Happy Homebirth

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

What do Obstetricians have to say about homebirth? Well, the one we're speaking to today certainly has some opinions that may surprise you in the best way. This week, we're speaking with the incredible Dr. Stu Fischbein, a homebirth-attending Obstetrician, founder of Reteach Breech, and one of the two lovely co-hosts from the ever-inspiring podcast Birthing Instincts. In this conversational episode, Dr. Stu, as usual, holds nothing back and shares his opinions regarding the current state of the medical oligarchy and how the last two years of pandemic chaos have exposed the realities that have existed for a long time, how this encroaches on midwives, mothers and people as a whole... and we discuss the responsibility that each one of us can choose to take in regards to our own health. He shares the massive shifts in perspective that he's had over his career in terms of how maternity care should be managed, or better yet left alone, and he unabashedly shares his thoughts on the Covid, the vaccine and more. Episode Roundup: 10 or so years into his career, Dr. Stu made a choice. He decided to recognize the fact that the way he'd been caring for patients did not align with the new knowledge and perspective that he was gaining. Honestly, it could have been a lot easier, a lot more comfortable for him to have stuck his head in the sand, continued down the ol' path of typical obstetric care and never be faced with the discomfort of change. I'm so grateful that he didn't do that. It's important that we listen to medical professionals--who have seen how things work on the inside-- when they share that things are often not done for the best interest of the patient. Of course, I'm sure many of this know this, but experiential knowledge is a whole other kind of knowledge. Dr. Stu was pushed out of his hospital position and privlidge because he wouldn't cow to the mainstream model. How frustrating to hear that those who DO truly care for the patient are often the first ones to be removed. And finally, let's end on something to consider and meditate on: You, the mother, should be the one deciding the risks you are willing to take. Yes, it is incredible to have trusted advisors and providers, but the authority of how and where and with whom you give birth should remain in your hands. You have options. Resources FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective Links: Birthing Instincts Atlas Shrugged Dissolving Illusions Casa Blanca The Business of Birth Control The Highwire

Raise your hand if your doula became a doula at 17 years old before having her own children and before coming an RN? No, just Ellie? And this week we're speaking to Ellie Mickle, birth doula turned RN turned homebirth mama. We'll be sharing her 3 beautiful stories, and I'm really putting an emphasis on 'beautiful.' This is a great pep talk episode and reminder that birth can go SO beautifully, and it does so often! Episode Roundup When it comes to birth, our lens is crucial to how we view the situation. Ellie recognized that the only thing standing in her way from fully enjoying or appreciating her second birth experience was an internal battle based around the idea that her experience was supposed to be something different than it was. It is crucial for us as mothers to enter each birthing experience with curiosity and a beginner's mind, knowing that the experience will bring to us whatever lessons we need most. A positive and curious lens can make all of the difference. And ultimately, birth is normal until proven otherwise. Entering this experience recognizing that physiological labor was designed to work allows us to relax and release into this process with confidence and comfort. Having trusted care providers and a trusted location can truly help mothers sink warmly into the headspace needed to submit to the birthing process. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

This conversation is not directly homebirth, or even totally birth related, but this information is so applicable to every single one of us, whether we're struggling with chronic illness or not. There is so much we call pull from this discussion with Theresa and apply to our pregnancy, birth and motherhood. This week we're going to be speaking to Theresa Piela who is as a guest expert and leading an in-depth tapping session for our students inside Happy Homebirth Collective. Theresa, is such a gift. We are so honored to have her as a guest expert inside of the homebirth collective, and I love that my students get to learn from you in this intimate setting. Episode roundup Learning to release in one area of life often times allows us to soften and release in other areas. This is such a great reminder for motherhood. A we learn to soften and sink in and release, our experience of motherhood will be positively impacted. "No one has the answers but you" and there's freedom in that. Ultimately, you get to take full responsibility. Theresa mentioned this in relation to her search for health during chronic illness, and the very same applies for birth. Yes, it is wonderful to find others who can support us, encourage us, and teach us... but ultimately, this is your life. And it's so much more fulfilling, despite the fact that it may at first feel daunting, when we embrace the responsibility. If you have the time to think to yourself, "Oh man, I'm not thinking or feeling the way I wanted to...." THAT IS YOUR CUE! You can take that one little moment of awareness-- that's all you need is one little moment-- and remind yourself to refocus. And the more you do this, the more aware you will be come, and the quicker and easier it will be to refocus as time goes on. And finally, I love this one...Remember that we cannot control the craziness around us. We live in a world that can be dark at times, and there is undeniably trouble and struggle within the human condition. But despite this.... or even in light of this...how important is it for us to connect to our babies and let them know how well they are loved. As Theresa said, It's the biggest gift a mother can give their child. For all of you listening, I highly encourage you to follow Theresa at livingrootswellness on instagram, and I 10/10 recommend her tapping membership, Tapping with T. If you're looking for support, she's giving it out consistently. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

How can we teach our body that it can trust us and rest, when we have previously had a difficult time allowing it to rest? This week we're going to be speaking to Jocelin North. Jocelin is a mother who has been through quite a bit of difficulty through her pregnancy and birth experiences. And I do want to share this up front because Jocelin does a really beautiful job of really sharing the details of her experience and I want you to keep that in mind. If you feel that you are at a place in your pregnancy where you are vulnerable to difficult stories, this may be one that you want to come back to at a later time though. I do believe there's so much value and in hearing how she went through these experiences and how she's come out. On the other side as a stronger mother and someone who is able to listen to her body and provide it what it needs in an easier way. Episode Roundup: I feel like Jocelyn story had so many difficult aspects to it and what I love and find so comforting and it is that through all of those things, she was able to continue on, she thought the Lord's help in the times that she needed it and she did what she needed to do for her babies. That being said, we as mothers often times will sacrifice and sacrifice and sacrifice and forget that we are people too who need help and support. So I'm so grateful that Jocelyn is now on a path to helping her body rest and allowing her body to heal, and these things do take time. So I am so grateful to Jocelyn for sharing her birth stories with us. I will remind you that Jocelyn took Happy Homebirth Academy. Happy Homebirth Academy is currently unavailable, but we have the waitlist open for the home birth Collective. And our second cohort is going to be beginning in October, you can hop on to the waitlist. This first cohort has been mind-blowing, absolutely beautiful. The relationships that are forming between these mothers and the depth that we are able to get to in terms of coaching plus education. There is absolutely nothing like this anywhere else on the market. I am so honored and blessed to be able to provide such an amazing experience. So do not miss your opportunity to be a part of this next cohort. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

What is birth trauma, and how can we move through it? This week we're speaking to Christie Sheffer, a Certified Professional midwife who also created the Perinatal Trauma Center. Today we are going to be discussing birth trauma, what it is, how it oftentimes presents, and how it impacts us and our loved ones. Christy has recorded this interview, and she also recorded a follow up discussion for the Home birth collective. So she's one of our guest experts inside of the Home birth Collective, where she gave practical tips on how to prevent birth trauma and then how to heal from it afterwards if it were to happen. Episode Roundup: The first one being that trauma is a physical response. It's not an emotional feeling. It's something that we physically experience inside of our bodies. And it's when our body thinks that an event is happening in real time, it cannot differentiate or distinguish past from present. So when we go to heal our trauma, we are simply trying to show our body that it is safe right now. What a blessing to be able to give our bodies that. If you have experienced birth trauma, whether you deem it yourself big or small, it is worth healing. It is worth digging through and finding the truth and healing it. Your trauma impacts your day to day functioning whether you recognize it or not. It also has implications on your family, on your children, on your spouse. For us to be able to work through our own healing, we also provide healing for those around us. What a wonderful example to everyone around us. Finally, if you are finding yourself feeling uncomfortable when you talk about your birth, when the idea of birth comes out, when your friend mentions her birthing plans, that's when we want to really check-in and make sure that we are getting the support that we need. Be sure to checkout Christie's website and the amazing self-diagnostics quiz that she has so that you can see where you fall in terms of how you are processing you Birth experience. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

How can we set ourselves up for an empowered motherhood experience? Are there any specific values or ideals that we can practice and exercise in order to ready ourselves for the great task that motherhood is? This week we're speaking with Jessica Lorion. As an auto-immune disease fighter, Jessica's motherhood journey is postponed. While she navigates her health journey, she has decided to learn all about motherhood before she becomes one. As a Mama in Training herself, she decided to take that concept and support other Mamas in Training on their journey in and through motherhood. Today we'll be taking time together to discuss how to best prepare for pregnancy, postpartum and beyond with Jessica's 3 pillars of motherhood. Episode Roundup Advocacy. Let's remember that you are yours and your baby's best advocate. Wear that title proudly, and don't allow others, even those with white coats, to bully you. This can feel like a daunting weight, but you were made for this and created for this. Spend time thinking, praying, meditating on this fact so that you can go forth confidently. Next, let's talk about planning and preparing. You know this is near and dear to my heart, as we go through a strategic planning and preparation sequence inside of Happy Homebirth Academy. From preparing the mind to preparing the relaxation techniques, to preparing your partner, heart and home, body, and for postpartum... this idea of taking the time to consider what's important to you, consider all of the options, and create a fluid plan is essential. And finally, community. I love how Jessica divided up this concept of community. We've got care providers and professionals, close friends and family, and then third party community. I love the idea of having outside input. Each group is important and can bring us something slightly different. Learning to lean into our communities for support is a lesson that can sometimes be challenging, but it is truly so rewarding for both yourself and your family. Resources: FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective

How do you go through with a home birth when you start your pregnancy terrified of home birth? This week we're speaking to Kati Gannom, a mama who agreed to a home birth during her second pregnancy, even though she really wasn't sold on it in the beginning. Episode Roundup: Kati is a perfect example that your cervix is not a crystal ball, and the fact that it's out of one during one exam means absolutely nothing about when your baby will be born. This reality really presented itself in both of her labors. Before I go on a tirade about the absolute insanity of cutting an episiotomy, especially without consent from the mother first, because I'm feeling a whole lot of angry feelings about that, let me just skip to the good part. Katie toured during her second birth, which, sure, nobody wants to do, but this is a great reminder that the perineum was made to stretch, yes, but it was also made to heal. And healing from a natural chair is generally a much easier experience than healing from intentional incisions, as I am sure Kati would attest. Mindset is everything. I mean, really, your body already has everything it needs to give birth to your baby, barring very special circumstances. The really important task is assuring and reassuring your mind that that's the case. Of course, understanding physiological birth, knowing all the types of positions and pain relief and coping techniques play a part in building that mindset. But it's important that you know that you've already got everything that you need. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide

Childbirth education isn’t enough. How many homebirth mothers do you know who “did everything right” and yet still felt unfulfilled after their birth? Listen, when we don’t treat birth as sacred and prepare for it as such, how can we expect to feel like it was scared afterwards? In order to reap, we must first sow. Let’s sow the seeds of preparation with intentionality. Let’s prepare our hearts and our feminine intuition and wisdom before jumping straight into “how to cope with labor” Join me for 12 weeks and let’s get to work so that when it’s time for the harvest, it’s absolutely abundant. Send me a DM saying ‘me!’ If you’re ready to prepare with intentionality inside of The Homebirth Collective. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective

4 Warning Signs that You Need to Re-Prioritize Your Homebirth Preparation So you want an empowered Homebirth. Are you preparing in a way that will provide you with empowerment? 1️⃣ If you think you’re going to just go with the flow ➡️ ✨reprioritize✨ 2️⃣ If you think that relaxation techniques alone give you empowerment ➡️ ✨reprioritize✨ 3️⃣ If you think that hiring a midwife guarantees success ➡️ ✨reprioritize ✨ 4️⃣ If you’re not preparing for this with the same dedication that you did when planning/preparing for your wedding ➡️ ✨reprioritize✨ Wanting an empowered birth experience is doable with the right tools and preparation. But let’s remember that it isn’t going to just drop in our laps. We’ve got to take radical responsibility for our preparation. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective

Here’s a belief shift for you: Knowledge about birth is key and knowledge is enough ➡️Wisdom should be our emphasis. Takeaways from today’s chat: ✨We’ve been taught that the way to prepare is to acquire information (from social media, the stories of others, birth classes) BUT this isn’t reducing anxiety because none of that is directly applied to YOU. We need to to focus on your own internal wisdom and self knowledge before adding “science”. ✨If you want to feel peace, but you’re stressing about finding peace... that’s not going to lead you to peace. ✨When you have a framework that integrates knowledge AND wisdom, then you can release the anxiety and feel JOY. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective

You don’t have to wait until your baby is in your arms physically to begin attaching and bonding. In fact... how much closer can you get than being inside of someone?! Let’s emulate that close physical proximity with mental and emotional proximity, too! This weekend we’re running a challenge! #chorionicconnection We’re going to set aside a little bit of time each day for the next 3 days to intentionally connect with our babies. Day 1: spend time thinking about what it will be like to work with your baby during labor. How will the two of you work together? What will that look like? Day 2: Focus on what the newborn connection will be like. Joyfully imagine the new baby snuggles, smelling that precious little head, nursing and changing diapers. Let your baby know that you’re a safe place and you’re going to take care of them. Day 3: let’s visualize this connection 5-10 years down the road. What will this beautiful love look like then? Imagine your baby, now a child, and imagine you helping them solve some type of problem. Let them know that this isn’t a short term relationship- you’ll be bonded and connected for life. SHARE YOUR DAILY EXPERIENCES! Post about it on your stories and tag @happyhomebirthpodcast so I can see where you are, how you’re doing, and what about this is most valuable for you! Use #chorionicconnection Is this the type of in-depth, actionable preparation you want for your Homebirth? If you’ve got 16+ weeks left in your pregnancy and you want to be fully prepared on all levels, send me a DM (chorionic connection) to learn more about The Homebirth Collective. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective

The 3 Reasons You’re Not Feeling Confident About Homebirth 1. You’re feeling isolated and misunderstood by your closest family and friends who consider what you’re doing to be dangerous 2. You’re looking in the traditionally right place for connection (family & friends), but unfortunately that’s not currently the place where you’ll find what you’re seeking 3. You’ve got to somewhat disengage or remove your energy from these toxic situations and reengage in a community where you will be built up and given both knowledge and wisdom. Sound like you? Send me a DM with the word ‘engage’ to learn how we’re healing these issues at the root inside of The Homebirth Collective! Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective

You’ve been sold the idea that if you know the states of labor and the hormonal interplay and if you practice your relaxation techniques that you’ll be all set for an empowering birth experience. BUT... We need more than science; we need wisdom. We need more than head knowledge; we need heart knowledge. We need the right container so that we can appropriately integrate our experience. We need: ✔️ COMMUNITY ✔️ CEREMONY ✔️ CONNECTION Listen in to hear how we’re cultivating this inside of The Homebirth Collective. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective

Birth serves a purpose, yes, but can it be more than just bring a baby from within to the outside? Could it actually be... intimate? This week we're speaking with Annalee Ford who is a a civil engineer/makeup artist in Denver, CO who, as she says, spends way too much time on Tiktok. Annalee and her husband actually work together (on the engineering side, not makeup!) and have been together for 10 blissful years. Together they have two beautiful daughters (Elliott and Collins), three crazy dogs, and love spending lots of time together as a family. And this family-love is what we'll be exploring inside of this episode. The way that we can take birth from being a medical event to a familial affair. Episode Roundup: I want to reiterate the fact that postpartum rage is a thing that many mothers experience. Sometimes completely alone, and other times intermingled with anxiety and depression. I experienced this quite strongly after the birth of my first daughter, and I felt totally alone and embarrassed that I was experiencing these emotions. Do not make the same mistake as me. If you're experiencing this, reach out to someone. Look into the emotional freedom technique- you can find all kinds of videos online for free, and that's amazing, but I do feel like finding someone to work with one on one can help you uncover a lot more roots a lot quicker. I'm going to put some of my favorite resources in the show notes Let's talk about interventions. Often times I speak on the down sides to interventions, but here's the truth. They can be super helpful sometimes. Annalee chose to have cervical exams and membrane sweeps, and the world didn't fall apart because of it-- in fact, they seemed to truly help her as she progressed throughout her labor experience. Here's the deal. When you have informed consent-- when you truly know the pros and cons to each practice and you confidently choose, that's beautiful and amazing! Interventions are not automatically BAD things... they can serve a purpose... but having informed consent is absolutely key. Next, one more time-- how COOL was it to hear how Annalee's subconscious really seemed to pick up on the impending transport and emergent feelings right at the end of her labor. And what did it do? It cause a STRONG physical reaction. Her baby went from high to ON the perineum in no time flat, all thanks to a well-timed pukefest. I am constantly in awe of the Divine nature in which we were created. And yes, I'm talking about vomit and our divine creation in the same breath. And finally, let's end where we began. Birth does not have to be some big medical to-do. How much more connecting and strengthening is it when we prepare with our spouse, work together as a team, and experience birth as an intimate family event. This is the glue that binds us and can build us up. It was so beautiful to hear how Annalee and Ethan did this together, fortifying and strengthening their connection through the experience. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide

Do you desire to involve your children in your pregnancy, birthing and immediate postpartum experience, but feel a bit uncertain as to how to prepare them? This episode is full of wonderful, easily attainable ways to discuss birth and midwifery care with your children, no matter what age. Kelly will be giving us such wonderful examples of how to involve your children and bolster their self-confidence. Episode Roundup: One of the very best things we can do for our children is involve them in daily life- both the little and small events. From the daily routines like folding the laundry and washing the dishes to the extraordinary moments of pregnancy and childbirth, to the sweet and intimate moments like feeding our babies. Allowing our children to be a part of our lives facilitates confidence and creates young ones who feel at home in our world. When answering our young children's questions, we don't have to give them a full college essay in response, but it is important to feel out what it is that they're truly wanting to know, and to do our best to give a response that is at their level when possible. I love Kelly's example from Corrie Ten Boom about not asking children to carry more than they can hold-- but on the other end, as parents, we are their safe place to ask questions and learn. Creating a relationship and an atomosphere that lets our children know it's okay to ask questions and to know that their parents are going to do their best to involve and include them goes such a long way when it comes to security. And finally, we can make birth preparation fun and enjoyable for our children. By involving them in the actual appointments, talking openly and often with them, and reading beautiful books like The Midwife's Visit , we let our children take part in this incredible, transformative event-- giving trust to the process now, and allowing that trust to grow over a lifetime so that they too will be excited for their own birthing experiences. This is how we change the perspective of birth in our culture-- by teaching our children the truth. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide

What if you had the know-how to help your newborn baby relax and release all of the tension accumulated from growing in utero and from his or her birth experience? What if YOU were able to help regulate your baby's nervous system? Wouldn't it be incredible? Over the last year, I've heard more and more people discussing the Gillespie Approach and sharing how working with a trained practitioner truly changed their lives, as well as the lives of their little ones. I began looking into the program myself, as the though of being able to help my family release tension and feel better certainly intrigued me. Now, after learning more about the approach, we're hosting two trainings in my hometown, Greenville South Carolina March 9-14th of 2023. I can't wait for this event, and If you're excited to learn more after hearing this episode, be sure to reach out to me at [email protected] to have your information added to the interest list. HappyHomebirth Academy is going to be closing to the public for the foreseeable future as of June 14th. We have more exciting program with Homebirth Collective soon! Episode Roundup You're the expert on your family. We talk about this in relation to birth, but it certainly doesn't stop there. You are allowed to take radical responsibility, and you are allowed to acquire the skills it takes to help your family heal. Motherhood is powerful, and you are not "just" a mom. You are the expert. Resources: Happy Homebirth Collective FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide