Building Birth Confidence
Building Birth Confidence is the podcast for anyone who is pregnant after a difficult birth, pregnancy loss, or traumatic experience, and who is scared, exhausted, and trying to find a way through.#
I’m Katie, an NHS Mental Health Midwife and Perinatal Trauma Specialist. Every week I bring you honest, clinically informed conversations about the things that rarely get said out loud: the fear, the guilt, the disconnect, the grief that comes with pregnancy after trauma. And the tools, the understanding, and the realistic hope that can make a real difference.
This is not a positive thinking podcast. This is a podcast for people who need more than reassurance. You deserve support that actually meets where you are.
New episodes every week. Start wherever feels right.
Episodes
26 episodes
How to Advocate for Yourself in the Maternity Setting
After a traumatic or difficult birth, walking back into a maternity setting and trying to speak up is one of the hardest things you can be asked to do. Not because you lack confidence, or preparation, or the right words, but because the last ti...
Making Your Birth Environment Work For You - Not Against You
The moment you walk through the hospital doors, your brain starts making assessments, and for anyone who has had a difficult or traumatic birth before, those assessments can trigger a fear response before labour has even begun. In this episode,...
Building Your Birth Team
All the internal preparation in the world is harder to access when you are in the middle of labour and the people around you do not know what you need. In this episode, Katie turns outward and talks about who belongs in your birth team, what th...
Taking Back Control
After a traumatic birth, the drive to control everything about the next one makes complete sense. In this episode, Katie talks honestly about why that drive, however understandable, tends to keep people exhausted and stuck rather than actually ...
Your Trauma Informed Birth Plan
For a lot of people who have been through a traumatic birth, the idea of writing a birth plan feels pointless or painful or both. In this episode, Katie reframes what a birth plan is actually for when you have a difficult history, and walks thr...
Fear Doesn’t Have to Run the Show
So many people preparing for birth after a difficult experience are carrying two fears at once: the fear of the birth itself, and the fear of being too scared to cope. In this episode, Katie talks honestly about why the standard advice to elimi...
The Reframe That Changes Everything
There is an idea that changes everything about how you approach this birth. Trauma isn’t caused by what happens to you, it’s caused by what feels too much to bear. In this episode, Katie explains what that distinction actually means, why it giv...
Why This Pregnancy Feels So Different
The scan is fine. The midwife says everything looks good. And yet there's this flatness, this going-through-the-motions feeling, like you're present at all the appointments but not quite inside them. In this episode, Katie explains exactly why ...
The Guilt, Shame & Self-Blame Nobody Talks About
There is a thought that sits quietly underneath the fear for so many people who've been through a difficult birth: this was my fault. In this episode, Katie names it directly - the self-blame, the guilt, the shame - and explains where it comes ...
What Is Tokophobia - And Could You Have It?
Maybe you've heard the word tokophobia before and felt a flicker of recognition. Or maybe you've never heard it - and you've just been carrying this particular dread without a name for it. In this episode, Katie explains what tokophobia actuall...
What Is Actually Happening In Your Body When You’re Terrified
Have you ever wondered why 'just calm down' makes absolutely no difference when you're scared about birth? In this episode, Katie explains the actual neuroscience of fear, in plain language, so you finally understand why your body respond...
I'm Scared to Give Birth Again - And Nobody Gets It
If you're pregnant again after a difficult birth or pregnancy experience, and you're scared, and exhausted, and wondering why you can't just feel excited like everyone else seems to, this episode is for you. In this first episode of Series 2, K...
Understanding Your Amazing Uterus
Your uterus is one of the most powerful, and misunderstood, organs in your body. But if you’ve experienced a difficult or traumatic birth before, it can be hard to trust it.In this gentle, informative episode, Katie explains:...
How to Speak So They Hear You
If you freeze in appointments, forget your questions, or leave feeling like you weren’t heard, this short episode is for you.Katie gently explores why trauma makes it hard to speak up, and shares CBT tools, midwifery insights, and a shor...
It’s Okay to Choose a Caesarean
Choosing a planned caesarean after a traumatic vaginal birth can bring up a lot of emotions, fear, doubt, shame, even guilt. But your choice is valid. And you are still having a beautiful, empowered birth.In this short, compassionate epi...
You’re Allowed to Ask Questions
If you've ever walked out of an appointment thinking, “I didn’t say what I really wanted to say,” or “I wish I’d asked more questions,” this episode is for you.Katie gently explores how birth trauma can make it harder to speak up during ...
Let’s Talk About Control
After a traumatic birth, many people feel a deep need to regain control. But birth is unpredictable, so how do we navigate that uncertainty without feeling powerless?In this short, empowering episode, Katie explores the difference betwee...
Don’t Wait Until You Feel Brave
If you’ve been putting off preparing for birth because you don’t feel “ready” yet, this episode is for you.In this powerful and compassionate episode, Katie explores how fear, avoidance, and waiting for confidence can keep us stuck in a ...
What If This Time Could Be Different?
When you’ve experienced birth trauma, hope can feel risky, even dangerous.But what if preparing differently this time is the very thing that makes a different experience possible?In this short, empowering episode, Katie offers a gent...
You’re Not Broken - You’re Protecting
When you’re pregnant again after a traumatic or difficult birth, fear can show up fast, and it can feel like something’s wrong with you. But what if that fear is actually your body’s way of trying to keep you safe?In this short,...
Uncover Labour Pain Secrets Now for Easier Birth
In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast, Katie dives into the topic of pain in labour, a subject often surrounded by fear and anxiety. Whether you’re feeling apprehensive because of a challenging previous birth or simp...
Embracing the Unknown: How to Manage Birth’s Uncertainty and Feel Calm, Confident and Prepared
In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast, Katie dives into the experience of dealing with the uncertainty of birth, an aspect that many find difficult, especially after a previous traumatic experience. She shares valuable strate...
Creating a Birth Plan that Empowers You
In this episode, Katie explores how to create a birth plan that truly empowers you, especially if you’ve had a difficult or traumatic birth experience before. A birth plan is more than just a document—it’s a way to communicate your needs, bound...
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Understanding Your Options: Choosing Your Type of Birth - Vaginal Birth, VBAC, and Caesarean Birth
In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast, we dive deep into the different birth options available to you, whether you’re considering a vaginal birth, a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean), or a planned Caesarean. Hoste...
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How a Birth Debrief Can Empower Your Next Pregnancy
In this episode of the Building Birth Confidence Podcast, host Katie, a mental health midwife, antenatal teacher, and hypnobirthing instructor, explores how a birth debrief can empower you as you prepare for your next pregnancy. A birt...
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