May 7, 2018
<p> In this weeks episode, I interview Sarah Hocking. Sarah first found out she was pregnant when she was in her first year of primary teaching. The pregnancy came as a shock as they were planning their wedding however they soon became really excited. At Sarah’s eight week scan they discovered they had miscarried their baby. Devastated by their loss, Sarah decided to throw herself into her wedding preparation. </p>
<p> Nine weeks prior to the wedding Sarah found out she was pregnant. Thrilled to be pregnant Sarah went through the care at the Mercy Hospital in Melbourne. Sarah had had a stroke at the age of 24 which meant she was categorized as high risk during her pregnancy. </p>
<p> Sarah was diagnosed as having placenta previa and as she was on blood thinning medication from her stroke, she had to watch out for any bleeding. Due to the placenta’s positioning Sarah was booked in for a caesarean section. A week before her scheduled Caesarean section Sarah’s vision began to deteriorate and she initially thought it was due to tiredness. She went to see the doctor and she said if it gets worse come back in for more tests. </p>
<p> Sarah was watching the news with her husband and she started crying as she couldn't see the faces of the news readers properly. They decided to go to the hospital and they had monitoring and then the doctor came back in and he thought she should have a CAT scan to rule everything out. At this stage, they were just waiting for results and she sent her husband home for some rest. At 3 am she was woken when all the lights in her room came on and a team of doctors came in and said “You’re going to be in for a really rough ride. We’ve found three clots in your brain.” To hear more about Sarah’s journey tune into this weeks episode. </p>
<p> To connect with Sarah and her blog Blind Intuition </p>
<p> Today’s episode is sponsored by Renee from The Birth Space. Renee is a Certified Hypnobirthing Australia™ Practitioner and Postnatal Doula based in Perth. She is passionate about teaching and encouraging women that birth shouldn’t be feared, but anticipated and embraced. With the right knowledge, preparation, tools, and support, the Hypnobirthing Australia™ program helps you to have a positive and calm birthing experience. Renee teaches the Hypnobirthing Australia™ program in a group or private classes in Perth and she also offers Skype sessions for those of you living in other states across Australia. As a Postpartum doula, Renee is able to support you in that precious first few days and weeks post birth. Renee is offering my listeners a $50 discount off a Hypnobirthing Australia class or her Postnatal Doula services until the end of July using the code BirthStories. You can find out more about Renee and The Birth Space over at https://www.thebirthspace.com.au </p>
<p> Topics covered: stroke, legally blind, clean, brain surgery, downs syndrome, DNC, meningiomas, placenta previa, disability, grief, loss, VBAC. </p>
<p>If you'd like my FREE guide on perineal massage click HERE</p>
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