Australian Birth Stories

Today I chat with Michelle and Michelle (yes, two Michelles!), a couple who fell in love at work and knew immediately they wanted to build a family together. Their journey to parenthood was anything but straightforward - spanning over a year of IVF treatments, reciprocal IVF attempts, pregnancy loss, and ultimately a beautiful emergency caesarean birth of their daughter Sage. What makes their story particularly special is how they navigated the complexities of being a same-sex couple in the fertility system, supported each other through multiple embryo transfers, and both pursued breastfeeding through induced lactation. Their honesty about the emotional and financial toll of IVF, combined with their unwavering support for each other, makes this an incredibly powerful listen for anyone on their own fertility journey.

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Leila returns to share her incredible second twin birth story - a Christmas Day birth that began at home and culminated in a powerful breech water birth at hospital. As the founder of Village for Mama and mother to five children (including two sets of DCDA fraternal twins), Leila takes us through her unexpected pregnancy discovery at 21 weeks, her journey of informed choice-making, and the profound difference that building your village can make during pregnancy and postpartum.

From dancing with a glass of non-alcoholic bubbles on Christmas morning to birthing her daughter Elka at home and then transferring to hospital for a footling breech birth of baby Finn in the birth pool, Leila's story is one of trust, intuition, and the incredible power of water birth for twins. She also shares invaluable insights about postpartum planning, the reality of caring for five children, and how she honoured her final 40-day lying-in period.

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In today's episode, Jazz a midwife, maternal and child health nurse, and sleep consultant, takes us through her remarkable journey to motherhood. From her first precipitous birth during the height of COVID-19 to navigating severe hyperemesis gravidarum whilst living in Far North Queensland, Jazz's story is one of resilience, professional insight, and the reality that being a healthcare professional doesn't make your own birth and parenting journey any easier. Jazz shares candidly about her postpartum anxiety, the pressure she placed on herself as a professional in the field, and how she learned to be kinder to herself the second time around. Her story beautifully illustrates how each pregnancy and birth is unique, even for the same woman, and offers valuable insights for both parents and birth professionals alike.

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I wanted to share something important with you — especially if you’re currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or supporting someone who is. Over the past seven years of Australian Birth Stories, I’ve had the privilege of sitting down with more than 600 women and their families to hear their pregnancy and birth stories. And alongside that, I’ve also birthed my own three boys — each pregnancy, each labour, and each birth teaching me something different about preparation, trust, and the importance of feeling informed and supported.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned — both through my own births and through hundreds of conversations — it’s this:
Birth rarely unfolds exactly how we imagine it will.

But the women who feel calm, confident and empowered aren’t the ones who had a specific type of birth…
They’re the ones who understood their options.
They’re the ones who knew how their body worked.
They’re the ones who had practical tools, trusted support, and evidence-based education behind them.
That’s exactly why I created The Birth Class.

I wanted to bring together everything I’ve learned — from my own experiences, from the stories shared on this podcast, and from Australia’s leading midwives, obstetricians, physiotherapists, lactation consultants, and birth educators — into one calm, clear, comprehensive course.
Because when you understand birth, fear naturally begins to dissolve.

You stop feeling like birth is something happening to you…
And instead, you feel like an active participant in the experience.
You understand how labour works.
You understand your choices.
And you trust yourself to navigate whatever unfolds.

Since launching The Birth Class, more than 7,000 women and their partners have taken the course.
And the feedback I hear again and again is:
“I felt calm.”
“I felt prepared.”
“I felt confident — even when my birth didn’t go to plan.”

Because this isn’t about promising a perfect birth.

It’s about preparing you for a positive experience — whatever that looks like for you.
And for the next few days, all of our online courses are available at 25% off.

You can access the sale using the code BIRTH25.
If you’ve been thinking about preparing for birth…
If you’ve been meaning to enrol…
Or if you’ve been listening to these stories and wondering how to prepare yourself…
This is a beautiful time to begin.

Because birth education doesn’t just change how you give birth.
It changes how you feel walking into it.
You deserve to feel calm.
You deserve to feel informed.
You deserve to feel confident in your choices.
And most importantly, you deserve to feel supported.

You can find all the course details HERE and use the code BIRTH25 to access 25% off.
I’m so honoured to support you in your preparation for birth.

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Fatuma shares her transformative journey through a high-risk pregnancy that challenged everything she thought she knew about birth, motherhood, and her own strength. What began as an unexpected pregnancy during her honeymoon period quickly became a complex medical journey involving hemiplegic migraines and a toxoplasmosis diagnosis that led to recommendations for termination at 22 weeks. Fatuma's story is one of profound cultural reconnection, medical advocacy, and the power of trusting your instincts as a mother. Her experience highlights the importance of having strong advocates in the birthing room and the beautiful intersection between Western medicine and traditional African birthing practices. This episode will resonate deeply with anyone who has faced difficult decisions during pregnancy or felt the need to advocate for themselves in medical settings.

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