
All Episodes
Episodes
Episode 83 - Moving in labour and birth
Mel takes you through the research and historical background behind the use of a bed and laying down during labour and birth. Is this where you imagine yourself giving birth? If so, this episode is for you. There are...
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Episode 82 - Failure to progress or just normal?
Mel speaks with researchers Marina Weckend and Dr Clare Davison about their work on Physiological Plateaus in labour. This is truly rebellious work because it challenges the false medical language about how labour and...
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Episode 81 - How do homebirth midwives manage birth emergencies
Mel invites her work-wife Ashlee Anslow from the birthing tree midwifery to discuss how they manage birth emergencies at home. We discuss foetal distress in labour, cord accidents, shoulder dystocia, neonatal...
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Episode 80 - Caring for a late preterm baby
Mel draws on her life and midwifery experience (and the research evidence) to discuss care of late pre-term babies born between 34-37 weeks. Mel offers some alternative care strategies such as delayed cord clamping,...
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Episode 79 - Interview with wise woman Sheryl Sidery
Mel interviews wise woman midwife Sheryl Sidery who has been a private midwife for 40 years. Learning from experienced midwives, in our western culture, is one of the only ways to learn new things about physiological...
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Episode 78 - Meconium in the waters
Mel describes what the current research says about meconium stained amniotic fluid. What is it? Is meconium truly āsterileā? Is meconium always a problem? and what might happen to your baby if there is meconium in...
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Episode 77 - The place of policy
Dr. Kirsten Small and Dr. Melanie Jackson discuss the place of policy in maternity care. You can't navigate what you donāt understand. Stick with us as we explore how hospitals are organised, why policies are created,...
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Episode 76 - Ask me anything
Mel answers some listener questions in a one and only public āAsk me anythingā episode. In the future these episodes are reserved for premium hub members who get one of these per month and have access to the āask Mel...
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Episode 75 - Things are changing around here
In this episode Mel explains why she chose to release B as co-host of the great birth rebellion podcast and offers a summary of the changes you can expect of the podcast going forward.Ā
04:30 - Summary of listener...
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Episode 74 - The cascade of interventions
Mel and B discuss the concept of āthe cascade of interventionsā. The cascade occurs when an additional intervention is needed in order to counteract the impact of the last intervention. We specifically make reference...
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Episode 73 - Episiotomy Part 2
Part 1 (episode 72) is essential listening if you want to get the full picture. In this episode Mel and B continue their exploration into the intervention of episiotomy by talking about issues of consent, how to keep...
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Episode 72 - Episiotomy Part 1
Episiotomy is the practice of using scissors to cut the opening of the vagina to make it larger for childbirth. In Australia, 25% of women receive one. We examine this practice in what we thought would be one episodeā¦...
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