Ahhh mamas - the sound is a bit glitchy here and there on this recording, so massive apologies for this!

But the conversation I had with Lucy was really uplifting! And the sound quality doesn’t stop her lovely birth story coming through. There’s lots of learning and empowerment in there!

Thanks so much for sharing your story Lucy!

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And if you need my support for Pregnancy Empowerment, you can find it at essentials.theheavyweightmidwife.com

On this week’s show I spoke to Cathy Bowker, an Infant Feeding Specialist Midwife, to get you knowledge and tips on pregnancy preparation for successful breastfeeding From the ‘3 Keeps’ to Building Yourself a Throne.

I know many plus size pregnant women worry that breastfeeding will be more difficult for them, and Cathy is full of calm reassurance and practical advice.

Me & Cathy go right back to our midwifery training days - over 20 years - and she’s a very dear friend of mine! So I know she is passionate and an expert on this topic. This episode is definitely for you if you are planning to breastfeed your baby.

Cathy provided some recommendations on her favourite resources too:

La leche league (Getting breastfeeding on track after a difficult start)

Breastfeeding.support (Breastfeeding with Large Breasts)

Nancy Morbacher on YouTube (What Feeding Positions Work If I’m Large Breasted?)

My Expert Midwife on YouTube (My Expert Midwife - How To Harvest Colostrum)

On this week’s episode I am speaking to Sadie about a particular care pathway at her local NHS Trust that has really helped her. Sadie is pregnant with her third baby, and when she felt she was not being listened to by her obstetric consultant about her wishes for birth, her midwife offered to begin a ‘Hear to Listen’ intervention. In this fascinating conversation Sadie tells me what happened next and how she’s feeling now.

Thank you Sadie, for sharing your experiences so openly and hopefully helping others to feel more confident in asking to be heard.

‘Hear to Listen’ isn’t a national policy, and is, I think, unique to Sadie’s Trust. Different Trusts may have similar initiatives and perhaps more still could adopt this kind of approach. I would love to hear about your experiences at your local hospital. Please contact me if you have something to share!

In this episode, I talk to the very wonderful Megan Rossiter. Megan is the creator of the Birth-Ed birth preparation method, a holistic and empowering birth prep programme, aimed at putting you in control for pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Megan and I talk about how the ‘cascade of interventions’ can easily start rolling, about how to put yourself in control for your pregnancy and birth, and how to get the information you need from midwives and doctors, rather than giving over the power to them to make your plans for you. She has some simple, effective tips to get you in control for birth, and emphasises there’s no reason you shouldn’t be, just as you are in all other areas of your life!

Find Megan’s wonderful work & sharing of fabulous birth images on social media @birth-ed

On this episode of the podcast I met the fabulous Kirsty Jones. Kirsty was nearly 26 weeks pregnant when we recorded our chat, and she told me all about her experiences on her journey to motherhood, something she has wanted for a very long time. Kirsty has focussed on improving her health & wellness holistically, helping her to work on her relationship with food, readying herself for pregnancy and birth, and she has documented this on her amazing, real & often hilarious socials @bobalongwithkirsty and in her Sort Your Sh!t Out podcast, alongside her Personal Trainer & friend @beewallis.

We talked about the experience of longing for pregnancy, and then struggling with it, navigating appointments and communicating with midwives, sonographers and doctors as a plus size pregnant woman. I know lots of the experiences Kirsty has had and the wisdom she imparts will resonate with many listeners. Thank you to Kirsty.. and Listeners, enjoy!

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The Heavyweight Midwife Podcast is Here!!

This is a safe space where we chat all things plus size pregnancy empowerment. I’ll always aim for this podcast to be a place where you can feel good, you can learn, get reassurance and empowerment, so your pregnancy and birth are experiences you can be in control of - as this is absolutely key to having positive pregnancy & birth experiences.

On this first episode, I try to reign in my love of talking(!) and explain briefly how The Heavyweight Midwife came about, what my ethos is, and get started with the reassurance that you need!

Buckle up for a wonderful first Series, with a mix of expert guests and plus size mamas, sharing their wisdom and experiences. Each episode is curated to bring you unique knowledge and empowerment for your pregnancy journey!

Follow me on Instagram & TikTok @theheavyweightmidwife

Join my Heavyweight Midwife Facebook Group

Join my Step by Step Empowerment Plan if you need access to my resources & support, step by step, through your journey to parenthood.

Email me at [email protected]