Happy Homebirth

What surprised you most about your homebirth? Was it… the way you vocalized during your surges? Or maybe it was how incredibly accomplished you felt afterward? Or… was it the number of babies that you gave birth to? This week we’re speaking to Elizabeth Parsons, who really brought the surprise factor to her fourth birth and first homebirth. Episode Roundup: Can you imagine that experience? The shock of thinking you’re pushing out a placenta, but then being handed a second baby? Absolutely incredible. As we head into this week’s episode roundup, I wanted to focus on a few things that came up. I love that Elizabeth brought up the ridiculousness of due dates. Number one, they’re not even a good average of first time labors. Number two, why? Why must we assign this additional stress to our bodies and our babies when they’re simply just trying to grow and work together? Elizabeth brought up some great points regarding the immediate postpartum, and just how… not conducive the hospital can be to bonding, and not even conducive to healing or establishing our milk supply— nutrition is so important, and jello just doesn’t really cut it…. You know, unless it’s grass-fed gelatin made at home, which is actually my favorite. One of my favorite aspects of Elizabeth’s final labor was when her midwife so tenderly read her affirmation and scripture cards to her. I’m sure it was such an encouraging moment in her labor. And finally, my friends…birth is a mystery. Sometimes it unfolds similarly to what we expect, and other times we birth a surprise second breech baby. No matter how it presents itself (pun intended), birth is so beautiful, and so transformative. And mamas, we can do amazing things. Okay my friends, that’s all I’ve got for you for today. Before you hop off, would you take a screenshot of this episode and share it on your instagram stories? Tag happyhomebirthpodcast and purqelyparsons and tell me your favorite takeaway from this episode! Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

Today's guest: Dr Rachel Reed is a midwife, academic, author, and international speaker who focuses on childbirth physiology, midwifery practice, and women's rights (and rites). She has provided midwifery care for many women and has attended births in a wide range of settings and circumstances. Rachel is the author of the award-winning blog MidwifeThinking and the co-host of The Midwives' Cauldron podcast. She has published widely in journals and magazines, and her first book Why Induction Matters is a popular resource for women and care providers. Her most recent book Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage: weaving ancient wisdom with modern knowledge will be published early 2021. Further information about Rachel and her work is available at www.rachel-reed.website. and….she’s just delightful. I find myself getting sucked into her blog archives for hours at a time, and for today’s episode I decided to ask her about several topics that she covers quite wonderfully there. I know you’re going to deeply enjoy this episode. With that, let’s jump in! Show Notes: Big Babies Most women having homebirth in Australia have “big” babies, and they’re not scary. In hospital, however, it can be a different story. If a doctor diagnoses a mother with a “big baby” on ultrasound, it can begin to cause stress and fear for her. Dr. Reed mentions that the research does not separate healthy, normal big babies from those whose mothers have gestational diabetes. These babies tend to have bigger shoulders and can have more difficulty coming out (though most of them come out just fine, too). “Big babies don’t scare me, but what people do about big babies does scare me.” Women who are told they have a big baby: C sections, tearing, poorer outcomes are more likely— so it’s the outside causing the problem. A care provider’s fear of the big baby can cause many of the interventions Gestational Diabetes as a label— fairly nonsensical If there are abnormally high blood glucose levels circulating, that does impact the baby and potentially the birth. However, the blood glucose levels being used are not evidence-based In Australia, around 17% of women are now labeled as a gestational diabetic. When Dr. Reed was training, we only tested those who had risk factors. The issues with challenge tests: it’s an abnormal test— many pregnant women are not drinking sugary drinks, so the tests results can be very off. VBAC- Mountain or Molehill? Is this as dangerous as the medical community seems to happen? Research related to this is mixed with those who are having inductions and those who are not— when we remove those who are having inductions, we see the already small number of issues become all the smaller. Statistically a <1% chance of uterine rupture, compared to all of the issues that may occur during a Cesarean (there is a higher chance of losing the uterus due to hemorrhage during c-section than having a uterine rupture). Inside the hospital, there’s been higher support for VBACs… if it’s done the right way: prepared for surgery, continuous monitoring, etc. Many women are choosing to have home births because they’re having VBACs to avoid all of the issues that can occur in the hospital The woman is the decision-maker. It’s her body, her baby, her experience. Dr. Reed discusses how the care provider’s role is to support the woman in whatever decisions she is making. It’s so important to make sure that the midwife and client are on the same page at the very beginning of the relationship. “This is who I am, this is what I want, this is what I expect of you” from both client and midwife. Fear Around Childbirth Dr. Reed considers fear to be an important aspect regarding birth, as ancestrally we always would have had some amount of respect/fear for birth. Separation Phase (early labor)— There’s anxiety and stress because you’re feeling the contractions begin. The neocortex needs to be functioning at that time to prepare your surroundings. Liminal Phase (active labor)— High endorphins, you look stoned— a woman should not be frightened significantly during this phase Emergence Phase (birthing baby)— Requires neocortex function again, as you need to be able to push out your baby and then care it. How does this happen? (transition) The body sends a huge serge of adrenaline— many people experience this as fear. “I can’t do it” “help me” “I’ve had enough” Preparation phase— all about the woman building self-trust. Instead of trying to get rid of fear, we should focus on nurturing self-trust. What do YOU need in order to trust that you can do this? Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage It’s been a very long labor, post dates! Chapters: Herstory Legacy Blood Mysteries Childbirth as a Rite of Passage Preparation (physiology, rites of passage, rites of protection, Separation Liminality Emergence Integration Medical Birth Rites Episode roundup: I really want to end today’s episode focusing on the first two words in the title of Dr. Reed’s upcoming bo

Show Notes: Christine and Andrew started their pregnancy journey traditionally with OB care. However, as the pregnancy progressed, they began feeling more and more frustrated about the fact that appointments were fast and shallow. There was not in-depth preparation for childbirth, and they felt there must be something missing. The couple decided to begin their own research, which led them to switch to midwifery care and homebirth. Their commitment to giving birth at home grew as they became closer with their midwife, and as she answered their questions and prepared them deeply on what to expect during the entire process. Both Christine and Andrew recognized the added layers of safety in their homebirth experience because they did know their midwife so well. Whenever there were questions about what happens if something goes wrong, their midwife always had a quality answer on what to expect and the protocol. Christine expected to go beyond 40 weeks, for at 38 weeks she and Andrew decided to go camping. On the trip, her water began leaking. They went home the next morning and prepared for the onset of labor. Throughout the process of labor, Christine and Andrew worked together. He kept up with what she needed and encouraged her through contractions— reminding her to breathe and relax. This was incredibly helpful during Christine’s long and arduous pushing phase. Andrew recalled how amazing it was that the midwife was able to recognize when to step in and provide feedback and when to stay back and remain an observer. He truly understood that it was his duty to be Christine’s support person. After baby was born, he needed resuscitative breaths. Christine and Andrew were calm and confident during this experience. Once he was breathing and stable, the midwives began tended to Christine, as she was bleeding a good bit. After a while, the midwives had to perform an internal examination of the uterus to see what was causing the bleeding. Though uncomfortable, Christine and Andrew both felt completely calm during what could have otherwise been a traumatic experience, as the felt heard, understood, and like the most important people on the birth team. Episode Roundup: I am so appreciative of this episode and the perspective it brings. It’s so important to focus on mothers and their experience of birth, yes, but what a disservice we are doing if we’re not showing up for dads and helping them see how they fit into the equation. Christine and Andrew worked together so beautifully before, during and after their birthing experience, and Andrew’s understanding of his responsibilities as the birth partner certainly added massive value to their homebirth. I hope this episode acts as inspiration and as a roadmap for other fathers who are looking for ways to be involved in the birthing experience. You’re part of this team, and you’re incredibly important.

Did you know that you could be so intimately aware of what's going on in your labor that you could be the one to reach down and catch your own baby? I sure didn't with my first daughter, and there's absolutely no way I would have been able to take the death grip off of my husband to do any such thing. But Emily... Emily planned and prepared for a mindful homebirth, and her goal was to catch her own baby (her first birth!). She was a founding member of Happy Homebirth Academy, and I'm so excited to say that darn it, she did it! Listen in to hear just how she achieved her goal. Show Notes: Emily's start to motherhood was different from the traditional route: She and her husband were called to foster-to-adopt immediately after Emily met her son at work. She knew he was hers, and she would do anything for him. After a long and stressful road, their son finally legally became a part of the family. At this point, he was 3 years old. Emily was suddenly hit with baby fever! Emily began looking into homebirth. She had had a traumatic time in the hospital at 19 and did not feel that it would be a healing place to have a baby. After watching Katelyn's birth video of her second baby, Lillian, Emily decided she wanted to have the same type of empowering birth. She joined Happy Homebirth Academy and put in all of the effort required to achieve her goal. Emily woke up at 2:30 am in active labor. She labored on her side for several hours, knowing that this was the position she was comfortable in. Once she moved to the tub, she stayed in the same kneeling position for the remainder of her labor... except when she did her best to switch positions for just a moment. Although she decided to return back to her previous spot, this movement was enough to dislodge her baby's head (turns out she way asynclitic!) and begin the process of crowning. Emily reached down and caught her own baby--triumphantly! Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

Pregnancy and postpartum. Many of us strive to maintain a healthy diet during these pivotal times, but what does a healthy diet look like? Should we stick to the guidelines? Enter Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE. Lily is an expert on all things nutrition pertaining to the pregnant mother. She is the author of two books: Real Food for Gestational Diabetes, and Real Food for Pregnancy. Lily sheds light on what it looks like to eat nutrient dense foods, how our food choices affect ourselves and our babies, and how real food can set us up for real success in the postpartum period. Check out these links from the show! https://lilynicholsrdn.com/real-food-postpartum-recovery-meals/ https://lilynicholsrdn.com/prenatal-guidelines-updated/ https://lilynicholsrdn.com/choline-pregnancy-folates-cousin/ https://lilynicholsrdn.com/postpartum-iron-deficiency-anemia-rethinking-low-iron-requirements/ Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

Have you ever been on a drive and say 15 minutes in you think to yourself, “Woah, how did I get here? You realize you’ve lost your way and you need to turn it around and go back to the start. In this week’s episode, we’ll be taking a look at the past, the history of midwifery and women’s care as it pertains specifically to the United States, and delving into some of the reasons that compared to many other westernized countries, women and babies in the US have abysmal outcomes. We’ll be sharing just how lost we’ve become when it comes to maternity care, and how we should really turn this car around. Janelle Alier is a Certified nurse midwife local to me, and one of the coolest women around. As she’ll explain momentarily, she’s worked with moms and babies in a number of capacities, and she recently opened her own homebirth practice, Paris Mountain Midwifery. Show Notes: Anciently (ex. Ancient Greece), women were held in high regard and valued as healers. When the mindset began to change, in a way this was the beginning of the end. This change corresponded more with religious and theological changes, not the dawn of medicine. Protestants burning “witches”—women healers Much of the knowledge gained over time began was lost with these women Colonial America- childbirth attendants were women/midwives/family matriarchs 1800s- medical schools are popping up. Physicians were around, but not trying to be involved at all 19th century—we could charge a fee! Began being interested in birth. Obstetrics Midwifery predates medicine: Rachel’s midwife is mentioned in Genesis Varney’s Midwifery includes transcripts from Doctors meetings talking about the “midwife problem” One doctor said the answer was to “educate the ignorants”. This started a campaign to portray midwives as dirty and uneducated. Laws began to change—it became illegal for midwives to practice the way they had. They now had to obtain licensure by the state, which was almost impossible to do. What’s happening to birth at this time? Physicians recognize that the midwives are more skilled and have better outcomes, but they did not try to work with or learn from the midwives. Obstetrics in its infancy—it’s not going great! Many deaths in the early years are now attributed to anesthesia They were giving morphine and narcotics, which we now know doesn’t lessen the pain, it just makes you care less… and forget. Culturally there was not a lot of accountability. Family members were told that the women didn’t survive because “birth is dangerous.” Late 50’s, early 60’s- nearly all birth occurred in the hospital In the late 60’s and 70’s, there was a small subset of the population who revived the natural childbirth movement, but by that point, the medical model was so mainstream that this movement was considered radical 80’s and 90’s- c section rates soared In the last few years, we’ve realized we’ve lost our way. The profession of midwifery is becoming more organized, though there’s not tons of money for research, scholarships etc. as there are for medical students. In South Carolina, Black Grand Midwives were the women delivering babies and taking care of the communities. What do we do? More midwives, more midwives of color, better integration of midwives and the hospital setting (if a mother needs to transport to the hospital, that should be easy). In other areas of the Westernized world (Europe, Scandanavia, the UK, Australia, New Zealand etc.) midwifery wasn’t wiped out the same way it was in the United States. And their outcomes are much better than ours. In the UK—there are 5-6 times more midwives than OBs. Everyone starts with a midwife, and if you need a physician, you get referred by your midwife. The OBs manage higher risk care while midwives manage low risk birth. In the US, only 10% of births are attended by midwives. In Alaska, it’s up to 30%, whereas in Arkansas, it’s more like 1-2%. If you overlay a map of birth out comes by state and the integration of midwives… you see that where there are more midwives practicing, there are better birth outcomes. In the US, we have 1% of planned homebirths in the home. Most American midwives work in the hospital. Globally, not only do they have more midwives, but they also have more options. You can have a midwife at home, or she can follow you into the hospital and continue care (this is not the case in the US). Episode Roundup The first thing I want to emphasize is the idea of encouraging the little ladies in our lives to embrace their healing and intuitive natures. What a spiritual gift—And truly, the best way to encourage this is to embrace it ourselves. Isn’t it amazing how in a matter of just a few generations our country lost so much birth wisdom? I’m grateful for the resurgence of midwifery, but how heartbreaking to think of where we could be now if circumstances had played out differently. Perhaps our outcomes wouldn’t be so abysmal. And finally, looking towards the future, we have a chance to make things bett

Show Notes: Leah is a registered nurse engaged to a UFC fighter, Brandon Davis. They have just grown their family with a new baby! She had a homebirth with her first baby. When asked how she decided to have a homebirth, she said she’s always been fascinated with it, but she doesn’t have any friends or family members who had had homebirths previously. That being the case, it took a large amount of research on her part to come to the decision and know for certain she wanted to give birth at home. As a registered nurse, she did have some negative reactions from coworkers and friends about her decision. “I think that labor is best left untouched.” Leah’s fiancé was very uncomfortable with the idea of a homebirth. Early on, she asked him to visit several care providers, and he quickly disagreed, saying she needed to give birth in the hospital like every other “normal” mom! Not wanting to argue, Leah began seeing an OB. She continued with this care provider up until week 26, when she began feeling very uncomfortable with the idea that she was now going to be having a hospital birth. She decided to set up a quiet little meeting with a local midwife without involving her fiancé until afterwards. She immediately felt connected with this midwife and said, “This is it. I know that whatever my birth story is going to be, you are going to be a part of it.” Leah continued to see both her OB and her midwife up until week 36, where she completely transferred care over to her midwife. Though she liked her OB, Leah began feeling pushed to do things she didn’t want to do, including a 3rd trimester ultrasound and weekly cervical checks after 35 weeks. She felt that her prenatals were far more in depth with her midwife; they discussed issues like nutrition, which never happened with her OB- not because she didn’t care, but simply because there was just not enough time. In fact, her OB was so busy, that she had a patient due every single day of the month that Leah was due. She had warned Leah that she would likely not be the person delivering her baby anyway. Leah’s midwife was able to discern that her baby was posterior, and explained how that had the potential to complicate, or at least prolong, labor. She recommended chiropractic care and yoga to help get baby in a more optimal position. She appreciated how much more hands-on her care was with her midwife. The OB pushed for a 3rd trimester ultrasound to see baby’s position, but her midwife already knew baby’s position by consistent belly palpation. “I felt like she was almost a sister or a mom to me, as well as a care provider.” Leah decided to work up until the day that she gave birth. She was healthy and her baby was healthy, so she decided to continue. During her 39th week, she got up on a Friday to go to work and noticed some bloody show. She let her midwife know, and asked her what that meant in relation to when labor would start. Her midwife responded that it could be any time between the next 24 hours and week! Leah went to work and worked the full 12 hour shift. She was on her feet all day, and by the time she got home, she was feeling crampy and “not good,” but she hadn’t realized at that point that she was on the cusp of labor. Leah tried to go to sleep early, but couldn’t sleep. Although she was feeling crampy, she thought that maybe she was just experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. At about 3:30 in the morning, the discomfort was feeling less tolerable. She thought that maybe she should start timing them to see if they were actually contractions. At this point, she was having contractions every five minutes. At 4:30, she called her best friend who lives hours away and let her know that she thought today was going to be the day, so get in the car and head her way whenever she was up and ready. At 5, Leah called her midwife and let her know what she was feeling. An hour later, she called her midwife back and let her know that she was still consistently contracting. At 8:30, Leah’s midwife arrived. Leah says, “I remember walking to the door and saying, ‘Hey…I feel like crap.’” Her midwife checked her and said, “Strong work, girl! You’re a 6!” Leah was very happy to know that her contractions were doing something! Leah’s midwife had an assistant with her, who also acted similar to a doula during the experience. In the late afternoon/evening, she was checked again and was at 9cm with her bag of waters still intact. Her midwife gave her the option of continuing with labor uninterrupted or breaking her water. Leah decided to wait and see and did not want her water broken at that time. She labored on for another hour and began feeling exhausted. At that point, she decided to have her water broken. She as laboring on the bed at this time, but her midwife told her she should try to decide where she wanted to be when they had the baby since they were getting close. She labored for about 26 hours total, but only spent about 45 minutes in the pool. She decided she wanted t

Pain-free childbirth is a myth.... right? Laura is a mother of 3, and she and her husband were newly married when they became unexpectedly pregnant. They had recently moved, and found themselves moving back into Laura's parents' house as they got their finances in order. Because she had never spent time around babies, Laura took a nannying job for a newborn during her pregnancy. When he napped, she would read books. A family member gave her Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and at 35 weeks her entire outlook on birth shifted. She even considered a homebirth, but soon realized this would not be possible in her family's house. Laura switched to midwifery care within the hospital and had a beautiful natural birth. She wanted to give birth in the water, which she did. When she became pregnant again 11 months later, she prayed for a shorter birthing time. That's exactly what she got-- though the experience left her reeling and feeling out of control, even slightly scared of birth. She did have a natural birth, and it was short, but it was quite stressful for her. During this postpartum experience, Laura struggled immensely. She had an incredibly emotional time and leaned on her faith like never before. She learned about grace on a personal level, and worked through many problems and emotions that had previously never seen the light of day. Finally, she felt like she could see the light at the end of the tunnel.... And then Laura found out that she was pregnant again. This came as a massive shock to her, as she and her husband were not planning for this. While the realization that she was carrying new life initially thrilled her, once the thought set in, Laura began to panic with fear that she would have to go through all of this postpartum pain and suffering again. She worried that she was nutritionally depleted, and that this third pregnancy would cause more depletion. Laura continued to rely on her faith and her husband, and she prayed about her upcoming birth. She was finally going to be able to have a homebirth, and she wanted this experience to be not only spiritual, but also pain free. She dedicated time and prayer to this end, and she created space for this to happen. When Laura had her third baby, all were shocked to see her raising her hands in worship during her contractions. When her baby crowned, and then the head was born, Laura truly did not realize it had happened. Her birth was 100% pain-free. Laura emphasized the fact that this can be the case for anyone-- creating space for this type of positive outcome is so important. Episode Roundup: I wanted to touch once again on this idea on creating space for the positive experiences. I love that Laura cleared her fears when necessary and focused on the notion that she could indeed have a beautiful, pain-free experience. It's a great reminder for us all: Clear fears and create space for the beautiful experience that birth can be! Resources: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

First births: You don't know what's going on with your body, they're long, and mothers enter them feeling uncertain and needing reassurance.... right? This week we're speaking to Sara, who lives in Travelers Rest, South Carolina with her husband Rob, their first child and son, Charlie, and their two big all american mutts, Captain and Bucky. Sara and her husband Rob strive to live a gospel-centered and holistic/ancestral lifestyle to create the best and safest environment for their children to learn and thrive. Homebirth was their Plan A and Charlie’s birth Story wasn’t exactly what Sara envisioned, it was BETTER and one of the best and most intimate memories she and Rob will ever share together. Episode Roundup: Just because it's your first birth does not mean that it's going to be long, that you're going to feel uncertain and need reassurance and that you don't know what to do. Sara walked into birth with confidence. Did she expect to give birth to her baby in the closet? No. But did her body know exactly what it was doing? Absolutely. Sara had admitted that she felt totally confident in her ability to birth her baby, and Rob's ability to support her. With their lifestyle and their deep trust in the birthing process and the Lord, this experience was so... them. And postpartum- there is just so much going on during this time. Physically, mentally and emotionally. I love hearing Sara gush about how Rob has been such an incredible support throughout. This is such a special time for your spouse to step up. To shower you with care, to be your hero, and to leave the two of you feeling more drawn together than ever before. Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code BABYBOY for 20% off (June 5~11, 2023) Code PODCAST for 10% off

What does your posture communicate to yourself, your baby, and the world? Perhaps it seems unimportant or insignificant, but as you'll learn today-- there is SO much to the way in which we hold ourselves. This week we're speaking with my incredible friend, coach and mentor Paris Latka. Paris is the founder of her business IAM Health, which stands for Intelligent Alignment Movement Health. It is her greatest passion to support people feeling fantastic in their bodies, connected to their hearts and clear in their minds. She does this through Bowspring primal movement therapy, myofascia release, holistic nutrition & smart supplementation. She loves to geek out about fascia, postural alignment, and its role in our well-being nutrition, movement and anything that optimizes health. All of her work is geared towards realizing and increasing the love frequency in our bodies and on the planet. Paris and I will be speaking about the Bowspring method and how it's changed her life and already begun to transform my own. I pray this information will be of unbelievable use to you and your family, as it has been to mine. Let's jump in! Episode Roundup: There's so much more to our posture than just "how we stand". Our posture indicates so much to ourselves and others about-- who we are, what we believe, and how we feel. We can influence our mindset simply by adopting a healthier posture over time. How amazing is that? How we feel in our bodies and in this world is contagious, especially to those with whom we are deeply connected... I.E. our families. Our spouse, our children.... when we begin to expand and open, we really are providing in invitation for those around us to do the same. What would it be like to grow up in a family who is open, expressive and vibrant? Who is rooted and confident in who they are? We can give our children such a gift by being the fullest version of ourselves, both physically and emotionally... and as we've spoken of in previous episodes, this so deeply impacts how these children grow in THEIR bodies. What if we can prevent the collapsing in-- what if we can encourage beautiful broad faces and functional airways and so much more-- simply by encouraging our own expansion? And finally- I want to reiterate what Paris said- this isn't something that we're learning. It's something that we're reconnecting with. Something to rediscover. We're simply turning off the noise around us and connecting with the primal movement that is truly a gift of health from our Creator. This so deeply relates to my approach to preparation for childbirth and motherhood, and it's why I feel the Bowspring is such a beautiful movement pattern to implement as we prepare for, grow, birth and nurture our babies and ourselves. Be sure to check out the show notes and join Paris for her next cohort of movement! Resources: Paris' Course Code: HAPPYHOMEBIRTH Instagram: @paris_latka Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off

Motherhood-- It has a way of bringing up the things that we thought were stored deep, deep down... it pulls 'em right to the surface. How can we find freedom in motherhood, be the most loving version of ourselves and heal our families at the same time? This week, we're speaking with my dear friend Naomi Reyes. Naomi is the creator of Finding Freedom Collective where she leads Mothers to transform their lives from exhausted to empowered. Naomi is a Transformation Coach and MINDSET expert. She teaches women how to access the full power of their unique mind so that they can create lasting change in all areas of motherhood. Finding Freedom is a collective group for Mothers to experience true connection, support, and transformation. Naomi is a compassionate leader, a mother of 4, a believer in the power of the present moment, and a woman who is constantly seeking to evolve and grow in her own journey of life. Episode Roundup: These conversations are so full of hope and possibility-- can you imagine actually WORKING on yourself with such a loving support system? Naomi has been so unbelievably generous with my listeners, in that she's offering a huge discount on entrance into her Finding Freedom Collective for you, happy homebirthers, for this first week only. Use this link to access this beautiful community before May 26th at 7pm EST at this discounted price. I will absolutely be involved as I navigate postpartum and seek community as I heal mentally, emotionally and physically. Resources Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy Code PODCAST for 10% off Raising Children While Healing Your Inner Child with Greta Zukoff Healing the Nervous System for Birth & Motherhood with Theresa Piela Finding Freedom Link: Access before May 26th 7 pm EST for discount Naomi's Instagram : @findingfreedomcollective

What does it mean to be truly informed regarding your pregnancy and birth? This week, we're speaking with Dr. Elliot Berlin, who is an award-winning prenatal chiropractor, childbirth educator, labor support bodyworker, and co-founder of Berlin Wellness Group in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Berlin graduated Summa Cum Laude from Life University of Chiropractic in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Atlanta School of Massage. His separate schooling in massage therapy, bodywork, and chiropractic form the backbone of his innovative pre- and post-natal wellness care techniques. Unique ‘Chirossage’ sessions soothe and relax tight, painful muscles and restore motion to restricted joints. These 30 to 45-minute treatments effectively address most pregnancy aches and pains in just a few visits and promote healthy, comfortable, and functional pregnancy and an ideal environment for labor and delivery. Dr. Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy® Project aims to utilize multiple forms of media (podcasts, YouTube series, documentaries, and online workshops) to compile and deliver unbiased information about pregnancy and childbirth to empower new and expectant parents to make informed choices regarding their pregnancy and parenting journey. Dr. Berlin lives in Los Angeles with his wife, perinatal psychologist Dr. Alyssa Berlin, and their four fantastic kids. Episode Roundup Our bodies are so innately intelligent. Dr. Elliot shared how he and his wife Dr. Alyssa were trying so desperately to become pregnant, and yet there was something going on in their bodyminds that just wasn't ready for the grand task of creating a child. When they began focusing on their minds, their hearts, their physical bodies and even their location, they were then able to conceive-- safety had been met. Healing the nervous system allowed their bodies to feel comfortable with the idea of conception. I love Dr. Berlin's discussion of the conscious and unconscious mind. How our ability move our worries out of our conscious mind can be so powerful in terms of pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I'm always reminded of Matthew 6:27 when I consider anxiety and my own struggle and recovery in that area-- where Jesus says, Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And finally, let's talk about the Bread and Butter of Dr. Berlin's message- Information. It is just so critical to recognize that no one, not even your precious midwife, is going to care about your outcomes and experience as much as you are. Nobody will be as affected by how your birth experience transpires as you and your family. SO. That being the weighty truth, what do we do? We take seriously both our gaining of knowledge AND our ability to listen to our intuition. When we know what's possible for us in both of these realms and use them together wisely, we can walk into our pregnancy, our birth experience, parenthood.... feeling like the confident, primal parent we were designed to be. Use code HOMEBIRTH for 10% off Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

Tongue and lip ties... are they a nothing-burger, all-important, or perhaps misunderstood? This week we're speaking with Michale Chatam, the clinical mystic, Dr. Molly of Living Adjusted and Natalie Healy, IBCLC. This conversation was recorded... a YEAR ago... and was somehow lost... I have searched for it so many times and couldn't find it, and suddenly, I found it... and I can't help but thinking that this is being released right on time. We'll be discussing the lens-changes that make all the difference in the world when it comes to how we, along with our babies, are flowing in the world-- from a postural, emotional, and spiritual approach. Episode Roundup: If your mind is blown and your nervous system is feeling a little dysregulated after the influx of information from this discussion, I'm sure Michale, Molly and Natalie would highly recommend you go hug a tree and pick up some dirt to root and ground. How incredible was this conversation? As we head into today's episode roundup, I simply want to remind you of the resources that were shared. Parents, if you're looking to help your baby have a healthy foundation and not to feel RUSHED into a frenectomy, you'll want to join Midline (R)evolution's Evolution of Lip and Tongue Tie course. I'm going through it right now as I prepare to welcome baby #3 any day. Moreover, if you want deep care and to know that your baby's frenectomy, or simply their healing without a frenectomy, is being approached in an extremely mindful way, reach out to Dr. Molly and Natalie at .......... And finally, licensed practitioners... if this feels like a whole new world and you want to incorporate this into your practice or totally rebuild your practice, Michale is the clinical mystic you need to know. I have everyone's information in the show notes, so head on over to find what you're looking for. Resources Midline (R)evolution Discount Code (10% Off): KATELYN Instagram: Michale Chatham Dr. Molly Natalie Healy, RN IBCLC Schedule your fly-in with Dr. Molly and Natalie: They do bespoke packages and have tiered offerings depending on if you're planning to do a frenectomy in Maui. Email your request at [email protected] Use code HOMEBIRTH for 10% off The Homebirth Collective FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide

When you have fast, uncomplicated births, does the location really even matter at that point? This week, we're speaking with Lauralee Kirkland, a mother to 3 babies earthside and one in heaven. We'll hear how Lauralee's decision-making has changed with each new birth, and how she's been able to step into both labor and motherhood more confidently each time. Before we jump in, I'm going to give a little spoiler alert. Lauralee shares about the benefit of truly preparing for the birth experience you desire, and how it's really not up to anyone but YOU to educate you. This is such an important piece of advice, and I completely agree. In fact, this is why I've created Happy Homebirth Academy. The reality is that no one is going to care about how this birth unfolds as much as you will-- so let's get educated. Let's take the time to decide what's important to you, to prepare for all of the potential situations that may arise, to learn how to not only cope but ENJOY our birthing experience, and to deeply ready ourselves for postpartum. And...I've got a coupon code for you: use the code PODCAST to get 10% off at checkout! Episode Roundup: Like I mentioned at the beginning of the episode, It’s so important for you to invest in your growth if you have an idea for your birth— as opposed to leaving it to chance. In Lauralee's journey, she spent so much more time preparing for her 3rd birth, which led to a sense of preparedness and joy in her actual birthing process that she had yet to feel before. She also felt far more settled in her third postpartum, and I have to imagine that her preparation played a role in this as well. Even with births that looked both "good" and similar on paper, the reality is that this doesn't necessarily mean that they're experienced the same way. Lauralee was able to internalize and metabolize her third birth experience immediately in a positive, joyous light because of, once again, the type of preparation that she did beforehand. And finally, this type of preparation leads to one more amazing birthing aspect: The feeling of being PART of your birthing process as opposed to it simply happening to you. When we've prepared thoroughly, we are able to feel like an active participant with AGENCY in our birth, not a helpless bystander whose body just happens to be birthing a baby. What a mindset shift with lasting implications. Use code HOMEBIRTH for 10% off The Homebirth Collective FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Make sure they're the pre-countdown links! 🙂

When it comes to postpartum periods, what can we do to encourage healthy cycles? And... what do our cycles tell us about our health status? This week, we're speaking with Leisha Drews, a holistic hormone coach, and host of the podcast Happily Hormonal. Leisha is going to help us understand how our hormones postpartum will affect the return of our cycle, and what we can do to support those hormones, and thus support our entire health and wellbeing. And once you're finished with this episode, jump over to Happily Hormonal and listen to the interview that she released with me this week, too! Quick reminder that my heart is to serve you in your preparation for both homebirth and postpartum. While we're able to cover the surface of a number of topics on this podcast, if you're looking for an in-depth and step-by-step approach to preparing for your Happy Homebirth, I would love to have you inside of Happy Homebirth Academy OR The Homebirth Collective. Inside of Happy Homebirth Academy, we prepare diligently for your empowered homebirth experience, including postpartum. And the homebirth collective? Well, it's all that and SO MUCH MORE. We focus on the transition from maiden to mother and prepare on a foundational level so that you can experience motherhood from a place of sacred comfort-- feeling grounded and joyful-- beginning in pregnancy. The link to both programs can be found in the show notes, and don't forget to use the code PODCAST for 10% off at checkout for being a loved listener. Episode Roundup: How helpful was that?! I love how Leisha made this information so accessible and so, so bite-sized. Wherever you are in your journey, whether that's preconception, pregnancy or postpartum, this is for you. You can begin right now. Right where you are. We can focus on our nutrition, our minerals, our hormones now so that when we experience the normal, beautiful stressors of birth and postpartum, our bodies are ready carry us through. And we can provide them with the support that they need, little by little. Podcast: Happily Hormonal with Leisha Drews Instagram: leishadrews Courses + Coaching: msha.ke/abundantlifewellness Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

We speak a lot about physiological birth around here- but how do we prepare for and experience a physiological postpartum? What does that even entail? This week, we're speaking with Kela Futrell, a postpartum wellness doula with three babies of her own. Kela has had one hospital birth and two homebirths, and she's had quite an array of postpartum experiences between her three children. Today we'll hear her stories and glean from her wisdom. Before we jump in, I want to remind you that if you're looking to plan in-depth for both your homebirth and your postpartum, check out Happy Homebirth Academy and The Homebirth Collective. My heart is to serve mothers in their transition from maiden to motherhood or back into motherhood, and my program are where you can gain streamlined, easy-to-apply information for all things birth and motherhood. And for being a podcast listener, you get 10% off at checkout when you enter the code PODCAST. I can't wait to see you inside! Episode Roundup: Fascia and all of its fascia-nating glory strikes again! When Kela's third child began showing midline defects at birth and as time went on, her intuition began to buzz. She decided to reach out to a fascia-knowledgeable provider and ask some questions. Upon further discussion, Kela and her family traveled 5 hours for a 3-day intensive for her son Bear. And the results? They were incredible. My friends, I recorded this episode before hosting the Craniosacral fascial therapy conference in Greenville, and now... listening back.... I'm just so excited. We had an infant travel to receive bodywork for craniostenosis, the very same diagnosis that Bear had. And just like him, this baby experienced massive change. This work is just constantly amazing me. If you ever wonder "Could this be related to the fascia?" please consider reaching out! I'll once again link the Gillespie Approach facebook group where you can search for providers in your area. Next, we've got to talk about the lessons Kela learned between her first and second postpartum. She realized just how little she'd allowed herself to heal the first time around, and she was determined to "know better, do better" as she puts it, with both baby #2 and #3. And because this change was so profound to her, she now dedicates her time to supporting other mothers as they move into their fresh, new role. What a gift. And finally, when it comes to experiencing a beautiful postpartum... just like homebirth... it typically takes planning and consideration beforehand. Birth and postpartum are physiological events. As natural as can be. But our society is so disconnected with the process that we have to build up an arsenal of support for BOTH beforehand. It's so much easier to prepare ahead of time than to try to figure it out as we're wading through the thick of it... though if that's you, REACH OUT FOR HELP... it's not too late! Instagram: @KelaMFutrell Beyond Birth Wellness podcast Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective Facebook: Gillespie Approach - Craniosacral Fascial Therapy

What happens when birth goes well, but postpartum throws you for a loop? This week, we're speaking with Caitlin Cooper, a first time mom to her 4 1/2 month old son named Luke. Caitlin and her husband and I have been married for 5 years and they live in Hagerstown, MD about an hour and a half away from DC and Baltimore. Caitlin will be sharing the rawness of her pregnancy, labor, and deeply important to her, her postpartum experience. We CAN prepare. We DESERVE to have access to this type of information. Inside of my childbirth education programs, I make sure that mothers know what to expect and know how to receive help. Because I was drowning during my first postpartum experience, and I never want that for any other mother. As you consider how you'll prepare for your birth and postpartum, I pray you'll consider Happy Homebirth Academy or The Homebirth Collective. My heart's desire is to serve you deeply. And.... as a special token for listening to this podcast, I've got a 10% discount code for you! Use the code PODCAST at checkout for 10% off today. Episode Roundup: I am so grateful for Caitlin's rawness and real insight into her experience. What a helpful story. As we jump into today's episode roundup, I could talk about ALL of the possible resources that you have at your disposal and should consider while you're pregnant. But we'd be here all day, and you can certainly find that information inside of HHA or The HBC. Instead, I want to take just a moment to shed light on a few lesser-known options that are fabulous for the immediate postpartum. If you're currently pregnant, consider finding a Craniosacral Fascial Therapist in your area if at all possible. Fascial restrictions are behind sooooo much of the postpartum struggle.... for baby, yes, but for mothers, too. For mothers...Our fascia is so deeply tied to our nervous system. If we're feeling stressed out and anxious and overwhelmed, finding a CFT practitioner can do so much to help us find balance. And for babies... oh my goodness. Let's not forget that they've been in quite a confined space for quite a while. If there's one thing I could give to every baby, it would be a CFT session within hours or days of their birth. This can be so helpful in terms of breastfeeding struggles, and it's generally unknown. Any type of fascial bodywork can be amazing, but I know the specific benefits of CFT for myself and my family, so I'm happy to take a moment to shout it from the mountains. And I want to end with this. If you're struggling, you are not alone. Don't allow yourself to sink into isolation. Reach out for support in whatever way you feel will be best for you, but please, do not be made to feel alone or strange for your experience. There are so many people who would love to support you through this experience. CFT/Gillespie Approach Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/128162437281535 Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

When we've experienced tragedy, how do we heal and maintain a positive outlook? This week, we're speaking to Jacy, a teacher-turned-homeschooling mom of four living children and a daughter in Heaven. After four very different hospital births (including a stillbirth), Jacy unexpectedly became a homebirth convert. Her fifth baby was born healthy at home in August, which was an incredibly healing experience for her. As you can tell, this birth story is going to cover some extremely sensitive content. Jacy hopes to provide encouragement to bereaved mothers, as the Lord placed several women in her life that had been open about their experiences with loss before she had her own. This was extremely helpful to her, and her desire is to help others with her story of both heartaching pain and at other points, heart-bursting joy. Episode Roundup: I'm so grateful for Jacy's willingness to come on and share such a vulnerable piece of her life and her heart with us. As we head into today's episode roundup, I wanted to simply focus on this one aspect: When we come across those who are grieving, for whatever reason, but especially those who have lost a child at any stage- I think that far beyond our words, we can love people with our actions. Bringing a meal, offering to watch the other little ones, providing house cleaning services. acknowledging the personhood of the little life who is no longer here, and acknowledging the physical trauma and need for recovery of the mother, too. We don't have to have the perfect words, but having a servant's heart is a treasure above all else. Related Books: Safe in the arms of God by John McArthur The Moon is Always Round by Jonathan Gibson Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

When you get pregnant on your wedding night and thrown into prenatal decision-making a little sooner than expected, what kinds of decisions do you make? And this week we're speaking with my friend and student, Kelly Benner. We'll learn about how Kelly and her husband Ian were thrown straight out of wedding prep and straight into baby prep. It was such a joy and an honor to work with Kelly inside of The HBC-- where we dig so much deeper into preparation than simply looking for coping techniques. If you're interested in taking a mentorship approach to pregnancy, homebirth and motherhood, I'd love to have you check out my free resource, the Achieve Your Empowered Homebirth mini-course. You'll get to see where we're missing the mark in terms of typical childbirth education, and what we can do to prepare instead. Send me a DM on instagram @happyhomebirthpodcast with just the word homebirth- all one word, no emojis or exclamation marks, however excited you may be, and you'll get access immediately to the course. Or you can click the link in the show notes and have it sent to your email. Episode Roundup: Sometimes our spouse is not going to be immediately on board. I always love to remind mothers that this is typically coming from a place of love, concern and protection, not just a strong desire to not support you in what you want. So what can we do? We can lovingly educate our spouses. Share with them what you're learning. Bring them alongside you. Invite them to learn with you. This facilitates bonding and encourages you to work together as a team. Variations of birth don't have to be a big, dramatic, scary event. Kelly and her baby experienced a shoulder dystocia, but this was not a traumatic experience. In fact, her midwife was able to quickly free baby and Kelly was still left with the feeling that he "shot right out". Sometimes the biggest "what if's" happen.... and they still don't cause any issues. And finally, the transformation from maiden to mother is huge. This is caterpillar to butterfly stuff, and there are growing pains, just like there are in puberty. If we can walk into this experience supported and with an understanding of what's happening, we can be gentle with ourself and recognize that we're upgrading. I mean, how much nicer to have wings and drink nectar than to slowly amble around eating leaves? But, the transition is still very real. When we can acknowledge this and be supported by our spouse, family and friends, we end up with a strong, confident mother, even if the transition is still hard. Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

What is matrescence and how do we prepare for it? This week, we're speaking with Anisha Patel, published author, speaker, postpartum coach and founder of MasalaMommy.com. Anisha has a heart for supporting women in their transition into motherhood, and she's going to be sharing her understanding of Matrescence and Ayurveda with us today. I've got a free gift for you-- The Achieve Your Empowered Homebirth Mini Course. This course helps break down where we're having breakdowns in terms of preparation for homebirth and motherhood, and what we can do to prepare instead. If you're interested in joining me inside of The Homebirth Collective, my group mentorship program for mothers who want to truly prepare for birth and motherhood on a foundational level, this is the best way to learn about my approach. To grab the mini course, send me a DM on instagram with just the word homebirth-- all one word, no excalamation, no emojis...seriously the chat is so sensitive... and that will send the course right to you! Or click the link in the show notes to have it sent to your email. Episode Roundup: Yes, preparation for birth is so important. This is an experience that will live with us forever, and the way that we prepare for it, no matter how it actually unfolds, can highly influence our transition into motherhood-- AND ALSO... postpartum. This huge life shift into matrescence-- this is so critical to understand, appreciate, and to prepare for. The birthing process lasts for a few hours or a few days... and motherhood lasts forever. Let's take both aspects seriously. Find Anisha Here:​ ​www.masalamommy.com​ Instagram: @masala.mommy​ Facebook: facebook.com/masalamommy Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

When your first birth leaves you feeling the victim, and when that feeling pervades into your experience of motherhood-- is that it for you? How do you recover? This week, we're speaking with my incredible friend Aimee Rowden. Aimee is the wife of Ben and mother of Benjamin & Ivy. She and Ben are working towards a more sustainable future for their family. Aimee enjoys time with her family, a strong cup of coffee, and living life unconventionally. Aimee took part in The Homebirth Collective, and I am so thrilled for you all to be able to hear the incredible transformation of this amazing woman. Her story inspires me to my core and brings about so much hope for the weary mama- I know you're going to love this. Speaking of The Homebirth Collective, I want to ask you- what does it mean for you to achieve your empowered homebirth? What does it mean to be prepared for birth and motherhood? I'd love to give you a free gift: a mini course that discusses and teaches on that very concept. This is also the very best way to learn more about my techniques and perspective and more about The Homebirth Collective. Easiest way to get the course sent straight to you? send me a dm at happyhomebirthpodcast on Instagram with the word homebirth-- JUST THE WORD homebirth, the chat is very sensitive about that... no emojis! Homebirth is all one word-- and I'll send you my course right over. OR click the link in the show notes! Episode Roundup: Aimee's first birth was felt as a traumatic experience, while her second was not-- despite the fact that both included extended time in the NICU. What does this tell us about trauma? SO. Much of trauma is based on how we're treated, and how much control we feel we have over a situation. Aimee was a new woman when Ivy was born, and she felt confident in her ability to stand up for her child, to know what to do, and to make the best decisions for her. Despite the fact that the situation was difficult, it was not something that her body or heart perceived as traumatic. This is so critical to understand. Next, I want to talk about preparation. Aimee had already given birth before, so in her mind, why on earth would she need another program to prepare? And honestly, I quite agree with her... when most childbirth education is merely slapping a band- aid on birth and teaching how to "deal" with labor.... it truly can be more harmful than helpful. But Aimee realized that despite the fact that she'd given birth before, she needed a deeper type of preparation. She needed to dig down to the depths of her being and find the primal mother that she was designed to be. Inside of the homebirth collective, THIS is our focus. My desire isn't just to help you have a painless labor-- no-- I want you to transform into motherhood in a way that's so powerful that others around you can't help but take notice. I want you to feel so confident and courageous in your own skin-- in who you are as your baby's mother. Isn't that so much more of what we need for both birth and... life? If you want to learn more about this philosophy, be sure to dm me the word homebirth on Instagram at happyhomebirthpodcast so that I can send you my thoughts. And finally... it's not too late. Did you have a less-than-ideal previous birth? Have you- up unitl now- felt anxious and overwhelmed in your motherhood? It doesn't have to be this way. We can choose a new path forward. We can step into the role that we were designed to fill, just like Aimee did. What an incredible, uplifting message. And what a change our generation of mothers can make for the future of humanity- if we all step into our confident, God-given role. Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

This week I'm sharing all of the updates! From pregnancy to family to business... I want to give you a peek of what's going on in my world. ⚡FLASH SALE⚡ This week only- 40% Savings on The Homebirth Collective & Happy Homebirth Academy: Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy

When you found out you were pregnant, what emotions ran through your brain? Excitement? Thrill? Joy? Or did you experience fear, shame, or a resurgence of old traumas? This week, we're speaking to Amanda Lopez. A mama to 3 children, two of whom were born to her while Amanda was still a teenager. We'll be discussing Amanda's experiences as a teen mother, and how her most recent homebirth brought incredible healing to her previous perceptions of pregnancy and birth. I have a free gift for you! The Achieve Your Empowered Homebirth Mini Course. If you're looking pull back the curtain and see what it means to truly prepare for your homebirth experience and motherhood as a whole, THIS is the resource for you. Get your hands on it, and learn more about my approach inside of The Homebirth Collective, by sending me a DM in Instagram @happyhomebirthpodcast with the word homebirth. JUST the word homebirth. All one word. No emojis. No exclamations. It's very sensitive, seriously. But that'll send the course right to you. OR, click the link in the show notes to have it sent to your email! Episode Roundup: What an emotional, incredible episode. I cannot get over Amanda's strength, and I know that will certainly pour into this episode round up. I am so blown away by how Amanda used her experience of becoming pregnant at 14, having a baby at 15 to propel her forward in her aspirations. At a time when she felt so alone and was struggling so deeply, she still saw the worth of her child and knew that she was worth the struggle and toil. She turned something so difficult into something so triumphant, even graduating from high school with a 4.0 GPA. When Amanda became pregnant for the second time as a teen, she felt so much pain and confusion, and yet... she looked at her other daughter and knew that this baby was going to be a blessing. I am so overwhelmed at the beauty of Amanda's choices to celebrate life. And what seemed so tragic at the time, having two daughters as a teen herself, turned into the beautiful blessings of her daughters. As Amanda and her mother discussed, sometimes the things that seem so difficult at the time are, in retrospect, the things that save us. Praise God for his provision for Amanda in terms of her ability to raise her babies, and in the loving support, yet firm boundaries that her parents set out for her in the process. And finally, when Amanda became pregnant with her third child... DESPITE the fact that she is a fully grown adult woman and certainly capable of taking care of another baby, one of the first things that happened when she sat looking at the pregnancy test was a rush of old traumas... of feeling down on herself because this pregnancy was "unexpected". But what I loved about this story was the fact that Amanda now so clearly sees... this pregnancy, along with her two other pregnancies... they weren't unexpected. They were known, they were seen, and they were expected by the Creator. Amanda was able to triumphantly and confidently give birth to her third baby, safely in her own home. She was able to reclaim motherhood with a new sense of power and confidence, and I am so thrilled that Amanda's children are able to see what a strong, loving, beautiful mother they have-- one who will lay it all down for them. Related Links: Gain Instant Access to the Mini Course: DM @happyhomebirthpodcast with the word HOMEBIRTH Have the Mini Course Sent to Your Inbox

Two births: One at home and one in the hospital-- the exact same situation arises in both scenarios-- do you think they'll be handled the same or differently? This week, we're speaking with Michelle, owner of Alma Aesthetics, wife and mother of two precious children. Michelle and her husband experienced both hospital and homebirth, and we'll hear how similar some events were in both births. We'll also hear how they were handled in each setting. I have a free gift for you! The Achieve Your Empowered Homebirth Mini Course. If you're looking pull back the curtain and see what it means to truly prepare for your homebirth experience and motherhood as a whole, THIS is the resource for you. Get your hands on it, and learn more about my approach inside of The Homebirth Collective, by sending me a DM in instagram @happyhomebirthpodcast with the word homebirth. JUST the word homebirth. All one word. No emojis. No exclamations. It's very sensitive, seriously. But that'll send the course right to you. OR, click the link in the show notes to have it sent to your email! If you're interested in helping your family, friends, and even creating a career with fascial work-- There are still seats available for the Greenville Craniosacral Fascial Therapy training coming up! The dates for the foundation class is March 15-17, and the infant class is March 18-20th. Craniosacral Fascial Therapists are in HIGH DEMAND, I can tell you that. If you'd like to know more, check out episode 175 of the podcast: The Gillespie Approach: How Craniosacral Fascial Therapy Can Optimize Health for Your Infant. Episode Roundup: The best way to make a in informed decision is by.... gaining information. We can so easily believe that we know what something is or something is like based on... minimal understanding. This is common when it comes to homebirth! The immediate feeling is, "What!? That's dangerous!!" Until we realize that... oh, actually... insert facts here. Michelle and her husband decided to go straight to the source. They saw a midwife, asked all of the questions, and suddenly... they have the information they need to make a confident decision and be on the same page. And next, The energy surrounding birth is so important. When in the hospital, Michelle's daughter was quickly removed from her, almost intubated... there was massive commotion and upheaval. This left Michelle feeling shocked and traumatized... and then mere minutes later she's being pushed out of the room and everyone's acting like life is back to normal. How are we supposed to internalize this? Let's compare that to her experience with her son. Her midwife slowly helped her untangle the baby's cord, he was placed immediately with his mother, and then a gentle breath was given to help stimulate him. No trauma. No drama. No upheaval-- Just a calm, loving, supportive energy that encourages the physiological process of birth and bonding. What a difference this makes. Michelle was able to re-enter motherhood feeling more confident, more capable, and more like the mother she was designed to be. How incredible. Related Links: Episode 175 https://www.craniosacralfascialtherapy.com/trainings Gain Instant Access to the Mini Course: DM @happyhomebirthpodcast with the word HOMEBIRTH Have the Mini Course Sent to Your Inbox

Do you know-- that you were made for this birth? This week, we're speaking to my friend and birth colleague Mary Haseltine. Mary is a doula, author, and birth educator for 10 years; She has had seven full term babies - 5 born at home, 2 in the hospital and one home miscarriage; Her births include had 2 precipitous births, 1 vaginal breech, 4 babies in water, 1 unintentionally unassisted, 1 home birth with a doctor and 3 different midwives for the others. She has experienced it ALL. Before we jump in, I wanted to let you know that my free resource, the Achieve Your Empowered Homebirth mini course if officially open and available to you! The easiest way to get it? DM me on instagram with the word homebirth-- all one word-- and the mini-course will be sent right to you. We're breaking down what it means to truly prepare for birth. What is it that you REALLY need? Is it all about learning to 'cope' in labor? Spoiler alert, it's not. You can also grab access by clicking the link in the show notes! Episode Roundup. Mary and I are in total agreement of this: Birth is meant to be one of the most spiritually transformative experiences of a woman's life and the process of pregnancy and birth is meant to prepare her for the work of motherhood. This isn't just a physical experience, it's so much more. Which...is why I put SO much emphasis on recognizing what it means to truly prepare for this event! No matter how many babies you have, each birth is incredibly precious, unique, challenging, transformative and as Mary insinuated-- maybe a little addicting, especially if you love listening to beautiful birth stories!! And finally, I just love the way that Mary uses her calling from the Lord to support others. God has given her SO many different experiences, what a blessing that she can be so relatable to her clients, no matter how it all unfolds. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective Register Here! instagram.com/madeforthisbirth/ madeforthisbirth

Which birth story was your birth like? Did you hear an experience that was similar to yours as you prepared, or was your experience totally different from anything you'd imagined? This week, we're speaking to Miriam. Miriam is a first time mama to a 9 month old baby girl, Noah Ivy, a social impact consultant and Brooklyn transplant turned aspiring homesteader. Once she decided on homebirth, she prepared thoroughly, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, reading stories... and yet... we'll hear how her birth differed from all she had expected. Episode Roundup Making difficult decisions in your pregnancy and birth feels... not fun. Setting up boundaries, especially for those of us who feel a need to please others, feels difficult, sometimes even wrong. But here's the thing... it's not wrong. In fact, it's necessary. Miriam began setting boundaries where she needed to at the end of her pregnancy, and continues to do so postpartum. This is one of the key aspects of fully owning our role as a mother. Are we willing to forsake all others for our nuclear family? Truly? It's not easy, but it's what we've been called to do, and when we live our lives this way, I believe we will find more satisfaction in our role. I wanted to mention the fact that Miriam's birth was really different from what she'd expected. 6 hours, nonstop back labor, and a nuchal arm wrapped in an umbilical cord.... this wasn't on a previous podcast episode. But I think the amazing thing about preparing for birth holistically is our ability to look back at our experience with pride. She worked incredibly hard through her labor. She brought her baby from womb to world.... this experience couldn't have been predicted, but it's certainly not any less amazing or valid than any other birth experience. It's incredible. If we can see birth with this sense of open-mindedness, we can appreciate our experience, however unexpected it may be. And finally, isn't it amazing that because Miriam was at home, she didn't get disturbed once her magical golden hour was up. That didn't mean "free rein! anything goes!" No, she was still left to snuggle with her newborn, as she was finally returning from the difficult experience of giving birth. Sometimes it may take us a while to come around, especially after an intense birth like Miriam's. To think that if she would have been elsewhere, she may have been completely interrupted once she was beginning to truly bond is heartbreaking. https://www.startingsunday.co/post/the-first-40-days-can-make-or-break-your-postpartum-healing Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

Is Gestational Diabetes a birth-ruiner, or is there more to the picture than just a label? This week, we're speaking to Cassidy Lilly, a mother to 3 babies, born 3 very different ways. Today we'll hear Cassidy's story of cesarean, then medicated vbac, and finally an incredible homebirth. We'll learn about how she was diagnosed with GD in her third pregnancy, and how she chose to manage that experience. As you'll hear in Cassidy's story, the way that we enter motherhood can truly play a role in how we navigate the experience of being a mother as a whole. You'll hear how Cassidy's confidence and connection soared once she was truly ushered into motherhood the way she was designed to. And that's what I want for you. Whether it's your first or fifth, inside of the Homebirth Collective, I help homebirth mothers achieve the empowering birthing experience of their dreams by deprogramming the mainstream mistrust of birth, reconnecting with their intuitive feminine wisdom, and relaxing into the birthing process. All within the loving arms of an unbelievably aligned community. Are you ready to truly experience birth as the God-given rite of passage it was designed to be? Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

Change can be tough. How do we integrate the arrival of our new baby? Moreover, how do we integrate the arrival of our new baby mere weeks after the arrival of our foster child and a move into a new home? This week, we're speaking to Alexis. A foster-turning adoptive mother to a 7-year-old daughter, and homebirth bio mom to a 1 year old baby boy. Alexis and her family experienced so. much. change. during her pregnancy, and leading up to her birth, and yet you will love the attitude and perspective with which she holds all of this as we hear her journey. Episode Roundup: Alexis found confidence in herself as she navigate pregnancy and motherhood, and so much of this was because she was in control of her care. She wasn't being told what to do or forced or coerced. Alexis was surrounded by midwives who truly cared for her and wanted her to be in charge of her experience. What a massive difference this makes in terms of how we feel about ourselves as mothers. What a beautiful gift of an experience to know that we've got the stuff we need to be who we were designed to be. Alexis said that, overarching, she sees how God's timing was so perfect in her story, despite the fact that she certainly couldn't see that or even fully feel that during the process at times. Isn't it so humbling to realize that our perspective just isn't as big as that of our Creator's? What feels like pain, a struggle, something incredibly difficult or even wrong from where we're standing.... that can be used, too. Alexis celebrates the fact that in His timing, she gained two beautiful children-- two children she wouldn't trade for the world. How amazing. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

What was it like-- finding out that you and your spouse were pregnant with your first child? Were you thrilled, shocked... utterly horrified? This week, we're speaking to Blythe, and incredible mother to two precious boys. We're going to hear how Blythe's entrance into motherhood- beginning at the knowledge of her pregnancy was tumultuous and difficult, and yet she experienced so much healing.... and then was able to go on to have an absolutely joyous second pregnancy. I do want to share that Blythe is so wonderfully open about her experiences with us, and I feel that this can be so encouraging, especially to those of you who have found yourself in a similar frame of mind as Blythe in your pregnancy. Maybe you even feel that way now. At the same time, I do always like to give a good heads up when content may be difficult, and this is the case with the first part of today's story. Blythe will share of her perinatal depression along with her postpartum mood disorders, including the hallucinations she experienced. But, as I said, this is a story of hope and redemption, and there is so much beauty to follow. As always, please decide for yourself what you feel comfortable taking in in terms of stories, but I'm thrilled to be able to share hope with so many mothers who can relate. Episode Roundup: How amazing was it to hear the way that Blythe's mother's choices regarding birth set her and her brothers up for success? They grew up not feeling fearful about birth, but believing it to be a normal, beautiful event. This is what you're doing for your children right now as you make this decision to. embrace pregnancy and labor as it was physiologically designed to be. How incredible. Blythe struggled. Truly, truly struggled. From conception through the first three years, she had a long, dark road to walk. It included symptoms of psychosis, anxiety and depression, and it was just heavy. If you've been there or if you're there now, I want you to know that you're no less worthy of a human because you're struggling. There can be such grief and shame added from ourselves, which simply compounds the pain. Instead, I would love to share about one of many avenues we can consider to heal. I believe that so much healing can take place when we focus on the nervous system. This can look like many different things, but tapping or Emotional Freedom Technique is one of my favorite ways, and it's got the research to back that it truly works. There are so many incredible practitioners out there, but I have a package that has be created specifically for my listeners and students by two amazing women, Greta Zukoff and Naomi Reyes. Greta has worked with me over the last year healing my relationship with myself, with my childhood, with the deepest parts of my core.... and Naomi specializes in working with pregnant and postpartum mothers. She deals with these exact issues. If you are struggling and you know that you're tired of struggling, just how Blythe began to feel, let's begin to heal. The link to contact them and sign up is available in my bio. I would love for you to take advantage of it. Finally, I want to end with the incredible joy that came with healing for Blythe and her family. Not only was she able to reconnect with Gibson in such a powerful way, but she was also able to experience a pregnancy and birth that were truly marked by joy. And Gibson was able to see and feel that, too. What a gift and what a beautiful reconciliation. If you've experienced a pregnancy or postpartum that reminds you of Blythe... I want you to focus in on that. It does NOT mean that you won't experience joy in the future. Blythe surely did, and how beautifully healing is that. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

What does it mean to have a ‘good’ homebirth? What does it look like, and how does it feel? This week, we are speaking with Courtney Paba. I’m so honored to be interviewing Courtney, who was the very first of my students in The Homebirth Collective. Since then, we’ve had many more, including one just yesterday to ring in the New Year! I am overjoyed to be able to make such deep connections and watch the members of these cohorts form such lasting relationships. Episode Roundup: let’s start where we began: What does it mean to have a ‘good’ homebirth? What does it look like, and how does it feel? Do you have to breathe your baby out and be super quiet? Absolutely not. Remember- the way that a birth unfolds, whether it’s loud, quiet, “breathy” or “screamy” it can all be empowering. Or disempowering. So what makes the difference? The decision-maker is what makes the difference. Who was in control? Who held the authority? Truly, the decisions that are made and the exact outcomes matter far less if we recognize that we are in the driver’s seat and our decisions are respected. and finally- you are so strong. Your body is so strong and capable. And at the same time, I see so much beauty in the reliance on something more. On the crying out to the lord and acknowledging that we can’t do this without him. He takes us the rest of the way. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

What do you consider a normal pregnancy and birth? And how does your idea of normal stand up to the routine birth procedures we find in the industrial-medical complex? Same? Different? And today we're speaking with Jamie Murphy. Jamie is a fertility awareness educator with a passion for body literacy and menstrual activism. Through her work, Jamie teaches others to understand their menstrual cycle and use this knowledge to either avoid or achieve pregnancy. Following a medically managed first pregnancy and hospital birth, Jamie realized her experience was common but not normal. This prompted her to seek out a more traditional model of care for her second pregnancy and led to the first home birth in her family in generations. You are going to love this encouraging episode, and everything about Jamie. She shares tons of wisdom in Instagram, so we've got her handle linked in the show notes. Outro Wow, what an incredible and thought-provoking episode. As we head into this week's episode roundup, I've got a few thoughts Common does not equal normal. Unfortunately, the cascade of interventions offered--forced-- at the hospital under the guise of safety are anything but and so disempowering to the mothers who realize... wait a minute, I didn't need that.... And the vast majority of the time, that's absolutely the case. Jamie realized that this second time around, she was ready to get into the deep work of preparation. As her husband stated, homebirth is a lot of work! And the truth is-- yeah! Taking responsibility after generations of handing over responsibility means that we have to do a lot of additional work. But you know what's so cool? Because Jamie and her husband bared the brunt of the hard work.... their daughters WON'T have to work so hard. They'll grow up in a family that understands and appreciates birth as a natural, beautiful process, and they'll likely feel far more confident and prepared without having to do nearly as much work to ready themselves for birth. What a gift. And finally, your body is amazing. Jamie's body is amazing. It knew exactly what it needed to do to get her daughter unstuck, and despite being tangled up in the cords, she was birth just fine and just beautifully. I love Jamie's beautiful perspective of how her birth was perfect-- rescue breaths and long-holding placenta and all. The beauty of birth is in the variations, and the fact that our bodies are capable of handling them. Be sure to check out Jamie's work at @followingmybody. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

𝗜 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿… 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱! So often we get lured into this trap of an idea: you can prepare for Birth, but you can’t really prepare for motherhood. It just happens. ‼️SPOILER ALERT‼️ They’re intimately linked. The problem? Traditional childbirth classes: ➡️ focus on simply avoiding pain. So… if we experience pain… what? Did we fail? ➡️ ignore the fact that childbirth is a rite of passage, and it’s sacred. They focus on just getting through, not appreciating and *gasp* enjoying it. ➡️leave us unprepared for the new version of us we’ll be meeting on the other side. If the whole time we’re just learning to relax (which, relaxation is good!), we aren’t focusing on the aspects that will build confidence in ourselves in birth AND motherhood for the long haul: tapping back into our intuition, setting boundaries (and why we need to!)… what our actual thoughts and opinions even are about birth! Kind of… a big chunk of info. If you’re anything like me, your desire is to be the absolute best mother that you can be. Here’s the deal. We become that mother when we’re prepared to meet that mother. When you learn to connect to your primal mother, to soothe and regulate your nervous system, to take charge of your decision making… you better believe you become a force to be reckoned with both in birth and motherhood. And isn’t that what we truly want? To step into these experiences feeling confident and prepared for whatever awaits us? If this is you, I highly encourage you to apply for our next cohort of the Homebirth Collective, running Jan 2- March 24. It’s not childbirth education- it’s so much more. Perfect timing for mamas who will be about 12-28 weeks pregnant at the beginning of Jan! The link to apply is in my bio, or send me a DM for more info. ✨ Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

“𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹?” - 𝟯 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 We’ve got to: 1. Stop letting fear drive the bus (he doesn’t even have his license) 2. Determine who you’re willing to gain your information from. 3. Realize that failure has far led to do with outcomes than it does mindset and surroundings. Are you the hero or the victim? Listen in to hear a thorough breakdown! And if you decide that you’re the kind of woman who is ready to kick fear to the curb and break generational chains around birth and motherhood, make sure you apply for The Homebirth Collective today! Our next cohort runs from Jan 2nd-March 24th, and it’s perfect if you’ll be around 12-28 weeks pregnant on 1/1! Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

What was life like for you before you became pregnant? Were you pretty much the same person then as you are now, or have you changed drastically? Today we'll be speaking with Gabrielle, and precious mother who has truly been pulled from death to life. From addiction to heavy narcotics and homelessness to being pulled out and called into life through Jesus. This story is unbelievably powerful, and I'm so thrilled that Gabrielle's heart desires to share how she has been forever reborn. Outro: God makes messy things beautiful. I've seen it time and time again in my own life and in the lives of others, and how clearly was this put on display in Gabrielle's story. Gabrielle shares how she overdosed and flatlined 3 times-- died- and yet now is a whole new, reborn creation who is pointing others to her Savior. What a beautiful testimony. And next, I think it's so incredible to see how the life experiences that she's had, of dysfunction, of such severe struggle-- she's used those to change the paradigm for her own family. Gabrielle and her husband are taking their children down an entirely new path-- one that's functional and full of love and grace. And lastly, I just want to share about the beauty in Gabrielle's decision making. Despite the fact that she's off of social media and thus not being bombarded with pretty homebirth images, she prayed for discernment and knew that what she wanted for her babies was different from the conventional path. I just find it so powerful that Gabrielle trusted and obeyed and had two beautiful girls in a way that empowered her and granted her confidence in motherhood. Applications for The Homebirth Collective open next week, so be ready to apply early! Seats are extremely limited, so the earlier you can apply and get a suitability call, the quicker we can reserve your spot. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

What do we do if we notice that we have some negative patterns of thinking? Or maybe we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over…feeling totally blocked. How can we become unblocked? How can we view the world from a positive lens. I’m so thrilled to have my guest today, Greta Zukoff. Greta is my own personal tapping coach, and I’ve worked with her to heal some of the consistent patterns that were showing up over and over in my life. Today we’ll be diving into what causes these patterns, and what we can do to begin shifting gears and considering the world and our experiences in a new, truly positive way. Tapping and inner child work is helpful at any point, but motherhood? I know that personally my interactions with my children can often expose my anxieties, frustrations, fears and patterns. Greta, and her business collegue Naomi have created a group program where we get to work with other mothers together. We’ll have 4 group tapping calls, as well as 2 group prayer/meditation calls, and a private FB group. Applications for The Homebirth Collective open next week, so be ready to apply early! Seats are extremely limited, so the earlier you can apply and get a suitability call, the quicker we can reserve your spot. Episode Roundup The inner child: It wasn’t something that naturally called to me. I thought it was a bit silly— that I’m not a child, and I should just do better. But when we realize that so many programs that we’re running are created in those first few years of life, we can see that, perhaps some of those programs may be outdated! Are these serving me? Are these TRUE? This can be an incredible place to start. Tapping Specifically: EFT has been a huge help for me in my life. Like Greta and I spoke about, it’s so beneficial for both the “acute” and the “chronic.” During the panic attack, and to deal with the deeper layers of reprogramming. Pregnancy and postpartum are massive times of flux. We may be drawing on a lot of subconscious programs, and we’re certainly in hormonal flux. I love tapping to connect with my baby, and I’m thrilled to have it as a resource in my postpartum phase so that If I do begin experiencing any type of postpartum mood disorders, I already have this massive tool. If this information was helpful for you, please be sure to join us inside of Finding Freedom. Finding Freedom (4 month Subscription): $149 pay per month price $ 119 pay in full incentive ($476 total) Includes: -4 group tapping calls (per month) -2 group prayer/meditation calls (per month) -Private Fb group for support Ready to join us? Email [email protected] with subject line: Finding Freedom Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective

Are you ready to have all of your EMF questions answered? This week we're speaking to Courtney Taylor. Courtney is a freebirth mom to two children, and she works as a researcher and customer support provider for BluShield USA. In this episode, we'll hear Courtney's two birth stories, and then we'll spend the remainder of the show answering the listener questions submitted regarding EMFSs. Courtney does such an incredible job of breaking this information down in a way that's both understandable and empowering. Episode Roundup: Courtney shared about the fact that nature never repeats the same pattern consistently. In fact, it never repeats itself exactly! This repetition, which is found in harmful EMFs, is what actually causes our bodies to be on guard. BluShield's mitigation products, like nature, provide a variety of frequencies that allow our body to enter safety. Another incredibly important topic that Courtney covered is the idea of taking responsibility for our own health. Courtney did this in terms of her birth experience: giving birth free birth unassisted with her first baby. She felt so strong and confident in her decisions, and she chose not o outsource t her health. It's the exact same when it comes to her journey with EMFs. Finally, we must remember: Let's do our best. Let's do what we can to protect our families, and then let's not stress about the rest. Additional stress and fear is only going to cause more inflammation, more chronic illnesses, and more acute illnesses. For me, this involves trusting the Lord--trusting that He is the true source of provision and protection. I'm doing my part, and then letting go--having an hand open with the rest. Don't forget BluShield's Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale! The code HOMEBIRTH is going to get you 18% off during this time, and 10% off at any other time of the year. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective BluShield Products Discount Code: HOMEBIRTH (10% year-round, 18% off for Black Friday-Cyber Monday!)

What you can't see can't hurt you, right? This week, we're speaking with the incredible Natalie Amalani. Natalie is an accomplished woman who strikes a delicate balance between her personal and professional life. She has a bachelor's degree in art with an emphasis in painting, she is an entrepreneur who owns and operates two businesses, which we'll be discussing today, all while making time for her husband and 2 young daughters. Natalie had two successful, all natural home births, and lovingly raises her children with a holistic mindset. Today we'll be discussing Natalie's births and businesses, one of which focuses on mitigating electromagnetic fields. Natalie and her husband own Blushield US, which happens to be my favorite EMF-mitigating company. We'll be sharing information regarding EMFs after her birth stories, and we'll be going into even more depth answering your specific questions regarding EMFs next week as well. This is all perfect timing, as blushield is about to have their most massive sale of the year for Black Friday through Cyber Monday, and if you decide you're ready to begin protecting yourself and your baby, my coupon code 'homebirth' which is all one word, will get you a full 18% instead of the 15% you'd get from their discount code. I'll have the link and code in the show notes-- but make sure you wait until black friday for those unbelievable savings! If you're excited to join the next cohort of The HBC, which will run from January to March, make sure you're signed up for our waitlist! You'll be the first to know when applications are open, and you can grab your spot quickly, as spots are incredibly limited! Go to myhappyhomebirth.com/collective to learn more and sign up. Episode Roundup: Natalie's births were all conscious conceptions- thoroughly planned and prepared for. While this is certainly not the case for many of us, isn't it so neat to hear? What deep consideration and thoughtfulness that went into their welcoming of these new lives. I like to think that that deep consideration of Natalie and Brandon extends into every endeavor they take up. It's so clear to see that very same thoughtfulness in both of the companies that they run together. The body is so incredible: Who knows how long Natalie was sitting at 10cm.... I love how her midwife did not encourage her to push until she was ready, which leads into the realization that size of the baby matters less than our ability to tune into what our body is asking from us. Natalie was able to listen to her body instead of outside opinions, and this led her to have a beautiful birth with her baby at 43 weeks. NORMALIZE 43 WEEKS, BABY! And finally, there's so much to constantly be learning in terms of how to protect ourselves and our families in a modern world where technology is changing daily. Unfortunately, these big companies and massive decisions don't always have our health and best interest at heart. As the caretakers and shepherds of our children, we have a responsibility to look into what's going on, and decide how to best protect our little ones. I'm so grateful for Blushield for making this easier. We've seen such massive differences since purchasing our cube, and I would never be without it at this point. Special Links: https://shenblossom.com/ http://www.natalieamalani.com/ https://www.blushield-us.com/ Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide The Homebirth Collective BluShield Products Discount Code: HOMEBIRTH (10% year-round, 18% off for Black Friday-Cyber Monday!)

When your Nutritionist is on point and you're doing everything seemingly correctly and yet you still have trouble conceiving or maybe even going into labor, where can we look? What is it that may be impacting our experience? This week, we are speaking with my friend Amanda Montalvo she is a Hormone healing Rd (@hormonehealingrd) on Instagram if you follow her there. She also has an incredible podcast called Are You Menstrual we're going to be discussing her journey of how she got out of the Hormonal birth control pill had really had to help rebalance and then became pregnant eventually and went on to have a home birth. We're gonna get to hear how all of this unfolded and some of the really beautiful gems that she has learned along the way. One issue that we are going to discuss several times throughout the episode is this idea of stress and how it can impact us in so many ways how you can be doing everything seemingly right but if we are overwhelmed with stress there are still going to be issues you know kind of consistently popping up so be sure to listen through on that theme and hear some of the advice that Amanda gets throughout. If you're excited to join the next cohort of The HBC, which will run from January to March, make sure you're signed up for our waitlist! You'll be the first to know when applications are open, and you can grab your spot quickly, as spots are incredibly limited! Go to myhappyhomebirth.com/collective to learn more and sign up. Okay, let's jump into this beautiful story with Courtney. Episode Roundup: You can prepare all you want, you can do everything right and still struggle to conceive and what we need to remember is that stress can play a critical role in this and you know truthfully timing is everything Amanda wanted to get pregnant and thought she would get pregnant very quickly and yet it took a year but once it was finally the right time, everything was in position she was in a feeling environment she and her husband were able to conceive and what a precious little baby they did make. Now on that same idea same concept if we move that over to labor what talk about how stress can also play a role in win that begins you know part of the importance of going into labor is relaxing letting loose getting comfortable if we are in a state of stress and panic it will be hard to get into that separation phase to get the contraction moving and going obviously it's gonna happen at some point. We're going to come to labor but the best thing that we can actively let go to actively release our responsibilities as much as possible and focus inward on the massive transformation that is about to take place. Once Amanda was able to let go of that go go go intensity really actively focus on relaxing she was of course able to step into that separation phase and to relax and release into the laboring process and apparently reflexology really really help together there. Next, we were trying different time is not linear it's not the same thing that we experience from day-to-day and why is that well we're in what's called liminality we're in this other worldly out of our typical mind experience which is beautiful but don't expect the clock to make sense when you're in labor because it's going to be totally different from what you expect almost always. It’s one of those experiences where a minute may feel like an hour or an hour may feel like a minute. It is an absolutely unlike clear version of time so relaxing into that and allowing the process to just unfold without the concerns of protective “Oh no did you get that contraction timer down like if everything written and recorded” that's going into liminality releasing all of that thinking brain allows that to be OK no matter whether you're labor is 30 minutes or 30 hours. Finally Amanda stated that birth forced her to truly look in word, Can you do this Amanda? Do you want to meet your daughter? or Do you wanna transport? Do you want to outsource to the hospital have them do something for you to stimulate labor to relax you in some way? But you know what and Amanda in this situation decided to dig in and meet her baby and this is what motherhood is about. Digging into your intuition no matter what it takes that doesn't necessarily mean they get home every time it may be something very different but digging into your intuition and what's right from you. Instead of immediately outsourcing to somebody else's idea or what somebody else thinks is right for you. This not only served Amanda during labor but it has served her already tremendously and motherhood and making those decisions for her family making those decisions for Eliana with confidence. That is what motherhood is all about and that is what labor can teach us if we are open and willing and ready to accept it alright my friends I hope that you enjoy. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective instagram@hormonehealingrd Are You Menstrual

What does it mean to fully embrace motherhood? To fully embrace the God-given responsibility of caring for your children? This week, we're speaking to Courtney Valdez, a 26-year old mom of two beautiful girls + a business owner/hairstylist, with a love of homemaking and holistic wellness. Courtney's experience of pregnancy and birth has changed the way her family lives in every way for the better, as we are going to hear in this powerful journey of growth and strength. And not to give a huge spoiler alert, but I do want to say this. The mother that Courtney becomes during this experience-- powerful, confident, radically responsible-- that is who I want you to meet and become inside of The Homebirth Collective. In the HBC, we dedicate 12 weeks to getting to know the deepest layers of yourself. To meeting that primal mother inside of you, and encouraging her to to take the driver's seat-- not only of your pregnancy and birth, but of your life. We work in sisterhood, as community is so vital to preparation for birth, and so missing in most contexts. How unbelievable is it to be able to share a common goal with a group of mothers-- a group of aligned mothers who totally supports your decision to give birth at home? Who wants to form deep relationships and connect authentically? It's been incredible to see these mothers enter and re-enter motherhood after having completed The HBC. Seeing them take radical responsibility in their births, and knowing how deeply this will impact generation after generation-- because they chose to invest in themselves and their families. If you're excited to join the next cohort of The HBC, which will run from January to March, make sure you're signed up for our waitlist! You'll be the first to know when applications are open, and you can grab your spot quickly, as spots are incredibly limited! Go to myhappyhomebirth.com/collective to learn more and sign up. Okay, let's jump into this beautiful story with Courtney. Episode Roundup: Let's start with how Courtney views her first birth experience. While there is plenty for her to be upset and frustrated about in regards to her care, I love the way that Courtney chooses to frame her experience. She isn't sitting in victimhood, but accepting responsibility-- accepting the experience for what it was, and choosing to see and appreciate the beautiful moments. Sometimes we've got to tease through the event to find the beauty, and that can feel frustrating, but how much more powerful than to allow the event to pull you down into despair? We don't always have a choice in regards to outcomes, but we can ALWAYS choose our perspective. Sovereign motherhood. Courtney felt that she shed her old skin-- the questioning, uncertain skin of the past-- in the birth pool when she met her second daughter. She was reborn as the sovereign mother to her two daughters that she was designed to be. No more questioning herself, no more outsourcing... she understands that her intuition was given by God, and she will us it. And lastly, I want to take a moment to touch on care providers. Courtney's experience were both at the hands of midwives. We've got to remember that a title alone means absolutely nothing. One manipulated and pushed for her own way, while the other sat on her hands, peacefully watching Courtney enter back into motherhood. We've got to remember that who we select as our care provider does carry a massive amount of weight. I understand that some of us have more options than others, but this is something to be considered deeply. Does your midwife see herself as a hero or a servant? The answer will dictate much. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

How do you navigate a situation in which your birth plans must be modified? This week we're speaking to Jocelyn, mama to 3 with 3 very different birth stories. Today we'll hear about Jocelyn's experience in the birth center, in the hospital, and finally at home. Episode Roundup: I'm struck by Jocelyn's ability to keep positive and to advocate for herself when her birth plans changed after a diagnosis of hydrocephaly with her second son. She could have been bullied out of her plans, but she remained strong and pushed for what she desired. In the end, she saw that her strength paid off and she was able to avoid an unnecessary c section. Your thoughts, opinions and desires DO matter, and it would seem that some obstetricians tend to lean towards "NO" instead of "YES". With this in mind, remember that you are always the one in charge of your care, and you do have options. Sometimes we may not like our options-- I'm sure Jocelyn would have preferred to have the original birth she'd desired, but within the context of her situation, she still made the best of her situation and made the decisions that were best for herself and her baby. You can do the same, too. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

What makes for a birth that encourages immediate connection with your baby? Was "surprise car birth" the first thought that came to mind? No? Maybe it will be after this story! This week, we're speaking with Shelby and Jenna. Two sisters who have supported each other throughout their pregnancies. We'll be talking about Shelby's stories specifically today and how Jenna was a part of her very unusual experience. Episode Roundup: Sometimes the situations that unfold can impact us in ways that we were not expecting. After her first birth, Shelby ran into difficulties with bonding and breastfeeding, much of this due to harmful hospital policy. When these things happen, it can be difficult not to carry our concerns into our next experience. Shelby experienced perinatal depression with her second baby, and I'm so glad that she was able to bring up the struggle and difficulty that it brought upon her pregnancy, because we see that once she felt comfortable bringing up what was going on, she was immediately validated, loved and understood by her husband and sister. When we can find the courage to speak up about what is troubling us, half of the work is done already. We are then able to have the people who love us support us through whatever it is that we need. There are plenty of counselors and therapists who support women through perinatal depression specifically, so if you find yourself in this position, I lovingly encourage you to seek that support. Finally, sometimes the gift of our birth experience comes in a very unexpected package. Despite the fact that Shelby wasn't envisioning an unassisted car birth on the side of the road, this turned out to be a beautiful gift for herself and her son. They were able to bond and breastfeed immediately, and she was able to bathe in the beautiful connection that she wanted so desperately during her first experience. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

How can we enter pregnancy and labor with excitement and anticipation after a previous birth that ended in Cesarean? This week, we're speaking to LaDaiju, a mama who decided she was not accepting the same birthing situation as before as she prepared for her most recent birth. HBAC stories are some of the most requested on the podcast, and I know you're going to love the perspective that LaDaiju brings to this discussion. Episode Roundup: LaDaiju walked into her second birth with the confidence and deep knowing that her body was made to do this. She had been thoughtful, prayerful and so considerate, and she knew this birth experience at home was exactly what she needed. So much of this confidence came through education. Between her first and second birth, LaDaiju took education seriously. She knew she wanted something different, and she worked hard to make it happen. What an amazing experience. LaDaija, I'm so thrilled for your successful homebirth, and so glad you made it onto the podcast to share! Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

𝟯 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗨𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗺 Don’t be fooled into believing that birth and postpartum are two separate, disconnected events and experiences! The way we experience birth can embolden us in our postpartum experience and motherhood! If you’re ready to prepare thoroughly for both, make sure you get your application in for The Homebirth Collective. This cohort runs from Oct 10-Dec 31st. Applications close Tuesday, 10/4!

Our birth is NOT something we just have to power through. It’s not something we must “endure” to meet our baby. No, no. There is so much joy in the transformation into motherhood, and it begins NOW! We can soak up every birth of nectar from this joyous preparation and experience. If enjoying your pregnancy and homebirth and transformation into motherhood is your desire, make sure you apply for The Homebirth Collective today. Applications are open through next week, then we’ll be closing our cohort. Don’t miss out on the Oct- Dec cohort!

Is the goal of your Homebirth to have pretty images, or is it to seize the experience of motherhood and revel in all of its glory? Depending on your goal, you’ll want to consider how you prepare. If you merely want to “get through labor”, then a course focused on coping techniques may be just fine… But if you’re looking to enjoy the full blueberry pie, not just the outer edge of the crust… If you’re looking to experience childbirth as the honorable, noble right of passage that it was always meant to be… A surface level approach to childbirth preparation isn’t going to cut it. Inside of The Homebirth Collective, our focus is on the internal experience far more than the simple external sequence of events. Why? Because you deserve more than to just “get through labor”. You deserve to see this event as the life-changing, sacred, rite of passage, mother-making, God-given experience that it is. That it was designed to be. If you’re ready for more and you can already see The Homebirth Collective is the answer for you, I want you to fill out the application in my bio and send me a DM saying “ME!” Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

When you experience a truly empowered birthing experience, certainly it affects your motherhood journey. But what else can it potentially impact? And this week we're speaking to Tanya Grazione, a mama whose birth experience propelled her into a totally new career and desire to serve other women. Tanya is a homebirth mama, doula and childbirth educator, and she has so much wonderful insight to share with us today. She help first-time homebirth mothers achieve the empowering birthing experience of their dreams by deprogramming the mainstream mistrust of birth, reconnecting with their intuitive feminine wisdom, and relaxing into the the birthing process. Episode Roundup: In regards to Tanya's first experience, her cervix moved so quickly from relatively closed to quite open, which explains why Tanya felt overwhelmed and opted for the epidural. We've got to remember that the cervix doesn't open on a specific timeline, and just because we're 3cm one minute doesn't mean we won't be complete and pushing just minutes later! With her second birth, Tanya was able to feel the transformation into motherhood in a far more active way. This experience, though it didn't take away her first birth, allowed her to integrate it and her second birth more fully into herself. She was able to re-enter motherhood feeling extremely proud and confident. A number of the mothers inside of The HBC join specifically for that reason. They were left feeling like something was missing from their previous birth or births, and they're ready to do all of the inner work with their current pregnancy to experience the transformation back into motherhood on a cellular level. In order to do that, we have to take radical responsibility and learn to dig into our own self-knowledge and trust. I love that Tanya is on the exact same page and is teaching this to her clients as well. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

Question for you, dads: If you knew you were preparing for something intense and life-changing… let’s say battle… how would you want to prepare? Would you prefer to read a book or two and hope for the best? Would you want to watch a general self-study course and try to implement on your own? Or would you prefer 1:1 preparation with a skilled instructor who has actually experienced what you’re preparing for? Wouldn’t you want to have access to other peers who were preparing for the same event to work with, relate to, and lean upon? And would you want this preparation to simply show you how to hold a sword, or would you want it to teach you to think like a warrior? Which would be more helpful. Now let’s think about your wife and the life-changing experience she’s about to have: giving birth. Just like battle, she will leave this experience changed. Wouldn’t it be far more helpful if we were able to help her prepare for all of the aspects of birth and motherhood beforehand so that she walks into this event confidently and courageously? Listen in to this discussion to learn the 5 questions you can ask your wife when she’s selecting a method of childbirth education. And remember that YOU can be her hero simply through your support! Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

When you work yourself up to have a homebirth, and then those plans change last minute, what do you do? This week, we're speaking with Therese Dansby. Therese Dansby is a wife, nurse, lactation consultant, and homeschooling mom of 3. She recently moved from a big city to a small town in Nebraska where she is thrilled to have found herself amongst plenty of homesteading, home schooling, home birthing friends. Motherhood has been nothing like she expected, but as she rises to the challenge, she learns new things about her own strength and resilience in the process. Therese's final birth experience ends with some unexpected trauma. She gives a trigger warning before she goes into depth, so if you'd prefer to avoid that discussion, you're welcome to end the episode at that point. Episode Roundup: Despite my great love and desire for mothers to know about homebirth as an option, that does NOT automatically mean that home is the best option for everyone. The best option for a mother is for her to give birth where she feels safest and most comfortable. We are asking our bodies to open up and be fully vulnerable. If they are most comfortable doing that in a hospital, there is absolutely no shame in that. The People Pleaser Tendency: This is very common in pregnancy and birth, and it's something we need to be aware of so that we can prepare ourselves beforehand. Strengthening our boundaries during pregnancy can be incredibly useful. Finally, birth can be beautiful and still have complications. There can still be traumas after something amazing and lovely. Therese shared so many wonderful ways that she's been able to integrate her experience in these last months, and I will be posting them in the show notes Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective https://www.livingrootswellness.com NAPRO link More On Napro Episode with Theresa Piela

What do we need to know about supporting and healing the pelvic floor? Is it super complex? This week, we're speaking with Christina, one of the creators and trainers of Tighten Your Tinkler. Christina and her business partner Jen are a physical therapist and exercise physiologist duo who are dedicated to helping mothers heal their pelvic floors in a way that keeps physiology in mind. Christina and Jen are guest experts inside of the Homebirth Collective, and I am thrilled to be able to share a glimpse of their expertise here, too! The HBC applications for our next cohort that runs from mid October through the end of December 2022 open up next week on September 12th 2022. This cohort has been absolutely life-changing for the intimate community of mothers who has participated, and the friendships that have been built ALONG with the depth of both knowledge and wisdom regarding the physiologic birth process and the transformational experience of childbirth are far beyond anything I've ever experienced before. Head to myhappyhomebirth.com/collective if you know you're ready to join us in October! Christina brought so much helpful information to us regarding the Pelvic floor and how we can support it. If through this episode you've realized that you'd like further support, don't hesitate to reach out to Christina and Jen at Tightenyourtinkler. The name is funny, but the results are serious! I've personally been through their program and I'm currently incorporating their exercises into my daily life, and I absolutely love what they're doing. Resources FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective Tightenyourtinkler Maternity support belt V2 vulvar / pelvic floor / prolapse support belt Favorite Electrolyte Drops

When you choose an elective cesarean for your first birth, you're about as far from the homebirth experience as you can get-- there's no way you'd ever consider a homebirth later on, right? This week, we're speaking to Jordan Adams- a student and stay at home mother of 3. She lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband, three children- Emerson, Lennon & Auburn as well as two dogs, so it's never boring. Jordan's home birth was my first VBAC and she's been birth obsessed ever since! Speaking of this beautiful community, I want to go deeper with you, and we are about to open up our enrollment for the Homebirth Collective. Our second cohort will be underway in October and we are going to run through the end of December. So, you know, Homebirth is a transformational experience, unlike any other, and I want to invite you to take full responsibility and full control over the joy of that experience through the Homebirth Collective, where we will be diving so much deeper into preparing. By really invoking the Primal mother, which is what I call it which is that mother inside of you who already knows what to do. And then once we have that Foundation laid, once we understand our nervous system, once we understand our boundaries, once we understand what it actually means to have a successful birth. If you were interested, go to myhappyhomebirth.com/collective. I can’t wait to connect with you and support you further. Episode Roundup So much of our fears stem from the unknown. Jordan didn't know what to expect with her first baby and birth, and at that time, it felt safer to just not know than to have to come to terms with what it could be. Obviously, this changed greatly for Jordan with time, but it really highlights just how stressful the idea of birth can be-- and if we don't even feel safe looking into what's happening, it's no wonder that we would want to consider an elective cesarean. Have someone else do it for me- I don't even want to know. But on to my second point, what power did Jordan exhibit when she realized.... "wait a minute... I'm in control here!" She truly became a force to be reckoned with, and it was amazing to see that sense increase throughout her two subsequent births. Once you realize the smoke and mirrors of the idea that someone else has the power-- not you-- once you realize it's YOUR body and YOUR baby.... you can't unsee that. Jordan certainly never did. I love that Jordan so openly has continued to grow, learn and change. When her midwife recommended some dietary changes that seemed pretty basic, she suddenly had insane improvements in her health-- how incredible is it to see that we sometimes DO have the ability to greatly increase our health with just a few simple changes. This was such an encouraging aspect of Jordan's journey to me. And finally, how wonderful was it to hear all of the supportive people around Jordan. Her husband, her mother-in-law, her midwife, her sister in law-- all of them playing such integral parts in her experience, and she will never forget how these wonderful people treated her during such a special time. It just fills me with joy to hear when mothers are rallied around in such a beautiful way. Resources FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective @jordann.adams