The Great Birth Rebellion

You can have a GREAT pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. You just need the information and strategies to make it happen. The Great Birth Rebellion podcast, hosted by Midwife Dr Melanie Jackson offers evidence- based information to help you make informed decisions about your maternity care. The Great Birth Birth Rebellion helps you get the best out of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.
Want more? Follow along at @melaniethemidwife and @thegreatbirthrebellion on SM
Subscribe to get access to the resources behind the episodes at melaniethemidwife.com and get your merch at thegreatbirthrebellion.com.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 121 - How to become a private midwife in Australia Oct 22, 2024

Show notes

Curious about what it takes to set up a business as a private midwife? This is for Australian Midwives who want to know the steps to becoming a private midwife. This is the first in a free-series that is running all week at www.melaniethemidwife.com between October 20th-25th 2024. If you are listening after the 24th, you've missed out on free week but you can register for next year at www.melaniethemidwife.com

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

The information and resources provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice. Instead, all information provided is intended for education, with it’s application intended for discussion between yourself and your care provider and/or workplace if you are a health professional.

The Great Birth Rebellion podcast reserves the right to supplement, edit, change, delete any information at any time. Whilst we have tried to maintain accuracy and completeness of information, we do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or currency of the information. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss, damage or unfavourable outcomes howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 120 - Preparing for posterior labour Oct 20, 2024

Show notes

Mel brings some practical tips for preparing for a posterior labour. You never know which labour and birth are going to be impacted by posterior position of the baby (facing the front instead of facing the back) and the labour pattern can be very different. Being prepared for a posterior labour also means you are ready for any labour. This episode is great preparation for labour full stop, but you’ll also be prepared for a posterior labour.

Get Mel's ‘Guide to giving birth without pain medication’ here.

For more episodes to help you with posterior labour also listen to episodes: 118,116,115, 90, 86, 83, 61, 60.

A special thanks to our episode Sponsor: Bliss Birth

Thankyou to our sponsor, Ariel from Bliss Birth. If you’re planning a physiological birth, Bliss Birth offers obstetric-grade TENS machines for hire across Australia. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is a popular, drug-free option during labour. Bliss Birth, founded by mum of two Ariel, provides everything you need to use the TENS device during birth, all at an affordable rental price. Plus, our listeners can enjoy a special discount—use code 'birthrebel' when booking at blissbirth.com.au

Purchasing a TENS machine can be pricey, but you can rent one with everything you need for birth through Bliss Birth at a much lower cost. Remember to use the code birthrebel at checkout.
Head over to blissbirth.com.au to reserve yours

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 119 - What choices did Mel make for her births? Oct 13, 2024

Show notes

Ever wondered what Mel chose for her own births? And how it all went? Today she spills the tea about her own personal births through an interview with Anna from Sacred Birth International who interviewed Mel about her birth stories on the Natural Birth podcast… Today we share a raw story about the choices Mel made for her own pregnancy and birth journeys - you’ll hear what I did for my tiny pre-term baby and also hear the backstory about how I laughed my second baby out.

Big thanks to Anna from @thenaturalbirthpodcast for interviewing me and facilitating this storytelling.

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 118 - What is posterior labour like? Oct 06, 2024

Show notes

Posterior labour refers to the circumstance where the baby is facing toward the front to the womans pubic hair as opposed to anterior where the baby is facing the womans bum during labour. The position of the baby has an impact on the process and outcome of labour and in this episode Sarah Langford (midwife, mother and PhD research candidate) talks about her research on posterior labours. We quickly learn what little is known about the experience of posterior labour and what Sarah’s work is doing to fill that gap. Sarah shares research about the outcomes of posterior labour and possible reasons why posterior labours h are feared by women and care providers alike. In this episode we seek to turn the dialogue on it’s head and next week in episode 119, the great birth rebellion will focus on how to prepare for posterior labour

If you are keen to participate in Sarah’s research and get access to the 16 page reference list for this episode, you’ll find all the details in the resource folder - the resource folder is accessible to anyone on the mailing list for this podcast. To get on the mailing list go to www.melaniethemidwife.com

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 117 - How to change the system Sep 29, 2024

Show notes

Mel explains exactly how to change the system. This is an excerpt of the opening address that she presented at the convergence of rebellious midwives conference 2024 and draws from her farming experience to give an example of how real and lasting change is made in nature and how this translates to how we can change the maternity system at every level

Tickets are on sale to the convergence now. Go to melaniethemidwife.com for ticketing options.

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 116 - Acupuncture and Acupressure Sep 22, 2024

Show notes

We speak with Dr Kate Levett and Heidi Williams about the use of acupuncture and acupressure in pregnancy. We discover the weight of evidence on the side of acupuncture and Kate and Heidi explore novel ways of integrating it within the maternity care system and acuneedling for midwives.

For tickets to the convergence go to www.melaniethemidwife.com

Kate website: https://drkatelevett.com/

https://drkatelevett.com/video-resources-acupressure-for-labour
Dr Kate Levett on Instagram
Kate Levett acupuncture on Instagram
Kate Levett on Facebook

Heidi Williams Acuneedling and Me @acuneedlingaustralia and @central_coast_homebirth Facebook

Websites www.acuneedling.com or www.centralcoasthomebirth.com

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 115 - Spinning Babies® with Gail Tully Sep 15, 2024

Show notes

The Spinning Babies® techniques are well known the world over for providing the opportunity for women to promote the physiological function of their bodies and prevent pathology in the birth process. Today we welcome Gail Tully, Midwife and creator of Spinning Babies® to discuss her work.

This episode is generously sponsored by The Birth Sling by Dr Jess Michaels. As a special gift to Great Birth Rebellion listeners, use code GBR24 for a 10% discount at www.thebirthsling.com.

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 114 - Is CTG ever beneficial? Sep 08, 2024

Show notes

Women are offered CTG’s in the hope that complications can be identified and intercepted… but is this what happens? Are there better outcomes when we include CTG as part of maternity care? Today Mel invites Dr Kirsten Small to ask if there is EVER a good reason to offer or accept a CTG.

Kirsten is a career academic, retired obstetrician and an industry expert in the use of CTG foetal heart rate monitoring. Her PhD is on the topic of CTG and She is the mistress and owner of birthsmalltalk.com where she offers free and evidence based information about the use and misuse of CTG monitoring. You can enjoy more of Kirstens offerings and education seminars at her blog birthsmalltalk.com

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 113 - CTG use in labour and birth Sep 01, 2024

Show notes

Most women will be offered CTG monitoring through their labour… but does it make a difference to the health of the mum and baby? In this episode Mel invites Kirsten to talk about the use of CTG foetal heart rate monitoring during labour and birth. Check out Kirsten's work @birthsmalltalk on instagram and twitter and www.birthsmalltalk.com

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Episode 112 - Is CTG in pregnancy beneficial? Aug 25, 2024

Show notes

Women are offered CTG’s through pregnancy in the hope that complications can be identified and intercepted… but is this what happens? Are there better outcomes when we include CTG as part of pregnancy care or assessments? Today Mel invites Dr Kirsten Small who is a career academic, retired obstetrician and an industry expert in the use of CTG foetal heart rate monitoring, Kirstens PhD is on the topic of CTG and She is the mistress and owner of birthsmalltalk.com where she offers free and evidence based information about the use and misuse of CTG monitoring. You can enjoy more of Kirstens offerings and education seminars at her blog birthsmalltalk.com

Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

Join the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.com
Join the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.com
Follow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwife
If this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.

Disclaimer

This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

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