British Birthing Stories

Georgia McGivern

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. 17h ago

    Lauren: First Birth, Positive Planned C-Section, Vanishing Twin Syndrome, NHS Antenatal Care, Breastfeeding Struggles, Scar Recovery

    She never wanted a vaginal birth. Not once. She knew exactly how she wanted her baby born. And after a small battle with her midwives, she got it. A calm, planned C-section. Baby on her chest at 3.15pm. And she would do it exactly the same way again.   Lauren is a first time mum from Kent who shares a warm and honest account of planning and delivering a positive NHS planned C-section with her son Louis. Low risk, informed, and clear on what she wanted, Lauren had to push back on initial resistance from her midwives before her decision was accepted. Her antenatal care left her feeling invisible and unsupported at times, including a deeply difficult moment at her 12-week scan when she discovered she had been carrying twins, and one had not survived. But when she got into that operating theatre, everything changed. The birth itself was calm, controlled, and positive. What came after was harder than she expected. Breastfeeding was painful and relentless, and the postnatal ward left her alone overnight with a newborn after major surgery, calling for paracetamol at 1am and waiting until 4. But Lauren came through it all with clarity, pragmatism, and a really beautiful perspective on what it means to make an informed choice and stand by it. In this episode we talk about: Why Lauren chose a planned C-section and how she handled the initial pushback from her midwivesDiscovering vanishing twin syndrome at her 12-week scan and processing that lossWhat it actually feels like in the operating theatre and how Lauren stayed calmThe reality of the postnatal ward after a C-section and why she chose to go home after one nightA really painful breastfeeding journey and the silver nipple shields that finally turned it aroundWhy she is going back for a planned C-section second time around and why she feels more nervous this time This episode is for anyone who knows in their gut how they want to birth their baby and needs to hear that it is okay to stand your ground. 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.

    1h 7m

  2. 2d ago

    Shannon: VBAC After Three C-Sections, Hospital Birth Centre Water Birth, Fourth Birth, Shoulder Dystocia Concerns, Large Baby, Second Degree Tears, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Birth Coercion, Lockdown Birth Trauma

    They told her she would bleed out. They told her her baby would get stuck and die. They told her she would traumatise the entire home birth team. Shannon had three C-sections, an NHS system fighting her at every turn, and a fourth baby tracking on the 97th centile. She went ahead anyway.   Shannon is a mum of four and a doula from the UK who shares four birth stories shaped by hypermobility syndrome, COVID lockdown, birth coercion, and a fierce determination to achieve the VBAC nobody wanted to give her. Her third birth in April 2020 left her alone in recovery during COVID, separated from her husband, and threatened with being parted from her newborn daughter over a temperature spike. She locked that trauma away. And then, when her youngest was two, she decided she wanted a fourth baby and the vaginal birth she had never had. What followed was one of the most extraordinary acts of self-advocacy in the history of this podcast. From the midwife at her booking appointment who played the dead baby card within minutes, to a 36-week appointment where she was ambushed by the head of community midwifery and told her baby would be born dead and her birth team traumatised. Shannon fought every single appointment, armed with statistics and research. She was not signed off for a home birth until 38 weeks. Then, in active labour, the hospital told her the home birth team was not available. She cried. She got in the car. And she went in and did it anyway.   In this episode we talk about: What it is really like to give birth during COVID lockdown and how the restrictions affected Shannon's third birth and recoveryHow Shannon educated herself on VBAC statistics after three C-sections and used that knowledge to push backThe tactics used against her at that 36-week appointment and why she describes it as feeling completely ambushedWhat happened in the labour room when the consultant who had lied to her in her third pregnancy walked in and said how long are you going to keep doing this forHow a third-year student midwife delivered a 9lb 13.5oz baby they said would never come out vaginally If you would like to find out more about Shannon and what she does you can visit her website here:  shannonwhitlockdoula.com and you can follow her on social media here. This episode is for anyone who has ever been told by the system that their body cannot do something. Shannon's story is proof that research, self-belief, and a very well-written email can change everything. 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.

    49 min

  3. May 28

    Polly: Two Positive Fast Physiological Births, NHS Midwife Led Unit Birth, Fully Dilated on Arrival, Second Degree Tear, Planned NHS Home Birth, TENS Machine Only, Tongue Tie and Breastfeeding Challenges

    She woke up at 4.30am to contractions that were a minute on and a minute off from the very start. Polly had two fast, positive births. Her first at the NHS midwife led unit in Bristol, where she arrived fully dilated and had her daughter within the hour. Her second at home, where within two hours of the midwives arriving she was back in her own clean bed with her baby. Polly is a mum of two from Bristol who shares two fast, positive births. Her first was a planned midwife led unit birth that moved so quickly she arrived fully dilated and gave birth within the hour, with nothing but a TENS machine and her partner doing counter pressure on her back. Her daughter came out in the superwoman pose, hand by head, which caused a second degree tear and significant blood loss during stitching. What followed was a difficult breastfeeding start because of tongue tie, and nearly three months of pain before things finally settled. Second time around, Polly chose a home birth purely for practical reasons. After a first labour that lasted barely three hours, getting to hospital safely was never going to be guaranteed. So she planned for the home birth instead. She woke up in the early hours during a storm, laboured quietly in bed, got her daughter to nursery, and by quarter to ten that morning her son Jacob was born on their bed. Two midwives. A TENS machine. And within two hours they had left and Polly was back in her own clean bed with her baby. In this episode we talk about: What it is like to arrive at hospital fully dilated as a first time mum and give birth within the hourHow Polly managed two fast labours using only a TENS machine and counter pressureWhy she chose a home birth second time for logistics rather than atmosphere and how that decision played outA difficult breastfeeding start with tongue tie and what finally helpedWhat the postpartum really looks like when you have a fast birth and why the recovery is still real even if the labour was short This episode is for anyone whose first birth was fast and who is trying to figure out what that means for next time. Polly planned for the home birth. And it was exactly the right call. 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.

    43 min

  4. May 26

    Jade: Three Positive Births, Sonographer’s Perspective, Water Birth, Fast Labour, Meconium Waters, Fetal Ejection Reflex, NHS Home Birth & Baby Born in the Pool With a Veil

    Jade went into her first pregnancy thinking birth was something medical that happened in hospital. But after hypnobirthing opened her mind to a different way of seeing birth, she went on to have three very different but positive birth experiences.   Jade is a mum of three and a sonographer from near Manchester. In this episode, she shares her unique perspective as someone who works in women’s health, scanning babies every day, while also experiencing pregnancy and birth herself. Her first baby was conceived during lockdown and, after initially thinking she would simply “have all the drugs,” Jade’s mindset shifted after taking a hypnobirthing course and learning more about physiological birth.   Her first labour began with mild cramps and a fresh bleed, which led her into hospital to be checked. While waiting in triage, her contractions intensified, but she assumed she was still in early labour. When a midwife examined her, she was already 8cm dilated. She went on to have a positive water birth in the birth centre, using gas and air, and describes the pool as giving her instant relief.   Jade’s second pregnancy was emotionally very different, as her dad died when she was around 25 weeks pregnant. She speaks openly about grieving during pregnancy, finding joy in small moments, and how her second son was born the day after her dad’s birthday and looks just like him. His birth was much faster and more intense. After her waters broke with meconium at home, Jade knew she would no longer be able to birth in the pool. She arrived at hospital asking for an epidural, but there was no time. Her baby was born almost immediately after she got into the room.   With her third baby, a surprise but very wanted pregnancy, Jade was offered the option of an NHS home birth. At first, her husband was unsure, but after attending a home birth information evening, they both felt reassured. After a few false starts at 41 weeks during a heatwave, Jade finally went into labour at home. She got into the birth pool at around 4cm, and things quickly picked up. Her daughter was born in the water, with her waters breaking as she came out, and a veil over her face.   In this episode we talk about:   • Jade’s perspective as a sonographer and mum of three • Pregnancy and birth during lockdown • How hypnobirthing changed her view of birth • Growth scans, baby measurements and how accurate they really are • A positive birth centre water birth with gas and air • Grieving the loss of a parent during pregnancy • Meconium waters and a very fast second labour • Fetal ejection reflex and feeling out of control during birth • Planning an NHS home birth after two hospital births • Giving birth to her daughter in the pool at home with a veil over her face   This episode is for anyone who is curious about birth from the perspective of someone who works in maternity care, anyone considering a home birth after hospital births, or anyone wanting to hear three very different but positive birth stories.   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.

    1h 9m

  5. May 21

    Frankie: Two Births: First Birth Obstetric Cholestasis, Emergency Ventouse, Second birth: Twin Pregnancy, Planned C-Section at 34 Weeks, NICU, Bonding Difficulties, Postnatal Depression

    Frankie had a really tough first pregnancy. She had already been through obstetric cholestasis, a long induction, and an emergency ventouse delivery with her first. Second time around she was carrying twins. She knew she could not go through that again.   Frankie is a mum of three boys from Sheffield who shares two very different birth stories shaped by PCOS, endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, and a fertility journey that took years. Her first son Dawson was conceived on Clomid after nearly two years of trying. Her twins Blake and Holden were conceived within two cycles of medication. Nobody was more surprised than her.   With her twin pregnancy came obstetric cholestasis again, severe pelvic girdle pain so bad she could not walk, and a decision to deliver at 34 weeks. Her planned C-section went smoothly. What came after did not. Both boys went to NICU for a month. One came home on oxygen with chronic lung disease. Frankie found herself learning to administer tube feeds, check pH levels, and manage medical equipment while recovering from major surgery and trying to parent a five year old. Bonding with her youngest twin Holden took nine months. She hated herself for it every single day. And nobody really came to help.   In this episode we talk about: What obstetric cholestasis is and how it affected both of Frankie's pregnanciesThe decision to deliver twins at 34 weeks and what that meant for her boysWhat NICU is really like as a parent and why nobody prepares you for itWhy bonding after a NICU stay is so much harder than anyone tells youPostnatal depression, sleep deprivation, and what finally helped  This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they were failing when actually they were just surviving something enormous.   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.

    52 min

  6. May 19

    Kat: First Birth, Precipitous Labour, Turned Away by Hospital, 50 Minute Drive in Active Labour, No Pain Relief, Born in 24 Minutes

    SUMMARY: At 3am Kat was in hospital being told by a doctor she was not even in early labour. She went home. Within 30 minutes she was screaming. When her husband rang the hospital back they said the unit had closed. Twenty four minutes after arriving at a different hospital, her son was born. Kat is a first time mum from Harrogate who shares one of the most dramatic birth stories you will ever hear. With her local unit closed and no hospital able to take her, she ended up in a car in the dark and the rain, a nearly 50 minute drive to Bradford, dilating to 10cm on the way. She arrived, dropped to all fours in front of three Yorkshire security guards, and screamed for an epidural that never came. Her son was born 24 minutes later with no pain relief at all. And despite every twist and turn she says she would not change a thing. Because her baby was healthy. And because sometimes your body just knows.   In this episode we talk about: What it is actually like to be turned away by your hospital in active labourHow Kat went from being told she was nowhere near labour to giving birth 24 minutes after arriving somewhere elseWhat contractions really feel like when you have no idea you are in labourDilating to 10cm in the car and what that experience was actually likeWhy she is already thinking about a home birth next time  This episode is for anyone who thinks they know what their birth will look like. Kat's story is a reminder that your body will do exactly what it needs to do whether you are ready or not. 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.

    43 min

  7. May 14

    Mil: Second Birth, Healing After Traumatic First, Water Birth, Shoulder Dystocia, Birth Centre

    What does it feel like to go back into labour knowing everything that went wrong the first time — and come out the other side feeling like you got your birth back? In this episode of British Birthing Stories, Mil returns to share the birth of her son Billy: an NHS birth centre water birth, a shoulder dystocia, and the most healing experience of her life.   After her first birth left her with a postpartum haemorrhage, a serious infection, birth trauma, and postnatal depression, Mil was determined to do things differently second time around. She switched hospitals, switched her birth plan from a list of preferences to a set of feelings — safe, heard, in control — and fought to be approved for a birth centre birth despite her history. What followed was a labour that started calmly, progressed quickly, and then threw one final curveball: Billy's shoulder got stuck, and the midwives hauled Mil out of the bath, laid her on the floor, and freed him in what she can only describe as a wrestling move. He was briefly given oxygen, then handed over screaming. She was stitched up in ten minutes and eating toast in a fairy-lit room while her husband fell asleep beside her.   She wrote the midwives a letter when she got home. She told them they had fixed something she hadn't realised was still broken.   In this episode we chat about: Switching hospitals after her first experience and fighting to be approved for a birth centre birthGoing overdue at 41+1 and choosing induction after weeks of false starts and sweepsA positive induction experience — and how different it felt from the first timeLabouring calmly in the birth centre with just a TENS machine and no pain relief for hoursWaters breaking at 3pm and things progressing quickly from thereTransition, vomiting, gas and air that didn't really help, and being 8.5cm without realising itA shoulder dystocia — and the midwife who hauled her out of the bath and onto the floorBilly needing a little oxygen before his first cry — and the relief when it cameA first-degree tear, ten minutes of stitches, and being up walking within the hourThe night and day difference in recovery compared to her episiotomy first time aroundCombo feeding second time around and how much it helped her mental health postpartumWriting the midwives a letter — and what she means when she says they gave her something back  Find Mil on Instagram and Tiktok 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.

    50 min

  8. May 12

    Mil: NHS Induction at 39 weeks for reduced movements, forceps, episiotomy, Postpartum Haemorrhage, Blood Transfusion, Postnatal Depression and Anxiety , Breastfeeding Challenges

    What happens when you've done the NCT course, made the birth plan, and gone into hospital as prepared as you possibly can and it still falls apart? In this episode of British Birthing Stories, I sit down with Mil, a stay-at-home mum, content creator, and freelance copywriter, who shares her honest account of her first NHS birth: induction, forceps, episiotomy, a postpartum haemorrhage, and a blood transfusion.   Mil was admitted for a routine reduced movement check at 39 weeks when the decision was made to induce her that day - no warning, no chance to go home and prepare. What followed was 12 hours in a waiting room in active labour, a serious infection, a baby in distress, and every intervention she'd hoped to avoid. Then the haemorrhage. Then a blood transfusion at 2am. Then eight days in hospital while her daughter recovered from severe jaundice. And a postnatal anxiety and depression that went undiagnosed for nearly a year.   Mil also opens up about the breastfeeding guilt that compounded everything — a missed tongue tie, a supply that never came in, and hiding her daughter's bottle in the car park at Baby Sensory. But this isn't where her story ends. Her second NHS birth was, in her own words, the most beautiful and magical experience of her life.   In this episode we chat about: Going in for a reduced movement check and leaving being induced with no time to go home12 hours in a waiting room in active labour with inadequate pain reliefLabour stalling, a serious infection, and being rushed to the labour wardForceps, ventouse, and episiotomy after baby's heart rate droppedA postpartum haemorrhage and blood transfusionEight days in hospital while her daughter recovered from severe jaundicePostnatal anxiety and depression going undiagnosed for almost a yearBreastfeeding guilt, a missed tongue tie, and formula-feeding shameWhy her second NHS birth was everything her first wasn't  Find Mil here on Instagram and Tik Tok   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.

    58 min
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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
    2K
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © British Birthing Stories
  • Show Website
    British Birthing Stories

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