I’m Cath, your host and holistic midwife. It’s raining here today in Western Australia in southern Yamatji country. I actually don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve had rain. It’s beautiful. I’m also a little scared- will this rain bring all the babies at once?! Hopefully not, hopefully they space out every few days. But this is out of my control.
I’m excited to bring you today’s interview with the gorgeous Gemma. Gemma is a passionate perinatal mental health advocate, a teacher, a wife, and a mother to two little girls.
Gemma uses the terms consent, and informed, and educated to describe her positive and healing second birth, concepts that she was less familiar with for her first birth, as well as her realisation of the importance of continuity-of-carer for her and husband Jono.
She also shares her journey with postnatal depression and anxiety, having a baby with reflux, her emergency cesarean birth, and her fast hospital VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), following a family bout of gastro.
Enjoy x
These stories are intimate, raw, inspiring - parents sharing their birth experiences - the highs, the challenges, the growth. How did they prepare, what was unexpected, what do they now know?
Join Cath Tan, holistic homebirth midwife in Geraldton, Western Australia as she speaks with local families about their transformational birth journeys.
'Stories have always been powerful ways of sharing information and wisdom; soul maps for significant life events we humans traverse. I hope you'll find these stories educational, uplifting and comforting.' xx Cath
I’d like to ask you for a favour. If you’re enjoying this show, would you please rate and review it, and share it widely with your contacts? I‘d love for these stories to be heard beyond my immediate circle. A fair bit of effort goes into recording and editing as well as recognising the time and generosity of my guests in their sharing - so please, rate, review and share the love!
PANDA - Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia – supports the mental health of parents and families during pregnancy and in their first year of parenthood.