The Pregnancy Playbook Podcast

The Hypnobirthing Queen: Katharine Graves on Calm, Connected Birth & Releasing Fear

In this episode of The Pregnancy Playbook, I’m joined by the incredible Katharine Graves, founder of KGHypnobirthing and a true pioneer in the world of positive birth. Katharine has spent decades transforming the way women approach birth, helping thousands of mothers step into their power with calm, confidence, and deep trust in their bodies. Her work blends science, psychology, and deep relaxation techniques to support a more positive, empowered birthing experience. Together, we explore what hypnobirthing really is (and what it isn’t), how fear can impact birth, and how women can prepare both mentally and physically for a more grounded, connected experience. This conversation is for any woman who wants to feel informed, supported, and deeply empowered as she prepares to meet her baby. In this episode, we cover: – What hypnobirthing actually means – How to release fear around birth – The power of relaxation and the mind-body connection – Practical ways to prepare for a positive birth experience – Why birth education matters more than ever Whether you’re pregnant, planning to conceive, or simply curious about a different way to approach birth - this episode is such a beautiful place to begin. ** Since recording this episode I have since trained with Katharine and am now an accredited KGHypnobirthing teacher. You can find more details here about my Couples Hypnobirthing ' The Co-Creation' here [https://www.aimeestrongman.com/couples-hypnobirthing] CONNECT WITH KATHARINE GRAVES🌐 Website: https://www.kghypnobirthing.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjhQdjhjZkduaEVSb2ZVSDdXc0tSdXE2bnN3QXxBQ3Jtc0ttRnpiU1ppQ0lDaUVaWGlLVWdOVzBBejhDbUg2emRwcmhlQjlIMF8xam1fMjJ2SHNvRWNGTkllRUtKUzlzTFkwdFVGSEV1N3BmSDBrMXBxWUZPN1FkbFVtVlZ4bk9NWWF5aVlEOVNIM012T09UdXU3QQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theamiableapproach.co.uk%2F&v=WYRCBVRBUps]📸 Instagram: @kghypnobirthingFollow Aimee✨ Website: aimeestrongman.com [https://aimeestrongman.com]✨ Instagram: @aimee.strongman✨ Explore my birth courses https://www.aimeestrongman.com/birtho... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUpmei15ODh5aGkyMUNVQkI2MmpYc0ZSY01Wd3xBQ3Jtc0tuSThDV1psZ1gzanRnUTJyd09vdGNzRGtMeWJEZGlsRDBMNXZ1MmF2cGRYNy05X0o4aWZTZmxCOUJYeERmX3c3d1M2UWVPNFoxb242RFlQYUEzYzFuRHFBbkhmWml6amQwaFVUTEhqVHVERkduYm5zOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aimeestrongman.com%2Fbirthology&v=WYRCBVRBUps] ✨ Read Aimee's Substack The Maternal Alchemist [https://substack.com/@maternalalchemist]With thanks to Z!zzy Studios - https://www.zizzystudios.co.uk [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazlGWm53eFg2YVMtR0R6aUZmbFpSMWZ6Nl8yUXxBQ3Jtc0trdEp4RkExbmFfMDlXOGI4T3RIcjE1X0NwQkkwWm1vY2JjMVFuN25ubHRTU01XaXpoUXRtTEFraEtuekhfbFZQNTBiVHhQX0JwcFNiazJhb1A1TU5yTTVZTzctbXFBb0x0RjJHVG9KOWFtQXV3UUxBSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zizzystudios.co.uk%2F&v=WYRCBVRBUps]Nicci the Stylist - https://niccithestylist.co.uk [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkJoZEV0cDdVaHNRaFEwc21vTzFpanNWMzRud3xBQ3Jtc0ttX1Y4MjlvMDhlUzMyRlBTNmItU21iOHZhRFBkZUNVQ3NoT0FxNXl0TF8yUndBV1JIV0xPMXRYei1qSVlfb1lVVlBoV1JHWWhiaUVGUEZuQmFFQ1VkZDZkbGcxeS16eno0ZHRkX1c3U3RvYTY3Ny1xOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fniccithestylist.co.uk%2F&v=WYRCBVRBUps]Jewellery by David Reale Goldsmiths [https://daviderealegoldsmith.com]outfit: Host's own

Surrendering to sound in Pregnancy with DJ Goldierocks

From DJ decks to deep nervous system reset… this episode is pure frequency magic. In this powerful and heart-opening conversation, I’m joined by my dear friend Sam Hall - aka DJ Goldierocks - internationally renowned spinner of disco tunes turned sound sorceress and founder of IO Projects. We met at Goldsmiths in the noughties, danced the nights away… and now, years later, we’ve both found ourselves supporting women on the most transformational journey of all: motherhood. In this episode, we dive into: ✽ How sound healing actually works (and why your body responds before your mind does) ✽ The power of vibration to reset an overwhelmed nervous system ✽ Why mamas need rest that goes deeper than sleep ✽ How ancient sound practices meet modern motherhood ✽ And how to reconnect with yourself when you feel touched out, tired, or overstimulated If you’re pregnant, postpartum, or simply craving a moment to soften… this conversation will feel like a long exhale. This isn’t just about music, It’s about remembering your rhythm and coming home to yourself. Pop your headphones on, take a breath and let the frequency do its thing. CONNECT WITH DJ GOLDIEROCKS 📸 Instagram: @djgoldierocks FOLLOW AIMEE 🌐 Website: www.aimeestrongman.com 📸 Instagram: @the.maternal.alchemist 💻 Explore my birth courses (including Birthology): https://www.aimeestrongman.com/birthology ✎ Read Aimee's Substack: https://thisisaimeestrongman.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips 🎙️With thanks to Z!zzy Studios https://www.zizzystudios.co.uk Nicci the Stylist - https://niccithestylist.co.uk Jewellery by David Reale Goldsmiths Outfit: Host's own

The Heart Beneath the Uniform: Who Is Your Midwife? With Amy Houghton

We meet midwives at some of the most intimate moments of our lives… but do we ever truly know the person underneath the uniform?Today on The Pregnancy Playbook, I’m joined by Amy Houghton, a midwife whose story might surprise you. Before stepping into birthwork, Amy earned a degree in physics, gave birth in India, and developed a deep belief in holistic, whole-person care.She’s not just a midwife. She’s a woman who has lived, questioned, explored, and created a completely fresh approach to antenatal education that blends science, intuition, and real-life wisdom.In this episode, we explore:• Who midwives really are behind the training and scrubs• How Amy’s physics background shapes her understanding of birth• What giving birth in India taught her about care, culture & physiology• Why she built her own antenatal method — and what makes it different• How holistic care and evidence-based midwifery can work together• What parents actually need to feel held, informed, and confidentThis is an honest, human conversation that takes you beyond the standard antenatal class and into the heart of what birth support can be when we see the full person behind the profession.If you’ve ever wondered what your midwife believes, what shaped her, or how her life experience influences the way she cares, you’ll love this episode.Perfect for anyone preparing for birth, choosing antenatal classes, wanting midwife-led insight, or looking for a more holistic, human approach to pregnancy preparation. CONNECT WITH AMY HOUGHTON🌐 Website: https://www.theamiableapproach.co.uk📸 Instagram: @theamiableapproachFollow Aimee✨ Website: aimeestrongman.com✨ Instagram: @aimee.strongman✨ Explore my birth courses (including Birthology): https://www.aimeestrongman.com/birthology ✨ Read Aimee's Substack: https://gatherandglow.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=webWith thanks to Z!zzy Studios - https://www.zizzystudios.co.ukNicci the Stylist - https://niccithestylist.co.ukJewellery by David Reale Goldsmithsoutfit: Host's own

Birth From the Inside Out - What Birth Education Often Misses with Megan Rossiter

If you’re pregnant and feeling flooded with opinions, advice, and a million mixed messages… take a breath.This episode is designed to bring you clarity, confidence, and calm — the things every woman deserves in pregnancy.In this episode of The Pregnancy Playbook, I’m joined by Megan Rossiter, founder of Birth Ed, whose grounded, evidence-led approach to birth education has supported thousands of women. Together, we’re unpacking what truly matters when you’re preparing for birth, and why the right education can completely shift your experience from overwhelming to empowered.We dive into:• What good birth education actually is• Why understanding your physiology changes your mindset• The gaps in standard antenatal classes• What partners really need to know• How knowledge supports confidence, calm, and choice• What to focus on (and what to let go of)Megan brings a refreshing blend of honesty, science, and real-world insight and this conversation will help you cut through the noise and reconnect to what’s important: your body, your choices, your birth.If you want a birth that feels informed and aligned with you not just what you’re “told” to do then this is your episode. Hit play and let this be the moment things finally make sense.Perfect for anyone exploring birth education, positive birth preparation, antenatal classes, partner support, hypnobirthing, and confident pregnancy planning. CONNECT WITH MEGAN ROSSITER🌐 Website: https://birth-ed.co.uk📸 Instagram: @birth_edFOLLOW AIMEE🌐Website: www.aimeestrongman.com📸Instagram: @the.maternal.alchemist💻 Explore my birth courses (including Birthology): https://www.aimeestrongman.com/birthology ✎ Read Aimee's Substack: https://gatherandglow.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web🎙️With thanks to Z!zzy Studios - https://www.zizzystudios.co.ukNicci the Stylist - https://niccithestylist.co.ukJewellery by David Reale GoldsmithsOutfit: Host's own

The Power of Positive Birth with Milli Hill

Welcome to The Pregnancy Playbook Podcast @TheMaternalAlchemist, we are so thrilled to have you here! I hope you are going to love what you hear with some amazing guests this first season really shaking up how we think and feel about birth in 2026! So what can you expect - well consider this like your coffee break where you can listen in to all things preconception, pregnancy birth and beyond as I sit down with some incredible guest to get their take on this rite of passage. This episode I am talking with the power house that is Milli Hill; writer, activist and all round advocate for women's health. She is brilliant, bold, and refreshingly honest and the woman behind The Positive Birth Book and Give Birth Like a Feminist as well as her new book baby The Ultra Processed Woman.This is one of those juicy, fireside-feeling conversations where you forget the microphones are even on. We dive into the real stuff: ✽ What a positive birth actually means (and what it definitely doesn’t) ✽ The sneaky ways language shapes how women feel in pregnancy ✽ Why “poor words” and throwaway phrases can derail confidence ✽ What women really need from the maternity system ✽ How to stand your ground, trust your body, and protect your power ✽ And yes… a little feminist fire, because birth is allowed to be political, powerful, and personal all at once If you’re pregnant, planning, or just curious about how women can birth with more joy, authority, and ease and this one will land straight in your heart. CONNECT WITH MILLI HILL 📚 The Positive Birth Book: https://uk.bookshop.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnd4X082MndOb2tRdUVKRkIwdzlvWE93Y3hwQXxBQ3Jtc0ttd1VxWWRQaU5ZbndlU3I0N3N3VFlUaVBOWTBIT3I2OEJndXU5bFlEVDdIMUt2aTkzSUw3QXpOcGYycG91RGdaWENEZDcxZlJUeTlUVjlRMWJlR0N2LVk0dlFGY0hLME92WjgtMlhhQmowSjZ0T0g4Yw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fuk.bookshop.org%2F&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] 📚 Give Birth Like a Feminist: https://uk.bookshop.org [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHZ4M3FfVDQ4M3IxWjZOR19vUnYxYl9DVHhYZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttOXBBWFZQSVJ4bG9WWm5vb2lXWGc4RklRV1JNNnVmeDRZU2dOR20yY1F4RGhmOGJmVXhoRVlzYlZMWTJ2UXNEcjN6RVYxSjRTMGtMeXlKY1ZWZ1k3aklnamxsbTlZclQyS2RFVTJ0MDNZdmp3eGdzaw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fuk.bookshop.org%2F&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] 🌐 Website: https://www.millihill.co.uk [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHlqSkdsQmU3OGdXTXQtZW9rbU9qNGp4LWVHUXxBQ3Jtc0trUXpkN3VzV2piVmY1OFpENDhmOEsxZUp6VFpqSzUzdlNvdWhFMGZjRkZDQzVDTFdVQWp2bVExSW1ENFN0WTMzWEMyWmNOdW94a2dOUE5YYk5iTHMtMEd5MThOcDVGT2pQenhfWUJ2M2RxRmJhN2NORQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.millihill.co.uk%2F&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] 📸 Instagram: @milli.hill Read Milli's Substack: https://millihill.substack.com?utm_so... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1RjTkpPNTlNZDJFLXdrYnVnUlFYZ2Uta25tZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuSEFPVnBGYkFuWkYwNHA3eWFZOXdZbF9CeHdLcFVmODlrOG9CZk9oa2xmTk5wek1mY0JFYUNoREpGMnFFMU9ja0lrMng1UHRfNFVRZHBabDNKWkVaRjY5Qk1zMExfS2lkQmpGOTFYSEgwd3ZTNlU3WQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmillihill.substack.com%2F%3Futm_source%3Dnavbar%26utm_medium%3Dweb&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] FOLLOW AIMEE 🌐 Website: www.aimeestrongman.com 📸 Instagram: @the.maternal.alchemist Explore her birth course BIRTHOLOGY https://www.aimeestrongman.com/birtho... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUlqUUl4TExrWWdVSXhvbDVUTXpXMzR1LXktQXxBQ3Jtc0tsRjQwS05KWUJvaG4zQzJJemZXTzRnUnM2OGI2V1Y0Rm44ZjIyR3d3TjVnUkVRbjFaSVZDc1FxOExXVzRUT1d2cUZ5bUR0MlFvZGJRczdGN2dWbG1ydUJOd21CZUt5bllOTlllWlVSV3RQM0pwRDM1dw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aimeestrongman.com%2Fbirthology&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] Read Aimee's Substack: https://gatherandglow.substack.com?ut... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDktdlNqRlZKME9RWDhIV0VYV09mMWJaOXNDQXxBQ3Jtc0tsSXJRcnVUUmRnUzdBSUNsSWE3WmpHbkc0Qlh0TFJlV2s5MV9NMXVFTVRIeWhPbFFoa3BHMW1XTWZlcmYza0tra3NwTURwenN2TnpUTEdNNGVLbnFNQ2pZWGRaWUZhZFJNZUJ3ZUVrV1ZpT3BNcm1wSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgatherandglow.substack.com%2F%3Futm_source%3Dnavbar%26utm_medium%3Dweb&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] With thanks to Z!zzy Studios - https://www.zizzystudios.co.uk [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0tsSkdKQVFpdVFSOTNkMEpDMTZJdzR4d1M5d3xBQ3Jtc0treGZRV21zZW5EQl9rNURyZWF2NTJ0aS1rbkl0WWlkZkhBTG1sVGxUQkdFR21Za1JiNGdCNHdGV0phOTBTZk8xUlFsR29teU10WjQ1YWhMWFJNUXFaS2J3TmpIdVlmVDMwRkpIejB4SXdxTkhCM21TUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zizzystudios.co.uk%2F&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] Nicci the Stylist - https://niccithestylist.co.uk [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk96bUw4LVA0cDVFMk5heWtrV3BIZHdfQ2RIZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuSi1tYWFLUkl3RUFzeDdtUHlrX000YjNENngwUDhyTXowQzA4d3kySF9fZUx1MF9tajRmOWNhRlBiYVpoMkllWlFKRlpFdS13UlFrTUl2X1hlaVZnQVFYQlRkWXc2SHJ4aGZuVmRvb0hJMXVFTjc0NA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fniccithestylist.co.uk%2F&v=b_CwxmD2Xys] Jewellery by David Reale Goldsmiths Outfit: Host's own