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The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast

The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast

Written by: Sallyann Beresford
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About this listen

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.

© 2025 The Ultimate Birth Partner Podcast
Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • Episode 167 - Self-Gaslighting – When You Silence Your Own Instincts
    Jan 25 2026

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    In this episode, I am exploring the hidden and often overlooked phenomenon of self-gaslighting—when women dismiss their own instincts, feelings, or inner knowing. Self-gaslighting can show up during pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood, quietly eroding confidence and disconnecting women from their power.

    I will break down:

    • What self-gaslighting is and how to recognise it
    • Where it comes from and why it’s so common
    • How it shows up in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum
    • The emotional and physical costs of silencing yourself
    • Practical tools to unlearn self-gaslighting and reclaim your confidence
    • How birth partners can support women to trust themselves

    This episode is about reclaiming your voice, your instincts, and your power—so you can navigate birth and motherhood with clarity, confidence, and self-trust.


    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 for ...

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    31 mins
  • Episode 166 - The Ten Commandments of Birth: Why Inner Work Matters More Than Technique
    Jan 18 2026

    Send us a text

    So much of birth preparation focuses on what to do — how to breathe, how to move, how to plan.

    But none of that works if a woman doesn’t trust herself.

    In this episode, I’m sharing my Ten Commandments of Birth and explaining why I believe inner work is the missing piece in so much birth preparation. I talk honestly about what I’ve seen shift in women since creating Discover Your North Star, and why no breathing technique can undo years of self-doubt.

    This episode is about preparation that goes deeper than checklists and protocols — preparation that changes how a woman meets her birth, whatever path it takes.

    The Ten Commandments of Birth (PDF) - Download here
    I’ve created this as a reflective, practical guide to support the inner work I talk about in this episode. It also includes a version for your birth partner.

    Discover Your North Star - Online Course
    If this episode resonates, this is where we go deeper.
    The course is designed to help you build trust in yourself, prepare emotionally and mentally, and arrive at birth feeling grounded and aligned.

    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 for ...

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • Episode 165 - The Baby I Dreamed Of — And the Feelings I Didn’t Expect
    Nov 30 2025

    Send us a text

    In this final episode of the year, I’m talking about something I see all the time in my work — but something women rarely feel able to admit out loud: that the desperate longing for a baby doesn’t always match how they feel once they are actually here.

    After more than two decades supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and those early vulnerable weeks, I’ve heard this story in so many different forms. Today, I’m sharing the experience of a mum I met at a recent coffee morning — Emma — who gave me permission to talk about her journey.

    Emma had two miscarriages before this pregnancy. She spent months just trying to get to the birth, believing that once her baby was safely here, everything would fall into place. But her birth ended up being long, heavily managed, and exhausting, leaving her feeling out of control. She also struggled with the after-effects of the pain relief she received. And when she finally held her baby, she didn’t feel the rush of emotion she’d imagined.

    Her question to me — quiet, honest, and full of guilt — forms the heart of this episode.

    Together, we unpack why so many women feel this way, why these feelings don’t mean anything is wrong, and how the emotional transition into motherhood is far more complex than most people prepare you for.

    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 for ...

    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
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