Ireland's Birth Stories

This week I share my chat with Ellen who shared her first two birth stories back in Sept 2020 and now revisits the birth of her third child last year. Since we spoke back in 2020 Ellen has qualified as a postpartum doula which gave her all the tools she needed in preparation for her third labour and birth. She shares her reasons behind opting for a homenirth, preparation and the moment she caught her baby. When we first spoke back in 2020, Ellen was open about breastfeeding grief and the weight that carried. Eleven months in and Ellen is still enjoying breastfeeding her baby boy so this time around her experience has been very different. 

Thanks Ellen

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Danielle who talks me through her four pregnancies and births. Danielle revisits processing an unplanned pregnancy, the changes that brought to her life and discovering her baby had a rare genetic condition at 4 months old. We chat through each of her four births, two tough experiences both with epidurals followed by two really positive, healing, unmedicated births. There is so much in this episode from navigating unplanned pregnancies at two very different stages of life, balancing pregnancy, work, family, life and feeling the powers of that healing birth.

Thanks Danielle

Support the podcast

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Instagram

Give A Little Grub

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share the first birth story under the new title "Birth Back Then". Mairead revisits each of her three miscarriages followed by her two birth stories. Mairead worked as a nurse all her life so gives us an insight into what that looked like along with how life looked in the 1980's as a working women trying to build her family. She gave birth to her first son unmedicated with the support of her husband within the hospital setting. We then move onto her second birth story which was very different. She was blighted with constant sickness and crippling pain. It was discovered at 26 weeks gestation that Mairead infact had a huge cyst along with other diagnosis and underwent emergency surgery.

Mairead then takes us through life post surgery and the remainder of her pregnancy. It's so hard to her how after such a short space of time her life returned to "normal", working for as long as she could until she went into labour while still very much feeling the impact of her surgery.

Mairead's story is precisely why I decided to make this addition to the podcast and open the space up for women to share their historical births.

Thank you so much Mairead

This episode is brought to you by Mother Dragon

W: www.motherdragon.ie

E: [email protected]

Instagram: @motherdragonireland  

TikTok: @motherdragon.ie 

Pinterest: @MotherDragonIreland 

WhatsApp: Mother Dragon

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Sarah who talks me through her decision to create a family on her own, two pregnancies and two very different birth stories. Sarah chats briefly on her decision to start her family solo with the help of a donor and the realisation after seeing that positive test. We then chat through her first pregnancy which was blighted with anxiety due to a number of factors. The days leading up to her daughter's birth were not conducive with the labour Sarah wished for. We then revisit Emily's birth and the months that followed. Second time round looked very different, although Sarah didn't give birth at home which she hoped for, she did receive the care and attention of some amazing midwives. She experienced that rush of love as her boy came into the world.

Thanks Sarah

This episode is brought to you by Mother Dragon

W: www.motherdragon.ie

E: [email protected]

Instagram: @motherdragonireland  

TikTok: @motherdragon.ie 

Pinterest: @MotherDragonIreland 

WhatsApp: Mother Dragon

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Julie who talks me through her second birth story, the birth of Billy. We spoke last year revisiting the birth of her first son but this story is thankfully very different. Julie expected a long labour similar to her first experience but Billy had very different plans. Julie was surrounded by supportive midwives who were rooting for her to continue on the path she was on to a completely unmedicated birth. A gorgeous positive birth story.

Below I have included by first chat with hJulie which is almost a year to the day.....I promised that wasn't planned!

Thanks Julie

EP140 Julie

This episode is brought to you by Mother Dragon

W: www.motherdragon.ie

E: [email protected]

Instagram: @motherdragonireland  

TikTok: @motherdragon.ie 

Pinterest: @MotherDragonIreland 

WhatsApp: Mother Dragon

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share part 2 of my chat with Amber who talks continues to talk me through her experience with postpartum psychosis along with her second pregnancy and planned induction. Amber goes into further detail around the weeks following the birth of Billy. She shares how PPP looked for her from hallucinations to the impact it had on her senses. We then talks through her second birth story, her decision to have a planned induction and the birth of her daughter Polly.

Amber has shared so much with us which I know is greatly appreciated. I hope the experiences she has shared can provide comfort to you or others around you and also to just share life after PPP. It does exist x

This episode is brought to you by Mother Dragon

W: www.motherdragon.ie

E: [email protected]

Instagram: @motherdragonireland  

TikTok: @motherdragon.ie 

Pinterest: @MotherDragonIreland 

WhatsApp: Mother Dragon

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks episode I share PT1 of my two part chat with Amber. In her early 20's, Amber discovered she was pregnant which was later diagnosed as an ectopic pregnancy. Ambers second pregnancy was hard as she struggled with sickness throughout, mentions of IUGR from doctors and also discovering her baby had a two vessel chord. Following an induction, Ambers first baby was born weighing a healthy 7 pounds into the arms of very happy parents. This is where her story changes dramatically as she suffered a haemorrhage and needed specialised care much quickler than she received it. Amber goes on to share her experience with postpartum psychosis which we chat about in the latter stages of her story but we really dive into in the next part of her story.

Thanks Amber

This episode is brought to you by

Mother Dragon

W: www.motherdragon.ie

E: [email protected]

Instagram: @motherdragonireland  

TikTok: @motherdragon.ie 

Pinterest: @MotherDragonIreland 

WhatsApp: Mother Dragon

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Jess who talks me through each of her two birth stories. Jess discovered she was pregnant in her 20's which although was a suprise, it was more of an adjustment to the plan as having children was always on the trajectory. We revisit her daughters birth who came into the world one day after her due date surrounded by fellow midwives for support. We then chat through her second pregnancy, TTC, the joy in seeing that positive pregnancy test and the reason why Jess opted for an induction.

At the end of our chat we both get a little emotional but for the same reason. We all want women to have the experience they want, regardless of how it looks. Grieving the birth Jess didn't and won't have is something we go into.

Thanks Jess

Instagram

Give A Little Grub

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Hannah who talks me through each of three pregnancies. Hannah revisits TTC, pregnancy loss and giving birth at home supported by SECMs. After suffering a miscarriage with her first preganancy Hannah was blighted with anxiety throughout the early stages of her subsequent pregnancies. During a routine scan on her second pregnancy it was discovered Hannah was pregnant with twins but one of the twins didn't survive which is described as a "vanishing twin". We talk through her decision to birth each of her babies at home surrounded by her husband and amazing midwives.

Thanks Hannah

Instagram

Give A Little Grub

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Emma who talks me through each of her two births. Emma opted for an epidural with her first labour giving her the much needed relief she was looking for. She then talks us through her second pregnancy which was a shock but very much wanted. At the latter stages of pregnancy she was just ready for baby to join her family and thankfully he decided he was ready too. She went into spontaneous labour and had an unmedicated birth. The days, weeks and months to follow were so tough with her son suffering from reflux. Emma revisits just how tough it was with the sleepless nights, feeling completely helpless, the constant vomiting and more. Together with her husband they attended every practitioner under the sun in sought of help. The cure was time it seems. This episode will resonate with so many of you who have tried to comfort your babies through months of colic or reflux, you certainly aren't alone.

Thanks Emma

Support the podcast

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Instagram

Give A Little Grub

Get in touch

E: [email protected]

IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG

Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

Show Your Support

Buy Me A Coffee

Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.