Happy Homebirth

When your birth plans change, what do you do? Do you jump to a place of self-loathing and frustration, or do you take it in stride and choose to love your experience? Hey there… And although my first question is easier said than done, Jasmine and her husband Julian have some lessons to share with us today all about this subject and many more. From a hospital birth that turned out differently than expected to a homebirth abroad in Tokyo, get ready. This story is incredible. And… Happy Mother’s Day! Whether you are preparing to conceive, mourning a loss, planning your first homebirth or driving around in your 12-passenger van full of offspring, I want you to know that you are so important. Mothers, no matter what stage, are just incredible. You have done and will do amazing things. And I want to celebrate you this week. So to all of the mamas who want to prepare like Jasmine does in this episode, with Happy Homebirth Academy, use the code MOM20 at checkout and get 20% off. This deal expires Friday 5/14 at midnight, so be sure to jump on it early! Okay, before we get into Jasmine’s beautiful story, let’s take a quick moment to thank our reviewer of the week, Girl_Mom, who wrote: So encouraging! My sister just told me about this podcast and I’m so happy! I love that there’s a podcast d directly dedicated to home birth stories. I’m going to attempt my 3rd home birth in a few months after having my first baby at home with a transfer for the baby, second was a hospital transfer during pushing with vacuum delivery and now I’m hoping for my healing 3rd home birth. These stories are giving me hope and I even had a dream last night after listening to this about having a pain-free birth. It was so lovely and I love this resource as I’m preparing for another homebirth! Girl mom, what a beautiful review. I’m praying that pain-free birth over you and hoping you continue to feel confident and empowered as you listen to this story, as well as all of the others. If you’ll send me an email at I’ll be sure to send you a happy homebirth podcast sticker. And of course, if you are loving this show, would you go show some love on apple podcasts? It’s a free, relatively easy way to support the mission behind Happy Homebirth and get this show into the ears of the mothers who need it. Alright, let’s jump in. Please remember the opinions of my guest, and this show is not meant to prescribe or treat- it’s an educational tool, so continue to take empowered responsibility for your health and your family. Lives in Tokyo— moved right before Covid hit, as her husband works for the government. Jasmine now says she will definitely have all of her kids in Tokyo! With her first child, she gave birth in the US in a hospital with midwives. They pressured her through fear tactics to have an induction at 41.3 days. During the induction, she was at peace, but it was difficult. The contractions were back to back, and Jasmine says “It felt like an attack on my body.” The way that a woman is supported in her decisions in her birth, and the way that we speak over a woman in her birthing situation makes all of the difference. Jasmine told her husband she wanted an epidural and that she was sorry. He said, “Don’t be sorry! This is a game time decision, and it’s amazing that you know what you need.” As soon as she got the epidural and was able to relax, her body opened up. Just a couple of hours later she was pushing! Because of the perspective Jasmine and Julian took, Jasmine never looked back on her birth experience feeling any amount of shame. Savannah’s birth taught her the importance of support. “the way we frame our births has such an impact on us postpartum, how we connect with out babies, and the start we give our little ones when they enter the world.” Sometime in the early summer Jasmine and her husband had a discussion that they wanted to start trying for another baby in the fall. Jasmine says it was a wink, wink that they were both ready—they made their baby the very next day! She was grateful that she was planning a homebirth, because even if she had to transfer care during, she would be able to have her midwife with her in the hospital—which wasn’t allowed for anyone else in Japan at the time. Mothers were giving birth on their own. Jasmine discusses how her midwife Sosan would have all of these rules like “don’t eat ice cream, don’t expose your joints etc…” and they would know when she didn’t follow the rules! Her midwife also recommended “bone therapy” which Jasmine says is like chiropractic, only more gentle. She was required to nap after the adjustment, and she would feel almost out of it afterwards. She felt she was in fantastic alignment for this birth. The morning of birth Jasmine dropped off her daughter, went to bone therapy, went to the birth house and had a full day of treatments, reflexology, checking on the baby etc. Jasmine asked her midwife about castor oil, and Sosan told her she didn’t think she needed it, but she could give

What do you do when your doctors don’t believe in your body, but you do? What happens when hospital policy is so counter to your own beliefs that you have to be constantly on guard and fighting for your rights? Where do you turn? This week we’re speaking with Julie, who was faced with a number of situations and circumstances that required intense decision-making for herself and her family. I know there are so many mothers out there who are hoping and planning to have successful homebirths after cesarean sections… I know this episode is going to be an inspiring and encouraging one for you. Julie is such a strong mother, and her drive to do what’s best for her family is so obvious. I want to give a quick heads up— the sound quality of this episode is definitely sub-par. I’m not sure what’s going on with my mic while I record in zoom, but the quality lately has been driving me crazy. Just know that I know it’s a thing, and there were some feedback issues, too… so not the best quality, BUT I guarantee you’ll barely notice because Julie’s story is absolutely riveting. And before we jump in I’d love to give a big thank you to our reviewer of the week, JandRFarmsTN. Thank you so much, JandRFarmsTN, if you’ll e-mail me your address at [email protected], I’ll be sure to send you a happy homebirth podcast sticker. Alright, my friends. Let’s dive in. Please remember the opinions of my guest may not necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and this show is not meant to prescribe or treat- it’s an educational tool, so continue to take empowered responsibility for your health and your family. Show Notes Julie had 3 miscarriages before having a full-term baby: The first two were from a luteal phase defect, which she finished. The second occurred immediately after a flu shot that her doctor counseled her to take. She realized then that she had to take research into her own hands. Julie wanted a midwife- her husband wasn’t comfortable with the idea of a homebirth, so they chose midwives at the hospital. Julie said they were basically doctors with other letters beside their names. She had diet-controlled Gestational Diabetes, though they pushed her to be induced. Her body was not ready, she ended up with a c section. Julie went back to the same midwife with her second, and they said she could only have a vbac if she went into labor naturally before 39 weeks. When she didn’t, they scheduled her for a c section. It was a traumatic experience— the room was loud, the doctors found a uterine “window” where, the scar opened up just upon touching it. The doctors then began chastising Julie’s husband to “wear a rubber.” Although Julie practices ecological breastfeeding, her fertility returns very quickly. During the pregnancy of her third baby, they knew they would need to flee from New York because the vaccination laws were removing religious freedom. Julie was pregnant in NY, but researching hospitals in CT to see who would let her attempt a VBAC. All of the hospitals were saying “no”. Finally, she called Yale, and she happened to reach one of two doctors who are VBAC-supportive. Julie drove 2-2.5 hours each prenatal for the rest of the pregnancy. They moved around 30 weeks, and when she reached 40 weeks, she began to realize that 2 of the providers would support her, but the 6 others were barely going to tolerate her attempting a vbac. After weighing their options, Julie decided to go in at 41 weeks when she knew the OB would be a supportive one and have them do a gentle induction, rather than waiting for labor to begin on its own and have to deal with a care provider who was unsupportive of her plans. Julie successfully had her VBAC with a 9lb baby, which was 2 pounds heavier than her others! For a hospital birth, Julie says it was the best she ever could have expected in terms of care and support. She did want students present so that they’d know that women can have a successful VBA2C, and she had practically every Yale student in her room by the time she delivered! She hoped she could provide them with a positive image, and she did. When she became pregnant with her 4th baby in April of 2020, the hospital policy was that she couldn’t bring her nursing infant with her to her prenatals, which was going to be practically impossible at that time. She decided to go to another hospital who would allow her to bring her baby. This was fine, until she found out the procedures for COVID… testing upon entrance, laboring in a mask, possible removal from her husband and her baby… She came home and told her husband she wasn’t doing it. She went back and forth between going to the hospital and simply refusing the test or doing something else. She knew this would be creating a combative experience at the hospital, which would make things more stressful, possibly leading to a c section, or at least leading to a difficult time bonding with her baby postpartum under stress. Julie decided to find a midwife who would take her, and she

What the heck is a rite of passage… and why does this matter in regards to birth? This week we are speaking with Rachael Jean, a homebirth midwife and birth rite enthusiast. In this episode we delve into the meaning of rites of passage, why they’re important, how to reclaim birth as a rite of passage, and… how to prepare for birth through healing. Immediately I can tell you this will be an episode you’re going to want to save and listen to a couple of times. I’m so excited for the wisdom that Rachael brought to this conversation. Before we jump in, I’d love to take a moment to thank our reviewer of the week, DannyWannyzzz. If you get a moment, would you stop on over to apple podcasts and leave a hopefully 5 star rating, and perhaps even a review? Show Notes Rachael Jean is a midwife practicing in Maine She’s been working in ceremonial work, and feels that midwifery is her mission. Rites of passage: a normal social and cultural event that brings societies together: It brings honor and celebration. birth, puberty, marriage, eldership, death There is not a very strong entrance into adulthood in our current society How do we begin to prepare ourselves for this rite of passage? -It’s about healing: Birth was robbed from women with “twilight sleep” and midwives having to go underground -Rachael’s main goal is to go back through childhood and heal generational traumas: relationship to mother, to father, to child, and wounding patterns related to the elements -Rachael strongly feels that babies are master teachers— they come down and know exactly what lessons you need to learn “Birth is the utmost of the feminine….” The goal is to gain awareness and presence so that we can create space to make choices. Women deserve to love their birth story, no matter what. It’s about honoring the mother, the father and the child. In presence, we get a chance to bring honor back to daily life. Rachael’s recommendation: Unpack the baggage while you’re pregnant! elementalbirthrites.com Reclaiming pregnancy and birth as a rite of passage (facebook) elementalmidwifery.com Elemental Birthrites IG Wasn’t that powerful? I just love speaking with someone who has both intense passion and insight, and that’s exactly what Rachael brought to this conversation. As we head into the episode roundup, let’s go over a few of these incredible topics Episode Roundup: I promise I didn’t pay Rachael to talk about this— But the topic just keeps coming up, and I know it’s vitally important. The concept that we can choose not to feel like victims of our birthing experiences. We can ready ourselves for the balancing act of both birth preparation and feminine wildness, and we can positively claim our birth stories, no matter the specifics of how they unfold. I love the concept of honoring these rites of passage in order to more deeply appreciate the beauty in our day to day being. The element of presence in each moment— wow, it just adds such depth to every experience, both big and small. Finally… unpack your baggage. I love the emphasis Rachael puts on finding a way that works for you to heal yourself in pregnancy. You know, gestation is such a time of transformation already, adding this highly important work of healing only makes sense in such a time, and it seems to reason that our minds are already in a place of willingness to take on such a task. As she mentioned, there are so many ways we can approach healing, so find what works for you. Counseling, Rachael’s course, self-directed. During my second pregnancy I found such great healing and fear release through reading the Psalms. But whatever you choose, set the intention to heal those wounds and I know the results will overwhelm you. So there you have it, my friends. What a lovely and helpful conversation. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Be sure to go check out Rachael’s website and course, and get to healing! That’s all I’ve got for you today, and I look forward to seeing you back here next week. Hey Mamas, I have a free class waiting for you! Homebirth Mythbusters, The 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth is my free gift to all of you who are considering homebirth, planning your fifteenth homebirth, or are just curious to know more about what this is all about. Head to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters to select a time that works for you, and get started! You’ll gain access to not only this incredible free masterclass, but you’ll also be given access to sign up for Happy Homebirth Academy AND an incredible BONUS Stack of resources. So wait no longer! Head to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters and reserve your seat today! Okay, back to the show!

Midwives… have you ever experienced that moment in labor with a client where you know it’s a fork in the road? What do you do and say? What… if that client is also your daughter?. And this week’s interview is special indeed. We’re speaking with Tori Justesen and her mama and midwife Stacey Bufkin all about what it was like to hold both a mother and daughter and midwife/client relationship. This interview is phenomenal, and Stacey and Tori bring up aspects of birth that are going to be so valuable, so make sure you’re hanging onto every word— don’t worry, it’s impossible not to. And hey, if you get a moment, would you stop over to apple podcasts and leave a hopefully 5 star rating and review? It’s.. Okay my friends, I can’t leave you hanging any longer. Let’s hop into this interview with Stacey and Tori. Please remember Show Notes Stacey has been working in the birth world for 2 decades now. She is a licensed midwife in Alabama, and she has been very involved in the political aspect of midwifery on a state level for many years. She has fought for the decriminalization and licensure of midwifery in that state. Tori, Stacey’s daughter became pregnant with her first child/Stacey’s first grandchild in 2019, due April 2020. She knew she would have a homebirth, and she knew exactly who would be on her birth team. She became pregnant easily, telling her mother of the pregnancy by dumping a pile of supplements on her mother’s bed and asking “which of these should I stop taking? I’m pregnant.” Tori’s chiropractor helped her both with adjustments and supplementation, which she attributes to her easy pregnancy. She and her husband did the Bradley Method She exercised throughout pregnancy, and went in healthy and low risk. In April of 2020, of course Covid fear had set in, and the implication on birth and the hospital setting was massive. Stacey and Torie decided together that she would take on a few additional clients. Stacey made out a list of the types of clients she would be willing to take: She wanted to make sure her clients weren’t merely running away from the hospital, but who were running towards homebirth. Stacey also has a lung condition, which concerned Torie and her son. Tori says, “Well, I was a typical first time mom, so I did way too much trying to get my baby to come.” At 41.6, Tori realized her water had broken, and she noticed that there was some meconium (baby’s first poop). This threw her off a bit for a moment. 90% of her labor was in the shower or tub. Tori was experiencing back labor, so her mother did an exam to see if there was a positional issue, or if this is just how Tori was going to labor. It turned out to be both position and sensation. Stacey helped Tori’s baby renavigate and reposition through 6 hours of positions, one of which being Walcher’s (very intense) When Stacey was ready to have her midwife support person come, both of the women she had on call for her were at other births. Stacey thought to call her friend Luicelli, who she and Tori both refer to as Mother Teresa. She came to their aid, and she was the perfect person. They consider this divine intervention. Tori realizes now that when she was at the brink of “I can’t do this,” it was much because she was still trying to hold onto the reins of control in her labor instead of surrendering. Luicelli took Stacey out of the room and asked her, “What needs to happen now?” Stacey knew Tori was at a fork in the road, and she knew exactly what she needed to go say to her— she just didn’t want to be the one to say it (though she knew she had to be). Stacey went to her and said, “I don’t care what you do— but this about you owning your birth and stepping into your power. You are not a victim of your labor or birth, this is what you were given. And your decisions moving forward need to come from a place of power.” Soon after, Tori gave birth to her baby. She loved pushing and feeling the progress. The funniest part of her labor was after the head was born, Tori said to Stacey, “pull him out!” Stacey replied, “I can’t do that for you!” Stacey was very intentional with caring for Tori postpartum. Her parents made certain to make all of the meals, had champagne brunches and herbal baths every evening. Gatekeeping was highly important, too. They always had fresh sheets, room spray, snacks, laundry etc. Her mom gifted her with an IBCLC and placenta encapsulation. Stacey shares how deeply important it is for families to care for mothers postpartum. Episode Roundup WOAH. I’m blown away with all that I gained from this interview. I believe it’s one I’ll need to go over several times to really glean all of those golden bits of useful advice. As we head into the episode roundup, I want to pull out the three that I found to be deeply invaluable. You are not a victim of your birth. Now, as Stacey and Tori alluded, this may not ALWAYS be the best way to speak to someone in labor- relationship and an understanding of what is needed is key. But assuming

Have you always known that you wanted to have biological children, or is that something that came with time? Nikki’s decision to have biological children wasn’t one that she and her husband had in mind for the majority of their 13 years of marriage. Her decision took time and much consideration, as you’ll soon hear. Before we get started, can I ask you a favor? If this podcast has been of help to you, could you hop over to apple podcasts and leave a 5 star rating, and hopefully even a review? It’s an easy, free way to support the show, and it truly means the world to me. Okay, let’s waste no time and jump into Nikki’s incredible story! Show Notes: Nikki listened to to every single podcast episode leading up to her pregnancy, and she felt it truly helped her prepare for what was to come. She originally thought she and her husband would only foster/adopt their children. She explains how that changed in this Youtube Video: Why I Changed My Mind About Having Babies Nikki’s dealt with chronic pain since she was 13 years old, so the though of being pregnant terrified her. Now that she’s experienced the miracle of creating life, Nikki would love to have lots of biological children, though they may also still adopt, too Therapist said, “You think you can’t do it, you don’t KNOW you can’t do it.” Nikki’s pregnancy: It was half horrible, half perfectly fine! She was sick the entire time— throwing up until days before she gave birth She aimed for a very low-key stress-free pregnancy. She ate well through the book Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols As soon as she became pregnant she began researching She went to a birth center and met with a midwife there. When she left, she thought, “This is like a fake version of what I actually want.” She then did a vlog in a Kroger’s parking lot sharing about how if she weren’t pseudo internet famous, she thinks she’d have a homebirth, because it’s what feels right for her pregnancy. So many people messaged her saying “don’t let that stop you!” At the original appointment, the midwife bothered her in two big ways: She didn’t interact with her husband Dan at all, and they thought of the pregnancy as “their” pregnancy She didn’t get the feeling that the birth center would actually support informed consent She reached out to one more midwife, Jen, and she immediately realized she was the one for her. Nikki’s opinion: If you’re not going to prepare, you’re going to end up with something you don’t want. She dove down and read books and consumed 70% positive birth content with some bits of “what if” transport stories to feel prepared no matter what. The end of the pregnancy was hard for her, but she doesn’t feel confident that she felt any worse than any other woman Nikki thinks she was in prodromal labor for a few weeks before labor began She mentions that she didn’t have many checks or tests during her pregnancy, and for the next she’ll do even less. She did the glucola test, which didn’t give accurate results because she never has sugar. She learned that next time she’ll decline or test her blood sugar at home instead. The night she went into labor, at 12:30am her husband was feeling sick, so he took some Nyquil. Not long after, Nikki had to go pee. When she wiped, she realized there was blood. She tried to wake Dan up, but he couldn’t get up— He’d just taken Nyquil! Nikki labors by herself for a few hours, then wakes Dan up. He goes to fill up the birthing pool, and she suddenly feels something “stuck”….He looks to see that her bag of waters is bulging out of her vagina. Dan snaps a picture and sends it to their midwife, Jen. Jen heads out and lets Dan know that he may be catching the baby without her there. He’s excited! Nikki remembers her mom saying, “Oh, you’ll love your baby so much that you’ll forget the pain.” She says that she didn’t forget the pain— it was painful to her—but because she was so loved and supported during it, she has nothing but love and positive feelings around it. She feels like it’s important to note that there are people who come out of the birthing experience and into postpartum unscathed. Her recovery was relatively easy, and she feels that much of that is related to the fact that she had such a wonderful birthing experience. Nikki Phillippi on Youtube and Instagram! Nikki's Birth Video Episode Roundup: Isn’t Nikki so personable AND insightful? Honestly, choosing the clip to play at the beginning of the episode was so hard, because she had so many great points! As we head into the episode roundup, let me cover a few: “if you don’t prepare, you’re going to end up with something that you don’t want.” I think this is such an important point. Culturally, we often times put so much emphasis on things like weddings and baby showers and nursery decorations… but the reality is that the decisions made regarding your pregnancy, labor and postpartum… they have the ability to stay with you and impact you indefinitely. Doing your best to prepare, no matter the a

If you had your baby at your due date or after… how did you feel? Tired? Ready? Frustrated that it was taking so long? Taylor? Well, she was thrilled to carry her baby as long as she did. After experiencing several preterm births, she loved every moment of her longer, seventh pregnancy. This birth story is so lovely, I can’t wait to share it! Before we jump in, may I ask you a favor? If you’re on facebook, can you run check and see if you’re following Happy Homebirth Podcast? We’re growing and excited to get our resources in front of more and more mothers. So help us out by clicking ‘like’, and maybe even sharing with your friends! Okay, let’s get to the good stuff! Show Notes 7 Kids- Decided to leave the number of children up to the Lord With their third child, they began following Mama Natural, and Taylor began becoming interested in homebirth Taylor experiences Hypremesis Gravidum during her pregnancies, which occurred again during her seventh pregnancy. During that time, her husband would help when he could homeschool after work, and she would do educational videos and audiobooks After she got through the first weeks of sickness, she actually felt amazing. Her midwife very much encouraged nutrition during pregnancies, so she feels she’s improved her nutrition more with each pregnancy As someone who has gone into labor prematurely several times before, she was concerned that she’d begin having prodromal labor. However, this last pregnancy, she didn’t even have any noticeable contractions in the last month. She felt great, went on plenty of hikes, and went to the chiropractor Magnesium supplementation was highly important in this pregnancy, and she felt it was of great help at keeping pain away Taylor took Gentle Birth tincture and ate dates at the end of her pregnancy Her midwife came and checked her and she was 7 cm. Everyone expected a quick labor from that point. Little did they know, they were in it for the long haul. Typically with Taylor’s births, as soon as her water breaks, she has her babies very quickly However, because her baby’s head was never in a good position, her midwife did not feel comfortable going that route. Taylor finally had a moment where she cried out to God, then said she felt like he wasn’t answering. It was around this time where she realized that she was still holding onto quite a bit of fears from earlier in the pregnancy: they initially thought the pregnancy may be ectopic, then they received scary news from an anatomy scan when the baby’s stomach couldn’t be visualized. Though another scan revealed the baby was healthy, the fears still lingered. Taylor realized during birth that she was holding onto the fear that she may not get to meet this baby still. Once she released these fears, suddenly her baby moved position and came down the birth canal. Her midwife was able to break her water, and Taylor got into the birth pool. At one point in the water, Taylor was trying to read the scripture cards that she and her children had created together. Her doula and assistant midwife came over and read the scriptures over her during labor. The song that meant so much to her during pregnancy, Peace Be Still, was actually what was playing when her son was born. Episode Roundup What a lovely story! Let’s head into this week’s episode roundup: I first want to point out how deeply the events of our pregnancies can impact our births. Taylor realized in the throes of labor that she was still holding onto fears that had been with her from the early days of her pregnancy, as well as the middle. These stressful experiences and certainties reared their heads as she fought to bring her baby forth in labor. It took the release of these events to truly help her baby get into position for birth. How wonderful to hear of Taylor’s midwife’s wisdom. Though they felt confident that breaking Taylor’s water would speed up labor, her midwife knew that doing this before baby was in a quality position was not at all a good idea and did not recommend it, instead attempting positions to help baby shift into a better place. And finally, how wonderful to be surrounded by a birth team who truly knows you and and recognizes what you need. The picture of Taylor’s doula and birth assistant coming over to read scripture over her was just such a gorgeous vision. Choosing the right people to be with you in labor makes such an important impact. Alrighty, Before we head out, can I ask you to head to apple podcasts? If you’re loving this show, could you support us by leaving a 5-star rating and review? It’s an easy, free way to support the mission of Happy Homebirth. Okay my friends. That’s all I’ve got for you today. I’ll see you back here next week! Mythbusters Info: Hey Mamas, let me interrupt for a few quick moments to share some great news! I have a free class waiting for you! Homebirth Mythbusters, The 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth is my free gift to all of you who are considering homebirth, pla

When did you decide to have a homebirth? Was it at 6 weeks pregnant? 12? 29? ….Were you in labor and 9.5 centimeters? Not to give it all away, but Ren’s decision to give birth at home wasn’t an early one by any stretch of the imagination. I know you’re going to love how it all unfolded. Now, before we dive in, I always want to be very careful and upfront about particularly difficult content. You have the right to know if an upcoming topic could be traumatic for you for any reason. In between Ren’s two lovely birth stories, she shares her heartbreaking experience of loss and medical termination. This is very heavy subject matter, and Ren’s story is so important, and she shares her heart in the situation. But if you are at a place in pregnancy, or simply life in general where you feel that particular topic could cause trauma, please know that it will be between the two stories. We’ll begin that part of the discussion after the homebirth mythbusters ad, for anyone wanting a marker. And because the situation was so heartbreaking for everyone, and because it was quite similar to a situation that happened to someone I love very deeply, I have spent some time searching for resources to add to the show notes for anyone who has experienced, or is currently experiencing, a situation like Ren’s. Please be sure to check out the episode roundup, as well as the show notes. As we prepare to jump in, if you’re loving this podcast and you’d like to support it, an amazing free way to do that is by heading to apple podcasts and leaving a *hopefully* 5 star rating, and a review, if you’re willing and feeling extra loving! It’s truly a fantastic way to help other mothers find this information. Okay, my friends. With all of that being said, let’s dive in. As always, please remember that the opinions of my guest may not necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and neither one of us are medical professionals, so continue to see your doctor, your midwife, or if you’re like me, your chiropractor. Show Notes Ren and her husband Got married at 29, and although she loved children, she didn’t want to get pregnant. Mostly because she feared the discomfort of pregnancy. Eventually, at age 36, she and her husband decided they’d try for one year for a baby. If it happened, that would be the answer. If it didn’t, they were comfortable with that being their answer as well. On month 2, Ren got a positive pregnancy test. She was shocked! She had nausea for her first pregnancy, the second trimester was golden, and she was simply tired. She decided to use midwives, and though she knew that midwives did homebirths, she had no plans to do that. She joked with them that she wanted her epidural placed a week before labor. Ren and her husband did choose to hire a doula, especially because they don’t have any close family living in their vicinity. As labor approached, Ren experienced prodromal labor. She went for a Non-Stress Test at 41 weeks, and the doctor shared with her that she’d only had one contraction the whole time. She thought she might be pregnant for quite a bit longer. That night, she was struggling with prodromal symptoms again, but her doula was firm that she wanted to come over. Ren said no, that it could go on like this for days, but her doula was adamant. The doula arrived at 2… her baby was born at 5. Ren’s doula told her later that when she arrived, she had a suspicion that she was already in active labor, though she didn’t want to get her hopes up. That night, the hospital Ren wanted to go to was not accepting new pregnant patients, as one of their 2 doctors had a medical emergency. She was now going to have to go to another hospital further away. Her doula encouraged her to go to the hospital to get some pain medication. She said that even if she wasn’t in active labor, she hadn’t slept in several nights and it would be good to get some relief. So the doula called the ambulance to come transport her, and she also called the midwife on call, because she knew she lived close to Ren. She asked her to come check before the ambulance got there. The midwife arrived right as the ambulance did, and realized Ren was already 9.5 centimeters. The team informed her that she could of course get in the ambulance, but that there was a good chance that the baby would be born en route, which could be difficult. It was at that moment that Renee decided she’d have a homebirth! She did have to push for a few hours, but Ren ended up giving birth on her yoga mat in her living room. Renee did have a third degree tear, so she actually ended up having to transport to the hospital after the birth. After this birth, Renee thought that she’d be a “one and done” parent. She’s an attachment parent, and wanted to make sure that she could give her daughter the emotional resources she needed. However, as her daughter edged closer to 3 and a half, she started thinking about how she wanted her child to grow up with a sibling, and how being an only child could be

Alright ladies, let’s talk about your period. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, think back to before you were pregnant or breastfeeding and let’s be honest: How was your period? Hey there Happy Homebirthers, and welcome to episode 117 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. And today we’re delving into the wild wild world of our hormones and how they relate to our cycle and overall health. I know that many of you are currently not having a period as you’re pregnant or early postpartum, but isn’t this a perfect time to stop and reflect on your cycle and plan for its eventual return? We’re speaking with two of my very favorite women, Kelly and Tiffany of Beautiful One Midwifery. They’re licensed midwives and period experts, and they’re going to be sharing the importance of healing your cycle if it is indeed out of balance. Get ready, because this episode is a gold mine for considering what may be going on with your hormones. Before we jump in, I want to take a moment to thank our reviewer of the week, jmccormack1315. Show Notes Tiffany and Kelly’s goal when opening their practice: To remind families that midwives do more than just help catch babies Well women care is a huge part of their practice Their goal is to help women take control and ownership of their health journey They created a podcast to reach more people with this information They want to help more people more easily, and decided to create a course to help mothers: Fixing Your Period The attitudes around normal, healthy cycles in our bodies is totally off They wanted to create a program that was actually accessible and doable 90% of women who come in for well women care come in with health issues that they can’t quite put their finger on— and it almost always comes down to hormones We have a new opportunity each cycle to try again and see what gains we can improve Many mothers notice their cycles and periods get progressively worse after babies and postpartum @beautifulonemidwifery beautifulonemidwifery.com/shop Podcast: Lady Stuff with Kelly and Tiffany Episode Roundup: Just because something is common does not mean it’s normal. Just because most women are struggling with their cycles in some way does not mean that we SHOULD be struggling with our cycles indefinitely. Which leads me to my co-point, Being a woman does not mean we have to be mood-swingy emotional heaps with acne and migraines. There are small steps that we can take that can make a massive impact on our hormonal health, which not only helps us, but it helps our families, our relationships, and darn it, our overall enjoyment of life. So if you’re struggling with your period, or if you’re ready to start preparing BEFORE your cycle comes back— because you KNOW this type of care is going to benefit you whether you’re cycling or pregnant—then I highly encourage you to go check out Tiffany and Kelly at Beautiful One Midwifery and get to Fixing Your Period! Okay my friends, that’s all I’ve got for you today. I look forward to seeing you back here next week.

What do you do when you become pregnant unexpectedly…and your husband is scheduled to deploy…and you have two littles at home to take care of? For Holly, this was her reality. You’ll hear how Holly managed her last pregnancy and birth, along with her learning process related to hormone health. It’s a fascinating episode! And before we jump in, I want to take just a moment to thank our reviewer of the week, mama bookworm. Mama book worm, thank you SO much for taking the time. It means so much to me. If you’ll reach out to me at [email protected] I’ll be sure to send you a Happy Homebirth Podcast sticker. If you’re loving these incredible stories and you have a few free moments, would you scoot over to apple podcasts and leave the show a *hopefully* 5 star rating, and maybe even a review? It’s a wonderful, free way to support the happy homebirth mission and to get this information into the ears of mothers everywhere! Okay, let’s get to the fun stuff! Show Notes: Holly and her husband Will have 3 kiddos- first homebirth was her most recent birth. Last semester of nursing school, Holly and her husband decided to start trying for their first baby. They weren’t sure how long it would take them to get pregnant due to some hormone imbalances Holly had. She went to visit her husband on spring break, happened to be ovulating, and got pregnant the first time! They moved to Ohio to finish up the pregnant, and Holly ended up having a midwife at the hospital for her care. She enjoyed her experience. She found out that her baby was posterior towards the end of pregnancy Labor started in the late evening, and Holly looks back and remembers that she didn’t rest- instead she decided she needed to shave her legs and fix her hair She went to the hospital at 3am and was sent back home She came back to the hospital and was still not “far enough along” to be admitted Soon after, Holly’s water broke, and once that happened, it wasn’t long before baby was born. Holly had one high blood pressure reading—when they were placing the epidural… so they required her to stay an extra day in the hospital At 18months postpartum, Holly and her husband decided to try to get pregnant again. This was when her hormonal issues began to truly show. She had several chemical pregnancies and went see an endocrinologist. They requested that she’d try one round of Clomid + a “trigger” shot to force ovulation, and they got pregnant At 22 weeks, They moved to GA, and they got on with a local OB. Another posterior baby Holly experienced a good bit of prodromal labor with this baby Holly asked to be induced at 41 weeks. They had to arrive at 4:30, but couldn’t go back until 9— apparently there were a number of emergencies on the floor earlier that day (not what you want to hear!) She does feel that she and her husband were far more prepared for coping during this labor Once again, within an hour of receiving her epidural, Holly was ready to push Another easy-going hospital birth! The transition from one to two children for them was super easy. Between her last two children, Holly began really considering what she was putting “in, on and around” her body She knew that if she wanted to have the experience of the natural birth, she would either have to accidentally get to the hospital too late, or she’d have to have a homebirth. The epidural was like dangling a carrot in front of a horse! They knew they wanted to have a baby, but they were going to wait until after her husband was deployed in the spring of 2020. He left for training, and Holly wasn’t feeling well. When he came home, she decided to take a test—- and they were pregnant! They were excited, but worried since he was deploying. She was excited, though, because she’d been working so hard to rebalance her hormones. They realized that her husband was scheduled to still be deployed when baby was born—by a month and a half She told her husband she wanted a homebirth, and he was uncertain. They watched The Business of Being Born and Why Not Home, and he was completely on board after that. Even though she was excited for her homebirth, she was feeling anxiety throughout the pregnancy because she knew her husband wouldn’t be there Holly did decide to see an OB first, as she wanted to have the anatomy scan, and to have that covered by insurance. She was not concerned with emergencies, but she was worried about being able to cope with the pain, especially since her husband wouldn’t be there. That’s where Happy Homebirth (Podcast and Academy) came to the rescue! Even though Holly is a nurse, she realized that there was quite a bit that she didn’t know or had forgotten that was covered inside of HHA. It was incredibly helpful in here preparation! Holly struggled to take care of herself during her third pregnancy. Some days she would get to the end of the day and realize she hadn’t yet eaten. There was quite a bit of emotional up and down, as they realized that Will might make it back in time for the

So many people have chosen to forgo the hospital for childbirth because of Covid… but what happens when you’re planning an out of hospital birth and test positive for covid…at 37 weeks? That’s what happened to Kate, and it was quite a difficult time for her, as you’ll see. But you’ll also see that Kate’s quite resourceful, and her experience certainly makes for an action-packed episode. In fact, topics covered in this episode include: teen pregnancy, a forced induction, unexpected pregnancy, testing covid positive at 37 weeks, birth center births and becoming a midwife Before we get into this incredible story, I’d love to take a moment to thank our reviewer of the week, KianaMichelleR. And I just have to say, that review was so deeply touching to me, Kiana. Thank you for such a kind and specific compliment, it truly meant so much to me. And, it’s a great opportunity for me to just stop and say thank you to all of you for listening. I know sometimes it’s weird, and podcasts seem like a one way relationship, but I feel like I know you guys, too. And I genuinely care about you. So thank you for making this such a lovely space. Kiana, if you’ll email me at [email protected] I'd love to send you Happy Homebirth podcast sticker. And hey, if you get a moment, would you head over to apple podcasts to leave a *hopefully* 5 star rating, and maybe even a review? It’s a free, easy way to support the show and make sure this information gets into the ears of other mothers who would benefit from it. Okay, that’s good for now. Let’s get into the good part. Please remember the opinions of my guests may not necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and neither one of us are medical professionals, so continue to see your doctor, midwife, or if you're like me, your chiropractor. Show Notes At 16, Kate decided to get pregnant. The relationship disintegrated during the pregnancy, but her mother was great support. She didn’t get great childbirth education for that birth. She did her best to breastfeed her first, but she’d never seen anyone nurse before. The breastfeeding relationship lasted 6 weeks. With her second pregnancy, she waited until she was in a good relationship (5 years later) before becoming pregnant. Wanted a girl but didn’t want to know the gender, but the ultrasound tech accidentally gave away that it was a boy at 15 weeks. She was in pre-nursing school at this time. At 37 weeks, she had one high blood pressure reading, so they recommended induction. She was only 1 cm dilated and baby at -3 station, yet they broke her water. Luckily, there were no complications. 2 hours later she was complete. The nurse told her to do a practice push, and the baby began crowning. The nurse shoved her legs together and told her not to push. She waited 10-15 minutes for the Dr to come in from a C-section. She’d asked for delayed cord clamping, but the Dr. Clamped it immediately after birth. The nursing staff made the baby take formula because he had jaundice, and she was incredibly disappointed with that. Went back to work at 4 weeks postpartum. 10 months postpartum, she jokingly took an ovulation test with a friend— it was such a strong positive, that she worried that the HCG was high meaning she was actually pregnant. She took 3 pregnancy tests. Her husband had just told her that he didn’t want more kids— so she was terrified when she found out that she was actually pregnant. One month later she found out that she’d been accepted into nursing school. Kate used podcasts, especially Happy Homebirth, to prepare for her pregnancy. She couldn’t go to a childbirth education program in person because of covid, so this was her form of preparation and even almost “hypnosis” With all that was going on, and her inability to start nursing school in August, she began looking into schooling to become a Certified Professional Midwife. At 37 weeks, they found out that her husband was positive for covid. Kate tested negative at that time. She was absolutely crushed and frustrated. She knew she wouldn’t be able to go to the birth center for 10 days. Her midwife advised her that if she were to go into labor within the next 10 days that she go to the hospital— which Kate was not willing to do. She searched high and low, and finally found a midwife who agreed that she would attend her birth at home if she went into labor within the next 10 days. That night she started having contractions and was concerned that it was time. The midwife told her to take a shower and see how things went- Luckily the contractions calmed down and she stayed pregnant. On Oct 8th she had some minor contractions, but she didn’t think much of them because of the previous false alarm. Decided to go to the birth center that evening to get checked. When she arrived, another mother was there having a decently long labor. She was in the birth room Kate had wanted! Kate laid on the peanut ball for several contractions, and suddenly she was in very active labor. Kate got

How do we prepare for the unknowns of birth and postpartum in a holistic, positive way, even when we know that we can’t control every aspect of our experience? This week we’re speaking with Jenny and Wendy, sisters and owners of Pure Motherhood Co. Jenny and Wendy have experienced their fair share of birth plan pivots, and they’re teamed up to provide resources for mothers from pregnancy through postpartum regarding the process. I know you’ll enjoy this conversation. Stick around until the end—so many amazing nuggets are shared! Before we dive into this episode, let me take a quick moment to thank our reviewer of the week, Aloha Zo. Thanks so much, Zoe, and if you’ll send me an e-mail at [email protected], I’ll be sure to send you a Happy Homebirth Podcast sticker! Okay friends, let’s jump into our chat with the founders of Pure Motherhood Co, Wendy and Jenny! Show Notes Jenny Gallard and Wendy Davis both live in Florida Jenny has three children, and Wendy has one sone These sisters own Pure Motherhood Co.: They launched January 2020, and it came from a need that they felt was missing in the motherhood/birth industry. Both sisters were in business separately in the motherhood world, and they decided to join forces. Both sisters had somewhat traumatic childbirth events, and they wanted to help others prevent that experience, but also recover. Puremotherhood Co is a one-stop shop for products and services from pregnancy through toddler age They want to give a space for mothers “in the middle”. They’re holistic, yet they want a place for mothers to be able to come and say “I’m struggling” “Yes we use essential oils, but also sometimes our kids eat cheetos!” Jenny’s first birth was a c-section. In order to have a supportive VBAC, she realized she would have to have a homebirth. She planned and prepared for her homebirth. During the birth she ended up needing to transport to the hospital. After 57 hours, she ended up needing another cesarean section. She wants women to know that it’s incredibly important to plan for birth, but that you also have to be open to pivoting Wendy knew that she was going to plan for a homebirth after seeing the experience Jenny had at home Just like Jenny, at exactly 27 hours of laboring at home, Wendy’s midwife recommended her going to the hospital because her water had been broken for 24 hours. After some time in the hospital, Wendy was labeled with “Failure to Progress” and ended up with a c section. Even more traumatic for Wendy was her postpartum experience. She dealt with postpartum anxiety and depression, and it was a terrible struggle. It’s important to balance the idea that we can do so much to prepare for birth, but we also have to remember that birth is unexpected and untamable. In regards to postpartum, it’s once again so important to prepare for postpartum. Jenny and Wendy recommend a “code word” for postpartum to use when moms are ready to have visitors leave— such a great idea! It’s important to educate the partner on signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression They also highly recommend having a plan already set in place: Who will do the dishes and clean up the house? Who will we call if we have breastfeeding issues or postpartum depression issues? puremotherhood.co instagram: puremotherhoodco Pure Motherhood University Episode Roundup: Woooah, some good points were brought up in this week’s episode! As we head into our episode roundup, let’s do a quick recap of a few: It’s important to realize that we can do plenty to positively influence our birthing experience. Preparation, mindfulness and education can highly impact our experience… HOWEVER… we’ve got to balance this with the understanding that birth is not something for us to control, it’s something for us to surrender to. So sometimes our plans may change, and that’s okay. When we’re coming from a place of empowerment and a place of authority over our experience, rolling with the changes is much easier. We’ve got to continue planning… not only for birth, but throughout the postpartum period. Creating a list of resources beforehand is massive, as Jenny and Wendy shared, and as I mentioned my students do inside of Happy Homebirth Academy. Getting ready before you’re in the throes of newborn life is a great way to help out future you. Surround yourself with community. It makes a world of difference to know that you aren’t going through any of these life changes alone. Thank you so much Jenny and Wendy for coming on the show and sharing your experiences and useful resources, and thank you all for tuning in. That’s all I’ve got for you for now. I’ll see you back here next week. Sponsor Message: Hey Mamas, let me take a few quick moments to share some great news! I have a free class waiting for you! Homebirth Mythbusters, The 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth is my free gift to all of you who are considering homebirth, planning your fifteenth homebirth, or are just curious to know more about w

For those of you who have given birth before—when did you KNOW you were in labor? Was it a slow, gradual realization, or did you only know for sure when you started feeling your body pushing?! For Megan, who dealt with prodromal labor for weeks…. well, it wasn’t until she felt herself pushing that she finally realized “Okay yep, this is definitely happening”. Her second homebirth was vastly different from her first, as we’ll soon hear. But before we jump into the episode, I’d love to thank our reviewer of the week, Alexa J B. Thanks so much, Alexa! And if you get just a moment today, would you mind hopping over to apple podcasts and leaving a rating… perhaps even a review? It’s such a great, free way to support the show, and I’m so appreciative. Show Notes Megan’s first baby—was lost to a miscarriage, but she feels like this baby saved her in a way. She has Graves disease, and the doctors wanted to take out her thyroid. They checked to see if she was pregnant, and she was. Megan then decided to heal her thyroid with herbs She became pregnant the next month, and began seeing the midwife who is the “family midwife”— This midwife has caught babies for her mother in law and sister in law! Her first pregnancy went well With the first labor, she was in transition for 3 hours, then also had to push for 3 hours— She had cervical lip, which was highly uncomfortable. She planned to have a water birth, but once she got in, it started sagging. They realized the cat had put a hole in the birth pool, so Megan’s husband and midwife had to bail the pool as fast as possible while Megan sat on the couch. She moved to the birth stool, the cervical lip finally released Megan became pregnant 6 months postpartum with her second baby. Her milk supply began dropping before she realized she was pregnant, and was so concerned and confused— until she realized she was pregnant. She felt she didn’t “experience” pregnancy as much with her second baby, as she was trying to keep up with her first babe. She did the raw milk formula from Nourishing Traditions, which was very labor intensive. Megan had prodromal labor for 3 weeks. Because of the prodromal labor, she wasn’t certain she was actually labor until she was in transition. That night: she began have contractions, but that was common. She made some tea, tried to relax, and then was suddenly DEEP into labor. She’d been in labor for only half an hour when her contractions were lasting 60 seconds with only 60 seconds in between. Even though her body began to push on its own, she was still in a bit of denial— she thought that she might still only be 2 cm. As his head is coming out, Megan’s husband still has absolutely no idea what’s going on. She lunges, and he says, “What are you doing!?” Her midwife barely missed the birth. Megan began shaking rather violently after the birth because of all the adrenaline She worried that having two children so close in age would be nearly impossible, and that she wouldn’t be able to function well. This has not been the case at all! She’s still been able to work her homestead, run an online business, and even can an entire year’s worth of food for her family. Episode Roundup: What a fun conversation. As we head into this week’s episode roundup, I’m thinking of how different everyone’s experience of not only labor, but also early motherhood can be with each baby. I’m specifically thinking of how Megan was so concerned that her life would be incredibly difficult with two babies so close together— that she wouldn’t be able to get anything done— and then, it wasn’t that way at all! I think of how if someone asks, “Which was the hardest transition— going from no children to one, or one to two, two to three…” when you ask 3 different mothers, you’ll likely get three different answers. It’s an important reminder that each story and experience is different, and the best option is to go into the journey with an open mind, and a willingness to ask for help when we need it. And hey, maybe we’ll need it, maybe we won’t! Maybe we’ll be able to be the one offering the help to someone else. And Megan, I’ll still take you up on that offer to come can food at my house!

When you imagine your homebirth, what do you picture? Where are you? Maybe you’re laboring in your bedroom, your kitchen or living room…. But… do you picture yourself giving birth in a home other than your own? Sometimes it happens, my friends, and we’ll learn today with Kadie’s birth story. Kadie and Sarah, two sisters and two of my favorite gals, are going to share the very interesting, sometimes very difficult journey Kadie had to face throughout her pregnancy, and even labor. But… as you’ll learn, a plan came together and Kadie was able to have her homebirth… even if it wasn’t in her own home. Now before we jump into this super amazing interview, I want to remind you that Happy Homebirth Academy is back on the market for the general public! New material has been added, and new bonuses are available. We even mention one inside of the interview. And… did you miss the free class Homebirth Mythbusters last week? It was a PARTY. I received so much positive, encouraging feedback from it, so I’m not done. There will be ONE MORE opportunity to join this free masterclass this coming Thursday, February 18th. Seriously you don’t want to miss this. And there’s a live Q&A at the end, that has been fulllll of great information both times. Ask me your burning questions! So myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters is the place to go to reserve that seat. Now let me thank our reviewer of the week, KaylinBattiste. Thanks so much, Kaylin. If you’ll email me at [email protected], I’ll send you a happy homebirth podcast sticker! Speaking of that, if you have a free minute, would you head over to apple podcasts and leave a (hopefully) 5 star rating and review? You guys are seriously the best at helping the show grow its reach, and this is just one way of doing it. If you’re getting benefit from listening to the stories of these incredible mothers, would you spread the word? I so appreciate it. Alrighty, friends! That’s enough jabbering on my end. Let’s bring in my lovely friends. Please remember. Kadie and her husband had to “work” to get pregnant- she and Jeff decided to try chiropractic care, and they became pregnant within 2 months. She had to move across country at the END of her pregnancy- From Las Vegas to Georgia She struggled while being pregnant during Covid because of zoom appointments and the lack of ability to hug and be close. She planned to give birth in Georgia, but the relationship with that midwife fell through. She realized she would have to change her plans Sarah said, “Let me put something in place for you up here.” Sarah called her midwife and asked if she’d be willing to attend Kadie’s birth if she came to town. She said “yes!” Everything fell together within 2 hours, and Kadie just went into her husband’s arms and collapsed with happiness. Kadie came to visit on Thanksgiving, went back home to Valdosta, then 2 days after having gotten home. On the way from Valdosta, Kadie booked an Airbnb (at 3 am!). She slept as much as she could. Sarah and her daughter went to a Dollar Tree to grab supplies to make birth affirmations to decorate the room. It was important for Kadie to go into active labor— she was GBS+ plus her water had broken beforehand…. This put everyone on a bit more of a clock than normal It was important to Kadie to allow her body to do whatever it needed to do. With everything around her changing, she wanted a few pieces to be stable. The one thing she envisioned was bringing her baby up to her chest. Kadie did rest, but when she woke up, she threw up. Because of Happy Homebirth Academy, she knew this was a “good sign”! When Katelyn arrived, she was in the dark bedroom with her husband, Jeff. Kadie moved to the living room, swayed with Jeff, kneeled on the floor, then sank to the floor. She wanted to lay on the cold hard floor and wanted as much counter pressure as possible. She laid on her side, and Sarah and Katelyn pressed her body into the floor. The cold floor and the blue from the tv were very comforting in that moment. Katelyn and Sarah took turns setting up the birthing space. Kadie suddenly felt her body beginning to push without her trying. Sarah asked her to go to the bathroom to pee. She felt her moan changing and her body beginning to push on its own. Kadie went to the bedroom as she pushed. She leaned over the bed, then somewhat “jellyfished” to the floor. She lifted one leg into a runner’s stance. Another moment that was very important to Kadie was feeling her baby’s head as she was pushing. Kadie mentions how knowing what was going on with her body allowed her to feel comfortable… it also helps her remember very specific moments of her birth, where she connected what she had learned to what she was experiencing. Kadie’s first words to her baby were, “Are you going to be a Mama’s Boy?!” Katelyn remembers seeing Kadie lean back with a look of both exhaustion and complete peace. A mixture of, “I just gave my everything, and now I have my Everything.” Kadie’s husband then shout

When your first homebirth turns into a transport, what do you do with baby #2? Do you plan for the hospital, or attempt another homebirth? Today we’ll be speaking with Nicole, who had to decide just that— should I try again at home? Now before we jump into the episode, I want to remind you of some super exciting news. This week I’m hosting a free learning event— Homebirth Mythbusters: The 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth. This masterclass is perfect for you, whether you’ve already chosen to give birth at home, or if you’d just like to have some questions answered before you make a decision. Head to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters and reserve your seat. A replay will be available, should you not be able to make it live. But… attending live is perfect so that you can have all of your questions answered! I’d also like to thank our reviewer of the week, Jersey Girl 1223455667 Thanks so much, Jersey Girl! Please send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll send you a happy homebirth sticker Okay, my friends. Let’s head on over to the interview. Please remember Show Notes Took Nicole and her husband a year to conceive her first— struggled with hormonal imbalances She delved into homebirth stories at that time— she didn’t think it was something that she would do with her first, but they watched The Business of Being Born and decided to look into it At 41.3, Nicole’s midwife did cervical acupressure, which dilated her from 2 cm to 3 cm She was desperate to have her baby— she was doing everything she could to get labor started. She had a large birth team and felt like she needed everyone there After 36 hours of labor, they transported for pitocin With the second baby, there was no doubt that they’d attempt a homebirth. However, Nicole did have concern that her body might not “work”. However, the transport was so successful, she wasn’t worried about being under the care of a midwife again anyway. Nicole learned about Happy Homebirth Podcast and began listening. When she realized that Happy Homebirth Academy was available, she immediately purchased it and immersed herself in the program. She and her husband bonded through preparing with one another again. On her due date, Nicole and her family decided to go camping. They camped, then in the morning they went on a 3-hour hike. She was exhausted, so she took a nap, which was irregular for her. Later on in the day she noticed that her Braxton hicks contractions seemed a bit crampier. That evening, Nicole’s parents suggest that they go home just to be safe. Nicole agreed, but not because she thought she was in labor—only because she wanted to sleep in her comfortable bed! 35 minutes into the ride, she had her first “very real” contraction. Suddenly they were coming consistently. The second midwife came to check her when she got home and let her know that she was at 2 cm, so likely in early labor, but it could be a long time. Nicole rested through the night, even though she was experiencing contractions throughout She noticed that at this labor she was able to cope much better this labor. Where last time she NEEDED people to hold and help her, this time she only needed her husband to remind her to breathe during contractions. Suddenly, Nicole’s labor went from 0 to 100. Her husband texted the midwives, and one headed over. Once she arrived, she checked Nicole and told her she was complete with her bag of waters bulging Nicole was in shock that not only did her body “work”, but it worked so quickly! She wasn’t ready to push, though, but finally realized that it was her bladder was completely full, but she wasn’t able to pee. Her midwife realized that he baby was asynclitic, and his head was untucked. Because of this position, Nicole had to lie down on her bed with her knees to her chest. Her midwife helped maneuver his head with each contraction to help him exit the birth canal. The end of the labor was a lot and very difficult. In fact, the labors were complete opposites. With the first, the labor itself was long and difficult, but pushing was fast and easy. With the second, it was fast and easy, but pushing was long and difficult. Once her placenta was removed, they realized that it was bi-lobed, which means it looked almost like two placentas. It was anterior, so between these two issues, that’s probably why her baby was having a difficult time exiting in the right position. Episode Roundup: What a lovely episode. As we head into this weeks episode roundup, I’ve got a few thoughts I’d love to cover. A hospital transport is not a failure. Nicole was able to get the additional support she needed, and she ended up having a successful vaginal birth. That’s a huge win. Just because Nicole’s first birth ended up in a hospital transport, this did not deter her from homebirth midwifery with her second pregnancy. She loved the care that she received and knew that she likely would have a successful homebirth this time and even if she ended up needin

Let’s say you struggle with anxiety. Does that automatically count you out as a candidate for homebirth? Welcome to BONUS Episode 100! Because of all of the exciting things going on around Happy Homebirth, I felt a bonus episode was warranted for this week. What exciting things? Well if you haven’t heard, I’m hosting a totally free, totally awesome masterclass next week. It’s called Homebirth Mythbusters: The 5 Myths You Need to Bust to Have a Happy Homebirth. So…. Are you pregnant and considering homebirth? Curious, perhaps, but you’ve got some reservations? Or maybe you already know that you’re FOR SURE having a homebirth… either way, this free learning opportunity is for you! I wanted to share Franchesca’s story in celebration of this event. Why? Well, I’ll give you a two-fold reason. First, Franchesca’s concern with homebirth was very anxiety-based. However, as you’ll soon hear, she took steps to work through the anxiety, and decided to give birth at home. Second, Franchesca is a successful graduate of my childbirth education program, Happy Homebirth Academy. She used my course to prepare herself physically, mentally and emotionally to give birth at home. Because I’m now hosting a FREE learning opportunity, I wanted to share a story from someone who entrusted me with their education and had a great experience with it. So, what are you waiting for, and what do you have to lose? Go sign up for Homebirth Mythbusters -- right now! There are several times and days available, and there will be a replay sent to everyone who signs up if the times don’t work for you. But of course, try to show up live—so that I can answer your burning questions on the spot! Go to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters to reserve your seat now! Okay, let’s waste no time and jump into Franchesca’s incredible story! Show Notes Franchesca and her husband grew up across the street together. He was 3 years older than her. They lost touch for 10 years, then reconnected. They dated for a year and got married exactly a year later. She “definitely didn’t want kids”, and her husband said he could go either way. They got married in 2018. About 4 weeks later, Franchesca began balling because she realized she wanted kids. Her husband laughed and said that’s totally okay. They waited until spring of 2020 to begin trying They became pregnant on their first attempt Franchesca wanted to use a private OB so that she would know who would deliver her baby. She expected to use pain medication to avoid anxiety Unfortunately, she did not mesh with her OB very well. The OB was very nice, but did not understand Franchesca’s anxiety. She seemed rather dismissive and would tell her, “You don’t want to rub anxiety off on your child…” Decided to meet with a midwife to see if she could hire her to watch her at home only for labor The midwife came over the same day and chatted with Franchesca. Eventually, she asked— Have you considered homebirth? Franchesca mentioned that she had big fears about emergencies, particularly related to bleeding. Her midwife shared how she carries Pitocin and other medications should bleeding occur. She decided to tell her OB her plans of laboring at home, especially when she found out that her OB was friends with the midwife. One issue she had with the OB was that she was wishy-washy. She said she supported Franchesca working with the midwife, then she suddenly began pushing the idea that she shouldn’t work with a midwife. She began considering homebirth more, though she always allowed herself the feeling that if she needed to go into the hospital or wanted pain medication, she would easily go in. Franchesca decided to purchase Happy Homebirth Academy. She mentions the thoroughness of the course, and how knowing each step that your body is going through during labor is incredibly important. At 37 weeks she was checked by her OB…. She said that she assumed she would be in labor within the week (She was only 1 cm dilated). Towards the end of pregnancy, Franchesca began attempting to help her baby out: sex, nipple stimulation, red raspberry tea On the day before her baby was born, she and her husband went on a walk, had sex, went on another walk, went to the mall and had a massage: Perfect recipe for labor! Towards the end of the day, she felt like she was getting lots of downward pressure, and maybe even contractions. She was trying to continue on with normal life, but it was very difficult for her to stay distracted. She texted her midwife to let her know that she was having contractions, though they weren’t painful. She told her to take a bath to see if they’d go away. They intensified somewhat. Her midwife told her to take a Benadryl and try to get some sleep if she could. At 5:30 or 6 she woke up and knew that she was truly in labor. Her midwife came over and checked on her, then said she would give her the IV antibiotics for Group B Strep, though her veins are very small and difficult. Her midwife allowed her to have an intramuscular

Did your spouse have any quality resources to help him prepare for homebirth? Today, we have the privilege of speaking to the man behind the coolest YouTube find ever, The Paternal Partner. Sam Evans, a homebirth dad of two has taken the guesswork out of the dad birth prep. This episode is full of insight when it comes to partner preparation, and Sam gives us some incredible tips and resources along the way. This episode is so perfectly aligned with some crazy exciting news I have for you all. There’s a new *totally free* learning opportunity for all of you, and it’s perfect for everyone considering homebirth and for those who have already made the decision. It’s called Homebirth Mythbusters, and registration is available now! To reserve your seat and learn the 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth, head over to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters. And tell ALLLLL of your friends, because this event is going to be a party! GO NOW! Thanks so much, Ellie! If you’ll send me an email at [email protected], I’ll be sure to send you a happy homebirth podcast sticker. And if *you* have a moment to head over to apple podcasts and leave a hopefully 5-star rating and review, I will be forever grateful. Show Notes Sam's wife, Sarah, knew she wanted to have children, and she knew she wanted a homebirth. When she met Sam, she let him know this from the beginning. Sam was totally on board, and when they became pregnant with their first babe, they knew they'd be hiring a midwife. The experience went wonderfully, though Sam realized there were some aspects of preparation that he'd overlooked. He didn't realize how much there was to know-- what the heck is Vitamin K?!! He also learned that his feelings of tension and stress could impact both his wife and the baby. Second time around, he and his wife were once again on the homebirth train. Their daughter was born on the later side of the spectrum, which can increase the possibility of meconium aspiration. She was born safely and was a beautiful pink. However, as she rested on her mother's chest, she suddenly became limp and was struggling to breathe. Sarah and Sam's midwife took confident control of the situation and performed neonatal resuscitation until the paramedics arrived. The family was transported to the hospital, where their daughter Maggie was able to receive more help. This experience, although not what they would have hoped, was still what they would have chosen over the hospital. Since that time, Sam has created and founded The Paternal Partner-- a YouTube channel and website designed for dads. He's teaching dads what they need to know about pregnancy, labor, birth and parenting in fun, quick videos. This is such a fantastic resource, and I'm so grateful to be able to share it with you all! Sam gives his top 10 tips for dads in the episode, so click to listen! Show Links: https://www.thepaternalpartner.com Home Births Demystified for Dads Castor Oil Video Home Birth: How to Talk to Your Worried Loved Ones (R&B Jam) The Price of Labor & Delivery Episode Roundup: What a solid episode! I’m thrilled to have had Sam on the podcast, and I look forward to seeing his channel take off— it’s such a needed resource! As we head into the episode roundup, I want to linger on two important points we made today. A homebirth doesn’t have to be perfect to be safe. The story of Sam’s second baby’s birth is a perfect example of emergencies are handled at home. Yes, emergencies still happen at home. Albeit, rarely, but they do happen! Luckily, Sam and Sarah had a midwife who was experienced and fully trustworthy. She took confident control of the situation and kept everyone safe as they transported to the hospital for more support. We can use birth to capitalize on our relationships. When we come together as partners and spend time considering how we’ll work together, both in labor and in parenthood, we truly set ourselves and each other up for success

Does homebirth affect your partner’s involvement? I’m excited to share Julia’s stories, as we see quite a difference in how she and her family were able to work together in the hospital versus the home. This isn’t an aspect we’ve covered much on the podcast, and Julia’s story brings up some amazing points. Let’s dive in! Show Notes Julia and her husband became pregnant earlier in their marriage than they had expected, though they immediately became very excited. When they lost their first pregnancy, Julia and her husband realized they were ready to begin their family and decided to try to become pregnant again. Once pregnant again, they prepared for birth with a Bradley class. They found the information to be incredibly helpful, and they looked forward to a natural birth in the hospital. However, once they arrived at the hospital, Julia struggled with the intensity, especially because her husband had to continuously be pulled away from her do paperwork, etc. She was checked and realized she was only at a 4. Because of the intensity and the expectation that labor would go on for hours, she agreed to an epidural. Only 45 minutes later, she pushed her baby out. She did have a terrible tear that shaped her postpartum experience. It was very difficult to recover. Julia had another miscarriage, and then shortly after became pregnant again. With this pregnancy, she chose to go back to the same OB practice, as it had now added midwives (though the OB would still deliver the baby). She still wanted a natural delivery, but her confidence was shaken. She decided to hire a doula and assumed this would keep her from a medicated delivery. However, once in the hospital, the story happened similarly to the first. Things felt intense, but she was checked and found only to be at 4cm. She tried to continue on laboring, but eventually said to her doula, “I can’t do this anymore- I want the epidural.” The doula agreed and went to fetch the Dr. Julia remembers thinking, “Wait, I thought you’d talk me out of it!” After receiving the epidural, she was checked 30 minutes later and found to be complete. She did decide to wait longer until she felt an actual urge to push, so she waited 45 minutes. Her baby was born soon after with minimal tearing. She was able to use a hand mirror to see him come out, and the Dr. Helped her reach down and put the baby to her chest. This postpartum was much easier without the severe tearing. 3 years later, Julia became pregnant again. She decided to work with a CPM in NC, where midwives are unable to obtain licensure. Julia lost this baby at 12 weeks, which has become even more devastating each time. Especially this time, as they had shared the news with friends and family. With her next cycle, Julia became pregnant with her most recent baby. She chose to work with the midwives again, but decided to stay on care with her current OB/Midwife office throughout the 20 week anatomy scan so that she could have insurance coverage through that time. The reasons she particularly wanted a homebirth: she wanted her kids and family involved, and she didn’t feel that she could have an unmedicated birth in the hospital. On July 30th, Julia slept in until 10:30. She stood up, and her water broke. She went much of the day without contractions, so she spent time with her kids and prepared some snacks. Around 6:30 she began feeling contractions. At 8, she called the midwife. Her husband and 6 year old were amazing supporters, both helping her through contractions. Her son was so excited for a baby sister, and he was very happy to be involved with the birth. At 10, Julia’s midwife checked her and found that she was at 6cm and baby was at -1 station. The midwife told her it may helpful to get out of the pool, as contractions were so far apart. Perhaps she should eat and walk around. She had her husband go downstairs to get a snack, and at that moment, she suddenly felt her baby shift all the way down to crowning. The midwives called for her husband and son, they came back, and she pushed her baby out in one contraction. Julia felt so overwhelmingly loved and supported during her homebirth. She felt like her husband was able to take on the perfect birth partner role now that he didn’t have to worry about all of the logistical issues of hospital birth. It was an incredibly redemptive birth. Episode Roundup: 1. Children can be amazing to have at the birth, and they generally handle it very well. Especially when they have a job! I loved having my daughter present for my second baby’s birth. We had my sister here to help keep her entertained when necessary, but it was beautiful having her involvement as her baby sister was born. 2. Where you give birth can have an impact on how your partner is able to care for you. This is huge, and such a great point to consider! When you’re leaving the home, there will be more logistical issues, more tasks… simply put, more things for him to do and consider. When staying home, he can be foc

What unpopular child birthing or childrearing practice do you partake in? Homebirth? Cloth diapering? Bed sharing? I find myself checking many of these boxes… and truth be told, these “unpopular” choices are actually gaining popularity! I’m so excited for today’s interview with Tori, who is a homebirth mother to two, and author of the new book Ready to Unpop. She dives into the “unpopular” practices in her book, and sheds light on the benefits and why mothers may choose to make those decisions. She’ll be sharing her two birth stories with us, and then explaining how this led to her writing this exciting and helpful new book. Before we jump in, would you take a moment to head to apple podcasts and leave a 5 star rating for us? Maybe even a nice review? You’re helping the podcast beyond measure when you do this. I’d love to thank Rachel Clare, who left this sweet review: Rachel, if you’ll email me at [email protected], I’d love to send you a Happy Homebirth Podcast sticker! And— exciting news! Happy Homebirth has joined the Pinterest world! If you’re on pinterest, come follow along! www.pinterest.com/myhappyhomebirth Show Notes: Tori Smith Her first birthing experience went unaccording to plan. She was initially seeing an OB because she thought that her pre-existing condition of arthritis would risk her out of homebirth. When her OB told her that was not the case, she decided to switch. He was willing to serve as her backup. She knew that she wanted a natural birth, but her partner and family were uncomfortable with the idea of a homebirth. Instead, they planned to give birth in a freestanding birth center. As her labor began, she called her doula. She was feeling intense contractions, but was confused, as everyone expected her first labor to be very long. After conversing with her midwife, the midwife decided to come to her home and check up on her. Once she arrived and performed an exam, she asked, “Would you be okay with having the baby at home? I don’t think you’ll make it to the birth center.” Tori’s midiwife went to grab her equipment, her partner grabbed extra towels, and they readied themselves for an unexpected homebirth. The birth went beautifully, and Tori knew that if she had another baby, it would most certainly be a PLANNED homebirth. Her birth team was preparing for a super fast birth, so when she went into labor, Tori was nervous that she wouldn’t call everyone in time. She had her doula come over, and contractions seemed to slow a bit. They all decided to sit down and watch Titanic. Later, Tori found out that her daughter was born on the day the Titanic set sail, and her due date was for the day it sank. She had no idea of this when she picked out the movie! Soon, contractions started back. Her midwife came over, and helped her with suggestions to have her water naturally break. Once it did, the intensity greatly increased. Tori hopped into the birth pool and gave one push, and the head of her baby was out. Once she was fully out, the midwives recognized that the baby was not yet responsive. They performed resuscitative measures for 3 minutes, and her baby took her first breath. Tori’s experiences have led her to write a book, “Ready to Unpop,” which she hopes will bridge the gap between the mainstream and more holistic models of care. Her goal is to show mothers that these holistic practices aren’t just for hippies— and that no matter where you choose to give birth, you deserve to be supported! Ready to Unpop on Facebook Ready to Unpop on Instagram readytounpop.com Episode roundup: Reminder that freestanding birth centers and homebirths are incredibly similar. The main difference is who gets in the car. This episode is another amazing example of how things don’t have to go perfectly and there is still safety and amazing outcomes. Although Tori’s baby took several minutes to come around, the midwifery team was ready and trained on exactly how to proceed. Go check out Tori’s book, Ready to Unpop!

Prenatal appointments? Check. Childbirth education program? Check. And I’m sure it’s Happy Homebirth Academy. You’re feeling prepared for your birth… but have you considered your relationship in the postpartum phase and how you can prepare it for the certain shifts that will take place? Hey there….. Today we’ll be speaking with my friend Laura Spencer, a postpartum coach who has been in the trenches, experienced the difficult postpartum season with her relationship, and now so generously comes to share what she’s learned with us. I know you will love this conversation and take away some incredible ideas. Show Notes-- Laura Spencer With her first pregnancy, she had expectations of how she wanted her birth to go, but felt completely blindsided by postpartum. She hadn’t considered what becoming a mother would be, and what parenting together with her husband would be like. Laura found herself in a place feeling like she had to perform. She wanted to quit her job. She wanted to be with her baby. However, her expectations, values and desires were not being expressed easily, and her husband did not understand. This led to great conflict. Fortunately, Laura realized that she had the power to change much about the situation. She began reading “The Power of a Praying Wife,” and she went to counseling and worked with a marriage coach. After her own difficult experience, Laura now has so much to share with others: Prepare Your Relationship for Postpartum (Prepare Your Communication) Make sure you are in the right place when you prepare for conversation: Spend time with yourself and know what you want so that you can convey it to your partner. Communicate with curiosity. Consider, “Am I trying to defend, or am I trying to learn more?” Make a plan for post-conflict communication Questions to ask one another:What does compromise look like in our relationship? What will our relationship look like after baby? How can we support each other through change? What does it look like for you to be vulnerable with me? How can I find the courage to be vulnerable? How will we split up responsibilities? Focus together on how you can play on the same team Let go, have grace— for both yourself and your partner Consider how you are nurturing yourself. Without self-love and care, you cannot truly give love and care to your partner. To learn more about Laura, find her on Facebook and join her group: Motherhood Mentoring Episode Roundup: Remember that the birth of your baby is not the finish line! We spend so much time preparing for this, and very necessarily. But building up the foundation of your relationship with your partner is so critical in this time. In fact, there’s a whole module on this inside of Happy Homebirth Academy. It’s crucial. Remember that you and your partner made (or are making) this beautiful child together. You can make a great team, but it’s so important to remember just that— you’re a team. The goal is to work together, even when it’s hard and even when you’re functioning on like 2 hours of sleep. Preparation beforehand helps so much with these expectations.

You're listening to episode 105 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. How long did you wait to tell your friends and family about your pregnancy? No time? 8 weeks? 12 weeks? What about 6 months? Today’s episode with Alissa covers an incredible array of stories, and she bears her soul with her experience. I feel so honored that she shared her stories, and I know you’ll feel the same when you hear them. I do of course like to mention when stories contain especially difficult situations, and I will aware you that she did have some very traumatic events occur at the hospital, and we will discuss a miscarriage. These topics are so important to discuss, but of course I want to be sensitive to those who are approaching birth or who are in a place where they would prefer to wait until a later time to listen. Otherwise, enjoy this amazing woman’s stories. Show Notes: Alissa’s first experience of pregnancy came at the age of seventeen. She herself did not realize she was pregnant for quite a bit. In fact, she ran an entire season of Cross Country and began the basketball season before anyone knew. The realization of her pregnancy, however, came in a very public way, as she danced during a half-time show with her dance team. Her shirt came up, and all saw that she was pregnant. She hadn’t even told her family at this point, and she was 6 months pregnant. Alissa says that no one gave her a hard time about her pregnancy, and everyone stood by her. Once everyone found out, she and her child’s father went to planned parenthood to receive care and figure out where to got an OB. They measured her belly and told Alissa there was nothing they could do to support her. Her first labor was incredibly fast, and she was actually only at the hospital for about 15 minutes before her baby arrived. However, in that time she received both an episiotomy and had a vacuum delivery. Immediately following, she was simply proud of herself for having an unmedicated birth and knew she would do so again in the future (she’s highly afraid of needles—no way she’d have an epidural!) 13 years later, after marrying her husband, she became pregnant again. They were in Texas for the majority of the pregnancy, and were planning a birth center birth with a midwife. Their anatomy scan showed bilateral choroid cysts, which had her very stressed. Apparently it usually self-resolves, but when it doesn’t it can be fatal. There’s nothing to be done for it, so they decided to remain calm and not do any additional testing. Around 28 weeks pregnant, they moved back home at the end, and decided that they would give birth in the hospital with a community OB who was greatly recommended. She seemed to be comfortable with natural options. She went into labor at 41 weeks, when her water broke, though there was no fluid. She had another traumatic birth experience where no one listened to her requests— even the ones the doctor had signed off on. She was only in the hospital an hour before baby was born, but her rights were trampled on constantly. The next morning, they planned to leave, but the doctors told her that her Hep B results came back as positive, and they couldn’t leave the hospital without giving the baby the Hep B injection. She refused, and knew that the results were incorrect. She told them again and again to recheck, and they wouldn’t budge. Finally they signed papers “allowing” them to leave, although legal action was threatened. A week later, her doctor called to tell her the original results were wrong—they’d given her someone else’s results. During that phone call, Alissa’s milk finally came in. Alissa’s 3rd birth was a heartbreaking miscarriage at 10 weeks. They learned that the baby had stopped growing at 6 weeks, and she wanted to miscarry naturally at home. This happened over the span of a week, which she was very surprised about. After losing a large amount of blood, they went to the hospital and found out that a small piece of placenta was adhered to the cervix. Once the piece was removed, she stopped bleeding. Alissa wants to shed light on the fact that miscarriages are labor and birth, and they should be treated and understood as such. She became pregnant with her rainbow baby two months later, and her family was thrilled. She finally had the beautiful, peaceful homebirth that she deserved. Episode Roundup: Birth trauma is real, and it can impact our postpartum, our bond, and our mental and physical health. This is a reminder that if you experience trauma or abuse with your care provider or nurses, you can report it. There can be serious consequences for these types of situations for mother and baby, and those responsible should be held responsible. Miscarriages are labor and miscarriages are birth. I’m so grateful for Alissa sharing how her natural miscarriage happened, how she experienced it, and how it impacted her. I know so many of you have been in her shoes, and my heart goes out to you. Your baby matters, and your experience matters. And fina

You're listening to the Happy Homebirth Podcast, Episode 104 Today's guest: Dr Rachel Reed is a midwife, academic, author, and international speaker who focuses on childbirth physiology, midwifery practice, and women's rights (and rites). She has provided midwifery care for many women and has attended births in a wide range of settings and circumstances. Rachel is the author of the award-winning blog MidwifeThinking and the co-host of The Midwives' Cauldron podcast. She has published widely in journals and magazines, and her first book Why Induction Matters is a popular resource for women and care providers. Her most recent book Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage: weaving ancient wisdom with modern knowledge will be published early 2021. Further information about Rachel and her work is available at www.rachel-reed.website. and….she’s just delightful. I find myself getting sucked into her blog archives for hours at a time, and for today’s episode I decided to ask her about several topics that she covers quite wonderfully there. I know you’re going to deeply enjoy this episode. With that, let’s jump in! Show Notes: Big Babies Most women having homebirth in Australia have “big” babies, and they’re not scary. In hospital, however, it can be a different story. If a doctor diagnoses a mother with a “big baby” on ultrasound, it can begin to cause stress and fear for her. Dr. Reed mentions that the research does not separate healthy, normal big babies from those whose mothers have gestational diabetes. These babies tend to have bigger shoulders and can have more difficulty coming out (though most of them come out just fine, too). “Big babies don’t scare me, but what people do about big babies does scare me.” Women who are told they have a big baby: C sections, tearing, poorer outcomes are more likely— so it’s the outside causing the problem. A care provider’s fear of the big baby can cause many of the interventions Gestational Diabetes as a label— fairly nonsensical If there are abnormally high blood glucose levels circulating, that does impact the baby and potentially the birth. However, the blood glucose levels being used are not evidence-based In Australia, around 17% of women are now labeled as a gestational diabetic. When Dr. Reed was training, we only tested those who had risk factors. The issues with challenge tests: it’s an abnormal test— many pregnant women are not drinking sugary drinks, so the tests results can be very off. VBAC- Mountain or Molehill? Is this as dangerous as the medical community seems to happen? Research related to this is mixed with those who are having inductions and those who are not— when we remove those who are having inductions, we see the already small number of issues become all the smaller. Statistically a

You're listening to Episode 103 of the Happy Homebirth podcast! Today's episode features Elena, who was interviewed previously in episode 46: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-homebirth/id1446934537?i=1000453404935 After having a hospital birth with her first daughter, Elena knew with her second pregnancy that she would be giving birth at home. It took her several years to feel ready to have another child, but in the meantime she continued to prepare and educate herself even further regarding birth. Once she became pregnant, Elena committed herself even further to her traditional diet and the practices of the Weston A. Price foundation. Elena heard about Happy Homebirth through the Wise Traditions podcast (Katelyn was interviewed): Elena followed along with the show, and when she found out that Happy Homebirth Academy was in the making, she decided to jump into the founding member's group. Other noteworthy aspects of Elena's story: Felt like she was in transition for several hours— later realized that she had a cervical lip. Elena's midwife eventually pushed the lip back during a contraction. Soon after, Elena felt she needed to get out of the tub. Instinctively she got into a squat and began to push. Postpartum Elena had mastitis: Used phytolacca, belladonna homeopathic and steeped herbs to put on her breast, took sunflower lecithin

You're listening to the Happy Homebirth Podcast- Episode 102! In today's episode we're speaking with Robyn Riley all about her journey to having her first baby at home. She decided that homebirth was the appropriate path for her well before she was pregnant-- in fact, 10+ years before! Robyn and her husband met in their early 30's, and they were both eager to settle down and start a family. They decided to court for one year, and then if they were the right fit, they would get married and start a family immediately. Robyn began preparing her body for conception well ahead of time. She cleaned up her diet and supplemented with important nutrients like Iodine. As soon as they were married, Robyn and her husband began attempting to conceive. During the second month, Robyn became pregnant! Her husband was away on a job interview trip (they were hoping to move from Brussels to Canada) when she found out, and she decided to wait until he was home to tell him-- it was incredibly difficult not to tell him on the phone! Once they moved to Canada, Robyn found a midwife. She shared with her midwife that she was a Christian, and she was shocked and comforted to find out that her midwife shared her faith. Robyn discusses how incredible this was-- especially because this was the only midwife anywhere near her area! Her pregnancy went very smoothly, and at the end, she began seeing a chiropractor and pelvic floor physiotherapist. Robyn practiced pushing and stretching using a device called the Epi-No: https://www.epino.de/en/epi-no.html During labor, Robyn found herself lying completely still- something she did not picture! Once her baby was born, she learned that he had a nuchal hand (a fist up next to his head), which she feels is the reason she needed to remain still. Fortunately, Robyn did not tear. She chose to use a protocol for the third stage of labor (pushing out the placenta) that requires the mother to stand up at 3 minutes after birth, cut the cord, and push out the placenta. The belief is that this helps prevent postpartum hemorrhage: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344429308_Expedient_Squatting_Third_Stage_technique_to_prevent_bleeding_at_birth Robyn mentions how amazing her midwife was in the postpartum period. Right as her son was born, the world went into Covid lockdown. Her midwife visited daily, bringing soups and nourishing foods from Robyn's church community. She cared for Robyn and helped her immensely in what is such a critical phase. If you'd like to learn more about Robyn and her Youtube channel, follow along here: https://www.instagram.com/realrobynriley/ Youtube Channel: Motherland

You're listening to episode 101 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. In this week's podcast episode we'll be hearing from Jessica Johnston, CPM and co-founder of the Pacific Birth Institute. Jessica and her co-founders are bent on bringing birth back into the community, which requires more hands and feet on the ground-- more birth attendants, more midwives. But how, when becoming a birth worker is fraught with barriers? Not everyone can give up their life to be constantly on call, sacrifice everything to attend school, and work as an unpaid apprentice for years on end. Pacific Birth Institute is on a mission to help break some of the barriers. They've released an online pre-requisite birth assistant program (available for all), and they've created an incredible training program in Alaska-- one that I hope will pick up steam across the country. This is so important, as we recognize that bringing birth back into the community is the best way to begin decreasing our national maternal mortality rate. If you're considering working in the birth world, be sure to go to pacificbirthinstitute.com and check out the program!

You're listening to episode 100 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast! In celebration of this milestone, Happy Homebirth Academy will be available for this week only (until the new year). Join here: www.myhappyhomebirth.com/HHA Show Notes: Christine and Andrew started their pregnancy journey traditionally with OB care. However, as the pregnancy progressed, they began feeling more and more frustrated about the fact that appointments were fast and shallow. There was not in-depth preparation for childbirth, and they felt there must be something missing. The couple decided to begin their own research, which led them to switch to midwifery care and homebirth. Their commitment to giving birth at home grew as they became closer with their midwife, and as she answered their questions and prepared them deeply on what to expect during the entire process. Both Christine and Andrew recognized the added layers of safety in their homebirth experience because they did know their midwife so well. Whenever there were questions about what happens if something goes wrong, their midwife always had a quality answer on what to expect and the protocol. Christine expected to go beyond 40 weeks, for at 38 weeks she and Andrew decided to go camping. On the trip, her water began leaking. They went home the next morning and prepared for the onset of labor. Throughout the process of labor, Christine and Andrew worked together. He kept up with what she needed and encouraged her through contractions— reminding her to breathe and relax. This was incredibly helpful during Christine’s long and arduous pushing phase. Andrew recalled how amazing it was that the midwife was able to recognize when to step in and provide feedback and when to stay back and remain an observer. He truly understood that it was his duty to be Christine’s support person. After baby was born, he needed resuscitative breaths. Christine and Andrew were calm and confident during this experience. Once he was breathing and stable, the midwives began tended to Christine, as she was bleeding a good bit. After a while, the midwives had to perform an internal examination of the uterus to see what was causing the bleeding. Though uncomfortable, Christine and Andrew both felt completely calm during what could have otherwise been a traumatic experience, as the felt heard, understood, and like the most important people on the birth team. Episode Roundup: I am so appreciative of this episode and the perspective it brings. It’s so important to focus on mothers and their experience of birth, yes, but what a disservice we are doing if we’re not showing up for dads and helping them see how they fit into the equation. Christine and Andrew worked together so beautifully before, during and after their birthing experience, and Andrew’s understanding of his responsibilities as the birth partner certainly added massive value to their homebirth. I hope this episode acts as inspiration and as a roadmap for other fathers who are looking for ways to be involved in the birthing experience. You’re part of this team, and you’re incredibly important.

Your care provider. When you think of the person who will be attending your birth, what adjectives come to mind? Do you feel at peace, comforted and cared for, or do you feel bullied, manipulated and belittled? Hannah has experienced both ends of the spectrum, and I’m so happy to have her on today’s episode to share with you just how difficult, and then how beautiful birth can be. Happy Homebirth Academy has an affiliate program for care providers. To enter yourself in a monthly drawing for a Happy Homebirth T Shirt (or Amazon gift card), tell your care provider about it! Take a screenshot of the text or email sending them to www.myhappyhomebirth.com/affiliate , and send it to [email protected] with the subject line: Midwife Message Hannah thought her hospital birth would be totally covered, as she was actually on two insurance plans. As it turned out, she was not, and her hospital birth was more expensive than her later homebirth. One big red flag Hannah experienced with her OB, that she now wishes would have made her turn and run, was that when she gave the OB her birth plan, the response was “Oh, you’ll get the epidural. Don’t be a hero.” Hannah urges mothers— if you’re experiencing obstetrical bullying, FIND ANOTHER PROVIDER! She actually experienced her first labor contractions while camping at 40 weeks. The labor was long—beyond 48 hours, and she finally received pitocin, an epidural, and “purple pushed” for 2 hours. When she became pregnant with her second child, she still felt somewhat traumatized by the first experience. Even though she knew she wanted a different experience, she wondered, “Can I do it?” She chose a midwife, and the difference she notes is that she felt completely secure and completely safe at home She felt her care provider was perfectly aligned with her. During her second pregnancy, she and her husband communicated more effectively about what she would want during labor. This paid off, and he was able to support her perfectly. Hannah also hired a doula, which she recommends to everyone. She loved the book “Childbirth Without Fear,” and one of the biggest takeaways she found was this: In Genesis, we’ve translated the discussion of the fall as Adam toiling the land and Eve experiencing great pain with childbirth. However, the same Hebrew word is used in both: Toil. She discusses the idea that labor is an experience of toil, not necessarily an experience of pain. Once her baby arrived, Hannah experienced “the birth pause” where all felt right in the world. She was overwhelmed with thankfulness and connection, where she recalls feeling completely out of it after her first hospital birth. Her biggest takeaway from birth is that when you have the right care provider, you feel in charge, not managed. Episode Roundup: 1.If your care provider is bullying you, FIRE THEM AND RUN. Remember, they work for you. Remember, you are your own and your child’s advocate 2. I want to bring back this discussion of pain vs. toil. I love this concept, and as I’ve said many times… I just don’t consider childbirth painful. I know this isn’t the case for everyone, and I love to hear all of the ways that others experience it. But toil… great work? Certainly. Remember that so much of our experience is often unknowingly wrapped up in our own expectations. If we’re expecting pain, well, pain we shall likely have. Coming into childbirth with an open mind and an arsenal of tools to provide comfort gives such a great chance at truly appreciating, if not downright enjoying, the experience.

You're listening to episode 98 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast! Has Happy Homebirth influenced you in a positive way? As we come up on episode 100, would you take a few minutes to go to speakpipe.com/happyhomebirth and leave a message telling us how it's impacted your life and pregnancy? We'd love to share your message on episode 100! What does preparing for a homebirth look like to you? Do you prefer a done-for-you checklist, or do you enjoy putting the puzzle together yourself? Although I am, of course, a huge proponent for childbirth education, particularly childbirth education FOR homebirth mothers, I love hearing how mothers choose to prepare for homebirth. There’s no one right way, and in today’s episode, we’ll hear how amazingly Kyleigh did with her preparation. From creating a birth labyrinth to practicing pain management techniques, there is so much to learn from this episode. Show Notes Kylie decided she wanted a homebirth before she became pregnant by listening to birth podcasts and realizing she didn’t like the sense of lack of control many seemed to experience in the hospital. Once pregnant, she read the book Mama Zen, which she credits for her comfortable, mindful attitude during pregnancy and birth. She feels it truly set her up for success. At 37 weeks her baby was transverse, so she began going to the chiropractor 3x/week, which helped baby into a good position. Before labor, she spent lots of time on her birth ball doing puzzles. She also practiced pain management techniques by holding ice. Kyleigh’s labor was 9 hours: 5 hours of active labor, then 4 hours of pushing. Favorite books: Spiritual Midwifery, She Births, Unassisted Childbirth She created a “labor labyrinth” for herself Episode Roundup: Preparing for birth doesn’t have to look any specific way. When I spoke to Kyleigh before the interview, she was like, “Yeah, I really didn’t prepare. I just went with the flow.” And she’s definitely not giving herself enough credit. Kyleigh thoroughly prepared for her birthing experience, she just didn’t attach any unnecessary expectations. She was there for it, whatever it would be. I love the sense of mindfulness she brought, and this is absolutely something we harp on inside of Happy Homebirth Academy. Chiropractic care! Whew, I can’t recommend it enough, and now I know Kyleigh is on board with it, too! How incredible that she was able to create space for her baby to get in the correct position. Finally, I loved Kyleigh’s discussion of her ability to relax and be exactly as she needed to be to get her baby out of womb and into arms. She was surrounded by a loving team, and she knew that she could make the noises, move in the ways she needed to move and be completely uninhibited. THAT. Is what we need more of. The understanding that we can do exactly what our body is telling us to do. Whether it seems serene and quiet, or it sounds like a freight train coming at you, it matters not. Birth is incredible, and allowing yourself to experience it fully— the way your body needs it to happen- is amazing.

You're listening to Episode 97 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast! When you have a perfectly lovely hospital birth, why on earth would you change things up with your next? I’m excited to share Imogen’s story with you today, as she and her husband did just that. Of course, we know that many mothers seek out a “better way” after having a traumatic and emotional birthing experience in the hospital. But of course, that’s not always how it happens! And I can’t wait for you to hear about the generational baby catch. Let’s jump in! Imogen lives in England, and is the mother of two children. Her mother has worked as a midwife for over 30 years, so she grew up with somewhat of an understanding of childbirth. However, she wouldn’t consider herself completely educated on the subject prior to her own births, and she decided in her first pregnancy that she wanted to keep it that way! She was, however, hoping for a natural birth, as she does not typically like to take medications of any sort. Imogen’s midwife had a hunch that she would go quickly once she was in labor, so she warned her that she should head to the hospital soon after contractions began. 9 days after her due date, she was sitting in the nursery on her ball. She decided to try out her breast pump, and her water dramatically broke! She and her husband headed to the hospital with her mom. Upon arrival into the birthing center, she was checked and only at a 4. They told her they wouldn’t officially write down that she was in labor, but that she could go to the early labor room to see how she progressed. She was, however, very much in labor! After a while of laboring on the floor, her mother gave her some gas and told her she’d be back. She went to the midwives and asked them to check her. Imogen was beyond 9cm dilated, so they walked/wheeled her to one of the delivery suites. She hopped in the tub, and soon began to push. She had to push for over an hour, turning her baby from posterior into an anterior position. Baby was born, and her husband asked if they could just go home. The midwives agree, and only a few hours after giving birth, they were tucked into their beds at home. Soon after becoming pregnant again, Imogen told her husband she was interested in a homebirth. He was very excited and supportive of the idea, as he mentioned that going to the hospital had felt somewhat traumatic with the first— hospitals generally being a place of sickness and sadness. She began searching for podcasts and found Happy Homebirth, which she listened to throughout her pregnancy. Imogen said that it made a huge difference feeling that she had a community of support, and that the stories helped her feel confident in her decision. She also reached out and found local homebirth mothers to connect with. Though her pregnancy was healthy, the pandemic added a cloud of stress and exhaustion. She wasn’t able to have help with her toddler, and she was still working full time—but from home. This caused more aches and pains than with her first. 3 days after her due date, Imogen woke up at 6:20 with a pain in her belly. She flipped over, and a few minutes later felt it again. After a few minutes, she realized she could be in labor! The contractions were 3 minutes apart. She told her husband, but had him stay in bed with their daughter. She called her mother and had her come over. They worked through some contractions together, and eventually discussed with each other that the midwife should be called. Imogen wanted to get her birthing space set up with the pool, so her mother went to do that. Suddenly, though, she knew birth was imminent. Her mom ran upstairs to find Imogen’s husband preparing to get in the shower. She told him to head downstairs or he’d miss the baby’s birth. He came downstairs, sat their toddler in his lap, and Imogen’s mother ended up catching her grandson before the midwives arrived. Although it wasn’t the water birth Imogen had imagined, the empowerment and wonder of her mother being able to catch her grandson was amazing. Episode Roundup: You don’t have to have a negative hospital experience to choose to do something differently the next time around. If you feel empowered, go for the homebirth! Community makes a difference. Imogen listened to happy homebirth, she was active inside of our Facebook community, and she connected with other local homebirth mothers. This was incredibly helpful for her as she prepared, especially with all of the pandemic lockdowns of her pregnancy.

You're listening to the Happy Homebirth Podcast, episode 96! What would it be like to go through pregnancy and birth with someone you loved dearly? Whether it's a friend or family member, experiencing pregnancy with someone close can be amazing. But... when it's your twin?! From in the womb to full-wombs together... what an incredible story today's episode entails! Join me as Sharina and Latrina share their most recent (perhaps final) pregnancies with us-- and how they shared the experience together!

You're listening to episode 95 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast! Show Notes: Although Angelique looked forward to her first birth (she planned a homebirth from the beginning) her labor experience did not go as planned. Both her midwife and her backup midwife were attending other births at the time she went into labor. Her labor was intense and felt fast-- she never felt like she could catch up with the contractions. A third midwife arrived before her son was born, but not long before. Angelique's postpartum was devastatingly hard. She and her husband were functioning on almost zero sleep, and although she tried to explain the situation to others, people were not realizing just how serious the issues they were experiencing were. This lack of sleep turned into hallucinations and terrifying thoughts for Angelique. Eventually she and her husband came up with a way for Angelique to get more sleep, and although she didn't fully recover until about a year after, things did begin to get better. Everything was different with her second baby! Angelique had a beautiful experience, and went into labor right after a tornado came through--knocking out the power. It was a gorgeous day, though, and a birth surrounded by all of the people she wanted there. Her second baby was born peacefully, and she had a blissful postpartum experience the second time around.

You're listening to episode #94 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast! Join me as we do a mash-up episode. I interviewed Julie Solomon of The Influencer Podcast on her own show. We discussed the details of why and how she gave birth at home. This was such a joyous show. Make sure you check out her podcast, especially if you're of the female entrepreneurial spirit!

You're listening to the Happy Homebirth Podcast, episode 93! I’m excited to switch things up today. This podcast episode is going to be all about fertility awareness, and why understanding our menstrual cycle can be hugely empowering. We’ll be discussing this with my good friend Sophia Zafares, who is a Fertility Awareness Method Educator. So… basically the perfect person to get the low down on what this all means. And exciting news! Check out the happy-Homebirth podcast on nstagram this week, as Sophia and I will be holding a giveaway together. You don’t want to miss it. Literature and a useful tool! Show Notes: Sophia is a fertility awareness method educator. FAM- understanding the biomarkers of your fertility to avoid pregnancy, achieve pregnancy, or keep up with your general hormonal cycles. Training through FEMM: Fertility Education and Medical Management Pills, IUD, Shot, Implant: It’s important to know that they have basically the same forms of synthetic hormones. These hormones do not interact with our bodies in the same ways that our natural hormones do. These hormones are administered at consistent levels, whereas during our natural cycles, the hormones go through rhythms instead of a steady-state. Hormonal bc: steady state, masculine stability FAM: tuning into the body and noticing what it’s doing, feminine rhythm Hormonal bc (side effects/ EFFECTS): Remember that hormones are involved in every part of our bodies and all of our systems Prevent ovulation - without ovulation, certain hormones cannot be created. Depleted nutrients, lower ability to absorb and use the nutrients Affects attraction and mate selection- choose someone they wouldn’t typically choose, come off of bc and are very unhappy Depletion of bone density It takes several years for a girl’s cycle to fully mature. If a young girl is put on bc, her maturity stops, and her cervix will be aged. Lisa Hendrickson-Jack: The Fifth Vital Sign, Fertility Friday Follow Sophia: @sage.fertility on Instagram Website: www.sagefertility.co

Congratulations to the newest members of Happy Homebirth Academy! Check out myhappyhomebirth.com to access the interview application. It's open this week! Show Notes: In her first pregnancy, Katie felt excited about her birth, but did not think there was anything for her to learn. She knew that God had made her to give birth and she would. She thought that any education she found, like What to Expect When You’re Expecting would be negative and unhelpful. Looking back, Katie says this was well-meaning, but very naive. With her first labor, she was in Mass and noticed that she was having “stomach pains” almost every 6 minutes. Once she went to the hospital, she labored all night without any coping mechanisms. She just knew that she wanted to have an unmedicated birth. She called her mom and asked her to make her way there- a 5 hour drive. Katie’s labor stalled the entire 5 hours her mom was making the drive. As soon as she arrived, her labor began progressing immediately. Once her baby was born, they were taken to a recovery room with an amazing queen-sized bed. With her second birth, her husband was deployed. Her mother came to support her. Once she went to the hospital, she met up with her doula, who was an amazing support. They walked the hospital halls, then went to their room. Once Katie’s water broke, her baby was born about 4 minutes later. Because she had declined antibiotics for GBS, Katie had to stay for 3 days. Katie learned so much about birth between her 2nd and 3rd birth. Because she didn’t want another experience like her previous hospital one, she began looking into birthing centers. Her doula asked if she’d be interested in homebirth, to which she replied “no way”. Later that very week, Katie decided she did in fact want a homebirth! Her doula accompanied her into the bathroom, then yelled for the midwife to get in there. Katie was adamant that she didn’t want to have her baby in the bathroom,, so she walked over to the tub, where her water broke and Fetal Ejection Reflex kicked in. She flipped over onto her back and then pushed her baby out. She found out that her baby had a nuchal hand. Katie loved the experience of her third pregnancy and adores homebirth.

Happy Homebirth Academy is open for enrollment through Sat, Sept 19th! Head over to: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/hha to sign up! Joelle and her husband did not choose to have a homebirth until only a few weeks before giving birth. She and her husband watched The Business of Being Born early on in the pregnancy, but decided their hospital would be just fine, as it was considered Baby Friendly. However, as Covid-19 hit and Joelle was forced home to work (virtual school), she spent more time looking into her options. She decided to meet with a local midwife, and it was decided that homebirth was the best option for her family.

Happy 100,000+ Downloads, Happy Homebirthers! We're celebrating today with a replay of the episode that played when we hit 10,000 downloads (only a little over a year ago... we're growing fast!). This episode is also the story of my own birth... the inspiration for all of the childbirth education I've begun creating since. The 3 Pillars of a Happy Homebirth live event is this week, September 8th-10th at 8pm EST. Make sure you join! www.myhappyhomebirth.com/3pillars

*IMPORTANT*: Don't forget to sign up for the FREE 3 Day Event: 3 Pillars of a Happy Homebirth! www.myhappyhomebirth.com/3pillars Happening Sept 8-10th (replay will be available) Show Notes: Jocelyne noticed that pregnancy was listed as a “condition”, which felt incredibly wrong for her. She did a google search and found a birth center located only 5 minutes away from her home. Jocelyne and Eddie were so excited for their lovely birth center experience. Unfortunately, as the date approached, Jocelyne and Eddie found out some devastating news… The birth center would be closing down before their due date. They were going out of business, and the midwives sent an e-mail discussing local hospitals to choose from. Jocelyne drove up to the birth center to ask what was going on. She spoke with one of the midwives, who told her she could consider homebirth with another local midwife. “Is that even safe?” Jocelyne remembers asking. After much research and consideration, Jocelyne and Eddie were sold on their homebirth experience. They were even able to find a doula who spoke Spanish— perfect for their situation! Jocelyne’s labor was long and arduous, but when she looks back, she says the experience was perfect for herself and her husband. She relied on Eddie, as she says she always has in their relationship. He was her perfect comfort and support. A while after their daughter was born, Eddie realized that the domain homebirth.com was for sale. They chose to purchase it, not knowing exactly what they would do with it at the time, but they knew they wanted to help pregnant women. Jocelyne and Eddie have begun with plans to use homebirth.com as a way to educate mothers about this birthing option, and to create an online midwifery matching service. Families will be able to search their location and add in specific credentials and preferences about their midwife in order to find their perfect match. To learn more about this amazing growing resource, go to homebirth.com or check them out on instagram: instagram.com/homebirthdotcom

Join the Happy Homebirth Live event! Sept 8th-10th: 3 Pillars of a Happy Homebirth

What happens when your baby flips to breech when you’re 6 cm dilated and planning for a homebirth? Hey there happy homebirthers, and welcome to episode 87 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. I’m your host, Katelyn Fusco, and I’m excited to dive into this week’s episode. Would you take a quick screenshot of you listening to this episode and upload it to your instagram stories? Tag happyhomebirthpodcast and I’ll be sure to share in my stories as well. I’m so excited to share Cesia’s two homebirth stories with you, so let’s jump on into the interview. Please remember that the opinions of my guest may not necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and we are not acting as medical professionals, so continue to see your Dr., midwife, or if you’re like me, your chiropractor. Show Notes Cesia hosts a podcast called Parenting in Queens, where she shares stories and helpful information about her beautiful borough. When she became pregnant with her first, she and her husband watched The Business of Being Born, though she still intended to have a hospital birth. She just wanted to be informed. As the weeks went on, however. She began feeling that something was missing. She did not feel connected to her care providers, as she rotated between them. As she left one appointment, Cesia asked her husband what he thought about the idea of a homebirth. He responded, “Weren’t you going to have one anyway?” With his support and encouragement, they went on to hire a midwife team! With her first baby, she went to 41 weeks and decided to have an acupuncture appointment. The next day, contractions began. Cesia labored throughout the day, and at midnight her midwife came to check her. Cesia was a 7, and her midwife stretched her cervix. 3 hours later, her midwife was back at her house, as the stretch had pushed Cesia deep into active labor. One hour later and her baby was born. With her second birth, Cesia was having cramps that she thought were due to the beans she’d eaten the night before! Her midwife decided to come check on her since she was in the area anyway. Her doula came as well. The 3 women sat together knitting while Cesia bounced on a birth ball. When the midwife checked Cesia, she found something interesting: The baby was breech! The midwife told Cesia that she could try to turn the baby if Cesia wanted, and she did want her to try. The midwife began massaging Cesia’s belly using rose hip oil. After a few minutes, Cesia asked when she was going to flip the baby. Her response was, “I already did.” Cesia’s second labor was only 3 hours long. She pushed her baby out on the birthing stool, and he arrived en caul. @queensknits was Cesia’s doula, and she felt she was an amazing asset. Cesia’s midwifery group is now planning to open an nonprofit birthing center in 2020. Episode Roundup: As we jump into the episode roundup, I’m struck by the ability of midwives. How amazing, that hands off and yet still hands on balance they have as care providers. And the gentleness with which they are able to manage situations. I find it so incredible that Cesia’s midwife was able to gently massage her baby into the correct position, where in her previous pregnancy, Cesia dealt with a stressful and painful doctor’s palpation. I also want to mention how beautiful I find it that Cesia was so willing to allow others new to the birth work world to witness such a gorgeous birth. Her care team was so loving and supportive, and she clearly returned that love for them. Alright, my friends. Go check out Cesia’s work and follow along. That’s all I’ve got for you this week. I’ll see you back here next week.

You're listening to episode 86 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. Pain-free childbirth is a myth.... right? Show Notes: Laura is a mother of 3, and she and her husband were newly married when they became unexpectedly pregnant. They had recently moved, and found themselves moving back into Laura's parents' house as they got their finances in order. Because she had never spent time around babies, Laura took a nannying job for a newborn during her pregnancy. When he napped, she would read books. A family member gave her Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and at 35 weeks her entire outlook on birth shifted. She even considered a homebirth, but soon realized this would not be possible in her family's house. Laura switched to midwifery care within the hospital and had a beautiful natural birth. She wanted to give birth in the water, which she did. When she became pregnant again 11 months later, she prayed for a shorter birthing time. That's exactly what she got-- though the experience left her reeling and feeling out of control, even slightly scared of birth. She did have a natural birth, and it was short, but it was quite stressful for her. During this postpartum experience, Laura struggled immensely. She had an incredibly emotional time and leaned on her faith like never before. She learned about grace on a personal level, and worked through many problems and emotions that had previously never seen the light of day. Finally, she felt like she could see the light at the end of the tunnel.... And then Laura found out that she was pregnant again. This came as a massive shock to her, as she and her husband were not planning for this. While the realization that she was carrying new life initially thrilled her, once the thought set in, Laura began to panic with fear that she would have to go through all of this postpartum pain and suffering again. She worried that she was nutritionally depleted, and that this third pregnancy would cause more depletion. Laura continued to rely on her faith and her husband, and she prayed about her upcoming birth. She was finally going to be able to have a homebirth, and she wanted this experience to be not only spiritual, but also pain free. She dedicated time and prayer to this end, and she created space for this to happen. When Laura had her third baby, all were shocked to see her raising her hands in worship during her contractions. When her baby crowned, and then the head was born, Laura truly did not realize it had happened. Her birth was 100% pain-free. Laura emphasized the fact that this can be the case for anyone-- creating space for this type of positive outcome is so important. Episode Roundup: I wanted to touch once again on this idea on creating space for the positive experiences. I love that Laura cleared her fears when necessary and focused on the notion that she could indeed have a beautiful, pain-free experience. It's a great reminder for us all: Clear fears and create space for the beautiful experience that birth can be!

A midwife's homebirth... it should be easy, right? I mean, come on... you're a pro at this! Madeline, like so many other midwives, shares just how incorrect that assumption can be with the birth story of her second baby. Show Notes: After experiencing a LONG, arduous labor with her first child, Madeline decided to prepare differently for the birth of her second child. She saw a new chiropractor She focused on visualizations She took Happy Homebirth Academy She learned to release her pelvic floor (accounts to follow will be linked at the end) Madeline did all that she could to prepare herself for a faster, calmer, more peaceful birthing experience. However, "peace" is not the description Madeline would use for her second birth. Peaceful as a tornado, maybe! Madeline's fast and furious birth left both her midwife and mother brains reeling. Her mind couldn't keep up with her body, as her body forcefully produced her new daughter. Episode Roundup: Although I love the idea of having a peaceful homebirth, and I think it's an important desire to discuss, Madeline's experience has taught me just how important it is to emphasize the empowerment of birth, not only it's potential peacefulness. No matter how you do it: fast, slow, loud, quiet.... bring a baby from inside of you, out... that's incredible. Resources: https://www.instagram.com/pelvicpotential/ https://www.instagram.com/thepelvicperspective/ https://www.instagram.com/pregnant.postpartum.athlete/ https://www.instagram.com/the.preconception.pt/

You are listening to episode 84 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. Today, our guest is Dr. Brad Bootstaylor, author of the book Shared Decision Making. Dr. B Bootstaylor helps expecting parents to get an enlightening birth experience without being fearful of having their voices heard by using Shared Decision Making. Drawing on over 30 years of academic and clinical experience, Dr. Brad Bootstaylor provides you with a resource guide to having an “empowered” pregnancy and birth experience. Through a series of defined principles, birth stories, and real-world clinical scenarios, the model of Shared Decision Making is readily accessible, extremely practical, and can be applied to the many different scenarios that occur during pregnancy and birth. Shared Decision Making: Bring Birth Back Into The Hands Of Mothers Vol1 is outlined in a clear, concise fashion. Six information-packed chapters build upon each other, guiding the reader to adopt a new way of viewing themselves and the power derived from this model of care. THE QUEST - Shared Decision MakingGUIDED DISCOVERY - Planning Your Birth JourneyTHE JOURNEY - Understanding DatesTHE DETOUR - UltrasoundsTHE DELIVERY - BirthplacesBring Birth Back - FAQsBonus insight into the “B Score,” as described, provides you with the foundation to make safe, healthy choices in pregnancy and childbirth. By the end of “Shared Decision Making; Bring Birth Back Into The Hands Of Mothers,” you will understand that this process is intuitive, and the tools provided will enable you to practice it in an empowering and meaningful way. Buy a copy of the book! https://amzn.to/3gZkNjf Join the Happy Homebirth Facebook group: Facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirth

Can you really do it all? Okay, let’s talk about today’s guest. Our interview is with Megan, a mother of 4 and a jack of all trades. You’re going to love hearing all of the activities this woman did throughout her pregnancies, and how she continued to make stronger and stronger empowered decisions each time. Unfortunately we weren’t able to cover all of her birth stories, so she’s going to definitely have to come back to share. You’re going to love her bubbly personality! Show Notes During her undergraduate studies, Megan and her husband became pregnant with their first child at 22. She had vocalized that she wanted to have a natural birth, but Megan didn’t know that there were really any ways to prepare for this. 2 hours into labor, she received an epidural. Once her baby arrived, family and friends descended upon the young couple and their new baby. Looking back, she recognized that this situation was not ideal, and she decided that she would not handle postpartum in the same way going forward. For her second birth, Megan began doing more research and learning more about natural childbirth. She learned about a birth center 2 hours away, but felt unsure that she could actually go through with a natural birth. After they toured the birth center, Megan immediately felt calm. She decided to go for it! On the day of labor, Megan rode the 2 hours to the birth center in the backseat of the car facing the opposite direction. The 2 hour drive turned into a 3-hour drive due to road construction. She spent the short amount of time at the birth center in the tub, until her midwife required that she move to the bed. Megan had her baby on hands and knees, and later recognized that her baby had somewhat of a shoulder dystocia. Once they were discharged from the hospital, she and her husband and newborn stayed in a hotel for the night, as they knew the baby would need a 24 hour checkup the next day at the birth center. Because of the driving and discomfort of staying in a hotel, when Megan was unexpectedly pregnant with her next child, she began looking into other options. She found a midwife and connected with her immediately and deeply. So much so, that on the front porch of her midwife’s house, she called the birth center and told them she was transferring care. Megan’s third pregnancy came when she was in graduate school. In fact, her labor began on the day of her graduation. She was having rather intense contractions through the ceremony, and when the president of the college found out, he had the camera pointed on her and told the entire crowd that she was in labor. Immediately after walking across the stage, Megan and her husband went home. They filled up the tub, her doula and birth photographer arrived, and her midwife was on her way. Megan hopped in the water and immediately felt the urge to push. Her husband put the midwife on speaker phone and helped Megan catch their baby. Episode Roundup I seriously love Megan’s style. Maybe because she reminds me of myself? There’s always something going on! There’s always something that’s got to be cooked up! As we head into the episode roundup, I just want to call attention to how incredible the modern mother is. Megan went through school, worked, cared and nurtured her babies, began running, and researched the heck out of birth. Mothers are amazing, and the things we do for our families and the world… wow. It truly is overwhelming.

You're listening to Episode 82 of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. Midwives, are you set up to be in practice for a long, long time, or are you feeling the sensations of burnout taking hold? Today’s episode is going to be of great benefit to midwives and mothers alike. So mamas, if you love your midwife, make sure you share this podcast episode with her. Why? Today’s guest, Leslie Cornwell, is a midwifery business consultant, and she has a passion of helping midwives grow and run thriving, brilliant practices that stick around for 30+ years by preventing burnout. She’s a midwife herself, and she’s struggled with the same burnout issues as many of my listening midwives will surely have experienced themselves. I’d love for you to take a quick screenshot of you listening in and post it to your Instagram stories. Tag Happy Homebirth Podcast, and I’ll be sure to feature you in my stories as well. All right, let's hop on over to the interview with Leslie. Please remember that the opinions of my guests may not necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and neither one of us are acting as your medical professional, so continue to see your doctor, midwife, or if you’re like me, your chiropractor. Show Notes / About Leslie's Services: "Becoming a midwife has been a lifelong dream. I didn't realize that this wonderful profession would lead me down the path of business. I have found over the years that midwives need to understand business, accounting, financing, marketing, negotiating, and so much more to be successful in today's health care system. I love supporting women. By being able to participate in leadership roles and create amazing private practices, I can support midwives just as much as the pregnant women they care for! I am passionate about women's empowerment and women business ownership. We can serve families best with independent successful midwifery practices. I have had over 16 years experience in health care. I have worked in hospitals, birth centers, and home settings. I have worked for large non-profit hospitals, small community hospitals, privately run birth centers, hospital owned birth centers, and my own homebirth / birth center practice. Being able to understand the business and financial side of midwifery has really shown me how much easier a midwife practice can be profitable and successful in today's health care ever-changing climate. Let me help you start your own practice or improve the current midwifery business you are struggling with. I have years of billing, accounting, contracting, business plan writing, and midwifery clinical expertise to make your midwifery practice thrive no matter what stage it is in! Whether you want a small homebirth practice, large birth center practice, or booming hospital midwifery practice, I can provide guidance, support, and resources to make your midwifery practice dreams a reality!" Conclusion: I'm so grateful for the business professionals who have a heart for mothers and midwives. Thank you, Leslie, for supporting mothers by supporting midwives. When we work together, we can make sure that more and more women are able to receive the intimate, loving care they deserve through thriving midwifery practices. All right, friends, that is it for this episode! I look forward to seeing you back here next week. Don't forget to join our thriving community at Facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirthpodcastcommunity

Homebirth… despite the podcast name, Happy isn’t the only adjective that can be used to describe it. No, my friends. Birth experiences vary so widely, and things do not always go perfectly easily. Today’s story is one of those tough births, but wow. Our guest, Sophia sheds so much insight and through her struggle brings so much encouragement to us all. There’s such a balance. Of course we want to be positive about childbirth and understand that it can be beautiful and peaceful. But we also need to recognize that birth is untame and raw. It is such a thin-veiled experience. Today’s interview leans into the raw experience of Sophia’s homebirth and postpartum experience. I encourage you to embrace the intensity, but you know that I also like to be up front about these episodes so that if you are nearing your birthing time and concerned about hearing any difficult stories, you can save this one for a later date. Okay, let’s jump into our interview. Please remember that the opinions of my guest may not necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and neither one of us are acting as medical professionals, so continue to see your doctor, midwife, or if you’re like me your Chiropractor. Show Notes Sophia has always found herself on the more natural side of things, so she knew that when she became pregnant, she would prefer to have her baby at home. Her husband grew up in a more medically minded household, so before they even became pregnant, she and her husband went to interview local midwives. This put him at ease and was a great way to remove the pressure around the situation. Once they began the process of trying to conceive, they became pregnant immediately. Sophia was seeing a naturopath before her pregnancy to make sure that her hormones were balanced, and she continued this through the first four months. She was very in tune with her body, and felt her baby’s first movements at 11.5 weeks. At 37 weeks Sophia fell forward on ice. Luckily all was fine, but she hoped she’d stay pregnant for a bit longer for her bruises to heal. After 8 days of contractions, right at her due date Sophia felt stronger contractions. She felt a wave of grief that her pregnancy would soon be over, but joy at the same time of it being over and time to meet her baby. As contractions began, while her husband was still asleep, Sophia went to their prayer corner and prayed for this to truly be labor. And truly, it was! Soon, her contractions were one on top of the other, and she was so engrossed in them that she was not remembering to hydrate or eat. During her labor, Sophia experienced a sense of hyper awareness, but a haze at the same time. She could hear everything, even her midwife and husband talking in the other room. Sophia was so prepared for labor that she thought she’d handle it easily and comfortably. Instead, she had moments where she truly felt fear. Once Sophia had been feeling the urge to push for a while, her midwives noted that she had an anterior (front) cervical lip. She moved to the bed where they asked her to lie on her back. After a while she moved to the birthing stool, where she thought so deeply about her mother and her mother’s strength. After having felt out of body for so long, Sophia felt she returned to normal for a bit as her husband began praying for her. She began praying with him, and she could tell this was incredibly meaningful for him. Sophia moved back to the bed for a bit, and finally when she went to the toilet, she begged her baby to come out. At that point, Sophia began crowning. She moved to the birth stool. Once her baby arrived, it was determined that she had a nuchal hand (very likely causing the 4 hour pushing difficulty and overall strange labor pattern). Her baby was white and not breathing, so her midwives began rescue breaths. After 5 breaths, her baby had still not come around, so her midwife began trying to help Sophia remove her placenta so that they could move the baby to do more resuscitative measures. They did give some cord traction, and the placenta plopped out. Sophia then lost 4+ cups of blood, and almost immediately passed out. Sophia finally came to a while later, having no understanding of what had happened. She didn’t know where she was or that she’d had her baby. She then saw that her husband looked terrified, which is very out of character for him. He later told Sophia that he was terrified that he was about to lose his wife and baby. Sophia and her baby both eventually did come around. Sophia’s midwife put a piece of placenta in her mouth to help stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, this all led to a very difficult postpartum experience. She was weak and exhausted, and did not feel the overwhelming oxytocin rush due to the circumstances. But she knew that she loved her baby. She knew that she would do anything, endure anything for her. When nursing troubles began, Sophia sought help and learned that her baby had tongue and lip ties. Once again, Sophia endured and continued to

Babies wait for no one or no thing. No matter what’s going on in the world, they will still be born, and we as mothers have to figure out how to cope. I know that so many of your births were and are being affected by Covid-19. My heart goes out to you, as this has changed the landscape of birth on many levels. Of course mothers who planned to give birth in the hospital have been affected, but this is also true of mothers in the homebirth setting. Today we will hear from Yosefa, who gave birth at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. This interview was incredibly special, because we were able to be joined by Yosefa’s sister Yakova, who currently resides in Israel. Yakova is a midwife with several credentials, I might add, and although she was not able to physically be at Yosefa’s birth, she was able to support her virtually. It’s such an amazing story! Show Notes: Yakova went to a friend’s birth and ended up acting as support person. With this one experience, she realized she was called to some type of birth work. She began working as a doula, then became a midwife. She gained the Certified Midwife credential, then went back to nursing school and became a Certified Nurse Midwife. She and Yosefa were pregnant with their first children at the same time, giving birth only 10 days apart. Yosefa’s first two children were born in a hospital birth center run by midwives in Australia. When she became pregnant with her third child back in America, she realized that having a homebirth would be the most similar experience for her in this country, given our more medicalized approach to birth in the hospital. Once deciding on a midwife, she mentioned her choice to her sister. It turned out that Yosefa’s midwife was the exact same midwife Yakova had used for her third birth, and the assistant was one of Yakova’s former roommmates. Yosefa went into labor only one week after schools closed. This was an extremely fear-based time of the pandemic. She had concerns around bringing in any support personnel, and even family. Yakova was planning to travel with her children to the US to be at Yosefa’s birth, but Israel was very quick to shut down travel through infected European countries. Because Yakuza’s flights were to go through either Italy or France, she was unable to travel. Because Yosefa’s labor began with the rupturing of her membranes, she decided to try some activities to stimulate labor. Acupuncture and nipple stimulation were very helpful in this and brought on intense contractions. As labor progressed, Yosefa relied on her sister Yakova for support. She kept her AirPods in and Yakova monitored her labor in that way. Yakova was even the one who called the midwife for Yosefa! She also spoke to Yosefa’s husband about tasks that needed to be done. Yosefa’s birth was happening right around the beginning of their Sabbath day. Because of their religious practice, Yosefa’s husband was uncertain about whether he would be able to clean the birth pool and set it up for Yosefa, as when they opened it up, it was moldy. Yakova spoke to him about how in one of their Holy Books, it says that a laboring mother supersedes all else. So much so that if a blind woman laboring asks for a candle (typically not lit on the Sabbath), a candle should be lit for her. Yosefa’s third labor was far more intense than she expected. She felt that this labor truly showed how different each birth is. Episode Roundup: What a beautiful story. I’m so delighted we were able to make this 3-way interview work! As we head into the episode roundup, I have a few thoughts I’d love to share: The power of the feminine in the birthing situation: How incredible that Yakova and Yosefa both had stories of feminine connection regarding their births. Yakova experienced a beautiful blessingway, and Yosefa was able to rely on her sister even from afar and in the midst of a pandemic. It’s so fascinating just how different regulations and laws are not only from country to country, but from state to state. Fascinating, and frustrating, honestly. Of course, it’s my prayer and hope that homebirth becomes more and more accepted and considered the norm, as we know the great benefits of physiological birth when possible. Finally, let’s end where we began. Birth happens, whether there’s a global pandemic or not. I know this has changed the plans of so many, and in a number of ways it’s caused great isolation. I hope that this podcast has brought some sense of community to you wonderful mothers, and that it will continue to do so in the future. If you’re looking for more connection, I’d love to have you in our Happy Homebirth Facebook group. Just go to facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirth to join. Or type in Happy Homebirth Podcast Community

Is weight alone a pregnancy risk factor requiring intervention? Brylee is a mom to 3 precious babes, and she’s experienced both negative and positive birthing experiences. Today we’ll jump into the reasons behind both. Show Notes Brylee had been told for many years that pregnancy would be very difficult, as she was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager. She and her husband became pregnant as soon as she stopped taking birth control. Her OB was so convinced that she wouldn’t be able to become pregnant, that she said she’d give her 6 months to try for a baby before exploring other options. Little did her OB know, she was already pregnant at that appointment! Brylee had terrible implantation cramps with her first daughter. They were so bad that she was scared it was a miscarriage (the day after her positive pregnancy test). Her interest in birth began early, as her mother had Brylee’s brother in a birth center unmedicated. After watching The Business of Being Born, Brylee let her OB know that she wanted a natural birth. The OB always dodged the questions and said “we’ll see”. Brylee woke up with (what she now knows was typical bloody show) and called the on-call doctor. The doctor acted as if the bleeding was an emergency, and had her come in. The OB did everything she could to pin pre-eclampsia on Brylee, which she feels was because Brylee is a plus-size mother. She had one high blood pressure reading, which she feels confident was related to the stress of the situation… she had had zero high readings throughout the pregnancy. Brylee refused induction, finally was released the next morning, and went home for the weekend. On the following Monday, Brylee saw the same OB again, and had another high reading. She told her mom, “I am TERRIFIED of that woman.” She felt it was a case of White Coat Syndrome, just as her dad has. The OB sent her straight to the hospital to be induced: Cytotec 4 times Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth gives an informative review of why Cytotec can be dangerous They then started Pitocin. After laboring for a long time, Brylee received an epidural. After 30 minutes of pushing, Brylee had her baby. There was absolutely no continuity of care for Brylee: Her Doctor was on vacation, another OB sent her in for the induction, another started the induction, and another delivered her baby. With her second birth, Brylee knew she wanted to have a different experience. Her friend had a birth with them that was wonderful, so Brylee was excited to use the practice of 8. Brylee had one high blood pressure reading, and so her midwives sent her Maternal Fetal Medicine. They put her on medication, and the medication constantly made her pass out, as it was bottoming out. At her 3rd midwife’s appointment, the midwives used a blood pressure cuff for a plus-size woman, and low and behold… she had a normal reading. Because of Maternal Fetal Medicine’s diagnosis (Chronic Hypertension— which she knew was not the case), the recommendation was for Brylee to be induced at 38weeks. She failed the first Gestational Diabetes test, so she was required to take it again, which she passed. One doctor at MFM told her that if she’d been in any other state, her blood pressure would not be an issue. For whatever, in the south, particularly in Tennessee, this doctor said that other doctors hold very strongly to very specific numbers. Brylee convinced her doctors to let her wait to be induced until 39 weeks. After a long day of waiting for a room, and laboring, Brylee’s doctor told her they needed to break her bag of waters. The baby was high, and they did not tell Brylee the risks associated with this. Fortunately, the baby was fine, and once she began pushing, the baby was out in two pushes. Unfortunately… soon after she gave birth, a nurse came into her room and switched her blood pressure cuff from the larger size to the standard size. Brylee’s blood pressure numbers then spiked with the new cuff. Because of her terrible experience, Brylee decided she was NOT going back to the hospital. Her third baby was a huge surprise! Brylee began searching for a homebirth midwife in her area that would take her. In a local birthing center, her BMI was too high to deliver. She found a midwife who serviced her area, and set up a meeting. After deciding to work with her, several appointments in, Brylee had a high blood pressure reading. Her midwife mentioned that she thought this was likely due to the blood pressure cuff being the wrong size, not her actual blood pressure. Her midwife ordered a new cuff, and Brylee never had a high reading again. Brylee’s midwife referred her to a CNM just to have check her out as a backup, and the CNM was incredibly encouraging. She said Brylee was a perfect candidate for homebirth. During her anatomy scan, the tech that saw her ended up ripping her skin. It was a horribly painful experience for Brylee. As she entered labor… Brylee’s water broke at her parents’ house on their couch. She tried to get contractions

Show Sponsor: Happy Homebirth Academy Postpartum recovery is important for some people, but not everyone, right? Not for athletes, right? Show Notes Chelsea, a triathlete, thought that postpartum recovery would be simple for her body after her first. She assumed that she could push through the pain, having no idea that postpartum rest is critical. Unfortunately, Chelsea’s body struggled for 12 weeks with on and off bleeding. She resumed normal activities, including crunches and jumping jacks. During Chelsea’s second pregnancy, her mother was diagnosed with a uterine prolapse. She went into labor at the same time as she did with her first baby, so she assumed it would go similarly. It did not! In fact, Chelsea had her baby before the midwife’s arrival. Once again, Chelsea resumed strenuous physical activity early, and this led to a bladder prolapse. She sought help from a pelvic floor physical therapist, but her first experience with this was not ideal. Kegals were strongly recommended, which were not helping Chelsea’s situation. Chelsea then found another PF PT who taught Chelsea to relax her pelvic floor. This made all of the difference and helped her recover. Recovery postpartum is critical. If you are struggling with heaviness in your pelvic region, seek help! Mentioned in This Episode: Birth Fit Happy Homebirth Episode 9

Did your birth live up to your expectations? Now, you all know by now that I’m all for the happiest, most rewarding childbirth experiences ever. I mean, come on. Pretty clear by the Show Title. But in today’s episode with Anna, we’ll discuss the reality that sometimes birth isn’t a fairy tale. Even if it goes relatively well each time, it might not be your “dream birth” I’m really looking forward to unpacking this through Anna’s stories, and I’ll share more of my thoughts, as always, in the episode roundup. Announcements There’s a giveaway going on over on Instagram this week. My good friend Helen is an artist, and one of her specialties are birth related! She paints custom baby in utero designs on pebbles. Check out the details at @happyhomebirthpodcast, and go ahead and give @rosiebluebirdart a like Take a screenshot of you listening to this episode and post it in your stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast so I can share it in my stories! Similarly, if you’ve ordered a shirt from myhappyhomebirth.com/merch, please send me a picture or tag me in your stories! I would LOVE to see the apparel out and about, and you know I’ll feature you in my stories! Show Notes: Anna is the mother of 3 babies. Her first 2 births were unmedicated at the hospital with midwives. At the time, she was too nervous to give birth at home. She feels that her first birth was the perfect amount of time for labor. Second birth, family decided to use the hospital again. Her husband was a resident at the time, so their birth in the hospital would be free Anna spent most of her second labor in triage. Once she got to her L&D room, she jumped into the birth tub and had a baby 7 minutes later Her second birth taught her that she might be able to do things easier at home without all of the transitions of going to the hospital, waiting in triage, etc. Her 3rd birth: Her husband agreed to having a homebirth, provided they could find a CNM There was a CNM 30 minutes away, and she even scheduled all of the prenatal for when he would be home Labor began at 9pm on her due date. Anna went from feeling uncertain that she was in labor to deep, deep labor within just a moment Her husband called everyone to the house while Anna roared through contractions in the shower Because everything happened so quickly, the midwife did’t have time to grab gloves, so Anna’s husband was able to catch the baby. He narrated the whole thing. “I wasn’t sure I was in labor until she was basically born” “I never got that YouTube perfect birth, and that’s okay” Episode Roundup As we head into the episode roundup, I really want to discuss this quote from Anna: “I never got that YouTube perfect birth, and that’s okay.” As I mentioned in the episode, and as is abundantly clear in my childbirth education program, the goal is an empowered birthing experience. And truth be told, I believe there is SO MUCH we can do to move the needle in the direction of this outcome. Taking preparation seriously, working with our mindset, learning the tools and techniques that can encourage presence… it can all do so much. In fact, the results my founding members have experienced through Happy Homebirth Academy really make me feel this is possible for so may. But at the same time, we’ve got to remember that birth isn’t a fairy tale or a pinterest pin. It varies vastly, and your perception of the events can be just as varied. I say this as a reminder to be kind to yourself. Even if on the outside you had a birth that was “good” or “positive”, remember that your feelings of the situation are valid and worth discussing. And this brings me to another point, which is NOT related to Anna’s experience, but a tangent I arrived at later: Remember that not everything is as it seems. Social media is flooded with the most gorgeous birth photos, and perhaps it leaves you feeling like your experience was somehow less. Please remember that the beautiful photo of the mother glowing with twinkle lights behind her might have been taken mere minutes after that mother barfed her entire lunch on her midwife’s shoes. Birth. It’s messy and unpredictable and beautiful and everything in between.

When did you begin experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions? And… What did they feel like? Sponsor This episode is sponsored by Happy Homebirth Academy! The premier childbirth education program for homebirth mothers seeking a peaceful, empowering, mindful homebirth. www.myhappyhomebirth.com/hha is where you can find all of the details. Today’s guest, Meagan Brown had quite an intense go with BH contractions So much so, that I hate to even call them that. But we’ll learn exactly what she did to cope, and we’ll see how that served her in her two labors. Updates/Reminders: There are new shirts in the store! With…matching onesies for your babe and shirts for your child! Adult shirts read “homebirther” and onesies/kid shirts say homebirthed. I can’t wait to get my matching shirts. Just head to myhappyhomebirth.com/merch to check out all of the cuteness. Take a screenshot when you’re listening to podcast episodes and upload them to your insta stories. Tag @happyhomebirthpodcast and I’ll share in my stories! Would you mind leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts? This helps the show get found! Please remember that the opinions of my guest might nit necessarily reflect my own and vice versa, and neither one of us are medical professionals, so continue to see your doctor, midwife, or if you’re like me, your chiropractor. Show Notes Meaghan Brown is a wife and mother of two living in Ontario. She and her husband became pregnant with their son just weeks after getting married… not their plan, but they jumped into parenthood excitedly! Unfortunately, Meaghan experienced painful Braxton Hicks contractions begging at 20 weeks. So uncomfortable in fact that she was constantly worried she was heading into labor. In her 36th week, while out to dinner with her friends, Meaghan experienced contractions that she of course assumed were her constant Braxton Hicks contractions. Only this time… her water broke. She sprinted to the bathroom, where her waters fully released. And then… the mucous plug followed. Her friend drove her home, where she met her husband and doula and headed to the hospital (in transition)! She arrived to the hospital, had a team of doctors descend upon her room (because baby was not term), and because Meaghan struggles slightly with Claustrophobia, her husband Jonathan announced to have everyone step back (which they did!). Meaghan’s baby was safely born and did not need a NICU stay. With her second pregnancy (this one was planned!), the contractions started even earlier… at 16 weeks. Luckily, her daughter decided to stay put until term. Meaghan was able to have her desired homebirth this time around, with her midwife making it just in time. Once her baby arrived, Meaghan was excited for her contractions to finally stop. Unfortunately, they did not. For 8 days, she continued to experience the contractions of her uterus shrinking. Terrified that something was wrong, she finally went to her doctor. Upon examination, he found all to be well. He proposed that Meaghan may be acutely aware of her uterus, which would explain why she was feeling contractions all along. If you have a sensitive uterus, check out this podcast episode about Vaginal Steaming by Wine & Gyn! Episode Roundup Pregnancy, like birth, is wild! It can be experienced differently from person to person ad pregnancy to pregnacy. And let’s be honest. Sometimes it just does not feel good. Meagans constant experience of brat nhicks contractions during her two regencies is a great example of things just kind of stinking sometimes. This is why it’s so important to listen to your body… when it says rest, rest. Meagan did this when needed, and it’s so important to remember, even if your experience isn’t as intense as hers This is just me taking a moment to celebrate those loving, in-tune partners. When at the hospital, Meagan’s husband jonathan realized she was struggling with having so many people descend upon her room. He was not afraid to speak out and let everyone know that they needed to back up. I’m sure Meagan will never forget that kind act. Working on your relationship with your partner during pregnancy and connecting as much as possible is such a good reminder for all of us.

The Podcast Application is Live (through June 7th)! Click Here to Apply! This episode is sponsored by Happy Homebirth Academy, the premier childbirth education program for homebirth mothers looking to have a peaceful, empowering birthing experience. Take a screenshot of you listening to this episode and share it on your instagram stories! Ta @happyhomebirthpodcast and use the hashtags #givebirthonyourturf or #homebirther Show Notes: Shante is the mother to 4 children ranging from 11 years to just a few months old. Shante’s became pregnant with her first child at 16, so she was working two jobs and in school. She recognizes that she didn’t have much time to relax and enjoy the pregnancy, but she remembers Her first baby’s labor was only 3.5 hours from start to finish! The experience with the hospital was not terrible, but she thinks because she was young, people told her what to do instead of giving true informed consent. Her second pregnancy, 6.5 years later, was not so easy. She was very sick for the first 17 weeks. Even more interestingly, her second labor was 25 hours long (with a posterior baby boy)! As Shante began pushing, her midwife noticed that Shante was bleeding. She had her get on her back on the bed, as she was worried about the amount of blood. Her baby had a bit of a shoulder dystocia that shante didn’t realize she had until afterward. Because she was expecting a repeat of her first birth, Shante felt her second birth was traumatic. “You cannot decide not to prepare simply because a previous birth was easy— because each birth is different.” With her third pregnancy, Shante felt active and energized and ready to do anything. Shante did more childbirth preparation for this birth. She mentally prepared herself for a longer labor. “Good Births Don’t Just Happen- I need to prepare mentally and I need to prepare physically and be ready for whatever may come” Shante’s way to get things going: 2nd trimester- Red Raspberry Leaf tea 2 date bars per day at 37 weeks on and 1 full quart of red raspberry leaf tea Lots of walking and light hiking This labor was only 1 hour and 20 minutes! The midwife had not yet arrived, so it was just Shante and her husband. At the end of Shante’s care, her main midwife had to have surgery, leaving Shante in the care of another midwife that she never felt very comfortable with. The midwife was clearly irritated with Shante for having her baby without her. Shante had a piece of retained membrane that was obvious to see. She is extreme in her belief of not intervening at all- So she did not remove the membrane, even though Shante was continuously bleeding. The midwife told her to go to the bathroom, but as Shante stood up, she began to black out. She forced her to crawl to the bathroom. Shante continued to pass out and felt completely humiliated. Finally, the attending midwife catheterized Shante A year later, Shante found out from her main midwife that her charts were incomplete and the midwife had lied about a number of issues. Another client had a similar experience, the midwife left the practice and started her own practice. Shante struggled with deep postpartum anxiety and depression. She was able to manage this through homeopathy. During her most recent pregnancy, Shante worked with a homeopath and worked with a therapist who specialized in prenatal and perinatal mood disorders. She was able to heal and process through these two modalities. Shante developed food sensitivities during her most recent pregnancy so she had to avoid many carbs and sugars. She did a homeopathy pregnancy protocol, which helped a lot. Cell Salts. Shante prepared a homeopathy chart with the symptom, the remedy and the frequency of the dose. She felt incredibly prepared. Shante’s contractions never got incredibly close together, and she did not experience transition. Her baby was born after only 2.5 hours of labor! Her most recent birth was incredibly healing and helped her recover from her previous birth. What an amazing set of stories. As we head into the episode roundup, I have a few topics I’d love to discuss. The first thing I want to mention is just the quick little reminder that each and every pregnancy and labor (and heck, baby) is different. Shante learned this when she went from a 3.5 hour first time labor to a 25 hour long labor with a posterior baby the second time around. I loved when she said “Good Births Don’t Just Happen- I need to prepare mentally and I need to prepare physically and be ready for whatever may come.” Such sound advice. I love how Shante added to her preparation routine as she continued having babies. From red raspberry leaf tea, to dates, to delving fully into the world of homeopathy… Shante continued to learn and add methods of preparation to her routine. And even more significant, Shante spent time truly coming to terms with a traumatic birth situation and postpartum. She saw a therapist who specialized in postpartum mood disorders and worked with a homeopath.