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.

  1. 18h ago

    622 | Hilary’s Birth, MGP, Secondary Infertility, Missed miscarriage, Advanced Maternal Age, Induction, Cervical Lip

    Join me today for a conversation with my sister, Hilary who shares her second pregnancy and birth with her daughter Rhoda.  I was in the birth centre from the moment her waters broke. It was the first birth I’ve ever attended and such a precious experience (although I think it confirmed that I wouldn’t be the best doula). I had a few roles on the day: support sister, photographer and baby catcher. Needless to say, it was unforgettable. Today's episode is brought to you by Nutra Naturals.  Made from Australian grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken bones, Nutra Naturals' award-winning bone broths are slowly cooked and concentrated into either a rich paste or convenient powder. So you get the rich flavour and naturally occurring collagen protein you'd expect from a traditional homemade bone broth - without spending hours in the kitchen. Plus there’s added Zinc and B Vitamins too! No preservatives, no fillers, no nasties. Just clean wholefood ingredients that make healthy eating feel effortless. And that is really what we are all after isn't it. The range starts from $34.95 and you can shop online at nutranaturals.com.au. Use the code AUSBIRTHSTORIES at checkout to get 20% off. But be quick, this offer is only available until the 18th of September 2026 and cannot be used on bundles or with any other offer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. 3d ago

    621 | Freya - 35-week premature birth after car accident, hyperemesis gravidarum, tongue tie, perinatal anxiety

    In this episode I chat with Freya, a paediatric doctor from Melbourne, about her pregnancy and premature vaginal birth of her daughter Goldie. Freya's journey to motherhood came with more challenges than most; she battled severe hyperemesis gravidarum for her entire pregnancy, was involved in a serious car accident at 34 weeks, and went into spontaneous labour at just 35 weeks. Her professional background in paediatrics influenced many of her fears around childbirth, yet she still managed to find a positive, empowering birth experience. Freya also speaks candidly about the guilt and shame that so often accompanies pregnancy sickness, the emotional complexity of a NICU-adjacent birth, and a gruelling three-month breastfeeding journey. Today's episode is brought to you by Nutra Naturals. Made from Australian grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken bones, Nutra Naturals' award-winning bone broths are slowly cooked and concentrated into either a rich paste or convenient powder. So you get the rich flavour and naturally occurring collagen protein you'd expect from a traditional homemade bone broth - without spending hours in the kitchen. Plus there’s added Zinc and B Vitamins too! No preservatives, no fillers, no nasties. Just clean wholefood ingredients that make healthy eating feel effortless. And that is really what we are all after isn't it. The range starts from $34.95 and you can shop online at nutranaturals.com.au. Use the code AUSBIRTHSTORIES at checkout to get 20% off. But be quick, this offer is only available until the 18th of September 2026 and cannot be used on bundles or with any other offer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Jul 14

    620 | Jade - Stage four endometriosis, two vastly different births, postural headaches, fear of second birth, dream water birth, PND

    Jade is a registered nurse of fourteen years, a newly qualified doula, and a birth photographer living on Sydney's Northern Beaches with her husband Matt, her daughters Milla, four, and Remi, seventeen months, and their beloved Westie, Doug. Diagnosed with stage four endometriosis at twenty-one, Jade spent years wondering whether motherhood would come easily. Thankfully it did, but what followed were two pregnancies and births that could not have been more different. Her first, marked by severe hyperemesis, a prolonged epidural process, postural headaches, and a postpartum she is still making sense of. Her second, a deeply prepared, woman-centred water birth that she describes as chalk and cheese. This is an honest, generous, and deeply relatable episode for anyone navigating fear, trauma, or the hope of a different experience second time around. Follow us on Instagram for photos and video from today's birth story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Jul 6

    619 | Lauren - Yoga teacher, intentional conception, positive induction, dream water birth, navigating grief in pregnancy, two births

    Lauren is a yoga teacher, women's circle facilitator and prenatal yoga educator living in Sydney's northwest with her husband James and their two children, Joel, who is nearly four, and Grace, who is just three months old. From the moment she came off the contraceptive pill, Lauren embarked on a deeply intentional journey into her own body, her cycle, and ultimately, her path to motherhood. She shares two profoundly different yet equally positive birth experiences at the same private hospital, and takes us through the grief, the ritual, the surrender, and the extraordinary moments that shaped both. Today's episode is brought to you by Once Upon, the app that makes creating photo books surprisingly easy. You can create beautiful photo books straight from your phone without needing hours of spare time or any design skills. You just choose your photos, arrange them how you like, and Once Upon does the rest. They've also recently added more colours and pattern options for their photo books, so you can personalise them in a way that feels like you and your family. I've been using it to capture our family memories and what I love most is that it doesn't have to be the big milestone moments. Some of my favourite photos are the everyday ones — the kids playing in the backyard, family dinners, holidays, little moments that I know I'll want to remember years from now. And there's something really special about having those memories in a physical book rather than buried in your camera roll. The boys love flicking through old photos and seeing how much they've changed. So if you've been meaning to create a photo book but keep putting it off, consider this your sign. Download the Once Upon app and use the code ABS25 for 25% off your photo book order. The code is valid until 27 July 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    619 | Lauren - Yoga teacher, intentional conception, positive induction, dream water birth, navigating grief in pregnancy, two births

  5. Jun 22

    617 | Hannah Home Water Birth with a 5.2kg Baby, Physiological Birth with Private Midwifery Care

    Hannah first shared her birth story in a previous episode (episode 402) a home water birth with her 5.1kg son Archie. Now, four years later, she returns to share the story of her second home water birth with baby August, born at 41+2 weeks and weighing 5.2kg. This episode is rich with clinical insight, raw honesty and the kind of grounded wisdom that only comes from someone who has walked both sides of the birth room. Hannah talks candidly about gestational diabetes, pelvic girdle pain, the mental load of a prolonged latent phase, stretch and sweeps, using a breast pump to encourage labour, and a postpartum haemorrhage that was managed beautifully at home. If you are pregnant, a doula or a midwife, this episode will leave you feeling informed, empowered and deeply reassured. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    617 | Hannah Home Water Birth with a 5.2kg Baby, Physiological Birth with Private Midwifery Care

  6. Jun 18

    Fourth Trimester Village | Francesca Hung , Precipitous Labour and Finding Your Villange in Postpartum

    This episode is part of The Fourth Trimester Village, a four-part series in partnership with Bugaboo exploring what it actually takes to navigate those first twelve weeks after birth. Not just physically, but emotionally, socially and practically. Because we spend so much time preparing for birth, but not nearly enough time talking about what comes after. Francesca Hung joins us to share her pregnacy and birth expereince. From a pregnancy marked by low platelet levels and a tumble down a cliff face at twelve weeks, to waking at 3:30am on Christmas morning in precipitous labour and nearly birthing her daughter on her parents' front doorstep, Francesca's story is equal parts wild, funny, and deeply moving. She speaks honestly about the delayed emotional connection she felt after birth, the brutal early weeks of breastfeeding, and how living with her parents in those first months gave her the village she needed to find her footing as a mother. This is a brilliant episode for anyone navigating the unexpected in birth and postpartum and a reminder that the village isn't just helpful, it's everything. You can learn more about Bugaboo and their Kangaroo Pram over at Bugaboo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Fourth Trimester Village | Francesca Hung , Precipitous Labour and Finding Your Villange in Postpartum

  7. Jun 15

    615 | Hana identical twins, vaginal twin birth, breech second twin, no epidural, postpartum village, breastfeeding twins

    When Hana went in for her thirteen-week scan on a road trip through Western Australia, she was expecting to confirm a due date. What she got instead was the shock of her life — two babies. Identical, monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins, sharing a placenta, and completely unplanned. Having already had two beautiful home births — a water birth with her first son Zephyr in Sydney, and a rapid two-hour birth with her second son Dali through the Byron Bay homebirth programme — Hana had assumed her third birth would follow a similar path. It didn't. But what unfolded was something she now describes as one of the most incredible experiences of her life. Today's sponsor: If you’re expecting, creating your dream nursery, or looking for premium baby essentials, now is the perfect time to shop at iL Tutto because our EOFY Sale starts at 9am on Tuesday 16 June. iL Tutto is Australia’s destination for beautifully designed nursing chairs, recliners, bassinets, CoZee co-sleepers, cots, nursery furniture and baby sleep essentials, created to support families from pregnancy through to parenthood and even beyond! During the EOFY Sale, you can save up to 40% off sitewide, plus we’ve got an exclusive offer just for the ABS audience. Use code ABS5 at checkout for an additional 5% off sale prices. There are some incredible savings available. Like the Felix Glider Chair and Recliner in Sea Shell is 40% off, and the Maya Electric Recliner & Glider in our best-selling Eggshell fabric is also 40% off. Then, with our exclusive ABS5 code, you’ll save even more. If you’ve been thinking about investing in a nursing chair, bassinet or nursery furniture, this is one of the biggest sales of the year. But don’t wait too long, the iL Tutto EOFY Sale ends 1 July 2026. Shop online at iLTutto.com.au and don’t forget to use code ABS5 for your extra savings. * excludes online bundles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    615 | Hana identical twins, vaginal twin birth, breech second twin, no epidural, postpartum village, breastfeeding twins

  8. Jun 11

    Fourth Trimester Village | Dr Nicole Gale, newborn sleep, breastfeeding support, matrescence, postnatal loneliness

    This episode is part of The Fourth Trimester Village, a four-part series in partnership with Bugaboo exploring what it actually takes to navigate those first twelve weeks after birth. Not just physically, but emotionally, socially and practically. Because we spend so much time preparing for birth, but not nearly enough time talking about what comes after. In this episode, Sophie speaks with Dr Nicole Gale, a specialist GP, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), and founder of Juno Specialists in Richmond, Melbourne. Nicole brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and deep compassion to the conversation, unpacking what the fourth trimester really looks like for mothers, babies, and families. From the biology of newborn sleep and the myths around self-settling, to the emotional complexity of breastfeeding decisions and the very real loneliness of early motherhood, this episode is rich with validation, evidence-based insight, and practical wisdom. Nicole also speaks beautifully about supporting neurodivergent mothers in the postnatal period and closes with a reminder that will stay with you long after you've finished listening. You can learn more about Bugaboo and their Kangaroo Pram over at Bugaboo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Fourth Trimester Village | Dr Nicole Gale, newborn sleep, breastfeeding support, matrescence, postnatal loneliness
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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.

Information

  • Creator
    Sophie Walker
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    621
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Sophie Walker
  • Show Website
    Australian Birth Stories

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