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The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast

The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast

By: Sallyann Beresford
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Everything a pregnant woman and her partner need to know to support them in preparation for labour, birth, and the early days with a new baby. This podcast gives both you and your partner the confidence and knowledge about the role they play throughout your birth, so they don't undermine or ruin the birth for you. Throughout these episodes, my guests and I will share with you our experience of being a birth keeper and advocate for women across the globe. This podcast is inclusive and invites guests from all backgrounds to enable you to hear a wide range of experiences.

© 2026 The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast
Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Episode 180 - It’s Not Just About the Destination – It’s About the Journey as Well
    Apr 26 2026

    In this final episode of the season, I’m bringing together many of the themes we’ve explored over recent weeks and looking at one central idea: birth is not just about the destination — it’s about the journey as well.

    So often, birth conversations are reduced to outcomes. Was the baby healthy? Did everything go okay? Was everyone safe? And while those things absolutely matter, they are not the full story.

    In this episode, I explore what gets lost when birth is viewed only as a medical event. When the focus stays solely on monitoring, managing and achieving an outcome, women can disappear from the centre of their own experience. Birth can start to feel like something that happens around them rather than something they are actively moving through.

    I reflect on how this links to many of the topics we’ve covered this season, including decision-making in labour, consent, subtle pressure, nervous system responses and what it means to feel safe, informed and included during birth.

    I also explore why two women can experience similar births on paper and walk away feeling completely differently about them. Our previous experiences, beliefs, fears, nervous system responses and sense of self all shape how birth is experienced in real time.

    We also touch on the idea of birth as a rite of passage and how this connects to matrescence — the transition into motherhood. Birth is not simply an event to complete. It is part of a much bigger identity shift, and how women move through that process can shape how they step into motherhood afterwards.

    This episode is a reminder to prepare for more than just the outcome. To understand yourself. To recognise how you respond under pressure. To stay connected to what matters to you.

    And perhaps most importantly, it’s an invitation to stop treating birth as something to simply get through.

    Because how you experience birth matters.

    And that experience stays with you long after the baby is born.

    Thank you for listening this season.

    Send me a message

    If you love the podcast and would like to support it, then please use the link to 'buy me a coffee' - https://bmc.link/sallyannberesford

    If you would like to buy a copy of either of the books that accompany this podcast please go to your online bookseller or visit Amazon:-

    Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner - click here:-https://bit.ly/Labouroflove

    The Art of Giving Birth - Five Key Physiological Principles - https://amzn.to/3EGh9df

    Pregnancy Journal for 'The Art of Giving Birth'
    - Black and White version https://amzn.to/3CvJXmO

    Pregnancy Journal for 'The Art of Giving Birth'
    - Colour version https://amzn.to/3GknbPF

    You can find all my classes and courses on my website - www.sallyannberesford.co.uk

    Follow me on Instagram @theultimatebirthpartner

    Book a 1-2-1 session with Sallyann - https://linktr.ee/SallyannBeresford

    Please remember that the information shared with you in this episode is solely based on my own personal experiences as a doula and the private opinions of my guests, based on their own experiences. Any recommendations made may not be suitable fo...

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    28 mins
  • Episode 179 - The Truth About Breathing and Relaxation for Birth
    Apr 19 2026

    In this episode, I take a deeper look at breathing and relaxation in preparation for labour — going beyond the simple advice to “just breathe” or “try to relax.” These are not magic fixes, but skills that reflect how your nervous system responds to stress, intensity, and the sensations of labour.

    I talk about how the modern world keeps our bodies in a constant state of alert. Our bodies are always scanning for threat, and for many of us, a slight state of tension has become normal. This affects how we experience birth, because labour is a deeply mammalian process that relies on the body feeling safe, supported, and able to drop into an instinctive state.

    I explain the difference between physiological pain, which is expected and manageable, and pathological pain, which indicates that something in the body or the baby’s position is creating extra intensity. The baby is navigating your body’s infrastructure — the uterus, musculoskeletal system, fascia, emotional state, and even placental position — and sometimes that can lead to sensations that cannot be handled by breathing alone. I also explore how the mind interacts with the body during labour.

    By the end of this episode, you’ll understand that breathing and relaxation are part of a bigger picture — a skill set that develops over time, incorporating your body, mind, and nervous system — giving you confidence and practical tools to navigate labour more effectively.

    Purchase my 1 hour track Breathe

    Episode 9 - Breathing and Relaxation Skills for labour

    Episode 107 - More Breathing and Relaxation Skills for labour

    Episode 121 - FREE Somatic Guided Relaxation for your nervous system

    Episode 141 - Simple strategies for a calm and empowered labour

    Send me a message

    If you love the podcast and would like to support it, then please use the link to 'buy me a coffee' - https://bmc.link/sallyannberesford

    If you would like to buy a copy of either of the books that accompany this podcast please go to your online bookseller or visit Amazon:-

    Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner - click here:-https://bit.ly/Labouroflove

    The Art of Giving Birth - Five Key Physiological Principles - https://amzn.to/3EGh9df

    Pregnancy Journal for 'The Art of Giving Birth'
    - Black and White version https://amzn.to/3CvJXmO

    Pregnancy Journal for 'The Art of Giving Birth'
    - Colour version https://amzn.to/3GknbPF

    You can find all my classes and courses on my website - www.sallyannberesford.co.uk

    Follow me on Instagram @theultimatebirthpartner

    Book a 1-2-1 session with Sallyann - https://linktr.ee/SallyannBeresford

    Please remember that the information shared with you in this episode is solely based on my own personal experiences as a doula and the private opinions of my guests, based on their own experiences. Any recommendations made may not be suitable fo...

    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Episode 178 - The Survival Response in Birth: Fawning and Cognitive Dissonance Explained
    Apr 12 2026

    Why do so many women leave their birth experience wondering, “Why did I agree to that?”

    In this episode, we explore a rarely discussed but deeply important aspect of childbirth — the body’s survival response, and how it can shape decision-making in labour in ways we don’t always recognise at the time.

    Through a powerful listener story, this conversation gently unpacks what can happen when a woman is in a highly vulnerable, hormonally driven state, and how her nervous system may respond to pressure, authority, or perceived threat. We explore the concept of fawning — a natural, biological response where the body seeks safety through compliance — and how this can lead to saying “yes” in moments where there may not have felt like a real choice.

    We then move into cognitive dissonance, the psychological process that often follows birth, where the brain works to make sense of decisions that may not have felt fully aligned in the moment. This can leave women feeling confused, questioning themselves, or quietly unsettled — even when everything appeared to go “well” on the surface.

    This episode is not about blame or criticism. It’s about understanding.
    Understanding the nervous system.
    Understanding the power dynamics within maternity care.
    And understanding how true, informed consent relies on more than just the presence of a “yes.”

    We also explore what this means in the context of autonomy and consent, and why awareness of these responses before birth can be so powerful. When women understand how their body and brain may respond under pressure, they can begin to prepare — not to control birth, but to stay more connected to themselves within it.

    If you have ever felt unsure about decisions made during your birth, or if you’re preparing for birth and want a deeper understanding of how to protect your space, your voice, and your autonomy, this episode will offer a new lens — one rooted in compassion, not judgement.

    Because this isn’t about getting it “right.”
    It’s about understanding what’s happening — and giving yourself the support and awareness to stay connected to your choices, even in the most intense moments.

    Send me a message

    If you love the podcast and would like to support it, then please use the link to 'buy me a coffee' - https://bmc.link/sallyannberesford

    If you would like to buy a copy of either of the books that accompany this podcast please go to your online bookseller or visit Amazon:-

    Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner - click here:-https://bit.ly/Labouroflove

    The Art of Giving Birth - Five Key Physiological Principles - https://amzn.to/3EGh9df

    Pregnancy Journal for 'The Art of Giving Birth'
    - Black and White version https://amzn.to/3CvJXmO

    Pregnancy Journal for 'The Art of Giving Birth'
    - Colour version https://amzn.to/3GknbPF

    You can find all my classes and courses on my website - www.sallyannberesford.co.uk

    Follow me on Instagram @theultimatebirthpartner

    Book a 1-2-1 session with Sallyann - https://linktr.ee/SallyannBeresford

    Please remember that the information shared with you in this episode is solely based on my own personal experiences as a doula and the private opinions of my guests, based on their own experiences. Any recommendations made may not be suitable fo...

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
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