In today's episode Sarah is back on the podcast to share her second birth story. Having had a difficult experience first time around, she knew what mattered most to her this time; to feel strong, to advocate for her wishes and to feel like she had more agency. She hired a doula, planned a VBAC, changed hospitals and got lots of independent support to help her prepare for the birth. Unfortunately she faced endless obstacles along the way, which resulted in her birthing her daughter via planned caesarean.

Sarah talks us through the grieving process of letting go of the VBAC she had hoped for and how despite numerous challenges she still had a beautiful, calm birth.

This is a super special episode because Sarah was the first ever guest on Birth Tales! So it is a joy to have her back on again and it is so lovely that we were joined by little Sadie who you can hear chatting away throughout.

FREE hypnobirthing taster session: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-introduction-to-hypnobirthing-online-event-tickets-1970359050962?aff=oddtdtcreator

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

Sarah's IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmalcs/

Sarah's website: https://sarahmalcolm.co.uk

Disclaimer:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or midwifery advice. It should not be used as a substitute for professional care or guidance. Always seek advice from your midwife, doctor, or other qualified health provider regarding your individual circumstances.

The views and experiences shared in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and may not be suitable for everyone. Any opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast host.

While we aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we make no guarantees regarding completeness or accuracy, and information may change over time. We are not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use of information discussed in this podcast. Use of this information is at your own discretion.

In today's episode we're hearing from Anna who freebirthed her son with the support of her partner and doula. Having always felt trusting of the birthing process, Anna knew she wanted to have her baby at home. She shares how amazing it was to have the reassuring presence of a doula through her pregnancy and labour, about the pressure she felt to comply with maternity care that didn't feel right for her and why she ultimately chose to give birth without any midwives present.

9th December FREE hypnobirthing session: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-introduction-to-hypnobirthing-online-event-tickets-1970359050962?aff=oddtdtcreator

Anna's IG: https://www.instagram.com/annawilliamson09/

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode I'm chatting to Maria about her two pregnancies. Her first was very sadly an ectopic pregnancy and she shares her journey of expectant management, which left her feeling very lonely and anxious. When she conceived again and got through the first trimester, Maria loved her second pregnancy. She planned to birth her baby at home but ended up accepting an induction at 42+2. She talks about her experience of a 3rd degree tear, the amazing postnatal care she received and how healing her birth felt following her loss.

I'm so grateful to Maria for sharing so honestly about her ectopic pregnancy and just want to flag to you listening that thats what we speak about for the first few minutes of our conversation in case you'd prefer to save this episode for another day.

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

Maria's IG: https://www.instagram.com/maria.iggy/

Maria's story: https://ectopic.org.uk/stories/an-expectant-management-experience

In this week's episode I chat to Tassy about her planned c-section. She conceived quickly after coming off the pill and Tassy really enjoyed being pregnant and learning about birth. At 32 weeks her midwife flagged concerns around her baby's small size and after accepting some additional growth scans she quickly realised the birth centre birth she had hoped for was becoming increasingly unlikely. Tassy shares how empowering it felt to choose a caesarean over the induction she was being recommended and how ultimately it felt like a really special and positive way to birth her baby. This is such a lovely example of the value of education in making informed choices and I know you're going to love hearing Tassy's story.

Tassy's IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_littlegrape/

Little Grape: https://thelittlegrape.co.uk

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode I'm sharing my own story of birthing my second son, Sidney. I talk about how I experienced pregnancy with a toddler in tow, the choices I made differently this time and how much I loved birthing my baby at home.

After a long and physically exhausting previous birth, this labour challenged me mentally so I share all the coping techniques and comfort measures that helped me through when self-doubt arose. Throughout pregnancy and labour I was cared for by the most awesome midwife Annie, so a strong theme of my birth story is how incredible it was to receive continuity of care from both a midwife and amazing doula Michele who made me feel so safe, listened to and nurtured.

The Birth Prep Bundle: https://sincere-union-68693.myflodesk.com/zkj6c4q686

My previous birth story: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/016-serena-pregnancy-after-loss-doula-gbs-positive/id1703057905?i=1000638522383

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

Milestoneable sculptures: https://milestonable.com

In this episode we've got Laura back on the podcast to share her second birth story. After a long back to back labour in the hospital with her daughter, Lauren knew she wanted to approach things differently this time and planned to birth to her baby at home.

She shares how different her experience of conceiving was second time around, why hiring a doula was the best decision she made and how she dealt with the immense pressure she felt to accept an induction once she passed 42 weeks. She trusted her instincts and went on to have an amazing homebirth for her surprisingly big baby boy!

Laura's IG: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1582903528590264/

Laura's first birth: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/033-laura-hypnobirthing-hospital-birth-gas-air-op-baby/id1703057905?i=1000653532310

FB group 10 month mamas: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1582903528590264/

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode Beth shares her experience of conception, pregnancy and birth with type 1 diabetes. She talks us through the support she received from a fellow nutritional therapist, the preparation she undertook for her son's birth and the implications of her condition.

Whilst induction wouldn't have been her preference, Beth managed to create a plan that both aligned with the recommendations of her care providers and also felt good to her, so despite the challenges that arose during her labour she came away from the experience feeling positive.

I'm so grateful to Beth for sharing her professional wisdom along with her personal story and I know this is going to be a really valuable episode for anyone else navigating pregnancy with type 1 diabetes.

The Birth Prep Bundle: https://sincere-union-68693.myflodesk.com/zkj6c4q686

Beth's IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethedwardsnutrition/?hl=en

Beth's website: https://www.bethedwardsnutrition.com/

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today's episode we're hearing from Alice. She always knew she wanted a homebirth so when she found out she was pregnant it felt like the obvious choice. She shares how she prepared in the lead up to birth; what she read, how she loved science behind hypnobirthing and how supportive she found affirmations for her mindset.

Alice's patience was tested with a few days of latent labour, but after chatting to some helpful midwives she was able to relax into it and once things got going her son ended up being born pretty quickly. This is such a lovely story of first time homebirth and the benefits of being supported by a midwife you know and trust. A short and sweet episode for what ended up being relatively short labour in the end!

The Birth Prep Bundle (guided meditations for pregnancy): https://sincere-union-68693.myflodesk.com/zkj6c4q686

Alice's IG: https://www.instagram.com/alice_inwineland/

Helena's episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/046-helena-physiological-birth-mlu-gbs-positive-gas/id1703057905?i=1000664690760

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In this episode Bec shares her wild pregnancy and freebirth. As a traditional birth keeper she had plenty of experience supporting women choosing to birth outside the system, so this felt like the obvious choice for her own pregnancy. From the moment she conceived she had no tests, scans or interaction with the maternity system and she talks about how she worked through the range of emotions that came up throughout the process.

Bec takes us step by step through her blissful final few weeks of pregnancy, labouring in the woods with her partner and pushing for an intense 6 hours before her son was finally born into the water. She shares how they chose to honour the placenta, how birth has humbled her and how her own experience has influenced the way she supports other mothers through this transition.

Bec's IG: https://www.instagram.com/becoakaiah/

Bec's website: https://subscribepage.io/thejurassiccoastbirthkeeper

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In this episode I'm chatting to Anna about the birth of her 2 little boys. She shares how much she enjoyed pregnancy and the healing effect it had on her relationship with her body. After going into spontaneous labour shortly before 40 weeks, her baby was born via c-section due to concerns around his heart rate and whilst this wasn't what she'd hoped for, she still found the birth to be really positive and amazing.

Anna was hoping to experience a vaginal birth second time around and threw herself into preparing for that, but for various reasons ended up having a repeat caesarean. She talks us through how different she found the planned c-section, finding acceptance with letting go of the VBAC she was planning and the importance of really kind and understanding care providers.

Anna's IG: https://www.instagram.com/annaolewistrounce/

My website: www.serenalouth.com

My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/