Australian Birth Stories

Sophie Walker
  • 4.9 (148)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A Podcast of Mothers' stories of childbirth. Weekly interviews with mothers giving their first hand accounts of child birth in Australia. Designed to help educate and inform first time pregnant women, parents wanting to have better subsequent births and birth enthusiasts who love to hear and tell birth stories. An entertaining and heartfelt resource for pregnancy, labour and delivery and postpartum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3D AGO

    602 | Building Breastfeeding Confidence with IBCLC Dr Amber Hart

    Today I sit down with Dr. Amber Hart, a Melbourne-based GP and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Dr. Hart shares her expertise on the realities of breastfeeding, the importance of antenatal education, and addresses the controversial rise in tongue tie diagnoses. Amber offers a refreshing perspective on supporting new mothers through their feeding journeys whilst prioritising mental wellbeing and realistic expectations. Get our how-to Breastfeeding Guide HERE Today’s sponsor is iLTutto   iL Tutto is celebrating Easter with something special. For a limited time, you can enjoy up to 50% off their beautiful range of nursery furniture — including Electric Recliners, Glider Nursery Chairs, Cots, Chests with removable changers, plus Boba Carriers and their cosy Grow Kindly Natural Fibre Sleepwear. And here’s something just for you — as a listener of Australian Birth Stories, you’ll receive an extra 5% off. Simply use the code ABS5 at checkout to save even more on top of these amazing sale prices. But be quick — the Easter Sale ends April 6, and the ABS5 code is valid across all reduced items. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min

  2. 6D AGO

    601 | Lucy's Story of an Emergency Caesarean, Twin birth, Redefining Body Image After Birth

    Lucy shares her contrasting birth experiences - from an emergency caesarean with her first daughter Ocean at 42+2 weeks, to a planned caesarean with twins Koa and Maddox that took a frightening turn when Maddox was born unresponsive. Today's episode is brought to you by Bare Mum. Explore the full range of birth, recovery and breastfeeding essentials and enjoy 15% off at baremum.com using the code ABS2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 4m

  3. MAR 26

    600 | Postpartum - Ruby, breastfeeding, sleep challenges, normal infant biology, low sleep needs

    In today’s episode Ruby shares her journey with infant sleep. We all come to postpartum with a predisposed understanding of baby sleep which usually involves the mindset that it’s the parent’s ‘job’ to ‘teach’ the baby to sleep. But as you will hear in this episode, babies have a primal drive to sleep and their sleep needs are ultimately influenced by their temperament. Ruby sought advice from two sleep training experts (which she admits felt counterintuitive), before she found a sleep consultant who specialises in normal infant biology. From here, Ruby grew to understand her baby’s low sleep needs and subsequently surrendered to a sleep journey that looks very different to her initial presumptions of sleep and settling. Today’s sponsor is iLTutto   iL Tutto is celebrating Easter with something special. For a limited time, you can enjoy up to 50% off their beautiful range of nursery furniture — including Electric Recliners, Glider Nursery Chairs, Cots, Chests with removable changers, plus Boba Carriers and their cosy Grow Kindly Natural Fibre Sleepwear. And here’s something just for you — as a listener of Australian Birth Stories, you’ll receive an extra 5% off. Simply use the code ABS5 at checkout to save even more on top of these amazing sale prices. But be quick — the Easter Sale ends April 6, and the ABS5 code is valid across all reduced items. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min

  4. MAR 23

    599 | Ellie, Navigating Pregnancy and Birth as an Autistic Mother, Hospital Birth, and Early Motherhood realities

    In this raw and honest episode, Ellie shares her journey from home insemination to navigating pregnancy and birth as an autistic woman in a same-sex relationship. Living in Melbourne with her partner Moo, Ellie takes us through their successful home insemination, her surprisingly positive pregnancy experience, and a challenging hospital birth that ended with forceps and episiotomy. Her candid discussion about autism in pregnancy, the realities of neurodivergent motherhood, and her difficult recovery offers invaluable insights for other neurodivergent parents. Ellie's story highlights the importance of advocating for yourself in the healthcare system and finding what works for your family. Sponsor: My friends at ergoPouch are gifting you a 20% off discount code. Use the CODE AUBS20 for 20% off sitewide* T&Cs apply. Happy Swaddling with ergo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min

  5. MAR 16

    598 | Estelle, unexplained infertility, two positive birth experiences, postpartum anxiety, feeding challenges

    Estelle shares her complete journey to motherhood - from unexplained infertility and IVF to an unexpected natural conception with her second child. Estelle opens up about the emotional challenges of fertility treatment, her positive experiences with induction and epidural, and her very different postpartum experiences with each baby. She discusses her struggles with breastfeeding anxiety, her decision to formula feed her second child, and how she's learning to trust her instincts as a mother. This episode beautifully illustrates how subsequent pregnancies and births can offer completely different experiences, and highlights the importance of making feeding choices that support maternal mental health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 3m

  6. MAR 11

    597 | Michelle & Michelle IVF journey, reciprocal IVF, miscarriage, emergency caesarean, induced lactation

    Today I chat with Michelle and Michelle (yes, two Michelles!), a couple who fell in love at work and knew immediately they wanted to build a family together. Their journey to parenthood was anything but straightforward - spanning over a year of IVF treatments, reciprocal IVF attempts, pregnancy loss, and ultimately a beautiful emergency caesarean birth of their daughter Sage. What makes their story particularly special is how they navigated the complexities of being a same-sex couple in the fertility system, supported each other through multiple embryo transfers, and both pursued breastfeeding through induced lactation. Their honesty about the emotional and financial toll of IVF, combined with their unwavering support for each other, makes this an incredibly powerful listen for anyone on their own fertility journey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 20m

  7. MAR 2

    596 | Leila Two Sets of Twins, Two Different Journeys: Leila's Christmas Day Birth Story & Postpartum Village

    Leila returns to share her incredible second twin birth story - a Christmas Day birth that began at home and culminated in a powerful breech water birth at hospital. As the founder of Village for Mama and mother to five children (including two sets of DCDA fraternal twins), Leila takes us through her unexpected pregnancy discovery at 21 weeks, her journey of informed choice-making, and the profound difference that building your village can make during pregnancy and postpartum. From dancing with a glass of non-alcoholic bubbles on Christmas morning to birthing her daughter Elka at home and then transferring to hospital for a footling breech birth of baby Finn in the birth pool, Leila's story is one of trust, intuition, and the incredible power of water birth for twins. She also shares invaluable insights about postpartum planning, the reality of caring for five children, and how she honoured her final 40-day lying-in period. Today's episode is brought to you by iLTutto iL Tutto is known for beautifully designed nursery furniture that combines comfort, functionality and timeless style. They’ve just introduced a brand-new Soft Tweed fabric in two gorgeous colours, designed to complement their much-loved Teddy Fleece and Corduroy Frankie and Louie recliners. You can enjoy 20% off iL Tutto’s range for a limited time. Simply visit iltutto.com.au and use the code ABS20 at checkout. This offer ends 25 March 2026. Conditions apply. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 29m

  8. FEB 23

    595 | Jazz Two precipitous births, hyperemesis gravidarum, navigating motherhood as a midwife

    In today's episode, Jazz a midwife, maternal and child health nurse, and sleep consultant, takes us through her remarkable journey to motherhood. From her first precipitous birth during the height of COVID-19 to navigating severe hyperemesis gravidarum whilst living in Far North Queensland, Jazz's story is one of resilience, professional insight, and the reality that being a healthcare professional doesn't make your own birth and parenting journey any easier. Jazz shares candidly about her postpartum anxiety, the pressure she placed on herself as a professional in the field, and how she learned to be kinder to herself the second time around. Her story beautifully illustrates how each pregnancy and birth is unique, even for the same woman, and offers valuable insights for both parents and birth professionals alike. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 13m
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Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
148 Ratings

About

A Podcast of Mothers' stories of childbirth. Weekly interviews with mothers giving their first hand accounts of child birth in Australia. Designed to help educate and inform first time pregnant women, parents wanting to have better subsequent births and birth enthusiasts who love to hear and tell birth stories. An entertaining and heartfelt resource for pregnancy, labour and delivery and postpartum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Sophie Walker
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    601
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Sophie Walker
  • Show Website
    Australian Birth Stories

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