In this episode I discuss the role of the doula, restrictive birthing practices, homebirth, freebirth and regulations. It is important that couples understand that doulas do not replace midwives.

Episode 24 - Why Are Doulas Becoming So Popular In Australia?

Jul 21st, 2020 17m 17s

Why are doulas becoming so popular in Australia? I believe that this could be because maternity care has changed and become more medicalised hospital maternity care.This is not an attack on midwives, but on our broken maternity care system and

Episode 23 - Birth of the Placenta

May 19th, 2020 16m 43s

As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a big fan of the placenta and the umbilical cord. The placenta really is an amazing organ and has been the lifeline of your baby for the duration of your pregnancy. Without the placenta, there can be no new life.

Episode 22 - Delayed Cord Clamping - Wait for White

Apr 20th, 2020 9m 40s

Immediate clamping and cutting of the cord started in the 1960’s to prevent postpartum haemorrhage, but later research found this did not reduce postpartum haemorrhage, yet the practice continued.Delayed cord clamping means the umbilical cord

Episode 21 - For You ......The Pregnant Mother

Apr 2nd, 2020 12m 23s

You might be fearful with everything going on around you.These are unusual times.For some pregnant women, these are really stressful times.It is time to change your way of thinking.Look at what you CAN change and then see how you can best a

Episode 20 - The Natural Alignment Plateau - Stop Blaming The Cervix

Feb 18th, 2020 14m 36s

The Natural Alignment Plateau phrase was first used by Marjie Hathaway, who is an independent childbirth educator and author of several books, as well as a practitioner trainer for the Bradley Childbirth Method. She highlighted that it is not u

Episode 19 - Your Birth Plan Is More Important Than You Know

Jan 13th, 2020 8m 59s

Your birth plan is more powerful than you know. A birth plan is not a legal document, but it can be used in a court of law to show how the woman expected to be treated and supported by her care providers during her labour and birth and immediat

Episode 18 - Mothering the Mother

Dec 3rd, 2019 18m 22s

The postpartum period in many cultures is about healing and adjusting to becoming a mother to a newborn baby. They recognise that a woman’s mind and body goes through a gruelling act of physical and emotional activity during labour and birth, t

Episode 17 - The Curse Of The Due Date

Nov 13th, 2019 16m 8s

The curse of the due date and the eviction notice for your baby is clearly etched in every woman’s mind after she has confirmation of her pregnancy. She marks that date on the calendar with excitement and shares this with all her family and fri

Episode 16 - Natural Pain Relief Options

Oct 16th, 2019 35m 45s

In Episode 13 I shared some information about medical pain relief options, so now as promised I want to also provide you with some natural methods of pain relief. It is important to recognise that all of these techniques may not make pain compl

Episode 15 - Part 2 - Protecting Your Rights

Sep 22nd, 2019 23m 43s

So this podcast is following on from my previous podcast on Protecting Your Rights as a Childbearing Woman. When women experience what they consider to be a bad, difficult, disappointing or traumatic birth it is important for them to be acknowl

Episode 14 - Part 1 - Protecting Your Rights

Aug 20th, 2019 26m 4s

This Episode is Part 1 of Protecting Your Rights. Women need to know that they do have rights, they can refuse treatment without discrimination, shame or disrespect and healthcare providers need to support a woman’s choice whether they like it

Episode 13 - Medical Pain Relief Options

Jul 26th, 2019 27m 44s

One of the main fears women have about their labour and birth will be whether or not they will be able to cope with the intensity of pain. Here are some medical pain relief options for labouring women to give you a starting point of what is ava

Episode 12 - Keep Out Orgasm In Progress

Jul 1st, 2019 15m 52s

Orgasms release copious amounts of oxytocin therefore I am a big advocate for female orgasms during labour when things start to slow down or stall. If it is a choice between synthetic oxytocin and real oxytocin, what would you rather have? Just

Episode 11 - Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy

Jun 18th, 2019 15m 23s

One of the important physical aspects of the body during pregnancy is the pelvis. In this podcast I am going to introduce you to the bones, ligaments and common causes of pain in the pelvis during pregnancy. I will also offer suggestions on how

Episode 10 - The Clitoris & the Perineum

May 14th, 2019 17m 39s

When we discuss the clitoris and the perineum – the holy grail of womanhood comes to mind. We know episiotomy can impact on the function and healing of these two sacred parts of the female anatomy, so it is important for women to be educated on

Episode 9 - Relaxation Meditation

Apr 23rd, 2019 9m 20s

Here is a short relaxation meditation to help you wind down from a busy or stressful day. This meditation is not pregnancy or birth specific so anyone can use it to help them to become more relaxed. Give yourself time to rest, rejuvenate and re

Episode 8 - Choosing a care provider

Apr 16th, 2019 7m 7s

Choosing a care provider for your birth can be a daunting task. Many women feel they are going to get a better birth by going with a private Obstetrician, but statistics show that women are more likely to have inductions, interventions or end u

Episode 7 - Ten tips to help you prepare for a VBAC

Apr 3rd, 2019 31m 49s

There are so many things to consider when you are planning your vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) and here are ten tips I put together to get you started, but you have to sit down and do your own mind-mapping to work out where you need more

Episode 6 - What women wished they had known about the first few hours after birth

Mar 26th, 2019 4h 7m

We have so many childbirth education programs that educate and prepare women for pregnancy, labour and birth, but not too many include what happens immediately after birth, and what women should be aware of, so they don’t feel so anxious or st

Episode 5 - Why Do You Need a Birth Plan?

Mar 19th, 2019 14m 37s

A birth plan will ensure the wants and needs of the mother are at the forefront of her care - rather than the wants and needs of her care providers. Having a birth plan doesn't mean that you can't change your mind at any time. A birth plan sets

Episode 4 - Massage During Labour

Mar 5th, 2019 30m 27s

During labour most women like massage to help release endorphins, relax the body and give them loving touch. In this episode I share some simple, yet effective massage tips to use during labour.

Episode 3 - Pregnancy Massage and is it safe?

Feb 5th, 2019 12m 22s

There are still a lot of myths and fears surrounding pregnancy massage.Finding out you are pregnant is such an exciting time, however sometimes first-time mums are oblivious to the stress-producing changes that their bodies are about to experi

Episode 2 - What is Hypnobirthing all about?

Jan 26th, 2019 16m 57s

Sometimes I notice women chatting on social media about having read a book on hypnobirthing but it didn't really work for them. Other times couples think that hypnobirthing looks like it will be a bit too woowoo or way too alternative for them.