Motherhood and pregnancy is something that a lot of people wish to talk to me about in this daily podcast project so of course I oblige. It’s a topic that doesn’t affect me personally (apart from being born myself) as I don’t have any children, nor do I plan on having any. Possibly one of the factors that turned me off having children was the way that the birthing process is handled in Ireland. I don’t like hospitals, and I naively thought that was the only choice in childbirth. Until this week, when I met Ali Boylan, a registered HSE midwife, who cleared up some very common myths that besiege her profession. Ali is a home birth midwife and believes greatly in empowering women and their partners to have their babies from the comfort of their own homes. She is a very ‘hands off’ midwife. “I say to couples, you guys are having a baby and I'm going to come and keep you clinically safe and I'm going to be with you. But it's you having the baby, you're having the baby and you're okay.” Ali says that “the free HSE homebirth service is the best kept secret of the HSE. Most of the consultants in Irish hospitals, especially in the Dublin ones that I've worked in, they've never seen quiet, calm, sacred spaces. They’ve usually never seen a physiological birth.” She notes that a lot of GPs will rarely promote the service, so it really is kept secret. Ali is adamant that birthing at home is safe, even for first time Mums. She has a backup midwife in attendance at all times as well as an ambulance service on standby, just in case it’s needed. “I work with the mum and the family and we build up a relationship so that when I come into the birth, I know what her blood pressure usually is. I know what her baby's heart rate usually is. I know how she responds in different situations. I know her partner well enough that I can ask if she's looking okay to you. She feels safe with me because she knows me. She’s not stressed, so we're not adding in any cortisol or any adrenaline to the situation. The physiological hormones can work and the mother can birth her baby knowing that she's being held. And it doesn't make birth more romantic or more orgasmic, it’s just the comfort in safety and being at home.” The aftercare she provides seems absolutely extraordinary and I know for a fact that a lot of my friends would have been thrilled with receiving so much help. “About an hour or two after birthing, I help them shower, dress them, and take them back to bed with the baby. I make sure the baby is feeding and settled and then I go home. I come back to visit for 7 to 10 days after that to make sure everyone is fed, sleeping and that mother has transitioned well into motherhood.” I'm delighted to share an insight into Ali's profession today and hopefully spread the message of what she does to whomever might be considering having a baby and is looking for an alternative birthing experience. . “When you get a woman through a physiological birth, she feels empowered. Imagine if all the women, all your friends that had babies were feeling on top of the world and they felt like they did something that can change the world, rather than coming home a bit broken, a bit shook, scared and traumatised. That's going to change how you show up in the world, isn't it?” Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
