
Pregnancy was a hard slog for Kelly McCarren.
She experienced hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea and vomiting for 16 weeks. She also had sciatica and heartburn. Plus, amid Sydney's second lockdown, emotions were running high.
With all this in mind, Kelly didn't go into her birth with any set expectations. She was a midwife's dream - no laminated birth plan in sight.
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She wasn't scared about giving birth, although she told Mia Freedman on Mamamia's No Filter podcast that in retrospect she was a "silly billy" as birthing was "horrendous".
But what made Kelly's birthing experience memorably challenging was what happened in the lead-up. Because a few hours before going into labour, she received a text from a friend who she had fallen out with.
"It was one of the most devastating parts," Kelly said.
"I had experienced a couple of cervical sweeps for a few days but nothing was moving. They were worried about the size of the baby because he was measuring huge - he wasn't in the end. They had booked me in for an induction," Kelly said.
The You Beauty podcast host tried everything possible to get things moving.
"I tried the sex, I tried the chillies, I tried absolutely everything. I was enormous, and it was very uncomfortable, especially during the middle of summer."
After trying all these things to induce labour, Kelly received the text in question. When Kelly saw her friend's name pop up on her phone, she immediately felt emotional.
"I got so excited and thought, 'Oh my god she's messaged me, she probably knows I'm about to have the baby and she wants to chat.' I had just been trying to give her space. But it was just a flurry of quite horrific abuse. And this is from someone I loved. It just set me off," Kelly said.
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