Trigger warning: In this episode we talk about birth trauma and Hannah’s personal experience of this. If you don’t feel ready to listen right now, please take care of yourself and come back when the time feels right 💛

In this episode, we’re joined by Hannah, who we first met when she was a student at Norland College. Hannah shares her experience of the traumatic birth of her daughter, and why she feels so strongly about raising awareness and supporting other parents who may be going through something similar.

We talk about the importance of having someone to advocate for you during pregnancy and birth, and what can happen when that support isn’t there. Hannah reflects on her experience in hospital, the moments and interactions that have stayed with her, and how it felt to meet her daughter for the first time in NICU. She also shares the ongoing impact once they returned home, from feeling overlooked and unsupported, to navigating continued concerns and ‘red flags’ in her baby’s care.

We also explore how birth trauma doesn’t always end when you leave the hospital. Hannah opens up about the time it took to for her to realise she needed to seek support, finally doing so through her GP, the emotional toll it had on her relationships, and the difficult decision-making process when considering having another baby, including the support she received from a birth trauma therapist.

This conversation highlights how important it is that parents feel heard, supported and cared for and raises important questions about how maternity services can better support families. Hannah also shares her thoughts on the need for greater awareness of birth trauma and why she is supporting calls for maternity reform.

Hannah talked to us about a petition currently circulating around maternity reform. This is being debated on 20 April 2026 and, if you are listening before the deadline of 7 July 2026, she (and we) would urge you to sign it.

Sign the petition here

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Our podcast episode (September 2025) with Trudi Webber from Make Birth Better, was all about what birth trauma is, how it can happen along with tips for looking after yourself emotionally when preparing for, during and after birth – you can listen to this episode here

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