Episodes
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Cassie is a Mum of 3. She has traversed the landscape of rural birthing through her three different births. Cassie has navigated the change from relying on the hospital system to taking back her power and choosing a healing home birth. Working with Claire from ‘Your Birth Midwifery’.
Cassie is now a birth keeper, post partum doula, and breast feeding doula also offering virtual support. She runs a regular birth circle where women can connect regardless of the distance that separates us, across this rural landscape. Women are invited to sit in virtual circle, here in they gather to hold space and be held. In each circle everyone gathered will collectively hold space for the sharing mother as she shares her own empowering birthing experience, her journey towards that and her journey afterwards. Cassie is changing the rural birthing landscape through story medicine, both in the sharing of her own story and the crafting of space to give voice to many women’s birth stories. -
Today’s episode is with Tarra from Macedon Ranges in rural Victoria. Tarra has two children. She birthed in both a CBD hospital and a small regional hospital. Tarra was a nurse and also studying to be a midwife. She shares that originally, she wanted to be in a bigger metro hospital in case something did go wrong. This hospital did offer an MGP program and Tarra determinedly found a way into the program in order to experience continuity of care. She had visions of a waterbirth but her labour and birth experience moved quite differently.
Tarra shares her difficult first labour. She spoke as a strong advocate for herself but at times wasn’t heard. This first labour was hard. Tarra experienced and needed to work through birth trauma prior to her second birth. For her second birth she actively pursued different care and was very clear with her obstetrician and midwife about her needs in labour, after her first experience. This second birth still had twists and turns but also allowed Tarra to feel the support, listening and consideration that were lacking in her first birth. Tarra felt this difference. This smaller, rural maternity unit had the time for her. Their care was more personal and she found the experience very healing.
Tarra had also engaged with hypnobirthing and used the Freya app. to support her during labour and would thoroughly recommend this accessible resource for other rural women. -
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Today’s episode is with Ellesha from Euroa in Victoria. She is a mum of two and in today’s episode shares her two quite different births and how she moved through her second pregnancy to create the empowering birth she wanted. Ellesha shares the wisdoms she has gained along her journey, the positive impact of hypnobirthing and some wonderful resources – that can be accessed online/through apps – that others can put into place/practice too to help them on their own birthing journey.
Her first son was born via caesarean after complications. This was a shock for Ellesha, as she was suddenly moving towards an earlier than expected arrival at 38 weeks.
This birth experience made Ellesha determined to realise her perfect birth for her second. This second birth was incredibly empowering. She was the first successful VBAC with her obstetrician at the hospital. Ellesha had spent a lot of time and delved deeply into knowledge as the source of power. She was informed and had a wonderful toolkit to draw upon to support her in labour. Ellesha is now supporting others to do the same.
When Ellesha first made contact she shared this statement:
“Don’t give up, just because your first or last birth wasn’t what you wanted it doesn’t mean you can’t have your perfect birth this time…
It’s your body, your birth, you’re in control”
Resources:
UK Online Course ‘Positive Birth Company’:
https://thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/course-bundle-offersFreya App:
https://thepositivebirthcompany.co.uk/freya-hypnobirthing-app -
Prior to moving to a rural bushland area, outside of Braidwood, Erin lived in Canberra. Her first baby was born in Canberra, at the hospital. She shares her journey moving through the system during this first pregnancy and how this experience and her transition to rural life contributed to her decision to pursue homebirth for her future rural births.
In her first pregnancy Erin did the Calmbirth course. She held a belief that reducing fear was an important thing for birthing women, based on pre-pregnancy engagement with Ina Mae through her TED talk ‘Reducing fear of birth in U.S. culture: Ina May Gaskin at TEDxSacramento’. Both Erin and her partner found the Calmbirth course an empowering tool to take forward into birth.
Erin did have some bleeding later in her first pregnancy and in early labour. She shares how she communicated with her care provider from home and how she moved in labour with this unexpected change. She was told, after passing a large clot, that they were going to have to move to caesarean. She shares the struggles of being asked to give ‘informed’ consent mid labour. After moving through all these augmentation discussions and moving within a situation that appeared emergent, Erin’s baby was crowning in theatre and he was born vaginally. Erin moved through a lot of potential change in a short period of time.
Between Erin’s first and second pregnancy she moved ‘bush’ to Kindervale. Whilst only being ‘an hour’ from Canberra the roads are quite remote, narrow and contain a lot of wildlife. Erin’s decision to homebirth wasn’t instantaneous. Deciding to home birth for her future pregnancies was partially about seeking continuity of care, recognising they live remotely and the benefits of having your care provider come to you. In her second pregnancy she knew the value of ‘Continuity of Care’ and made a point of seeking this form of care. However, continuity of care provider doesn’t resolve all the concerns or issues that arise for rural birthing women. Erin was still acutely aware that her first child was born in just over 2 hours, that the conditions of the ‘bush’ roads were appalling (and definitely not where you want to find yourself for a roadside birth) and the centre midwife’s answer was for Erin to ‘pack a kit’. Which isn’t all together wrong, third trimester rural women often have towels and other things in the back of their car but it isn’t an answer that makes rural birthing women feel seen, heard or supported. So, Erin strongly considered ‘Homebirthing’. Homebirthing wasn’t a new idea either, it had been growing since Erin was pregnant with her first. She connected with a midwife online and, feeling supported by the stats on the Homebirth Australia website, officially switched to home birth around 30 weeks. The face of care, in the home, really transforms a lot for rural birthing women. Suddenly we go from being isolated to having that sense of community extend. Rural women are not strangers to birth on the land. It is happening all around, the stock and wildlife. It is a natural part of life that resonates and homebirth is an offering that absolutely belongs in rural communities.
Ina Mae’s TED talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9LO1Vb54yk
Care Midwifery:
https://caremidwifery.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/caremidwifery -
Rhiannon Finger is a mum of four. She lives on a cattle property in Clermont, Central Queensland.
Rhiannon’s birth expectations changed rapidly in her first pregnancy when she unexpectedly went in to labour at 24 weeks. She shares how she moved through different providers, quickly realising that this was labour and that transfer was necessary. Being in Central Queensland, she required remote transfer and was flown to an out of area, high risk unit with NICU support for an emergency caesarean. Her son was born. He stayed in hospital for 99 days, in the care of the NICU nursing team. Fortunately, Rhiannon had family in Townsville and so she was able to stay close by and be supported by her grandmother and uncle.
This experience impacted both Rhiannon and her partner. In this interview she shares how they were supported through the feelings and traumas surrounding birth, into the pregnancy and birth of her second child. She also found a trusted high risk specialist in Townsville, who she worked with (travelling 600 kms) for all her subsequent pregnancies. Rhiannon shares how she was medically (cervical suture and planned caesareans) and emotionally supported through re-entering the birth sphere.
Rhiannon shares deeply and personally. I am so grateful to her, in sharing her story she has opened up pathways to understanding an integral rural and remote ‘what if’ question. Rhiannon is resilient and strong, moving through difficult experiences and into the challenges of motherhood. She highlights the incredible support of extended family networks, as we can call on loved ones from far away and rely on family back home too.
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Rebecca Barry is a mum of two. She lives on a property in South Australia, close to the Victorian boarder.
Rebecca’s journey towards her first birth changed trajectory when she received high blood pressure results and was diagnosed with preeclampsia. She had to shift her plan and go into hospital earlier than expected. She underwent additional monitoring and had an extended prenatal hospital stay. She had to change hospitals, moving from her private unit and the care of her private obstetrician to a different hospital. Her known care providers were not able to transfer with her and so early in her third trimester, Rebecca was traversing an unknown care environment and needed to remain in hospital until she birthed. This was tumultuous, as she would receive varied blood pressure results and sometimes be rushed into Delivery Ward Birth Suite/ICU where then her blood pressure would stabilise. This would happen every time she had a high blood pressure reading, as they were thinking they would have to do an emergency delivery.Her partner was darting back and fourth to be a support to her and present for bubs imminent arrival, whilst still managing life on the land. Her eldest was born prematurely via caesarean section and required some additional support after he was born.
During her second pregnancy, Rebecca developed a strong relationship with a trusted obstetrician who worked with the high risk unit. This gave her increased confidence and she felt well supported as she planned a VBAC. Rebecca’s VBAC didn’t go to plan and after labouring and trying different augmentations, her daughter was born via caesarean. Her daughter also had a stay in the nursery care unit due to infection.
Rebecca demonstrates resilience and strength as she shares what it is like to traverse unexpected pathways and birth far from home. Each stage of motherhood can present challenges and Rebecca shares openly about how she moved through the early birth and nursery stays through support and her own strength. -
This is part 2 of Rhia’s story. Part one can be heard in episode 26, wherein Rhia shares her journey to conception and through prenatal care. Rhia is a mother, photographer, wife and powerhouse self advocate. We heard part of Rhia’s story in episode 17 when I interviewed Rhia’s wife Claire about her work as a rural homebirth midwife but first heard from Rhia herself in part 1 - episode 26. Rhia epitomised strength. She shared how she maintained her strength through an assisted conception journey and through meeting with the restrictions placed upon birthing people in institutionalised birthing structures. Rhia reminded us all in episode 26 that you can say no and you can interrogate why practitioners are recommending different care pathways.
Now on episode 27 we hear Rhia’s birth and postpartum story. She shares how she went into labour at home and that travelling in labour can impact progress. She shares how she found breastfeeding support within her rural context and overcame supply difficulties through sourcing breast milk donations. Rhia is a great source of advice for rural women, reminding us that although we’re isolated there are still ways and means to source the care and support we need. -
Rhia lives in rural Victoria. She is partner and wife to Claire from ‘Your Birth Midwifery’ who was interviewed in episode 17 of the podcast. In this episode Rhia shares their journey to conception, navigating sperm donation and working with fertility support.
Rhia shares the emotional toll of trying to conceive and how friends and family can best support people working through conception difficulties by keeping the faith. She shares that the best thing was her mum always staying strong for her and that this active support helped to sustain her confidence in herself and her body.
Rhia steps us through her prenatal and birth preparation care and I found her story inspiring as we should always remember that we can ask and we can say no if a pathway or treatment doesn’t align with our vision, understanding or needs. We are intuitive beings for a reason.
This episode has been split into two parts in order to give space and time to each stage and aspect of Rhia’s story. In this interview she shared so deeply and personally. Thank you to Rhia for opening the pages to her story and for offering insight into what it is like to work through conception difficulties and differences via distance. I look forward to sharing her birth and postpartum stories with you in the following episode next week.
Rhia and Claire are an ace birth team.
I first heard their rural birthing and conception story through @mesmerisedmamas blog post
and have since discovered the amazing offerings they bring to rural Victorian women via their joined force as midwife @yourbirthmidwifery and birth photographer @rhi_mc_photography
You can also connect with Rhia on Facebook at Rhi MC Photography. -
Raine is from a rural/remote property outside of Katherine in the Northern Territory. She has been on a long pre-conception journey, navigating the world of fertility treatments and IVF specialists for many years. She is now in the third trimester of her pregnancy, having relocated to birth, and is expecting to give birth any day/week now. In this interview she shares her heartaches and the mental load she carried on this journey. She goes into detail about treatments and the different tests she has had. Raine shares how she has transitioned practitioners moving from Darwin to the Gold Coast to Melbourne to have her and her partners fertility care needs met. She generously opens up about the array of different avenues she has been down, on this journey towards conception, and reminds us that transitioning care providers can open up new pathways. Raine really appreciated the services and expertise of her IVF specialist on the Gold Coast as they always explored new alternatives and looked into the many reasons for conception struggles. She offers advice for both people moving through their own fertility journey and the support people who walk alongside them.
This episode includes discussion of a variety of IVF treatments, embryo transfer, endometriosis, miscarriage and surrogacy. Raine’s rural perspective is invaluable and we hope that listening to her story helps other people.
Connect with Raine on Instagram @barren_old_cow
Online antenatal/birth/breastfeeding/postpartum classes discussed are by ‘B’ from @coreandfloorrestore . They can be viewed on her facebook page or website blog https://coreandfloor.com.au/blog/ -
Sarah is from Bowraville in NSW, on the mid north coast. She gave birth around three years ago. While she was ‘growing up’ Sarah hadn’t ever really considered how she would birth because she didn’t think she would have children. However, since becoming a mum Sarah is now thoroughly involved in the world of birth through her work as a birth photographer and the production of the first Nambucca Valley and surround ‘Pregnancy to Toddlerhood’ guide.
During her pregnancy Sarah checked into Macksville maternity at around 20 weeks gestation. This small hospital and their personable staff appealed to her. She journeyed through pregnancy by following her intuition. Books and courses weren’t what she was seeking at the time. She anticipated the possibility of transfer and so she had also checked into Coffs Harbour hospital as a precautionary measure because Macksville is a low-risk facility.Sarah went into labour at just over 41 weeks; however, due to augmentation she was transferred from Macksville to Coffs Habour in an ambulance. Her labour was long but she went with the flow.
After Sarah’s birth experience she recognised how important it is for women to be informed about the different options available to them in this rural area and so with the support of a friend and a local group she developed and distributed ‘From Pregnancy to Toddlerhood’. This booklet was formed to help women find the information they need to know and to allow them to feel confident in their birth and parenting choices. It is a comprehensive and easy to use guide to early pregnancy, the perinatal period and beyond, that connects women to providers in this region. And thankfully Sarah has gathered all this information and put it into one easy to use guide. You can download a copy and find out about her birth photography services on her website:https://www.nambuccabirthphotographer.com.au/free-parents-guide-pregnancy-to-toddlerhood
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Courtney is from Kangaroo Island in South Australia. She lives on a property about 30 minutes from her local hospital. When she fell pregnant she already knew about the great birthing facilities available on Kangaroo Island through her family and so this made her care choices easy.
Courtney had a fairly uneventful pregnancy up until the 2019 fires hit. She was due to give birth that summer and this natural disaster increased her stress levels in this last month of pregnancy. Thanks to the community spirit on the Island, Courtney always felt cared for. A local midwife even made a house visit when Courtney was in town, having evacuated to her sisters. Together they did some checks on Courtney and baby and this community access and support alleviated her stress during evac. Her son Hudson was born 8 days late. Courtney went into natural labour in the middle of the night. Her husband was her birth support person and with the local midwife and obstetrician present Courtney gave birth to her son Hudson in the same room her husband had been born in.
Her post partum was well supported by community health visits; however, when Courtney was ready to venture out - Co-vid19 hit and socialising was not possible. Courtney has had an eventful experience but taken it all in her stride. She shares the power of community and making connections and the support that can be ignited for pregnant and post partum women in rural communities.
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Kat lives on her family’s rural property ‘Derry Downs’ in Queensland, with her husband and their daughter Charlotte. Both Kat and her husband work for local area health whilst also managing stock on their land.
The closest town to their property is Roma, which has a birthing facility; however, when Kat first fell pregnant she elected to birth on the Sunshine Coast at Burderim.
Burderim had a home like aesthetic (with a double bed!) and allowed partners to stay too. This appealed to Kat and she really appreciated this continuity of support as her husband was present continuously throughout their hospital stay.
In preparation for birth, Kat read JuJu Sundin’s ‘Birth Skills’ and accessed prenatal yoga classes (after relocating, participating independently and as a couple). This combination of reading, research and practical classes gave Kat strategies she could actively apply during labour and birth.
Kat went into labour, naturally, late at night. She didn’t transfer to hospital until the following morning. After a while her labour had not progressed and she was offered the choice to intervene or pursue c-section. Kat and her husband decided to move to unplanned c-section. She was moved to theatre and it wasn’t long before they discovered they had a daughter.
Kat shares her positive experience with unplanned c-section and how the strategies she’d learnt through her study of ‘Yoga for Birth’ can be used for any birth. Kat has a really positive mindset and calm approach, and as she is expecting her second child, she intends to reactivate her choices and pursue ‘Yoga for Birth’ again because she believes that the best way to approach the uncertainty of birth is through cultivating a sense of calm.
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Larissa Petfield is mum to 3 girls in rural Queensland. She lives on a cattle station. Her home ‘Attica Station’ is located about 120km out of Augathella and it’s 30kms to hop over to her neighbours.Larissa grew up in Kingaroy. When she first fell pregnant, knowing 36 week relocation was necessary to access birthing facilities, Larissa chose to birth in Kingaroy with a known GP/Ob. Relocating to her parents house meant that she had prior knowledge of the hospital staff and this helped her to feel supported. She went into labour shortly after relocation, in her 38th week of pregnancy. She laboured during the day, through intense back pains, before discovering her daughter was presenting posterior and breeched. She was in highly active labour when she and her team decided to redirect and she birthed her daughter via unplanned emergency c-section. Her postpartum was well supported by a group of powerhouse playgroup mums in Augathella and Larissa readily drove the hour and a half for this connection and support.Larissa felt very supported by the staff present at her first daughter’s birth and so when she fell pregnant again she reactivated her care plan. She was planning a VBAC but changed plans after having a reaction during the induction. Her first and second daughter were born close together, after fertility consultation in Toowoomba; however, they waited a little longer before trying for number 3.Larissa’s youngest daughter is a survivor. During Larissa’s 20 week scan her daughter was diagnosed with serious heart defects. Young Annie presented with:1. Pulmonary valve stenosis2. Hypoplastic right ventricle3. a large ASD4. VSD5. Bilateral Superior Vena Cavae with LSVC draining to coronary sinusSo for Larissa’s third pregnancy she required specialist care via Brisbane’s Mater Mothers.Larissa and her husband have been faced with a challenging journey through gestation and early childhood monitoring and surgery. At times they felt highly supported but there were times when medical support people laid judgement and conversations around late term termination were difficult for them to endure.Larissa birthed her third daughter via planned c-section at Mater Mother’s and now at four years old she is their families little miracle.Larissa has traversed back through this emotional experience in hopes that others, who are faced with similar circumstances and isolated from medical assistance, know help is accessible.
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Lindsay Hollingsworth lives in Yass in NSW. Yass, like other rural towns that are in “close” proximity to larger city or regional centres, lost its maternity ward long before Lindsay’s births. It is a “boarder” town approximately an hour from Canberra. Crossing the boarder offered equitable travel times but increased access to other facilities, like the birthing centres and continuity of care models. Although, since Lindsay’s children were born, accessing these services has become strictly contingent upon siting your Canberra address.
Lindsay’s first birth was at Calvary hospital, with a private obstetrician. She completed the calmbirth course and found these strategies useful on her drive from Yass to Canberra. She went into labour in the evening but was in for a long night and powerhouse day before she would meet her baby. She trusted her body; however, came up against a lot of intervention pressure and so for her second pregnancy Lindsay sought the support of continuity of care through the Canberra birth centre.
Lindsay’s first birth led her to anticipate that her second birth would also be long. It was not. Throughout her pregnancy Lindsay had jumped different hurdles as she faced low PAPP-A, going over her “estimate-date” and being an older birthing woman; however, she was her ultimate advocate and just over 42 weeks gestation she went into natural labour. Lindsay had intended to labour at home but this time things moved quickly. Driving along the highway Lindsay told her husband he needed to pull over. They diverted, taking place in a somewhat sheltered roadside stop, and here (with A.C.T ambulance in attendance) her daughter was born.
Lindsay’s own births have shown her the innate power of women and in being informed. She now works with other women as a doula and HypnoBirthing trainer through her business New Beginnings Birth.
https://www.newbeginningsbirth.com.au/
Lindsay and others are advocating for ‘Barton Babies’ to be a thing of the past and for the reactivation of the Yass maternity service. They’ve successfully seen an outreach midwife instated but this is for antenatal and postpartum care, and does not solve the issue of ‘birth before arrival’. -
Asha is a mum of 4 from Braidwood, NSW. Having grown up in Braidwood Asha had strong community connections and so in her first pregnancy when it came time to chose her care she followed the local birthing pattern through Queanbeyan hospital. Asha shares that, at the time, she didn’t know there were other options.
Asha went into labour on a ‘busy’ day and so upon their arrival they were informed that the hospital was ‘full’. When Asha was told she would need to turn around, and drive another hour to Goulburn, she felt let down. Luckily someone noticed that she was “too far along” and so instead they accommodated her. However, being on the cusp of transfer to another facility did not make Asha feel the support she’d needed. So for her next births she looked elsewhere.
At Moruya, Asha was made to feel like her care providers trusted her body and her instincts. She was even encouraged to leave hospital site, after check in, to walk by the water to allow herself space, to get out in the fresh air and inspire further contractions. Her needs were a priority and they worked with her.
Asha’s journey to birth was different each time. She’s relocated (to be closer to Moruya hospital), driven down the Clyde mountain in labour and for her most recent birth she laboured through ambulance transfer. She describes how her most recent birth was a posterior delivery. She shares that this was the most challenging experience of her life.
Asha is an artist and photographer and mother. Her life is surrounded by the joys, imaginings, energies and rhythms of her children. Together we spoke in her backyard, enjoying the sunshine, sounds of spring and playful antics of our two toddlers (who join in our chats). Before falling pregnant, I vividly remember seeing Asha around the community and I remember wondering how she so beautifully balanced her own endeavours with mum life. It’s a pleasure to have now had the opportunity to listen to Asha share her birth stories. Her motherhood, partnership and children are the threads that she is weaving into her most beautiful and fulfilling life, of love and loving, each day as a family. -
Leah Kershaw lives in the coastal town of Bodalla. She is a mum of four boys and has baby number 5 on the way.
Leah has birthed in Moruya and Queanbeyan hospitals and for her final pregnancy she is planning a home birth, enlisting the services of a known midwife through The Nest of Moruya.
She’d met her partner in Mount Isa, Queensland, but moved home in her first pregnancy to the south coast of NSW in order to be near her mum to birth. Her partner continued to work up north but travelled back down for the birth of their first son. Travel was a factor for Leah’s first three births, but she wasn’t the one travelling the 1000s of kms, instead this trek was her partners as he continued to work flyinflyout in rural Queensland. Women who also have flyinflyout partners will understand the significance of this in early motherhood and so after some discussion and family negotiation Leah and her family relocated. They moved before birth number four, to the Queanbeyan area, as her partner found a local job.
Leah shares her previous positive birthing experiences. Every birth was different. She shares her experience using different birthing positions, of induction, preterm birth (membrane rupture) and water birth. Leah appreciates the care and facilities at both Queanbeyan and Moruya hospital, but also expresses an innate desire within herself to seek something different for her upcoming fifth birth.
Thanks to Instagram, Leah has connected with doulas and embraced this birth as an opportunity to rebirth herself. She has worked directly, over zoom, with birth mentor and doula @ripsnorter to delve inside herself and discover her wants and needs for both her pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Leah shares how she didn’t do this same work prior to her other births and that birth more so ‘happened’ to her. She feels strongly about activating space for herself this time. She knows this commitment to self and deep inner work is honouring her rite of passage. She is both opening into, and planning to honour and close, this birthing stage of her life (through things like ‘closing the bones’).
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Claire is a home birthing midwife living in Benalla in Victoria. She trained in the hospital system and has worked in MGP (Midwifery Group Practice) but has now found her bliss, stepping out of institutionalised systems in order to directly cater for women’s needs as a home birthing midwife.
In this interview Claire shares what she has witnessed as a rural midwife. She articulates how her alternate care pathway can help resolve issues for rural women; for example, rather than labouring women needing to traverse the distance to the hospital, Claire takes up this drive - sometimes driving up to two hours to support a birthing woman. This strikes a chord, as travel and distance (and the potential to birth before arrival) are fear inducing factors. The notion of travelling two hours and the risk of birthing on a lonely highway, as trucks pass at 100kms per hour, is a vision that often causes rural pregnant women angst. Claire, as a rural independent midwife, is offering an alternative to this and this (in addition to the benefits and personalised care home birth allows) has made Claire a sought after practitioner.
So, understanding the opportunity provided by home birth midwives, Claire and I broke down some of the stigmas around home birthing. In our conversation we broke down and answered the ‘what if’ questions and defined things like the home birth kit and ‘transfer pathways’.
Claire’s business, ‘Your Birth Midwifery’, has filled a need for the rural women of Benalla and surrounds. Offering choice to rural birthing women. If you would like to connect with Claire and explore rural birthing at home with an endorsed midwife get in touch:
Instagram: @yourbirthmidwifery
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourBirthMidwifery/
Email: [email protected]
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Shannon Crocker is a mum of 3, living on the land in rural Queensland. She and her family live about half an hour from Roma in Muckadilla. Shannon has both birthed in the local, rural maternity unit using GP shared care and at Mater Mothers in Brisbane.
Shannon’s first birth was at the Roma hospital. She worked with local midwives and a GP throughout her pregnancy. Shannon had prepared for birth/labour through reading, enjoying both Kaz Cooke’s ‘Up the Duff’ and JuJu Sundin & Sarah Murdoch’s ‘Birth Skills’. These books both proved useful. Shannon appreciated Cooke’s sharing of her own birth that didn’t go to plan and found the pain management strategies from ‘Birth Skills’ really accessible, as during this birth Shannon experienced extended transition due to complications. Shannon had a leak in her hind waters and was advised that induction, at 40+5 weeks, could prevent this risk of infection. Shannon was induced, but felt her body wasn’t yet ready to birth. She did reach 10 cm dilation, after around 10 hours, but due to a cervical lip and the position of her son pushing was not progressing. This meant that they needed to call in a fly in obstetric specialist from Mount Isa, upon his arrival and through the use of forceps Shannon’s son was born.
This first birth experience and extended time in transition made Shannon feel very far away from the extra help that can sometimes be needed in emergency situations and so for her second and third pregnancies she sought care through Mater Mothers in Brisbane with a private obstetrician. This ob. supported Shannon through sharing prenatal care appointments with a local GP. Shannon also continued to connect with local services through attending midwifery appointments at Roma hospital – so her care pattern had three branches. Shannon’s second and third births were via caesarean section, they cultivated a sense of calm and were healing experiences.
In this interview as Shannon shares her story she describes the differences between her births, she delves into postpartum and offers solid advice on how rural women can gain further support through associations like Uniting Care (Rural and Remote Support).
https://www.unitingcareqld.com.au/services-and-support/family-support/outback-familiesShannon still lives in rural Queensland on the family farm and she also runs a small business.
https://acountrymum.com/
You can connect with Shannon via Instagram:
@acountrymum -
Bec Fagan is a mother, registered midwife and birth support practitioner, Calmbirth educator and qualified acuneedlist (acupuncture by a midwife) from Lismore in NSW. She and her family moved to the Northern Rivers region of NSW for a tree change, seeking a different rhythm of life. Prior to moving rurally, Bec had worked in a tertiary hospital and had supported numerous women through prenatal care and labour. Now Bec works with women both privately and in a hospital setting. She is with women through the many stages of motherhood; preconception, pregnancy, birth preparation into postpartum, the fourth trimester and beyond. Her Lismore based business ‘Empowering Birth Journeys’ is a pre and post birth wellness centre that offers additional care. Working privately, independent of the hospital system, allows Bec to move at a different pace and broaden the scope of her birth support offerings/relationships through her personalised continuity of care model. In her work she is with women. She meets their needs, circumstances and experiences, and works with them to make them (and their partners) feel seen and heard.
Bec’s description of birth doesn’t sound like the ‘rural birth’ many of us have come to accept/expect. She highlights that although rural care models can be framed by limitation that it doesn’t close the door to possibility. She instead shines light on the possibilities and dismantles the limitations.
In this interview Bec lists the multitude of birthing, prenatal and postpartum care options available in Lismore. She explains how her business helps rural women make conscious choices through education and support. She shares, regardless of whether she is working with women/couples through birth preparation or birth debrief, that the discussions/strategies she works through are ultimately enabling individuals. She reminds us that ‘anything is possible’, and everyone can have a positive birth experience, when we take the time to look inside ourselves and adopt wellness strategies, like calmbirth (because it is a strategy for all births, reducing fear and anxiety on any birth path).
https://www.empoweringbirthjourneys.com.au/
Instagram: empowering_birth_journeys -
Taryn is a mother of three, living in remote Queensland. She has travelled thousands of kms to birth and no one birth was the same. Induction, epidural, venthouse extraction, natural, shoulder dystocia, 4th degree tear, caesarean.
Taryn fell pregnant whilst living on a remote cattle station in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Living remotely the closest ‘quick access’ medical facility was 65 kms away, in a clinic, in Croydon. Although 65 kms sounds accessible flooding was an issue and it was not a fulltime facility. This facility was fly in, fly out and a doctor was only available once a fortnight. During Taryn’s first pregnancy, on the advice of friends in the medical field, she sought care with a private obstetrician in Brisbane at Mater Mothers. This obstetrician had experience working with rural women and so the advice Taryn received was relevant and showed consideration of her circumstances. For Taryn to reach Brisbane she needed to travel 2500 kms from home. This drive took days, requiring numerous overnight stops, and so Taryn only saw her care providers at the beginning and the end of her pregnancy. It is an official/legislated requirement that remote birthing women relocate prior to birth. They are required to leave home during the ‘possible birthing window’ and so Taryn relocated 6 weeks prior to her due date and began the process of waiting for her scheduled induction. She shares that although the drive was long and hard, being late in her third trimester, that it was not as difficult as the trip home. On the return trip travelling with a newly born infant, who was learning to feed, was difficult.
After this first, positive birth experience, Taryn felt like a birth expert and so for her second pregnancy she chose to birth closer to home at a small, public hospital. This time Taryn would relocate to her parent’s house, only 1000 kms away in Proserpine. Both her grandfather and her father had been born in this small, rural maternity unit and so going in she felt good about this change of plan. Again, Taryn relocated. Arriving in town 6 weeks prior to her due date allowed Taryn to begin care with her hospital and rather than working with an obstetric specialist in this system she experienced midwife led care. Taryn went into labour naturally. Everything seemed to be going well but when things reached the pointy end and her son was crowning, his head would move in and out. A new doctor diagnosed that her baby was stuck (shoulder dystocia) and with hands on assistance her baby was born, although Taryn sustained a high order injury and needed to be transferred to Mackay.
Having experienced two very different births, and dealing with some trauma around her second birth, when Taryn found out she was pregnant for a third time she sought an elective caesarean. She found the remote post-partum healing from a caesarean a lot easier than her birth related injury from her son’s birth.
Every one of Taryn’s birth experiences was different. She is a strong, independent and resilient person who took her remote care circumstances in her stride – but she also shares that having one good friend, who understands and who can listen to/hear you, makes all the difference in remote pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood.
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