Cuppa with a doula Alicia Cloarec-Riouat

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Cobi, actually on the day of this episode being released is Cobi’s boy’s Sidney’s 2nd birthday, so happy birthday to you little Sidney



In this episode we chat all about 



✔️initially going through an OB-led model of care, thinking she would get the highest possible care for herself and baby 

✔️having a friend tell her about home birth and meeting with a private midwife, deciding this was the right option for her 

✔️in hindsight seeing how negative her OB was, never really giving her info, just telling her how it will be, not accepting of Cobi’s birth choices or wishes 

✔️hiring a private midwife at 20 weeks and building a beautiful relationship which spanned beyond Cobi’s pregnancy! 

✔️Cobi’s labour with Sidney beginning at 41 weeks, 1 week after her husband started his leave (he was a DIDO worker at the time) 

✔️Cobi’s parents being present for her labour, having her mum braid her hair, having them support her during this transition 

✔️Cobi’s labour unfolding very quickly and finding she needed her dad present to help ground her and her partner and bring some “chill vibes” to her birth 

✔️Birthing her baby boy Sidney (4.2kg), in the shower, on her own terms, without her midwife who didn’t have time to make it

✔️Solo parenting for 4 weeks at a time while her partner is FIFO and away 



If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula 



To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. 



If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA 



This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube 



Follow me on social media for more content 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula 



Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Alicia :)


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Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the amazing Mel who at the time of this recording is a mum to her daughter Alaska and has since welcomed into the world her baby boy Lakai 



In this episode we chat all about 



✔️knowing she wanted to be a mum at a young age and having her daughter Alaska at 22 

✔️finding out about home birth by total chance and just knowing instantly that this was the way to birth for her 

✔️still getting a referral for MGP after hiring private midwife and going to MGP appointment to really realise that this environment wasn’t where Mel wanted to birth 

✔️listening to a lot of birth podcasts to really understand the variations of labour, the last one she listened to being one with a mum who had pre-labour for days 

✔️Having pre-labour surges come on at night, 2 nights in a row but that would fizzle out by the morning 

✔️Loving the pushing phase, feeling so much better while pushing, being able to eat again 

✔️choosing to not suture her 2nd degree tear and let it heal naturally 

✔️finding her flow as parent and going with Alaska’s cues 

✔️focusing on postpartum for her second pregnancy and really diving into traditions and meal train to improve her recovery 



If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula 



To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. 



If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA 



This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube 



Follow me on social media for more content 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula 



Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Alicia :)


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuppa-with-a-doula/message

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation with the extremely funny Katherine, I had an absolute blast recording the 3 incredible births of Katherine, who gave birth to her 2 children and was a surrogate for a couple in Australia ! 



In this episode we chat all about 



✔️having difficult access to birth education 14 years ago, but doing calm birth to help her prepare for a physiological birth 

✔️birthing her son with the same obstetrician, being very obedient and accepting an induction of labour 

✔️not feeling completely done with her family but her husband being totally done after having 2 kids 

✔️diving into the world of surrogacy, telling her husband, who initially was against the idea 

✔️drip feeding information about surrogacy to her husband who started to come around and accept the idea 

✔️steps to become a surrogate, from finding intended parents to counseling with IVF clinic to independent counseling to legal documents to being approved by a surrogacy commission before being able to actually begin the IVF process 

✔️finding her intended parents right before the global pandemic 

✔️beginning the process of transferring an embryo as the intended parents had embryo frozen 

✔️discussing birth choices with intended parents and during pre-counseling about how Katherine would like to birth as she has autonomy over her body 

✔️how the pregnancy and birth unfolded, birthing at home with baby’s intended parents present and involved 

✔️how Katherine breastfed surro baby for a bit while intended parents were around and then continued to express breastmilk and donated over 150L of milk to babies in need 

✔️how Katherine’s journey as a surrogate, someone who has birthed at home and is a doula has educated her children around fertility and birth in a whole different way 



Australian Surrogacy community Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftsaust?locale=fr_FR 



If you are looking for donations of breastmilk or want to donate breastmilk https://www.facebook.com/hm4hb/ 



If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula 



To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. 



If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA 



This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube 



Follow me on social media for more content 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula 



Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Alicia :)


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuppa-with-a-doula/message

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation focused on the three pillars of birth, what they mean and how they apply to the environment in which you will be birthing. This is something I found I have mentioned in a few birth story but that I feel really needs its own episode to really discuss the depth of it, so here it is! 



In this episode I chat about 



✔️how the mothers and babies report 2021 reflects the current maternity system in Australia if birthing in a hospital 

✔️why 97% of women in Australia birth in a hospital vs only 0.5% birth at home 

✔️how women’s due date is probably leading to an increase in rates of induction in Australia 

✔️women’s labour being observed and women being put on a clock as soon as they arrive to hospital 

✔️the huge difference in the rates of instrumental deliveries amongst first time mums vs subsequent labouring mums 

✔️how the rates of episiotomy for labour WITHOUT an instrumental delivery has increased in the last 17 years 

✔️the three pillars of births: needing to feel safe, private and undisturbed during labour 

✔️how to create a more safe environment when birthing in a hospital - starting by finding continuity of care either through MGP or student midwife or doula or student doula 

✔️how to create an oxytocin rich environment when you are really accepting and surrendering to labour contractions

✔️why women find that labouring in the bathroom of the birth suite helped them to progress in their labour or “restart” their stalled labour 

✔️how to have the set yourself up and your space to have the most physiological induction possible 

✔️using the BRAIN accronym to make decisions



Mother and Babies report 2021 Australia https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies/contents/summary 



Sarah Buckley’s instagram https://www.instagram.com/drsarahjbuckley/ 



Find a student midwife via Call the Student Midwife Australia https://www.facebook.com/groups/1029725940418733?locale=fr_FR or A student for every woman https://www.facebook.com/groups/280671229026793?locale=fr_FR 



Cuppa with a pro with Student Midwife Kiersten https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000622071330 



Birth mapping with Catherine Bell https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/cuppa-with-a-doula/id1663704129?i=1000644133020 



If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula 



To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. 



If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA 



This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube 



Follow me on social media for more content 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula 



Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Alicia :)


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuppa-with-a-doula/message

Thanks for tuning into today’s conversation. Today I chat with Alyssa, a busy mum to 3 children



In this conversation we chat about 



✔️having a long conception to conceive her first daughter due to an undiagnosed thyroid condition 

✔️Having her waters break or leak around 37 weeks and having an ultrasound later in the pregnancy showing low fluid levels and a “small baby”

✔️agreeing to be induced due to low fluid levels and baby showing as being on the small side 

✔️what the induction process was like for Alyssa and having a doctor encourage her to see how her body was responding to the induction before having the oxytocin drip put in

✔️receiving the syntocinon (synthetic oxytocin) injection to birth the placenta without consent being asked 

✔️feeling very very sick throughout the whole of her pregnancies but managing it better which each pregnancy

✔️wanting to have a different model of care this time around and very much wanting continuity of care through a private midwife 

✔️the vast difference of care between her first pregnancy with extra ultrasounds in a very medicalised environment compared to having a private midwife and just “chilling out” at home 

✔️experiencing an asthma attack for the first time during her 2nd pregnancy, without having had a history of asthma 

✔️how Alyssa involved her daughter into the pregnancy and birth of her baby brother and advice on what she would do differently 

✔️finding out that she was unexpectedly pregnant, being shocked as Alyssa’s second baby wasn’t 1 year old yet and booking the same private midwife as for her 2nd straight away 

✔️Alyssa breastfeeding her last baby until well past 2 years of age and enjoying this last journey 

✔️Alyssa’s postpartum advice to tune out the noise and parent your baby the way that feels right for you, rather than the way that others want you to do it 



To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. 



If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula 



If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA 



This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube 



Follow me on social media for more content 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula 



Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Alicia :)


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuppa-with-a-doula/message

Hey hey, 



Welcome back to another episode of Cuppa with a pro where I interview professionals that work within the pregnancy, birthing or parenting space to chat about their expertise. 



In today’s episode, I am chatting with the Sally Cusack, secretary from Maternity Choices Australia (MCA). MCA advocates to improves women’s birthing options state wide. In today’s conversation we chat about the following 



✔️how to make a complaint to the hospital if you have received a service you are not happy with or about the way you were treated in birth/postpartum 

✔️why hospitals are usually unaware of the birth and postpartum experiences of women 

✔️how to give feedback to your local maternity 

✔️what the best birth finder and why it is helping to drive change in hospitals 

✔️how best brith finder can help give hospital a REAL perspective on the reality of birth, especially when your nearest hospital is HOURS away from you… 

✔️needing to realise that we are conditioned to be compliant with what professionals tell us and that we need to fight that to be able to advocate for our choices 

✔️use the BRAIN acronym when seeking medical advice or when going through the hospital system - Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition and Nothing 

✔️a disconnect during birth when birthing in a hospital - mum pushing a baby out and OB/midwife putting gloves on “hurry up” feeling 

✔️needing to be feeling private, safe and unobserved during birth to favour the physiological unfolding of labour and maximise oxytocin release 

✔️how the hospital’s environment lighting and overall feel can negatively impact your labour or cause labour to stall 

✔️how to have the most positive birthing experience even when birthing in the hospital 



Maternity Choices Australia website https://www.maternitychoices.org/ 



Best birth finder website https://www.bestbirthfinder.org.au/ 



If you are currently pregnant, thinking of trying for a baby or know someone who is, please check out my FREE YouTube series “I’m pregnant! Now what?” Where I take you through how to navigate the system, how to effectively question and say “no”, what is consent, what models of care are available and so much more, it is available on my YouTube channel @Cuppawithadoula 



To be sure to be notified when a new episode comes out please subscribe to the show on your listening platform. If you would like to support the show, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a 5-star review on your podcast listening platform or Apple podcast. 



If you would like to come on the show and tell your own birth story please get in touch through this link here https://forms.gle/YCCP5dMg8bYSXuAYA 



This podcast is available on Deezer, Spotify, Apple podcast, most other podcast listening platforms and Youtube 



Follow me on social media for more content 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cuppawithadoula 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cuppawithadoula 



Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

Alicia :)


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuppa-with-a-doula/message