Inside the Box
A podcast for women and professionals alike, hosted by mums and Women's Health Physiotherapists, Kat, Tash, and Caitlin. Established and driven by our desires to share our passion for educating and empowering women to better understand their bodies, in particular - what's inside their 'box'. Amongst ourselves, real-life patients and leading industry experts, we’ll unpack a variety of topics including pelvic floor dysfunction, pregnancy, exercise, birth, postpartum, sexual pain, endometriosis, leakage, prolapse and beyond.
Inside the Box
Understanding Labour Pain with Dr Laura Whitburn
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Laura Whitburn — physiotherapist-turned-researcher and Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University — whose work shines a light on labour pain and intrapartum communication. Laura’s research explores the psychological, social, and environmental influences on the childbirth experience, with a focus on creating safer, more supportive care for women in labour.
We dive into:
- Laura’s journey from physiotherapy to anatomy teaching and research in labour pain
- What drew her to explore the complexities of labour pain
- The “distressed-to-dissociated” pain spectrum she introduced at Better Births
- How distress and dissociation present during labour, and when dissociation might actually be protective
- The critical role of communication in shaping a woman’s pain experience
- How psychological safety impacts labour and birth outcomes
- Practical strategies for clinicians and birth partners to foster supportive, safe environments
- How women preparing for birth can use this knowledge to advocate for themselves
- The one thing Laura wishes every woman and clinician knew about labour pain
This conversation is both insightful and empowering, offering evidence-based perspectives alongside practical tools for anyone supporting birth.
