Australian Birth Stories Sophie Walker

Ariane shares her experience with postpartum psychosis. As a psychologist working in child and family services, Ariane was aware of perinatal mental illness but her anxiety prevented her from disclosing her symptoms which included disillusions, hallucinations and suicidal ideation. After a stay in a mother and baby unit, she started seeing a perinatal psychiatrist who saw past her well-presented exterior and diagnosed her with psychotic depression.

In this episode 478 Katie shares her pregnancy and birth experience as a plus-size woman. She was denied access to midwifery group practice because of her weight and was immediately placed in a high risk model of care.

In this episode Angela shares her incredibly positive first birth - a water birth at home, supported by private midwives. Before she had conceived, Angela spent years learning about birth and discovered that a physiological birth in water was her preference.

Georgie details her positive physiological first birth, her second that was a surprise breech (birthed vaginally!) and a DCDA twin pregnancy with confronting fragmented obstetric care.

In this absolutely brilliant episode, Arnikka - @sucklebubs - takes us through her life-changing diagnosis of autism and ADHD in her second postpartum

The gender pain gap has been in the news cycle recently with the Victorian government announcing an inquiry into women’s pain. Chantal’s story mirrors the experience of thousands of Australian women; a history of painful periods that had been dismissed. She was diagnosed with stage three endometriosis when she had trouble conceiving naturally.