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Podcasts · Kids & Family · Health & Fitness

The Great Birth Rebellion

Dr Melanie Jackson

220 episodes

You can have a GREAT pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. You just need the information and strategies to make it happen. The Great Birth Rebellion podcast, hosted by Midwife Dr Melanie Jackson offers evidence- based information to help you make informed decisions about your maternity care. The Great Birth Birth Rebellion helps you get the best out of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey. Want more? Follow along at @melaniethemidwife and @thegreatbirthrebellion on SM Subscribe to get access to the resources behind the episodes at melaniethemidwife.com and get your merch at thegreatbirthrebellion.com.

Episodes page 2 of 5

  1. Episode 177 - Defending birth and midwifery in the UK

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 177

    The UK used to be held up as an idyllic maternity care system worth replicating, but in the past 10 years, the caesarean section rate has increased to over 45% and poor maternal outcomes are rising as a result.…

  2. Episode 176 - Using birth mapping to make confident choices

    · 1 h 12 min · Episode 176

    Birth mapping is an evidence-based tool to help with decision making in pregnancy and childbirth. Dr Catherine Bell @birthmapping, joins Mel to discuss the birth map and the research behind it. Birth mapping can help…

  3. Episode 175 - Post-traumatic growth is possible

    · 57 min · Episode 175

    Some women feel stuck in a traumatic experience after childbirth, but another possibility is post-traumatic growth. Mel explores this possibility with Midwife and Psychotherapist Dr Athena Hammond. Athena specialises…

  4. Episode 174 - Buffering for emotional safety at birth

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 174

    Being alive at the end of your birth is different than being kept safe. In this episode Mel invites midwife and psychotherapist Dr Athena Hammond to talk about emotional safety during childbirth, how to enhance…

  5. Episode 173 - How to give great birth support

    · 1 h 13 min · Episode 173

    This episode is for your birth support people, your partner, doula, mum, friend… whoever you’ve chosen to be with you for your birth. Mel explains the role of a great support person clearly to give practical tips to…

  6. Episode 172 - Do I have to consume raspberry leaf tea and dates?

    · 57 min · Episode 172

    Raspberry leaf tea and dates are often recommended to you women with the thought that consuming them during pregnancy will assist with a more efficient labour and fewer complications. Today Mel looks at the evidence…

  7. Episode 171 - The midwives mission with Betty Anne Daviss

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 171

    Betty-Anne Daviss has seemingly endless energy and motivation to continue her midwifery mission. This week Betty-Anne Daviss (Canadian Midwife of nearly 50 years!) speaks to Mel about her career as a midwife, her…

  8. Episode 170 - Managing labour without pain medication

    · 1 h 23 min · Episode 170

    Sometimes labour can hurt a little or a lot. Either way, there are things that you can do to increase your capacity to manage the pain of labour. This includes your mental game, the capacity of your support team, some…

  9. Episode 169 - The Epidural

    · 1 h 15 min · Episode 169

    You might be one of the 60% of women who have an epidural during their labour or birth. If you plan a caesarean you’ll have one and 40% of labouring women have one, but do you really know what it is, how it’s done and…

  10. Episode 168 - Your incredible birth reflexes!

    · 57 min · Episode 168

    The fetus ejection reflex vs the Ferguson reflex. Did you feel your baby shoot out of you unexpectedly, or that irresistible urge that made it impossible not to push? This episode is to help understand these incredible…

  11. Episode 167 - Pushing out your baby

    · 1 h 25 min · Episode 167

    Pushing out your baby is NOT about the eye popping, no breathing, PUSH PUSH PUSH PUUUUUUUSH scene that you see in movies. Unfortunately though many women are coached by their care provider to push a particular way. It…

  12. Episode 166 - An ode to Odent

    · 1 h 05 min · Episode 166

    On Aug 19th 2025 the world farewelled legendary Obstetrician Michel Odent. He spent his career trying to warn us of the generational impact of interrupting labour and birth and gave timeless advice on the practice of…

  13. Episode 165 - How to have a long and lovely midwifery career

    · 50 min · Episode 165

    A long and lovely career in midwifery requires strategic effort, the midwifery workforce is in a crisis of unsustainability so how can you be one of the midwives that makes it to a long and lovely career? In today's…

  14. Episode 164 - Navigating homebirth transfer

    · 43 min · Episode 164

    Sometimes homebirth doesn’t go as planned and transfer to hospital is required. This doesn’t mean your homebirth failed! Planning a homebirth improves your chances of a good outcome even if you end up birthing in…

  15. Episode 163 - Is homebirth a good choice for you?

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 163

    The evidence on the safety of homebirth is well-established. This episode presents some of the research about the physical outcomes that you can expect for yourself and your baby if you plan to give birth at home. This…

  16. Episode 162 - Creating a great birth after previous caesarean

    · 1 h 17 min · Episode 162

    Having a great birth after a previous caesarean relies on 4 key elements. Some of these elements are provided by your care provider and some of them you can control. Find out how you can facilitate a positive and…

  17. Episode 161 - That new research on private obstetric care

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 161

    A new research paper is causing concern amongst the birthing community this week after a local newspaper said that the study shows that outcomes are better in private obstetric-led care compared to the public maternity…

  18. Episode 160 - Keeping yourself safe from obstetric violence

    · 37 min · Episode 160

    Women are at risk of violence in life, and sadly also during labour and birth, but what does violence against women look like during birth? Mel explains what obstetric violence is, how common it is and how to reduce…

  19. Episode 159 - Antibiotics, probiotics and your healthy vagina in pregnancy

    · 1 h 20 min · Episode 159

    What an episode! This one had me hooked! Did you realise we have tiny organisms that live on and in every part of our body; collectively it’s called the ‘microbiome’. A healthy microbiome directly links with health…

  20. Episode 158 - What is a Doula and Why Should I get One?

    · 40 min · Episode 158

    Doulas play a specific role at birth, but what is it? I interviewed Doula Poppy Child from @popthatmumma about what a doula is, what they do, how much they cost and questions to ask when hiring one. Poppy is also a…

  21. Episode 157 - VBAC Tips and tricks

    · 48 min · Episode 157

    Having a vaginal birth after caesarean can be a tricky thing to navigate BUT there are some strategies that will increase your chances of having a vaginal birth if that’s what you are planning for. This week I spoke…

  22. Episode 156 - Hypnobirthing! Can it really help?

    · 44 min · Episode 156

    Hypnobirthing is a powerful technique that you can use to work with pain in labour. It’s easy to learn and adds to your tool kit if you are gathering strategies to help you feel calmer in labour and improve your…

  23. Episode 155 - Optimising the function of your body during labour

    · 52 min · Episode 155

    A great birth doesn’t happen by accident, there are things that you can do to influence the events of your birth. In this episode Mel shares some strategies that you can apply to increase your chances of having a GREAT…

  24. Episode 154 - How to curate a great birth

    · 1 h 09 min · Episode 154

    You can be the mistress of your birth experience. Let’s talk about what part YOU play in what happens to you during your birth. This week I speak to Alice Bleathman and we derive lessons from her birth story about what…

  25. Episode 153 - How to avoid tearing during childbirth

    · 53 min · Episode 153

    There are controllable factors that you can start using today that will reduce the chances of your vulva or vagina tearing during childbirth. This episode lists the strategies that you, your care team and partner can…

  26. Episode 152 - The 5 BIG induction studies

    · 1 h 14 min · Episode 152

    The BIG BABY trail, The SWEPIS study, the ARRIVE trial, The INDEX trial and the 35/39 trial. The 5 BIG studies that often get used to endorse the use of induction for suspected big babies, women over the age of 35 and…

  27. Episode 151 - What is it like to be in labour?

    · 52 min · Episode 151

    Mel is talking all about the labour process. The focus is on how you can identify and understand labour and how it progresses so you can be prepared for each part of it. We start from early labour all the way through…

  28. Episode 150 - Considering Homebirth?

    · 58 min · Episode 150

    Are you exploring the option of homebirth? Today Renee Bargh, mum of 2 and television host tells the story of her 2 different births. One through MGP with an epidural and posterior baby and the other at home with a…

  29. Episode 149 - Increase your chance of vaginal birth in hospital with these strategies

    · 53 min · Episode 149

    Want to increase your chances of a low-intervention vaginal birth in hospital? This episode is for you! If you attend hospital to give birth, you have approximately a 50% chance of having a vaginal birth without an…

  30. Episode 148 - Why do they put their fingers in your vagina?

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 148

    Routine vaginal examinations can cause more harm than good. Sometimes they are needed but most of the time they are not. Vaginal examinations are offered as routine surveillance during most births, but you have a…

  31. Episode 147 - Your Ultrasound options in pregnancy

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 147

    Today we talk about all of your ultrasound options in pregnancy. Mel and her guest Phil Jones (sonographer) discuss the full menu of ultrasound options offered to women during pregnancy, right from the dating scan all…

  32. Episode 145 - Nausea and Vomiting in pregnancy

    · 42 min · Episode 145

    If you’re pregnant, chances are you’ll feel nauseous or be vomiting. It’s really common! And in this episode I explain 10 strategies that could help reduce and manage your symptoms. This episode is free to you the…

  33. Episode 144 - What to do when you’re overdue

    · 58 min · Episode 144

    What to do when you’re ‘over-due’, what does it mean to be over-due? Is it dangerous? Why do they want to induce you? Is your placenta failing or your baby in danger? Mel looks into due dates, how they are calculated…

  34. Episode 143 - Declining medical recommendations

    · 50 min · Episode 143

    Can you decline recommendations given to you by your care provider? And If you do, what kind of reaction can you expect. In this episode Mel gives insider details of how the maternity care system works and some of the…

  35. Episode 142 - Iron deficiency in pregnancy

    · 1 h 18 min · Episode 142

    Iron deficiency and anaemia in pregnancy occur for nearly 50% of women. In this episode, Mel and her guest Jaimee Smith discuss how to identify iron deficiency early in pregnancy to prevent anaemia, and also how to…

  36. Episode 141 - Big babies small babies

    · 1 h 27 min · Episode 141

    Are you pregnant and have been told that your baby is too big or too small? Do they want to induce you or give you a caesarean because of it? This is for you if you’ve been told your baby is too big or too small. In…

  37. Episode 140 - Baby Brain

    · 1 h 08 min · Episode 140

    The incredible science of how our brains change during pregnancy, birth and parenting with Neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay. Sarah is the author of The Women's Brain Book—The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and…

  38. Episode 139 - So you’ve got preeclampsia (part 2)

    · 33 min · Episode 139

    This is part 2 all about pre-eclampsia. Episode 138 and 139 give a deep dive into what preeclampsia is, ways to prevent and diagnose it, and today we talk about what happens if you’ve got it. Get Mel's ‘Guide to…

  39. Episode 138 - Preventing pre-eclampsia (part 1)

    · 50 min · Episode 138

    In this episode Mel finally talks about pre-eclampsia (she can avoid it no longer!). Mel explains what pre-eclampsia is, how to diagnose it, how it develops and some strategies on how to prevent it. In this episode…

  40. Episode 137 - Reclaiming Midwifery a modern day battlecry

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 137

    Professor Hannah Dahlen joins Mel to discuss modern day Midwifery and the hope that she has about reclaiming our Midwifery heritage. Hannah believes that we are SO close to a birth utopia where women will have access…

  41. Episode 136 - RSV vaccine in pregnancy

    · 56 min · Episode 136

    The RSV vaccine during pregnancy has just been approved for use in Australia and the Australian government is providing it for free to all pregnant women. Mel goes over the research about the vaccine's effectiveness…

  42. Episode 135 - Common breastfeeding issues and how to fix them

    · 1 h 11 min · Episode 135

    Mel invites experienced Lactation consultant and published author Lucy Webber to the podcast to ask her Breastfeeding questions. Lucy answers some questions that address the most common breastfeeding myths that she is…

  43. Episode 134 - The risks of induction - Part 2

    · 50 min · Episode 134

    Part 2 of the risks of induction. Episode 133 was all about the assessment and first steps of induction and this episode follows on with the risks of the final steps of induction of labour. These are a must-listen if…

  44. Episode 133 - The risks of induction - Part 1

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 133

    Having your labour induced has risks. This episode is part 1 of a discussion of the labour induction process and the associated risks that go along with each stage of an induction. The discussion continues in episode…

  45. Episode 132 - Who is Mel and what is she doing?

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 132

    Dr Melanie Jackson is the host of the Great Birth Rebellion podcast but do you really know her? Mel's husband Dan interviews her to get to the bottom of who she is and what she is up to. Dan probes with questions about…

  46. Episode 131 - Myth Busting - big baby, homebirth, postdates, CPD

    · 58 min · Episode 131

    Angela Duce (from Guardian Doula’s diary: the podcast) interviews Mel about Myth busting and truth telling about birth. Angela had questions about homebirth, choosing your birth team, postdates, ultrasounds, due dates,…

  47. Episode 130 - How bad is it? the 2024 mothers and babies report

    · 1 h 24 min · Episode 130

    The Australia’s mothers and babies report is released every year and this covers the findings of the 2024 release - Mel and her guest Dr Kirsten Small pick apart the findings and lament over them with a drinking game…

  48. Episode 129 - Giving birth to your placenta

    · 45 min · Episode 129

    After you have your baby, you’ll also give birth to your placenta, but what is the placenta? How do you give birth to it? In this episode, Mel shares 3 methods of placental birth and gives some information to help…

  49. Episode 128 - Birth keepers an investigation with journalist Charlotte King ABC

    · 1 h 24 min · Episode 128

    A birth keeper is a vague and obscure term used to describe some unregulated birth workers who attend births. No one except the birth keeper themselves really knows the full scope of what they do or what they are…

  50. Episode 127 - Do I need stitches if I tear at birth?

    · 41 min · Episode 127

    Your perineum is a part of your body that is designed to repair itself after childbirth. 70% of women will have some kind of tear or cut to their perineum during childbirth. Many of these will be stitched back together…

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