When Marni's IVF embryo spontaneously split at 13 weeks, she was excited to be bringing not one but two babies into the world. But over half way through her pregnancy her doctors discovered one of the rarest twin complications - TAPS.

In today's emotional episode, Marni shares how TAPS turned her pregnancy into a fight for survival, with one twin slowly losing blood while the other's blood became dangerously thick. Marni takes us through the incredible medical interventions that followed—two groundbreaking in-utero procedures at 29 and 32 weeks. When an E. coli infection threatened their survival, Billie and Poppy arrived via emergency caesarean at 33 weeks, beginning a 27-day NICU journey that would test every ounce of Marni's strength.

Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their heartfelt stories of bringing life into the world. Share your birth story at podcast@mamamia.com.au or send a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.

If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

Host: Ksenija Lukich

Birth Story: Marni Cochrane

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 podcast@mamamia.com.au or send a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After having to go under general anaesthetics for the birth of her first baby, Jordan spent her second pregnancy working with anaesthetists to ensure she'd be awake for baby Dakota's arrival. But when two spinal blocks failed and doctors warned they'd never given a third dose to anyone, Jordan had seconds to decide whether to go under or fight through the pain.

In today's episode, Jordan shares how witnessing Dakota's arrival—despite the physical pain—became profoundly healing, and opens up about her hopes for a different experience with baby number three, who's on the way.

Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their heartfelt stories of bringing life into the world. Share your birth story at podcast@mamamia.com.au or send a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

Host: Ksenija Lukich

Birth Story: Jordan Loughnane

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 podcast@mamamia.com.au or send a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After navigating IVF and finally welcoming her beautiful daughter Camilla into the world, Anna Bamford's birth journey took an unexpected and frightening turn. In this weeks episode, Anna shares her story, and her journey to get answers for a medical complication which was initially dismissed, despite her growing intuition that something wasn't right.

When Anna lost nearly 1.5 litres of blood immediately after delivery, doctors assured her they had removed all placental tissue—but her body told a different story. As she struggled desperately with breastfeeding, Anna couldn't shake the feeling that retained placenta was affecting her milk supply. For six long weeks, she fought to be heard by medical professionals who repeatedly dismissed her concerns.

Anna vulnerably recounts the emotional toll of feeling "gaslit" by the medical system and the vindication—yet frustration—of finally receiving an ultrasound at six weeks postpartum that confirmed placenta accreta. She reflects on the importance of trusting your instincts as a new mother, advocating for yourself even when experts disagree, and finding peace with the feeding journey that works for your family.

Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their heartfelt stories of bringing life into the world. Share your birth story at podcast@mamamia.com.au or send a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

Host: Ksenija Lukich

Birth Story: Anna Bamford

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their heartfelt stories of bringing life into the world. Share your birth story at podcast@mamamia.com.au or send a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When contractions began during a Succession marathon with her mum, Lucinda Pikkat wasn't particularly concerned—her husband Simon was asleep at home an hour away, and surely there would be plenty of time to alert him.

In today's episode, Lucinda shares how her third daughter Saachi followed her older sisters remarkable pattern of arriving precisely at 38 weeks. As labor progressed quickly and phone calls went unanswered, Lucinda gave birth with her mother by her side, while her husband slept blissfully unaware, only discovering he had a new daughter when he woke up the next morning!

Lucinda reflects on the unexpected full-circle moment as her own mum stepped into the support role during her birth, creating a unique bond between three generations. She shares how she refined her approach to childbirth with each pregnancy, making her deliveries progressively more manageable, and describes the euphoric "warrior princess" high that accompanied each of her births.

Diary Of A Birth features mums telling their miraculous stories of bringing life into the world. If you'd like to share your birth story, we'd love to hear from you at podcast@mamamia.com.au or send us a voice note here.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton visit www.fentonandfenton.com.au

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

CREDITS:

Host: Ksenija Lukich

Birth Story: Lucinda Pikkat

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

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Diary Of A Birth features mums sharing their miraculous stories of bringing life into the world. If you'd like to share your birth story, we'd love to hear from you at podcast@mamamia.com.au.

THE END BITS:
Support independent women's media
Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram

Mamamia has a podcast for every stage of parenthood.

Check out our hilarious and seriously unhelpful podcast The Baby Bubble hosted by Clare and Jessie Stephens.
If you’re pregnant, listen to The Delivery Room and Hello Bump.
And if you’re trying or preg-curious, Get Me Pregnant and Before The Bump are for you.

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/subscribe

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.