Your Birth, Your Body, Your Rules: Tess the Birth Doula on Taking Back Your Power What if we stopped thinking about birth as something that simply happens to women? In this episode of We Missed The Memo, Leanne is joined by Tess, a Birth Doula, for a conversation about pregnancy, birth, preparation and, most importantly, feeling informed and empowered when it comes to your own body and your own choices. Because birth can feel overwhelming. There are endless opinions, horror stories, conflicting advice and expectations about what your birth should look like. But how much of that information actually helps? Tess breaks down the things she wishes every expectant mother knew before going into labour, from understanding your options and preparing mentally, to advocating for yourself and making sure your birth partner knows how to support you. We also get into the realities of birth that aren't always talked about openly, including fear, expectations, intervention, the importance of informed decision-making and why being prepared doesn't necessarily mean planning for one particular type of birth. 🔗 Tess, Birth Doula • Website: https://www.birthfromwithin.co.uk/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birthfromwithin1 🔗 Helpful links mentioned in this episode • NHS Birth Choices: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/what-happens/your-birth-options/ • NICE Guidelines, Informed Decision Making: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance • Birthrights UK, Know Your Rights in Birth: https://www.birthrights.org.uk • Positive Birth Company Resources: https://www.thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk • Mind Body Baby, Birth Preparation Support: https://www.mindbodybaby.co.uk In this episode, we talk about: • What a Birth Doula actually does • Why preparing for birth is about so much more than packing your hospital bag • How fear can affect the way we approach birth • Understanding your choices and advocating for yourself • Why informed consent matters • The difference between a “birth plan” and birth preferences • How partners can genuinely support women during labour • Why birth preparation shouldn't stop at the physical side • The pressure surrounding “natural” vs medicalised birth • What happens when birth doesn't go according to plan • How to approach birth without fear taking over • The importance of trusting yourself while asking the right questions • The things Tess wishes every pregnant woman knew before giving birth And, as always, we get into the stuff people don't always say out loud. Because there is no one “perfect” birth, but every woman deserves to feel heard, informed, respected and supported. 🎧 LOVE THE PODCAST? If you enjoy We Missed The Memo, please subscribe, follow and leave us a review. It genuinely helps more people discover the podcast. 💌 WANT MORE? Join the We Missed The Memo Patreon for bonus content, extra conversations and resources you won't get in the main podcast. 📱 STAY CONNECTED Follow We Missed The Memo on social media for clips, behind-the-scenes content, guest announcements and more. 💪 JOIN THE LEAN WITH LEANNE APP NOW If you're ready to better understand your hormones, improve your health and finally feel like yourself again, we'd love to welcome you into The Women's Health Method. ✔️ Expert coaching ✔️ Strength training programmes ✔️ Hormone education ✔️ Nutrition support ✔️ Hundreds of recipes ✔️ On-demand workouts ✔️ A supportive community of women who truly get it Join today from just £29.99 per month: 🌐 https://www.leanwithleanne.com/we-missed-t 🎧 If this episode helped you, please follow the podcast, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Together we can help more women realise they are not alone.
