Guardian Doula’s Diary
An honest collection of the stories & experiences of birthing women, and the professionals that support them, to empower, equip, & inspire us all.
Episodes
32 episodes
Episode 31: Coached Pushing: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
“PUSHHHHH! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…”Sound familiar? That’s coached pushing - when you’re told how and when to push during labour. Sometimes it’s helpful… sometimes it’s not… and sometimes, it’s just a hospital trying to be...
Episode 30: The Crucial Mental Game Nobody Talks About | Waiting for Labour
The end of your pregnancy is here, finally. The last stretch!You’ve done all the prep. You’re informed, empowered, and ready for your unmedicated birth. But...There’s one vital piece that often gets overlooked – and it...
Episode 29: The Truth About The "I Can't Do This" Moment | Transition Myth Busted
Have you heard this myth before?👉 “When you feel like you can’t do it anymore, it means you’re in transition – and baby’s almost here!”Me too. More times than I count!And sometimes tha...
Episode 28: What I actually DO as a doula | Practical insight into what doula support looks like
If you’ve ever wondered what specific, practical things I actually DO as a doula, and thought “do doulas just help with breathing?!”... Then this episode is for you! 👇In today’s chat, I walk you through what I actually
Episode 27: "Do I *Really* Need a Doula If...(Insert Situation)?"
"Do I really need a doula if… (insert your situation here)?"This is a common question I get as a doula - and in this episode, I’m walking you through the honest, evidence-backed answer...
Episode 26: The Truth About TEARING in Birth
Let’s talk about something LOTS of women are nervous about, but few women talk about enough… perineal tearing.How common is it? Can you actually prevent it? What really causes it — and what doesn’t?
Episode 25: The Evidence on the Doula Difference
Are doulas really worth their weight in gold? In this episode, we dive into the research that proves just how powerful doula support can be in labour. From shorter labours to lower rates of intervention, ...
Episode 24: Overcoming PAIN in Birth
The first VIDEO episode of the podcast is here, yay! 🎉 And if you've ever wondered, "how will I handle the pain of labour!?" - then this episode is for you.You’re not weak for worrying about it.&nbs...
Episode 23: How to Avoid Unnecessary Intervention in Birth?!
A concern I hear from pregnant women all the time, is that they'd love to have an empowering, natural birth - but they're birthing in the hospital system and they're not so keen on all the unnecessary intervention that commonly comes with that....
Episode 22: Past Client Birth Story - Claire McAdam - Positive Unmedicated Birth, 1st Baby
Today, my past client, Claire, shares the positive, empowering birth story of her first baby.Now as a side-note, recently, I was chatting to another client who was worried about a complication she'd encountered in her pregnancy.
Episode 21: Do midwives dislike doulas? How do they collaborate? | Chat with midwife + mum, Abby Sidery.
Have you ever wondered whether midwives don't like doulas? Do you *really* need a doula if you have a midwife? How are the roles different? In today's episode, Abby Sidery (seasoned midwife & mum to 2) answer these questions &am...
Episode 20: When to Leave for the Hospital in Labour?!
Leaving at the right time for the hospital is crucial. But have you ever wondered how the heck you're supposed to know?!. Leave too early? Cascade of intervention. 🙃Leave too late? Carpark birth. 😬See why...
Episode 19: To the Pregnant or Postpartum PEOPLE PLEASER!
Okay mama's, time for a heart to heart. This message is SO freaking important. 🙌People pleasing is such a common struggle that women face throughout their lives - and it often affects your pregnancy and postpartum....
Episode 18: How to Have a VBAC (interview w/ Sammy Griffin)
So last week we heard my lovely past client Amber's beautifully remeptive VBAC birth story (episode 17 if you haven't listened yet!), but today, I wanted to focus on HOW to have a VBAC.Something that should be so straightforward, is unfo...
Episode 17: My Past Client's Physiological VBAC Birth Story
Today, my beautiful client Amber shares her VBAC story. After a not-so-positive experience with her first daughter, she decided to hire me as her doula to help her work towards a beautiful, redemptive VBAC. She knew VBAC's don't jus...
Episode 16: 'Tis The Season For Induction...
It's an unfortunate reality that with a due date around the holiday period, women are 3-4 more times more likely to be induced (this was confirmed by a study conducted by the university of QLD). Unwarranted induction of labour can have ...
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Episode 15: Birth Myth Busting w/ Melanie The Midwife, from the Great Birth Rebellion
In this episode, I chat to Dr Melanie Jackson about common birth myths that need some serious busting like women's birth experiences depend on it... because they do. Mel is a private midwife with her PhD, host of the amazing 'Great...
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Episode 14: The Wisdom + Birth Stories of Mum to 5 (incl twins!) & Chiropractor - Ruby Kellaway
In today's episode, I chat to Ruby Kellaway. Ruby had 5 kids under 4 (yep, you read that right!) & is a passionate chiropractor who has a particular passion for working with birthing women. So much so, she's undertaken study in midwifery &a...
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Episode 13: The Cascade of Intervention (What it is & How to avoid it!)
We've probably all heard of the oh-so-dreaded "cascade of intervention", but what is it *really*, and most importantly... how can we avoid falling victim to it!?Today, I'm going to tell you. Here's everything you need to know about the ...
Episode 12: My 1st Birth: The Story + Mistakes I Made
Buckle up, because today I am taking you on a wild ride down memory lane. After so many requests to share my own birth stories, today I'm going to spill the beans on my experience giving birth to my first child Mali. And, arguably, most importa...
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Episode 11: Tara Menzies (creator of Christian Hypnobirthing) - Her Birth Stories & Why Birth Prep Is Crucial
Today I chat to Tara Menzies. Tara is the creator of the Christian Hypnobirthing app, and a mum to two. She tells us her own birth stories, and through them, highlights the importance of birth preparation, and the difference it can make.
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Episode 10: How You CAN Control Birth
One of the most prevalent (and damaging!) misconceptions around birth out there is the idea that "you can't control anything about birth". This is just NOT true! In reality, there's so much we do have control over when it comes to birth.
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Episode 9: Why You’re Wrong About Doulas
In this episode we go over some common misconceptions about doulas that cost women big time in their births. It’s probably my most “straight up” episode yet, I drop some truth bombs that may be hard to hear, but are important ...
Episode 8: Why Unmedicated Birth Matters
This episode is a little different! Instead of interviewing someone, it's just me chatting to you guys. We talk about why it's worth considering going for an unmedicated birth - even in a world where we are so often told "you don't get a medal"...
Episode 7: Homebirth Chat w/ Elsie Ruijgrok (Co-Founder of Homebirth Victoria, Birth Doula, Podcast Host, Mum).
In today's episode, we chat to Elsie. Elsie is the co-founder of Homebirth Victoria, she's a birth doula, host of "Birthing at Home - a Podcast", and most importantly, she's a mumma.We chat about Elsie's experiences giving bir...
