Frankie: Two Births: First Birth Obstetric Cholestasis, Emergency Ventouse, Second birth: Twin Pregnancy, Planned C-Section at 34 Weeks, NICU, Bonding Difficulties, Postnatal Depression

Lauren: First Birth, Positive Planned C-Section, Vanishing Twin Syndrome, NHS Antenatal Care, Breastfeeding Struggles, Scar Recovery

She never wanted a vaginal birth. Not once. She knew exactly how she wanted her baby born. And after a small battle with her midwives, she got it. A calm, planned C-section. Baby on her chest at 3.15pm. And she would do it exactly the same way again.   Lauren is a first time mum from Kent who shares a warm and honest account of planning and delivering a positive NHS planned C-section with her son Louis. Low risk, informed, and clear on what she wanted, Lauren had to push back on initial resistance from her midwives before her decision was accepted. Her antenatal care left her feeling invisible and unsupported at times, including a deeply difficult moment at her 12-week scan when she discovered she had been carrying twins, and one had not survived. But when she got into that operating theatre, everything changed. The birth itself was calm, controlled, and positive. What came after was harder than she expected. Breastfeeding was painful and relentless, and the postnatal ward left her alone overnight with a newborn after major surgery, calling for paracetamol at 1am and waiting until 4. But Lauren came through it all with clarity, pragmatism, and a really beautiful perspective on what it means to make an informed choice and stand by it. In this episode we talk about: * Why Lauren chose a planned C-section and how she handled the initial pushback from her midwives * Discovering vanishing twin syndrome at her 12-week scan and processing that loss * What it actually feels like in the operating theatre and how Lauren stayed calm * The reality of the postnatal ward after a C-section and why she chose to go home after one night * A really painful breastfeeding journey and the silver nipple shields that finally turned it around * Why she is going back for a planned C-section second time around and why she feels more nervous this time This episode is for anyone who knows in their gut how they want to birth their baby and needs to hear that it is okay to stand your ground. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/britishbirthingstories/] · TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@britishbirthingstories] · YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@BritishBirthingStories] Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here [https://britishbirthingstories.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Shannon: VBAC After Three C-Sections, Hospital Birth Centre Water Birth, Fourth Birth, Shoulder Dystocia Concerns, Large Baby, Second Degree Tears, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Birth Coercion, Lockdown Birth Trauma

They told her she would bleed out. They told her her baby would get stuck and die. They told her she would traumatise the entire home birth team. Shannon had three C-sections, an NHS system fighting her at every turn, and a fourth baby tracking on the 97th centile. She went ahead anyway.   Shannon is a mum of four and a doula from the UK who shares four birth stories shaped by hypermobility syndrome, COVID lockdown, birth coercion, and a fierce determination to achieve the VBAC nobody wanted to give her. Her third birth in April 2020 left her alone in recovery during COVID, separated from her husband, and threatened with being parted from her newborn daughter over a temperature spike. She locked that trauma away. And then, when her youngest was two, she decided she wanted a fourth baby and the vaginal birth she had never had. What followed was one of the most extraordinary acts of self-advocacy in the history of this podcast. From the midwife at her booking appointment who played the dead baby card within minutes, to a 36-week appointment where she was ambushed by the head of community midwifery and told her baby would be born dead and her birth team traumatised. Shannon fought every single appointment, armed with statistics and research. She was not signed off for a home birth until 38 weeks. Then, in active labour, the hospital told her the home birth team was not available. She cried. She got in the car. And she went in and did it anyway.   In this episode we talk about: * What it is really like to give birth during COVID lockdown and how the restrictions affected Shannon's third birth and recovery * How Shannon educated herself on VBAC statistics after three C-sections and used that knowledge to push back * The tactics used against her at that 36-week appointment and why she describes it as feeling completely ambushed * What happened in the labour room when the consultant who had lied to her in her third pregnancy walked in and said how long are you going to keep doing this for * How a third-year student midwife delivered a 9lb 13.5oz baby they said would never come out vaginally If you would like to find out more about Shannon and what she does you can visit her website here:  shannonwhitlockdoula.com [http://shannonwhitlockdoula.com/] and you can follow her on social media here [https://www.instagram.com/moonstonerosebirth]. This episode is for anyone who has ever been told by the system that their body cannot do something. Shannon's story is proof that research, self-belief, and a very well-written email can change everything. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/britishbirthingstories/] · TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@britishbirthingstories] · YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@BritishBirthingStories] Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here [https://britishbirthingstories.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Polly: Two Positive Fast Physiological Births, NHS Midwife Led Unit Birth, Fully Dilated on Arrival, Second Degree Tear, Planned NHS Home Birth, TENS Machine Only, Tongue Tie and Breastfeeding Challenges

She woke up at 4.30am to contractions that were a minute on and a minute off from the very start. Polly had two fast, positive births. Her first at the NHS midwife led unit in Bristol, where she arrived fully dilated and had her daughter within the hour. Her second at home, where within two hours of the midwives arriving she was back in her own clean bed with her baby. Polly is a mum of two from Bristol who shares two fast, positive births. Her first was a planned midwife led unit birth that moved so quickly she arrived fully dilated and gave birth within the hour, with nothing but a TENS machine and her partner doing counter pressure on her back. Her daughter came out in the superwoman pose, hand by head, which caused a second degree tear and significant blood loss during stitching. What followed was a difficult breastfeeding start because of tongue tie, and nearly three months of pain before things finally settled. Second time around, Polly chose a home birth purely for practical reasons. After a first labour that lasted barely three hours, getting to hospital safely was never going to be guaranteed. So she planned for the home birth instead. She woke up in the early hours during a storm, laboured quietly in bed, got her daughter to nursery, and by quarter to ten that morning her son Jacob was born on their bed. Two midwives. A TENS machine. And within two hours they had left and Polly was back in her own clean bed with her baby. In this episode we talk about: * What it is like to arrive at hospital fully dilated as a first time mum and give birth within the hour * How Polly managed two fast labours using only a TENS machine and counter pressure * Why she chose a home birth second time for logistics rather than atmosphere and how that decision played out * A difficult breastfeeding start with tongue tie and what finally helped * What the postpartum really looks like when you have a fast birth and why the recovery is still real even if the labour was short This episode is for anyone whose first birth was fast and who is trying to figure out what that means for next time. Polly planned for the home birth. And it was exactly the right call. The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.   British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/britishbirthingstories/] · TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@britishbirthingstories] · YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@BritishBirthingStories] Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here [https://britishbirthingstories.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Jade: Three Positive Births, Sonographer’s Perspective, Water Birth, Fast Labour, Meconium Waters, Fetal Ejection Reflex, NHS Home Birth & Baby Born in the Pool With a Veil

Jade went into her first pregnancy thinking birth was something medical that happened in hospital. But after hypnobirthing opened her mind to a different way of seeing birth, she went on to have three very different but positive birth experiences.   Jade is a mum of three and a sonographer from near Manchester. In this episode, she shares her unique perspective as someone who works in women’s health, scanning babies every day, while also experiencing pregnancy and birth herself. Her first baby was conceived during lockdown and, after initially thinking she would simply “have all the drugs,” Jade’s mindset shifted after taking a hypnobirthing course and learning more about physiological birth.   Her first labour began with mild cramps and a fresh bleed, which led her into hospital to be checked. While waiting in triage, her contractions intensified, but she assumed she was still in early labour. When a midwife examined her, she was already 8cm dilated. She went on to have a positive water birth in the birth centre, using gas and air, and describes the pool as giving her instant relief.   Jade’s second pregnancy was emotionally very different, as her dad died when she was around 25 weeks pregnant. She speaks openly about grieving during pregnancy, finding joy in small moments, and how her second son was born the day after her dad’s birthday and looks just like him. His birth was much faster and more intense. After her waters broke with meconium at home, Jade knew she would no longer be able to birth in the pool. She arrived at hospital asking for an epidural, but there was no time. Her baby was born almost immediately after she got into the room.   With her third baby, a surprise but very wanted pregnancy, Jade was offered the option of an NHS home birth. At first, her husband was unsure, but after attending a home birth information evening, they both felt reassured. After a few false starts at 41 weeks during a heatwave, Jade finally went into labour at home. She got into the birth pool at around 4cm, and things quickly picked up. Her daughter was born in the water, with her waters breaking as she came out, and a veil over her face.   In this episode we talk about:   • Jade’s perspective as a sonographer and mum of three • Pregnancy and birth during lockdown • How hypnobirthing changed her view of birth • Growth scans, baby measurements and how accurate they really are • A positive birth centre water birth with gas and air • Grieving the loss of a parent during pregnancy • Meconium waters and a very fast second labour • Fetal ejection reflex and feeling out of control during birth • Planning an NHS home birth after two hospital births • Giving birth to her daughter in the pool at home with a veil over her face   This episode is for anyone who is curious about birth from the perspective of someone who works in maternity care, anyone considering a home birth after hospital births, or anyone wanting to hear three very different but positive birth stories.   The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/britishbirthingstories/] · TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@britishbirthingstories] · YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@BritishBirthingStories] Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here [https://britishbirthingstories.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Frankie: Two Births: First Birth Obstetric Cholestasis, Emergency Ventouse, Second birth: Twin Pregnancy, Planned C-Section at 34 Weeks, NICU, Bonding Difficulties, Postnatal Depression

Frankie had a really tough first pregnancy. She had already been through obstetric cholestasis, a long induction, and an emergency ventouse delivery with her first. Second time around she was carrying twins. She knew she could not go through that again.   Frankie is a mum of three boys from Sheffield who shares two very different birth stories shaped by PCOS, endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, and a fertility journey that took years. Her first son Dawson was conceived on Clomid after nearly two years of trying. Her twins Blake and Holden were conceived within two cycles of medication. Nobody was more surprised than her.   With her twin pregnancy came obstetric cholestasis again, severe pelvic girdle pain so bad she could not walk, and a decision to deliver at 34 weeks. Her planned C-section went smoothly. What came after did not. Both boys went to NICU for a month. One came home on oxygen with chronic lung disease. Frankie found herself learning to administer tube feeds, check pH levels, and manage medical equipment while recovering from major surgery and trying to parent a five year old. Bonding with her youngest twin Holden took nine months. She hated herself for it every single day. And nobody really came to help.   In this episode we talk about: * What obstetric cholestasis is and how it affected both of Frankie's pregnancies * The decision to deliver twins at 34 weeks and what that meant for her boys * What NICU is really like as a parent and why nobody prepares you for it * Why bonding after a NICU stay is so much harder than anyone tells you * Postnatal depression, sleep deprivation, and what finally helped   This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they were failing when actually they were just surviving something enormous.   The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/britishbirthingstories/] · TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@britishbirthingstories] · YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@BritishBirthingStories] Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here [https://britishbirthingstories.com/] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.