The Delivery Room

This summer we've curated your Delivery Room playlist with even more birth stories from our friends at Diary Of A Birth. Enjoy! In this weeks episode, Seize the Yay's Sarah Davidson takes us through her emotional journey to motherhood—one made even more unique by her experience as a cross-cultural adoptee. From experiencing a heartbreaking missed miscarriage that left her waiting three painful weeks for a D&C procedure, to the surprising natural conception that followed unsuccessful fertility treatments; Sarah navigated her pregnancy with cautious hope until her waters dramatically broke in the hospital car park at exactly 38 weeks.  As her breech baby Teddy arrived, Sarah's mother—who had never experienced pregnancy herself—was there to witness this profound moment, creating a beautiful full-circle experience and solidifying Sarah's belief that Teddy was meant for their family all along. THE END BITS:Support independent women's mediaFollow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram Listen to more Diary Of A Birth here. CREDITS: Host: Ksenija Lukich Birth Story: Sarah Davidson Obstetrician & Gynaecologist: Dr Bronwyn Devine Producers: Ksenija Lukich & Ella Maitland Audio Producer: Tina Matolov Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer we've curated your Delivery Room playlist with even more birth stories from our friends at Diary Of A Birth. After years of heartache, disappointment, and countless tears, Kirsten McLennan discovered her endometrial lining was too thin to nurture a pregnancy—a devastating revelation after multiple failed IVF attempts. When specialists suggested surrogacy might be her path to parenthood, Kirsten and her husband Ryan embarked on an emotional international journey filled with both crushing setbacks and beautiful moments of hope. In today's touching episode, Kirsten vulnerably shares her difficult path to becoming a mother—from the moment when transported embryos went missing in Canada to when they finally connected with their surrogate Leigha in Utah, they found not just a carrier for their precious baby, but a compassionate friend who opened her heart and home to help create their miracle. Kirsten reflects on the beautiful complexity of surrogacy—the profound joy of those first skin-to-skin moments with Spencer, the deep bond formed while living with Leigha's family, and the overwhelming emotions they all shared in the delivery room.  THE END BITS:Support independent women's mediaFollow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram Listen to more Diary Of A Birth hereCREDITS: Host: Ksenija Lukich Birth Story: Kirsten McLennan  Obstetrician & Gynaecologist: Dr Bronwyn Devine Producers: Ksenija Lukich & Ella Maitland Audio Producer: Tina Matolov Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer we've curated your Delivery Room playlist with even more birth stories from our friends at Diary Of A Birth.  Pregnancy is often described as a transformative journey, but for Briar, it became something far more complex. Having already navigated the life-altering experience of spinal surgery and disability in her twenties, she approached motherhood with both excitement and careful consideration. She'd rebuilt her life, regained her independence, and felt ready to embrace this new chapter. From the very beginning of her pregnancy, however, Briar's body began responding in ways that challenged everything she thought she knew about managing her disability. The same hormones that were nurturing her growing baby were also affecting the delicate balance she'd achieved in her own physical recovery. What started as manageable discomfort gradually escalated into pain that threatened to overwhelm her carefully constructed coping strategies and potentially prevent her from carrying Theodora to term.  Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their heartfelt stories of bringing life into the world. Share your birth story at [email protected] or send a voice note here. THE END BITS:Support independent women's mediaFollow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram Listen to more Diary Of A Birth hereCREDITS: Host: Ksenija Lukich Birth Story: Briar Harte Obstetrician & Gynaecologist: Dr Bronwyn Devine Producers: Ksenija Lukich & Ella Maitland Audio Producer: Tina Matolov Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer we've curated your Delivery Room playlist with even more birth stories from our friends at Diary Of A Birth. Enjoy! When Lauren planned her second birth, she envisioned a calm home birth with her private midwife—complete with a birth pool, fairy lights, and her trusted care team by her side. After feeling unsupported in the public system, she'd carefully crafted the perfect birth environment at 41 weeks. But when labour finally began on a quiet Monday afternoon while her husband was at work, everything unfolded faster than anyone could have imagined. What started as a few bathroom trips quickly escalated into intense contractions just two minutes apart, leaving Lauren alone on her ensuite floor with her midwife stuck in traffic and her husband racing home. In today's gripping episode, Lauren shares her remarkable 40-minute labour—from that first contraction to holding her son Finley, with paramedics arriving just in time to catch him. She reflects on the primal strength that emerged when birth didn't go to plan, and how she maintained control even when everything felt chaotic. Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their heartfelt stories of bringing life into the world. Share your birth story at [email protected] or send a voice note here.  THE END BITS:Support independent women's mediaFollow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram Listen to more Diary Of A Birth hereCREDITS: Host: Ksenija Lukich Birth Story: Lauren Watson Obstetrician & Gynaecologist: Dr Bronwyn Devine Producers: Ksenija Lukich & Ella Maitland Audio Producer: Tina Matolov Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Courtney thought her family was complete with two beautiful children, she was finally ready to focus on herself. After her doctor found pre-cancerous cervical cells following her first birth, she'd been advised to have a completion hysterectomy once her family was finished—and at 38, with a four-year-old and almost two-year-old, that time had finally come. Her hysterectomy was booked for March of that year. But in February, just weeks before her scheduled surgery, Courtney discovered she was pregnant with her third child. The culprit? Her two-year-old daughter Margo, who had been secretly chewing on condoms thinking they were chocolates, making tiny holes that rendered them useless. In today's candid episode, Courtney vulnerably shares her initial shock upon discovering the pregnancy, her fear about making the "wrong" decision, and how seeing her baby healthy at 17 weeks felt like a sign. She reflects on navigating a high-risk pregnancy with a shortened cervix, enduring three weeks of prodromal labour, and the dramatic 12-minute birth that caught everyone off guard—including herself. THE END BITS:Support independent women's mediaFollow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram Listen to more Diary Of A Birth here CREDITS: Host: Ksenija Lukich Birth Story: Courtney Ayre  Producers: Ksenija Lukich & Ella Maitland Audio Producer: Tina Matolov Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Serenity Mackay had always wanted to give birth in water. She loved the beach and swimming, and that's where she felt most comfortable. But unfortunately when she fell pregnant, water birth wasn’t an option at her local hospital. Nevertheless, as a proud first nations woman with ties to the Biripi nation, Serenity was determined to feel connected to the earth on which she gave birth. So she sought the help of the Waminda Birthing On Country program to make her delivery as culturally significant as possible. CREDITS Host: Jessie Stephens Guests: Serenity Mackay & Melanie Briggs Producer: Gia Moylan Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff GET IN TOUCH: Tell us what you think of the show! Send an email to [email protected] or call the podphone on 02 8999 9386. Want this and other podcasts delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our podcast newsletter. The Delivery Room is a podcast by Mamamia. Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Louisa Dow found out she was pregnant, she had a feeling she was having twins. She had no proof… but it was just a feeling she couldn’t shake. And of course, she was right. But what Louisa and her partner Mick didn’t know was that their twins shared the same placenta. This made Louisa’s pregnancy extremely high risk. And extremely rare. Then, 32 weeks into the pregnancy, Louisa had a ‘veiled birth’... or a ‘mermaid birth’. Which in some cultures, they believe are magic... CREDITS Host: Jessie Stephens Guests: Lousia Dow Producer: Gia Moylan Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff GET IN TOUCH: Tell us what you think of the show! Send an email to [email protected] or call the podphone on 02 8999 9386. Want this and other podcasts delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our podcast newsletter. The Delivery Room is a podcast by Mamamia. Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It was early 2010, and Fran and her husband of 3 years, Tom, decided to take the next step in their relationship. They bought a dog. But a month later? They were pregnant. And the level of responsibility they had wanted went up. A lot. And while Fran was excited to have a baby on the way, she was also a little scared of the idea of actually giving birth. On this episode of The Delivery Room, we learn all about a planned C-Section… CREDITS Host: Jessie Stephens Guests: Fran Romano Producer: Gia Moylan Executive Producer: Elissa Ratliff GET IN TOUCH: Tell us what you think of the show! Send an email to [email protected] or call the podphone on 02 8999 9386. Want this and other podcasts delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to our podcast newsletter. The Delivery Room is a podcast by Mamamia. Listen to more Mamamia podcasts here. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.