The birth-ed podcast

Intervention rates have climbed so fast in UK maternity care that it is hard not to ask a blunt question: is all this doing what it promised to do? I sit down with Sheena Byrom, OBE and Professor Soo Downe to explore what has changed over the last decade, why fear now feels baked into the system, and how a laser-focus on a narrow set of outcomes can quietly create new harms such as birth trauma, postpartum haemorrhage, and worsening postnatal mental health. 

Stillbirth rates have fallen a little, but not at the rate targets suggest, certainly not in line with the rise in interventions and maternal mortality is rising. How many lives are being saved overall? And at what cost?
Have we ever considered this conversation not from the perspective of proving the sometimes unnecessary harm caused by interventions, but by highlight the very real benefits provided by physiology?
What if, instead of focussing on the problems, scratching our heads about how to reinvent the week, we looked for our solutions in examples of great care that already exist?
And what can you do, as an individual stepping into a system that seems to hold so much power over our experiences, to take back control and put yourself back at the centre of your birth?
If you want a calmer, more informed path through pregnancy and birth, hit subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a five-star review so more parents can find these conversations.
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Think scientific evidence is going to give you a clear a 'best' path forward in your birth decision making? Unfortunately, it's rarely that simple. With midwife Beth Russell, we explore the messy middle where numbers meet lived experience: why absolute risk matters more than scary “your risk doubles” headlines, how studies like the Big Baby Trial get misread, and why nuance changes everything. 
In this episode you will understand:
How 'evidence' is created in the first place.
What to consider and what to ask when evidence is being shared with you.
What other facts influence the gathering of evidence and creation of clinical guidelines, so you can think critically about the choices you are making.
What practical steps you can take to hold power in the choices youre making for you birth.
An incredibly helpful episode for you to understand birth within the context of the system in which it's happening. 

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What happens when your birth experience completely contradicts everything you prepared for? For author Hannah Marsh, an emergency cesarean section after 30 grueling hours of labor left her feeling not just physically scarred, but emotionally devastated. Despite cesarean sections accounting for roughly 43% of UK births today, Hannah found herself woefully unprepared for this possibility – having focused exclusively on hypnobirthing techniques and natural birth preparation.

In the years that followed, Hannah began to reconcile her experience of birth as she discovered the history, magic and tales of caesarean birth in years gone by. Hannah's book "Thread: A Cesarean Story of Myth, Magic and Medicine" reframes cesarean birth not as a failure but as part of a rich historical narrative "full of power and magic and ingenuity and determination." By weaving together personal experience, historical research, and mythological connections, Hannah offers something rarely found in birth literature – a validating, empowering narrative specifically for cesarean births.

This conversation challenges the polarized debates in modern birth discourse by highlighting historical parallels between today's tensions and early 20th century divisions between "operators" and "non-operators" in obstetrics. Hannah reminds us that beneath these seeming oppositions, most birth practitioners share the common goal of supporting safe, positive birth experiences.

For anyone who has felt their birth story wasn't worth celebrating or those preparing for the possibility of various birth scenarios, this episode provides both validation and a new perspective on what it means to bring life into the world – regardless of the path taken.

Buy Hannah's Book Thread here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thread-Caesarean-story-magic-medicine/dp/1786584484?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

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Davina McCall joins the Birth-ed Podcast to share her transformative journey from anxious first-time mum to empowered birth advocate. Celebrating the launch of Davina's new book "Birthing," co-written with midwife Marley Henry – a judgment-free guide that supports women through conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond.

Davina and I explore what's missing from modern maternity care, celebrate the wonder of pregnancy and birth and empower you to navigate you rbirth choices with confidence and a sense of self. 
A gorgeous listen if you're having a pregnancy wobble, need a lift or a nudge to remember just what a fantastic job you're doing already. 
Listen now to discover how finding your voice in pregnancy can transform not just your birth experience, but your entire parenting journey.
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Buy Davina McCall's book Birthing here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BIRTHING-self-help-Menopausing-pregnancy-conception/dp/0008701849/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1760F0DVHUO9W&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hlxLo4mQmYpEQlQIENFmfY3Yj4GUM-kOY3V0vzLDGsVoNsIMtK2FWgHxPM3NSYXd-z08j10hzgFjQG27_g04h_ZgjQ-CNouh9XRZPBBZDR0uKPMp0ixA7R3Qf3FKLX3E47eMf20-JF0_-zdGTe7qsq5ELRTqSxQ8mhHpS1NmSR_vfOxJfxrfXxhnr3oU7PdsgPC2N8Gu7oV5QeYMSK-8-1iIKhsGuzr5uDSoFx2z8bo.fgweLHg3oO74eEl2AMJGuWX_IROn7FTq7BPoEhZoasY&dib_tag=se&keywords=birthing&qid=1758630561&sprefix=birthing%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Follow Davina on Instagram here
https://www.instagram.com/davinamccall/

And Join in this week's podcast chat on instagram here
https://www.instagram.com/birth_ed/
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Season 5 of The Birth-ed Podcast launches THIS WEEK. 
On Friday 26th September (and every Friday thereafter), we are back with world leading expert guests, heart warming wisdom, fascinating science and the warm hug you need every week during pregnancy! 
Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an episode, and come join the weekly chats over on Instagram @birth_ed.
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