why she describes it as feeling completely ambushed What happened in the labour room when the consultant who had lied to her in her third pregnancy walked in and said how long are you going to keep doing this for How a third-year student midwife delivered a 9lb 13.5oz baby they said would never come out vaginally If you would like to find out more about Shannon and what she does you can visit her website here: shannonwhitlockdoula.com and you can follow her on social media here. This episode is for anyone who has ever been told by the system that their body cannot do something. Shannon's story is proof that research, self-belief, and a very well-written email can change everything. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 28 · 43 min
Polly: Two Positive Fast Physiological Births, NHS Midwife Led Unit Birth, Fully Dilated on Arrival, Second Degree Tear, Planned NHS Home Birth, TENS Machine Only, Tongue Tie and Breastfeeding Challenges
She woke up at 4.30am to contractions that were a minute on and a minute off from the very start. Polly had two fast, positive births. Her first at the NHS midwife led unit in Bristol, where she arrived fully dilated and had her daughter within the hour. Her second at home, where within two hours of the midwives arriving she was back in her own clean bed with her baby. Polly is a mum of two from Bristol who shares two fast, positive births. Her first was a planned midwife led unit birth that moved so quickly she arrived fully dilated and gave birth within the hour, with nothing but a TENS machine and her partner doing counter pressure on her back. Her daughter came out in the superwoman pose, hand by head, which caused a second degree tear and significant blood loss during stitching. What followed was a difficult breastfeeding start because of tongue tie, and nearly three months of pain before things finally settled. Second time around, Polly chose a home birth purely for practical reasons. After a first labour that lasted barely three hours, getting to hospital safely was never going to be guaranteed. So she planned for the home birth instead. She woke up in the early hours during a storm, laboured quietly in bed, got her daughter to nursery, and by quarter to ten that morning her son Jacob was born on their bed. Two midwives. A TENS machine. And within two hours they had left and Polly was back in her own clean bed with her baby. In this episode we talk about: What it is like to arrive at hospital fully dilated as a first time mum and give birth within the hour How Polly managed two fast labours using only a TENS machine and counter pressure Why she chose a home birth second time for logistics rather than atmosphere and how that decision played out A difficult breastfeeding start with tongue tie and what finally helped What the postpartum really looks like when you have a fast birth and why the recovery is still real even if the labour was short This episode is for anyone whose first birth was fast and who is trying to figure out what that means for next time. Polly planned for the home birth. And it was exactly the right call. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 26 · 1 hr 9 min
Jade: Three Positive Births, Sonographer’s Perspective, Water Birth, Fast Labour, Meconium Waters, Fetal Ejection Reflex, NHS Home Birth & Baby Born in the Pool With a Veil
Jade went into her first pregnancy thinking birth was something medical that happened in hospital. But after hypnobirthing opened her mind to a different way of seeing birth, she went on to have three very different but positive birth experiences. Jade is a mum of three and a sonographer from near Manchester. In this episode, she shares her unique perspective as someone who works in women’s health, scanning babies every day, while also experiencing pregnancy and birth herself. Her first baby was conceived during lockdown and, after initially thinking she would simply “have all the drugs,” Jade’s mindset shifted after taking a hypnobirthing course and learning more about physiological birth. Her first labour began with mild cramps and a fresh bleed, which led her into hospital to be checked. While waiting in triage, her contractions intensified, but she assumed she was still in early labour. When a midwife examined her, she was already 8cm dilated. She went on to have a positive water birth in the birth centre, using gas and air, and describes the pool as giving her instant relief. Jade’s second pregnancy was emotionally very different, as her dad died when she was around 25 weeks pregnant. She speaks openly about grieving during pregnancy, finding joy in small moments, and how her second son was born the day after her dad’s birthday and looks just like him. His birth was much faster and more intense. After her waters broke with meconium at home, Jade knew she would no longer be able to birth in the pool. She arrived at hospital asking for an epidural, but there was no time. Her baby was born almost immediately after she got into the room. With her third baby, a surprise but very wanted pregnancy, Jade was offered the option of an NHS home birth. At first, her husband was unsure, but after attending a home birth information evening, they both felt reassured. After a few false starts at 41 weeks during a heatwave, Jade finally went into labour at home. She got into the birth pool at around 4cm, and things quickly picked up. Her daughter was born in the water, with her waters breaking as she came out, and a veil over her face. In this episode we talk about: • Jade’s perspective as a sonographer and mum of three • Pregnancy and birth during lockdown • How hypnobirthing changed her view of birth • Growth scans, baby measurements and how accurate they really are • A positive birth centre water birth with gas and air • Grieving the loss of a parent during pregnancy • Meconium waters and a very fast second labour • Fetal ejection reflex and feeling out of control during birth • Planning an NHS home birth after two hospital births • Giving birth to her daughter in the pool at home with a veil over her face This episode is for anyone who is curious about birth from the perspective of someone who works in maternity care, anyone considering a home birth after hospital births, or anyone wanting to hear three very different but positive birth stories. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.