Ireland's Birth Stories

This week I share my chat with Emma who talks me through each of her two births. Emma opted for an epidural with her first labour giving her the much needed relief she was looking for. She then talks us through her second pregnancy which was a shock but very much wanted. At the latter stages of pregnancy she was just ready for baby to join her family and thankfully he decided he was ready too. She went into spontaneous labour and had an unmedicated birth. The days, weeks and months to follow were so tough with her son suffering from reflux. Emma revisits just how tough it was with the sleepless nights, feeling completely helpless, the constant vomiting and more. Together with her husband they attended every practitioner under the sun in sought of help. The cure was time it seems. This episode will resonate with so many of you who have tried to comfort your babies through months of colic or reflux, you certainly aren't alone. Thanks EmmaSupport the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonInstagram Give A Little Grub

This week I share part two of my chat with @aoifekeogh20 who talks me through life after Ríans major surgery and his passing at 14 months. Aoife also chats through discovering she was pregnant and navigating the loss of your child while watching your bump grow.Aoife took time to focus on the labour and birth of her second baby attending classes again including @urmamastrength and hypnobirthing. She really wanted to avoid another c-section which she did. She had a completely unmedicated VBAC and got to experience that high!Episode LinksLorna DwyerNadia - Labour of LoveA Little LifetimeGive A Little GrubSupport the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonInstagram

This week I share part one of my chat with @aoifekeogh20 who talks me through her first pregnancy and the birth of her gorgeous boy, Rían. Aoife and her husband received the devastating news that their gorgeous baby had a life limiting condition. It was thought at the time their baby wouldn’t survive to full term but Rían defied the odds and lived for 14 months. Aoife revisits receiving the diagnosis and everything that comes with that from scans, conversations, preparation for the unknown and undergoing a C-section which is something she really didn’t want. She shares navigating so much more which leads us into part two of her story which will follow next week, pregnancy through grief.Aoifes story is so hard to hear for so many reasons but I have absolutely no doubt that it will provide many others with comfort. Episode LinksLorna DwyerNadia - Labour of LoveA Little LifetimeGive A Little GrubSupport the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonInstagram

This week I share my chat with Sarah Louise (The Village Pilates) who talks me through the second part of her story, two home births and her experience with miscarriage. In PT1 of Sarah Louises (EP 166) story she shares how quick her second labour was birthing her daughter at home which was completely unplanned, she was coming and there was no doubt about it. Considering how quick her second labour was she naturally decided to opt in for the home birth scheme under the care of the SECM. She then shares her own experience with miscarriage and her decision to TTC straight away. We then chat through the birth of her fourth daughter which was equally as gorgeous as her previous story. Thank you to Sarah Louise Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsSupport the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonInstagram

This week I share my chat with Lisa who talks me through each of her pregnancies including an ectopic pregnancy. Lisa gave birth prematurely to her first baby at 34 weeks, thankfully her daughter was healthy with no complications to follow as a result of coming into the world early. We then chat through Lisa's second pregnancy, an ectopic pregnancy. She really went through so much enduring prolonged pain and multiple trips to hospital. We then revisit Lisa's third pregnancy which she admits was nerve wracking for a number of reasons. Her second daughter came into the world full term with the support of an amazing midwife who supported her in the best way possible.Thank you so much for sharing LisaProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks ProductionsSupport the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreon

This week I share my chat with Eleonora who talks me through the birth of her son Adam. Eleonora talks us through TTC and how she navigated those 6 month’s waiting to see a true positive test. She then talks through the plan which was to induce her at 39 weeks but this changed later in her pregnancy. Labour started all own its own but baby was happy to stay put. She was later induced and opted for an epidural which gave her the rest her body desperately needed.We chat through some early motherhood challenges later in the episode too….feeding a sleepy baby!Thanks so much EleonoraProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productionshttps://www.letsmatchmums.com/Support the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreon

This week I share my chat with Niamh who talks me through her two pregnancies and births. Niamh was overdue with her first boy which led to an induction. She was later brought for an emergency c-section as baby wasn’t happy at all. She talks us through the hours and days that followed this experience.We then talk through her second birth story which was 11 weeks ago now. It was discover very early on that Niamh had placenta previa. This immediately lead to alarm bells from Niamh’s perspective but her medical team assured her all would most likely be fine.The plan was to bring her son into the world safely undergoing a c-section as they knew then she had full placenta previa. Niamh comments on the vast difference between an emergency versus planned section.We also chat through the hours and days following her second experience which were also challenging.https://www.letsmatchmums.com/Support the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

In this episode I share my chat with Angel. We revisited the birth of her son back in EP163 which was a gorgeous home birth. This time we talk about community, the tools to help you build support around you and the highs and lows of our personal experiences. Hearing Angles perspective just shows how unique we all are but despite this there is always a deep connection engrained within us as mothers.Below I have included links which might be of interest to youTogether Estranged: https://www.togetherestranged.org/Betterhelp Therapy Form: https://www.togetherestranged.org/contact-8Life Coach Aoife McIlwain: https://www.aoifemcelwain.com/Cuidiu: https://www.cuidiu.ie/  Support the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions

This week I share my chat with Eilís who talks me through her one pregnancy and the birth of her daughter. Together with her wife Laura, Eilís conceived her baby via reciprocal IVF. She shares so much from how life looked through pregnancy, partner support and just navigating life whilst trying to focus on what lay ahead.Eilís then shares her birth story. She was induced and later gave birth to her daughter vaginally. What followed was rare but resulted in emergency surgery and multiple blood transfusions. I loved chat with Eilís for so many reason. I’m so grateful she shared as much as she did.Thanks Eilíshttps://www.letsmatchmums.com/Support the podcastBuy Me A CoffeePatreonProduced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions