Confidently prepare for a positive birth experience – Join The Birth Class
What is infertility?
The Two Week Wait
Why are prenatal vitamins so important in pregnancy?
Early signs of pregnancy
Episiotomy
How to Prepare for a Positive Induction
Breast Engorgement
Mastitis
The Podcast
Australian Birth Stories is a portrait of women navigating their journey to motherhood – a series of honest stories that detail the heartache of infertility, the joy and overwhelm of pregnancy, the challenge and elation of birth and the tentative first weeks of postpartum.
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The empowering online childbirth education program that will help you confidently prepare for birth.
An informative and comforting 5-part audio course guiding you through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
A guide to inspire pregnant women to prepare for their breastfeeding journey.
The 8-part audio program supporting your empowered and confident transition into motherhood.
This Bundle includes The Birth Class, Discovering Motherhood and our Breastfeeding Guide.
Your pregnancy, birth, postpartum and parenting questions answered.
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pregnancy
Prenatal supplements are important in pregnancy to foster health and wellness for you and your growing baby. They provide the basic nutrients you need even when your diet is restricted by nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP).
postpartum
Typically occurring between day 3-5 after birth, breast engorgement is a common symptom in early postpartum when your milk comes. It can also occur later in your breastfeeding journey if your baby sleeps for longer and misses a feed, or drops a feed during the day or night. It can cause your breasts to be full and hard and this can cause pain and make it tricky for your baby to latch. Essentially, your breasts can feel like they’re about to explode which is quite disconcerting.
birth
An episiotomy is a surgical cut to the perineum during the second stage of labour that’s performed on around 24 per cent of Australian women during a vaginal birth. Episiotomies are used to enlarge the vaginal opening, particularly if a baby is showing signs of distress and needs to be born quickly. It may also be suggested if your care provider believes you’re at risk of a severe tear.
For women who have a regular menstrual cycle, the earliest and most reliable sign of pregnancy is a missed period. Read about some of the other early pregnancy signs and symptoms.
You may have heard some nightmarish stories about mastitis and frankly, it’s not something you want to contend with at any stage of your breastfeeding journey. It’s most common in the first three months postpartum but it can strike at any time, particularly if your baby has reduced their feeds, is starting to sleep for longer periods at night or you’re weaning.
In early postpartum, breastfeeding and sleep challenges are common and can contribute to anxiety and overwhelm. Unless you have a private midwife, there’s a distinct void of health services in postpartum which makes it challenging to access professional support. It’s definitely beneficial to be aware of this in pregnancy so you can adequately prepare for postpartum.
Perineal massage is a technique that can be used during pregnancy to help to stretch the perineum, to reduce the risk of tears when giving birth.
Getting your head around your pregnancy care options can be challenging but add in the intricacies of Paid Parental Leave (PPL), Centrelink and childcare subsidies and you’ll be ready to pull your hair out. Rest assured that it’s not as complicated as it may seem but organising it early in your pregnancy is definitely recommended for both prompt payment and peace of mind.
conception
If you’re currently trying to conceive (TTC) and you’re concerned about your fertility, you’re not alone. There is a lot of social conversation about infertility in Australia, with 1 in 6 couples seeking fertility treatment for either medical infertility or social infertility (queer couples and solo mothers by choice).
Firstly, if you’ve recently birthed your baby and your bleeding has increased, don’t delay in seeking medical attention. It’s recommended to present to the emergency department at your local hospital and explain that you’ve recently given birth and you’re concerned about your blood loss. You may be experiencing a postpartum haemorrhage.
An induction can be overwhelming but there are some practical things you can do to prepare for a positive experience.
If you’re preparing for a caesarean birth, you’re no doubt thinking about what will happen in the operating theatre and what your recovery will be like. Here’s a few things you can expect:
Understanding informed choice is a key aspect of birth education.
The two week wait is the two weeks after you’ve ovulated when you’re anxiously waiting to see if your attempts to conceive have been successful.
Once you find out you’re pregnant, you’ll need to make a decision about who will care for you in pregnancy and support you during labour and birth.
If you’ve been googling anything related to fertility or conception, chances are you’ve stumbled across the term “conscious conception”.
Please provide the following information about the first day of your last menstrual period.
This is an estimated date of when your baby is due. Babies rarely keep to an exact timetable, so your full-term pregnancy can be anywhere from 37 and 42 weeks.
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Sophie Walker
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I’m Sophie, founder and host of Australian Birth Stories, the podcast with over 14 million downloads that’s endorsed by the Australian College of Midwives. I’ve got a Masters in Public Health and a passion for encouraging women to actively prepare for birth and postpartum. Beyond the microphone, I’m a mum to three rambunctious boys who create a lot of joy and mess.
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