Baby Riley: A pregnancy, birth & postpartum journey

"I was very supported throughout my labour and birth. My partner is amazing. We also had a doula. Definitely worth the money!"

"I listened to the same podcast during labour that I had listened to for the past 6 months"

Aisha & her partner (now fiancé!) were very excited to unexpectedly fall pregnant in early 2025.

Aisha, a junior accountant & Pilates teacher, wanted to be as prepared and as healthy as possible for their pregnancy, birth & postpartum journey.

They did hypnobirthing classes, hired a doula & saw Midwife Anita for pregnancy & postnatal care.

The Beginning

Can you give us a bit of backstory about your family life? How many children do you have, what do you do for work, etc.?

Riley is our first child. I work in junior accounting, and I am also a Pilates teacher.

What sort of emotions did you experience on finding out about this pregnancy? How did you tell your partner?

Haha I was a mess. I took a pregnancy test one day. My partner came into the bathroom to brush his teeth, saw that it was on the benchtop, looked at me and was like "Are you serious?". I started crying because it was very unexpected. But we wouldn’t change it for the world.

How was your pregnancy? Were you well overall? Was there anything that happened that you'd like to share?

Yes, I was well overall. I didn’t eat dinner from about week 5 to week 9 as I was feeling nauseous in the afternoons. The mornings were fine for me. I was well throughout the rest of the pregnancy. I think I got lucky compared to others. I just experienced a lot of hip pain throughout my pregnancy.

Which Wise & Well package option did you choose?

The Early Pregnancy & Birth Preparation Packages + Postnatal Care

Did you see any of our Allied Health team during your pregnancy or postpartum?

Lactation Consultant Tracey (antenatally & postnatally)

What tips do you have for other mums for a positive and healthy pregnancy?

Continue to move your body. Continue to stretch throughout pregnancy. I found that really helped. Continue to eat really good foods for you and baby and a pre-pregnancy vitamin. And get good sleep haha.

The Middle

How did labour start? Was it spontaneous or were you induced?

My labour was spontaneous; it started at 41+5 and Riley was born at 41+6 at 4:47 am. The hospital was happy to let us go as long as we were both happy and healthy. That’s what I wanted, a natural labour.

Did you utilise any pain relief/techniques/strategies during labour? Did it help?

I listened to an MP3 podcast throughout my pregnancy, maybe the last six months of it. I played this on the night, and it was extremely helpful for me. I used a stress ball and TENS machine. I also read a book on how you can get through labour with natural remedies (Birth Skills by Juju Sundin). This was given to me from Anita and was extremely helpful.

How did you feel during labour & birth? Supported? Is there anything that happened that you'd like to share?

I was very supported throughout my labour and birth. My partner is amazing. We also had a doula. Definitely worth the money! I was bleeding quite a lot, so the midwives and obstetrician were a little bit worried. But we had a natural birth in the end.

What was the most helpful thing for you during labour and birth? Was there anything your support person did that worked well? Any tips for other mums/partners?

Because I was bleeding quite a lot, I didn’t ask for an epidural. I felt that, in my mind, if I needed an epidural then it would be because I was having an emergency C-section. So, I just didn’t ask for one and I didn't use any pain relief throughout labour. The MP3 playlist that I had playing, as well as my stress ball, TENS machine and my support team, were amazing so I don’t feel there was much that I needed to change.

How did you feel immediately after your child was born? How was your support person/partner?

I was exhausted. My support people were there to help us. But I was also extremely happy. After seeing her face, it’s like the pain just went away.

The End (AKA The start of your next chapter)

How have you been adjusting to life with your new little person? How has your feeding journey been?

My feeding journey at the start was stressful and painful. But I didn’t want to give up! It definitely got better, but it was hard. I won’t lie. Breastfeeding is hard, but it’s also a great connection to have with your little one. It’s different having a baby going from only being you and your partner, to now taking care of a little one. It’s a new normal and we are adjusting really well.

What are your tips you have for other mums for a positive, supported and healthy postpartum journey?

To reach out if you need help. Always take a nap when baby takes a nap- when you can! Forget about the housework and just work with what works with you and baby. Everyone is different and you’ll find a new normal. It’s been an amazing journey so far.

Thank you to Aisha & her fiancé for sharing their beautiful story with us.

Each birth & postpartum experience unfolds differently, go gently.

Please reach out if you would like to discuss your own birth experience with us.