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PODCAST

The Real Birth Podcast

This is the Real Birth Podcast: a safe, welcoming platform to share birth stories. I"m Lucy Hill, a doula, mother, wife and total birth nerd living in Frome, Somerset in the UK. When I was pregnant, one of my favourite things to do was to listen to birth stories. During this time I read and listened to literally hundreds and hundreds of birth experiences shared by all kinds of parents, having all kinds of births. I quickly became obsessed with the narrative of birth and the power of storytelling. I

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

43:18

EP17 Tara | Pregnancy Loss, Suspected Big Baby,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/07/27

This week I interview Tara, who had her daughter after two pregnancy losses. Tara and her partners had actually stopped trying to conceive when she found herself pregnant unexpectedly - much to their delight! Tara's baby measured big throughout her pregnancy and she was offered additional growth scans to track her size. She was placed under consultant care and recommended either early induction or a c-section due to perceived risks. Tara was happy to plan her caesarean birth as she found having

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69:41

EP16 Jo | Surprise Pregnancy, Hypermobile...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/07/20

Today I interview Jo, who had her baby in 2021. Jo has Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects her joints and ligaments. This was an extra consideration during pregnancy and when planning for her birth. After speaking to a consultant, Jo decided to birth in hospital, and after several episodes of protein in her urine and feeling unwell, opted for an induction. Her body was already going into labour however, and it wasn't long before she was having her baby. Jo had an episiotomy, and

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62:32

EP15 Maggie | Miscarriage, Home Birth, Undiagnosed...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/07/13

This week my guest is Maggie, who joins me all the way from Texas, USA. Maggie's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and she was understandably nervous about falling pregnant again. When she did conceive, she planned a home birth with a midwife, which is unusual for her area in Texas. Despite being a positive birth at home (with an undiagnosed breech baby!), Maggie didn't click with her midwife and felt there was a lot of tension caused by her. For her second pregnancy, Maggie knew she again

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50:40

EP14 Rosie | Home Birth Transfer, Long Labour,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/07/06

In this episode, Rosie shares the birth story of her first baby. Rosie planned a home birth and was supported by a continuity of care midwife whom she saw for every appointment. After a long labour at home, Rosie decided to transfer to hospital due to exhaustion - but realised when she arrived at hospital her baby was imminent! Two weeks after her baby was born, COVID hit and Rosie's maternity leave experience was spent in isolation, which was tough mentally but allowed for a wonderful

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67:40

EP13 Sarah | 2 Fast Labours, Overdue Baby, Fertility...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/06/29

In today's episode I meet Sarah, who had two very fast labour and births. Her husband was more keen to have a baby than she was, and so she was surprised when she stopped taking the pill and discovered she was pregnant before she'd even had a period. Sarah's first pregnancy was discovered late, and her exact dates were unknown - but all suspected her baby was post-dates. Her labour was fast and furious but without the 'pain' she had been told to expect. Her medical team couldn't believe she was

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50:58

EP12 Holly | Congenital Heart Defect, Planned...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/06/22

Welcome to another episode of TRBP. Today's guest is Holly, who shares her two birth stories and her experience of NICU stays. At her 20 week scan, Holly and her husband Mark were told that their daughter Ivy had a heart abnormality known as Transposition of the Great Arteries (or TGA). In essence, Ivy's two main heart arteries had grown around the wrong way, meaning her heart wasn't pumping oxygen rich blood around the body. Their consultant described her condition as 'incompatible with life'

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66:47

EP11 Grace | Birth Centre Transfer, Episiotomy,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/06/15

Welcome back to Series 2 of The Real Birth Podcast! In this episode, Grace shares her birth story. Shortly after finding out she was pregnant, Grace's relationship with her partner at the time broke down and she embarked upon motherhood as part of a co-parenting team. Grace's labour progressed quickly and she used hypnobirthing techniques to help her through. After a time at her local birth centre, Grace transferred to hospital and had an episiotomy in theatre to help her baby be born. Giving

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68:00

EP10 Rhiannon | Induction, Hyperstimulation, Walking...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/04/13

In the final episode of season 1, I speak to Rhiannon, who is a midwife and hypnobirthing teacher. Rhiannon planned a calm home birth with her colleagues from the community midwife team to support her. However, her pregnancy was difficult and at around 42 weeks she opted for an outpatient induction. Rhiannon experienced hyperstimulation and was contracting far more regularly than is normal, safe or effective. She chose to have an epidural, and after several hours of her labour not progressing in a

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52:44

EP9 Lisa | Elective Caesarean, Birth Rights, Anxiety,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/04/06

This week I interview Lisa, who suffered two pregnancy losses before her son was born. This led to extreme anxiety, which meant Lisa felt her most appropriate birth choice was an elective c-section. The night before her planned caesarean, Lisa's water broke and she went into spontaneous labour! Lisa talks openly about the huge transition into parenthood, the guilt she felt for electing to have her baby by caesarean, and the misinformation she encountered surrounding breastfeeding her baby. Her

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66:41

EP8 Emma | Home Birth Transfer, Oxygen Deprivation,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/03/30

In today's episode, Emma shares her two very different birth stories. Emma's baby boy Ted was born nine years ago, and suffered oxygen deprivation during his delivery - which resulted in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Emma and her husband were shocked to learn that the hospital trust admitted full responsibility for Ted's brain damage and said this was due to a series of errors. Emma shares how their family processed this information while seeking the compensation they needed in order to

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70:56

EP7 Kate | Home Birth Transfer, Cystic Fibrosis,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/03/23

In this week's episode, Kate shares her two birth stories. Her first birth was a long, slow labour which resulted in a hospital transfer due to exhaustion. Kate's second birth was just six months ago, and was a very fast labour and successful home birth. She was supported by community midwives, her partner, her mum and a birth photographer. Kate tells us about her complex medical history - as she lives with Cystic Fibrosis, and in between her pregnancies, Kate suffered with thyroid issues as well

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53:57

EP6 Jade | 2 Big Babies, 1 Waterbirth, 1 Emergency...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/03/16

In today's episode, Jade shares her two birth stories. Her first birth was a natural water birth with only gas and air, in a midwife led unit. She gave birth in the pool and says it was an amazing experience. Her second birth took place on Labour Ward as Jade was induced due to her baby measuring big. Her waters were broken artificially and her baby's umbilical cord prolapsed, meaning she needed to have an emergency c-section. Jade talks at length about the stark difference between her two birth

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43:52

EP5 Jackie | Home Birth, Third Baby, Husband's Birth...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/03/09

Jackie is a family and wedding photographer, and is married to Joe. She has three biological children and two step-children, so her home is a busy one! Jackie had a drug-free home birth 'on land' - i.e. not in water! - just 12 weeks ago with her little baby Otto. After two previous births, one on a midwife led unit and another at home, Jackie knew she wanted to have another home birth and did everything she could to make this happen. Jackie's husband Joe had attended the births of his two elder

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61:36

EP4 Deanna | Didn't Know I Was Pregnant! PCOS,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/03/02

Deanna is a body piercer from Newbury, UK, who had a complete - and we mean *complete* -surprise pregnancy with her daughter. We've all heard those mythical playground tales of women not knowing they were expecting until a baby literally came out of them, right? Well, it can happen - and it did happen to this week's guest, Deanna. Dee shares her incredible story of not knowing she was pregnant until she was in fll-blown labour. Just four hours after being admitted to hospital with what she thought

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43:04

EP3 Sarah | Drug-Free Home Birth, Water Birth, Solo...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/02/23

Sarah is a birth and postnatal doula working in Somerset. She is also a birth photographer and captures incredible images of pregnancy , birth and the postnatal period. You can see her work at www.doulasarah.co.uk or on her Instagram page. Sarah was living and working as a nanny in LA when she made an intentional choice to have her baby on her own. She talks about her decision to have a peaceful home birth in a culture which so heavily promotes hospital birth and medical interventions, and how one

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59:58

EP2 Leanne | IVF, Placenta Previa, OHSS, Planned...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/02/16

Leanne and her partner underwent IVF treatment to have their son who is now 2 and a half years old. During treatment, Leanne developed an extreme reaction to the stimulating IVF drugs, known as OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). Her pregnancy was difficult as she bled throughout, and was diagnosed with complete placenta previa. This meant her dream of a vaginal birth in water was not going to be possible, as a c-section is the only safe way to deliver a baby due to a high risk of blood loss

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62:57

EP1 Lucy | Home Birth Transfer, Undiagnosed Breech,...

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/02/09

Lucy Hill is the founder of The Real Birth Podcast, and in episode 1 she shares her birth story. Lucy and her husband Mike suffered a miscarriage before falling pregnant with their son, Rufus. In preparation for their birth, they chose to take a hypnobirthing course, hire a doula and also decided on a home birth. After going into labour spontaneously at 39+6 weeks (in the supermarket!) Lucy laboured at home with her husband and doula until her midwife arrived. Around 16 hours into labour, it was

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6:08

Welcome to The Real Birth Podcast!

The Real Birth Podcast ·

2022/01/24

Welcome to The Real Birth Podcast. In this short trailer episode, you can find out more about your host Lucy Hill, how TRBP came to be, and why everyone should be listening to real birth stories! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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