Content note: This episode discusses birth trauma, BMI, coercion, obstetric violence and some listeners may find these topics and others shared distressing.

A traumatic hospital birth. A baby born in an unexpected way. Then a planned home water birth. Rochelle’s three very different stories show how care, consent and feeling safe can shape the birth experience.

In conversation with Doula Lou, Rochelle shares how her first hospital birth unfolded despite her clear wishes. She describes procedures she says weren’t explained, pressure she felt to accept interventions, and a medical procedure she says was performed without her knowledge or consent. A scan estimated her baby at 4.2 kilos, and he weighed nearly 5 kilos at birth. The experience left her questioning how hospital policies and BMI-based risk assessments affected her care.

For her second baby, Rochelle planned to labour at home and then go to hospital with a trusted midwife. But does birth always go to plan?

By her third pregnancy, Rochelle chose a home birth from the start. She describes labouring in her own space, supported by her midwives and family, and welcoming her daughter in the birth pool.

You’ll hear what changed between those births:

• the value Rochelle found in continuity of care
• how informed consent shaped her choices
• why a supportive midwife helped her feel heard, including when she needed help to establish breastfeeding after her first baby

Essential listening for expectant parents, birth workers and anyone reflecting on how birth care can better support the person giving birth.

A huge thank you to Tawhiti Pahina for the beautiful music, composed especially for Regional Birth Stories.

🎵 tawhiti.com

📷 Instagram: @tawhitipahina

Regional Birth Stories is hosted by and brought to you by Doula Lou.

🌐 www.doulalou.com.au

📷 Instagram: @doula_lou

Support: If this episode brings up difficult feelings, PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) offers support on 1300 726 306.

Disclaimer: Regional Birth Stories shares personal experiences for entertainment and general information only. This episode does not constitute medical advice or professional guidance. Every pregnancy and birth is different. Consult your doctor or midwife about your individual circumstances.

Follow for more on Instagram:

Guest @dermalswithmarce

Host @doula_lou

Podcast @regionalbirthstories

Terrified that a hospital birth would mean fighting for every choice, 22-year-old first-time mum Marcelle arrived with a carefully written birth plan and an exhausted body. What happened next surprised her and shows how a supported hospital birth can look when a mother’s wishes are heard. Marcelle shares the realities of pregnancy in regional Queensland, far from home and without a close-knit village, with a relocation to regional Victoria just weeks before meeting her baby. Seeing a different provider at many antenatal appointments meant repeating herself, navigating conflicting measurements and deciding whether to accept further checks and interventions. She leaned on research, asked questions and trusted her instincts.Then came labour: two days of stop-start contractions, scarce tank water, a long drive to hospital and a night without sleep. Marcelle describes finding calm through the intensity, asking for an epidural, and pushing with a mirror as she became loud, primal and fully immersed in birth.

Her story also explores the parts of postpartum that felt rushed, her early breastfeeding experience and the support that helped her through cluster feeding. Reflecting on her journey, Marcelle shares why preparation, community and listening to your intuition matter, especially when the path doesn’t go exactly as planned.

For anyone preparing for birth, navigating regional care or looking for an honest hospital birth story, Marcelle’s experience is a reminder that informed choices and respectful care can matter at every stage.

A huge thank you to Tawhiti Pahina for the beautiful music, composed especially for Regional Birth Stories.

🎵 tawhiti.com

📷 Instagram: @tawhitipahina

Regional Birth Stories is hosted by and brought to you by Doula Lou.

🌐 www.doulalou.com.au

📷 Instagram: @doula_lou

Content note: This episode discusses pregnancy and birth interventions, vaginal examinations, epidural requests, perineal tearing and obstetric violence. It also contains strong language.

Support: If this episode brings up difficult feelings, PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) offers support on 1300 726 306.

Disclaimer: Regional Birth Stories shares personal experiences for entertainment and general information only. This episode does not constitute medical advice or professional guidance. Every pregnancy and birth is different. Consult your doctor or midwife about your individual circumstances.

Content note: this episode discusses miscarriage, fertility treatment, caesarean birth and postpartum mental health.

Steph, a regional mum of two with a background in finance, shares her path through endometriosis, fertility treatment, an unplanned caesarean, Doula support and a fast VBAC. Her story explores how education and support shaped her births and why preparing for postpartum matters just as much as preparing for labour.

In this episode:

• How endometriosis, Hashimoto's and long gaps between periods shaped Steph's fertility journey, including IVF through a public clinic in Melbourne.

• Her first birth: a long labour, induction, epidural and caesarean after her baby was found to be posterior and deflexed and how feeling respected by her care team helped her process it.

• Approaching her next pregnancy differently after a miscarriage and learning about her options through books, podcasts and birth stories.

• Why she wanted a VBAC, and how a supportive midwife and doula helped her feel prepared while making peace with the possibility that birth might not go to plan.

• A fast second labour that began around 11 p.m., arriving at hospital in advanced labour and the value of sharing her birth plan in advance.

• A harder-than-expected second postpartum with an unsettled baby, a toddler and little sleep.

• Steph's key advice: plan for postpartum as well as birth. Prepare meals, accept practical help, ask for emotional support and consider doula support.

Timestamps (Aprox)

00:00 Intro. Meet Steph: regional mum, finance leader and women's advocate

03:00 Endometriosis, stress and efforts to restore her periods

06:00 IVF, medical hurdles and the emotional toll of treatment

09:00 The birth plan that left too few options

12:00 Early labour, hospital monitoring and gaps in preparation

15:00 Induction, epidural and a long first labour

18:00 Why Steph's first birth ended in a caesarean

21:00 Miscarriage, grief and a new approach to pregnancy

24:00 Learning about VBAC and finding supportive care

27:00 Considering a home birth and deciding to seek doula support

30:00 Choosing a doula despite the due-date scheduling conflict

33:00 Making an informed decision about VBAC

36:00 Waiting for labour, then a sudden change

39:00 A fast labour at home and the rush to hospital

42:00 Arriving at the hospital ready to give birth

45:00 Steph's VBAC and the support in the birth room

48:00 Recovery after a vaginal birth and coming home to a toddler

51:00 The unexpected challenges of second-time postpartum

54:00 Sleep deprivation, mental health and asking for help

57:00 Practical postpartum preparation and the value of doula support

1:00:00 Reflecting on the challenge Steph set herself and achieved

A huge thank you to Tawhiti Pahina for the beautiful music, composed especially for Regional Birth Stories.

🎵 tawhiti.com

📷 Instagram: @tawhitipahina

Regional Birth Stories is hosted by and brought to you by Doula Lou.

🌐 www.doulalou.com.au

📷 Instagram: @doula_lou

If this episode resonated with you, please follow, share it with someone who's preparing for birth, or get in touch if you'd like to share your own regional birth story. Subscribe for more stories!

If anything in this episode has brought up difficult feelings, PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia) offers support on 1300 726 306.

Disclaimer

Regional Birth Stories is a podcast sharing personal experiences and stories of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. The views and experiences expressed by the host and guests are their own and are shared for entertainment and general information purposes only. They do not constitute medical advice or professional guidance. The podcast is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Every pregnancy and birth is different. Always consult your doctor or midwife for advice relating to your individual circumstances.