British Birth Stories

Please note that Ashley will not be resuming the podcast just yet. 

Host Ashley Brenninkmeijer candidly shares her 2020 journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum during the pandemic with her second baby in London. What began as a low risk pregnancy aiming for a homebirth water VBAC, ended in the highest risk life or death preterm birth due to severe covid. Ashley opted for private care under Dr. Karen Joash at Queen Charlotte's Hospital alongside private midwives. Emotional and difficult to talk about in parts, Ashley navigated becoming a second time mom in the midst of three national lockdowns with long covid, relactating and postnatal depression. 

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

Dr Karen Joash

Private Midwives

Activ Iron

Dr Warren Hyer

On the return of British Birth Stories from maternity leave, Host Ashley Brenninkmeijer candidly shares her 2020 journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum during the pandemic with her second baby in London. What began as a low risk pregnancy aiming for a homebirth water VBAC, ended in the highest risk life or death preterm birth due to severe covid. Ashley opted for private care under Dr. Karen Joash at Queen Charlotte's Hospital alongside private midwives. Emotional and difficult to talk about in parts, Ashley navigated becoming a second time mom in the midst of three national lockdowns with long covid and postnatal depression. 

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

Dr Karen Joash

Private Midwives

Activ Iron

Silverettes

Dr Warren Hyer

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Rebecca Robinson from Norfolk. After trying for 2.5 years to fall pregnant, she was about to embark on her first IVF round when she found out she was pregnant with her first. She opted for Midwife-Led care at her local NHS trust and initially choose a homebirth. After some growth concerns, she changed for MLU care at her local hospital. She began labour at 41 weeks after 2 sweeps and ended up having a very fast labour at home, resulting in a BBA. Her little boy spent 10 days in the NICU after respirating meconium and when they were discharged, Rebecca speaks candidly about how hard the first 6 months of postpartum were. She breastfed for 2 years and fell pregnant naturally with her second during the pandemic. She found Hypnobirthing Rebirth to be helpful in processing the trauma from her first birth. She opted for an NHS homebirth this time around and she gave birth at home with the help of a midwife just before the second lockdown in October 2020.

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

Molly O’Brien Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing Rebirth Therapy

On this week’s episode, I get the treat of chatting with Sophie Baron, founder of MamaMade and fellow expat from the states. She tells her story of having to navigate a new healthcare system here in the UK in general and the challenges that presented once she fell pregnant. She gave birth 3 years ago after falling pregnant quickly even though she had suffered PCOS previously. She opted for Midwife-led Care via the NHS in North London and found her labour very unsupported at the hospital as she waited for a room to give birth. She gave birth swiftly in a pool once a room was found for her family and she was met with conflicting feelings after achieving the birth she had hoped. She had a miscarriage in between her firstborn and her current pregnancy, and Sophie speaks candidly and openly about her loss and her experience at A&E. She is currently pregnant and due very soon, and shares her experience of being pregnant in a global pandemic. She is opting for a homebirth this time around for continuity of care and better support.

ps, her company, MamaMade, is definitely worth a look as well. She offers organic, healthy, home-made baby food that is fresh and I have gifted boxes of her baby food to other moms. I will use it for my baby when weaning comes around. A great alternative to baby pouches and also to those late nights of batch cooking (which nearly broke my husband and I; it was so hard.) It’s also free from the big 8 allergens and is frozen fresh. I highly, highly recommend and am so glad it is around. A genuine rave mom-review from me.

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Jessica Spry who tells us her story of birthing her baby boy in the height of COVID-19. After having a miscarriage, she fell pregnant with her son. She opted for a NHS homebirth but plans changed when she was told quite late on about a Group B positive test she had had in her first trimester. She then changed care and birth plans for Midwife-led care at the NHS Homerton Hospital Birth Centre. Tune in to hear her full story. 

And please note I am gearing up for maternity leave so any submissions I get after Dec. 15, 2020 until April/May 2021 will be picked up in the spring of 2021. I can't wait to keep sharing your stories. 

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

NCT

Positive Birth Company

Mindful Hypnobirthing, Sophie Fletcher

Group B info and Guidance

Freya App

On today’s episode, I get to chat with Amar Sanghera who shares her two NHS births in Birmingham. She shares the birth stories of her two sons, Ace and Romy. She opted for midwife-led care at the Serenity Birth Centre for Ace 18 months ago, and navigated her care with a 'surprise' anterior placenta and a posterior position for birth. With Romy, she had a BBA (birth before arrival) at home 3 months ago in the thick of COVID-19.

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

The Pregnancy Podcast

The Adventures of Tandem Breastfeeding, Dr. Hillary Flower

Freya App

Hypnobirthing, Maria Mongom

Your Baby, Your Birth, Hollie de Cruz

The Fourth Trimester, Kimberly Ann Johnson

BRAIN Acronym:

B - Benefits

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Grace, the founder of Irie&I and mother to Iris. She gave birth to her 21 month-old via NHS midwife-led care at the Whittington Hospital in London. She gave birth vaginally and opted for diamorphine in labour. Iris spent 5 days in the NICU and Grace shares her extended breastfeeding story. She fell pregnant after Iris and miscarried at 7 weeks. She talks candidly about her journey through that loss and is currently pregnant again in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To hear her full story, tune into this week’s episode!

xo Ashley

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

Music by Jonny Woodley

Irie and I, Grace’s children’s shop

Claire, Tutum Hypnobirthing

Your Baby, Your Birth by Hollie de Cruz

Michael Odent: "I usually claim that pregnant women should not read books about pregnancy and birth. Their time is too precious. They should, rather, watch the moon and sing to their babies in the womb.”

On this week’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Jessica Tabaka. She shares her journey through her two births, the most recent occurring in April of 2020 (aka, the height of Covid-19 lockdown.) She walks us through unexplained fertility and falling pregnant with her first son. She chose to go via NHS midwife-led care in SE London for her care in her first birth. She talks candidly about her experience with postnatal anxiety and breastfeeding journey. For her second birth, she opted for a home birth. However, COVID-19 was ramping up and during her pregnancy, homebirths were being cancelled as there weren’t guaranteed ambulances in the event of transport. She gave birth in April 2020 to her second at the height of lockdown at a different SE hospital and shares how helpful Mammary Constriction Massage proved in her second time breastfeeding.

La Leche League

Silverette Nipple Cups

The Art of Babymaking

Mammary Constriction Massage

Music by Jonny Woodley

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

On this week’s episode, we get to hear about Carlie Tasker’s journey to motherhood. Carlie is a digital creative and new mom to Grace. She shares her experience with endometriosis and her first pregnancy which ended with a missed miscarriage. She fell pregnant not long after her D&C and had to navigate maternity care via the NHS in a COVID-19 regulated world. She gave birth this summer following a polyhydramnios diagnosis and induction. Her daughter Grace spent a week in the NICU with jaundice and she shares her feeding journey as well.

Positive Birth Company

Music by Jonny Woodley

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer

On today’s episode, I chat to Mads, who is the creative behind StudioBust and mother to two girls, Winnie and Cece. She had two different London-based births at St. Mary’s Paddington Hospital, the first in 2018 and the second in 2020. Her first daughter was a misdiagnosed breech birth that ended in an empowering c-section. She chose to return to St. Mary’s for her second birth, for a water VBAC. Cece contracted group B strep and spent a week in the NICU, just two weeks shy of the first London Lockdown of 2020.

C-Section Massage in Kensington (Kinga)

C-Section Scar Tape

Freya App

Silver Nipple Cups 

Shellies

Acupuncture (Sarah Collinson)

HypnoBirthing (Margaux) 

The Positive Birth Book

Music by Jonny Woodley

Hosted by Ashley Brenninkmeijer