08/04/2026
As a midwife stepping into her own births, I had a lot to work through.
But I also had a deep understanding of what can make a difference to a positive birth experience and what can make physiological birth a little more challenging in the hospital system.
Because let’s be honest…
Hospital birth is often geared toward medical management.
So if you’re hoping for a more physiological experience, you can’t just “go with the flow” because the flow will be medically led (often even when all is well).
And as a reminder, this post is not a flex
It doesn’t mean this is “better” or the right way to birth.
It’s simply what felt right for me, for many reasons.
And I share it because these are the things that supported me and what we also know from the evidence can make a difference.
I had the benefit of understanding:
• how independent birth education supports a more positive experience and lower intervention rates
• how midwifery-led care is associated with higher rates of vaginal birth, lower intervention, and greater satisfaction
• what my body and mind needed to work with labour — not against it
I also knew that early labour can be a bit of a mind game…
It’s not always clear when it’s the “right” time to head in, but there are benefits to staying home until labour is well established, including lower rates of intervention once you arrive (if you feel comfortable & able to).
So I really prioritised support in that early phase.
And then on the day, I had multiple tools to draw on 👉🏼TENS, movement, acupressure, breath, touch, positioning + water, so I wasn’t relying on just one thing when things got intense.
I also had to do my own mindset work.
As a midwife, I had beliefs (eg. ‘I’ve got a low pain threshold’) and baggage to unpack - this part is KEY but often forgotten about and it will show up in labour!
These are the things that supported two really intense, challenging, but overall really positive birth experiences.
Pregnancies again with HG? No thanks 😥
But birth?
I’d do that again 🧡
