EBB 366 - Practical Ways of Preparing for Postpartum with Sophie Walker, Author and Host of the Australian Birth Stories Podcast

Evidence Based Birth®

Rebecca Dekker

Pregnancy, Health & Fitness, Childbirth, Parenting, Birth, Medicine, Kids & Family, Doula, Obstetrician, Midwife

4.6 • 978 Ratings

🗓️ 23 July 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sophie Walker, host of the Australian Birth Stories podcast and author of The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy and Birth and The Complete Guide to Postpartum: A Mother-Focused Companion for Life After Birth, joins Dr. Rebecca Dekker to explore what it really takes to plan for a nourishing postpartum experience and the challenges and strengths of the Australian birth system. Sophie shares how a traumatic first birth sparked her passion for informed decision-making, why continuity of midwifery care matters, and how her country’s publicly funded postpartum home visits and mothers’ groups create critical support networks. Together, Sophie and Dr. Dekker unpack the postpartum cliff that so many new parents face, discuss how to prepare mentally, emotionally, and physically for life after birth, and offer tips on everything from pelvic floor recovery to sleep expectations to navigating newborn feeding.

(02:28) Sophie’s Birth Story and What She Learned from Trauma

(06:07) Why Listening to Birth Stories Can Be a Powerful Tool

(09:25) Models of Maternity Care in Australia

(13:10) Strengths and Gaps in the Australian System

(17:33) Midwifery Burnout and Access Issues

(20:32) Rise of Doulas and Student Midwives

(25:03) Postpartum Home Visits and Maternal Health Nurses

(29:51) Mistakes to Avoid When Planning for Postpartum

(35:01) Pelvic Floor Recovery, Lactation Support, and Mental Health

(42:04) Infant Sleep: Expectations vs. Reality

(46:49) Balancing Birth and Postpartum Prep

(48:26) Making a Mental Health Safety Net

(51:33) Listening to a Range of Birth Stories—Even the Hard Ones

Resources

Explore Sophie’s podcast and books: australianbirthstories.com

Follow Sophie on Instagram: @australianbirthstories

EBB 155 – Pelvic Floor Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum with Dr. Juan Michelle Martin

EBB 256 – Top 3 Recommendations for Preventing Pelvic Floor Dysfunction after Birth with Dr. Sarah Duvall, Founder of Core Exercise Solutions

EBB 118 – How to Have a Healthy Postpartum Transition with Dr. Alyssa Berlin

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everyone. On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Sophie Walker about planning for
0:05.3	postpartum and the benefits and challenges of the Australian birth system.
0:13.5	Welcome to the evidence-based birth podcast. My name is Rebecca Decker, and I'm a nurse with my
0:18.6	PhD and the founder of evidence-based birth.
0:22.0	Join me each week as we work together to get evidence-based information into the hands of
0:27.0	families and professionals around the world. As a reminder, this information is not medical advice.
0:33.5	See eBbirth.com slash disclaimer for more details.
0:39.0	Hi, everyone and welcome to today's episode of the evidence-based birth podcast.
0:43.9	Today, I'm so excited for us to talk with Sophie Walker.
0:47.9	Sophie is the founder of Australian Birth Stories, a platform dedicated to sharing
0:52.8	diverse pregnancy and birth experiences.
0:55.8	Her incredible podcast of the same name has garnered more than 18 million downloads,
1:01.4	helped thousands of expectant parents across Australia prepare for their own journeys
1:05.7	into parenthood. After experiencing significant physical and emotional trauma following her first birth,
1:13.0	Sophie's redemptive second birth experience inspired her to create a resource for other women
1:18.0	who are navigating pregnancy and birth.
1:20.3	With a master's in public health and personal experience of both challenging and empowering
1:25.9	births, Sophie brings a unique perspective to her work
1:29.1	advocating for informed birth preparation.
1:32.2	Sophie is also the author of the bestselling book, The Complete Australian Guide to Pregnancy
1:37.5	and Birth, which has sold more than 30,000 copies and become an essential resource for
1:42.4	expecting families across Australia. Her highly
	...

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