In this episode, Maddy shares the raw and evolving story of her three births. Each one radically different, each one shaping her identity as a mother and ultimately leading her into the world of birth work.

With no prior exposure to birth, Maddy entered her first experience trusting the system, only to be met with an intense, fast-paced induction that left her shocked and searching for answers.

Her second birth became a turning point - a deeply empowering, low-intervention experience that opened her eyes to what birth could feel like when supported and understood.

By her third, Maddy chose a home birth, grounded in trust, education, and intuition, navigating both the beauty and unexpected challenges, including a postpartum haemorrhage.

This episode is a powerful reflection on how knowledge changes experience, how support shapes outcomes,
and how birth can transform not just a moment… but an entire life path.

In this episode we cover:

• Falling pregnant young and navigating birth with little exposure
• The intensity of induction and rapid labour
• The difference between physiological labour and syntocinon-led birth
• Feeling let down by lack of education and support
• Discovering hypnobirthing and informed consent
• A completely different second birth experience
• The moment that led Maddie to become a doula
• Choosing a home birth for baby number three
• Navigating a postpartum haemorrhage at home
• The importance of advocacy and support in birth
• Preparing for postpartum with intention
• How birth can reshape identity, career, and worldview

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Maddy at:

https://www.maddythedoula.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/maddy.thedoula/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100075920515191

Maddy is a mother of three and a birth and postpartum doula based in Hobart, Tasmania, who has spent nearly five years supporting women and their partners in the birth space. Her own births and experiences of maternity care are what led her into this work and continue to shape the way she cares for women and families.

She shares openly about motherhood, birth, and the importance of birth partner support on her socials if you’d like to follow along. In this episode, Maddy opens up about her own three personal birth stories and how they shaped her understanding of birth and maternity care, ultimately leading her to the path of working with families as a doula.

In this episode, Rikki shares her experience of becoming a mother for the first time and choosing a natural home birth with her daughter, Ruby.

After initially following what felt like the “standard” path, Rikki began to explore her options more deeply during pregnancy — leading her to realise that there was more than one way to approach birth.

With the support of a private midwife and a strong sense of alignment, she chose a home birth experience that felt intimate, calm, and true to her.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Rikki’s journey into motherhood and deciding she wanted children
• Conceiving naturally after coming off long-term contraception
• Navigating pregnancy as a first-time mum
• The decision to choose a home birth and what led her there
• Moving through external opinions, doubt, and social pressure
• The role of a supportive midwife and partner
• What labour looked like at home — from a slow start to active labour
• Unexpected moments during birth, including baby’s positioning and adapting in the moment
• The experience of pushing and birthing her baby in her own space
• The immediate postpartum bubble and early days at home
• Reflections on postpartum care and the importance of supporting yourself as well as your baby

Rikki shares honestly about the moments of doubt, the power of feeling supported, and the deep sense of trust she developed in her body throughout the process.

Her story is a reminder that while birth can look different for everyone, feeling informed, supported, and aligned in your choices can shape the entire experience.

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Rikki at:

https://www.instagram.com/rikkibwabe/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Birthing Mum Midwifery

https://www.instagram.com/birthingmum/

The Great Birth Rebellion Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/show/3gQRikeOcaHkJjWTtcT1B1?si=52dca2d52298439f

In this episode, Ashleigh shares her journey through loss, IVF, and two very different birth experiences — and what changed the second time around.

After a first birth that she reflects on as traumatic, but pivotal, Ashleigh went into her second pregnancy with one clear intention: she wanted it to be different.

What unfolds is a powerful exploration of:

• Pregnancy after loss and the heightened fear that comes with it
• The difference between standard hospital care and private midwifery support
• The reality that many choices in the system don’t always feel like true choices
• How seeking evidence, information, and continuity of care changed everything
• The emotional and physical shift from a medicalised birth to an empowering one

Ashleigh speaks candidly about:

• Feeling like options in the system were presented in a way that made it hard to say no
• Wanting informed consent and autonomy the second time around
• Choosing a private midwife early in pregnancy and the impact of continuous, personalised care
• The contrast between a birth she describes as “traumatic, but pivotal” and one that felt “empowering, incredible and magic”

It’s a powerful episode that we hope you enjoy.

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Ashleigh at:

https://www.instagram.com/ashleighburgis/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Midwife / IBCLC:

Tamika Newman

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/midwifetamika/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://tamikanewmanibclc.com/⁠

Alice’s birth story is a powerful reminder that birth doesn’t have to go according to plan to still be deeply empowering.

During her pregnancy, Alice and her husband were navigating profound grief after losing two important people in their lives. At the same time, she was flagged as high-risk for preeclampsia, which ultimately led to a medically necessary induction.

What followed was a 63-hour journey through cervical tape, a balloon catheter, hormone drip, and eventually theatre for delivery.

On paper, it might sound like the kind of birth many women fear.

But Alice’s experience tells a different story.

Through hypnobirthing, intentional mindset work, and advocating for time and space within the hospital system, she was able to stay grounded and connected to the process.

In this episode we talk about:

• Navigating grief while pregnant
• Being flagged as high-risk for preeclampsia
• Preparing mentally for birth
• The full reality of induction (cervical tape, balloon, hormone drip)
• Labouring for 12 hours and pushing for two
• A theatre birth with episiotomy and suction
• The power of slowing down hospital decisions
• Why mindset preparation matters just as much as physical preparation
• What empowerment in motherhood means after birth

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Alice at:

https://www.instagram.com/__alicehillhouse/

In this episode, Kirsten shares the story of her two very different births.

Her first birth with her son Ernest unfolded in the public hospital system, marked by rising blood pressure, repeated interventions, and an induction she initially resisted.

After a long labour, Kirsten experienced a caesarean birth that left her physically safe but emotionally disappointed, followed by a challenging postpartum period with little support.

For her second pregnancy, Kirsten chose a completely different model of care.

With continuity of care from a private midwife, she prepared for a homebirth VBAC.

Surrounded by trusted support, she birthed her daughter Odette in water at home in a powerful, calm, and deeply healing experience.

This episode explores the impact of the medical system on birth, the importance of informed choice and continuity of care, postpartum mental health, and the transformative difference feeling safe and supported can make.

Topics covered:

• Induction and cascade of interventions
• Emergency caesarean birth
• Postpartum anxiety and recovery
• Continuity of care
• VBAC preparation
• Homebirth with endorsed midwives
• Trusting your body and intuition

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Kirsten at:

https://www.instagram.com/vector_coffee/

https://www.instagram.com/horizoncoffeehouse/

You can catch Kirsten slinging coffees across both her venue’s if you’re in the Gold Coast

--

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Midwife / IBCLC:

Taan

https://www.instagram.com/taanmw/

In this episode of We Are Mothers, Mikayla shares the full spectrum of her motherhood journey, from a traumatic first birth to a deeply healing VBAC.

We explore Mikayla’s first pregnancy and emergency C-section, including gestational diabetes, induction, infection, and the emotional impact of feeling isolated and unprepared.

She opens up about how that experience shaped her postpartum period and her determination to do things differently the second time around.

Mikayla also shares her journey through secondary infertility, IUI, and IVF, shedding light on how previous C-section scar tissue may have played a role.

She speaks honestly about the emotional toll of trying to conceive, advocating for herself within the medical system, and finally receiving her long-awaited positive pregnancy test.

Her second birth story is a powerful account of preparation, trust, and self-advocacy. Mikayla takes us through her VBAC experience, the moment she realised her body was capable, and how that birth became profoundly healing.

She also reflects on the unexpected challenges that followed, including her baby’s time in special care, and how motherhood continues to stretch and strengthen her.

This episode is a reminder that birth experiences matter, healing is possible, and women are capable of doing hard things.

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Mikayla at:

https://www.instagram.com/mikaylanewport_/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mikaylanewport_?_t=8daz7f9vmMU&_r=1

--

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Podcasts:

The Great Birth Rebellion

https://open.spotify.com/show/3gQRikeOcaHkJjWTtcT1B1?si=fec790acad964faf

The Midwives’ Cauldron

Gestational diabetes: the pregnancy perspective

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0uFokd2PlitplZUdHRZ5Ts?

si=e7bbe1c877c64266

Gestational diabetes: the baby’s perspective

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4s2vnvz6ZUtxoZXZ6Mj58p?si=f1660b3fc0954c93

In this episode of We Are Mothers, Taylor shares her birth story, one shaped by education, intuition, and the environment she chose to give birth in.

We talk about how learning more about physiological birth influenced her decisions, why safety and support were central to her choices, and how letting go of expectations allowed her to meet birth with calm and trust.

Taylor reflects on navigating doubt and exhaustion during labour, the importance of having plans in place if circumstances change, and how her relationship with birth evolved as the experience unfolded.

This episode explores:

• A home birth transfer after 26 hours of labour
• How environment impacts birth hormones
• Making informed decisions about where to give birth
• Trusting yourself while still planning for safety
• Navigating exhaustion and uncertainty in labour
• Meeting birth as it is, not how you imagined

A grounded listen for anyone preparing for birth or wanting to understand how information, support, and intuition can coexist.

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Taylor at:

https://www.instagram.com/sweetnampsychology/

www.sweetnampsychology.com.au

She offers in home perinatal/postpartum psychology services across Gold Coast and Tweed Coast, alongside in person services both doing walk and talks and at my clinic space in Miami, plus Telehealth.

--

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Midwife / IBCLC:

Tamika Newman

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/midwifetamika/⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://tamikanewmanibclc.com/⁠

In this episode of We Are Mothers, Jaime shares the story of welcoming her daughter, Lilith, through a planned home birth, including navigating pregnancy after miscarriage and discovering her baby was breech late in pregnancy.

We talk about conception after loss, trusting the body through uncertainty, choosing private midwifery care, and how education and support shaped Jaime's confidence leading into birth.

Jaime reflects on protecting her mindset, letting go of fear, and trusting that birth can unfold safely in many different ways - including breech.

This episode explores:

• Pregnancy after miscarriage
• Planning a home birth with a private midwife
• Vaginal breech birth as a variation of normal
• Trusting intuition and protecting your birth space
• Letting go of the plan and surrendering to the process

A grounding listen for anyone preparing for birth, navigating fear, or wanting to understand what supportive, continuity of care birth can look like.

Want more?

You can find episode photos over at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/wearemotherspod/⁠

You can find me at:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahcusack/⁠

You can find Jaime at:

https://www.instagram.com/simplehealth_withjaime/

https://www.simplehealthwithjaime.com/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Midwife:

Jacinta Reid - Private Midwife

⁠⁠https://www.intuitivebirthcollective.com/about⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/intuitive_birth_collective/⁠⁠

Book:

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering - Sarah Buckley

https://gentlenaturalbirth.com/product/gentle-birth-gentle-mothering-2nd-ed-australia-only/