Welcome to week 5 of '8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth'!

Today Victoria and Aileen White, founder of @mybirthsupportcic and ND Birth Training Practitioner, talk about navigating communication in maternity care as a neurodivergent person.

We cover:

• Common communication challenges (medical jargon, implied questions, rushed conversations)
• Asking for clear, direct language
• Processing time: it's okay to say "I need time to think"
• Written vs verbal communication preferences
• Building a communication preferences plan
• Using visual aids and written summaries

Aileen talks about the HEART acronym which can be helpful when asking for more processing time.

H: Hear - "I hear what you're saying"

E: Empathise - "and I know why you are recommending this"

A: Affirm - "but I would like more time to consider ...." or "I would like to try this alternative."

R: Reassure - "I’ll definitely let you know if anything changes/I'll get back to you"

T: Thanks - "Thank you so much for supporting me and my baby.”

You can find out more about Aileen and My Birth Support CIC at https://mybirth.org.uk/

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Today we're delighted to share this bonus episode with you which is all about neurodivergence, attachment and parenting. Our guest is Julianne Boutaleb, consultant perinatal psychologist and clinical director and founder of Parenthood In Mind, a provider of specialist perinatal psychology and psychotherapy services.

You can find out more about Julianne's and the team's wonderful work and support services at https://www.parenthoodinmind.co.uk/ and by following on instagram @parenthoodinmind

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Welcome to week 4 of '8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth'!

Today Victoria explores different options for where to labour and birth, what you might wish to consider from an ND perspective, and what your rights are in relation to this topic.

If you are considering birth on a labour ward or midwife-led unit, practical questions to ask include:

• Can I visit the unit before labour to familiarise myself with the environment?
• What is the lighting like — can it be dimmed?
• How noisy is it typically — is there a quieter room option?
• How many staff changes will there be during my labour?
• Can I bring my own items to make the environment feel more comfortable?
• What is your policy on birth partners — can I have more than one?
• How long can my birth partner stay? 4 hours? Reasonable adjustment from the baseline.
• If I find verbal communication difficult when I'm overwhelmed, how will you support me?
• What happens if I need to transfer — how long does that take, and who comes with me?

If your enjoying this series we recommend you check out The ND Birth Prep Course, available at https://www.ndbirth.com/nd-birth-prep-course

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Welcome to week 3 of '8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth'!

Today Victoria and Aimee Booth, trained nurse, health visitor, hypnobirthing practitioner and ND Birth Training Practitioner, discuss how to understand and communicate your sensory needs to those supporting you during labour and birth.

You can find out more about Aimee's hypnobirthing and baby massage services in Manchester by following @karmababies_aimee or visiting www.karmababies.co.uk.

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Welcome to the second week of '8 Weeks to Prepare for your ND Birth'!

Today Victoria and Karen Henry, midwife, lecturer and ND Birth Training Practitioner, discuss how to prepare for your antenatal appointments as a neurodivergent person. 

Karen references some amazing videos from the Swansea University 'Autism: from Menstruation to Menopause' study which are linked below:

https://youtu.be/AA3WWz7b3eo?si=aCRNH4e2r1Rk5IDg

https://youtu.be/6kv9zj2Aph4?si=6bME7GSdZTDc7fvH

https://youtu.be/Y5mMvBQxcCA?si=TDGDMZTpYWRW6eVu

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Season 5 of The Neurodivergent Birth Podcast is here! 

This season we’re sharing something special… 

8 weeks to prepare for your neurodivergent birth.

Across the next 8 episodes, founder Victoria White and guests will guide you through some of the most important areas to consider when preparing for pregnancy, birth and early parenthood as a neurodivergent person.

Topics include:
✨ Your rights in maternity care
✨ Understanding your sensory needs
✨ Preparing for antenatal appointments
✨ Navigating communication in maternity services
✨ Choosing your place of birth
✨ Preparing for labour and birth
✨ The postnatal period
✨ Feeding your baby

Whether you’re currently pregnant, planning a family, or supporting someone who is - this season is designed to help you feel informed, confident and supported.

Today we focus on laying the foundations in understanding your rights in maternity care.

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Today I talk with Dr Frankie Harrison. Frankie is a clinical psychologist, a NICU mum and founder of Miracle Moon UK, which provides support and therapy for parents healing after NICU experiences and birth trauma.

Frankie talks all about neurodivergent experiences of NICU and how important it is to have conversations antenatally about what it might be like if your baby has to spend any time on the neonatal unit, and how to support yourself.

Frankie is kicking off our FREE to watch webinars during Neurodivergent Birth Awareness Week at 12pm on the 5th December all about this topic, so do head to ndbirth.com to register for free.

And this is the final episode of this Season! We’ll be back in the new year with a new format and a new co-host so stay tuned. And thank you for all your support this year. See you in 2026!

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

In today's episode I speak with Ruby Osunsola, who is one of our new Training Practitioners at Neurodivergent Birth. Ruby shares her personal story of navigating the maternity system as a neurodivergent, Black single parent, with multiple health conditions.

This is such an important conversation to listen to and reflect on, particularly if you are a maternity or perinatal professional. 

Please also check out Ruby's incredible article 'Spotlight on Noiredivergence: Navigating Black Neurodivergent in the UK birth space' at ndbirth.com/blog

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Today I talk to Victoria Warnes, founder and director of The Modern Antenatal Revolution, an award-winning organisation which offers antenatal education and antenatal teacher training with a refreshing focus on emotional wellbeing and mental health. We talk about the importance of feeling safe in antenatal education spaces in order for them to be truly accessible, and how important it is to prepare antenatally for the postnatal time.

You can find out more about Victoria and The Modern Antenatal Revolution here:

https://www.themodernantenatalrevolution.com/

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

Season 4 is back!

And in today's episode I speak with Hayley Morgan and Sara King who are chair and vice-chair of the Maternity Austism Research Group (MARG) in the UK.

We talk about their own personal journeys as autistic mothers, their PhD research into autistic experiences of maternity care, and the creation of MARG as a collective of autistic researchers and health professionals.

Today (18th September 2025) marks the launch of MARG's Best Practice Guidelines for supporting Autistic women and birthing people in maternity and obstetric care, which can be found at this link:

https://www.maternityautismresearchgroup.co.uk/guidelines

Thank you for listening!

Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.