S4. Ep4. From Home to Hospital. A story of birth hypoxia.

Haylee was a young, fit, first time mum, and her pregnancy with her first son Fred was progressing beautifully. Haylee was well educated about her health and pregnancy choices, and elected to birth at home with the support of her partner and a private midwife. When her labour at home began to slow, Haylee transferred her care to the local hospital, a short drive away. Unexpectedly, baby Fred was not found to not be coping well with labour and contractions, and Fred was born via emergency caesarean section. Following birth, Fred's birth weight smaller than expected, and he was diagnosed with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), a condition where low oxygen levels can affect a baby’s brain. He was transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital via helicopter. Haylee shares her story of the traumatic first days and weeks of Fred’s life, and reflects on how she was treated and judged by some health care professionals in her journey. Haylee also describes the experience of her next births, and how she is now able to help other women on their pregnancy and birth journeys as a women's health osteopath.