Gen – PT, three babies, prolapse recovery, 44-year-old home birth

Personal trainer Gen’s journey to motherhood began unexpectedly at 37 whilst living in Richmond, Melbourne. Working in women’s health and focusing on cycle awareness and nutrition, she found herself in an optimal place to conceive despite not actively planning pregnancy.

“If you had spoken to me seven years ago, you wouldn’t have picked me having three kids,” Gen reflects. The realisation came after a late period: “It got to about 10 days and I was like, okay, maybe I should get a test. And I did. And then it was positive and I was like wow. It was actually a very spiritual moment because I was like… I think if anyone who falls pregnant or has their baby, it is one of the most spiritual things that can happen for you.”

Initially fearful of birth, Gen found inspiration through her sister-in-law’s perspective on birth as a physical challenge, and through reading Rhea Dempsey’s book. “She talks about yoga people or people who enjoy training working through a pain threshold to get the result. And again that was another thing that connected with me and that gave me confidence to know that I could do it.”

First Birth – Maverick at Royal Women’s Hospital

At 38, Gen navigated the public system at Royal Women’s Hospital with different midwives at each appointment. Her labour began naturally with gentle contractions that allowed her to rest between them. “We came back to bed, lay down, I’d get a contraction, but then I could fall asleep in between. And it was just really lovely.”

The intensity ramped up quickly, leading to a dramatic transfer to hospital. “The last contraction I had at home was I was like, I don’t know if I can do this. So it was in transition at home.” After a missed turn and emergency parking, Gen arrived at hospital ready to birth.

“I jumped onto the bed on all fours… it felt like I had maybe five or six contractions. And I remember… he was crowning and the midwife was like, okay, you’re just gonna feel like a ring of fire. Which I actually really connected to that.” Maverick was born after what felt like just a few powerful contractions.

However, the placenta proved challenging, taking over an hour to birth and requiring surgical removal of retained fragments. Despite this setback, Gen felt “very proud of what I’d achieved” and described the immediate postpartum period as being “in a bubble for the two days… it was just incredible, blissful, surreal.”

Second Birth – Harlow During COVID Challenges

Gen’s second pregnancy occurred during the tumultuous COVID period, complicated by job redundancy, house hunting, and caring for a toddler. “It was just such a total opposite of what had happened with Mav,” she recalls of the stressful circumstances.

This time, she was fortunate to access the Cosmos programme with continuity of midwifery care. Labour began whilst trying to settle Maverick for his nap, with Gen initially in denial about being in labour whilst cooking and preparing for postpartum.

The birth took place in water at Royal Women’s Hospital. “We got into the water and… I guess my experience with the water is that it slowed it down. I felt really more power and strength.” Harlow was born after a similar timeframe to her brother, though Gen felt more exhausted going into this birth.

A significant moment occurred when Harlow was born: “She came out and she landed on the bottom of the [pool] and… my midwife is ‘Pick her up. Pick her up.’ So then we picked her up.” This time, Gen accepted the syntocin injection for placenta delivery due to exhaustion.

Postpartum Challenges and Relocation

The period following Harlow’s birth was marked by housing instability, moving between locations, and the stress of lockdowns. “That became stressful too, because the vaccine had come out. I was staying with the in laws, they were older. I decided I wasn’t going to get the vaccine. So then there was pressure from everywhere.”

Eventually, the family settled in Inverloch on the Victorian coast, where Gen discovered a supportive community of like-minded families. “It’s a smaller community so you meet more people and people live here for the same sort of reasons… to be near the coast, to be the beach. Lots of young kids similar age and a lot of mums on the same path and page as me.”

Third Pregnancy – Unexpected but Embracing the Journey

At 43, Gen discovered she was pregnant again on Mother’s Day 2024. “I was out for margaritas with some of the mums… my period was late and I was like okay, what’s happening here?” The initial shock and processing took time, with both partners needing to adjust to this unplanned addition.

The pregnancy brought new challenges, particularly around ageist attitudes from healthcare providers. At her first scan, the sonographer questioned her age: “She’s got a trainee badge and she’s, oh, 81. Are you sure? 81… Oh, you look good for your age sort of thing.” These experiences continued throughout her care, with providers immediately focusing on increased risks rather than supporting her confidence.

“This was the first time in my life in any aspect that I felt… too old, too old, you know, like in myself and my body,” Gen reflects. However, she found her inner strength: “Something shifted in me and said you can do this and… from there I just chose to do the best I can in terms of looking after myself.”

Preparing for Home Birth

For her third birth, Gen chose private midwifery care for a planned home birth. “I had wanted one… this time around, I was like, no, I really want to have home birth… I wanted to have one crack at having her at home.”

The preparation included managing a prolapse diagnosis at 22 weeks, which initially caused anxiety but became part of her learning journey as both a mother and fitness professional working with women.

Alaska’s Dramatic Home Birth

At 39 weeks and 6 days, labour began whilst Gen was on the computer. “I was like, okay, I’m gonna go have a shower. Because I initially wasn’t far off. I’m like, I need to wash my hair.”

What followed was the most intense and rapid of her three labours. “I get into the shower and… that contraction comes and I’m like, oh, that’s a bit weird… Then I vomit in the shower. So I’m like, okay.”

The midwife was called but labour progressed incredibly quickly. “I can feel her crown… Head pops out. Amanda walks in… and then, yeah… I feel like one more, two more contractions and pushes, and she was there on the shower floor.”

The entire labour lasted just one hour from start to finish. “I was like, oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. So that was like an hour from start to finish.”

When the children were brought to meet their new sister, the scene wasn’t quite what Gen had envisioned: “I’m in the bath, there’s blood everywhere. Baby’s on me. I’m naked. Boobs everywhere. And then they brings them out and they’re like, yes… No joy. Okay, dusty, want to go to bed. And they’re like, yeah… That was probably not the scene that they needed.”

Postpartum and Recovery

Despite the rapid birth, Gen’s recovery has been positive. She’s managing her prolapse with support from pelvic health physiotherapy and pessary use when needed. “I’m past the being afraid of doing things that I love and learning to work with it rather than against it.”

Now four months postpartum, Gen reflects on her journey: “2025 has definitely been one of the most spiritual years for me… I started the year off with a 21 day manifestation challenge thing and it was funnily enough, on 21st of January, Alaska was born.”

Gen’s story demonstrates the importance of trusting your body’s wisdom despite challenges and setbacks, the significant impact of supportive versus dismissive healthcare providers, and how each birth experience can teach us more about our capabilities. Her journey from unplanned first pregnancy to empowering home birth at 44 beautifully illustrates that age truly is just a number when it comes to birthing our babies.

Gen works as a personal trainer specialising in pregnancy, postpartum, babies and beyond, and has recently launched her podcast The Mother of All Journeys.