Faecal incontinence affects one in 25 women in postpartum and today, Claire shares her experience. She takes us briefly through her labour and birth and details the confronting realisation that she had no control of her anal sphincter. Thanks to a women’s health physiotherapist who demanded horizontal rest - essential for all new mothers! - pelvic floor exercises and dietary changes, Claire recovered by six weeks. She emphasises how important it is to share her story because she had never heard of it happening before and wondered if it was her new reality; a challenging prospect at a very vulnerable time.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

432 Postpartum | Claire, one baby, vaginal birth, midwifery care, faecal incontinence, women’s health physiotherapy

A Podcast of Mothers' stories of childbirth. Weekly interviews with mothers giving their first hand accounts of child birth in Australia. Designed to help educate and inform first time pregnant women, parents wanting to have better subsequent births and birth enthusiasts who love to hear and tell birth stories. An entertaining and heartfelt resource for pregnancy, labour and delivery and postpartum.

Kids & Family

Parenting

In today’s episode Ashlee details her long fertility journey including her choice to have gastric sleeve surgery. She conceived baby Luca on her first IVF transfer and chose private obstetric care alongside the support of a student midwife.

471 | Ashlee, one baby, gastric sleeve surgery, IVF, placenta previa, private obstetrician, student midwife, iron infusion, PPH, breastfeeding

In this episode Abby shares her third pregnancy and birth story. She opted for shared care with her GP, a decision that really suited her busy family life and offered her continuity of care with someone she trusted. Her third trimester was challenging - she had significant pelvic pain which prevented her from exercising, she moved house and her iron levels were really low so each day was punctuated with significant fatigue.

470 | Abby, three vaginal births, gp shared care, public hospital, pain-free birth, physiological birth, breastfeeding

For Gen and her baby Robbie, a variety of challenges created the perfect storm of unsettled sleep habits. She takes us through her first year and the three different sleep supports she used. She admits that she still feels conflicted about the choices she made but she’s also comforted by the fact that she’s got a healthy baby and she’s now a physically and mentally healthy mum.

469 Postpartum | Gen, breastfeeding, unsettled sleep, mother and baby unit, sleep consultant, sleep training, sleep school

Gen shares every aspect of her fertility, pregnancy and birth experience in this honest and hilarious episode

468 | Gen, infertility, miscarriage, IVF, hyperstimulation, private obstetrician, induction, epidural, vacuum-assisted birth, episiotomy

Gemma shares her unexpected pregnancy with twins. She shares the emotional rollercoaster of disbelief and excitement and the impact of the twins on her planned model of care for the pregnancy.

432 Postpartum | Claire, one baby, vaginal birth, midwifery care, faecal incontinence, women’s health physiotherapy

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