25/04/2026
Thank you for sharing your experience Amanda. We love that your experience made you feel empowered. Congratulations. Your little girl is absolutely gorgeous š©·
When I went into my third pregnancy under the care of MGP - I knew not to be rigid or have expectations beyond my control. I knew anything could happen and to let go and allow myself to enjoy the process. And ultimately, I knew that no matter how this all went everything would be ok because I had my amazing MGP midwife, Alanna, by my side again. She empowered me with this knowledge over the last 5 years and it gave me the feeling of safety that is so important for every mother-to-be.
The peace and calm I felt wasn't because my previous pregnancies and births were easy breezy or complication free - I've had quite the range of experiences... In 2021 I gave birth to my son, and I was induced at 41 weeks, 2 days. That was followed by a long labour, epidural, various interventions and ultimately, an emergency c section. My second son was born in 2023. l had gestational diabetes, went into labour spontaneously, also got the epidural and was able to have a successful VBAC. My recovery was not quite as easy as I thought, though.
Even though my births varied so much and weren't always what I had planned for... I walked out of that and into motherhood empowered by my choices and education through both. I knew what had happened, why it happened and that I was able to make informed decisions the entire way. The flow on effect allowed me to go into the next phase and beyond with confidence and pride. That's why I could go into my 3rd and final pregnancy ready for whatever came my way.
My little girl was born on the morning of November 17, 2025, when my waters broke as I got out of bed. I had said to Alanna in the weeks before, I think I'd like to try a VBAC again and without the epi, just to see what it feels like - why not, right? No pressure on myself, just excitement and curiosity. She supported me every step of the way, my absolute beacon of light and the smartest woman I know, to this day. (How do these midwives store so much knowledge? It will never cease to amaze me??!)
We went straight to the hospital for monitoring as my waters were dark brown. (Here we go, I thought.) Bizarrely, I was joking around with my husband, laughing, eating a banana which I promptly threw up - and then in less than an hour I was pushing. I had a sook when I asked for the epi and Alanna rightfully asserted there may not be time. She knew what I wanted and needed even better than I did in that moment to get me through and I cannot be more grateful for that. Kayla also joined us that day and she was a wonderfully calming presence. I was so happy she was there too.
And ten minutes later my baby girl was born, labour was less than 2.5 hours. It was intense but so wonderful. I laughed with joy as she came out of me, and into the world - and my first words to Alanna were "I did it." We hugged and I'll never forget that moment.
Becoming a mother is one of the most selfless things we can do, sometimes when we experience the joy of bringing life into the world, and even the sadness of losing it - it can feel like we are viewed only as a vessel in our medical system. But we are so much more than that and I could cry at the thought of what MGP and Alanna have done for me over the last 5 years. I believe I am the woman and mother I am today in large part because of how the program and Alanna supported and advocated for me and my babies. The combination of a strong mental state and actively choosing and understanding what is happening to you in birth is an absolute winner.
It was the perfect way to birth my last baby, I'm so lucky to have experienced it. A natural birth with no intervention was a surreal experience. Especially the recovery, being so fast. I can completely understand why our midwives advocate for us to have this and I wish for this level of care for every mother. Thank you Blacktown Hospital, MGP midwives and Alanna for everything.
