SUMMER LISTENING: From Hysterectomy to Maternity Ward: The Pregnancy Nobody Planned

When Courtney thought her family was complete with two beautiful children, she was finally ready to focus on herself. After her doctor found pre-cancerous cervical cells following her first birth, she'd been advised to have a completion hysterectomy once her family was finished—and at 38, with a four-year-old and almost two-year-old, that time had finally come. Her hysterectomy was booked for March of that year. But in February, just weeks before her scheduled surgery, Courtney discovered she was pregnant with her third child. The culprit? Her two-year-old daughter Margo, who had been secretly chewing on condoms thinking they were chocolates, making tiny holes that rendered them useless. In today's candid episode, Courtney vulnerably shares her initial shock upon discovering the pregnancy, her fear about making the "wrong" decision, and how seeing her baby healthy at 17 weeks felt like a sign. She reflects on navigating a high-risk pregnancy with a shortened cervix, enduring three weeks of prodromal labour, and the dramatic 12-minute birth that caught everyone off guard—including herself. THE END BITS: Support independent women's media Follow Diary Of A Birth on Instagram Listen to more Diary Of A Birth here CREDITS: Host : Ksenija Lukich Birth Story: Courtney Ayre Producers : Ksenija Lukich & Ella Maitland Audio Producer: Tina Matolov Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Support the show:

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SUMMER LISTENING: From Hysterectomy to Maternity Ward: The Pregnancy Nobody Planned is an episode from The Delivery Room by Mamamia Podcasts.

This episode is 35:17 long.

This episode was published on Dec 22, 2025.

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