Diary Of A Birth

When Mamamia's Head of Content, Eliza, found herself unexpectedly pregnant with her third child during what was meant to be a one-year Swedish adventure, life took a beautiful detour. But her planned C-section was not so routine when the spinal anaesthesia failed midway through, causing Eliza to feel the surgical procedure.

After a desperate plea for help and being rushed to be put ...

When 26-year-old Silje and her husband Jordan decided to expand their family beyond their 18-month-old son Mads, they never imagined what would happen next. In today's episode, Silje shares the breathtaking moment at her dating scan when the sonographer counted not one, not two, but three heartbeats—completely spontaneous fraternal triplets with no family history of multiples.

From navigating a high-risk pregnancy while carin...

This episode of Diary of a Birth contains graphic descriptions including blood loss and traumatic injury. Please proceed with caution. Additional resources can be found in the show notes. 

A pop. A gush. And suddenly, a huge amount of blood running down her legs. What started as a peaceful first day of maternity leave became a fight for two lives when Sabrina Banayad experienced a rare and life-threatening placental abruption.

From epidural to delivery in minutes—Nikolina's second baby Leo stunned even veteran doctors with his lightning-fast arrival.

Despite a physically "cruisy" pregnancy with her children just 16 months apart, Nikolina Koevska Kharoufeh battled intense anxiety about giving birth a second time. After casually attending brunch during early contractions, her labor rapidly intensified. Just as doctors prepared for her curved spine co...

Waters breaking in public, a head popping out in the shower, and neighbours rushing to help—Kate Longley's second birth took a very different path than planned!

In today’s episode, Kate shares how her birth with Jesse took a surprisingly swift turn when, shortly after her waters broke at home, she found herself cradling her newborn in the shower before help could even arrive. With no time to reach the hospital, Kate's n...

One embryo. Two heartbeats. After years of fertility treatments, Laura Parr found herself staring at an ultrasound screen showing the impossible—her single frozen embryo had split into identical twins.

In today's episode, Laura shares her extraordinary journey from having her son Lucas through IVF, to the shock of discovering her second embryo—frozen for two years—had developed into identical twins - with no histo...

It's Christmas morning, you're on all fours and your dad's just accidentally broken your waters.

This wasn't how Francesca Hung imagined birth - but we all know motherhood often arrives unexpectedly. In today's episode, the model and presenter shares the dramatic story of finding herself in active labour just 30 minutes after her first contraction, creating a Christmas morning her family will never forget.

Francesca recounts her da...

At 38, with no partner but unwavering determination, Bree embarked on a fertility journey that would test her resilience but ultimately fulfill her lifelong dream.

After navigating the emotional rollercoaster of two failed IUIs, Bree's persistence led her interstate where she accessed the Seattle sperm bank. From nine retrieved eggs emerged one perfect embryo—her miracle in waiting. 

The most remarkable chapter? Bree opt...

When Minnie's home birth plans shifted to a hospital delivery after two days of stop-start labor, she didn't just accept her "Plan B" – she got creative. Her unexpected strategy? Dressing "like a celebrity avoiding paparazzi" complete with sunglasses, headphones, and clothes pulled over her head.

Despite synthetic oxytocin making contractions feel "like being hit by lightning," Minnie found herself overcome with relief and jo...

We all know that having a strong support system is vital during pregnancy and birth—but what happens when you're pregnant and your relationship is simultaneously falling apart? In today's episode, Simone Holtznagel discusses how her pregnancy journey coincided with relationship challenges that led to her becoming a single mother when her daughter Gia was just a few weeks old.

Simone also shares how she handled an epidural des...

After experiencing a traumatic emergency cesarean with her first child at just 28 weeks, Rikki Lee Calleja shares how her healing VBAC birth experience with daughter Lily five years later was so transformative, it inspired her to become a doula herself.

Through education, determination and support from her husband and doula, Rikki's successful vaginal birth after cesarean became a pivotal moment that helped her overcome past trauma...

Sam Frost's journey to motherhood is the unfiltered story we all need to hear. From accidentally "baby trapping" her partner Jordy (her words!) to navigating pregnancy on crutches, she never expected her maternal instincts would be tested during a terrifying moment with baby Ted's heartbeat.

Sam gets brutally honest about ditching the pressure to breastfeed, why her partner needed more medical attention than her during labour (yes,...

Matt and Vince went through a 6 year journey to become parents. With the help of their surrogate and best friend Phoebe, Matt tells the heartwarming story of bringing baby Archer into the world. With heart and humour, Matt gives us his insights into becoming a father as a part of a same sex couple in Australia.

Diary Of A Birth features mums telling their miraculous stories of bringing life into the world, If you’d ...

Cassi and Scott were sure they were done having kids but unexpectedly fell pregnant with twins, and there were more surprises to come. With a goal to give birth to both vaginally, Cassi went into her labour with a plan. What comes next is a shock sprint down a hospital corridor worthy of Grey's Anatomy and a dramatic entrance into the world. This is Cassi's birth story with Charlie and Luna.

Diary Of A Birth features mums tell...

Today on Diary of a Birth, we hear the remarkable story of how two women came together to bring baby Lily into the world through surrogacy. When Trudy Bateman was down to her last embryo and unable to carry her own child, she found an unexpected angel in Julie - a "retired" surrogate via a Facebook group. This dramatic story shines a light on the altruistic act that is becoming a surrogate through Australia's complex laws.

THE END ...

When Georgia Inglis suffered a spinal cord injury at age 10, she didn't let it stop her from becoming a Commonwealth Games silver medalist in wheelchair basketball. But her greatest challenge and triumph would be becoming a mother. In this powerful episode of Diary of a Birth, Georgia shares her remarkable journey of adapting to pregnancy and childbirth with a disability. This rare and inspiring story showcases the strength of moth...

Today Charlotte, a nurse living on the Sunshine Coast tells her incredible story of Koa's  premature birth when at 27 weeks, her waters broke. Charlotte's story highlights the tireless work of our NICU doctors and midwives, and also the fascinating mindset she adopted to overcome the challenges having a premature baby present.

Diary Of A Birth features mums telling their miraculous stories of bringing life in...

Lou Brown's journey seemed familiar - three healthy pregnancies with boys had prepared her for what she thought would be another straightforward experience. When she discovered she was expecting a girl, Lou was bursting with joy and confident for the road ahead.

However, a rare listeria diagnosis would dramatically alter her path. Isolated on a remote cattle property in rural Queensland, Lou found herself ...

Jules Robinson tells her incredible birth story with Carter. After doing everything ‘right’ in pregnancy, Carter had his own plans and entered the world in an exhausting and dramatic fashion! Jules details how she worked to stay in tune with her own body during a challenging labour and post-partum period, and shares her struggles with pre-eclampsia. Dr Golly explains this condition and what you can do to av...