Send us a text It's the season finale, and I’m delighted to wrap up with a powerful and thought-provoking conversation featuring the incredible Dr Rachel Reed - midwife, educator, author, and advocate for physiological birth. In this episode, we dive deep into the topic of Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid something that often triggers alarm bells during labour. But should it? Rachel helps us unpack the physiology, the myths, and the medical responses surrounding meconium in the waters. This conve...
May 25, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 152
Send us a text In this inspiring episode, I’m joined by Amelia, who shares her powerful birth stories - welcoming both of her daughters in a Midwife Led Unit, despite being labelled ‘high risk’ due to a high BMI and insulin-controlled gestational diabetes. Amelia’s journey is a testament to what’s possible when a woman is supported to trust her instincts, advocate for herself, and remain at the centre of her care. In our conversation, Amelia reflects on: The challenges and judgements she faced d...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 5Ep. 151
Send us a text In this powerful episode, I’m joined by former NHS midwife Rosemary, who bravely opens up about her time working within the UK’s maternity system - and why she ultimately made the difficult decision to walk away. With her knowledge and experience of women-centred care, Rosemary speaks candidly about the challenges she faced as a midwife, from rising pressures to the emotional toll of witnessing care that didn’t align with her values. Rosemary shares what it means to support physio...
May 11, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 150
Send us a text In this essential episode, I open up a conversation with Hayley Schoenberg and Dr Margo, where they explain, that far too many women are suffering from postpartum prolapse - in silence. Despite how common it is, prolapse is rarely discussed during pregnancy, and even less so after birth. Yet it can have a profound physical and emotional impact on a woman's life. It's time to break the silence. In this episode, we explore: What postpartum prolapse actually is The symptoms that are ...
May 04, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 149
Send us a text In today’s episode, I explore one of the most profound truths about birth - the fact that you are the creator of life. I dive into how modern maternity services undermine women's instincts, why doubt is a normal part of labour, and how the subconscious work of pregnancy is what truly saves women in the birth room. I explore why achieving a physiological birth in 2025 is about more than just having a birth plan. While a plan is a great starting point, it’s not enough to guarantee a...
Apr 27, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 148
Send us a text In today’s episode, I am sharing the incredible biological design of birth and how your body naturally prepares your baby for life outside the womb. Modern maternity care often disrupts this process, but when we understand how nature intended birth to unfold , we can make informed choices to protect it. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How your microbiome shifts in pregnancy to prepare the birth canal for your baby Why your baby’s first exposure to bacteria is essential for life...
Apr 13, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 147
Send us a text In this powerful episode of The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast , we dive into a topic that may challenge how you think about birth support: the role of a doula or birthkeeper. While many believe our job is to shield you from the medical system, the truth is more complex. My role isn’t to control external factors or guarantee a specific birth outcome. Instead, it’s to help you overcome self-doubt, navigate fears, and trust your body. Together, we’ll work to build the resilience, mi...
Apr 06, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 146
Send us a text In this episode, I explore the concept of the 'Full-Body Yes' and its profound impact on decision-making, particularly in the context of childbirth. Key topics include: Understanding the Full-Body Yes: Recognising when your entire being - mind, body, and spirit - is in complete alignment with a decision, leading to a deep sense of certainty and peace. The Role of Intuition in Childbirth: Emphasising the importance of trusting one's instincts during pregnancy and labor, and how the...
Mar 30, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 145
Send us a text In this episode of The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast , I am diving into the idea that intense, long contractions don't necessarily indicate progress in labour. I’ll take you through why contraction length alone isn’t a reliable indicator of progress and what actually matters more in birth. Tune in to discover: ✨ Why rhythm and body positioning matter more than contraction length ✨ What long contractions may be signalling about your baby’s position ✨ Practical strategies to stay c...
Mar 23, 2025•34 min•Season 5Ep. 144
Send us a text In this episode, I explore the 'privacy instinct' and its profound significance for neurodiverse women during childbirth. I delve into how an innate desire for privacy and autonomy can influence birth experiences, especially for those with heightened sensory sensitivities and unique communication needs. Episode Highlights: Understanding the Privacy Instinct: Discussing the natural inclination towards privacy during labour and how it serves as a protective mechanism, promoting comf...
Mar 16, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 143
Send us a text In this episode, I’m diving into the importance of thoroughly researching and interviewing your chosen place of birth. Many women assume that midwife-led units or hospitals will automatically align with their birth preferences, but policies and practices can vary widely. I’ll be sharing: ✔️ Why hospitals and MLUs don’t always provide the experience you expect. ✔️ The key questions you MUST ask before choosing a birth location. ✔️ How to spot red flags that indicate your birth pref...
Mar 09, 2025•42 min•Season 5Ep. 142
Send us a text In this episode, we are diving into two game-changing strategies for labour: STOP and FLOP. These simple, yet powerful tools can help you navigate your birth journey with a sense of calm, control, and empowerment. Developed through years of experience in the birth space, these methods are designed to help you release tension, trust your body, and create the right conditions for oxytocin to flow. Whether you’re planning a hospital birth, home birth, or anything in between, STOP and...
Mar 02, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 141
Send us a text In this episode, I’m sharing 8 powerful quotes that I have written about, and taught over the past couple of decades while supporting couples both in and out of the birth room. These phrases are designed to shift your mindset, empower your choices, and help you tap into your inner strength as you prepare for birth. Tune in to explore how these sayings can help you let go of fear, trust your body’s wisdom, and stay aligned with your birth vision. Whether you’re a first-time parent ...
Feb 23, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 140
Send us a text In this episode, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of my course Discover Your North Star ! This isn’t your typical antenatal course - it’s designed to help you break free from fear-based narratives and step into your birth experience feeling empowered, calm, and fully aligned. Tune in as I share a comprehensive overview of the course, including what’s inside, how it can transform your mindset, and why it’s such a valuable investment for your birth preparation. What You’ll Learn ...
Feb 16, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 139
Send us a text In the last episode of 2024 - I am bringing you another solo episode where I pull up my big girl pants, and bravely admit that earlier this year I had a complaint made against me. I am so passionate about my work and the support I offer, that I wanted to share a little bit about this experience, and highlight some essential steps you can take, if you are considering hiring a doula. My wish is that on the back of this episode - no confusion about the relationship between client and...
Dec 22, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 138
Send us a text In this episode of the podcast, we begin exactly where we left off last week, with Hayley and Katja sharing the details of their healing home birth. Baby Isabelle was born safely after a previous traumatic birth, but Hayley knew instinctively that she needed some support. After a wonderful golden hour, everyone began to notice that Hayley wasn't herself, and was showing signs of deterioration. Find out what happened next, in this wonderful episode. Their story goes a long way to s...
Dec 15, 2024•52 min•Season 5Ep. 137
Send us a text In this episode, I am chatting with Hayley and Katja Schoenberg about their healing homebirth story. In part one, they candidly share their decisions regarding having another baby, and how important it was to Hayley for them both to do a lot of preparation to ensure that they had the best chance of achieving their dream birth. Tune in next week to pick up where we left off and learn more about the postpartum journey and what happened after Isabelle was born. You can follow them on...
Dec 08, 2024•56 min•Season 5Ep. 136
Send us a text This week I am sharing with you how Journalling can support you to prepare for birth by 'Doing the work'. This involves asking yourself questions and being open and honest about how you feel about giving birth and also how to share your thoughts and feelings with your birth partner. You can either use your own notebook and answer some of the questions that I share with you, or you can purchase one of my journals on Amazon or another online book seller. Here are the links:- The Art...
Dec 01, 2024•32 min•Season 5Ep. 135
Send us a text In this episode, I am chatting to Sheryl Wynne who kindly talks us through her Healing Birth Hierarchy of Needs tool that she uses to help prepare couples for their dream birth. This conversation will allow you to identify ways that you can support yourself on your journey to achieving the birth that you want. It aims to help you understand why it is so important to reach for the stars, and not settle for less during your birth experience, and to understand that if you don't try, ...
Nov 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 134
Send us a text In this week's episode Dr Jenna and I are discussing the importance of healing from birth trauma before having another baby. We talk through the reasons why this is useful for both you and your birth partner as well as a wider conversation about birth preparation and how to take ownership of the information you are exposed to, rather than just accepting any information you receive. Being curious about your options and exploring your own personality is essential to ensure you are w...
Nov 17, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 133
Send us a text This week is part two of Dhi's story - where he shares his version of each of the births of his 5 children. In this episode we pick up where we left off last week, with Dhi telling us his experience of discovering Leonie was pregnant with twins and how they went on to have a C-section due to pre-eclampsia. He candidly talks about the disappointment he felt when they needed to engage with maternity services and how he leaned into his spiritual side to help him as he deepened his tr...
Nov 10, 2024•55 min•Season 5Ep. 132
Send us a text In this week's episode, Leonie's husband Dhi shares his experience of becoming a father and how his philosophies of birth changed dramatically as he learned more about the process. He explains how confident he felt in the idea that Leonie was capable of giving birth without medical assistance, and how his understanding deepened as each of their children were born. Next week, he candidly shares his experience of how their 4th pregnancy was a completely different journey and how tha...
Nov 03, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 131
Send us a text In this week's episode, I am chatting with Leonie Rainbird Savin who is sharing her experience of wild pregnancy with her 4th child. She describes how different this pregnancy was in comparison to the other 3, and how as it progressed, she began to feel instinctively that she may end up needing medical intervention regarding the birth. In the end, Leonie became unwell and went into hospital to seek care and discovered that she was carrying two babies. This is a fascinating story o...
Oct 27, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 5Ep. 130
Send us a text In this episode, I am chatting to Sarah Geraghty, a craniosacral therapist who treats pregnant women, newborn babies, postpartum women and their families as they grow. Sarah explains a little about how craniosacral therapy works and how it can support you. Sarah's website is http://sarahgeraghty.co.uk You can find Sarah on instagram @sarahgeraghtycraniosacral If you love the podcast and would like to support it, then please use the link to 'buy me a coffee' - https://bmc.link/sall...
Oct 20, 2024•55 min•Season 5Ep. 129
Send us a text In this week's episode, I wanted to honour Baby Loss Awareness Week by re-posting episode 30 with Amy from The Lily Mae Foundation, who shares her experience of discovering her baby had no heartbeat, and how she went through the process of birth. This episode also includes how Amy and her husband moved forward and how it felt for them to continue to grow their family. Recorded in 2021, she candidly describes what it feels like to support others who are going through the devasting ...
Oct 13, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 128
Send us a text In this episode I am chatting to Chloe and Tony about their decision to free birth at home with their second child. After learning more about the birth process during her postpartum, Chloe discovered that during her first birth in hospital, she had experienced a few unnecessary interventions. Second time around, she decided to hire a doula, and as her pregnancy progressed she felt it was necessary to give birth at home without medical assistance. This is a fascinating story involv...
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 127
Send us a text In this weeks episode I am sharing information with you about what to eat during labour and birth. It's always difficult to think about what to pack in your birth bag, and I have tried to give you ideas that you might not have thought of. I also speak about the role that your birth partner plays in feeding you during this time and why it is so important. If you love the podcast and would like to support it, then please use the link to 'buy me a coffee' - https://bmc.link/sallyannb...
Sep 29, 2024•36 min•Season 5Ep. 126
Send us a text In this weeks episode I am chatting with Heidi Oh, an experienced doula in the US who has recently come back to the birth world after training to be a sexologist. Heidi shares some fascinating insights into the role of being a professional birth partner, including a great explanation on the meaning of attunement. This is such an important skill and I encourage all women to share this episode with their partners to help them learn more about what it takes to be present with you dur...
Sep 22, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 125
Send us a text In this week's episode, I am speaking to Elizabeth. A mother of two children who went on a really deep journey after she became a mother. Finding her voice and stepping into her power helped her to evaluate what elements of her life she wanted to keep, and what she wanted to shed. Elizabeth now helps other women through all of her work as a lawyer and doula to ensure they have empowered birth and parenting journeys. You can find Elizabeth on Instagram @birth_with_elizabeth If you ...
Sep 15, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 124
Send us a text In the very first episode of Season 5 I am speaking to the Queen of Hormones - Dr Sarah Buckley. I have been so excited to bring this incredible conversation to you - as I recorded it way back in April. Sarah shares with us her knowledge about hormones in general, but in particular the role of Oxytocin. She has also gained lots of new information whilst doing her PHD - including some interesting findings on how synthetic oxytocin can actually support the body by doing what Sarah c...
Sep 08, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 123
