Keep Birth Wild

In this episode Jess shares the stories of her two births. Both of her pregnancies were unplanned but very lovingly received. Her daughter was born in hospital, and although the birth was relatively straight forward, Jess describes the experience as traumatic and a catalyst for choosing a very different model of care for her next birth. During her next pregnancy she explored several options for homebirthing, and opted to have the birth attended by a birthkeeper. She describes the whole experience as an exercise in tuning in to her own intuition and exercising autonomy over her choices. Jess runs a wonderful women's circle in the Yarra Valley, and you can follow her on instagram @welcometojessland to find out more about how to access her circle and her new offerings as they unfold.   Photos by Mother Mehndi   Ten Moons by Jane Hardwicke Collings The Down to Earth Birth Book by Jenny Blyth Newborn Mothers by Julia Jones The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson

In this episode Sarah shares the story of her second birth with her son Freddie. You can find Sarah's first birth story all the way back in Episode 1, so be sure to head back and listen to that one first if you haven't done so already. After sharing Freddie's fast and furious birth, Sarah goes on to talk about postpartum, tandem breastfeeding, and what she envisions for her next birth. You can find Sarah on instagram @simplifyfit

Martina is a Mum of 3 crazy, fun, loving and uber cheeky kids! She is a midwife, runs Calmbirth courses, and has just completed her IBCLC certification. She offers her full spectrum services through her business, Hey Baby! Birth & Breastfeeding Support. In this episode Martina shares the stories of her three beautiful homebirths and her breastfeeding journey through her baby raising years. She brings a unique perspective through her expertise in all things birth and breastfeeding!   Martina recommends: Birth with Confidence by Rhea Dempsey. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley. Give Birth like a Feminist by Milli Hill. The Midwives Cauldron podcast The Aware Parenting Podcast And this Episode of Rockstar Birth Magazine with Sarah Buckley: https://podtail.com/da/podcast/rockstar-birth-radio/ep02-dr-sarah-buckley-undisturbed-birth/   You can find Martina on instagram here.   Support Keep Birth Wild on Patreon here.

Janelle and her husband are farmers, growing avocados, beef cattle and a market garden. She is religious and after many years of feeling that she may not want children, she left the decision to start a family to God, and conceived not long after. In this episode she shares the story of her pregnancy and birth with her son. Janelle's birth was overall a positive and life changing experience. Her favourite books she would recommend for expecting parents are Sarah Buckley's Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering and Rhea Dempsey's Birth With Confidence.

Jana Woodhouse is a Melbourne based homebirth, newborn and maternity photographer. Her work captures the beauty of birth and pregnancy and the magic of fresh babies earth side. In this episode Jana shares the stories of her own three births. Her first birth experience was through the caseload midwifery program at Casey Hospital, where despite developing preeclampsia at 38 weeks she was still about to labour spontaneously and have an unmedicated vaginal birth. Jana left that birth feeling proud, but also traumatised by the way she was treated during the birth by hospital staff. For Jana's second birth she opted for care through an obstetrician. She describes the thoughtful, hands-off and attentive trust from both her obstetrician and the midwives who attended the birth. During her third pregnancy, Jana had persistent bleeding and a miscarriage scare. She explored several care options through her pregnancy and ended up having a beautiful birth at home with a private midwife. You can find Jana on instagram @janawoodhousebirthandbabies Visit the episode web page at https://www.keepbirthwild.com.au/episodes/45-jana-woodhouse- 

In today's episode Sarah is sharing the story of her son Henry's birth. Sarah was under the care of a midwife through the CMP at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth. She had a fairly straight forward pregnancy and birth where she used the Hypnobirthing techniques, but some extra challenges during postpartum. Sarah also speaks to some of the limitations with the CMP model and whether she would opt for that option again for future births.    Hypnobirthing Australia Kate Vivian from Bright Mums - Hypnobirthing Practitioner Community Midwifery Program - King Edward Memorial Hospital Perth

Julie is a herbalist by trade, a homebirther, a feminist, a doula, a self proclaimed ‘non-vaxxer', and a devout Christian who has found her way out of a fundamentalist faith. In this episode she joins me to share her observations about the roots of conspiracy theories and deliberate coronavirus misinformation campaigns. We begin with a look into the infiltration of the alternative left by far-right political groups, specifically through the foothold they have found in the existing anti vaccination sentiment. Julie shares her journey to exiting fundamentalist faith, of living in Hong Kong during the SARS epidemic, and of her close observation of the rise of conspiracy thinking and deliberate misinformation that has unfolded during the Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss our own Covid-19 vaccination choices, and some pieces around living and thriving in a time of increasing global crisis.   Further reading It Is For Freedom – Julie's blog that began as a resource for women exiting fundamentalism and ended up morphing into tackling conspiracy theories and disinformation as well.  Julie's story of a journey from legalism to grace: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3  What has fundamentalism & patriarchy got to do with election & Coronavirus disinformation?   Institute for Strategic Dialogue – Powering solutions to Extremism & Polarisation The Global Network on Extremism & Technology - Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism   Julie's picks for Covid 19 and vaccine information: Redemptive History and Theology  Dr Sara Marzouk  Sarah Stogryn Dr Aviva Romm on wellness during Covid  Therapeutic Goods Administration Covid 19 Vaccine Weekly Safety Report

Julie Bell is a mother of four, a doula, herbalist, Christian, feminist, and the creative genius behind Blissful Herbs. In this episode Julie shares the births of her four children. She conceived for the first time while living in Hong Kong and working in foreign aid, and ended up giving birth in her ancestral homeland, Ireland. Julie's first birth was a homebirth under the care of a private midwife, who was hands off and allowed Julie to intuitively travel through her labour and birth. Julie's second baby was born in a shopping mall in New Zealand, after she went into labour with almost no notice and ended up birthing in a breastfeeding cubicle in the parents' room! Her next birth was again in New Zealand, at home and under the care of a private midwife. There was some complications in this birth and Julie shares about how she navigated a tricky birth and advocated for herself to achieve her homebirth. Eight years later she fell pregnant again, and delivered her fourth baby, and first son, at home in Australia. Throughout her birth stories Julie has woven many pieces of wisdom she has picked up as a doula and mother. She shares her experiences of freeing herself from fundamentalist Christian faith, of living through the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong, and speaks to her vision of what an alternative maternity care model could look like.

In this episode Rachel shares the story of her son Patricks birth. Rachel had a really straight forward conception and pregnancy and shares some special moments from that time, including when she discovered that she was pregnant and told her very clucky partner Liam that he was finally going to be a dad! Rachel chose to have a big birth team with lots of family and friends, as well as her midwives, to offer support and wisdom through her labour and transition to motherhood. She shares about the different roles they each had during her birth, and how loved and supported she felt to have all of them there. Rachel takes us through each stage her long labour, and the relief she felt when her baby was finally born.  As Patrick was being born, Rachel tore quite badly and needed an extended repair, which her midwives were able to do at home. Her description of the love, care, and attention to detail she felt from them during the repair, and her reflection of the way that that type of care, if given routinely, could create a ripple effect and change the world, is breathtaking.  Rachel also briefly speaks about her experience of late onset postnatal depression and I would like to flag that she briefly mentions suicidal thoughts. If you're not in a space to hear that part of the story, just pause the episode after her midwives go home and Rachel, Liam and Patrick are alone for the first time as a family of three.    Link to donate via Patreon https://www.keepbirthwild.com.au/donate 

In this episode Ashley shares the birth stories of her two children Zoe and Piper. During her first pregnancy Ashley put a lot of thought into what she would like her birth to look like and after attending a Calmbirth course, planned an unmedicated and low intervention hospital birth. Zoe's labour was long and Ashley laboured for days without sleep before finally delivering Zoe in hospital with the aid of an episiotomy. It took a while for her to integrate the emotional impact of her birth and challenging postpartum, and it wasn't until she fell pregnant again that she realised she wanted to do things differently for her next birth. She engaged private midwives for her planned homebirth and spent a lot of time preparing for labour. Ashley was diagnosed with an irritable uterus during her pregnancy with Piper so she talks about the challenges of enduring that regular discomfort throughout her pregnancy. She goes on to describe in detail her beautiful homebirth and slow supported postpartum.   Books Ashley recommends; Well Adjusted Babies - Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Spiritual Midwifery - Ina May Gaskin Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering - Dr Sarah Buckley Birth with Confidence - Rhea Dempsey The First Forty Days - Heng Ou Group B Strep Explained - Sara Wickham Vitamin K and the Newborn - Sara Wickham Your Birth, Your Baby - Hollie de Cruz Hypnobirthing Australia audio tracks and ebook Calmbirth Antenatal course Flourish Integrative Health https://flourishintegrativehealthco.com.au/

In this episode Kirsty aka The Zen Birthkeeper shares the birth stories of her two children Sophyr and Rio. Growing up, Kirsty never wanted to have children, but within a couple of months of meeting her partner she had had a change of heart and Sophyr was conceived soon after. Kirsty birthed both of her babies at home under the care of private midwives. Through the telling of her pregnancy, birth and postpartum stories she weaves in the ups and downs of her relationship, friendships and mental health in a beautifully vulnerable and relatable way. You can see a video from Sophyr's birth in the birth highlights on instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast and a video from Rio's birth here. Kirsty is a holistic birthkeeper and doula who is passionate women feeling empowered during pregnancy, birth and postpartum and practises out of Brisbane. You can visit her website here or find her on instagram @thezenbirthkeeper.

In this episode I chatting with Lulu, who shares the story of her first daughter Ayla's birth.  Lulu shares a gorgeous tale of Ayla's conception and the moment that she found at that she was finally pregnant. She went through quite a few different models of care, before finally deciding at 38 weeks pregnant to hire a private midwife and birth at home.  She then goes on to share Ayla's labour and birth, which didn't follow the expected progression of labour and came with some unusual challenges.  We also talk postpartum and specifically about the huge emotional and spiritual shift that takes place in the weeks and months following birth and the fears that came up for her during that time.   Thank you for listening in to today's episode with Lulu. You can find some photos from her birth on the website www.keepbirthwild.com.au or on instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast.    You can also find links to some resources that Lulu found helpful when preparing for her birth on the website.

In this episode Leah shares the story of her first baby Sonny's birth.  Leah had one earlier pregnancy which she chose to terminate. Her pregnancy with Sonny was another surprise, but a joyful and much wanted one this time around. Leah is a midwife herself, so she shares a little about her work, what led her to choose homebirth and how she chose a birth team.  She experienced a nasty candida infection during her pregnancy and was also diagnosed with gestational diabetes, so we chat about how those issues impacted her pregnancy and how she managed them naturally.  Covid 19 restrictions came into place during Leah's pregnancy, so she shares about how her friends were able to create a beautiful mother blessing for her remotely and how Covid impacted her postpartum. As a midwife, Leah was well aware that first time births are often overdue and can be long, so she was surprised when Sonny arrived at 38 weeks following quite a fast labour.  This is such a special birth story which was a pleasure to hear, and I also recommend jumping on the Keep Birth Wild website and having a look at the photos because they are just gorgeous!    Di Diddle's birth classes https://www.birtheducation.com.au/   Prenatal yoga with Michelle http://www.yogashalaspace.com.au/phone/classes.html   Laura Pegoli - Chinese Medicine Practicioner https://instagram.com/the_acupuncture_palette?igshid=epn2fkn92oq1   You can find Leah on instagram @leahmdaniel. Send her a dm to find out more about her upcoming Birth Circle she is co-hosting and her other offerings.   Sign up as a Patreon supporter here: https://www.keepbirthwild.com.au/donate

In this episode I am chatting to Nina about the birth of her daughter Sunday.  Nina had one pregnancy prior to Sunday's which she chose to terminate, and then went on to have some fertility challenges when trying to conceive again. Once she did fall pregnant, she was planning to birth in hospital but decided to switch to a homebirth as covid unfolded and it became clear that she wasn't going to get the experience she was hoping for in a hospital setting.  Nina weaves a beautiful story of her birth which was very long and slow until close to the end and describes those golden first moments after birth. We also discuss what postpartum was like in the midst of a stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne and how she recovered and nurtured herself during those early weeks with very little in person support. If you're listening with little ones around, just be aware that there is a language warning on this episode.    Di Diddles Birthing Classes https://www.birtheducation.com.au/

In this episode I'm speaking to Kate AKA The Mama's Alchemist about the early loss of her first pregnancy, and then the pregnancy and birth of her little baby Arva. Kate is a registered midwife and Chinese medicine practitioner herself so brings all that knowledge and experience to her reflection of birth and postpartum. She chose to birth outside of the hospital system with an independent midwife and had a positive and straight forward homebirth. In this episode Kate shares how she prepared for postpartum and what the first 5 weeks of motherhood have been like so far. I really think this story is a wonderful example of how impactful actively preparing for those challenging early weeks of postpartum can be.    You can find more photos from her pregnancy and birth on my website www.keepbirthwild.com.au and you can also find Kate on instagram @themamasalchemist.    If you're currently pregnant and preparing for birth and postpartum, firstly, I'm so glad you're here listening along with me every week, thank you! And also I highly recommend heading over and listening to another podcast called ‘Postpartum with Steph' as that's a wonderful one for hearing specifically postpartum stories and getting more of an understanding of how best to be prepared for life after the birth of your baby.   I look forward to bringing you another episode next week!

In this episode Michelle shares the story of her pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding journey with her son Ollie.  Michelle has polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS and having been told that she may find it difficult to conceive, she was quite surprised when she fell pregnant really quickly. Michelle's pregnancy was very straight forward, and she tells a beautiful story about how she celebrated and honoured her pregnancy at each stage to help her connect with her baby and honour her transition to motherhood.  Following Ollie's fast and complication free homebirth, Michelle went on to have a long and difficult breastfeeding journey, where she ended up relying predominantly on donor milk. We talk about the practice of breastmilk sharing and the community that has sprung up around it. We discuss how giving and receiving donor breastmilk through an online platform is a perfect example of bringing traditional practices of ‘Village Parenting' into the current time, another step in our shared passion for breaking down the unsustainable ideal of nuclear parenting and shifting towards interdependence.

In this episode I am speaking to Maggie Storm. Maggie describes herself as a birth keeper and postpartum doula supporting and advocating for raw, embodied, intuitive birth. Her offerings are centred around deeply acknowledging pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period as a transformational time that deserves to be celebrated and honoured through all seasons, and her passion and wisdom certainly comes across in her sharing of her two birth stories. Maggie's first son was born at home through a publicly funded midwifery program at her local hospital. While there was a few things she would change, she was overall really happy with her birth and the care that she was provided through that program.  Just over a month ago, Maggie had an early birth at just 13 weeks gestation. Her sharing of this birth is raw and honest and it really demonstrates her amazing ability to sit with what is and embrace the highs and lows that parenthood takes us on.  A little content note here for anyone who may find it difficult to hear descriptions of miscarriage and grief, this episode might not be for you.  You can find more photos from her two births on my website www.keepbirthwild.com.au or instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast. You can also follow Maggie on instagram @maggiestorm_ to seem more photos from her work and family, it's a really beautiful account. 

In this episode I speak to Bethany about the births of her two boys.  Her first pregnancy was low risk and she opted to be cared for at her local birth centre. She went on to have a straight forward birth with some complications afterwards, but in general describes her birth and postpartum as easier than she expected, which is probably the first time I have ever heard those words uttered! Bethany had a 3.5 year gap between her two children and was actually diagnosed with cancer during that time. She shares a little about her recovery and what it was like navigating maternity care options with a history of cancer. In the end she chose to have a homebirth and went on to have another straight forward vaginal delivery.    In this episode Bethany references the book New Active Birth by Janet Balaskas.

In this episode I'm speaking to Elysia about the birth of her son Finley. Finley was just 4 weeks old when I recorded this interview and 5 weeks old now, and it was so special to speak to such a fresh mama! Elysia has a history of disordered eating and negative body image and she speaks very honestly about how that contributed to fears that came up during her pregnancy and labour. Despite having a straight forward vaginal birth at home and a beautiful early postpartum, Elysia's big take away from birth was that it was much MUCH more painful than she expected. She left the birth shocked and a bit traumatised by how painful it was and again speaks very honestly about that. This is a really beautiful episode which I thoroughly enjoyed recording, but I do just want to briefly flag that if you're 40 weeks pregnant and trying to protect your space, you might choose to listen to this one later as pain is a big feature in this episode. You can follow Elysia on instagram @_thisiselysia and find more photos of her and baby Finley on my website www.keepbirthwild.com.au. 

In this episode Alice shares the story of her daughter Luna's birth. Alice is a midwife and Calmbirth instructor herself and we talk about how that experience informed her choice of care provider and place of birth. She also speaks to what she learned from private home birth midwifes that challenged her existing views and how her birth helped to develop her understanding of better care for pregnant and postpartum mothers. Luna's birth was very fast and Alice and her partner had to improvise once they realised how quickly things had progressed to make sure that there was a midwife and ambulance at the birth. She suffered from an anterior perineal tear and explains how she was aware of the tear occurring during the second stage of labour and tried different positions to avoid it. You can find a video of baby Luna having her first breastfeed on instagram so make sure you check that out, its just beautiful. 

In this episode Victoria shares the pregnancies and births of her two children Ezra and Lumi. Ezra was an induced vaginal birth in hospital. Although it was the intervention free birth she was hoping for, she was still a bit disappointed in the care she received and planned to go ahead with a home birth the second time around. With her second pregnancy, there's was some ups and downs with what maternity care was available, and in the end due to Covid she was actually able to arrange a homebirth at the last minute. Lumi's birth was empowering and set her up for a positive start to postpartum and breastfeeding. Victoria is a Chinese Medicine Practitioner and also has a small business, Tiny Tot Tinctures, making topical herbal baby products. I actually used her nappy balm when Alice was a baby and still use what's left on small bumps and scrapes so I can definitely recommend checking out her products if you're preparing to welcome a newborn or have a baby with nappy rash!  You can find Victoria on instagram @tiny_tot_tinctures.

In this episode I have the pleasure of speaking to Kathryn about the births of her two children. Kathryn lives and birthed her babies at home in Ireland. We talk a lot about the differences and similarities in maternity care and how social and hospital systems work against people who choose to homebirth, and ultimately even more so against those who birth in hospital and experience unacceptable rates of intervention and birth trauma. Kathryn shares beautifully how she navigated birth and family trauma handed down through her family, and what she identifies as a phobia of pregnancy and birth, to achieve two positive, pain and injury free homebirths. Kathryn is a social ecologist and director at The Change Agency, and you can find her at https://www.thechangeagency.ie/.

In this episode I am chatting to Lyss about the births of her two sons Ryan and Ruben. In her first pregnancy Lyss planned a hospital birth, which ended up in a stressful instrumental delivery with a long recovery. In between her two pregnancies she made friends with a midwife, and was lined up for a homebirth when she fell pregnant again. Lyss went on to have a beautiful birth at home with Ruben, and a much quicker recovery.

In this episode Carla shares the stories of two pregnancies and births. She planned to birth both of her babies at home, however with her first her midwife had her transfer due to failure to progress, and she had a vaginal delivery in hospital. Carla had a miscarriage before she went on to conceive her second child. This time around she again planned a homebirth, but made sure that she found a midwife who was happy to support lots of different variations of normal labour, at home. This is a longer episode, about an hour and a half, but I didn't want to cut it down too much because Carla talks a lot about the difference in the level of care that she received between her two midwives and I think its a really interesting and valuable insight for anyone planning a homebirth. You can find more photos of Carla and her family on instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast.   In this episode Carla mentions the follows books which she read in preparation for postpartum after her second birth. The First Forty Days - Heng Ou Seven Sisters for Seven Days - Michelle Peterson The Fourth Trimester - Kimberley Ann Johnson   If you're listening in every week and you think the podcast is worth as little as $1 dollar a week to you, I would love it if you could sign up as a Patron supporter. 25% of all donations go towards a charity working to improve maternity outcomes for indigenous women and babies. You can find links to my Patreon page, and more information about the charity your donation supports in the show notes and on my website keepbirthwild.com.au

In this episode Chelsea shares the pregnancies and births of her two children Frankie and Myles. She suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum in her first pregnancy and also developed antenatal depression, so she shares a really raw account of how her expectations of pregnancy and postpartum were shattered, and her long road to recovery through her work as a spiral practitioner. Chelsea's waters broke at 37 weeks, and she went on to have a fast induced birth in hospital. Frankie needed help breathing at birth so it was a few hours before Chelsea was able to be reunited with her, and she didn't feel the initial love and bonding that she was expecting, and went on to experience further depression over the following months. Following Frankie's birth, Chelsea was really scared to have another baby. She had one pregnancy which miscarried, and then went on to conceive Myles. Myle's birth was initially going to be in hospital, but after separating from her husband when she was 30 weeks pregnant, and then Covid restrictions limiting her birth support, Chelsea had an overwhelming desire to birth at home and was able to crowdfund enough money to cover a midwife. She went on to have a beautiful healing birth at home with Myles.   You can find Chelsea on instagram @theconnectedcreatress and more photos of her birth and family here https://www.keepbirthwild.com.au/ Sign up as a Patron supporter to the show https://www.patreon.com/keepbirthwild  

  At the time of Jim's conception, Sophie and her family had just relocated to a remote community in North East Arnhem Land, NT. Due to her previous caesarean births, the local hospital would not let her attempt a vaginal birth. She considered other options such as flying to Darwin or Melbourne for the birth, but in the end Covid restrictions meant that she was unable to travel, and in the final weeks of pregnancy she decided to birth at home with a lay midwife on Zoom! Sophie shares about how Jim's birth unfolded and how she finally placed her trust in herself and her body, and took back her power! If you would like to sign up as a Patreon supporter and make a small monthly donation to help keep the podcast going, you can find out more info under the Donate tab, or head straight to Patreon to sign up.

In this episode Sophie shares the births of her first two sons Bernie and Oscar. Sophie fell pregnant unexpectedly when she was 21 and had a stressful pregnancy juggling study and tricky living situation. She planned a homebirth with her private midwife and doula. Sophie ended up developing preeclampsia at 42 weeks and 3 days and after a long slow induction in hospital Bernie was born via Caesarean section. From his very first moments earth side Bernie was an extremely unsettled baby. He screamed for hours and hours of the day and only slept for periods of up to 20 minutes at once - even all through the night! Being a first time mum, Sophie thought this was normal and struggled through years of extreme sleep deprivation. When Sophie was 10 months postpartum she fell pregnant again, with her second son Oscar. She planned a home vbac with her midwife and doula. After 3 days of labouring at home, Sophie transferred to hospital, exhausted, for another caesarean. In this episode Sophie shares vulnerably about the hardest times during postpartum, and her ongoing disappointment and grief at having not experienced a vaginal birth. In the next episode Sophie shares the story of her triumphant vagina birth after caesarean, at home!

In today's episode I am speaking to Mary about the births of her two children. Mary briefly speaks about the birth of her son in hospital where she was induced and experienced complications and birth trauma. She then went on to have a beautiful home birth with her daughter surrounded by her family and friends. Mary describes herself as a birth keeper, educator, mentor and facilitator of childbearing wisdom. In this episode we also discuss some of the amazing work she is doing in the birth world with different organisations within Australia and internationally, and I have included links to her website where you can find out more about her offerings, and also find links to all of the organisations mentioned in this episode. Head over to instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast to see some photos from Mary's birth and find links to her instagram page and website.   Art of Birth workshop https://www.naolivinaver.com/mary-giordano.html Madreluna https://www.madreluna.com.au/ Adventurous Midwives https://www.adventurousmidwives.org/ Birth for Humankind https://birthforhumankind.org/

Jess shares the story of her first pregnancy, and how she delivered her son at home into the water. Her son Ned was born with his head in quite a difficult position, almost brow presentation, and Jess shares the final moments of his arrival into the world with such beautiful love and attention to detail. This is such an empowering birth story and I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I have!   I also want to take a moment to tell you about another podcast that I have been loving listening to! Postpartum Stories with Steph is a podcast for anyone who is pregnant, has kids, or might be thinking about having a baby. It shares the real and raw stories about early motherhood, covering everything from breastfeeding, to sleep, to poop! Steph shares a variety of stories from the glorious postpartum experiences to the tough and challenging ones. Its hosted by Steph, a postpartum doula in Melbourne.  You can find Steph's website at https://www.postpartumwithsteph.com/ and follow her on instagram @postpartum_with_steph for much more goodness and to hear updates about her podcast!   You can find some photos from Jess's labour and birth on my instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast, including an amazing photo of the moment Jess described in her story where she was able to look down and see his head which had already been birthed. It's such an emotive image to see after having heard her story so definitely head over and check that out. I love hearing your thoughts on the show and leaving a rating or review also helps to get the podcast out to more pregnant people and new families so they can hear these stories and alternative narrative to the way birth is represented in mainstream media. If you have time to leave a quick star rating, or even better a quick review, I would so appreciate it.  

In this episode I am sharing Part 2 of Steffi's birth stories. You can find the first part of her birth story in episode 21. Today we hear about the 13 week pregnancy and birth of Star Baby. Steffi gives a profoundly beautiful and detailed account of the physical and emotional process of miscarriage and the months of grieving which followed. She shares more about some of the different techniques and rituals she practices and provides for pregnant, birthing and postpartum women, including the Closing of the Bones ceremony, Rebozo, Birth Circles, and turning of a breech baby. Steffi winds up this episode with the story of her final pregnancy and birth with youngest son Manu. Manu's birth was very fast, just a couple of hours of very intense labouring, and was followed by an extended first stage where Steffi actually ended up manually assisting with delivering her own placenta. Steffi's story depicts a physically straight forward story of miscarriage which was safely managed at home. Like any birth a miscarriage comes with the potential for risk & it is essential to be well informed & appropriately cared for when choosing to remain at home. I would like to acknowledge that this episode contains strong emotional themes around grief and loss, as well as very honest and raw descriptions of the actual process of miscarriage. If you're feeling that this might be triggering for you, I have noted the timing that we move onto Manu's birth in the show notes, so you can skip straight to that and come back to Star Babies birth story at another time when you're feeling ready to listen. That being said, if you have listened to part one of Steffi's story you will already know what a beautiful story teller she is, and I think she navigates this topic in the most gentle and respectful way. This episode is laced with so much profound wisdom and is true medicine for women in their childbearing years, so I'll let Steffi share her story.   If you would like to see some more photos of Steffi and her beautiful children, head over to my instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast.   During this podcast Steffi makes mention of Mapuru & The Arnhem Weavers http://www.arnhemweavers.com.au/ & Aunty Minmia  http://www.dromanabooks.com.au/home/events/quandongtree.htm   Steffi also speaks about The Closing of The Bones & the of the use of Mexican Rebozo. You can find more information about traditional Mexican approaches to birthwork & to purchase traditional rebozos at  https://www.naolivinaver.com/index.html & https://lamatriz-105776.square.site/ And for those wanting to learn more about the practice of womb/ pelvic steaming you can visit @steamychick on instagram. Thank you again for listening and keep an ear out for the next episode!

In todays episode I'm chatting to my god mother Steffi. In addition to the very important role of god mother, Steffi is also a doula, birth educator, body worker and facilitator of many sacred rituals and practices around birth and womanhood. This is part one of two episodes, to allow plenty of time for her to share the stories of her births, as well as many beautiful reflections on her practices as a birth worker. In this episode Steffi talks about her journey into birth work, and takes us through the pregnancies, births and postpartum times for her eldest two children, who were both born at home. Stay tuned for the second half of this interview which will be released next week.   If you feel called to donate to either of the charities Steffi works with to deliver birth and menstrual education in Laos you can find the details below.   Days For Girls - Providing menstrual kits and education in developing countries. https://www.daysforgirls.org/ Send Hope Not Flowers - Helping more mothers survive childbirth across developing countries. https://www.sendhope.org/     And if you have enjoyed todays episode, or are listening regularly and finding value in the show, it would mean a lot to me if you could scroll down on your app and leave a star rating and quick review. Thank you!

In todays episode I am chatting to Gemma about the births of her three children. Gemma naturally conceived her first baby but went on to require assistance conceiving her next two children, so she shares a little about her journey with IVF. Gemma first birth was a vaginal birth in hospital, however she didn't experience the urge to push her baby out and required a forceps delivery. She shares about how she longed for the experience of pushing her next baby out and was excited to give birth again and have that opportunity. Four years later after undergoing IVF Gemma fell pregnant with her daughter. Her waters broke at 35 weeks and baby was delivered via c section at 36 weeks. Gemma's youngest daughter is just 5 weeks old now! She was originally planning another hospital birth however as the Covid situation developed and she was facing the reality of birthing without her doula she started to look at other options. Gemma went on to have a beautiful birth at home and experienced the longed for sensation of pushing her baby out. Theres a little bit of everything in this story and its a great one to recommend to anyone who might be considering home birthing due to the Covid pandemic.   You some beautiful photos from Gemma's homebirth on my instagram page @keepbirthwild.podcast. I've had my hands full with a toddler in lockdown which is why I haven't been getting an episode out every single week. If you click subscribe you will get notified every time a new episode is published.

In todays episode I am chatting to Mikayla about the birth of her daughter Nyra.   Mikayla planned a home birth through the Publicly Funded Midwifery program at her local hospital in Perth. Unfortunately at a late ultrasound it was picked up that Nyra was measuring on the smaller side and she was no longer cleared to home birth through that program.   Mikayla laboured at home with her husband and doula but delivered in hospital under the care of her MGP midwife.   Mikayla shares how although Nyra's birth was straightforward and there was minimal intervention, she still left feeling disappointed with the experience and struggled for a long time to accept that she didn't get the home birth she had envisaged.   You some beautiful photos of Mikayla and Nyra on my instagram page @keepbirthwild.podcast.   If you're listening in every week, don't forget to click subscribe so you get notified when a new episode is published, and leave a star rating or review.   I would love to know your thoughts on the show, what you're enjoying and anything you would like to hear more of.

In todays episode I am chatting to Kellie Andrews about her two home births.   Kellie has just started a project called The Furry Turtle, where she creates upcycled garments. All profits go to Sisters Inside, an independent community organisation advocating for the human rights of First Nations women and girls in the prison system, and providing services to meet their individual needs.   If you would like to support Kelly and Sisters Inside, you can find the The Furry Turtle on instagram @the_furry_turtle.   Visit Sisters Inside at https://sistersinside.com.au/ to find out more about their services and for more ways to get involved.     Kellie birthed both her two daughters at home and had very different but beautiful and empowering births.   With Banjo Kellie had a long labour and birth which ended in a hospital transfer after birth due to excessive bleeding and retained membranes.   During Wilke's pregnancy Kellie experienced a condition where her heart rate suddenly increased and changed in rhythm. She was lucky to get treated and discharged from hospital quickly and went on to have a fast powerful birth at home. This time around Kellie opted for a managed third stage and although she did still experience heavy bleeding it was able to be managed at home.   Kellie takes us right through both of those births, and along the way we discuss consent in the context of the hospital system, experiencing pleasurable feelings during birth, and the importance of prioritising a woman experience of her birth as well as a healthy baby.   Kellie had a birth photographer at both of her births and the images are absolutely amazing so make sure you check those out at keepbirthwild.podcast

In this episode I chat to Toni Kara about the births of her two children Arrow and Mica. Toni planned to birth Arrow at home but after a long posterior labour and 4 hours of pushing she transferred to hospital and Arrow was born via c section. For Mica's birth she planned a home birth again, and shares the story of her beautiful healing VBAC. Head over to instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast to see some gorgeous photos from Toni's births. 

In todays episode I'm chatting to Zoe about the births of her two sons Gordy and Finley. Gordy was born in hospital, where Zoe who is a nurse herself was confidant and comfortable to advocate for herself and the birth she wanted, but as time passed her perception of her birth changed and she started considering a home birth for the next time around. Zoe's had a miscarriage between her two sons and her experience of miscarrying naturally at home solidified her wishes to home birth her next baby. Finleys birth was quick and Zoe was beautifully supported, at home, by her birth team made up of friends and family.   Resources: Juju Sundin - Birth Skills Dr Sarah Buckley - Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering Dr Sara Wickham - Anti D in Midwifery: Panacea or Paradox

In this episode I chat to Laura about the births of her two children Ester and Teddy. Laura birthed Ester in hospital as part of the group midwifery program. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and went on to have an induced vaginal birth. When she fell pregnant with Teddy she decided to have a home birth. It was identified at Teddy's 20 week scan that there was an irregularity with his digestive system, however she was still able to go ahead with her home birth as planned. Teddy had surgery on his intestines at 3 days old so Laura describes what it was like to realise that there was something not right with him and her experience of having a baby in the NICU. You can see photos from Laura's homebirth with Teddy on my instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast and you can also find Laura on Instagram @this.wild.mama !

In today's episode I chat with Tori about the births of her two children Badger and Scout. Tori's first birth was in hospital where she was induced due to reduced amniotic fluid. Being a first time mum Tori put her all her trust in the hospital system but ended up not feeling prepared for the birth, or like the reasons for induction were fully explained to her. The second time around she knew she wanted the opposite experience to her first birth. She chose to birth at home with her husband and a doula, however her plans changed due the bushfires and coronavirus pandemic. Tori went on to have a beautiful healing unassisted birth at home with her husband, mum and sister. I just wanted to say a quick thank you to those of you who have taken the time to scroll down on your podcast app and leave a rating or a review there. This is a love project that I do in my spare time because I'm really passionate about getting these stories out to you, and it does take a lot of work, so I'm always so excited and grateful every time someone leaves a review or sends a message to let me know that they are enjoying it!  

In today's episode I'm sharing my own birth story! My good friend Joelle Constance (Ep 2) joins in the show to interview me about the birth of my daughter Alice.  We start off by discussing a prior pregnancy I had when I first met Alice's dad and how that was the catalyst to wanting to start a family young. I initially wasn't planning a homebirth so we go into detail about what factors played into that decision and then how the pregnancy and birth panned out.  After dinner, putting the babies to sleep, and a few glasses of wine, we then go on to discuss what my postpartum and breastfeeding journeys were like including my experiences with blocked ducts and mastitis.  I really hope you enjoy todays episode and as always please come say hi on instagram and let me know if you have any questions! @keepbirthwild.podcast

In todays episode I interview Charlotte about the births of her two children Kian and Sophia. Kian was actually born in Cambodia so Charlotte takes us right through his pregnancy and birth at a NGO maternity clinic. The conditions in the clinic where she ended up birthing were very poor and there was no support offered at all during labour until delivery. Kian's birth was traumatic for Charlotte and she was sure that she would never have more children after that experience. However 6 years later after having moved back to Australia she was shocked to find out that she was pregnant again. Charlotte shares beautifully about the healing process of pregnancy and how she went on to have a beautiful outdoor Home birth with Sophia. This episode is a little longer than usual but I really loved hearing Charlottes birth stories and she has a really unique spiritual perspective and weaves a beautiful story, so settle down somewhere comfy, grab a cuppa, and enjoy!

In this episode I chat to Alicia about the births of her six children. Her first three were born in hospital and she went on to have her next three at home. She is currently pregnant with her 7th baby! Alicia grows big babies, her most recent was over 11 pound! She was considered high risk for her hospital births and shares about how positive the transition to private midwifery care was for her. Alicias last 5 babies were very close in age, at one stage she was actually breastfeeding three of them at once! We discuss the logistics of tandem feeding and the toll that so many pregnancies in a short period had on her body.  I feel like I've come away from this interview with more questions than I went in with, so we have decided to open up an opportunity for listeners to ask questions over on instagram. I will pass those onto Alicia and share with you all so if you have any questions about her births or what life is like in a big family please head over to instagram and let us know!   I really hope you enjoy this episode!

In todays episode I chat to Danielle about the births of her sons Lucas and Levi. Lucas was born in hospital and Danielle then went on to have Levi at home through the Publicly Funded Home Birth Scheme. We talk a little about her partner's experiences of birth too as he was initially quite nervous about home birth and becoming a parent, so its really beautiful to get a small insight into his journey too. Danielle runs an online eco friendly store so make sure you check that out if you're looking for sustainable alternatives for every day items including some amazing looking eco friendly baby products. www.theearthmumma.com.au You can find Danielle on Instagram @theearthmumma  If you're enjoying the podcast and have time, please leave a star rating and a quick message with what you're enjoying about the show. It helps me slowly climb the ranks a bit and hopefully together we can get these amazing and empowering birth stories out to more women!  

In todays episode I speak to Tarryn about the births of her son Orlando and daughter Hermione who were both born at home. Late in her second pregnancy Tarryn experienced a devastating loss in her family and she shares openly about how those very raw feelings came up in her birth. She went on to experience postnatal depression after Hermione's birth and describes what it was like navigating that time with a newborn while also processing the grief of loss, sleep deprivation and the changed family dynamics going from 1-2 children. If you're feeling like you might not be up to hearing descriptions of intense grief or postnatal depression you may want to skip this episode for now and come back to it at a later date. And if this episode does bring anything up for you please see links below to PANDA and Lifeline Australia. And lastly there is the odd swear word in this episode so just be mindful if you're listening with little people around! You can follow Tarryn on instagram @tarryn_woods or visit her website www.tarrynwoods.com . Head over to instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast to see gorgeous photos from Hermione's birth taken by photographer Anna Todd.    PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia 1300 726 306 Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14

In today's episode I interview Helen about the birth of her son Otto.  Helen takes us through her pregnancy and how she managed her pregnancy migraines and severe hip pain. Her waters broke at 36+4 weeks and she ended up deciding to have regular monitoring at hospital but proceed with her plans for a home birth.  Helen is a midwife and lactation consultant herself and she gives a great explanation of how she weighed up the different risks and benefits and came to her decision to continue on with labour at home.  Helen is currently on maternity leave but will be taking bookings from November. You can find out more about her lactation consultancy on her website https://www.helengordonlactation.com.au/ and head over to @keepbirthwild.podcast on instagram to see some photos of Helen, Tim and Otto just after his birth. 

In todays episode I interview Ruby about the births of her three children, Louis, Pearl and Vince.  Ruby birthed Louis at home under the care of her private midwife. She went on to use the same midwife for her second birth where Pearl arrived very quickly! Ruby had the same midwife throughout her first labour however ended up transferring to hospital for delivery at 42 weeks due to a breech presentation.  You can find more photos from Ruby's births over on the Keep Birth Wild instagram page @keepbirthwild.podcast.

In this episode I interview Sam about the births of her two children Jaxon and Emersyn Rae. Sam fell pregnant with her son at 19 years old and was directed to her public hospital for her care. A private midwife offered to take on her care after an unfortunate first experience at the hospital and was her primary care provider for that birth in hospital. She went on to use the same midwife for a home birth with her daughter. During her second labour Sam's husband at the time revealed that he had been having an affair, and she speaks openly about how she managed to continue her labour and what it was like becoming a single parent when her baby was just a few days old.  Sam had a birth photographer at her second birth so make sure you head over to instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast to see some gorgeous photos!

In this episode I interview Natalie Rees about the births of her two children Charlie and Stella.  For her first pregnancy Natalie opted for a homebirth under the care of a private midwife. She transferred to hospital due to reduced foetal heart rate. For her second birth she chose to freebirth and she takes us through how she came to that decision and the autonomy she felt in taking full responsibility for her pregnancy and birth.  You can follow Natalie on instagram @the_renegade_mama and keep posted as she will be releasing her own podcast shortly!

I this episode I speak to Carrie Rigoni about the births of her two children.  Carrie planned to birth both of her babies at home. Her first birth with her son ended with a hospital transfer due to a surprise breech presentation and a few years later her daughter was born at home. Carrie shares really beautifully about what it was like to have her son present at her second birth and the moment that her children met for the first time.  You can follow Carrie on instagram @drcarrierigoni 

In this episode I speak with my beautiful friend Joelle about the birth of her son Elio.  Joelle had a very long labour and ended up transferring to hospital to get some help delivering her son. She shares openly about how she surrendered to the challenges of her birth and had a positive and empowering experience.   You can follow Joelle on instagram @joelle.constance and find out more about her offerings as a doula, nutritionist and postpartum meal support! If you would like to find out more about the Pelvic Alignment work that is discussed in this episode you can find Steffi on instagram @sacred_ways_of_being or on her website https://www.sacredbirth.com.au/ .  

In this episode I speak with Sarah about the birth of her first baby daughter.    Sarah was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and she takes us through how she managed that during her pregnancy and how it affected her options for midwifery care.    I loved speaking to Sarah and really resonated with her reasons for choosing to birth at home with her first baby and I hope you enjoy hearing her story as much as I did!

Keep Birth Wild is a brand new podcast featuring conversations with mothers, hosted by me, Indi! Subscribe to the show to hear interviews with women who planned to birth their babies at home, and listen as mamas share their unique stories of pregnancy, birth and postpartum. You can also follow along and see beautiful photos and episode updates on instagram @keepbirthwild.podcast and facebook @keepbirthwildpodcast . I look forward to sharing these stories and getting to know you!