In this episode I chat with Laura, a midwife and first time mother from Melbourne who birthed her daughter Ariella in the very hospital where she works. Laura takes us through an unexpected pregnancy discovery during a fertility ultrasound, a frightening early bleed on the same day, a week of frustrating prodromal labour, and a swift, mostly physiological birth that shifted to continuous monitoring in its final stage. She also speaks candidly about a painful and little known breastfeeding complication called nipple vasospasm, something she had never come across in five years of midwifery practice. This episode is a wonderful listen for newly pregnant mothers, doulas and midwives alike, offering an honest look at how even those who work in maternity care can be surprised by pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding.

Mother Dose by Land Lab is one of those rare finds that cuts through all the confusion. What has really impressed me is that it’s been formulated by doctors, dietitians and naturopaths – every single ingredient is there for a reason, backed by evidence and aligned with current prenatal guidelines.

It includes the good stuff like choline for baby’s brain development, folate in its most active form, and a clinical dosage of ginger that’s actually proven to help with morning sickness. Over 75 health professionals have peer-reviewed the formulation, and they all said the same thing – it’s an amazing blend that delivers the kind of care every woman deserves.

Whether you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, Mother Dose takes the overwhelm out of choosing a prenatal.

And this time, Australian Birth Stories listeners can also save $15 on Mother Dose with the code: ABS. Just head to land-lab.co to redeem the offer.