Ireland's Birth Stories

This week I share my chat with Joan, who shares each of her two birth stories with us. She reflects on the incredible support of her midwife throughout labour and opens up about her experience with an episiotomy, recovery, breastfeeding, and those early postpartum days.We then move on to her second pregnancy, including a challenging kidney infection just days before her baby arrived. Joan shares her second labour story in detail, highlighting her determination to avoid an epidural this time around and the unforgettable oxytocin rush she experienced once again. Joans son was admitted to hospital at just three weeks old with viral meningitis, something no parent wants to experience. There’s so much more in this episode.Thanks JoanProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsShow Your SupportBuy Me A CoffeePatreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Louise, who talks me through each of her three very different birth stories.Louise opens up about her long journey with multiple pregnancy losses over 7 years. After undergoing treatment, she fell pregnant once again, and thankfully the treatment was successful, allowing her to carry to full term.We talk through her first birth experience, which was particularly tough and involved vacuum assistance due to shoulder dystocia. Louise then shares her two subsequent birth stories, both of which were completely different experiences and gave her a much more positive start to those early postpartum days.We finish our chat by talking about the importance of asking for help, and why none of us should feel we have to do it all alone.Thanks LouiseProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsShow Your SupportBuy Me A CoffeePatreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Audrey. This episode will give hope to so many families who have preemie babies and also those navigating life supporting their baby in hospital. Throughout Audrey’s pregnancy it wasn’t know if Luna would survive. Her daughter came into the world at 28 weeks and 1 day. Luna literally defied all odds and is now a thriving, beautiful, happy and healthy two year old.Audrey shares feeling something wasn’t right from very early on, coping with expecting the worst and life with a baby in NICU. She shows us that there can be a positive end to that long road of recovery and the tools she used to look after herself in the latter days. Thank you AudreyProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsShow Your SupportBuy Me A CoffeePatreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Lauren, who talks me through each of her three pregnancies and two births. Lauren was induced with each of her babies, using the power of hypnobirthing and antenatal preparation to help her focus and move into her “inner world” as she worked through the late stages of labour. She highlights how important postnatal preparation was for her, especially after her second baby. Her doula, Jen, was everything she needed at that time in her life.When Lauren’s first baby was just 18 months old, her world changed. Her husband, Daragh, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Throughout such a heavy and difficult time in their lives, they continued to grow their family while navigating everything that comes with a life-altering diagnosis. Lauren experienced a pregnancy loss while Daragh underwent treatment, which she shares in detail. Months later, they welcomed their second daughter as she powered her way into the world.Something Lauren said while sharing her story will always stay with me: “We pushed back his (Daragh’s) chemo for a week so that we could schedule my induction.” We truly never know what other people are going through.Thank you, Lauren.Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsShow Your SupportBuy Me A CoffeePatreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I share my chat with Sarah, who talks me through each of her three birth experiences. We explore all the “firsts” her first pregnancy, her first birth, and her first steps into motherhood including attending additional appointments for her baby. We then move on to her second birth story, which was an induction just like her first. This time, she felt more prepared for postpartum recovery, having made sure she received the right care to support her pelvic health after experiencing a prolapse following her first birth. Sarah then talks through making the decision to have her third baby. Together with he husband they decided to continue growing their family and her third baby arrived quick and fast. A very different experience to each of her previous births. Thanks so much SarahProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsShow Your SupportBuy Me A CoffeePatreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.