The Birth Abroad Podcast Megan Jennings

Today we hear Mariam's (IG: @⁠andthenwemovedto⁠) Part 2 of her stories of pregnancies and births literally all over the world :D



In today's Part 2, Mariam shares falling pregnant by surprise in Singapore, and then moving to the United Arab Emirates where she gave birth. We discuss a variety of topics such as special considerations for prenatal care, legal discussions about being pregnant in an Arab country, breastfeeding, postpartum and even exercising choice over circumcision despite socio-cultural pressures.



Mariam recently published a book called This Messy Mobile Life which can be found on Amazon here: ⁠www.amazon.com/This-Messy-Mobile…lly/dp/1999304012⁠



She can be found also on the following channels:

IG: ⁠www.instagram.com/andthenwemovedto/?hl=en⁠

Website: ⁠andthenwemovedto.com/⁠

Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/pg/andthenwemove…ef=page_internal⁠

Twitter: ⁠#andthenwemovedto⁠



⁠⁠Intro and outro music credit: "Reverie" by Ikson

We have a world tour of an episode here this week! This is Part 1 of Mariam's (IG: @andthenwemovedto) 2-part story where she takes us on a global adventure through her pregnancies and births.



Mariam - who grew up in Pakistan, Bahrain and the US - met her German-Italian husband while living in the UK. In today's episode, Mariam shares her fertility journey which resulted in a conceiving via IVF in Denmark, an international move, and birth / postpartum in Singapore.



In Part 2, she continues her story which included a naturally conceived 2nd pregnancy in Singapore, an international move, and a delivery and postpartum in the United Arab Emirates!



It's an adventure of a story and I invite you all to come join us and take a listen to all the interesting comparisons and contrasts Mariam was able to convey between Scandinavian, Asian and Arab birth cultures and models of care!



Mariam recently published a book called This Messy Mobile Life which can be found on Amazon here: www.amazon.com/This-Messy-Mobile…lly/dp/1999304012



She can be found also on the following channels:IG: www.instagram.com/andthenwemovedto/?hl=enWebsite: andthenwemovedto.com/Facebook: www.facebook.com/pg/andthenwemove…ef=page_internalTwitter: #andthenwemovedto



TOPICS DISCUSSED:

Miscarriage, IVF


⁠Intro and outro music credit: "Reverie" by Ikson

Welcome back to another episode on the Podcast!



This week we have one heck of an episode ;D Erin comes on the show and tells us of her 3 extremely different births in Australia... one that might be considered somewhat traumatic with various interventions during delivery, one that came as a total surprise at home, and another that... well... you'll just have to listen to get the story :D



Erin gives us fabulous insight also into the Australian model of care including pros and cons of public versus private insurance and hospitals as well as great advice on tandem breastfeeding.



Erin can be reached by Instagram @twoplustwinpirates.



TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

Twin birth, forceps delivery, vacuum-assisted delivery, accidental home birth, transient tachypnea of the newborn, postpartum bleeding, surprise pregnancy


⁠Intro and outro music credit: "Reverie" by Ikson

In this episode we kick off a new series to be run parallel to the the "expats abroad" series, where we explore pregnancy and birth in all countries of the world from the expert perspective of a native in their own home country.



Today we talk to Sofi - a Bulgarian - moved to the UK when she was 19 where she met her husband and was settled in. Their first pregnancy was a small surprise but still very much full of excitement! Unfortunately, it ended in an early loss.. but it made it very clear to Sofi and her husband that they were ready and wanted to start trying to expand their family.

After falling pregnant again shortly after, Sofi straddled the UK and Bulgaria prenatal care systems by flying back and forth between the countries to be cared by both health systems. She speaks about how she preferred the organisation and work flow of English care, yet she preferred her doctor in Bulgaria better - she found that they were more willing to do tests and help her with issues that her English doctors rather blatantly called a waste of NHS money. It is a really interesting episode and one I'm excited to offer as the beginning of this new series!


You can find Sofi on Instagram at @the.sofi.amor or on Facebook as Sofi Ben Amor - Skinner.



Thank you for sharing your stories with us, Sofi!


Intro and outro music credit: "Reverie" by Ikson

Simone followed her heart and desire to travel several years ago and moved to Spain to be an au pair and see where the adventure would take her. The family she worked introduced her to some locals so that she could begin developing her friends network... which later led to her meeting her future husband!



Although experiencing an early miscarriage in the beginning of her TTC journey, Simone and her husband conceived their son shortly after. Although she had hoped for an unmedicated water birth, circumstances involving her water breaking without contractions following led her to require an induction which she found challenging to cope through. But after contracting a fever and receiving a minor episiotomy, her baby boy made his grand entrance into the world.


You can find Simone on Instagram at @mommyinspain, on YouTube at Mommy in Spain, on Facebook at the group The Heart-Centered Moms Group, and at http://www.simoneclement.com.



TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

Immigration story, early miscarriage, induction, episiotomy


Intro and outro music credit: "Reverie" by Ikson

Sarah and Alan got married in 2016, and from there it kicked off a whirlwind of travel with the US Military that found them stationed in Germany where they decided to grow their family. As Sarah explains, she spent the first 2 trimesters of her pregnancy seriously on the move - both literally and figuratively. She was running 50 miles a week and traveled to 30 different countries just in her first 2 trimesters! She also relocated with her husband to the country of Georgia in her 3rd trimester, and shares how she established herself there to have the confident and well-supported birth that she envisioned.



Sarah's story is a smart and well-thought out one of making educated and informed choices coupled with a bit of luck :) She kept herself very informed and well-connected with a local mommy tribe so that she could advocate for herself, and as a result, she had a very positive experience. Even still though, Sarah points out various scenarios where she was so thankful to have had a midwife-doula on her side that could serve as a translator during her labor and delivery, and other moments immediately postpartum where she didn't have that support and felt lost in the confusion of language barriers.

This is a great episode with a powerful and positive story and a lot of great takeaway advice for other mommies birthing abroad!


"Just the day before [my water broke], I was in the gym doing deadlifts and running at an incline and just being super active, so I couldn't believe this was happening!" --on her water breaking very suddenly, a week early.


TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THIS EPISODE:

Military insurance, positive birth, unmedicated birth, waterbirth, midwife-supported birth, informed consent, hypnobirthing.


Intro and outro music credit: "Reverie" by Ikson