Davina McCall is no stranger to tackling taboo topics head-on. After the runaway success of Menopausing, her honest and empowering exploration of life beyond periods, she’s returned to the most primal and powerful moment in many women’s lives - birth.
Her new book, Birthing, written alongside midwife and Instagram favourite Midwife Marley, is a celebration of the many paths to parenthood and a rallying cry for informed choice, compassion, and sharing stories without judgement.
“I did think, is it weird?” Davina admits, when we ask what inspired her to write a book about birth. “I'm no longer of childbearing age…But I was very nervous about giving birth.” It was a chance dinner next to a woman named Annabelle that changed everything for her. “She told me about her midwife-led birth… I was thinking, what does that mean? But after, I thought that is what I want.”
That encounter opened her up to the realisation that there wasn’t enough open discussion about the different ways people can give birth and, more importantly, that all of them deserve space, support, and respect.
This desire to amplify choice and cut through misinformation stuck with her for decades. “Nobody really wanted me to write a book at that point,” she says of the early idea. “Why would the girl who presents Big Brother write a book about giving birth? It seemed like a really weird thing to do.” But after the success of Menopausing, publishers HarperCollins asked what she wanted to do next. “I said, please, please, can I write a book about giving birth?”
Birthing isn’t just a personal memoir or a how-to. It’s a carefully curated mix of real stories, expert insight, and Davina’s trademark honesty and warmth. “I want to amplify things that will make women’s lives easier and better,” she says. “I know from Menopausing that other women’s stories make a huge difference.”
One of the most moving parts of the writing process was gathering those stories, from joyful births to tragic losses. “There is nothing quite like hearing first-hand experience,” she says. “What it was really like for someone.”
While Davina had three “relatively straightforward births” herself, reading others’ stories deepened her sense of gratitude and empathy. “It did make me realise how grateful I am for that. I think the thing that I have heard probably most since I have had my babies was this feeling of shame that somehow you did it wrong. I want parents to be prepared for every eventuality.”
Empowerment, not shame, is at the heart of Birthing. Whether you choose a home birth, an elective C-section, or everything in between, Davina is clear: “You are all entitled to have the kind of birth that you want. The book is non-judgmental, and it’s about empowerment.”
That includes confronting long-standing myths that cause anxiety. “A big one that I have heard from a lot of women is 'I was told I was going to have a massive baby, so I was encouraged to either be induced or to have a C-section',” she says. “But quite often the babies would be like 7.5 to 8 pounds, and so the women felt quite robbed. It is really hard to guess the weight of a baby because of the fat on the baby and the water in the placenta. But Mother Nature very rarely gives you a baby that you can't get out.”
She also highlights confusion around waters breaking and the pressure to have an induction, praising Midwife Marley’s guidance: “She knows everything. She is absolutely brilliant.”
Although much of the book is grounded in real women’s experiences, Davina also discovered new insights during the research process, particularly around hypnobirthing. “When I was having babies, hypnobirthing wasn’t a thing… turns out that I was hypnobirthing without realising it,” she laughs. “I had these mantras, and one of them, which I loved, was ‘it's safe to open even more.’ Reminding yourself that this pain you're feeling is a safe pain. And it's not going to injure you, and to relax into it rather than fight it.”
The book doesn’t shy away from trauma either. “Birth trauma is a very real thing,” Davina says. “One woman’s experience could be completely different [from another’s]. If you are feeling like you can't stop thinking about it and it is affecting your life, seek help. Don't sit on your own with it.”
Perhaps most striking is how much Birthing acknowledges the emotional intensity of trying to conceive in the first place. “Trying to have a baby is supposed to be the most natural and easiest thing in the world, but it is so hard if it doesn't just happen.” Davina was particularly moved by poet Harry Baker’s viral poem Trying, which she says “made me weep watching him deliver it.”
The book also carves out space for partners, especially men, who often feel like a “spare part.” Davina’s mindful of how much her son Chester could learn from Birthing, as well as her daughters. “There’s quite a lot about supporting men in this book… and how to be part of it.”
At its core, Birthing is a book for everyone. For those giving birth, for those supporting them, for those still trying, and for anyone simply curious. It’s full of compassion, humour, realism, and respect. “We need to treat midwives like goddesses and gods,” Davina says passionately.
With this book, Davina isn’t prescribing one “right” way to do birth. She’s shining a light on all the ways it can happen - and reminding readers that every story, every body, and every birth matters.
'Birthing by Davina McCall (HQ, £22) is out 11th September'
Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby. With a background in both print and digital journalism, she has written extensively on pregnancy, fertility, perinatal mental health, and the best in baby and parenting products. A first-time mum to Theodore, Emily combines her professional expertise with personal experience, offering readers trusted advice and relatable insight. Specialising in product and travel reviews, she stays ahead of the curve on the latest parenting trends and is passionate about showing that life with a little one can still be full of adventure.