Birth Hurts!!... So Lets Talk About It!

“We didn’t know what we didn’t know.” In Part 1, Jenny and Dylan shared the unexpected journey through their first son Billy’s birth. This time, they’re back to share what they did differently as they prepared to welcome Joey. You may recognise this beautiful couple from The Block. For me, they’re also clients I had the privilege of supporting through private Journey to Birth hypnobirthing sessions. During their second pregnancy, Jenny knew she wanted to explore a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC). Together, she and Dylan set out to understand their options, prepare questions and learn practical ways to work through labour as a team. In this episode, we talk about how that preparation changed their conversations with their obstetrician, Dylan’s understanding of his role and the resources Jenny could draw on when labour became intense. And there is plenty of laughter as Dylan shares what he originally thought hypnobirthing would involve! Jenny takes us through the wait beyond her estimated due date, discussions about Joey’s size and possible induction, choosing a stretch and sweep, and the overnight labour that followed. She shares why breathing was such an important anchor, how movement, TENS and counterpressure helped her, and why having Dylan close mattered so much. Their story also includes unexpected challenges. When Joey’s shoulders became stuck during birth, the team responded quickly. Jenny sustained a third-degree tear and speaks openly about her recovery, alongside the pride and joy she felt after her VBAC. We finish with Billy meeting his little brother, the emotions of becoming a mum of two, and what both parents would tell their past selves. In this episode, we explore: • Preparing for birth after a previous caesarean. • Discussing VBAC options and individual risks with your caregiver. • How education helped Jenny and Dylan ask more questions. • Birth preparation from a dad’s perspective. • Waiting beyond the estimated due date and navigating changing recommendations. • The breathing and comfort techniques Jenny found most helpful. • Making decisions during labour as circumstances changed. • Joey’s birth, shoulder dystocia and a third-degree tear. • Recovery, sibling introductions and adjusting to two children. This is a story of an experience that felt deeply empowering to Jenny, with honest space for the intensity, complications and recovery too. If you’re a birth partner, this is a beautiful episode to listen to together. Resources and support Book discussed: Birth After Caesarean: Your Journey to a Better Birth by Dr Hazel Keedle. Explore Journey to Birth online hypnobirthing Join a Gold Coast group course Explore private preparation and further support Download my free Questions to Ask Caregivers resource Read RCOG information about birth options after caesarean This episode shares personal experiences. Discuss your own birth options, benefits and risks with your maternity care team. Content note: Discussion includes previous difficult birth experiences, early pregnancy bleeding, intense labour, shoulder dystocia and third-degree tearing. Follow the Belly2Birth Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube, and share this conversation with someone preparing for birth.

What happens when you go into birth thinking you’ll just go with the flow… and the experience unfolds very differently from what you imagined? In part 1 of this two-part conversation, I’m joined by my beautiful clients Jenny and Dylan, who you may recognise from the 2022 season of The Block, to share the pregnancy and birth story of their first son, Billy. Joining us in the studio is their youngest son Joey, making Dylan our first dad on the podcast and Joey our first little baby guest! Jenny takes us back to a pregnancy that changed course at 24 weeks, when contractions and concerns about early labour led to medication and bed rest. After reaching 39 weeks, concerns about possible pre-eclampsia prompted a recommendation for induction. Jenny and Dylan share what they understood about induction at the time, what they expected the day to look like, and how they felt as the experience unfolded. From having her waters broken and starting a Syntocinon infusion to an epidural and, later that night, an unplanned caesarean, Jenny speaks honestly about feeling unprepared for the different paths birth could take. Dylan also shares his perspective as a first-time dad: watching Jenny navigate the intensity of labour, wanting to support her, and facing his own emotions when their plans changed. Alongside their story, we explore the importance of understanding your options, asking questions and preparing for different birth experiences. We also acknowledge that medical intervention can be necessary, and that parents make decisions with the information and support available to them at the time. In this episode, we discuss: • Pregnancy complications and concerns about early labour. • The circumstances behind Jenny’s induction at 39 weeks. • Their expectations of induction and what actually happened. • Jenny’s experience of an epidural and limited mobility. • The emotional transition to an unplanned caesarean. • Birth from a partner’s perspective. • Recovery from surgery while caring for a newborn. • What they wished they had understood before their first birth. This is an honest conversation about becoming parents, facing the unexpected and looking back with greater understanding and compassion. In part 2, Jenny and Dylan return to share how they prepared differently for Joey’s birth through private hypnobirthing sessions with me, and the story of their vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC). Follow the Belly2Birth Podcast so you don’t miss the next chapter. Prepare for your own birth with Belly2Birth: Journey to Birth Online Hypnobirthing Course Gold Coast Group Hypnobirthing Courses Explore private courses and further support Download my free Questions to Ask Caregivers resource If this conversation resonates with you, share it with another parent or parent-to-be. Content note: This episode includes discussion of pregnancy complications, a difficult birth experience, unplanned caesarean and postoperative pain.

After around six years of trying to conceive, two rounds of IVF egg retrievals and an unsuccessful embryo transfer, Taylor was beginning to imagine that motherhood might not be part of her story. Then, two weeks later, she discovered she had fallen pregnant naturally. In this episode of the Belly2Birth Podcast, I sit down with my beautiful past client Taylor for an honest and emotional conversation about fertility, pregnancy, birth, loss and becoming a mum. Taylor shares the highs and lows of her fertility journey, her unexpected endometriosis diagnosis, and why seeing those two lines on a pregnancy test brought fear alongside the joy. We talk about how preparing for birth with her husband James through my private Journey to Birth hypnobirthing sessions helped them understand their options, ask better questions and get clear on what mattered to them. That preparation led them to reconsider their maternity care and choose a planned homebirth with private midwife Nicole Garrett. And her two birth stories? They could not have been more different. From the long, exhausting labour that brought her daughter Billie into the world to the fast and intense arrival of her son Mason, Taylor shares the moments that challenged her, the support that helped her, and what she discovered about herself along the way. In this episode, we explore: • The emotional reality of fertility treatment and pregnancy after years of trying. • Moving beyond people-pleasing and choosing a caregiver who aligns with your needs. • How hypnobirthing preparation supported both Taylor and James. • Navigating a long first labour with rest, movement, affirmations and support. • Miscarriage and the uncertainty of waiting for answers. • Preparing for a second birth while caring for a toddler. • Two very different homebirths and the transition into life with two little ones. • The value of feeling held and supported during postpartum. This is a beautiful conversation about finding your voice, making informed choices and the transformation that unfolds as you become a mother. Content note: This episode includes personal experiences of infertility, IVF and miscarriage. Want to feel more calm, confident and informed as you prepare for your own birth? Explore my Belly2Birth Journey to Birth hypnobirthing courses: Online, self-paced course: https://www.belly2birth.com.au/hypnobirthing-online-course Gold Coast group courses: https://www.belly2birth.com.au/gold-coast-hypnobirthing-courses Private sessions, live Zoom support and hypnosis bundles: https://www.belly2birth.com.au Free Questions to Ask Caregivers resource: https://www.belly2birth.com.au/questions If Taylor’s story resonates with you, share this episode with someone who would love to hear it, and follow the Belly2Birth Podcast for more honest birth stories and conversations to support your journey.

How do you naturally respond when birth feels uncertain? Do you become more focused on safety and what could go wrong? Do you instinctively trust your body and prefer to go with the flow? Or do you want to understand your options, ask questions and have a strong voice in your care? In Part 2 of my Birth Archetypes series, we’re exploring the final three archetypes: ✨ The Guardian — who values safety, certainty and feeling protected. ✨ The Free Spirit — who is drawn towards intuition, trust, flexibility and surrender. ✨ The Advocate — who values autonomy, informed choice and having a voice in her care. Just like I shared in Part 1, your Birth Archetype is not about putting you into a box. It’s about expanding your awareness of the strengths you already have, recognising where you may feel challenged, and discovering the qualities you could learn to access from the other archetypes. Because birth may ask different things of you at different moments. The Guardian may need to borrow some of the Free Spirit’s ability to surrender. The Free Spirit may benefit from some of the Planner’s preparation and knowledge. And the Advocate may discover that using her voice doesn’t always mean fighting; sometimes advocacy is asking questions, taking time, listening, collaborating and then making an informed decision that feels right for her. Ultimately, I want you to have access to all five archetypes. To prepare like The Planner. Connect like The Nurturer. Create boundaries like The Guardian. Surrender like The Free Spirit. And use your voice like The Advocate. Because we may not be able to control exactly how birth unfolds, and we can prepare ourselves with the knowledge, confidence, tools and resources to navigate the journey as it unfolds. If you haven't discovered yours yet, take my FREE Birth Archetypes Quiz: Take the FREE Birth Archetypes Quiz And once you receive your result, don't just focus on “Which archetype am I?” Ask yourself: “What strengths do I already have… and what could I learn from the other archetypes to become more adaptable as I prepare for birth?” Then go back and listen to Part 1, where I introduce The Planner and The Nurturer and explain why I created the Birth Archetypes in the first place. Which Birth Archetype are you? And if you are ready to learn more on how to prepare for your birth then I invite you to check out my online Hypnobirthing Course options https://www.belly2birth.com.au/hypnobirthing-online-course Use the code: PODCAST10 and save 10% off the online or face to face Hypnobirthing Courses on the Gold Coast

How will you approach birth when things feel uncertain, plans change, or you’re faced with decisions you weren’t expecting? After more than 14 years of supporting women and couples through pregnancy and birth, I’ve noticed that we all bring different strengths, beliefs, fears and ways of coping into the birth space. That’s why I created the Birth Archetypes. In this episode, I introduce you to the first two archetypes: The Planner and The Nurturer. We explore the beautiful strengths each archetype can bring to pregnancy and birth, where they may feel challenged, and most importantly what they can learn from the other archetypes to become more flexible, confident and adaptable. Because your Birth Archetype isn’t designed to put you in a box. It’s a starting point. The goal is to recognise who you are now, how you naturally approach birth, and who you may want to become as you prepare for one of the biggest transitions of your life. And if you discover you’re a Planner who likes certainty and control, or a Nurturer who naturally puts everyone else’s needs before her own, this episode will give you plenty to think about.✨ Discover your Birth Archetype Take my FREE Birth Archetypes Quiz HERE And if you’re ready to go beyond simply knowing your archetype and develop the knowledge, mindset, tools and resources to feel more confident and adaptable for birth, come and explore my Journey to Birth Hypnobirthing programs with Belly2Birth. Because we can’t control every part of birth but we can prepare ourselves for how we meet it.