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This week, I share my chat with Geri, who takes us through each of her two birth stories. Both of Geri's daughters spent time in NICU, with her first daughter spending almost 12 weeks there, followed by her younger sister, who spent 17 days. Geri shares so much about those early days, from the constant scans and difficult conversations to what it felt like meeting her first baby before she felt ready. She articulates her experiences so beautifully, giving us an insight into the many different aspects of NICU life and the emotions that come with it. During her second pregnancy, Geri and her medical team anticipated that baby might arrive early. Together, they made it to 34+1 weeks. Although her second daughter also needed time in NICU, this experience felt very different for Geri. This time, she was ready to meet her baby. Another powerful story. Thank you so much Geri Booking Link - Podcast, My Birth Keepsake, Birth Trauma Resolution Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this weeks NICU episode I share my chat with Martina who talks me through her two birth stories. Her daughter was born at 34+6 days spending time in the NICU. Martina revisits feeling that primitive pull, wanting to see her baby and visiting her baby in the NICU for the first time. She mentions how this impacted her and the "emotional unraveling" that followed. She also shares the anxiety she felt as she brought her daughter home for the first time. Martina needed support with PTSD and postnatal anxiety that was linked to her daughters premature birth. A couple of years later Martina welcomed her second baby, her son via emergency c-section. Her son also spent some time in the NICU but experienced it very differently this time in comparison to her first experience. What's amazing is Martina's first postnatal experience has led her to completely change career paths. She is now a Psychotherapist supporting women not only on a 1-1 basis it also within her community. Thank you Martina Contact Martina Instagram / Website Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Annmarie who talks me through her pregnancy and the birth of her son Alex. Annmarie suffered chronic sickness from 7 weeks pregnant feeling increasingly worse as the weeks passed by. It got to a point in her pregnancy that she had to go to the hospital to get things checked over. She had various scans which indicated her baby needed to be brought into the world immediately. Annmarie shares the hours and days that followed, Alex's birth and visiting the NICU for the first time to see her son. She shares how much she feared the future and wanted everything to return to just as it was. Alex underwent life saving surgery which brought about some incredibly tough conversations, conversations no parent should have to by a part of. A hugely important part of Annmarie's story is her mental health throughout all of this. From the moment Annmarie knew there was potentially something wrong in her pregnancy she felt that shift. She describes in-depth how she felt at the prospect of the future and just how hard it was to imagine the enormity of how life would look with a micro-premie new born. She also discusses the sheer lack of support for her mental health from the hospital. Annmarie and her family are in a great place now with Alex now a happy, healthy, strong 7 year old boy. Thank you so much Annmarie! Booking Link Irelands Birth Stories - Instagram Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share part two of my conversation with Clare who talks me through her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter, Mary. Clare and her husband were told their daughter had Down Syndrome at 16 weeks following scans and a NIPT test. Clare shares her thoughts and the emotions that came with hearing that diagnosis. Later, her baby was also diagnosed with Hydrops which is extremely rare. This meant Clare underwent a number of procedures with the hope of helping her baby survive. So many tough conversations were to follow with conflicting advice but Clare and Thomas did find a team they felt aligned with their own wants and needs. Labour started spontaneously at 35 weeks, they made their way to the hospital and baby Mary was born. After 5 days in NICU, Mary passed away in her mothers arm due to Sepsis. I'm so grateful to Clare for sharing her experiences with us. Thank you Clare Booking Link Instagram Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share another episodes as part of the NICU series. My guest Sanya talks ys through her pregnancy and specifically her anxiety that she carried right up to the end. She was scheduled for induction at 39 weeks but one day prior to the induction her waters broke at home. She visited the hospital then returned home to wait for labour to start but nothing happened. Sanya went ahead with the induction but it was decided to bring her son into the world via c-section. Stay then shares her experience with NICU and in particular how scary it can be bringing your abby home for the frosty time without the safety blanket of the team from NICU. Thank you so much Sanya Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Clare who talks me through each of her four birth stories across two episodes. Over the last 7 years Clare has been through a lot. She gave birth to four babies, suffered one pregnancy loss and held her daughter Mary as she passed away at just 5 days old. I decided to split Clare's story across two episodes as we spoke for some time and I really didn't want to remove any part of her story. In this episode, PT1, we hear Clare's three vaginal birth stories. She worked hard labouring at home with each of her experiences and travelled into hospital sometimes just in time to birth her baby in hospital and not in the car. She also shares early pregnancy loss and postpartum experiences which as we all know are hugely important aspects of our stories. In PT2 which I will share next week, Clare shares her fifth pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Mary who was diagnosed with Down syndrome and additionally a rare condition called Hydro's (hydrops fetalis)during her pregnancy following multiple scans and investigations. Next week I will share much more of Marys birth. Thank you so much Clare Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Una who talks me through her two birth stories. Una gave birth to her first baby at 38 weeks after discussing an induction with her consultant. She also opted for a walking epidural which to her gave great relief. She welcomed her daughter and looks back on her birth with positive memories. She then revisits discovering she was pregnant with twins and the shock that brought with it. At 24 weeks gestation Una decide to finish up work, going with a gut feeling. She felt off at 27 weeks feeling feverish, so went to hospital to get things checked out. Investigations started but a short time later Una was told she would be delivering her babies immediately. She birthed her first twin, her son, vaginally followed by his sister who was brought into the world by c-section. Una is so honest in recalling her experience of premature birth and feeling that disconnect between her babies being in the NICU and no longer in her tummy. She shares just how isolating it can be despite the fact she was going through this with her husband by her side. The constant ups and downs in terms of her twins health and the general physical and mental discomfort of the whole experience. Una does consistently mention how incredibly trusting she was in the team that surrounded her in each of her births and also in the HCP that looked after her twins. An episode that continues to opens our eyes up to the reality of life in NICU. Thanks so much Una Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Angel who I'm sure you all know. Angel previously shared her first experience in EP163 followed by a lovely chat around building community which I will link below. This time we chat through her second pregnancy and hope of a homebirth. As her first son was a big baby, Angel was met with concerns around the size of her second baby and whether she would in fact be suitable for another homebirth. It wasn't until her third trimester that she knew her homebirth could happen, she was signed off by her consultant and her midwife could official take her under her wing. When labour started, it started quickly which Angel found hard to manage. Her body was ready to go, working hard to bring her baby into the world but Angel wasn't quite there yet. She reflects on how that felt and where she is now. Thanks Angel x EP163 Angel Community in Me - Angel Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Niamh who talks me through the birth of her three girls. Niamh shares the moment she discovered she was having triplets and what a shock it was. At 29+6 days Niamh felt something was off so was admitted to hospital, she was convinced she would get to 35 WKS but the decision was made very quickly to bring her babies into the world immediately. Each of her girls were brought to NICU under the most amazing team who were ready and waiting for their arrival. Niamh spent some time in HDU following their birth. She also shares the days and weeks that followed with one of her girls in SCBU, one in Crumlin and one at home. She then talks us through having her three girls at home and realising after the birth of her fourth baby, her son, the magnitude of what she went through with the triplets. Thanks Niamh Booking Platform Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share the first episode of the NICU Series. My guest Karen shares the birth of her first baby, Tadgh. She went into spontaneous labour at 35 weeks with her waters breaking at home. She gave birth to her little man vaginally and unmedicated and got to feel that sense of "pure love" as she held him for the first time. Karens motherly instincts told her something wasn't right with Tadgh and his feeding so she asked for help. She was listened to and quickly her baby was taken to the HDU (High Dependency Unit). Hours later she witnessed an emergency as she approached HDU, that emergency was her son. Tadghs heart rate was worryingly fast for such a little baby so he was transferred to the NICU to be closely monitored. Karen shares how life looked with her son in NICU from the discussion withs HCP, pumping to help support her baby, looking after herself post birth and those early days at home. Thank you so much Karen x Want to chat through the services I offer? Click Here Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Aimee, it was such a pleasure to chat to her again, felt like chatting with a friend. She talks me through the decision that led to deciding to try for another baby and discovering she was pregnant. She invested so much time into prepping for the VBAC that she really wanted and hoped for. After much consideration and conversation with her husband and consultant Aimee decided a c-section was the best way to welcome baby. She actually went into spontaneous labour the day she was scheduled for her c-section. She laboured for as long as she could but the decision was made with the support of her husband and other HCPs to continue with the original plan and move forward with the c-secton. Aimee already made peace with this decision so she felt excitement knowing this was it, she was going to meet her ay. Her consultant had also ensured her it would be a gentle c-section and it certainly was., I have been lucky enough to see the moment her boy was born. She shares so much in this episode and also what lies ahead for her in the coming weeks, the Dublin City Marathon. I can't wait to support her as she makes her way around the course with her son Caolán on his mammy's shoulder. Thanks Aimee Support Aimee Want to chat through any of my services? Click Here Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Matti who talks me through the birth of her daughter. Matti was induced, she talks me through labour, having the ultimate nap and waking up to hearing the news she was 9cm dilated. She reminisces about the moment she touched her babies head just as she was being born and the rush of excitement she felt at the prospect of meeting her baby. Matti then shares how things changed very quickly after her daughter came into the world as she suffered a haemorrhage. She spent time in the HDU (High Dependancy Unit), received a blood transfusion and struggled in the days following. Matti is also open about her mental health history and the supports she needed. She was linked with the mental health team in early pregnancy who were there to guide her as she began to process what she experienced. Now, Matti is in a great place and is also a doula which to me, is amazing to hear! Thanks Matti x (Embra Doula Care ) Lorna Dwyer Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EP229 Megan, Twin Pregnancy, Partial Termination (Termination For Medical Reasons) at 24 Wks, Vaginal Birth, C-section, Loss & Grief This week, I share my chat with Megan, who talks me through her twin pregnancy and the birth of her babies. At her 21 week anatomy scan, Megan was told that while her little boy was developing just as expected but her daughter, Selki, had been diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, spina bifida. Megan shares how the weeks that followed unfolded, including further investigations into Selki’s condition and an MRI. Together with her husband, she met with a multidisciplinary team to discuss Selki’s diagnosis, what the future might look like and the options available to them. After careful thought, consideration and a decision that took them to depths most of us could never begin to imagine, Megan and her husband travelled to the UK where they made the incredibly difficult decision to have a partial termination. At 32 weeks and 6 days, Megan went into spontaneous labour and later gave birth to her daughter, followed by her son via c-section as he has had turned footling breech. Feilan, Selki's twin brother spent some time in NICU needing minimal support and now thriving toddler. Thank you Megan Below I have also included supports for those who need it: https://www.alittlelifetime.ie A little Lifetime provide emotional support and help and support the decisions that come following a stillbirth or neonatal death. The HSE have a dedicated resource for anyone who has recieved a diagnosis of a fetal anomaly and is considering termination. It also includes information about travelling to access care: https://about.hse.ie/publications/hcp-termination-of-pregnancy-for-fetal-anomaly-booklet/ LMC provide non directive support and advice for those who have recieved a fetal anomaly diagnosis, in addition to bereavement support: https://lmcsupport.ie/ Féilicáin provide support for all parents affected by stillbirth or neonatal death, including supplying memory boxes to all Irish maternity hospitals: https://feileacain.ie/ https://pregnancyandinfantloss.ie This website is specific to the Republic of Ireland and is aimed at supporting parents bereaved through pregnancy loss and perinatal death. Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Lorna who shares each of her two birth stories. Lorna also brings us through trying to conceive (TTC) and seeing her first positive pregnancy test after so many investigations. We then talk through her pregnancy, care and the various interactions she had with health care professionals. At 40+ weeks Lorna did go into labour herself but the decision was made to bring her bay into the world through a c-section. Her little man greeted his parents with a huge roar giving his mam and dad the relief they needed. We then move onto her second pregnancy, a very different experience TTC from her first. This time Lorna decided she would opt for a VBAC at home with the support of PMI (Private Midwives Ireland) and her doula. There is so much in Lornas story for you to hear. Thanks Lorna You can find Lorna on IG here Booking Platform Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I share my chat with Siofra who shares each of her two birth stories. Siofra was breech born vaginally at 33 weeks and spent some time in the NICU. She then talks me through her second pregnancy and the relief she felt as she got past the 33 week mark to full term. Siofra went into labour spontaneously and did want an epidural but her baby was very much on her way so there was no time to administer it. When Lucy, Siofra's daughter was born her husband could sense a change in the room. It was discovered that Lucy had a cleft pallet. Later after further investigation Lucy was diagnosed with Pierre Robin Sequence at only a few days old. A tough road lay ahead as Siofra felt unheard throughout the weeks that followed. Finally at four weeks old a PHN listened which finally helped provide the care and services Lucy needed. Siofra also shares her experience with PPD which is such a tough listen, thankfully she is in a much better place now. Thanks Siofra Booking Platform Get in touch E: [email protected] IG: Irelands Stories Birth Podcast IG Produced & edited by Corah Gernon at She Talks Productions Show Your Support Buy Me A Coffee Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.