65 episodes

Join us as we hubble, bubble, toil, and trouble our way through aspects of midwifery, birth, lactation, and womanhood. We tackle and discuss a variety of topics within the sphere of womanhood, birth, and lactation and what this entails in today's society. We want to be able to share in the strengths of women gathering together and being more informed, for their birth, their feeding experience, and the transition into knowing ourselves better. This is the podcast to connect us as a greater circle of women united.

The Midwives' Cauldron Katie James and Dr Rachel Reed

    • Kids & Family
    • 4.9 • 482 Ratings

Join us as we hubble, bubble, toil, and trouble our way through aspects of midwifery, birth, lactation, and womanhood. We tackle and discuss a variety of topics within the sphere of womanhood, birth, and lactation and what this entails in today's society. We want to be able to share in the strengths of women gathering together and being more informed, for their birth, their feeding experience, and the transition into knowing ourselves better. This is the podcast to connect us as a greater circle of women united.

    Pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis breakthrough with Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly FRS

    Pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis breakthrough with Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly FRS

    In this episode I discuss with Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly all things pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis. 

    Just a few months ago the scientific evidence was published highlighting what causes pregnancy sickness and hyperemesis. This breakthrough discovery came from the work of Prof Sir O’Rahilly, his team and the team from Dr Marlena S. Fejzo in the US.

    This ground breaking work gives hope to thousands of women globally who suffer terribly throughout their pregnancy with extreme nausea and sickness. 
    I discuss what it is that causing this to happen during pregnancy. Why our human bodies could be making this hormone and what it’s use would possibly be for.  And what the future holds for a cure, how Prof O’Rahilly and his team are working collaboratively with the pregnancy sickness support, a UK charity, women who have and are currently suffering from hyperemesis,  and a team of obstetric specialists to find the answer to help stop this condition. Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly FRS, is Co-Director of the Institute of Metabolic Science (IMS) and Director of the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit which is part of the broader University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories which he also directs.  On the wider Cambridge Biomedical Campus, he is Scientific Director of the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Head of the University Department of Clinical Biochemistry.
    He was elected FRS in 2003, to the National Academy of Sciences, USA in 2011, has received five honorary doctorates and numerous scientific awards. 
    In 2013 he was made Knight Bachelor & for services to medical research.
    His main research area is the aetiology and pathophysiology of human metabolic and endocrine disease and how such information might be used to improve the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of these diseases.

    LINKS:
    Pregnancy Sickness Support UK 
    Dr Marlena S. Fejzo HER Foundation
    GD15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting duri
    Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. 
    Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
    Want more from Katie and Rachel?
    Katie's website
    Rachel's website

    Disclaimer
    The information 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. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves 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.

    The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

    • 47 min
    Periods and perimenopause with Dr Lara Briden

    Periods and perimenopause with Dr Lara Briden

    Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and bestselling author of the books Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual — practical guides to treating period problems with nutrition, supplements, and bioidentical hormones. 
    With a strong science background, Lara sits on several advisory boards and is the lead author on a couple of peer-reviewed papers. 
    She has more than 20 years’ experience in women’s health and currently has consulting rooms in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she treats women with PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, perimenopause, and many other hormone- and period-related health problems.
    On this episode we discuss with Lara all things periods and perimenopause. 
    What is perimenopause? The nine symptoms you need to know!Is midlife really from 37? What is going on hormonally and how this affects our entire body systemDealing with heavy periodsSupplementing our hormones Taking the contraceptive pill  Dealing with stress, does perimenopause affect our ability to cope the same as before? Alcohol use and the real truth you need to know!  All things ‘sorting your sleep out’ including dealing with night shifts! All this and so much  more! LINKS:
    Website
    Hormone repair manual book
    The Lara Briden Podcast - Everything women’s health in under 15 minutes
    Graph of hormonal changes of perimenopause
    Graph of menstrual cycle 
     
     
     
    Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. 
    Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
    Want more from Katie and Rachel?
    Katie's website
    Rachel's website

    Disclaimer
    The information 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. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves 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.

    The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Born at Home with Amanda Banks and Eleanor Currie

    Born at Home with Amanda Banks and Eleanor Currie

    Where and how women choose to birth matters. Born at Home is a stunning documentary film exploring what it takes to have a positive and transformative birth experience. 
    Empowered by the homebirth of her second child in 2020, Amanda Banks together with long term dear friend Eleanor Currie, set out to create a film exploring Homebirth in QLD.

    With a passion for telling stories about the human experience. Their film 'Born At Home' explores the emotional journey of homebirth.  ​The film interviews birthing experts, midwives, educators and shows many a homebirth first hand. 
    We talked to Eleanor and Amanda about the messaging behind the filmHome birth statistics About the transformative effects home birth can have for some women,  And we delve deeper into the reasons  why more women are deciding to give birth at home. This is a beautiful episode with many insights. A great way to whet your appetite before you see the film.

    LINKS:
    Born at home the film
    IG @bornathomethefilm
    Screenings of the film


    Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. 
    Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
    Want more from Katie and Rachel?
    Katie's website
    Rachel's website

    Disclaimer
    The information 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. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves 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.

    The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

    • 47 min
    Breastfeeding and medication with Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS

    Breastfeeding and medication with Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS

    Wendy Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, MRPharmS is known for her work on providing a service on the compatibility of drugs in breastmilk and has been a registered breastfeeding supporter for 36 years. She is passionate that breastfeeding should be valued by all and that medication should not be a barrier. In her employed life she was a primary care pharmacist. Wendy left paid work 12 years ago to concentrate on writing her books and developing her website to provide information for mothers and professionals. Wendy was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List of 2018 for services to mothers and babies. 
    In this episode I chat to Wendy about all those common questions which start with “is it safe to breastfeed with that medication?!”
    ·      Breastfeeding whilst needing medications for a chronic condition 
    ·      Common misconceptions with anxiety and depression medications and breastfeeding
    ·      Is it safe to keep breastfeeding when you catch the common cold or flu?
    ·      Emergency contraception – do you need to stop breastfeeding and will it affect milk supply?
    ·      Wendy tells us about the new medications for migraines
    ·      Colic medicines – is there evidence for this and do they work? 

    ·      Why planning in pregnancy is essential to support ongoing breastfeeding for those needing to use any medications long term, and yet unfortunately is still mostly not happening. 
    ·      And Wendy tells me how she ended up giving out her personal phone number to the whole of the UK several years ago for any breastfeeding questions on medications and feeding! And was dealing with 10.000 calls a year!

    LINKS:
    Wendy Jones website, fact sheets, books and more
    BFN Drugs in breast milk fact sheets
    Lactmed
    E Lactencia
    Hale meds
    Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. 
    Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
    Want more from Katie and Rachel?
    Katie's website
    Rachel's website

    Disclaimer
    The information 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. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves 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.

    The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

    • 1 hr 1 min
    Taking up space and the power of anger with Bonnie Hughes

    Taking up space and the power of anger with Bonnie Hughes

     Bonnie Hughes is a midwife, with a background in musical theater and journalism. She is the creator of the podcast series Making a Midwife, and an animation film-maker hobbyist. Bonnie is passionate about the power of story, and how the stories we tell ourselves, the stories we live, the stories we are part of, and the characters we play in those stories shape the future. Bonnie explores, both through her midwifery work and her art how she can create a positive and uplifting impact for both midwives and the women and families in her care. 
    This episode will fuel your day tenfold when you hear us talking  about the importance of taking up space and the power of anger.
    We discuss: 
    ·      Working as a newly qualified midwife.  
    ·      Her incredible stop animation film titled ‘Big Trouble’ 
    ·      How society puts girls and women into a place where they have to earn their worth.
    ·      How women are conditioned to be small in size and mind, and the constant worry about how much space we take up in the world. 
    ·      We touch on how almost every woman in a maternity unit talks about their size, whether pregnant or not. 
    ·      We discuss how anger destroys us when we silence ourselves and let it fester. 
    ·      And we ask “How can we use anger for its best purpose?” 
    LINKS
    Bonnie Hughes films
    Big Trouble
    The shared anatomy of Students and Midwives
    Rage becomes her: the power of women’s anger by Soraya Chemaly 
    Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. 
    Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
    Want more from Katie and Rachel?
    Katie's website
    Rachel's website

    Disclaimer
    The information 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. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves 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.

    The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Freebirth stories - with Professor Emerita Mavis Kirkham

    Freebirth stories - with Professor Emerita Mavis Kirkham

    Mavis Kirkham is Midwifery Professor Emerita at Sheffield Hallam University and has held honorary professorial positions at the University of Technology Sydney and Auckland University of Technology. After over forty years as a clinical midwife and researcher, she is interested in reflecting and writing on birth and midwifery in its wider context. A major theme of her research has been the way in which the context of their care impacts upon childbearing women and how their working experiences impact upon midwives. She has long been concerned with how birth stories are negotiated and the impact of these stories on tellers and hearers. With Nadine Edwards she has edited a new book titled Freebirth Stories.
     In this episode we discuss with Mavis:
    About Mavis’ interest in freebirth and why it seems more women are choosing this way to give birth Mavis tells us about the Freebirth stories from women and Doulas she and Nadine collected for their new bookWe discuss the importance of language in pregnancy, birth and postpartum spaces The important role that doulas play And we ask what Mavis sees as the future of midwifery  Mavis is one of those midwives who has witnessed so many parts of midwifery and her bounty of knowledge and kindness shines through in this episode.

    LINKS:
    Freebirth Stories 
    Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout. 
    Support the show Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee MERCH here! Music Joseph McDade Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
    Want more from Katie and Rachel?
    Katie's website
    Rachel's website

    Disclaimer
    The information 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. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves 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.

    The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

    • 1 hr 1 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
482 Ratings

482 Ratings

Hanrkir ,

Amazing

So informative, I have learned so much

Daughter of Lilith ,

Brilliant

Diverse, necessary conversations for women across the lifespan. Thank you!

chloemadisonjade ,

Refreshing and a lot to learn

Love this podcast, love the ladies and what they bring to us each episode. It simplifies so much crooked information that is out there these days and gives so much info to us for free! Very lucky to have this resource over my pregnancy and birth/ postpartum

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