British Birthing Stories

Georgia McGivern
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Kids & Family
  • Updated Weekly

A weekly podcast sharing real stories of childbirth in the UK, from labour and delivery to postpartum recovery. Mothers across the UK talk openly about their personal birth experiences, created to educate, inform, and empower women preparing for birth and the early weeks of motherhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3h ago

    Kirsten: First Birth, Planned NHS Home Birth, Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Fast Labour, Hospital Transfer, Ventouse Delivery, Episiotomy Without Consent, Episiotomy Breakdown, Autism and ADHD

    She planned a home birth and got one. Right up until she didn't. And what happened at the hospital, at the hands of a registrar who did not ask her permission, is something she eventually made a formal complaint about.   Kirsten is an independent midwife, mum of two boys, and half Dutch, growing up in a culture where home birth is simply normal. Her first pregnancy was dominated by hyperemesis gravidarum so severe she lost 10 kilos and lived on potatoes and crisps for months. Nobody mentioned HG to her until she was 36 weeks, when a patient she was treating spotted it first. Labour began quietly at 39 weeks, a walk around Hackney Downs, some swaying she could not explain, a Pride and Prejudice evening, and then her waters breaking in the middle of the night exactly when she knew they would. Labour was fast and intense. She reached 7cm at home, got into the birth pool, and pushed for two hours without progress before making the call herself to transfer to hospital.   In hospital, she refused forceps and got what she wanted: a ventouse delivery. What she did not get was her consent asked before the episiotomy. Or before her cord was cut. Or before the hormone injection was given to her leg. Three things happened against her wishes in quick succession. And then she walked home from hospital, 45 minutes, with a fresh baby in a pram, because they had not brought a car seat. And came home to a flooded flat.   In this episode we talk about: What hyperemesis gravidarum actually felt like across a whole pregnancy, and why nobody named it until Kirsten was 36 weeksHow being autistic affects interoception and what that meant for how Kirsten experienced labourWhat it is actually like to transfer to hospital as a planned home birth, and how to stay calm when everything changesWhat happens when a registrar does not ask your consent, and what Kirsten did about it afterwardsWhy the episiotomy breaking down led to 8 weeks of barely being able to walk, and what finally helped  This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the system moved too fast and did not stop to ask. Kirsten lived it, made the formal complaint, and came back for a second birth that was everything she had planned for the first time.   The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 5d ago

    Rhianna: First Birth, Positive NHS Midwife Led Unit Water Birth, Gestational Diabetes, Five Hour Fast Labour, Guided Pushing, Early at 38 Weeks

    Rhianna is a first time mum who shares a fast and positive NHS midwife led unit water birth. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes late in pregnancy but stayed diet controlled throughout, with no concerns for her or baby Teddy. She spent months preparing with hypnobirthing, antenatal classes and online birth communities, hoping for a water birth with as little intervention as possible. When labour arrived two weeks early, it moved faster than anyone expected.   Within fifteen minutes of calling the midwives, her contractions went from nothing to intense. By the time she reached hospital she was already six centimetres dilated. What followed was a water birth, a stretch of guided pushing when her baby's heart rate needed close watching, and a birth so fast that the midwives in the room told her to consider a home birth next time. In this episode we talk about:   Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes late in pregnancy and staying diet controlled throughoutGoing from six centimetres dilated to holding her baby in under five hoursUsing the birthing pool and gas and air as her only pain reliefGuided pushing when her baby's heart rate needed closer monitoringWitnessing a student midwife's very first birth from start to finish  This episode is for anyone who wants to hear what a fast, positive water birth can really feel like, even when it happens nothing like you expected.   The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.  British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. Aug 18

    Bonnie: Two Births, Forceps Delivery, Missed Third Degree Tear, Postpartum Haemorrhage and NHS Birth Centre Water Birth with Gestational Diabetes

    Bonnie went into her first birth with a detailed plan for a water birth. She left theatre with forceps, a missed third degree tear and a hemorrhage that was still waiting to happen at home two weeks later.   Bonnie is a certified babywearing consultant, mum of two and originally from Hong Kong. Her first birth started with real promise. Contractions kicked off the day before her due date and progressed fast. But the hospital was too busy to admit her, so she spent hours pacing a corridor in established labour with nothing but paracetamol, only to be checked and found eight centimetres dilated. From there the birth centre she had planned for was closed due to staffing, an epidural slowed everything down, and a dip in the baby's heart rate meant forceps in theatre. The real turning point came two weeks after the birth, when a tear that had been recorded as second degree turned out to be third degree, missed at the time. Bonnie collapsed at home with a postpartum hemorrhage caused by retained placenta and had to be blue lighted back into hospital, where both were finally treated. For her second birth she went in determined, fought a consultant who tried to block her from the birth centre, and this time gave birth in the water she had wanted all along.   In this episode we talk about: Being turned away in early labour and told to walk the hospital corridorA birth centre closing due to staffing on the night she needed itForceps delivery and an unplanned move to theatreA missed third degree tear and a postpartum hemorrhage at homeFighting a consultant for access to a birth centre and water birth second time roundGestational diabetes, induction and a fast birth centre water birth  This episode is for anyone who has been told to just wait, who has had a birth plan fall apart in front of them, or who is preparing to fight for something different second time round.   The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Aug 13

    Lana: Two Births, First Birth NHS Hospital Birth, Meconium, Syntocinon Drip, One Sided Epidural, Baby Born Unresponsive, Retained Placenta, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Postnatal Depression, Second Birth Elective C-Section

    Lana is a mum of two, a content creator and coach, who joins Georgia to share both of her birth stories. Her first labour with her son began with her waters breaking at forty weeks and three days, and what followed was thirty six hours that changed how she felt about birth completely.   Meconium in her waters. A syntocinon drip that made the pain unmanageable. An epidural that only worked on one side. A baby born unresponsive after her pushing stage. Then a retained placenta that led to emergency theatre and a blood transfusion. It was the start of a postnatal depression that took months to recognise. Her second birth, an elective caesarean during a hard pregnancy with gestational diabetes, gave her something she never expected: a completely healing experience.   In this episode we talk about: Labouring through the night with meconium in her waters, and an epidural that only worked on one sideBeing told, mid push, that her baby was likely to be born unresponsiveA retained placenta, an emergency trip to theatre, and losing two and a half litres of bloodPostnatal depression that showed up as rage rather than sadness, and what finally got her the help she neededChoosing an elective C-section for her second birth, and why it healed her from the first    The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Aug 11

    Rebecca: Third Birth, Positive Home Birth, Ruptured Ovarian Cyst in Early Pregnancy, Over Ten Hour Labour, Cord Wrapped Around Neck, Managed Third Stage, Postpartum Constipation

    Rebecca is back to share her third birth, another planned home birth in Devon after two positive home births before this one. She prepared exactly as she had before: hypnobirthing, positive birth stories, a supportive home birth team. Everyone told her a third baby would come quickly. It didn't. Labour lasted more than ten hours, far longer than either of her previous births, and nothing about it felt familiar. She needed her husband beside her in a way she never had before, had to change position to help her baby turn, and reconsidered pain relief she'd planned to avoid. When her son finally arrived, the reason for the long labour became clear. In this episode we talk about: Discovering a ruptured ovarian cyst in early pregnancy, and mistaking it for something more seriousChanging midwives after a dismissive response to her home birth planA labour lasting far longer than her previous two, and changing position to help her baby rotateDelivering at home with the cord wrapped around her son's neck, stomach and legThe postpartum struggle with constipation that nobody warned her about The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.   British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Aug 6

    Rebecca: Two Births, First Birth Unplanned Home Birth, Sent Home at 2cm, Fetal Ejection Reflex, Retained Placenta, Second Birth Planned Home Birth at 42 Weeks, Declined Induction, Physiological Birth

    Rebecca is a mum of three from Devon, and in this episode she shares the first two of her birth stories. She had planned a calm water birth at her local birth centre, complete with a hypnobirthing course and a positive mindset. Her waters broke at 39 weeks after an evening walk home from a prayer meeting, and what followed was a labour that moved far faster than anyone expected.   Examined at two to three centimetres, she was sent home from hospital with instructions to come back for an induction that night. Within hours she needed to push, could not reach the midwives on the phone, and gave birth on her lounge floor with two paramedics. Second time round, wanting a home birth on her own terms, she was told by a midwife that she needed to check with her senior what to do with a woman who was refusing medical care, simply for declining an early induction.   In this episode we talk about: Being sent home from hospital at 2 to 3cm dilated with no bed available on the wardGiving birth on the lounge floor with paramedics after the midwives could not be reachedBeing told she was refusing medical care for declining an early inductionStanding her ground against a consultant's stillbirth statistics at 42 weeksA four hour home birth exactly on her own terms the second time round    The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.   British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Aug 4

    Jess: First Birth, Planned NHS Home Birth, Hospital Transfer, Meconium, Lost Fetal Heartbeat, Category 1 Emergency C-Section, Suspected Placenta Abruption

    Jess is a first time mum from Cardiff who planned a home birth from the moment she found out she was pregnant. She did hypnobirthing, joined antenatal classes, and built a relationship with the midwife who ended up attending her labour. Contractions started at 40 weeks and 5 days, and she laboured calmly at home through the night with a birth pool, gas and air, and a TENS machine.   After hours stuck at 5cm with a swollen cervix, she was transferred to hospital by blue light ambulance. Her waters broke naturally with thick meconium, and then her baby's heartbeat disappeared from the monitor. Within a minute the room filled with staff, and Jess was rushed for an emergency C-section.   In this episode we talk about: Getting the green light for an NHS home birth and what happens when no midwives are availableLabouring calmly at home with a birth pool, gas and air, and a TENS machineWhat it is like to stall at 5cm for hours before deciding to transfer to hospitalLosing your baby's heartbeat on the monitor and the category 1 C-section that followedWhy the postnatal ward, not the surgery, ended up being the hardest part  This episode is for anyone who has planned every detail of their birth and needs to hear that it is okay when things go a completely different way.   The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Jul 30

    Erin: First Birth, NHS Hospital Birth, Induction, Reduced Fetal Movements, Malposition, Fetal Blood Sample, Emergency C-Section, Missed Miscarriage, Birth Trauma

    Erin is a first time mum and veterinary nurse whose son's birth started with an induction at 37 weeks after two episodes of reduced movement, and ended up somewhere none of them expected. Days of gel pessaries barely moved things along, and once her waters were broken and a hormone drip started, her body reacted badly, bleeding heavily and sending her blood pressure spiking. Once that settled, her son turned out to be lying the wrong way, with staff losing his heartbeat on the monitor more than once, which led to a tense wait for a fetal blood sample before Erin went in for an emergency C section. Postpartum brought its own scare too, with her blood pressure climbing for days before anyone acted on it. She talks about: Being induced at 37 weeks after reduced fetal movementsA hormone drip reaction that led to heavy bleeding and dangerously high blood pressureWaiting on a fetal blood sample to check on her baby before an emergency C sectionFinding out her baby's sex in theatrePostpartum blood pressure spikes and birth notes that didn't match what happened The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery. These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTube Want to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

A weekly podcast sharing real stories of childbirth in the UK, from labour and delivery to postpartum recovery. Mothers across the UK talk openly about their personal birth experiences, created to educate, inform, and empower women preparing for birth and the early weeks of motherhood. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Georgia McGivern
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    64
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © British Birthing Stories
  • Show Website
    British Birthing Stories