Best Dr Alex Umbers and Dr Kara Thompson Podcasts (2024)

1
S6. Ep3. Birth of a Feminist – An interview with RANZCOG Vice President Dr. Nisha Khot 55:58

4h ago55:58

55:58

In this episode we side-step from our usual content to hear the considered insights of Dr. Nisha Khot. Nisha grew up, studied and practiced to become a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in India - where 'a feminist was born'. After further training and working in the UK she landed on Australian shores, practising and training the next gener…

1
S6. Ep2. When a picture hides the true story – An inspiring journey of IVF, miscarriage and hope. 1:09:12

12d ago1:09:12

1:09:12

Pip had always seen herself having a family and as a driven and organised obstetrician she had clear expectations about how, and when, that might happen. But rarely do fertility journeys unfold as we expect. After an initial miscarriage that instantly her interactions and understanding of the women in her care, she found herself on an IVF journey t…

1
S6. Ep1. Uterine Transplant. The medicine behind a miraculous second chance. 51:03

2M ago51:03

51:03

Following the birth of her first child, Violet, Kirsty experienced a large post partum haemorrhage, which required a hysterectomy to save her life. This would seem to spell an end to her fertility journey and Kirsty, who had always imagined more children, began conversations around surrogacy. However, she couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling tha…

1
S5. Ep5. Inconceivable. Solo motherhood and donor conception 41:30

1y ago41:30

41:30

Alexandra had always imagined being a mum, but the onset of baby hunger in her late 30s, while a long term relationship with a man who didn’t share her dream, led to a change in direction. After moving back in with her parents, a series of bad dates, time began to outrun her reproductive age, so Alexandra made the pragmatic decision to go it alone …

1
S5. Ep4. Yelling into a void. Why are we still not talking about severe perineal trauma? 50:30

1y ago50:30

50:30

Nine years on from a traumatic birth that led to a fourth degree tear, Verity still finds herself wondering if there is more she could have done; asked a different person, articulated herself differently, said the magic words that would have got her the help she so desperately needed. The reality however, is that she pushed and pushed and pushed. W…

1
S5. Ep3. Far from home. A farming mum's journey with fetal heart block and long distance care. 48:55

1+ y ago48:55

48:55

Married to a busy farmer and working as a midwife at their nearest hospital, Marnie’s dream was always to have her family born and bred close to home. She was just 19 weeks pregnant with her second baby, when her rural GP obstetrician found that baby's heartbeat was around half what it should have been, and diagnosed fetal heart block - a rare cond…

1
S5. Ep2. Reborn from Tragedy. How stillbirth both breaks and shapes a mother. 38:57

1+ y ago38:57

38:57

Heidi is mother to three children but her firstborn, Harry, was stillborn at 38 weeks after a seemingly straightforward pregnancy. The delivery of that news, that no expectant parent should ever hear, was done in a way that lacked the care and compassion it warranted and that memory continues to loom large. Returning home, Heidi and her family were…

1
S5. Ep1. 'Childless: A story of freedom and longing'. In conversation with Sian Prior 46:40

1+ y ago46:40

46:40

An accomplished writer, musician, journalist, broadcaster and climate activist, Sian Prior has led a fulfilling life. However, she has always felt a chasm where her child should have been and it is only recently that she has given herself the space and compassion to acknowledge the grief that has been with her throughout much of her adult life as a…

1
S4. Ep 11. Spina Bifida: One family’s heartbreaks, and new hope with intrauterine surgery. 58:45

1+ y ago58:45

58:45

Claudine had been having a normal second pregnancy but when her 20 week scan showed abnormalities and she received the heartbreaking news that her baby, Sophie had severe Spina Bifida, her and her husband had two weeks to make the hardest decision of any parent. Soon after, Claudine fell pregnant for a third time and took every recommended precauti…

1
S4. Ep 10. Birth on the spectrum. One women's experience of Autism, ADHD, and pregnancy. 54:23

1+ y ago54:23

54:23

Following years of masking and unanswered questions, Annie was finally diagnosed Autistic and ADHD when she was in her late 20s, a delayed trajectory that is not uncommon in women on the spectrum. Annie has also faced several challenges including a history of sexual assault, PTSD, Ehlers Danlos syndrome, and complex mental health (including an eati…

1
S4. Ep 9. Transitioning to fatherhood. One man’s journey of pregnancy and birth. 54:25

1+ y ago54:25

54:25

Kim and July met at an all-girls school. But when deciding to embark on a relationship, Kim had one important consideration; he identified as male, and wished to take the necessary steps for him to affirm his gender identity as a transgender man. Several years later, Kim’s wife July faced a heart-breaking IVF journey and was unable to conceive. Fac…

1
S4. Ep 8. Health At Every Size. How weight bias in fertility treatment can harm. 49:50

2y ago49:50

49:50

Portia has, in her own words, always lived in a larger body. Even when she adopted excessive and almost disordered eating and exercise habits, her body mass index (BMI) remained in the ‘‘overweight’ category. As a doctor working in general practice, Portia understood the significant shortfalls of the BMI as a measurement, and the poor correlation o…

1
S4 Ep 7. Finding yourself on the other side of the probe. A sonographer’s unexpected journey. 58:30

2y ago58:30

58:30

As a ultrasound sonographer herself, Naomi was used to diagnosing every kind of pregnancy complication. But nothing could prepare her for the moment when, at 23 weeks of pregnancy, after noticing a slowing in her baby's movements, Naomi placed the probe on her own baby one morning at work. Straight away, Naomi identified that her baby was, in her o…

1
S4 Ep 6. Midwifery, motherhood and pregnancy related trauma. 52:54

2y ago52:54

52:54

Helen is a midwife, academic, lecturer and mum. When a scan at 21 weeks in her first pregnancy showed that her baby girl was on the 3rd centile for weight with high pressure flow in some crucial blood vessels, Helen knew exactly what that meant. Letting go of her hopes for an uncomplicated pregnancy, Helen kept working and looking after other peopl…

1
S4 Ep5. Stuck: A story of invasive placenta accreta and caesarean-hysterectomy 32:15

2y ago32:15

32:15

Leonie’s son Max was growing small and was in a breech presentation throughout her entire first pregnancy. When his heart rate dropped during monitoring at the 35 week mark, Leonie was whisked into an emergency caesarean birth. Leonie hoped for a vaginal birth after caesarean for her second son, but it wasn’t to be. After two caesarean births and a…

1
S4. Ep4. From Home to Hospital. A story of birth hypoxia. 47:54

2y ago47:54

47:54

Haylee was a young, fit, first time mum, and her pregnancy with her first son Fred was progressing beautifully. Haylee was well educated about her health and pregnancy choices, and elected to birth at home with the support of her partner and a private midwife. When her labour at home began to slow, Haylee transferred her care to the local hospital,…

1
S4. Ep3. Perfect in our Imperfections. Pregnancy and Parenting with a Chronic Illness. 51:16

2y ago51:16

51:16

When radio presenter Jacinta Parsons was in her early twenties, she began to feel unwell. The symptoms were insidious at first, and easy to dismiss. When she was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a severe and chronic inflammatory bowel condition, Jacinta was so unwell that she required multiple hospital stays, invasive procedures, and ulti…

1
S4. Ep 1. ‘Just get pregnant, that will fix you’. Chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis and pregnancy. 47:43

2y ago47:43

47:43

When Kat was 15 years old, her previously pain-free life changed forever. Crippled with severe pelvic and abdominal pain, Kat was suddenly unable to walk down the corridor, let alone attend school. But when her GP dismissed her debilitating symptoms as a ‘normal part of life’, a cycle of uninterested medical care, inadequate treatment and chronic p…

1
S4. Ep2. Against all Odds. Surviving and thriving after a rare diagnosis in pregnancy. 38:39

2y ago38:39

38:39

When school teacher Laura began experiencing unusual symptoms during her third trimester, it was initially thought they might be related to pregnancy. But at 34 weeks, Laura’s symptoms dramatically worsened. At a visit to the hospital, Laura suddenly stopped breathing, and required intubation. Unexpectedly, brain scans revealed a large tumour, putt…

1
S3 Episode 10. Changing the Goalposts: Becoming a solo mum by choice. 41:23

2y ago41:23

41:23

Katrina Gorry is a woman accustomed to breaking boundaries. A professional football player and Olympian, she is one of Australia’s most loved sports stars. So when Katrina felt that she wanted to become a mother, she wasn’t prepared to let career timing, professional pressure, or the fact that she was single, stand in her way. Katrina is one of a g…

1
S3 Episode 9. Altruistic Surrogacy. When it takes a village to create a child. 51:17

2y ago51:17

51:17

After the birth of her second child, Anna knew that her family was complete. But just as strongly, she knew that she wanted to be pregnant again. Since she was a teenager, Anna had been drawn to the idea of surrogacy, and the chance to give the ultimate gift to another family. With the support of her family, Anna embarked on a long, complicated, em…

1
S3 Episode 8. Bleeding, Vaginas, Grief and Loss: Changing the way we approach miscarriage. 52:35

2+ y ago52:35

52:35

Isabelle, a journalist and writer, has a son, a daughter, and seven angel babies. For women wishing to conceive, miscarriage is sadly a common experience. Around 40% of women with children experience a miscarriage at some point along their pregnancy journey. But for Isabelle, the pain of loss occurred not once, but seven times, with five of these m…

1
S3 Episode 7. Holding Space for her Sister. Twin-to-Twin; A story of loss and survival. 56:25

2+ y ago56:25

56:25

Anna and her partner were thrilled with the news that they would be expecting not one, but two identical twin girls. Anna was carrying monochorionic or MCDA twins, meaning her two girls were sharing one placenta. When the doctor explained the plan for her pregnancy, a long list of potential complications were briefly mentioned. But everything looke…

1
S3 Episode 6: If these walls could talk. Postpartum psychosis 56:22

2+ y ago56:22

56:22

When Jacqueline took her first born son home she appeared to be the embodiment of the idealized new mother. The house was clean, baby Arthur was sleeping and feeding well, and Jac was showered and neatly dressed. However beneath the flawless veneer, Jac’s family began to notice some cracks. Jac’s behaviour began to seem increasingly bizarre, and so…

1
S3 Episode 4. A Broken Heart. Surviving Peripartum Cardiomyopathy. 37:28

2+ y ago37:28

37:28

When Bec, a first time mum, began feeling tired, short of breath and a little dizzy, her symptoms could easily be put down to the normal physiological changes of late pregnancy and birth. By the end of pregnancy, a healthy woman's blood volume has expanded by 50%, the heart is working harder and faster, and oxygen requirements are significantly hig…

1
S3 Episode 5. A Mother's Intuition. A story of Love and Loss. 41:30

2+ y ago41:30

41:30

When Dominique was pregnant with her first child, she had an intuition that something wasn’t quite right. Despite being categorized as low risk, and all her ultrasounds and tests being normal, Dom couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with her baby. Following the birth of Zoey, Dom’s worst fears were realized. Instead of enjoying quie…

1
S3 Episode 3. The many faces of birth trauma: Severe pelvic floor birth injury and vaginal prolapse. 49:29

2+ y ago49:29

49:29

On paper, the birth of Amy’s first daughter was a traumatic experience. Amy experienced a forceps birth in theatre, a third degree tear, and a postpartum haemorrahge requiring a blood transfusion. Following this, she was in a wheelchair for five days, and couldn’t walk properly for weeks. But as Amy knows better than almost anyone else, it is not p…

1
S3 Episode 2: A story of massive post partum haemorrhage. Waking to the loss of your uterus. 35:44

2+ y ago35:44

35:44

Living on a remote farm in rural NSW, Laura’s options for place of birth were limited by geography. Her local hospital provided care to the entire region, and offered personalized care led by a team of dedicated GP-Obstetricians and skilled local midwives. But with only a small number of births per year, there were no facilities for epidural during…

1
S3 Episode 1: A Mother’s Instinct. Protecting Willow’s memory. 55:08

2+ y ago55:08

55:08

Amie Rohan is mum to three girls. Bella and Sadie are Earth side, and Amie’s second born daughter Willow, is her angel daughter. Following Willow’s short life in 2018, Amie has chosen to reach out to as many families as she can, to share her experience of carrying, birthing, and loving Willow, who was born with anencephaly, a severe and rare congen…

1
S2 Episode 10: Behind closed doors. A young mother’s experience of domestic abuse 54:29

2+ y ago54:29

54:29

Young and head over heels in love, Sarah was thrilled to welcome her first baby into the world with her loving husband by her side. To the outside world, they looked like the perfect young family. Inside their home it was a very different story. Challenges arose after difficulties around breastfeeding with inverted nipples. Determined, Sarah persev…

1
S2 Episode 9: The Birth of a Doula. Holding Space for Women. 52:52

2+ y ago52:52

52:52

Being young, fit and healthy, Gabrielle naturally thought her first pregnancy would progress smoothly. Having never known anyone who had experienced or spoken about miscarriage, Gabrielle’s world was rocked by the loss of her first pregnancy. Despite being surrounded by people in New York City, she felt completely alone. Where were the people who u…

1
S2 Episode 8: The Infertility Trifecta . Queer, single and infertile. 40:40

2+ y ago40:40

40:40

When Holly decided that she wanted to have a baby, her journey to parenthood was anything but straightforward. Holly discovered that she had the ‘Infertility Trifecta’. Unable to conceive naturally due to an ovulation disorder, Holly was also considered ‘socially’ infertile as a Queer person and as a single woman. Undeterred, Holly embarked on the …

1
S2 Episode 7: Keep my body alive for them. An experience of Covid in Pregnancy. 46:57

2+ y ago46:57

46:57

Kaillee was only 25 weeks pregnant with her much wanted IVF twin pregnancy when her partner Chris started to feel unwell after a trip to the supermarket. It was 2020, in the very early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia. Kailee was working from home and taking every precaution possible to avoid exposure to this new virus and keep her babies…

1
S2 Episode 6: In Tandem. Premature Twins. 50:04

2+ y ago50:04

50:04

As a senior paediatric and Special Care Nursery (SCN) nurse for 16 years, Gemma knew all there is to know about looking after premature and unwell babies. But when she discovered she was pregnant with twins, she was suddenly faced with the possibility of having her own complicated pregnancy and preterm babies. Twins pregnancies are at a significant…

1
S2 Episode 5: Not just a cough. A Dad's journey of vaccine preventable loss. 58:19

2+ y ago58:19

58:19

When Greg's son Riley was born, Greg's life felt complete. Together with 3yo daughter Olivia, Greg and his wife Catherine enjoyed a blissful few weeks in their newborn bubble getting to know their beautiful boy. But on Day 27 of Riley' life, something changed. Riley was suddenly less interested in breastfeeding and had developed a slight cough. The…

1
S2 Episode 4. A personal story of Placenta Praevia and an exploration of racial disparities in maternal health care 55:12

3y ago55:12

55:12

In Episode 4 we welcome Dr Carmen Brown, who shares her personal story of pregnancy complications. As an Obstetrician herself, Carmen has seen it all before. But when complications arose in her own pregnancy, and Carmen found herself on a tiny airplane being repatriated in an emergency air transfer to a larger hospital, and facing the preterm birth…

1
S2 Episode 3. When ginger doesn't cut it: Hyperemesis Gravidarum 49:41

3y ago49:41

49:41

In Episode 3 of season 2, our guest Katy shares with us the unimaginably difficult journey of her three pregnancies afflicted with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). Like so many conditions affecting women throughout history, nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, has historically been dismissed as a personal weakness. At best it has been undertreated, at wor…

1
S2 Episode 2 - Bonus ep: Expert advice and wisdom from our Lacation Consultant. 32:07

3y ago32:07

32:07

Following on from hearing our guest Jess discuss the challenges she faced feeding her baby Noah in Episode 2, we have included this special bonus episode chatting to an expert in all things breastfeeding, our Lactation Consultant Amber. Amber provides a beautiful and balanced approach to the challenges of feeding our babies. Amber shares with us he…

1
S2 Episode 2. Attached: A breast feeding journey through mastitis. 35:51

3y ago35:51

35:51

Before having a baby of our own, we often picture feeding as simple, intuitive and easy. We have all seen photos on social media of models effortlessly breastfeeding their babies between shoots. How hard can it be? For some new parents, the challenges can be overwhelming. Our guest Jess shares her incredible story of breastfeeding her baby Noah. Af…

1
S2. Episode 1. 'A part of me left when she did': Silent cervical dilatation and second trimester baby loss. 45:40

3y ago45:40

45:40

' In our first episode of Season 2, our guest Jade opens up about the heartbreak of losing her baby Kai to a condition known as cervical insufficiency or cervical incompetence. Jade’s pregnancy was progressingly beautifully, and her bond with her unborn child was already so strong, when Jade was given some unexpected news that no parent can ever im…

1
S1 Episode 10. White walls: An Aboriginal birthing journey. 52:12

3y ago52:12

52:12

Navigating a pregnancy and birth of a baby can be exciting, overwhelming, and challenging. For First Nation’s parents however, this universally challenging time is compounded by an additional and constant stress. Not only do Aboriginal parents face the usual challenges facing all new parents, they also carry with them the devastating impacts of col…

1
S1 Episode 9. Unmasked: Pregnancy in the Pandemic 51:50

3y ago51:50

51:50

In 2019 Alex and her husband were deliberating their plans for 2020. Would the newlyweds travel overseas or start a family? Deciding on the latter, they were thrilled to discover they were pregnant soon after. But accompanying them on their first trimester journey were news stories that grew more urgent by the day, warning them of a terrifying new …

1
S1 Episode 8 - Bonus Ep: The pelvic floor. Unzipped 45:59

3y ago45:59

45:59

In Episode 8 of Pregnancy Uncut, Ellie bravely shared her open and honest story of her third degree tear and post-partum incontinence. After listening to this episode we knew there was so much in this topic to explore further. Birth injuries are truely one of the hidden aspects of pregnancy and birth. Women's bodies are incredible, and most people …

1
S1 Episode 8: The hidden world of birth injuries. Perineal tears, urinary incontinence and faecal urgency. 42:51

3y ago42:51

42:51

Despite being a health professional, severe perineal trauma was not something Ellie was prepared for, or even aware of, prior to the birth of her baby. Following the birth of first baby, Ellie was taken to the operating theatre to repair her perineal tear. Perhaps this was normal, Ellie recalls thinking. Unfortunately, Ellie subsequently learnt tha…

1
S1 Episode 7: The vessel: A journey of pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction and premature birth. 1:06:01

3y ago1:06:01

1:06:01

As she moved into the start of her third trimester, Lucy’s pregnancy was going beautifully. Feeling lucky to avoid severe pregnancy symptoms at the start of her pregnancy, Lucy was not expecting to feel increasingly unwell as she attended her 28 week appointment. When the midwife found an abnormally high blood pressure, Lucy suddenly found herself …

1
S1 Episode 6: Snakes and Ladders. Stillbirth; When a pregnancy turns to tragedy. 57:14

3y ago57:14

57:14

In Episode 6, our guest Karina shares the story of her first child, baby Georgina, who was stillborn. Karina recounts the joy and excitement of the first half of her pregnancy, and the moment when her world came unexpectedly crashing down. Diagnosed with an extremely severe fetal brain abnormality, Karina and her husband James were forced to make d…

1
S1 Episode 5: No-man’s Land. Navigating an ectopic early pregnancy loss. 48:14

3y ago48:14

48:14

When you’re trying for a baby, the moment you find out you’re pregnant is one of pure joy. But for some, this early pregnancy joy turns to sadness and confusion. For many, the first weeks of pregnancy are consumed with the no-man’s land of ultrasounds, blood tests, and inconclusive results. Our guest Lucy walks us through the complex and confusing …

1
S1 Episode 4: The Silent Sea: Postnatal Depression and Anxiety. 57:44

3y ago57:44

57:44

For many, birth and pregnancy is a time for anticipation, celebration and joy. But for one in five parents, behind the tired smiles and exhausted faces lies a silent sea of anxiety and depression. Episode Four cuts through this silence. We speak with Jo about her unexpected descent into postnatal depression with the arrival of her second son, and h…

1
S1 Episode 3. Baby Billie: A mother's story of loss 1:03:31

3y ago1:03:31

1:03:31

Episode 3 explores a mother’s tragic loss of her baby at just eleven days old. Candice bravely shares the story of her second daughter, Billie. She describes her short life, and death, due to a rare viral infection that caused inflammation of Billie's heart. This is a mother's honest, heartbreaking and unexpected journey into bereavement, her famil…

1
Introduction to Pregnancy Uncut 20:49

3y ago20:49

20:49

Our introduction to Pregnancy Uncut. Meet your hosts doctors Alex Umbers and Kara Thompson working in women's health. Hear what motivated them to start the project, and what to expect from the first season where they explore what its like when pregnancies do not go to plan. Topics include infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, obstetric emergencies,…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Dr Alex Umbers And Dr Kara Thompson Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide