Fear Free Childbirth Podcast With Alexia Leachman | Childbirth | Pregnancy

It's time for a rallying cry "Save the midwife!". I've talked about this already on the podcast, but this week, I'm giving it focus. Save the midwife is a campaign that needs support and not just here in the UK, and not just by midwives. This is a family issue that affects birthing women directly. When we hear talk of the oldest profession in the world, many mistakenly think of prostitution - thanks in part to Rudyard Kipling - but that would be wrong. What did society need first? Food? Shelter? Safety? Help birthing our young? Or an outlet for sexually frustrated men? Hmmm.... [spp-player] Midwifery is one of those professions that is as old as we are and appears alongside other professions who perform human rituals. And yet, today in the UK, the profession is being chip chipped away. This makes me mad. VERY mad. Since the begining of time, midwives have been supporting women during their rite of passage from maiden to mother. This transition isn't always an easy one for women, and yet the presence of

Our pregnancy journey has the potential to be one of the most transformative and expansive periods in our lives, and I don't just mean in terms of our body! The opportunity for personal growth is huge, and yet this important rite of passage is not always widely accepted or appreciated for what it is. [spp-player] When I think back to my own experiences of miscarriage and birth, I'm in awe of the journey I've been on, and it's so obvious to me now that being pregnant was both the start and the trigger. When I miscarried and realised that it was relief that I felt, I knew then that I had some stuff to resolve, which I then tackled head-on for about a year. I was rewarded with a pay-off, because the next time I found out I was pregnant, I was delighted (instead of being in a bad state of shock). But, staying pregnant came with its own set of emotional challenges for me; I had to face my blood-curdling fears. Well I did, and was rewarded yet again; this time with an incredible birth experience. As motherhood t

In today's episode I want to talk about taking responsibility and share with you something that happened to me last week that was a huge wake-up call. It's not exactly birth related but it is ... [spp-player] Last week I had a minor op. I thought it would be this no big deal. They were OK with me walking home afterwards so I thought I'd be able to carry on with normal life afterwards. How wrong I was! The day after the op I crashed into a painful and depressed state. The anaesthetic had worn off and I slowly came to the realisation that I had been slightly traumatised by my experience. There were 6 people in theatre with me and the lady who was meant to be there keping tabs on me just wasn't that interested and kept walking off. Looking in, it certainly didn't look like a traumatic experience, and I'm using the word trauma with tiny T, but it affected me that's for sure. As I was lying there for 25 minutes being worked on I couldn't help thinking about birth (I'd asked for a drape like in c-sections), and i

Your pelvic floor is one of those things that you take for granted before giving birth. It's just there. Then you give birth and it's not! After my first pregnancy, I went to a weekly buggy workout where we were talked through the kegel exercises and I remember being so utterly bored by them that I quickly lost interest in doing them. Give me crunches or squats any day, but kegels?! [spp-player] All those well meaning pieces of advice about doing them while sitting at a red light or while making a cup of tea didn't help at all. My head is way too full of thoughts to remember doing things like that. The thing is, I'm paying for it now. I didn't realise quite how much until I went trampolining with my daughter. Yikes! Well after ten minutes, let's just say that I was sitting it out. So, when I'm sitting here telling you how important it is to look after your pelvic floor, I mean it! Thankfully, I have Anita Lambert on the podcast today, who is going to help you look after your pelvic floor. But not only tha

Today we're talking about childbirth self efficacy. I'm taking a deeper look into the psychology of birth with birth expert and best-selling author, Sophie Fletcher. In this episode we're going to be talking about what childbirth self efficacy is, why it's important in the context of childbirth and what we can do to influence it. Believe it or not, this is all very enlightening! [spp-player] The idea for this episode came up when Sophie and I were chatting at the Independent Midwives conference here in the UK. Sophie mentioned childbirth self efficacy to me and I had to admit that I had no idea what she was on about. Once she explained to me what it was, I knew I wanted to chat to her on the podcast about it, because I believe that if a pregnant woman cold get her head around childbirth self efficacy, it provides her with a framework to improve her birth experience - and who doesn't need a bit of that? What is Self Efficacy? Psychologist Albert Bandura has defined self-efficacy as one's belief in one's abil

Today I'm thrilled to be joined on the podcast by Shalome Stone from Rockstar Birth Magazine. [spp-player] When Shalome and I first chatted, it took us a while to figure out what we'd focus on for our pocast chat because we could've had spoken on a whole range of stuff around birth. But once I'd spoken to her for a bit, I knew what it was. Shalome was telling me about her own journey into birth work and what sparked her interest, which for her it was her own crappy first birth experience. Shalome approached her first birth with confidence just believing that because she was a woman she would be fine, she "had all the bits" after all. Basically, she went with the 'winging it' strategy, otherwise known as "going with the flow". Things didn't pan out all that great for her, which you can hear all about in the podcast. When the time came round for baby number two, she knew she had to do things differently. She knew that this time around she would need to do her homework and prepare. If you've been listening to

If you're expecting multiples then today is your turn! I can't tell you how many times I receive emails from mamas expecting multiples asking.. no BEGGING.. me for podcast episodes for them and believe me when I say this: I have been TRYING!!! [spp-player] Today I'm speaking to Mars Lord. Mars is a doula who specialises in supporting parents who are expecting multiples and what gives her special insider knowledge is the fact that she is a mum of twins. Incredibly, she had her twins AFTER her 3rd baby; you can listen to the full story in the podcast. Expecting Multiples During our chat Mars shares a ton of gold nuggets, and they're not just for the mamas expecting multiples. There's stuff there for all pregnant mamas. She starts by sharing her own twin birth journey busting the common assumptions that are held when it comes to expecting multiples; twins will come early you will birth in a hospital you will have a planned c-section you will need to be monitored you will need an epidural Instead

Cord clamping is something that you might not even think to consider when it comes to your birth plan, but let me tell that it most definitely is. In today's podcast I want to help you to undersrtand why delayed cord clamping should be an important non-negotiable aspect of the birth of your baby, whether you have a vaginal or c-section birth. [spp-player] Today I'm chatting to Amanda Burleigh, who is a well-known UK midwife. I say well-known, because Amanda is a bit of an activist and is very outspoken on this particular topic. She has been campaigning for delayed cord clamping for over ten years and it is in thanks to her efforts that health policies are changing. She is a true hero! Amanda first started to consider the impact of cutting the cord when she was wondering why so many boys (her sons included) had behavioural issues. "After talking to teachers who were concerned at the numbers of children with behavioural, learning and medical problems and noticing the same in my friends and colleagues chil

[spp-player] Imagine if all your worst birth fears came true. What kind of birth experience would that be? It would be easy to think that this could be the most terrifying birth experience ever. And for some it might well be, but in today's episode I'm sharing a story that shows that it doesn't have to be. Today's positive birth story is from Grace who was a big fan of the podcast during her pregnancy. Grace got in touch with me because I put a call out to my email list asking for case studies to feature in my book; I was looking for women who had used my fear-clearance method to prepare for their birth. "I used your head trash clearance and I must say I'm so glad I did!"  By the time I finished reading Grace's email, I knew I had to get her on the podcast because this wasn't your typical birth story of a birth going just as the mother wanted. Instead it's a story of all her worst fears coming true and culminating in her ultimate worst birth fear; the emergency c-section. Her story is a remarkable example o

Hannah Dahlen and Kate Levett are pretty much celebrities in the birth world and I'm thrilled to have been able to chat to them both for my podcast. When I was going through the edit of my book recently I realised how much I've cited much of their research, so this was a real treat for me. [spp-player optin="off" ctabuttons="off" url=“youraudio.mp3”] Hannah Dahlen & Kate Levett Hannah Dahlen and Kate Levett carried out a study last year which shows that "antenatal education classes focussing on pain relief techniques dramatically reduce the rate of medical interventions during childbirth, such as epidural use and caesarean section. The research, the first of its kind and published online today in the medical journal BMJ Open, raises questions about the way expecting mothers are provided childbirth education classes". The goal of the research was to test whether childbirth education programs can help to reduce the the rate of medical interventions. To do this they conducted a randomised controlled trial of 17

Last week I shared an interview with Independent Midwife, Nicky Grace to showcase the wonderful women that are midwives, but also to highlight the challenge that Uk Independent Midwives are facing due to a new ruling that will prevent them from continuing their valuable work. But, to be honest, there is nothing more powerful that sharing a real life story of what the difference an independent midwife can make for a woman. Well the story I'm sharing today IS that story. [spp-player optin="off" ctabuttons="off" url=“youraudio.mp3"] Today I'm chatting to Hannah Palamara who is a Birth Photographer and Doula. Here's Hannah in her own words "Before I was a birth photographer or a doula, I was a mother. My own children’s births were what led me into the doula and birth photography work I do today . Each of my births was drastically different. They demanded me to grow and change in ways that I never could have anticipated. Each of my birth stories held lessons and gifts. I wouldn’t be the same without them. My bi

After a bit of a break the podcast is back! To kick off series 3, I'm sharing an interview with an independent midwife, Nicky Grace, whom I know personally through my local Home Birth Group. [spp-player optin="off" ctabuttons="off" url=“youraudio.mp3"] Save the Independent Midwife I decided to start with this due to the recent shocking news here in the UK, that independent midwives are being forced out of work because their regulator, The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) have announced that their professional indemnity insurance is no longer valid. This means that they can no longer attend births and if they do, they will be struck off. This is a real hammer blow on so many levels; women in the UK will be forced to use the NHS (ou national health service) depsite the fact that it does not have enough resources to satisfy demand women who feel they need extra care and support during their pregnancy and birth, will no longer be able to receive the level of the support they seek Some women pregnant wo

There are birth stories and there are birth in a stream stories and today on the podcast I'm super chuffed to be able to bring you one of the latter. It's an incredible birth story and one that you might well have seen, or at least heard about. Today I'm sharing Simone's amazing fearless birth in a stream. You might well have heard of Simone's birth because she's been all over the internet in the last few weeks. WHY? because the video of her birth in a stream has amassed over 54m views on YouTube! Not seen it? here it is... Simone's birth in a stream During my conversation with Simone - and it's THE longest interview I've ever done - we talk about so much more than her birth in a stream. Thanks in part to her background as a doula and a therapist who specialises in helping women to overcome their fears of birth. But not only that, it's a wonderful birth story that needs to be told, and that is a story in its self given the viral nature of the video. So we don't only talk about pregnancy and birth, but we t

My guest today is Tora, a podcast listener, and we had a few emails back and forth during her pregnancy, but what was so fabulous is that Tora emailed me to tell me about her amazing fearless birth. [spp-player optin="off" ctabuttons="off" url=“youraudio.mp3"] Tora's Fearless Birth "Thank you so much for your podcast. It has been a wonderful tool for me to learn about birth and unlearn birthing fears. I have listened to almost all of your episodes including the head trash clearing method. I combined your material with two free hypnobirthing meditation tracks I found online and used that to prepare for my birth. And on sunday I gave birth to my first baby! Birth was incredibly fast and easy. Not even eight hours from first small contraction until my little baby was born. I was booked to go to a hospital here in Stockholm that I really trust, but in the end they were over booked and we went to another hospital that we knew nothing about. I gave birth only an hour after coming in to hospital though, so the su

Getting into the right mindset for birth is something that is often talked about. We're often hearing people say "Birth is mind over matter" and that's because it's true! So I wanted to dig a bit deeper into understanding what a great mindset for birth was and I've a great guest to help me. On the podcast today, I'm joined by Ulf Sandstrom who is a mental trainer and hypnocoach who also happens to be a co-founder of the Hypnobirthing Society of Sweden. Doesn't he sound like the perfect guest to help us to better understand the best kind of mindset for birth and how we might go about achieving that? During my conversation with Ulf, we talk about many aspects of mindset for birth because quite frankly he has so much to share. He's also very generously created some free downloads to go with our chat and help you to take some of the things we talk about further. See below for more details! Here are just some of the things that we talked about... How dads can play an active role during birth Hypnobirthing p

Getting into the right mindset for birth is something that is often talked about. We're often hearing people say "Birth is mind over matter" and that's because it's true! So I wanted to dig a bit deeper into understanding what a great mindset for birth was and I've a great guest to help me. On the podcast today, I'm joined by Ulf Sandstrom who is a mental trainer and hypnocoach who also happens to be a co-founder of the Hypnobirthing Society of Sweden. Doesn't he sound like the perfect guest to help us to better understand the best kind of mindset for birth and how we might go about achieving that? During my conversation with Ulf, we talk about many aspects of mindset for birth because quite frankly he has so much to share. He's also very generously created some free downloads to go with our chat and help you to take some of the things we talk about further. See below for more details! Here are just some of the things that we talked about... How dads can play an active role during birth Hypnobirthing places a

If I had to sum up my philosophy on life and indeed all those important aspects of life, I'd say it would be all about living consciously. So I was thrilled when Natasha, the host of the Conscious Living Podcast, approached me so that she could share her positive birth story on the podcast. [spp-player optin="off" ctabuttons="off" url=“youraudio.mp3"] Natasha has a Master’s degree in Psychology and works in Child and Family Therapy, so she has a solid understanding of the role that our minds can play in life, and therefore our birth experience. The minute she found out she was pregnant, Natasha applied her conscious living philosophy so that she could enjoy a conscious pregnancy with a very clear intention of experiencing a positive birth experience. When I asked Natasha how she would describe conscious living, this is what she said "Conscious living is being aware; of why we do the things we do, and how that impacts the people around us and the world at large". For me, no event in life warrants a conscio

Today I want to explore the difference between meditation and hypnosis, and relaxation beause they're often used interchangeably but there are actually important yet subtle differences. [spp-player optin="off" ctabuttons="off" url=“youraudio.mp3"] One message that is never far away from the ears of a pregnant woman is around the idea of self-care and relaxation. The importance of taking the time to reduce stress and to relax is brought into stark focus when you're carrying a baby, but this isn't always easy. Unfortunately, being pregnant doesn't mean that life is put on hold; you still get all the usual stressors coming your way. Now add hormones to the mix and keeping calm and stress-free is suddenly made a bit more tricky. In seeking ways to help to return to this place of calm and relaxation, many women are prompted to start finding new ways to deal with life, or at least start adopting practices that can help them live more calmly day-to-day. This is not only to help them to relax, but also as a way of

I'm going to keep my podcast show notes short today because I just recorded the podcast without planning it. I just hit record and spoke from the heart. It's a very personal podcast that was hard for me to record and I don't quite fancy having to regurgitate it all for the sake of writing a proper blog post to go with it. During the podcast I talk about the more difficult emotions that we have to experience during pregnancy, specifically grief and loss. This is because last night I found out that someone who was very dear to me died, someone who was like a dad to me when I was a little girl. And this brought back a lot of my own painful emotions about losing my mother when I was 30 years old. Grief, loss and other difficult emotions When we're pregnant, we're likely to expereince the who range of human emotions that simply come from being a human being living life. I know I've said in other podcasts that we need to try to marinade out baby in positive emotions because the negative ones can harm your baby.