Birthing at Home: A Podcast

Today, I chat with Caroline Burrows a renowned EMDR therapist, credentialed mental health social worker and director of Mindful Living about EMDR. 

We talk about what it is, its use in pregnancy especially when used for traumatic or distressing experiences that may also impact the birth experience, its use online and in person, and so much more. EMDR is a extremely well researched therapy, initially developed over 30 years ago specifically for trauma but in 2025, there is so much evidence and research around it’s use with those struggling with complex PTSD, anxiety, depression, and addictions just to name a few. 

Find Caroline Burrows here

What is EMDR Therapy? 

Quick video giving a brief overview of EMDR here

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

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This is episode 78. Today Charlotte, living on Darug Country and a mum of 4 shares her amazing birth stories. 

This is a super special episode because Charlotte is probably one of the few women in Australia in recent times who has been supported by private midwives to birth her twins at home. 

Prior to her twins being born at home, she also had an accidental homebirth. She shares her journey to finding homebirth, her 3 pregnancies and the emotional journey of choosing something that she felt was safest and best for her and her twins, even when that may have made others uncomfortable. 

It’s a fantastic episode and demonstrates true woman centred care. 

**Charlotte also wanted to share that her sharing her story of birthing her twins at home doesn’t mean she believes everyone should. She wishes that more people knew they could hire private midwives for pre and post natal care so that women can have continuity of care and fill the gaps a lot of hospitals systems have.**

I hope you’ll also forgive my error in my audio quality for this episode and hope it doesn’t detract from Charlotte’s story sharing. 

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

[email protected]  

This episode is a part of the homebirth around the World Series.

I chat with Vanessa, a homebirth midwife in South Africa. We chat about Vanessa’s own journey to becoming a midwife and a homebirth midwife, we also chat about the maternity system in South Africa, accessibility and challenges, including the recent changes that criminalise midwives supporting vaginal births after c-sections at home. 

It was great to speak with Vanessa and I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

[email protected]  

Episode 77 is shared by Jess living on the land of the Wurundjeri peoples. 

Jess shares her two birth stories today, her first birth experience in a hospital which was very traumatic and then her beautiful homebirth. 

She also shares her conception journey and her experience of private midwifery car. Having a private midwife for Jess was  was fantastic during her labour and birth of Iris, but was also a fantastic support when she chose to go to hospital for her 3rd degree tear.  

Resources: 

• Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin 
• Obstetric violence and obsteric rape
• Types of perineal tears 

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

[email protected]  

Episode 76 is shared by the wonderful Courtney living on the land of the Palawa people in Lutruwita.

Today Courtney is sharing her birth story of her fourth baby and second homebirth. 

Courtney was the 3rd mum to share her story for the podcast so it was so awesome to have her back! For those who haven’t heard Courtney’s previous birth stories we recap these in the first half and then she shares her serendipitous surprise, a fourth baby, and the birth story of Henry. 

This is a beautiful story and I hope you enjoy it!

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

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Episode 75 is shared by L. A first time mum living on the land of the Wurundjeri and Bunurong Peoples. 

She shares her pregnancy story and how her frequent engagement with the hospital system due to her debilitating hyperemesis gravidarum influenced her decisions around what model of care she wanted and hoped for. 

Ultimately, despite back and forth and advocating for the same, L was unable to access midwifery continuity of care or a homebirth through the publicly funded model. She then made the decision to birth unassisted with the support of her partner. 

I met L in the later part of the third trimester as she was navigating this decision and was shocked by some of the experiences L had especially considering how her pregnancy had already significantly impacted her mental health and wellbeing.  

Resources: 

• Hyperemesis Gravidarum 
• Birth of the Placenta (Ep from Great Birth Rebellion) 

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

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** We discuss trauma and obstetric violence in this episode** 

This is episode 74 and it’s shared by Eliza living on the land of the Western Kangoulu peoples. 

She shares with us her traumatic c-section in remote QLD, and how for her 2nd baby, initially influenced by lack of access to any other supported birth model, she chose to freebirth and had an extremely healing and magical VBAC. Thanks to Eliza for being so open and seeing the value in story sharing.  

We do talk about traumatic events and obstetric violence in this episode so please be mindful of this when listening. 

Resources: 

• Group B Strep Explained by Dr Sara Wickham (GBS) 
  • Another great Dr Sara W resource
• The 'Dead Baby' Card - it's REAL 
• This is just a news article highlighting the impact of newborns having antibiotics 
• VBAC episode on The Midwives Cauldron
• VBAC: Making a mountain out of a molehill
  (2013) Birthings Magazine, vol. 120, pp. 11-13.

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

[email protected]  

This episode is a part of the homebirth around the World Series. In this episode I chat with Paul Golden. 

It was a fantastic conversation and I urge women and midwives alike to listen. Paul is a travelling midwife, who has supported women all over the world, but he is also well known in the birth and human rights space. 

We talk about Paul’s journey to midwifery and his study of the law and how this has led to him becoming one of the most highly regarded midwife mediators in the world. We touch on topics such as bodily autonomy, representing your self, protecting your practice as a midwife, what could be called witch hunts of midwives, criminalisation of doulas and so much more. It is a particularly relevant episode for women, families and midwives, no matter where you are in the world. 

Resources: 

• Keeping Midwives Safe: Helpful legal advice, actions and templates by Paul Golden
• Paul's interview with Eva Rose
• "This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that Indigenous women are at increased risk of mental health problems across the perinatal period, particularly depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. "
• First Nations Infant and child mortality - AIHW stats
• "Midwife’s 14-year sentence highlights attacks on women’s autonomy, global surge in unnecessary C-sections"
• Protect Your Practice - new book by Paul - coming soon
• Human Rights in Childbirth 

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

[email protected]  

Episode 73 is share by Hala living on Kanamaluka country, the land of the Palawa  People. 

She shares her experience with accessing midwifery continuity of care and ultimately her decision in labour with her second baby to stay at home and birth her bay girl Solène in her bath tub - just how she had envisioned. And then chose to go to hospital for a check up after the birth of Solen’s placenta. 

 We talk about many topics in this episode including the power and importance of pain in a physiological birth, the transgenerational impact of birth, the transformational journey of pregnancy and birth,  and the impact of the modern world and current maternity system on midwifery and continuity of care. 

Resources: 

• Dr Rachel Reed's very very good blog
  • Meconium stained amniotic fluid
• The Midwives Cauldron Podcast

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info)

[email protected]

[email protected]

This is episode 72 and is shared by Rhiannon living on the land of the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation. 

Rhiannon shares how her homebirth transfer with her first baby influenced her decision to freebirth her second baby. We talk about the opportunity for inner growth that pregnancy and birth can offer, how she decided on freebirth and her engagement with private midwifery for her antennal and postnatal care, and of course her two birth experiences that were extremely different! 

Resources: 

• Prelabour Rupture of Membranes 
• Precipitous Labour
• The First Forty Days 
• Meal Train 

Support the show

Reach out:

www.emdrwithelsie.com.au

@birthingathome_apodcast
@emdr_with_elsie (EMDR info) 

[email protected]

[email protected]