Are you homebirth curious?

Recent episodes

1. Navigating Homebirth Transfers: How Midwives and Paramedics are Collaborating with Melissa Gardiner

   Jul 29, 20261 hr 5 min

   What happens if your homebirth takes an unexpected turn and you need an ambulance? For many families, the fear of an emergency transfer is the ultimate barrier keeping them from community birth. Historically, a lack of specialised obstetric training on the road has created tension between paramedics and midwives, leaving mothers navigating a high-stress, disconnected system. In this episode, host Claire Holloway sits down with Melissa Gardiner - a mother of three, senior paramedic, and registered midwife with over 20 years of community experience. Driven to bridge these two fields, Melissa created STORC (State Obstetric Referral Call), a midwifery-led, 24hr telephone service connecting on-road St John WA paramedics with expert midwives in real time. From managing postpartum haemorrhages and surprise breech presentations to rolling out lifesaving infant warming cocoons across regional WA, Melissa provides a masterclass in clinical collaboration. Tune in to replace transfer anxiety with the reassurance of a synchronised, safety net that is evolving to respect physiological birth. Key Takeaways: Hospital transfers are a collaborative continuation of birth care, never a failure. STORC is bridging the gap between the roles of paramedics and midwives. Clinical innovations like rural oxytocin and thermal cocoons are shifting out-of-hospital outcomes. Honouring the agreements on boundaries with your private midwife protects your safety and the profession. Chapters 5:19 - Mel's career journey through nursing, paramedicine, and finding her passion for midwifery. 7:44 - Witnessing the clinical tension between ambulance crews and hospital labour wards. 11:45 - The inception of STORC: pitching the business case to St John WA for a 24-hour midwife helpline. 14:64 - Planned homebirth vs. accidental birth, and a beautiful story of an empowered breech transfer. 23:52 - Aligning paramedic guidelines with physiological principles. The postpartum golden hour: managing haemorrhages. 32:52 - The importance of client-midwife agreements and an incredible story of a birth on country. 48:25 - Masters research data from 164 paramedics and the power of simple eye contact during pregnancy loss. 59:20 - Melissa's personal birth story and final thoughts. Links & Resources: Read the episode transcript here . Connect with Claire: Free Homebirth Training: Watch the Plan Your Dream Homebirth Masterclass to assess your personal readiness. Yoga for Homebirth Program : Prepare your body, mind, and spirit inside a trauma-informed digital community environment. Instagram: @yourbrightbeginning *If this conversation answered some of your homebirth questions, hit 'Follow' on your podcast app and leave us a 5-star review!

2. Whole Human Pregnancy: Navigating a Plus-Size Birth with Jen Nicholson

   Jul 15, 20261 hr 7 min

   What happens when a qualified health professional is left out of public midwifery continuity programs simply because of a number on a scale? In this episode, we sit down with women’s health physiotherapist and outdoor adventurer Jen Nicholson. When Jen fell pregnant, the public system's rigid BMI cut-off disqualified her from birth centre care. This led her to choose private homebirth care to bypass systemic assumptions that refuse to look at patients as whole individuals. Jen pulls back the curtain on plus-size pregnancy, revealing the physiological advantages larger bodies hold in birth. She shares her experience navigating five weeks of exhausting prodromal labour and explains how she managed due-date pressure during the 41st week of her pregnancy. Merging her clinical expertise with a trust in instinct, Jen breaks down how she utilised the "open throat, open vagina" connection and drew on her cross-continental hiking mindset to meet her labour one contraction at a time. Jen is the Director of Whole Human Therapy and has kindly been a sponsor of the podcast, supporting the voices of Aboriginal birthing families. Key Takeaways The BMI Fallacy: BMI is an inaccurate standalone metric for birth risk, often gatekeeping healthy, fit individuals from low-risk midwifery programs. Plus-Size Advantages: Research shows larger birthing bodies frequently have lower risks of postpartum haemorrhage, lower tearing rates, and faster labours. Pelvic Floor Surrender: The pelvic floor doesn't push a baby out - it opens to let the baby out. Relaxing into the intensity is key. The Vocal Connection: Clenching your jaw and throat forces the pelvic floor to contract. Low, open vocalisations actively encourage vaginal release. Mastitis Tip: Never aggressively poke or prod a mastitis lump. Treat the breast tissue like a fragile eggshell to avoid driving up inflammation. Chapters 00:02 — Meet Jen: women's health physio and cross-continental trekker. 04:17 — BMI gatekeeping and navigating rigid public health restrictions. 14:08 — Plus-size pregnancy advantages. 22:01 — Facing weeks of prodromal labour and cutting out the "emotional labour". 38:00 — Jen’s physiotherapy tips for managing labour intensity 45:00 — In-home pelvic health and perinatal care. 55:00 — Reclaiming shared wisdom at community homebirth catch-ups. Links & Resources Read the Episode Transcript here Dr Sara Wickham: Plus Size Pregnancy and In Your Own Time Connect with Jen Website: Whole Human Therapy Instagram: @wholehumantherapy Connect with Claire: Free Homebirth Community Yoga for Homebirth Program Instagram: @yourbrightbeginning *If this conversation resonated, hit 'Follow' on your podcast app so you never miss an episode!

3. Land and Lineage: Reclaiming Homebirth and Ancestral Wisdom with Alison Burrell

   Jul 1, 20261 hr 1 min

   This profound yarn explores the definition of 'home' in the context of physiological birth, connection to country, and ancestral wisdom. It delves into the extraordinary life tapestry of Alison Burrell - a mother of twelve (spanning seven births and five stepchildren) - and her journey through pregnancy, postpartum, and matrescence. From navigating a teenage pregnancy to standing in her sovereignty against a colonial medical mindset, Alison demonstrates how our birthing bodies are hardwired for autonomy. We examine how birth imprints ripple into parenting, space-holding, and trauma-informed counselling, before confronting the ongoing lack of cultural safety within mainstream systems. Offering a visionary framework for Birthing on Country, this conversation is an essential listen for anyone seeking to dismantle institutional birth fear. **This episode is proudly brought to you by Jen Nicholson from Whole Human Therapy . Providing exceptional, in-home Pelvic Health support for mamas across Perth. Connect with Jen for your home visit needs here . Key Takeaways Connection to 'home' is an embodied alignment with the land and our nervous system. Traditional lineages and the natural world insulate us from obstetric fear. The autonomy we experience during labour directly shapes how we show up as caregivers. Birthing on Country offers a pathway toward collective, intergenerational healing. Chapters 00:00 — Entering matrescence at nineteen and how watching animals birth built an unshakeable trust in physiological birth. 28:07 — How labour experiences shape our space-holding and prepare us for the waves of parenting. 34:04 — Merging Lineage and Land: Connecting Celtic roots, First Nations Songlines, and traditional birth ceremonies. How a safe birth heals country. 40:23 — Birthing on Country & Reframing Risk: Confronting systemic failures and reframing vulnerable mothers as our greatest hope for inter-generational healing. Links & Resources Read the episode transcript. Connect with Alison: We Al-li : Culturally Informed, Trauma Integrated Healing Core Cellular Healing : Participate in Alison's pre-Celtic and Nordic healing circles Instagram: @mummaof12 Connect with Claire: Free Homebirth Resources : Access webinars, guides and free meetups under the 'Homebirth' menu. Yoga for Homebirth Program : Prepare your body, mind and spirit in a non-prescriptive, trauma informed community environment. Instagram: @yourbrightbeginning *If this yarn resonated, hit 'Follow' on your podcast app so you never miss an episode!

4. Introducing: Are You Homebirth Curious? (The Trailer)

   May 13, 20262 min

   Have you ever felt an inkling that birth could be something more than a managed clinical event? If you’ve found yourself looking for a path that feels more aligned with your own body and your own rhythm, you’re in the right place. You’re simply Homebirth Curious. In this introductory episode, host Claire Holloway (perinatal and pelvic health specialist, yoga facilitator and therapist) invites you into a new kind of sanctuary. This is a first glimpse into a project dedicated to shifting the narrative around birth: moving away from the idea of home as a place of risk and back to the understanding of what coming home really feels like. It’s about the relief of familiar floorboards, the comfort of your own space, and the safety that allows you to settle into your own internal knowing. What to expect from this season: As this series unfolds, we will dive into the "nuts and bolts" of homebirth logistics while honouring the sacred rite of passage that is matrescence. Claire and her guests will explore: Logistics: The practicalities of birthing in a home environment. Advocacy: How to reclaim your status as the expert in the birth room. Reciprocity: Platforming the ancient birthing wisdom and stories of First Nations custodians and marginalised voices. Mindset: Shifting a lifetime of conditioning to find your own internal wisdom. This is the beginning of a journey home: to your body, to your choices, and to a community that honours the sanctuary of birth. The first conversations are about to reveal themselves. Subscribe now to ensure you don’t miss an episode.