Mothermouth Medicine

S01 E04: My own home birth experience

Sep 6, 2023 | birth, motherhood, pregnancy

Podcast description and links

In this episode I talk about my own and only home birth experience birthing my daughter about 7.5 years ago in our little flat in Hackney at the time.

I didn’t have a free birth but had a home birth with two NHS midwives from the Homerton homebirth team attached to Homerton present. I didn’t have any interventions, drugs or pain relief.

I am keen to share this experience not only because so far we have talked a lot in this series about freebirthing and the socialisation and medicalisation of birth but what is the reality for lots of women these days living in cities? What do we feel comfortable with?

I am not only sharing what I remember from the birthing in detail but I also share

  • my bodily experience like intense and painful surges, primal screams, the crowning and tearing and my fear of my clitoris being damaged,
  • how the midwife helped me twice intervening in hyperventilation and stopping me pushing to hard,
  • the environment with fire and darkness and no birthing pool plus kneeling birthing position, 
  • my partner’s involvement with the tense machine,
  • not thinking a lot about the postnatal period and placenta birth in my birth plan and my regrets about it,
  • my breastfeeding difficulties,
  • how long it took me to heal and the realities of the postnatal time,
  • and my opinions about postnatal care and the benefits of a 40 day rest period afterwards.

Hope you enjoy this episode and it is helpful some way. <3

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A transcript of the podcast episode is available here: https://rss.com/podcasts/mothermouth/1099423/

Music by 12Volt, with great thanks to my friend Sascha Usison.

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Podcast – Mothermouth Speaks

Journey with us as we explore and celebrate life's seasons and rites of passages, often overlooked, invisible, or unmarked in our modern societies.

At Mothermouth, we believe that reconnecting with life’s rhythms is key to reclaiming our connection to our bodies. Cultivating a sense of belonging is crucial, as it provides a safe space for navigating our inevitable growth, allowing us to return to our place in the world with a deep sense of purpose - a birthright we all deserve.

Mothermouth is dedicated to embarking on diverse and transformative journeys towards body connection, power, and pleasure. Our podcast series begins by delving into the realms of birth and its physiology - the profound act of bringing a child into the world. Giving birth signifies the embodiment of our existence, and becoming a mother marks a significant shift in our lives, both from a bodily and societal perspective. While the physical changes are noticeable and acknowledged, we also explore the subtle yet deeply transformative psychological changes of becoming a mother and the challenges we face.

But this is just the beginning. As we take our first steps on this journey we will traverse a multitude of subjects, guided by guest speakers and our ever-changing expansions of questions and interests. As the scout on this pilgrimage, I am simultaneously navigating my own path towards the imminent rite of passage that is menopause, while still grieving the recent loss of my own mother.

At Mothermouth, our passion lies in empowering each individual to stand in their power, purpose, and deep connection to their bodies, while experiencing the joy of sharing and witnessing the transformative journey within our community.

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