Birth Tales Serena Louth

In today’s episode I’m chatting to Leone about her positive homebirth experience. She loved being pregnant and really immersed herself in preparing for her baby’s birth. Her labour began a few days before her estimated due date and she was surprised to feel all her contractions solely in her lower back. She laboured at home with the support of her husband and doula, using the TENS machine and the birth pool to help her manage the sensations and baby Hugo was born back to back in the water.
Leone shares her experience of advocating for herself during her pregnancy, how she found all the birth prep she did to be invaluable and the struggles she faced in the early days of breastfeeding.
 
Leone’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/leone_hunter_
My website: www.serenalouth.com
My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today’s episode Nicole shares her experience of consciously conceiving and birthing her son Oakley. She loved being pregnant and spent her time preparing for the transition from maiden to mother by hiring a doula, listening to positive birth stories and nourishing herself with good food, movement, yoga and massage. Having planned for a homebirth, Nicole and her husband spend the majority of her labour at home but eventually transferred to hospital to birth her baby with ventouse assistance.
She shares how she found pregnancy, birth and the early months of motherhood to be the ultimate lesson in trust and surrender and how she found peace with her birthing experience despite things not turning out exactly as she had envisaged.
 
Nicole’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.grounded.mama/ 
My website: www.serenalouth.com
My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today’s episode I’m chatting to Laura about the birth of her daughter Winnie. Laura loved being pregnant; she enjoyed staying active and immersing herself in birth preparation.
When her labour began and her contractions got going Laura found all the tools and techniques she had learned through hypnobirthing to be invaluable, but after a while progess slowed due to the baby’s positioning and her care providers wanted to intervene.  Laura ended up trying some coached pushing which she found particularly tough. She went on to have her waters broken, after which something shifted and she was able to birth her baby by herself.
Laura tells us all about the overwhelming feeling of relief once she had Winnie in her arms and shares a little about the struggles she faced in the early days of breastfeeding.

Laura’s website: https://www.lauranolan.co.uk/ 
Laura’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/lauracnolan/
My website: www.serenalouth.com
My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today’s episode we’re hearing from Georgie about the birth of her son Phaedra. During her first trimester she struggled with feeling unwell but put her symptoms down to her pregnancy. When things didn’t improve over time her care providers investigated and Georgie was eventually diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and placed under consultant lead care. Conversations about induction started early as the baby was suspected to be large for gestational age due to Georgie’s diabetes going untreated for so long, but Phaedra had other plans and surprised everyone by arriving at 35 weeks! Labour started spontaneously and Georgie gave birth in the hospital with her mum as her birth partner.
 
Georgie’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/root__down?igsh=ajM2aGt4dHcxYzFz 
Freya’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/freyarosebirch?igsh=MXN0em9ka3Awc3NvbA%3D%3D
 
My website: www.serenalouth.com
My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today’s episode we’re hearing from Lily about the birth of her second daughter, Nancy. Lily loved being pregnant but definitely found it harder to create time to relax this time around. She planned for a homebirth and really enjoyed having all her midwife appointments at home, but admits she felt much more nervous about giving birth than she had during her first pregnancy.
When her labour began, Lily called her midwife only to find she was busy at another birth. Things ramped up quickly and when she realised there wasn’t going to be time to transfer in to the hospital, an ambulance was sent out to her. Lily gave birth to her baby girl in the water with her husband, doula and the paramedic present and her midwives arrived shortly after. She shares how the birth was a totally different experience to her first and how special it was introducing Winnie to her little sister.
 
Lily’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/the.better.sleep.coach/ 
Lily’s Doula, Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/doula_sarah/
 
My website: www.serenalouth.com
My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/

In today’s episode I’m chatting to Zoe as she shares her insights on loss, pregnancy and the postpartum period both as a mother and as a psychotherapist. Zoe shares her two heartbreaking experiences of miscarriage and the emotional challenges of pregnancy after loss. Aside from the understandable anxiety, her third pregnancy went smoothly. Her waters broke nearly 2 weeks after her due date but when contractions hadn’t started after 24 hours, she accepted an induction to help her baby be born. Zoe talks about the anxiety and intrusive thoughts she faced postpartum and how your instincts are your greatest guide in those early weeks after your baby is born.
 
Zoe’s website: https://zoeaston.com/ 
Zoe’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/zoeastondotcom/ 
 
Tommy’s: https://www.tommys.org/ 
Petals Baby Loss Counselling: https://www.petalscharity.org/
Saying Goodbye: https://www.sayinggoodbye.org/ 
The Worst Girl Gang Ever: https://theworstgirlgangever.co.uk/ 
Supporting friends through baby loss: https://serenalouth.com/2023/10/12/how-to-support-someone-through-pregnancy-loss/ 
 
My website: www.serenalouth.com
My IG: https://www.instagram.com/serenalouth/