Have you heard of prodromal labour or what to do if you experience it? Our expectations of length and progress of labour is largely dictated by what we've seen on TV... which means we expect our waters to break, contractions to start, a mad dash to hospital and a baby arrives. So what do we do when we experience intense contractions with no cervical change, which may last days? Because that is what prodromal labour is! And it can be exhausting, and worrying, particularly if you're dismissed or told it's "just Braxton hicks". Helena covers what prodromal labour is, why it may occur, and what to have in your birth toolkit to help cope with it. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts as well as other platforms! Link is in my Instagram bio or go to https://anchor.fm/betterbirthIf you are enjoying the podcast please feel free to “buy me a coffee”! Link is also in my bio or go to www.buymeacoffee.com/betterbirth Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. We reserve the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time. The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Better Birth podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

I chat to previous hypnobirthing client Lillian about her wonderful healing home birth! Lilian joined my group hypnobirthing course in January 2023 to prepare for the birth of her son after a negative experience first time around birthing her daughter. She recounts how despite doing a hypnobirthing course the first time round, she felt she didn't "do the work", and why she decided to prepare more thoroughly this time around. She describes her early labour and amazing hands off home birth. A massive thank you to Lilian for sharing Bodhi's birth story with us! You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts as well as other platforms! Link is in my Instagram bio or go to https://anchor.fm/betterbirthIf you are enjoying the podcast please feel free to “buy me a coffee”! Link is also in my bio or go to www.buymeacoffee.com/betterbirth Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. We reserve the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time. The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Better Birth podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Instrumental birth is a situation that terrifies most pregnant people, but why are they often used, and are there alternatives? I chat to consultant obstetrician Florence Wilcock about forceps, ventouse, caesarean birth, and why sometimes instrumental birth may be offered during labour. Florence is a consultant obstetrician working in NHS maternity services for 30 years. She has a specific interest in perinatal mental health and improving women's experience of maternity care. In 2020 she started her podcast TheObsPod to try and demystify obstetrics and help both maternity staff and families going through maternity care understand a bit more about the role of the obstetrician. The podcast covers a wide range of subjects from common clinical topics to stories about my working life. In August 2022 she also gave a TEDxNHS talk ‘Birth Should be Special’. You can listen to to her podcast here: The Obs Pod (buzzsprout.com) Birth should be special | Florence Wilcock | TEDxNHS - YouTube Florence can be found on Twitter @FWMaternity @TheObsPod as well as Instagram @TheObsPod or email [email protected] You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts as well as other platforms! Link is in my Instagram bio or go to https://anchor.fm/betterbirthIf you are enjoying the podcast please feel free to “buy me a coffee”! Link is also in my bio or go to www.buymeacoffee.com/betterbirth Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. We reserve the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time. The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Better Birth podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

How does neurodivergence affect pregnancy and birth? I speak to doula Victoria White, who founded Neurodivergent Birth in February 2023. Victoria aims to increase understanding and awareness of neurodivergent perinatal experiences. Victoria’s daughter was diagnosed as autistic in 2022, and Victoria has also recently been exploring her own neurodivergence. Following her daughter’s diagnosis, she read everything she could get her hands on about neurodiversity, and she began to see how many aspects of pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period could be challenging and experienced differently by neurodivergent people. She launched an Instagram page and a podcast to facilitate the conversation. The response that this was a much-needed space within the birth world was overwhelmingly positive, and she began to have many wonderful and informative conversations with neurodivergent people, healthcare professionals and researchers via the podcast. This then led to the development of a competency workshop for birthworkers; ‘Supporting Neurodivergent Birth’, which she co-facilitates with fellow doula and autistic advocate Sam Sheppard.  You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts as well as other platforms! Link is in my Instagram bio or go to https://anchor.fm/betterbirthIf you are enjoying the podcast please feel free to “buy me a coffee”! Link is also in my bio or go to www.buymeacoffee.com/betterbirth Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. We reserve the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time. The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Better Birth podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

This is the final episode for the season and it's a GOOD ONE!! In this episode I chat to Toni Harman about the importance of the microbiome. When Toni was pregnant, she wanted a homebirth, and Toni wanted to exclusively breastfeed. Toni ended up with an emergency C-section and struggled to breastfeed. After the birth, she wondered could birth and infant feeding affect a child's long-term health? The answer is yes! We discuss what the microbiome is, why birth preferences are so crucial, and why asking for skin to skin, and carefully considering antibiotics is so important. We talk the importance of poo and mess in birth, the wonder of breast milk microbes, vaginal seeding, and the crucial things to consider if you're having a c-section.Toni has made the film MICROBIRTH, written a book and has created evidence-based courses on this important subject. You can find Toni's courses, film, and books at ⁠https://microbirth.com/⁠ You can listen to the podcast on Spotify and Apple podcasts as well as other platforms! Link is in my Instagram bio or go to https://anchor.fm/betterbirthIf you are enjoying the podcast please feel free to “buy me a coffee”! Link is also in my bio or go to www.buymeacoffee.com/betterbirth Disclaimer: The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. We reserve the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time. The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Better Birth podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.