This week I share my chat with Bebhinn who shares each of her experiences from pregnancy, loss, grief and coping with pregnancy after loss. Bebhinn has suffered so much loss. At her routine 12 week appointment she heard that silence that women have described before, no heartbeat was found. Bebhinn shares how life looked after experiencing such loss. Devastatingly Bebhinn suffered more loss once again, her daughter Aoibhín was stillborn at 23 weeks and 2 days gestation. An incredibly tough time for both Bebhinn and her partner. She also shares the complexities of that grey area between loss at 23 and 24 weeks from recognition of her child to maternity leave. After seeing her third positive pregnancy test she again suffered loss discovering this pregnancy was a blighted ovum. This weekend Bebhinn and her family celebrate their son’s first birthday. Tomás was brought into the world by planned C-section. I will let you hear all the details around his birth in Bebhinns own words. Thank you Bebhinn

EP204 Bebhinn, Four Pregnancies, Pregnancy Losses at 12 WKs, Loss at 23 WKs, Blighted Ovum

This week I share my chat with the gorgeous Aidín who revisits each of her eight pregnancies and five births. After the birth of Aidíns first daughter she suffered three miscarriages which we go through individually. We then chat through her experience with a fertility clinic and what led to her fifth pregnancy. What followed was four beautiful and very quick hospital births supported by her husband who was very much in tune with his wife. Aidín uses words such as “gentle, amazing and beautiful” to describe just some of her experiences. A great episode shared by such a wonderful storyteller. Thanks Aidín

EP203 Aidín, 8 Pregnancies, 3 Miscarriages, 5 Births, Induction, Precipitous Births, Positive Experiences 

This week, I share my chat with Erin, who talks me through each of her pregnancies. Erin first revisits the birth of her first daughter, bringing us through her induction and those precious early moments after her baby was born. We also speak about early pregnancy loss, which Erin experienced during her second pregnancy. Erin then conceived again and enjoyed a smooth pregnancy until 32 weeks, when she attended a routine appointment. During that visit, she was told that no heartbeat could be found. Erin shares so much of her experience following the loss of her daughter, Summer, from the birth itself, to the incredible support they received from the hospital, and the conversations she and her partner had with their first daughter. Despite the utter heartbreak their family experienced, Erin reflects on the beautiful moments they were able to share with Summer, alongside friends and family who visited to meet their little girl. Erin is currently 20 weeks pregnant and also opens up about what life looks like navigating pregnancy after the loss of a child. Thank you so much Erin.

EP202 Erin, 4 Pregnancies (Currently 20 wks Pregnant), Two Births, Miscarriage, Stillbirth

This week, I share my chat with Katrina, who talks me through each of her three pregnancies and two births. At 13 weeks’ gestation, Katrina experienced pregnancy loss that came as a complete shock. We talk openly about how taboo pregnancy loss still is, despite so many people living through loss at different stages of pregnancy.Katrina then takes us through her second pregnancy. Labour and the birth of her first baby were much quicker than she expected, but overall it was a very positive experience. We go on to discuss her next pregnancy and birth, which was again fast, but this time Katrina was able to recognise the sensations of her baby making their way into the world, helping her feel prepared and ready. We finish with a lovely, reflective chat to round out our conversation. Thanks so much Katrina

EP201 Katrina, Three Pregnancies, Two births, Pregnancy Loss, Quick Births

This week I share my chat with Stephanie, who talks me through her third experience with birth. We talk through pregnancy while also looking after other kids, life, and work.The original plan was to give birth at home, just as she had with her previous experiences. At 41 weeks, Stephanie was admitted to hospital as baby wasn’t head down and there were increased waters. Throughout her experience, Stephanie was supported by each HCP she interacted with, all of whom gave their time to discuss options and listen to her wants and concerns.I’m delighted to share Stephanie’s third and final story, which I was so happy to hear was as powerful and positive as each of her previous experiences.Thanks Stephanie Below I have included Stephanie's previous episodes <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rMmFI80BLEDKx980M4cuW?si=iFOnzGLoQ_6X8i7WRCX3lQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EP37 - December 2020 </a><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6YYeQfYWLmCB97jvX3V2GV?si=d129d9ac53344480" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EP112 - July 2022</a>

EP200 Stephanie, Third Birth Story, Planned Homebirth, Hospital Admission 41 WKS, Positive Hospital Birth

This week I share my chat with Aisling who talks me through each of her two birth stories. Aisling invested so much time preparing for birth, so when the delivery room became very busy and interventions were needed, she felt informed and ready. The decision was made to bring baby into the world via emergency c-section.During her second pregnancy, at 35 weeks pregnant, Aisling’s dear dad passed away suddenly which was a complete shock. She shares how this profound loss impacted her during the final stages of pregnancy. Her second labour looked very different, and she ultimately went on to have the VBAC she had hoped for. This is a gorgeous, positive VBAC story that so many people need to hear. Thanks Aisling

EP199 Aisling, Two Births, Emergency C-section, VBAC, Grief 

This week I share my chat with Joan, who shares each of her two birth stories with us. She reflects on the incredible support of her midwife throughout labour and opens up about her experience with an episiotomy, recovery, breastfeeding, and those early postpartum days.We then move on to her second pregnancy, including a challenging kidney infection just days before her baby arrived. Joan shares her second labour story in detail, highlighting her determination to avoid an epidural this time around and the unforgettable oxytocin rush she experienced once again. Joans son was admitted to hospital at just three weeks old with viral meningitis, something no parent wants to experience. There’s so much more in this episode.Thanks Joan

EP198 Joan, Two Vaginal Births, Episiotomy, Breastfeeding, Unmedicated Birth, Newborn Meningitis

This week I share my chat with Louise, who talks me through each of her three very different birth stories.Louise opens up about her long journey with multiple pregnancy losses over 7 years. After undergoing treatment, she fell pregnant once again, and thankfully the treatment was successful, allowing her to carry to full term.We talk through her first birth experience, which was particularly tough and involved vacuum assistance due to shoulder dystocia. Louise then shares her two subsequent birth stories, both of which were completely different experiences and gave her a much more positive start to those early postpartum days.We finish our chat by talking about the importance of asking for help, and why none of us should feel we have to do it all alone.Thanks Louise

EP197 Louise, Multiple Pregnancy Losses, Three Birth Stories, Assisted Birth, Motherhood

This week I share my chat with Audrey. This episode will give hope to so many families who have preemie babies and also those navigating life supporting their baby in hospital. Throughout Audrey’s pregnancy it wasn’t know if Luna would survive. Her daughter came into the world at 28 weeks and 1 day. Luna literally defied all odds and is now a thriving, beautiful, happy and healthy two year old. Audrey shares feeling something wasn’t right from very early on, coping with expecting the worst and life with a baby in NICU. She shows us that there can be a positive end to that long road of recovery and the tools she used to look after herself in the latter days. Thank you Audrey

EP196 Audrey, Emergency C-section, Birth at 28 Weeks, Preemie Baby, Life Through NICU, Giving Hope

Get in touchE: irelandsbirthstories@gmail.comIG: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/irelandsbirthstories/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG</a> Produced &amp; edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support<a href="https://open.acast.com/buymeacoffee.com/Corahgernon" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Buy Me A Coffee</a><a href="https://patreon.com/irelandsbirthstories?utm_source=copyLink&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=join_link&amp;utm_id=b82cad22-4b60-49bc-b39a-4c377473c7d8&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patreon</a>

Women sharing their unique birth stories

A platform for women to share their experiences with pregnancy and birth without feeling shy about the detail

Ireland's Birth Stories

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