A Midwife’s Honest Guide to Birth & Beyond

14/07/2025 38 min
A Midwife’s Honest Guide to Birth & Beyond

Listen "A Midwife’s Honest Guide to Birth & Beyond"

Episode Synopsis

Today, we're joined by the brilliant Marie Louise – better known as The Modern Midwife – to talk about What They Don’t Tell You... about birth, recovery and the mental load of motherhood. With over a decade of NHS experience and two children of her own, Marie shares expert advice and honest truths about pregnancy, birth plans, pain relief, mum guilt, intrusive thoughts, and the pressure on modern mums to “do it all.”

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

What birth plans are really for – and how to prepare for the unpredictable
Why it’s not normal for breastfeeding to hurt
The pressure to “bounce back” and why it's time to let that go
Intrusive thoughts and the early signs of postnatal anxiety
How partners can truly support new mums

We hope this conversation reassures, informs and supports you – whether you're pregnant, postpartum, or supporting someone who is.

Follow Marie on Instagram @the_modern_midwife and check out her books and courses at themodernmidwife.com.



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