In this weeks episode I share my chat with @kate.canavan who talks me through her three pregnancies and two births. Kate opted for private care with her first pregnancy. She shares her experience which wasn’t one she expected in terms of support from her HCP and those around her during the birth of her son. Kate made the decision to give birth to h…

In this next episode I share my chat with Claire who talks me through her two birth experiences. She was induced at 42 weeks with her first little boy and underwent and emergency c-section to bring her second baby into the world safely. At the latter stages of her second pregnancy it was discovery her baby was surrounded by a significant amount of …

In this next episode I share my chat with Emma who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her son. I vividly remember received Emmas email last year, she told me she suffered with PNA & PND but was ok the road to recovery. Although Emma was in a good place at the time she wasn’t aware of how tough the following months would be. Emma wa…

In this next episode I share my chat with Gillian who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Both Gillian’s boys have come into the world quickly, especially her second little man who was born in the assessment unit much to everyone’s suprise. Gillian knew the birth of her baby was imminent so put all her energy into staying calm and focu…

In this episode I share my chat with Aideen who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Aideen is a nurse, midwife and most recently and IBCLC so it's really nice to hear her perspective. She gave birth to her first son in hospital quiet quickly after an induction. Both she and those supporting her were surprised at how quickly she progres…

In this episode I share my chat with Shauna who talks me through her four pregnancies and three births. The birth of her first son was incredibly tough resulting in a due to the lack of support and communication within the hospital. Her son was birthed with the assistance of a forceps which hugely impacted her postpartum healing process for a numbe…

In this episode I share my chat with Alice who talks me through part two of her story, the birth of her son. Alice got to the the very familiar stage in her pregnancy where she felt so ready to meet her baby. She went into labour spontaneously but was later induced for reasons which I will let Alice share. After some time the decision was made to b…

EP130 - Alice, Pregnancy and Birth Preparation at 38 weeks In this next episode I share my chat with Alice who I spoke to in April last year as she prepared to give birth to her first baby. Alice was also preparing to enter motherhood as a solo mum with her sister as her birth partner. She talks me through coming to terms with the prospect of mothe…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Rosie who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Rosie had two beautiful, positive experiences, one in hospital and one at home supported by her husband and her midwife. She also shared a tough couple of weeks following the birth of her first baby highlighting the importance of visiting a women’s…

In this weeks episode I share may chat with Danielle who talks me through her twin pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, c-section and VBAC. Danielle was admitted to hospital at 30 weeks due to pre-eclampsia, her girls were brought into the world at 34 weeks. Her girls spent some time in special care before going home around 36 weeks. Danielle then goes on to …

EP127 - Ruth, One Pregnancy & Birth, Birth Preparation, Induction, Breastfeeding In this weeks episode I share my chat with Ruth who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her daughter. Ruth discovered she was pregnant while living in Japan, moved to the UK and later back home to Ireland when she was 22 weeks pregnant. A busy time! She…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Julie who talks me through her one pregnancy and there birth of her son. Julie's experience is tough to hear in parts as both her recovery from a physical and emotional perspective wasn't an easy road. She was admitted to hospital twice in the early postpartum days, shares her experience with breastfeeding…

In this next episode I share my chat with Sarah Louise who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her little girl. Sarah Louise talks openly about her 10 year relationship coming to an end in the early weeks of her pregnancy. She shares how she not only navigated pregnancy during Covid but also coping with the unexpected end to such a …

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Lindsay who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Lindsay gave birth to her first baby in hospital with the support of her husband and midwives. She remarks on how supported she felt by the midwives who spent time helping her breastfeed her little boy in those first few hours. She then shares th…

In this weeks episode I share Erin’s story who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her son Jorge. Erin completely opened up sharing so much of her life throughout her pregnancy. She chats about the reality of an unplanned pregnancy, how she felt sharing her news with her family and how she was supported by the mental health services…

Delighted to be back in action after a few weeks off. I have so many birth stories to share with you and grateful to each and everyone of you who support the pod here, it’s honestly keeps the podcast afloat. In this episode I share my chat with Kathleen who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Kathleen welcomed her first baby, little Ch…

In this short recording I share the words you would say to your postpartum self, shared by you. The over riding message, ask for help! Enjoy Become a supporter at https://plus.acast.com/s/irelands-birth-stories. https://plus.acast.com/s/irelands-birth-stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Gina who talks me through her four pregnancies and three very different births. At 9 weeks gestation Gina suffered early pregnancy loss with her first pregnancy. Soon after Gina conceived again, shares the details surrounding the birth of her first child. Her experience wasn't one that she envisioned which…

In this weeks episode I share my chat ith Maria who talks me through her two pregnancies and birth. Maria discovered she was pregnant in her early 20's after a short relationship. She shares how she navigated life from keeping her pregnancy hidden for nearly 18 weeks to adapting to such a huge change in her life during those early months of motherh…

In this episode I share my chat with Gráinne who talks me through her three pregnancies and two births. Both of Gráinnes boy were brought into the world by Caesarean birth (one emergency and under general anaesthetic) but each very different. Gráinne suffered an early pregnancy loss with her second pregnancy. It was later discovered after she under…

In this next episode I chat to Rachael who shares her two pregnancies and births. Rachael who is a maternity care advocate amongst other things shares her experience in detail from suffering with HG throughout the early stages of both pregnancies, attending appointments alone and navigating the restrictions as she was in the height of labour with h…

In this next episode I share my chat with Michelle who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her son. Michelle suffered from anxiety very early on in her pregnancy that crippled her everyday, impacting her sleep and general ability to function. She was completely consumed with worry, fear and guilt to mention just a few emotions. She …

In this next episode I share my chat with Fiona, founder of @feed.me.mother breastfeeding clothing. Fiona’s shares her two pregnancies and births both of which were vaginal births but very different experiences. Fiona went into labour with her first baby while attending a wedding. She gave birth in an unfamiliar hospital. She shares much more and h…

In the next episode share my chat with Leanne back in Feb 2021 who talks me through her pregnancy and the birth of her little boy, James. Leanne planned a homebirth, built a relationship with her midwife and prepared her home but later for reasons which she will go through, it was decided she should birth her baby in hospital.She talks me through h…

In this weeks episode I share my chat Ruth-Ann who talks me through her one pregnancy and birth. Ruth-Ann struggled to conceive for almost 5 years. She found a really supportive HCP who led her to another HCP. Together they gave her the treatment and guidance she needed. She fell pregnant within a matter of weeks and shares her struggle to process …

Before I share details of Celine’s story I want to mention that parts of our conversation surround stillbirth. I know lots of you won’t be in a position to listen to an incredibly difficult story but from speaking to you, I also know many of you need to hear Celine’s story. Celine shares her first experience which resulted in an emergency caesarean…

In this next episode I share my chat with Stephanie who talks me through the birth of her little girl Morgan. I previously spoke to Steph in EP37,she had a planned homebirth and welcomed her first girl Ada with the support of @midwife_aine who was also present for her most recent birth.Stephs pregnancy was pretty uneventful until the 30 week mark. …

This week I share my chat with Jess who talks me through the birth of her three girls. I have to say, Jess bared all and shared so much of her journey over the past 8 years. At the age of 20 she discovered she was pregnant with her first little girl who was born via caesarean birth and later diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. She talks me thro…

There is no new episode but I’m re-releasing EP92 as a nod to Pride month. This conversation is so important, it highlights what’s possible, a family for same sex couples. I just sat back and enjoyed watching Katie & Jo reminisce over the birth over their son, Sonny.They were supported by their doula @pamjdpilates and really invested in birth prepa…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Jennifer who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her son Jimmy. Jen was induced at 37 weeks as they suspected her son was measuring small. Jena water were artificially broken by a midwife, it was then discovered she has chord prolapses. Within moments Jen was on all fours being whisked to t…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Aisling (@mellow_mindfulness) who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Olivia. Within this episode you will hear such amazing examples of midwife care. One midwife in particular stood out, she ensured Aisling was cared for when she wasn’t receiving the attention she needed.Olivi…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Kathleen who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. After Kathleen underwent cancer treatment she feared her fertility would be impacted but thankfully she concieved her little boy quite quickly. An uneventful pregnancy took a drastic turn of events as she was diagnosed with Pre-eclampsia. Her li…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Jennifer who talks me through her two pregnancies and three births. Jennifers experiences were so different, she felt fearful and a complete lack of control throughout her first labour. In her words she felt defeated after birthing her little girl which is a feeling she carried throughout her transition in…

This week I’m sharing my chat with Tjarda who talks me through her journey to motherhood from discovering she was pregnant at 19 to having the most incredible support bringing each of her babes into the world. Tjardas experience in the hospital gave me goosebumps. She was surrounded by women who showed her respect, compassion and love. Her experien…

In this next episode I share my chat with Brenda who talks me through her two birth experiences and one early pregnancy loss. Brenda’s perspective as someone who is hard of hearing is an important listen. She talks me through suffering from what she calls “deaf anxiety” worrying that she will miss her name being called at appointments, can she lip …

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Sinead, this is a long episode but I found it hard to edit any of our chat as I felt each stage of her journey to motherhood was so important to hear. She was diagnosed with endometriosis after years of excruciating periods and uncomfortable situations. When the time felt right, Sinead along with the suppo…

In this next episode I share my chat with Yasmine who talks me through her two very different birth experiences. Yasmines experience in hospital birthing her little girl wasn’t one where she felt very supported for various reasons. Her little girl arrived into the world making her presence known with her cry but Yasmine didn’t feel that immediate r…

In this next episode I chat to Mairead who talks me through her two pregnancies and homebirths. She chats about sickness in early pregnancy, diagnosis of a haematoma and thankfully the ok for her homebirth at 32 weeks.She shares the moments her daughter was born after a short labour and her fierce first latch that she remembers vividly. We then cha…

You previously asked for episodes that focus on the postpartum period of a woman’s life and this episode is just that. Sinead previously shared her five pregnancies, four births, early pregnancy loss and her experience with sepsis in EP68 Listen here!. This time we chat about life after each baby especially the expectation we have before our first …

In this next episode I share my chat with @fairy.quad.mother who talks me through the loss of her first son Dylan, coping with grief, the overwhelming need to get pregnant once again and the spontaneous conception of her quadruplet’s. The first 20 mins of our chat is incredibly tough to hear as Lorraine shares the loss of her son Dylan. Within the …

In this next episode I share my chat with Brana who talks me through the birth of her little girl Evie and her very recent pregnancy loss.After undergoing testing due to concerns following a routine 12 week scan, Brana and Ross received the news that their little girl had Trisomy 21 also known as Down Syndrome. She shares much more surrounding Evie…

In this next episode I share my chat with Pam, Phil and of course the star of the show Teddy. Pam shares many aspects of her pregnancy from coping with pregnancy after loss (EP40 Pam shared her previous birth experiences) gestational diabetes, extensive preparation 🙌and the birth of her little boy Teddy at home.I was joined by Phil her love, her hu…

In this next episode I share my chat with Amy who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her son Cooper. Amy read books, attended classes, watched YouTube videos and listened to podcasts as part of her preparation for birth and motherhood. She spent time educating herself to ensure she knew the risks and benefits of various interventio…

In this weeks episode I share my chat with Jill who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Charlotte. Jill really had to focus on tracking her ovulation, the ovulation sticks (as with many of you) weren’t helping her much so she focused on natural indicators too.She put a lot of time into preparation and stayed active thro…

In this episode I share my chat with Aisling who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. I recently asked if you wanted me to keep conversations surrounding early motherhood in the podcast and there was a resounding yes! I have done just that with this episode, I know so many of you will relate to some if not all of what Aisling speaks abo…

In this next episode I share my chat with Jane who talks me through her two pregnancy’s and births. Jane’s first baby was brought into the world via emergency c-section as she went into labour at 32 weeks. She thought she could feel a cord prolapse but infact it was her little boys foot!Her second baby also came into the world early at 36 weeks but…

In this next episode I chat to Nicola who talks me through her spontaneous triplet pregnancy. Nicola and her husband attended an early scan when they discovered they were expecting twins, they left that appointment shocked as many of us would. They later attended their hospital scan around the 3 month mark when they saw a third little one on the mo…

EP92 - Jo & Katie, IVF, Doula Support, Induction, Unmedicated Positive BirthIn this next episode I share my chat with Jo and her wife Katie. I love chatting with couples, watching their faces as they speak about one of the most significant milestones in their lives is pretty special.I wanted to speak to a same sex couple for so long, the wait was s…

In this next episode I share my chat with Laura who talks me through her two experiences with birth. Laura not only shares her two birth stories but she also chats about other aspects of early motherhood and pregnancy too. The birth of her first little girl definitely wasn’t what Laura expected which she feels contributed to some tough moments as a…

In this next episode I share my chat with Katie who talks me through her journey to motherhood. Katie suffered loss, experienced trauma due to an emergency caesarean birth, underwent two positive elective caesarean births and received a PCOS diagnosis. There is so much more in Katie's story but I will let her tell you everything in between from bei…