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. 5h ago

    Gabby: First and Second Births, US Emergency C-section After Failure to Engage, Miscarriage, Successful NHS VBAC, Hypnobirthing

    Gabby is an American mum of three living near Cambridge. Her first daughter was born in Tampa, Florida after hours of pushing with no progress, ending in an unplanned C-section. After moving to the UK, she went through a miscarriage before falling pregnant again with her second daughter, throwing herself into hypnobirthing and Spinning Babies to prepare for a VBAC. When her waters broke in hospital, her daughter arrived in three pushes, completely unmedicated. She talks about: The US maternity system, a big baby, and being told her body might not manage a vaginal birthMiscarrying at home and what that grief looked like while settling into a new countryPreparing physically and mentally for a VBAC with hypnobirthing and Spinning BabiesBeing counselled on repeat C-section risk mid labour and how she handled itWhat an unmedicated VBAC actually felt like from first contraction to delivery 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

    Rebecca: First Birth, Positive NHS Hospital Planned C Section, Maternal Request, Large Baby Worries, Consultant Midwife Support, Tongue Tie, Delayed Milk Coming In

    Rebecca is a first time mum to Harry, and she chose a planned C section for her first birth. She had lived with health anxiety for years before she even got pregnant, and a family history of shoulder dystocia made the idea of a natural labour feel frightening rather than exciting. By her twenty week scan, doctors kept telling her the baby was measuring big, and that fear only grew from there. At twenty eight weeks she told her midwife what she wanted. The midwife questioned her. Everything changed when Rebecca met a consultant midwife called Hannah. She gave Rebecca two hours of pure clinical honesty, no judgement, just facts and statistics. Hannah even wrote on her notes to stop mentioning the size of the baby. For the first time in her pregnancy, Rebecca felt calm, in control, and completely certain she was making the right choice for her.   In this episode we talk about: Choosing a planned C section by maternal request, and having to ask more than once before anyone properly listenedLiving with constant warnings about having a big baby, and what actually happened when he was bornWhat it really feels like to be on the operating table for a C section, and why it was far less frightening than she expectedWhy her milk did not come in until day ten, and the emotional day it finally happenedDiscovering and treating a tongue tie privately after breastfeeding became painful and unsettled  This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they had to justify wanting a planned C section, or worried that asking questions makes you difficult. 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. Jul 14

    Jess: Two NHS Hospital Water Births, Miscarriage Journey, Hyperemesis, Stuck Coil, Episiotomy, TENS Machine, Retained Placenta, Second Degree Tear, Gender Disappointment

    She had wanted a water birth from the beginning. She had worked with families around birth for 13 years. She thought she knew what to expect. And then labour actually started, and she learned what it really feels like to be in it. Jess is a mum of two boys from the Midlands who had two positive NHS hospital water births. Her first was a long one. She laboured through the night at home, got sent back from hospital at 1cm, returned a few hours later, and eventually got into the pool. She pushed for an hour before needing an episiotomy she had not seen coming. Her son shot out so fast the midwives had to catch him. Her second was calmer, faster, and she picked her baby up out of the water herself. Before any of that though, there was a lot to get through. Two years of trying. Two miscarriages, one of them traumatic. Severe nausea in both pregnancies that she did not know she could get medication for the first time around. And second time, a stuck coil that took far longer to remove than it should have, polycystic ovaries, and a new job she had to tell her boss about at 6 weeks because the sickness had already taken over. In this episode we talk about: What two miscarriages felt like and how pregnancy anxiety shaped her first birth experience from the very startThe difference between knowing how to advocate for yourself and actually doing it, and how her first pregnancy taught her to show up differently second time aroundWhat it is really like to be sent home at 1cm after labouring through the nightAn episiotomy she did not see coming and a recovery she had not prepared herself for despite years of postnatal support workA stuck coil that delayed her second pregnancy for longer than expected and what it took to get thereSevere nausea in both pregnancies and how medication made a real difference second time aroundA retained placenta, a second degree tear, and a recovery that was genuinely easier than the firstGender disappointment with her second son and why she believes making space for that feeling is the only way through it This episode is for anyone heading into their first or second birth wanting to feel calmer, more prepared, and less alone in whatever they are feeling. 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. Jul 9

    Jo: First Birth, Unexplained Infertility, Adoption Journey, Epilepsy and Chronic Kidney Disease, Consultant-Led NHS Hospital Induction, Five-Day Induction, Labour Stopped Twice, Forceps Delivery in Theatre, Episiotomy, Birth Trauma

    Jo had been trying to conceive for years. She was told she had unexplained infertility. She decided not to do IVF. She decided to adopt. And then, completely out of nowhere, she got pregnant. Jo is a mum of two girls from the North of England who shares a story unlike any other on the podcast. Her family came to her in two completely different ways. Her eldest daughter was adopted at 11 months old. Her youngest arrived as a total shock pregnancy two years later, after years of being told pregnancy was unlikely. Because of her epilepsy and chronic kidney disease, Jo was in consultant-led care throughout. Her baby was breech and had to be turned by ECV at around 35 weeks. At 38 weeks, growth concerns meant an induction was booked. What followed was five days in hospital, two pessaries, a hormone drip, labour stopped twice due to infection markers and heart rate concerns, a spinal block, a rotation in theatre, and a forceps delivery. Her daughter was born blue. Jo was vomiting from the spinal while listening to the team work on her baby. It was 90 minutes before she could hold her for the first time. In this episode we talk about: What the adoption process actually looks like from start to finish, including the stages, the home assessments, and what you are asked to considerManaging epilepsy and chronic kidney disease through pregnancy and why certain pain relief options were not available to JoWhat a five-day NHS induction feels like from the inside, and what nobody tells you about pessary removalHow the team stopped Jo's labour twice and what that experience was like in the momentWhy the birth reflection service at her hospital helped her make sense of what happened and why she wishes it had been available to her husband too This episode is for anyone who has had a birth that went nothing like they expected and is still trying to make sense of it. 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. Jul 7

    Monika: Two Births, First Hospital Birth, Birth Trauma and PTSD, Planned NHS Home Birth, Precipitous Labour, Born Before Arrival in the Shower, No Midwife or Doula Present, Husband Caught Baby

    Monika is a mum of two from Bedfordshire who shares two very different birth stories. Her first was a hospital birth that left her diagnosed with PTSD. A midwife from out of area who had never been to the unit before, waters broken accidentally during an internal examination, hours of pain with no support, and a postnatal period full of flashbacks. She knew before she left the hospital that she would need help to process it.   So second time around she did things completely differently. She hired a doula at six weeks pregnant. She researched home birth until it stopped feeling scary. She joined a dedicated NHS home birth team who visited her at home, knew her history, and knew her daughter's name. She declined monitoring scans at 42 weeks because she trusted how she felt. And then at seven in the morning on a warm July day, standing in a narrow bathtub on all fours, she told her baby they were going to have to do this together. And they did.   In this episode we talk about: What it is like to be left alone in a hospital corridor for over two hours in labour with no midwife availableHow a traumatic first birth led to a PTSD diagnosis and what getting that support quickly looked likeThe gradual process of coming around to home birth after swearing it would never be for herWhat it actually feels like to go to 42 weeks under a home birth team with no pressure to interveneDelivering her son in the shower before anyone arrived and what made it feel safe rather than frightening  This episode is for anyone who had a traumatic first birth and is wondering whether it is possible to feel differently the second time. Monika's answer is yes. Completely, entirely, yes.   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. Jul 2

    April: Third Birth, Positive VBAC After Two Emergency C-Sections, Water Birth, No Continuous Monitoring, Physiological Third Stage, Third Degree Tear

    She had been told she would die if she tried to birth at home. She had been railroaded into a theatre she did not want to be in. She had lost 2.5 litres of blood. And she came back for a third time and did it completely on her own terms. April is a mum of three and a doula and antenatal teacher who shares the birth that changed everything. Her third pregnancy was unplanned and she spent months not even knowing if she wanted to continue it. But once she made her decision she built the most detailed birth plan of her life. A consultant midwife who came to her home. Hybrid care that meant a home birth team attended her. No GTT. No consultant appointments. No Syntocin. And when the time came, her waters broke on a walk, she laboured quietly at home for nearly two days, got to hospital at 4 centimetres, and her son was born in the pool at 10.17am. Her midwife appointment that day was at 10.30.   In this episode we talk about: How April built her dream birth team after two traumatic C-sectionsWhat hybrid care is and how to access it if you want a VBACWhy April chose not to tell the hospital her waters had broken for nearly 48 hours and the research behind that decisionWhat it felt like to finally birth vaginally after everything she had been throughHow the right care team can transform not just your birth but your entire postpartum experience  This episode is for anyone who has had a traumatic birth and is wondering if they can ever feel safe doing it again. April did it. And it was 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.

  7. Jun 30

    April: First and Second Births, Two Emergency C-Sections, Failed Induction, Large Baby, Bonding Difficulties, Birth Trauma, Attempted VBAC

    She planned a home birth. She hypnobirthed. She did everything right. And after two days of induction at 42 weeks, her son was born by emergency C-section at 10 pounds. She never even got to hold him for the first four hours. April is a mum of three from the East Midlands who shares two very different but equally difficult emergency C-section births. Her first, at 22 years old, left her separated from her baby in recovery, unable to breastfeed, and spending the first six months of her son's life struggling to bond with him. Her second was supposed to be her VBAC. She had done the research, fought her way into the midwife-led unit, laboured in the pool for hours, refused Syntocin, and got to 10 centimetres. And then an obstetrician she had been battling all night took her to theatre anyway. She lost 2.5 litres of blood. She came out with a blood drain in her scar. And she left the hospital knowing she had been let down.   In this episode we talk about: What it is like to be 22, in labour for two days, and separated from your baby after a C-sectionHow April fought to access the midwife-led unit for her second birth as a VBAC patientWhat actually happened in theatre and why April still has unanswered questionsHow being autistic affected her experience of both births and why nobody understood her decisionsWhat birth trauma really looks like and how it can take years to process This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the system failed them. April is proof that your instincts matter and your choices matter and you are allowed to say no.   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. Jun 25

    Emma: First Birth, Identical Twin Pregnancy, Termination for Medical Reasons, Chemical Pregnancy, MCDA Twins, Threatened Premature Labour at 27 Weeks, NHS Induction, Emergency C-Section, Blood Transfusion

    She had already been through a termination for medical reasons and a chemical pregnancy before she ever got to carry her twins. And when she finally did, she spotted them on the screen at six weeks before the sonographer did. Emma is a mum of identical twin boys, now three and a half, who shares an honest and wide-ranging story about what a high risk twin pregnancy actually looks and feels like from the inside. MCDA twins sharing one placenta meant fortnightly consultant appointments from the second trimester, a scary admission at 27 weeks with threatened premature labour, and a delivery at 36 weeks that started as an induction and became a C-section in the early hours of the morning. Her boys were healthy. Her birth team were warm and calm. And then she went home four days later and the real work began. Emma is just as honest about the year that followed as she is about the birth itself. The loneliness of those first nights in hospital alone with two babies. The breastfeeding journey that she wanted to make work and eventually had to let go. The postpartum rage that came from nowhere and scared her. And the community of mum friends she found about a year in that she says changed everything. In this episode we talk about: Termination for medical reasons and how grief can sit underneath the drive to just keep tryingWhat an MCDA twin pregnancy involves and how the monitoring affected Emma's experience of being pregnantBeing admitted at 27 weeks with threatened premature labour and a fibronectin result that gave a 60% chance of delivery within two weeksAn induction at 36 weeks that stalled and became a C-section, and how Emma felt the decision happen before it was ever explained to herBreastfeeding twins and the moment something had to giveMaternal rage, postpartum loneliness, and what finally helped This episode is for anyone expecting twins, anyone navigating pregnancy after loss, and anyone who felt like the postpartum hit them in ways nobody had prepared them for. 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.

See All (54)

Trailer

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
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © British Birthing Stories
  • Show Website
    British Birthing Stories

You Might Also Like