Birth Stories Mzansi

Nina Spears talks us through her two vaginal home births and how her experience in attending over 300 births as a doula shaped her own birth preparation and decisions around birth. She also explains exactly what a doula does, and why you should consider having a doula regardless of the type of birth you are planning. Nina reflects on how her own birth experiences have positively impacted her work, and her passion for creating positive birthing experiences.

Nina's compassionate, quirky nature comes through in this honest, open conversation about motherhood and the decisions we make surrounding birth.

Bianca completes her beautiful story in Part 2. 

Her reflection includes the healing process of having a home water birth and comparing this experience to her previous vaginal delivery in hospital. We talk about how good birth can be, and how healing it can be for previous birth trauma. Bianca also talks us through dealing with pregnancy loss whilst parenting, and her final pregnancy - dealing with the nonchalantly made diagnosis of 'incompatible with life' and the journey it created for her and her partner. She closes the episode with how they reached the decision that their family w...

"Parenting after loss comes with anxiety I didn't ask for and joy I didn't know I'd get to have." -Bianca Johnson

In today's episode I sit down with Bianca Johnson; pregnancy loss coach, author of "All these lines", and mother to two living children. Over two episodes she takes us through her journey to motherhood (which spans 8 pregnancies, one elective termination, four miscarriages, one termination for medical reasons, and two vaginal births). We discuss joy, grief and anxiety. Bianca's open, genuine and positive tone in reflection is truly a rare and precious resource for parents dealing...

This is part 2 of Amy’s story. In this honest, thrilling account of unexpected turns on her road to becoming a mother again, Amy lays out what it took. After a cardiac arrest during fertility treatment she decided to take a break from her IVF journey before finding out she was pregnant. She went from an unexpected, miraculous and uncomplicated pregnancy, to an unexpectedly complicated birth and an NICU stay. Amy takes us through the tension of struggling to breastfeed, and how she finally let go without judging herself. Amy is passionate, engaging, and opens her heart to moms in...

Amy shares her journey to motherhood through her first pregnancy and caesarian section after induction at 38 weeks. This story is deep, honest and contains a wealth of wisdom. Amy shares her journey through IVF after having a miscarriage She outlines step by step her process as well as the emotions throughout. She also tells us about losing one of her twins in her pregnancy and the grief - joy conundrum that ensues. She details the process of finding out her baby had a lung growth during her pregnancy, and preparing for the birth. She then had an induction which...

You weren't just having a baby. You were becoming someone new.

What if the hardest part of motherhood isn't the sleepless nights... but the fact that no one tells you that **you are changing too**?

We prepare women for pregnancy. We prepare them for birth. We even talk about postpartum.

But almost no one talks about matrescence.

Matrescence is the profound physical, emotional, psychological, social and identity transformation of becoming a mother. It's as significant as adolescence—yet most women have never even heard the word.

Ma...

Anea shares her journey to motherhood, and the process of finding out that her second child has West Sydrome (a rare form of infantile epilepsy). She talks through the balance of working through pregnancy, as well as working full time with a child who has unconventional needs. She details the highs and lows and what has kept her mind, and her marriage strong through it all. This story is honest, inspirational, and well worth the listen.

Birthing course: https://birthstoriesmzansi.base44.app/audiostore

Follow on Instagram: @birthstoriesmzansi

Check out our other podcast: https://90310...

Anne's story shares the depth of a lived experience through pregnancy loss that you may never before have heard so openly shared.

Anne takes us through her turbulent journey to motherhood: after planning a pregnancy through PCOS, she takes us through the decision to terminate the pregnancy due to extreme fetal anomaly. Being in faith based circles, she highlights the tensions and conflicts in this process as well as her subsequent miscarriage. She then describes her turning point to healing before two spontaneous pregnancies and caesarian sections. Her summary, and the healing experience of C-sections after two...

Ilse takes us through discovering that they would need an assisted fertility route, the route itself, and deciding to stop trying. She then takes us through her spontaneous and unexpected pregnancies, and her two caesarian sections. Her open discussion on the emotional journey of IVF and the joy of being pregnant, is truly a precious resource worth listening to. 

In this beautiful story Sam shares her journey to motherhood. She takes us through an unexpected pregnancy loss, and her subsequent pregnancy. Sam elected to birth in a Midwife unit and she details this process with care. Join us as we follow along on this uplifting and encouraging story.

For episodes by topic, as well as birth counselling bookings, or to share your story seee the whole Birth Stories Mzansi platform: https://birthstoriesmzansi.base44.app

Go to BirthCards app directly: https://birth-cards.base44.app 

Or follow along on Instagram @birthstoriesmzansi

Nomzamo is a mom of two. In this episode she opens up to us about her journey to motherhood and raising two children as a single mom. She walks us though her two pregnancies and deliveries, including a planned caesarian section for breech at term, and an unintentional VBAC. We discuss stigma and challenges facing single moms, as well as the importance of self advocacy. Her story also touches on many of the difficulties that we face in obstetric care in the public system, and the healing power of story telling.

In today's episode Jess takes us through waiting to fall pregnant, battling pregnancy symptoms, and mapping out her birth plan for an un-medicated vaginal delivery in private care. We talk through the importance of self advocacy and holding the space during labour, and the fine line between advocacy and responding to the moment during labour. In this honest account, Jess shares her journey to motherhood.

If you would like to contact myself or today's guest, whatsapp 0713582169 or look out for BirthStoriesMzansi on Facebook or Instagram 

This episode is a must! 

Danelle is a Midwife and nursing educator. She takes us through her birthing experiences; where book knowledge became wisdom through her lived experience of birth. Danelle had two caesarian sections despite planning otherwise for both births. She shares with us the emotional journey of learning to go with the flow when pregnancy and birth just doesn't conform to what you expected or dreamed of. Her story includes her experience of pre-eclampsia, Unexpected C-section, NICU, and adjusting to motherhood.

Please like and share this episode.

If you would like t...

Elbé passionately takes us through her experience of three vaginal births. One in Australia, one in a private hospital in South Africa, and the third - the redemptive experience of a water birth, lotus delivery in Midwife care. Her story is firmly grounded in her faith, and includes her reasoning behind desiring vaginal deliveries and advocating for a birth plan. She also takes us through her experience of deciding not to test for chromosomal abnormalities in pregnancy, being a parent in Neonatal ICU and the open heart surgery of her son. 

Although a bit longer, this episode is...

In this honest account, Marie takes us through waiting to conceive and her three subsequent pregnancies and deliveries. We touch on her experience with epidurals and delve deeper into her stories of delivering three vaginal births in private care; the expectations, her highs and lows.

Please like, share, rate and review this episode. Contact CC or today's guest on whatsapp on

+27 713582169

If you would like to share your birth story, send us a whatsapp or reach us on Instagram or Facebook @birthstoriesmzansi

In this episode I chat with Queen, a medical doctor and Mom of three. She takes us through her first two pregnancies and natural births while still a medical student. She also shares the experience of having had a baby with a cleft palate, the journey to diagnosis, repair and the support which got her through such an intense year of her life. 

Queen runs Minority Doctors Forum South Africa, you can find her on tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@minority.doctors.f?_r=1&_t=ZS-91w5tkggTFi

to hear more about her ventures as a...

In this episode, I chat with Dr Amy Berlyn. She takes us through her pregnancy and planned caesarian section at term. We delve deeper into the emotions surrounding amniocentesis and the fine line between baby blues and full Postpartum depression. We also talk through the adjustment from high paced workspace to becoming a mother and how to make the call to scale down at work.

Amy is a GP working in functional and aesthetic medicine, you can contact Amy @dr.amyberlyn on Instagram.

If you liked this episode, be sure to follow, like, rate, review...