Mar 26 2023 59 mins
Rachel talks about her journey from midwife to mother. Rachel had supported hundreds of women through pregnancy and birth before experiencing it for herself. It might be tempting to think of this as the best possible preparation, but the reality for Rachel was that every challenge she experienced was magnified by guilt that she didn’t intuitively have all the right coping mechanisms to hand. After struggling to conceive, Rachel was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries and treated for hypothyroidism. The first 20 weeks of her pregnancy were a daily struggle with chronic sickness. Her labour was incredibly fast and she was able to have a water birth surrounded by her trusted team of midwife colleagues. Breastfeeding struggles meant that the start of motherhood was an anxious time, and we talk about the very real grief and trauma that come with a breastfeeding journey that doesn’t go as planned. Rachel’s experience is a reminder that every woman’s journey is different, and sometimes it’s just not possible to prepare.