Podcasts about happy homebirth

Today, Carly shares her TTC, pregnancy and birth story! In this episode, she takes us through her heartfelt and often humorous journey of trying to conceive and her pregnancy. From the surprise of discovering her pregnancy right before her honeymoon to navigating the challenges of pregnancy symptoms and preparing for birth, Carly shares her story with openness and insight. Whether you're planning for pregnancy or just curious about the experience, this episode offers laughter, lessons, and of course, a lot of love. Loved this episode?

The wait is almost over, are you ready for the Fall2023 season of Happy Homebirth? Join me from your favorite podcast platform on September4 for our first brand new episode and mark your calendars for September 18, when my husband and I will be sitting down to tell all about our most recent birth experience.  It is completely unlike our previous experiences, and you don't want to miss it. What do Obstetricians have to say about homebirth?  Well, the one we're speaking to today certainly has some opinions that may surprise you in the best way.   This week, we're speaking with the incredible Dr. Stu Fischbein, a homebirth-attending Obstetrician, founder of Reteach Breech, and one of the two lovely co-hosts from the ever-inspiring podcast Birthing Instincts.   In this conversational episode, Dr. Stu, as usual, holds nothing back and shares his opinions regarding the current state of the medical oligarchy and how the last two years of pandemic chaos have exposed the realities that have existed for a long time, how this encroaches on midwives, mothers and people as a whole... and we discuss the responsibility that each one of us can choose to take in regards to our own health.   He shares the massive shifts in perspective that he's had over his career in terms of how maternity care should be managed, or better yet left alone, and he unabashedly shares his thoughts on the Covid, the vaccine and more.    Episode Roundup:   10 or so years into his career, Dr. Stu made a choice. He decided to recognize the fact that the way he'd been caring for patients did not align with the new knowledge and perspective that he was gaining. Honestly, it could have been a lot easier, a lot more comfortable for him to have stuck his head in the sand, continued down the ol' path of typical obstetric care and never be faced with the discomfort of change. I'm so grateful that he didn't do that. It's important that we listen to medical professionals--who have seen how things work on the inside-- when they share that things are often not done for the best interest of the patient. Of course, I'm sure many of this know this, but experiential knowledge is a whole other kind of knowledge.  Dr. Stu was pushed out of his hospital position and privlidge because he wouldn't cow to the mainstream model.  How frustrating to hear that those who DO truly care for the patient are often the first ones to be removed. And finally, let's end on something to consider and meditate on:  You, the mother, should be the one deciding the risks you are willing to take.  Yes, it is incredible to have trusted advisors and providers, but the authority of how and where and with whom you give birth should remain in your hands.  You have options. Resources FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide Happy Homebirth Collective   Links: Birthing Instincts Atlas Shrugged Dissolving Illusions Casa Blanca The Business of Birth Control The Highwire

The wait is almost over, are you ready for the Fall2023 season of Happy Homebirth? Join me from your favorite podcast platform on September4 for our first brand new episode and mark your calendars for September 18, when my husband and I will be sitting down to tell all about our most recent birth experience.  It is completely unlike our previous experiences, and you don't want to miss it.   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.      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!   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.   elementalbirthrites.com Reclaiming pregnancy and birth as a rite of passage (facebook) elementalmidwifery.com Elemental Birthrites IG  

In this episode, we sat down with Katelyn Fusco of the Happy Homebirth.  We discuss, you guessed it, homebirth. Katelyn shares her experience as a birth attendant and the knowledge she gained from hosting the Happy Homebirth Podcast. Tune in to hear the risks vs. benefits of birthing a baby at home, Joey's perspective of the homebirth experience, the shocking statistics of VBACs, the difference between homebirth midwives vs. hospital midwives, the cascade of interventions, and more. Find the Happy HomebirthInstagram // @happyhomebirthpodcastWebsite // https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/Podcast // https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/category/podcast/Shop nourishing meal plans // homegrowneducation.orgFind us on Instagram // @homegrown_education, @joeyhaselmayer, @lizhaselmayerShop natural home care // shoptheh.com @haselmayergoodsWATCH the podcast on YouTube // 

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

Welcome back to the Happily Hormonal Podcast. In this episode, I'm having Katelyn Fusco, a childbirth educator, homebirth mama of two, and host of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. We're having an honest conversation about birth experiences in the United States and the choices available to women during this transformative time.Join us as we explore the importance of creating a positive, empowering birth experience and starting motherhood with confidence.In this episode:[04:37] Katelyn's journey to homebirth advocate and educator [17:37] Why we should reclaim the value and joy of motherhood and birth[38:10] The problem with the medical paradigm of safe birth[44:10] Learning to trust yourself and your body is key to having a positive birth experienceResources- Nourish Your Hormones Course: use the code HHPODCAST for $50 OFF Nourish Your Hormones!- 3 secrets to balance your hormones workshop- Free hormone balance guideConnect with LeishaInstagram: @leishadrewsWebsite: abundant-lifewellness.comApply to work 1:1 with Leisha HEREConnect with KatelynInstagram: @happyhomebirthpodcastWebsite: www.myhappyhomebirth.comUse the code HHPODCAST for $50 off Nourish Your Hormones ...Disclaimer: Information shared on this podcast and any referenced websites are not to be taken as medical advice or to be used as a diagnosis or treatment plan for any medical condition. I'm sharing my educated opinions & experience but nothing shared here can be taken on a one size fits all basis and we always recommend you do your own research, talk to your own doctors and practitioners, and take full responsibility for any health & medical choices you make.

Based on the questions I received on Instagram, you all are just as excited about this homebirth episode with Katelyn as I am! No matter where you are on the spectrum of homebirth—curious about it, preparing for your first or second homebirth, or a veteran homebirth mama—this episode addresses all of it. We speak to the mom who is wondering if homebirth is possible for her, the mom preparing her body and mind for an upcoming birth, the mom trying to find the right care provider, the mom dealing with unsupportive family. As a mother of seven, homebirth is near and dear to my heart, and Katelyn is a wealth of wisdom on this topic. Join us for this rich discussion! In this episode, we cover: Why having your first baby at home is especially beneficial The important role your care provider plays in your birthing experience How preparing for birth is so much more than planning for pain management Do you need a large house to have a homebirth? The importance of resting in early labor to avoid maternal exhaustion Why focusing on your mindset is the most crucial preparation for birth Finding the relaxation strategy that is right for you Embracing the transformational process of birth Recognizing your unique needs during birth and finding the right midwife for you What questions should you ask when interviewing a midwife? Responding to family and friends who don't understand your birth decisions The importance of doing your own research and making decisions that are right for your unique situation View full show notes and transcript on the blog + watch this episode on YouTube. Thank you to our sponsors! TOUPS AND CO ORGANICS | Use code FARMHOUSE at ToupsandCo.com AZURE STANDARD | Use code SPRINGHOMESTEAD10 at AzureStandard.com Please see full show notes for more details on these offers. CONNECT Katelyn Fusco of Happy Homebirth Podcast | Website | Instagram | Podcast | Facebook Group Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone | Blog | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Pinterest Join us in the Simple Farmhouse Life Facebook community!

In this episode, I am talking with Katelyn Fusco of the Happy Homebirth Podcast to answer your questions about homebirth! Katelyn is a homebirth mother, a childbirth educator, and an experienced homebirth attendant. She has seen birth from many angles (literally), and knows the impact this transformative event can have on you, your baby and your entrance into motherhood for the first, second or fifteenth time. This knowledge is what spurred Katelyn to create Happy Homebirth: A brand dedicated to supporting, educating and encouraging homebirth mothers.  Through birth stories and expert interviews on the podcast to intimate education and coaching inside of The Homebirth Collective, Katelyn's goal is to provide mothers with the tools to empower themselves in their birthing experience.Links/Resources:https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/collective https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com https://www.instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast https://www.facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirth Homebirth 101 podcast episode 17: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-17-homebirth-101-midwife-carrie-lachapelle-craft/id1446934537?i=1000433844577 Happy Homebirth podcast episode on what could go wrong: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-59-but-what-if-something-goes-wrong-how-midwives/id1446934537?i=1000463115609 IG: Husbands 5 things to consider with childhood education Katelyn's birth story episode with her husband: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-30-katelyns-peaceful-undisturbed-birth/id1446934537?i=1000442516893 Mana safety information: https://mana.org/blog/new-studies-confirm-safety-of-home-birth-with-midwives-in-the-us Free Training: Optimizing Hormone Health with Mineral Balance: https://bit.ly/3iwRDMk Mineral Imbalance Quiz: https://bit.ly/3ycEn4h

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

It's no secret: we love babies and birth! Mostly because we've learned a thing or two during our past several decades of giving birth. Too many mothers expect to show up at the hospital in labor and have everything go smoothly, but our maternal health care system is failing us and we need to be informed.If you're feeling called to learn more about birth choices, this episode is the perfect jumping off point to head you in the right direction. We want you (and your baby!) to have the best, healthiest and most peaceful birth possible, and in order to do that, you're going to have to do some research and make some important (and possibly difficult) decisions.Go to magicspoon.com/OUTNUMBERED to grab a variety pack and try it today! Use ourpromo code OUTNUMBERED at checkout to save $5 off your order!You got this, mama!the link to our new podcast streamThe business of being bornIna May's guide to childbirthGift of Giving LifeBonnie's blog birth seriesBorn in the USA our favorite birth podcasts: Australian Birth Stories, The Birth Hour, Happy Homebirth

The second part of my birth stories takes my births from a hospital to home.  I'm so excited to share my homebirth stories with you today.  I have invited Katelyn Fusco to join me again.  Katelyn is the host of the Happy Homebirth podcast and she will be taking the mic as the interviewer for this conversation.  Katelyn is a homebirth mother, a childbirth educator, and an experienced homebirth attendant.  She has interviewed over a hundred moms about homebirths and if you enjoy today you will want to check out her podcast to enjoy more homebirth stories.  She also provides support to moms as they're preparing for birth with her Happy Homebirth Academy.  You can learn more about it at www.myhappyhomebirth.com 

Do you love birth stories?  I do!  To share my birth stories I am changing things up a bit here today.  I have invited Katelyn Fusco, the host of the Happy Homebirth podcast, to join me and take the mic as the interviewer for this conversation.  Katelyn is a homebirth mother, a childbirth educator, and an experienced homebirth attendant.  She has interviewed over a hundred moms about homebirths and if you enjoy today you will want to check out her podcast to enjoy more homebirth stories.  She also provides support to moms as they're preparing for birth with her Happy Homebirth Academy.  You can learn more about it at www.myhappyhomebirth.com 

What's the most surprising birth location you can think of?   For many, the idea of giving birth at home is totally shocking and surprising. For Vicki, the most "normal" location that she gave birth was FINALLY in her own home on her own bed. Vicki's personality and her extremely unique birth stories made this discussion absolutely riveting. I can't wait for you to hear it.   Episode Roundup I find it worth noting that Vicki and her husband were very attuned to the personalities of the potential midwives they were working with-- despite the often times quick opportunities that they had to talk to them beforehand--It seems there was an understanding that for them, having a care provider who didn't fit what they needed could actually be more uncomfortable or dangerous than birthing unassisted Vicki is a testimony to the fact that the body will give birth when it's ready to give birth, but it also does sometimes seem to hold off for just enough time. In both of her first two births, she at some point recognized that it was TIME to settle down, and luckily she had JUST enough time to do just that. Was she cutting it that close, or was her body actually waiting for her to get settled, darn it? Either way, she was able to get settled just in time on both occasions! And finally, and I think you will all agree with me on this one, I hereby give Vicki the Happy Homebirth superlative of most unusual string of birth stories. What a truly impressive honor that is in this incredible group of interesting birthers, isn't it? Resources: Happy Homebirth Academy FREE Homebirth Essentials Guide

How do we process birth when we don't experience the outcome we intended?  How do we manage changing our plans and accepting what comes to us during the wild and uncontrollable ride that is birth?  This week we're speaking with Danielle, accompanied by her doula Tracey.  Danielle was raised in a homebirth family, so naturally, she was planning her own.  We'll listen to how her story unfolded and how she's processing through it all now on the other side.  I always like to give a heads up when the content of an episode may be especially difficult.  This is certainly an episode where things go awry, and if you're nearing the end of your pregnancy and feel that this isn't the right time to listen, please take that into consideration.  However, these are, of course, real examples of birth, and gosh, birth is sacred no matter how it happens.  I'm grateful that Danielle is willing to share her experience with us today.    Episode Roundup Danielle's midwife wasn't her savior, and yours isn't yours, either.  Hopefully your midwife will support you in the way that you want to be supported, but even so, birth is still ultimately your responsibility.  Danielle had to decide what she wanted in regards to her birth— did she want to stay home and continue to attempt labor there, or did she want to transport?  Ultimately, she made the decision that she was most comfortable with, knowing that no one else could make it for her. The events that occurred throughout her birth experience were unfavorable to her desires, to put it lightly.  But because of the way that she has chosen to perceive her experience, Danielle has been able to integrate her story into her motherhood journey in a way that brings positivity and success.  Remember, it's impossible for us to control every outcome.  What's totally possible, though, is how we perceive the experience and how we choose to integrate it.  That doesn't mean that it's easy, and you absolutely may need help, and grief over not experiencing what you desired is a very normal reaction.  But long term suffering over something that's done— remaining in the victim state— it isn't going to easily build joy.  I love the way that Danielle has approached her story and the way that she's choosing to heal.  Because it is, in fact, an active choice. Finally, I want you to know that if your story is like Danielle's.  If you planned and prepared for a homebirth, yet your experience led you to a different outcome, this community is still for you and here for you.  You are loved and you are still an integral part of the Happy Homebirth and Homebirth in general, community.  Thank you for sharing with us.  Resources Happy Homebirth Academy Waitlist for The Homebirth Collective

EPISODE SUMMARY It can be overwhelming to figure out where to start in your natural living journey. I get asked all the time, “Where should I start?” On today's episode, I am talking to Elizabeth Parsons of Purely Parsons about this exact question. We have both been living a natural lifestyle for over a decade, and if there is anything we have learned, it's that this is truly a process. It's unrealistic to overhaul our entire way of life overnight, but there are so many small changes we can make gradually over time that will add up to a new lifestyle. I'm so grateful Elizabeth joined me for this conversation. As a homeschooling, homesteading mama of five and pediatric nurse, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this topic. Whether you are just getting started or have been living this way for many years, I hope some of the information shared in this episode serves as the catalyst for you to take the next step in your natural living journey. In this episode, we cover: - Starting small by making easy swaps in your home - What resources we used to start learning and researching - The importance of whole foods in natural living - How we handle criticism from others about this lifestyle - Success stories of healing our bodies naturally, apart from allopathic medicine - What foods you can start making today in your home - The most important items in Elizabeth's wellness toolbox RESOURCES MENTIONED Elizabeth's birth affirmations Lisa's sauerkraut blog post and video Lisa's bone broth blog post and video Lisa's milk kefir blog post Lisa's yogurt blog post and video doTERRA Essential Oils Elizabeth's DIY Elderberry Kits Earthley Wellness - Use code PURELY10 for 10% off Earthley Wellness Good Night Lotion (Magnesium Lotion) - Use code PURELY10 for 10% off Lisa's mayonnaise blog post and video Leefy Prana Turmeric Supplement - Use code PARSONS15 for 15% off Elizabeth's birth story on Happy Homebirth podcast: Apple or Spotify CONNECT Elizabeth Parsons of Purely Parsons | Website | Instagram

This week Dr. Conners had the pleasure of speaking with Katelyn Fusco of the Happy Homebirth Podcast. While it may seem a strange topic to discuss for us, it truly does align with our values of living life as natural and with as few outside interventions as possible.

What has more of an impact- the exact details of your labor, or the way you feel you were treated throughout?    This week we're speaking with Katelynn Bolt, a mother whose births were both difficult, yet she was left feeling quite differently about herself and her experience based on her care providers and support. *I'll be taking a little winter break from releasing episodes.  This will be the last episode I release in 2021, as I plan to take some time off in December and January to focus on some other aspects of Happy Homebirth.* Reviewer of the Week- KatelonVB The BEST ever!! I started listening to this after I found you on Instagram!  I have neber been pregnant but I have always been intrested in natural birth and home birth.  This is SUCH a good tool for new moms, moms that want something different, or even women that aren't expecting yet but hope to start a family in the near future (that's me) lol.  As my older sister said, "knowledge is power!"  You can't learn enough about what your body is capable of doing and how it naturally knows what to do and when to do it!  Katelyn, I love this podcast and what you're doing to try to help turn birth back to what it used to be.  It is my first thing I look forward to listening to and makes Mondays awesome!  I will forever be listening and hopefully someday soon can put the knowledge to use!  Thank you!!! If you've been enjoying this podcast, would you consider taking a moment to leave a rating and review?    Episode Roundup What a wonderful journey Katelynn shared with us.  As we head into this week's episode roundup, I really just want to expound upon the opening question:  What has more of an impact- the exact details of your labor, or the way you feel you were treated throughout?    As I've said many times before, we cannot control the outcomes of our birth.  Though we can prepare and set the odds in our favor for a smooth, uncomplicated labor, that can never be promised.  However, part of preparation is choosing a team that you trust and who knows you, understands you, and supports you at the deepest level.  Katelynn's second birth was difficult, yes, but she knew that she had options, she was the choice maker on her team, and she was surrounded by people who loved her, trusted her and respected her wishes.  And that makes all the difference.   Resources Free Homebirth Mythbusters JOIN HAPPY HOMEBIRTH ACADEMY HERE

What does it look like to have true informed consent?  What does it mean to be trusted by your birth team?   This week we're speaking with Zo'e Cole, a mama to two who just had her first Happy Homebirth.   I'm looking forward to this episode, because Zo'e brings up some aspects of both of her births that truly paint a picture between obstetric abuse and informed consent.  Let's jump in.   Episode Roundup Wasn't that the picture of a Happy Homebirth?  I'm so thrilled for Zo'e and the fact that she was able to experience such a peaceful event after having such a traumatic first birth.   As we dive into this week's episode roundup, a few discussion points come to mind.   Zo'e discussed how she really felt she was on auto pilot with her first pregnancy.  I feel like this happens to so many women, and I really think this is a societal issue— not recognizing birth for the totally transformative, life-altering rite of passage that it is.  And what's so sad is that when we don't realize this, we can't prepare for it with the honor that it deserves.  So… make sure you're shouting this message from the mountain tops, whether someone wants to give birth at home or in hospital, preparation for this event is of course paramount. Holy obstetric abuse, batman.  Listening to Zo'e's experience, although it's common, still brings a blood boiling feeling.  I know that there are some amazing OBs out there, but dang, the ones who do things like break your water and then call it discharge or fuss at you to be induced at 39 weeks…. They're all too common.  And of course, there are midwives like that, too.  We've got to be so selective when it comes to our care providers ,for our own protection and the protection of our babies. Finally, what a difference between her first and second babies.  Zo'e truly took her pregnancy and birth into her own hands with her second baby, and boy was she blessed by the experience.  Zo'e took Happy Homebirth Academy, went to the chiropractor, did acupuncture, nourished herself… everything she could to honor this birth and this baby.  As she said, her first birth experience taught her so much, and with her second, she was able to step into motherhood for a second time totally transformed. Okay my friends, that's all I've got for you today.  I'll see you back here next week.

Do you remember episode 134 with Kelli Ingram? Where she was suuuuuper reluctant to be planning her first homebirth after 5 lovely hospital epidural births? We've got an update for you, baby! This week we're catching back up with Kelli to hear exactly how her homebirth story went down, and I can't wait for you to hear it.  I'm SO proud of Kelli.    Before we jump into her story, I would love to thank our reviewer of the week, SamiNeblett, who wrote “A treasure in the sea of fear based content” Sami, thank you so much for your review!   If you're enjoying this show, would you help me spread the word?  Leave a review, share on your instagram stories, tell your neighbor… all of it is so helpful and so meaningful.  I've noticed a few people lately sharing what they're doing as they listen, and I'm loving it!  Thank you all so much for your support.   Episode Roundup:   How cool is it that we were able to take that journey with Kelli?  She was nervous, even when she entered labor, but she was triumphant.   As we jump into this week's episode roundup, there are a few things that really caught my attention:   Kelli mentioned how this pregnancy felt very similar in manageability to her second pregnancy.  She shared how even though that was a decade ago, she was able to take care of herself, and especially appreciated the care she received from her chiropractor. Kelli said, “I really wanted to see what my body would do naturally…”. I love that she allowed her body to go into labor on its own this time.  It can be such a mind game to just relax and allow our babies to come on their own terms, but how incredible is it when the process does go perfectly according to its own plan.  I pushed myself into labor with my first and didn't with my second.  And I'll never push myself into labor again.  I could cry at what Kelli said, “I'd do it again 1000 times, and it exceeded all expectations.  Remember!  This is coming from someone who was so nervous about the pain of her experience.  And that leads me to our final point for this week.  Kelli said, “If I can do it, you can do it, too.”  I hear that from mothers all the time, and I love it.  Listen, that's what this community is all about.  To bolster one another up and let each other know that we're here for support.  If I can do it, you can do it too.   Okay, my friends.  That's all I've got for you today.  I'll see you back here next week. 

] What happens when you’ve desired and planned for a homebirth for a decade… but then you’re faced with a long, intense exhausting labor?  How do you cope with what you’ve wanted, yet what you’re experiencing?    This week we’re speaking with Caitlin Ackermann, who met her midwife in her high school health class.  She’s experienced two vastly different births, and she’s going to share them both with us today.  Caitlin’s stories show the two extremes of labor, so you know there will be so much to glean from this one. Let’s take a moment to thank our reviewer of the week, ilovepodcastsrrkkrr, who writes “Great for all expecting parents!” This is a fantastic podcast and goes through lots of different pregnancy and labor/birth stories.  Very empowering and educational at the same time.  Thanks so much ilovepodcastsrrkkrr, I’d love to send you a happy homebirth podcast sticker, so email me at katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com   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.    And finally, before we head in, here’s something really exciting: This episode was is sponsored by Baby Trend andThe Cover Me 4-in-1 Convertible car seat   I opted to skip the newborn carseat with my second daughter, and this carseat is so unique in that it addresses the number one complaint by experienced mothers: Sun in your baby's eyes. The Cover Me seat is able to do this with its integrated canopy that offers height adjustability, ratcheting coverage, and side sun protection.  The cover me has a usage rating from 4-100 lbs, so you can install it for your infant and adjust it as your child grows from rear facing to forward facing all the way up to belt positioning booster.  It’s got a recline system that allows your child to find a comfortable position and it’s designed to take up a limited amount of space even in the rear-facing position.  And it’s got some super cool features that help make life easier for mom and kiddo, including a no-twist harness indicator, a no-rethread harness, and a comfort cabin, which is its multi-layered padding system, letting your baby or child feel snug and secure.  So go to https://babytrend.com/ossa and use the code CoverMe20 for your new convertible carseat.   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.   Show Notes Growing up, she loved the book “A Child is Born” and wanted to be a “baby doctor.” In high school, her best friend’s mom had homebirths In health class growing up, her health teacher had a midwife come speak.  She felt the midwife was incredibly calm and nurturing— She knew immediately she wanted her to be her midwife one day. In college she watched The Business of Being Born and was completely on board Her husband, whom she met at 17, was always on board as well. They became pregnant immediately after beginning to try, which was unexpected for Caitlin.  She was so excited to finally call her midwife, Bonnie! She loved the flexibility of her midwives.  She doesn’t eat white sugar, so her midwives allowed her to do gestational diabetes testing by eating a pancake breakfast with the correct amount of maple syrup When she was 6 months pregnant, she had severe back pain for 6 weeks that made her think she’d never want to have children again. Luckily it did go away. She was due 10 days before her best friend’s wedding- she made it to the wedding!  The next morning, she had a membrane sweep, which she felt was the culmination of midwifery care: It was done comfortably and gently at her midwife’s. The night she went into labor, she was awake until 2 am— she decided to take a Tylenol PM to get some sleep… and then at 3am labor began “I wanted to be prepared for everything but not set on anything” She began throwing up at 5am (after 2 hours of labor) Caitlin labored in the tub for 8 hours- her body stopped regulating temperature, so she got out. At 1 pm, her midwives came and she was 6 cm At 5pm she was feeling very tired By 7 pm the midwives mentioned the baby having a heart arrhythmia.  They chose to wait 15 minutes to see if it went away or to transport She honestly wanted to transport— she was exhausted by that point.  But her husband reminded her that she wanted this homebirth, and he asked her to take it hour by hour.  She needed the reminder that she wanted it and could do it.  At midnight she was 10 centimeters, she got in the shower, squatted and gently pushed, but he wouldn’t budge Suddenly, everything changed, his head came down, and he was out within 2 pushes This baby was born with a tongue tie, and breastfeeding was very painful.  Her midwife caught it immediately and clipped it, but it was still very difficult           Episode Roundup If you’re in Vermont, you’re definitely going to want to hire Caitlin to be your doula, right?  She’s experienced so much, and she is so insightful.  In today’s episode roundup I’d love to discuss a few of the aspects that she so brilliantly brought up.   It was so much fun hearing how Caitlin and her midwives chose to replace the traditional glucose test with a maple syrup test.  Talk about individuality of care.  And that’s what I love, and what I bet you love too, about the midwives model.  This is your pregnancy, your birth and your baby.  In the ideal midwife client relationship, You make the decisions, and your midwives support you.  They tailor their care to you.  I love that Caitlin felt empowered in her second pregnancy to do even less testing and be more lowkey.  Not because there’s anything wrong with wanting tests— if you do, that’s great!— But because she clearly felt the confidence and power to choose for herself.  And that’s what I want for all of you. Favorite quote award goes to:  I wanted to be prepared for everything, but not set on anything.  And this…. This is why Caitlin is going to make such an incredible birth worker.  This is wisdom, my friends.  Take note of it.  Rigidity in birth can be cause for dashed dreams and sadness, even when everything goes right to the outside world.  This concept— of being prepared for it all, but being accepting of what’s to come— this is it.  This is what it’s all about.  If you can adopt this frame of mind, you can give your birth the credit it is due, no matter how it unfolds.  That’s not to say that you have to think it was perfect when it was hard— obviously, Caitlin is a great example of that.  But I feel strongly that this attitude can greatly cut down on the feelings of “my birth wasn’t good enough because…”. Thank you, Caitlin, for putting it so eloquently. I also want to bring up what Caitlin mentioned about her postpartum.  It was hard having visitors.  Gosh, it can be so tough turning people away, especially with your first baby.  You’re proud, and you know your well-meaning friends and family want to see this sweet new life.  But when you’re in the throes of learning your newborn and learning the skill of breastfeeding, it can be all too much.  Inside of Happy Homebirth Academy we talk about this in depth— setting those boundaries prenatally so that you already have a plan to stick to postpartum.  I was the same as Caitlin— It took me learning through experience the importance of being alone as a family in those first special days and weeks.  I pray you can learn through our experiences, those of you who are preparing for your first— and set the boundaries the first time.  You won’t regret it! And finally, let’s end on the reminder that sometimes things go “wrong”, even at home.  Caitlin’s second son took 7 minutes to really perk up and come around after birth.  But Caitlin, when sharing this part of the story, was calm.  She was calm in the moment and felt confident in her team.  This speaks to two things: 1. The fact that midwives are skilled workers and have the necessary techniques to handle these types of situations and 2. Caitlin did a wonderful job at selecting her midwives.  Women she trusted and had great confidence in.  This is so important.  Not every midwife is for you, and it’s important to feel confident in both your midwife’s skills and demeanor. Okay, my friends.  What a beautiful episode.  I’m going to go finish my coffee with maple syrup… and that’s all I’ve got for you today.  I’ll see you back here next week. 

Which leads to better outcomes do you think, high amounts of unpersonalized intervention… or… space? Space to allow a mother’s body to do what it was designed to do?   This week we’re speaking with Miss Brittany Pride, a mother of 4 daughters and new member of the homebirth community.  Through Brittany’s stories, we’ll learn what style of care worked best for her and her family.   Before we jump in, let me take a moment to welcome all of the new students who took advantage of the Mother’s Day sale and joined Happy Homebirth Academy last week.  I’m so thrilled to have you!  If you didn’t join last week, don’t worry! You can still access Happy Homebirth Academy any time— just go to myhappyhomebirth.com and click on Happy Homebirth Academy in the upper righthand corner.   And let me thank our reviewer of the week, Can I get more to like? Thank you so much can I get more to like?  Can I get you to email me at katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com so I can 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.    Show Notes   Brittany is a mother of 4 girls: 8, 5.5, 3 and 8 months   She lives outside of Nashville TN   Stay at home mom/ social media influencer/content creator   Brittany is a proud crunchy mom who loves to empower mothers to take charge of their families health   Her 4th daughter was her first homebirth   First pregnancy- it was amazing.  She was a stay-at-home mom, so she was able to rest and nap whenever she was tired or sick. She went into labor on her due date, she did not have a doula, which she learned was really important for her next time.   Her first labor was incredibly difficult, as her baby was malpositioned.  She didn’t know how to get her baby repositioned without help.  When she went to the hospital (using midwives), she was only 1 cm dilated after 20hrs.  Her cervix was behind her baby’s head— baby was low, but not putting pressure on the cervix.  On top of that, he water broke during triage, so there was no cushion beyond that point.   She ended up receiving an epidural as she was unable to relax.    Brittany feels that she learned so much from that birth— she did deal with PTSD after that birth.    “If you’re feeling bad about your birth, remember that it’s not your fault, you did your best, you’re still a rockstar, and you can have a better birth next time.”   Brittany notes that each baby and placenta and story is different— it can be different next time!   For the second birth, she found a doula who knew how to manage malpositioned babies and who knew how to use essential oils.  She brought over a birth pool   Having a doula does not negate a husband’s role, it enhances it.  Brittany’s husband says they’re so worth the price because it takes the pressure off the husband.  Long labors, malpositioned babies… so many things can happen that are unexpected.    Hiring a doula is a great way to capitalize on the experience and to allow your husband to focus on the aspects on birth that he wants to focus on.   With their third birth, they chose a freestanding birth center.  Brittany thought it may be her last birth, so they thought this would make the experience even better.   She enjoyed her experience, except for the fact that she was encouraged to push (even after she told them she didn’t want to yet— she already had a history of swollen cervices), and when her baby came out shockingly quickly, she had a difficult time breathing (said the midwives) and had to be transported to the hospital.  The midwives were frantic when this happened, and it was an incredibly chaotic experience.  By the time they got to the hospital, baby was screaming and crying just fine.   After this experience, Brittany knew that she would have a homebirth if she had any additional children.      With baby 4, they became pregnant in Oct of 2019.  Again, her husband said “this is the last baby!”  As soon as he learned more about homebirth’s safety, he was sold.   They decided to have a homebirth around 11 weeks.  Several of Brittany’s friends had used the midwife that she chose.  She has 40 years of experience and has basically delivered babies in the middle of the woods.  Brittany met with her and felt incredibly comfortable with her skills and experience.   Brittany’s due date was July 24th, and she’s always gone past her due date.  She loves being pregnant, and the end of pregnancy especially, so she wasn’t in a rush at all.   The week after her due date, she began encouraging good positioning and opening with walks, sex, prenatal massage and clary sage.   She had zero signs of labor over the weekend of her due date, but she woke up with leaking water.    She told her oldest to wear her “big sister” shirt to bed because you never know when you’re going to wake up with a new sibling!   Around dinner time, contractions began coming closer and closer.  They began doing pressure points around midnight, and her husband said he was going to go clean out the garage.   She said okay, and then texted him 3 minutes later asking him to fill up the birth pool!  “What happened in 3 minutes?!”   Brittany’s doula headed over around 3am and had called her midwife to come as well.  Her doula had her lie down on her side, and they did slow down a little bit, but not too much.  The midwife came around 4:45 am and her midwife checked her.    Brittany’s baby was 4 cm, but her baby was low (which was important to her).  Her midwife told everyone to rest until she just couldn’t rest any longer. About an hour and a half later, she was already 7 cm.  They began blowing up the birth pool, which took about an hour—at that point Brittany was desperate to be in the birth pool!   In the meantime she was using a TENS unit, which was incredibly helpful for her.    For Brittany, the most important aspect of relaxation for her was breathing.  Breathing in for 4, out for 8, which brought her back to center each time.  She said she couldn’t focus on the discomfort of the contractions because she was focusing on that.     Her doula kept reminding her “that’s one step closer to meeting your baby” with each ending contraction.   By 8am Brittany was getting in the birth pool.    She loved being in her own home, knowing where everything is, and not having to worry about when to leave the house.   She was born at 8:59 am, so it wasn’t much longer from that point.   Brittany had her midwife check her again at 8:30 to make sure that she was genuinely ready to push— she was so concerned about swelling.  Her midwife said, “Everything’s perfect Brittany, you don’t have any swelling.” Brittany’s midwife knew that’s exactly what she needed to hear, even without saying it.   Her husband had found an aquarium hookup for $4 that would allow for the water to be let out from the same hose, then put new water back in.      She pushed/her body pushed for 3/4 pushes   Her husband wanted to catch, because he’s caught all of the other babies.  He hopped in at the last minute and caught her.  The baby was behind Brittany, so they maneuvered the baby under her legs and to her chest.    Her oldest daughter came in right after the baby was born to watch the cord be cut.  The fact that everything was done right beside her on the bed and that her family got to be a part of it was amazing.     “In my head I kept thinking, ‘this is what birth should be like.’”   The least invasive birth ended up being the safest, most comfortable birth. Episode Roundup   So many incredible aspects of birth came up in this episode.  Let’s go over a few together in this week’s episode roundup.   First of all let’s talk about dads and doulas.  I love how Brittany and her husband recognized the fact that having a doula didn’t take away from her husband’s role, it added flexibility and an ability for him to focus on the aspects that he wanted to focus on.  We discuss this throughly inside of HHA and even have several worksheets for you to go through as partners to figure out exactly how you want to work together As you’re going through your contractions, it can be so beneficial to have certain elements to focus on.  Brittany used counted breaths as a way to relax, and her. Doula spoke an encouraging phrase “that’s one step closer to meeting your baby” to her.  These may seem like small aspects, but we don’t need that much to hold onto, truthfully.  Just a few simple elements to cling to through birth can make a vast difference.  Love, support and relaxation can take you so far. And finally, let’s end where we began.  What tends to work best— high amounts of unpersonalized intervention… or… space to allow a mother’s body to do what it was designed to do?  In Brittany’s experience, and in the countless births of my guests, my students and clients, wow… it sure seems like letting a mother’s body work while providing reassuring support and love almost always leads to the very best outcomes.

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 her some to try that night with milk.     That evening, Jasmine began really feeling her surges, and realized that they were coming rhythmically.  She texted Sosan, who texted back, “Don’t take the castor oil!”   Sosan told her to rest— Jasmine realized this was because Sosan was probably at another birth (she knew there was another mom who was about to give birth).   Jasmine was using Hybnobabies and created a beautiful “safe space”… the private beach where she and Julian got married.  Savvy was there, and Nile was there already.  Even when Julian went to take a nap, Jasmine said it was like he was with her.    Jasmine mentions how different the surges were this time compared to her induction.  She was actually able to sleep between them, and then she would slowly wake up, experience the contraction, then relax again.    Sosan came to check her and she said, “you’re only a 3”. Jasmine let go of the number and went right back to her safe space.    All of the positions she got into during her birth felt primal and innate. She felt like her baby was guiding her positions.   One of Jasmine’s contractions woke Savvy up, which Jasmine loved.  She got to have her come in the bed and snuggle with her.  She felt in her heart that it was a moment where Savvy was ready   Jasmine’s midwife was down low ready to check heart tones, and Jasmine’s water broke in a massive gush— her midwife was soaked!   Once her water broke, the surges felt different.    Jasmine thought she had to poop, and while she was sitting on the toilet, she started feeling her body push on its own.    She went into the water, and absolutely loved it.  She felt released and relaxed.   Jasmine wanted Julian to get in the pool, and Sosan said he just needed to go rinse off upstairs first.  Julian didn’t understand that it needed to be a quick rinse— he was taking a full shower!  So while he’s showering, baby’s head begins to crown.  Sosan began screaming for Julian to come downstairs.   Jasmine and Julian laugh because since he had just taken a shower and hadn’t dried off, he is soaking wet in the pictures— looking like he took a swim in the birth pool! Sosan told Jasmine to get her baby, but Jasmine is still somewhat out of it— so Sosan got the baby!   Sosan told her to turn the baby over and stand up slowly—   “So we have these pictures where he’s turned  over and he’s facing down towards the pool, and we’re standing up— and it looks like something from a National Geographic, like some type of, like some animal just gave birth to her baby and it’s just… Wow.  That’s how I felt, too, in the moment.  That’s how I felt.  So powerful.”    Episode Roundup: Your change of plans does not have to feel like a failure, it can feel like a party.  Can we please talk about how amazing Jasmine’s hospital experience turned out?  What I love about this is that it’s not what she had planned, but she and her husband made the decision in the moment to be positive, work together, and make the most out of their birth.  They chose to make a game time decision after laboring for hours upon hours with pitocin contractions to get an epidural.  And was it a failure?  No.  Jasmine and Julian accepted their change of plans gracefully and enjoyed their journey. A change of plans in one birth does not mean a change of plans in every birth following.  Remember that each story is different, each baby is different, each labor is different.  Jasmine was confident in her ability to give birth at home without pain medication, even though she opted to use it during her first birth.  She knew this was absolutely not something that would hold her back in her homebirth.  And here we see it again, pitocin contractions and natural oxytocin-induced contractions are two very different things.  Jasmine kept wondering when the feeling from her first birth would arrive, and it never did. And finally, I love what Jasmine said about her preparation for her second birth.  It felt like a full-time job.  There’s no denying it, preparing our bodies and minds and spirits for birth does take some amount of work— fun work?  Sure… but it’s directed attention.  Just like an athlete prepares for the upcoming event, so we too as mothers can set aside time to connect to ourselves and our babies, prepare our hearts and bodies, and truly acknowledge the intensity and power that is birthing a new human.  Okay, my friends.  Happy Mother’s Day!  Don’t forget that Happy Homebirth Academy is on sale this week only with the coupon code MOM20 at checkout.  Click the show notes for the link to the sales page, or go to myhappyhomebirth.com and click on Happy Homebirth Academy in the upper right hand corner.  That’s all I’ve got for you this week.  I’ll see you back here next week. 

    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, 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!    

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 katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com 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 birth.  He arrived home 2 weeks before the baby’s birth. Holly decided to have chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy.  She ended up with an optimally positioned baby! The evening of labor, Holly woke up and went to take a bath.  She listened to Happy Homebirth and relaxed! Holly points out that birth does not always go the way you expect— she untangled her baby’s umbilical cord, and exhaustedly leaned back against the birth pool.  She says she can even see it in pictures— how she looked blank, when she expected to be crying and excited about her baby.  The joy came minutes, later but she was surprised by the wait.   When processing this with her doula and mentioning how it made her feel, her doula shared a quote “it is said that during labor, women travel to the stars to collect their babies and bring them back down to Earth” This completely reframed the way she felt about her exhausting and pause after labor—in the best way. Holly’s birth team became some of her best support while her husband was gone.  Once her care ended postpartum, it felt like quite a loss for her.     Episode roundup: Having someone there to process your birth with you is so encouraging Closing the relationship postpartum can feel like a loss for both parties, and that’s okay.  In the realm of hormones, they make such a massive difference.  If you’re interested in learning more about what Holly did, check out the show notes.  She sent me some resources to share with you.  If you don’t know how to access the show notes, by the way, usually you can do it straight on your podcast episode by scrolling down.  You can also go to myhappyhomebirth.com/episode116 to check them out on the website.  AND… be SURE to tune back in to next week’s podcast episode, where we’ll be learning all about hormones and how they impact your cycle with the incredible midwives of Beautiful One Midwifery.  Don’t miss it!  But that’s all I’ve got for you for now.  I’ll see you back here next week.

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 katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com 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 in the birth pool at 9 cm, and she soon began to push.  She only pushed 3 times,    She remembers that her husband said something to the baby, and the baby looked up at him directly.   Kate loved the fact that her birth team completely respected her wishes.     She did a cord burning, which she loved so that all could be involved.   She loved the fact that while she was settling down, she could hear a mother in the next room beginning to push.   Instagram: Katedecker99   School is going great for her, and she now works at the birth center where she had her baby.   Episode Roundup:   Stress has a physiological effect, as Kate discussed when she went through her covid scare at 37 weeks.  She began having contractions and the like.  This is just a small example of why it’s so important for us to mitigate that stress whenever possible.  Obviously, Kate couldn’t control the situation around her… but sometimes, a hot shower will do just the thing! Isn’t it so neat to hear stories that have such an unexpected twist?  The fact that Kate went to the birth center assuming she’d head home soon… hops on a peanut ball, and suddenly she’s ready to push out a baby!  Our bodies are just amazing. And finally, we need more midwives.  I’m so excited that Kate is working towards joining the ranks, and if you’re out there wondering if birth work might be right for you… this is me saying, hey!  If you’re feeling called, try it out.  We need you! Okay my friends, that’s all I’ve got for you for now.  I’ll see you back here next week.

 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 shot instead.   She got in the birth pool at 3pm and stayed in until 8pm—when she was in transition.  At that point, she asked her midwife if it was too late to go to the hospital.  She said, “I can prep you, but if you want an epidural I’ll have to give you 2 bags of fluids first… by the time you get to the hospital and actually get the epidural, you’ll be ready to push a baby out.”   Finally her mom and husband asked if the midwife could break her water.  The midwife said, “let me check her first…” she went to check Franchesca, and her water burst on its own…. Suddenly Franchesca felt the deep urge to push.   Her baby began crowning, and she felt it was intense, but not her least favorite part of labor.  The head emerged, so her husband caught the baby and handed it to her.     Her midwife said, “At one point, I asked God to give you this experience so that you’d know that you are healthy and strong.”  Franchesca says that it did change the way she believes in her body.     Episode Roundup:   Anxiety does not have to opt you out of a homebirth.  You CAN take steps to conquer your fears, learn about your body, and learn your strengths as a woman through the process of midwifery care and homebirth. I found it so interesting, and such a neat perspective that Franchesca was in no way dogmatic about her choices.  She allowed herself the grace to choose where she would finally give birth all the way up and through her labor.  Though this may not be the way others view their home birthing decision, I certainly appreciate Franchescha mentioning this, and I do believe it could be a very helpful approach for some. Finally, as Franchesca mentioned, knowing what is happening during the labor is over half the battle!  When you know that what you’re experiencing is normal, you can relax, let go, and allow your body and baby to work together.  To learn more about this process, make sure that you’re signed up for my free upcoming masterclass, Homebirth Mythbusters- the 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth.  Remember, head to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters to reserve your seat.  Spaces are limited, so don’t wait!  Okay, my friends, that’s all I’ve got for you for today.  I’ll see you back here next week.  

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 katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com, 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!

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 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.

In this episode, Katelyn Fusco, founder and creator of Happy Homebirth, shares about her passion for homebirths and how she uses her podcast, child education course, and expertise to empower women with the knowledge and confidence to have their own homebirth. In our conversation, Katelyn explains the benefits of homebirths, the types of midwives and certifications, how to go about selecting your care provider, and so much more! I hope you come away understanding more of the birth options available so that you can make the best decision for you! So take a listen, and check out all the amazing resources in the show notes! Show Notes Link: https://www.newmomboss.com/17

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!

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

Are you considering having a homebirth or maybe it is something you are for sure you don't want to do but are still curious why some women would choose this? This episode I did with Katelyn Fusco from Happy Homebirth Podcast is one you won't want to miss out on! We talk about the importance of community, informed decision making and mindset. All of these things can impact planning for your homebirth! Connect with Katelyn: myhappyhomebirth.com Facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirth instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast Questions to Ask your Midwife Freebie: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/midwifequestions LIVE Homebirth Event https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/3pillars  Connect with Aly IG: @empoweredbirthpodcast Free Private Membership: www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredmamastribe SHOWNOTES: https://www.birthblissbeyond.com/post/_ep36

Imagine your ideal birth.  Where are you?  Who is with you?  In what position are you laboring?  Listen in to hear Katelyn’s most recent birth story.  Her experience was “magical,” as she was surrounded with exactly the right people in exactly the right time– it was a peaceful, undisturbed birth.  Katelyn set up her birthing space very intentionally and set her mind to the exact kind of labor she wanted to experience. She and Thomas share their labor story, as well as a hilarious postpartum experience that occurred. Katelyn’s labor march: Katelyn’s birth video:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2DSJQYpxCc8MHVyeWxfa0xhb3FiVVhkT3ctenZpQmhiWm8w/view?usp=sharing Sponsorship: Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home-Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.comhttps://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/ 864-907-6363  Happy Homebirth hit 10,000 downloads!  It’s time to celebrate.  What do you want to see?  A Facebook group?  Merchandise?  Send an e-mail to katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com with your suggestions. Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/episode30/. (link to original show notes) https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/3pillars https://www.facebook.com/groups/happyhomebirth https://www.instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast

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

Are you considering having a home birth? This episode is for you. Our guest today loves talking about home birth.   Today, we are joined by Katelyn Fusco. She is the host and creator of Happy Homebirth. As a wife, mother and homebirth advocate, she has a passion for presenting positive, encouraging stories and reliable resources for homebirth mothers. Before becoming a mother, Katelyn worked as a student midwife. She has had two empowering homebirths, the second of which she considers to be the birth, she wishes for every interested mother: mindful, peaceful and powerful at home.

  Show Notes: Births are like snowflakes.  Individual, unique, and often wet.  But we’ll focus on the first two.  Jessica’s 3 birth stories are hyper-unique and unexpected… and you’re going to love them! From a game time decision to have a homebirth with her first (seriously-she was in labor) to a shocking position of baby number two, to a much heavier baby #3… Jessica’s birth stories vary dramatically.   And most beautifully, after all of these experiences, Jessica’s message to pregnant women everywhere is this: don’t be fearful!  She notes how much fear is infused in our culture regarding birth, but how unnecessary this truly is.   Listen in to the end to hear Jessica’s advice on how to care for yourself and your emotions when it comes to the naysayers.    Episode Roundup:   How amazing is it that there will never be a birth just like yours?  AND you will never give birth exactly the same way twice.  What an amazing opportunity for growth and experience, and what a privilege. I just love Jessica’s discussion of fearfulness and how it serves no purpose in birth. It’s so encouraging to hear women cheering each other on and reminding one another of their strength and power.  The fact that our culture is just steeped in fear, especially regarding childbirth—which should be so beautiful—is a tragedy.  Often times this fear seems to be surrounding the idea that birth is either dangerous or painful or both.  This podcast exists to show that those are not the only options!  Birth is safe, and there’s PLENTY that can be done in the realm of comfort.  If you’re curious about that, be sure to check out the cute little pain relief cheat sheet I made for you at myhappyhomebirth.com/painrelief This little infographic cheat sheet syncs up beautifully with the series of Facebook live videos I’m currently in the middle of.  Be sure to check ‘em out!   Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!   Ready to have a Happy Homebirth?  Click here for my free audio mini-course!   Pain Relief Cheat Sheet

Show Notes:   Under what circumstances would you decide to give birth at home?  In the hospital?   Today’s episode explores this idea, as we delve into Rhiannon’s birth stories.  Rhiannon experienced two lackluster hospital births, one of which was very aggressive in nature.    It was at this point that she decided to learn more about birth.  After finding out she was pregnant with her third, Rhiannon reached out to a midwife.  She was so excited to begin care… until she found out she was pregnant with twins.  What would she do now?   Listen in to hear how Rhiannon handled this interesting situation.   After Rhiannon’s twin birth, she became pregnant one more time.  With this baby, surely she’d have a homebirth.  Unfortunately, as labor approached, Rhiannon began bleeding and realized quite quickly that she was in an emergent situation.  She headed to the hospital to receive the care she needed.   Today’s episode is full of ups and downs.  Rhiannon’s positivity and encouragement are a light through it all!   Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!

Have you ever considered what it would be like to give birth as intimately as possible?  This certainly may look different for different people.  For example—for me, giving birth as intimately as possible meant having just my husband and best friend/apprentice in the room with me for the majority of my labor, with the rest of my birth team filing in at the very end.  For Shayla and others, this means giving birth completely alone—with just their family at home.  Many people call this unassisted childbirth, or freebirth.  Although I personally love and respect midwifery and the comfort of having a Certified Professional Midwife attend my births, it’s important to acknowledge and recognize that that’s not the only way people choose to give birth at home.  I also find it important to not that unassisted childbirth is legal in all 50 states—whereas the legality for CPMs to attend homebirths varies from state to state.  Annoying? Yes.  But true. Today we speak with Shayla, who has experienced a vast array when it comes to childbirth.  From giving birth at her mother-in-law’s house (a feat in and of itself) to a hospital, to home alone, she’s done it all (and with grace, I might add!).    In the beginning (you’ll get this pun later), Shayla decided to have a homebirth with her first child.  She did this because she didn’t want to deal with the pressures and protocols of the hospital.  Shayla knew she wanted to give birth naturally, and she felt that hospital staff would make her labor more difficult.  She found a student midwife to act as her care provider.    At that time, Shayla knew no one who was giving birth at home.  She’d become more natural in many ways—from learning how to cure a toothache, to fertility support, and now in relation to homebirth.   She went on to have her second baby at home, too, though home had moved from Mississippi to Phoenix, Arizona.    With her third baby, Shayla ended up using a Certified Nurse Midwife in the hospital.  She discusses the lack of African American midwives, and how finding one can be very difficult.  We discussed the fact that Sistamidwife has a directory for these providers.   Although she was able to give birth naturally in the hospital, Shayla acknowledges the difficulty she experienced.  With so many people coming in and out, it was difficult for her to get into the groove of labor.  She found it frustrating that she’d have to have “tiny arguments” with the staff about what she knew she needed for her body.   With her fourth child, she maintained relationship with her CNM.  She went to prenatals regularly, though all the while she planned to give birth to her baby alone with her family at home, assuming she remained healthy. Fortunately, Shayla did remain healthy and confident.    She gave birth to baby #4 on the floor in her front room after her children had gone to bed.  She said that once she began pushing, baby came so fast that her husband almost missed catching him!  Speaking of her husband, Shayla discusses how supportive he was, and how he has always thought she’d be a great candidate for a “freebirth”.   Mentions In this Episode:   Spinning Babies Sista Midwife Sista Girl Midwifery (North Charleston, SC Liberated Birth Movement    Keep up with Shayla:   Website Instagram Facebook Blog   Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!  

    Show Notes:   For those of you who have experienced it—was postpartum anything like you thought it would be?  In fact—did you even spend much time considering it before your first birth?   I’ll be the first to say that with my first child, I didn’t pay nearly enough attention to postpartum. Sure, I considered breastfeeding… but I expected this to be the one potentially difficult aspect of new motherhood.  I didn’t expect the anxiety, and I certainly didn’t expect rage.  But postpartum hormones can be…intense.   Chelsea shares this experience.  As a mother who gave birth at home with her first, she felt she’d set herself up for success.  And she had!  However, that’s not the end of the work for any new mom (or at least, it shouldn’t be!).  She discusses how after a gorgeous first birth, Chelsea struggled with deep postpartum anxiety and rage.    Having this experience pushed Chelsea to create Postpartum Together—an online coaching group dedicatied to the postpartum mother. She’s created a 5-month curriculum that helps mothers navigate postpartum… together.   This deep understanding of the postpartum experience certainly came in handy for Chelsea after her second daughter was born.  At the 20-week ultrasound, Chelsea and her husband were informed that their daughter had a congenital heart defect.  She was able to give birth naturally (and very quickly!) at the hospital, but her daughter had to undergo heart surgery at 5 months of age—another deep stress and anxiety.    Chelsea’s realness and positive outlook are an amazing encouragement for all of us, and she is doing a phenomenal job of bringing women together at such a transformative time.   Keep up with Chelsea!   www.strivelesslivemore.com www.instagram.com/chelsb.skaggs   Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.com https://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/ 864-907-6363 Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!

Do you ever consider the similarities and differences of homebirth, and birth in general, around the globe?  Episode 37 gives a glimpse into the maternity care of women in Ireland by following Emer’s journey from hospital to homebirth.    Emer is a fitness-loving mother of 3 located on the western coast of Ireland.  She owns a women’s gym where she works with women in all stages of life, with a specific love of helping women pre and postnatally.    She and her business partner run an online blog called Food Fitness Fertility.  They are dedicated to teaching women how to care for themselves, track their cycles, and learn about fertility options other than the traditional route of IVF.   Emer’s first two births took place in the hospital, but because of her uncomplicated pregnancies and the swiftness of her second labor, she decided to give birth at home with her third baby.    After a beautiful, uncomplicated pregnancy, life became hard at 34 weeks when her husband sustained a leg injury from a sports complication.  The injury required surgery and 6 weeks in a brace at 90 degrees.  Emer’s last bit of pregnancy was spent caring for her 2 young children and her husband.  Though exhausted, she is grateful for all of the preparation she did beforehand.   Luckily, her baby waited to be born until her husband was out of the brace and available to help.  Unfortunately, on the day that early labor began, her children were feverish and sick.  Labor took place overnight, however, and her children slept through the main event (though one did wake soon after with a fever—and woke the second child up, too!  Oh, parenthood.)    Emer’s last birth was quick and uncomplicated, and her baby came out both crying and peeing!    She discusses the importance of taking care of ourselves and understanding our cycles when it comes to pregnancy.  Emer discusses how much emphasis is put on not getting pregnant when we are teens, but there is no information on HOW to get pregnant, which she finds just as important.    Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.com https://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/ 864-907-6363 Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!

  Did you decide to have a homebirth with your first baby, or did this decision take place later down the line?  For mamas pregnant with your first, do you ever find yourself thinking, "Perhaps I'll have a homebirth... with my second..."?  As a doula, Alexa experienced a number of births before becoming pregnant.  This experience pushed her towards the open arms of her homebirth midwives.  She knew that she wanted to give birth naturally... and she felt certain that that goal would be more difficult to achieve in the hospital setting, where the type and attitude of whatever care providers happened to be working that day could truly color her birth experience. And so... with the support of her husband, midwives and doula, Alexa had an amazing homebirth.   Mentioned in this Episode: Believe in Midwifery  Discount Code: HAPPY20 Lactation Cookies Alexa's Written Birth Story   Keep Up With Alexa Instagram Website Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.com https://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/ 864-907-6363   Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!

I LOVE working out, and I especially loved it during my most recent pregnancy.  Something about focusing on my health while growing my new babe was incredibly empowering.  What about you?  Did you feel energized and ready to work out during pregnancy?     Now that I'm postpartum, I'm biding my time until I can return to working out.  The first few weeks post-pregnancy are a sacred time of rest, so I know I must take this just as seriously as any other period of time.   But what happens when I get the green light?  Do I just jump back in... full steam ahead?   Nope, I'm going to be incredibly careful to make sure that each exercise I do is actually safe for my new postpartum body, and that it's helping build me up- not causing more distress.   Enter: Glowbody PT.  This episode features a mama and former World Champion athlete, Ashley Keller.  She has created both pregnancy and post-pregnancy workout plans, and she knows the ins-and outs of both intensity and safety when it comes to the fresh new mom-bod.   Show Notes: Ashley is an army spouse and mother of 3 young children.  Before babies, she was a professional tri-athlete for Team USA, and won a World Championship for Half Iron Man.  She then served in the Army and became a mom.  She realized she needed short, efficient workouts for herself, so she decided to share what she was doing for her prenatal workouts on YouTube-  GlowBody PT was born.  Ashley has not created your average run-of-the-mill pregnancy routines.  No, no, my friends.  These workouts are a beautiful marriage of both intensity and safety for pregnancy and post-pregnancy. Ashley discusses the breakdown of her pregnancy workout plan, which is divided into trimesters.     First Trimester During the first trimester, Ashley discusses the importance of maintaining consistency with whatever types of workouts you were doing before.  If you weren't working out much, now is not the time to begin something rigorous.  However if you were working out, continue in the same way.  The caveat: bring your maximum workout level from a 10 to a 6 or a 7. She mentions that there are several things mothers should avoid during the first trimester: overheating and breathlessness (due to change in hormones).   The first trimester is a great time to try to get the abs and back very strong, as their strength and stability through pregnancy is key.   Second Trimester The second trimester is a great time to begin lifting weights, even if you were not lifting weights before pregnancy. Ashley gives great explanation as to how helpful squats are for avoiding the "soggy bag" pelvic floor.   Third Trimester: It's incredibly important to remember that the body is creating a hormone called relaxin, which increases greatly during the third trimester.  This makes the joints and body as a whole hyper-mobile, so it is very important to be careful while working out, especially with yoga.  Ashley recommends doing prenatal yoga only once or twice per week.   Her pregnancy plan ends at 32 weeks... why?  Not because you cannot continue to work out past this time, but because she wants each individual mom to listen to their bodies rather than feeling like they must do a specific workout.  She recommends doing workouts from the second and third trimester if you feel good continuing to work out.  She reminds mothers to listen to their bodies, as it will tell you when to stop!   Ashley has had 3 vaginal births in the hospital on base with midwifery care.  She appreciates the intimacy of the midwifery practice, and the way that the hospital allows her to labor how she wants.  She has found that giving birth on all 4’s, either on the bed or on the floor, is best for opening her pelvis and allowing baby to engage.  She says her most recent baby practically “fell out” as she leaned against the bed.  Nurses had to rush over to catch the baby. As we delve into postpartum, Ashley's big piece of advice for the first few weeks is toREST HARD.  While it is not time to begin working out, this is a great time to begin doing long kegels (specific description in episode).   Beginning to Work Out Postpartum: After receiving the "go ahead" from your medical provider, it's important to make sure that you are also checking your body's signals.  Are you still bleeding?  This means you're not actually ready.  Are you still sore?  If you had a Cesarean section, is your incision oozing?  This would also mean that you're not ready.  Just like at the end of pregnancy, it's important to listen to your body's cues during the postpartum phase.  “We need to retrain our body because it’s gotten a little wonky."  Ashley discusses how it's important that we are not only gaining strength, but rebuilding the very foundations of our body.  It's been stretched and relaxed, and we must be very careful as we begin to rebuild.  The benefits of Ashley's 12 Week Post-Pregnancy Plan: It's Diastasis Recti Healing/Safe Saves Time (20-30 minute workouts, 4x/week) Does the Brain Work for You- Just click on the video and Ashley works out with you!  Happy Homebirth listeners receive a promo code (for being the greatest listeners in the world)!   https://www.glowbodypt.com/12-week-post-pregnancy-plan-2 Code: homebirth15   Follow Ashley: Facebook.com/glowbodypt Instagram.com/glowbodypt Youtube.com/glowbodypt   No matter how far postpartum you are, you can close that diastasis recti gap with Ashley’s 12 week post-pregnancy plan!   Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.com https://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/ 864-907-6363 Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out! Support through joining the Patreon community.  Receive tons of exclusive offers as a show contributor!

What do you do when labor stalls?   Somewhat of a wonky question, as the body is generally far more intelligent than we give it credit.  However, there are times when our mind and body are just not connecting and we need help figuring out how to progress.  Enter Jasmin-Mom boss and entrepreneur.  Jasmin, who herself was born at home, never even considered the idea of homebirth until she became pregnant with her third child.  After a very quick second birth she assumed baby #3 would practically fall out with ease.   Not so.  Baby #3 was a wild card!  After hours of labor, Jasmin realized she was not progressing.  She'd been at it for quite a while, and realized something had to give.  Deep down, both she and her midwife knew she was holding back.  With the concern of needing to transfer to the hospital if things didn't get moving, Jasmin dug deep.   Listen in to hear how Jasmin decided to have a homebirth in the first place, and just how that homebirth ended.     Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle:  www.hatchedathome.com https://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/  864-907-6363  Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out!

What happens when you break a bone, undergo surgery, or get sick?  Typically, very specific time is taken to rest, and most importantly, to heal.    What about when you have a baby?   After creating an entirely separate, entirely new life in your womb for 9-10 months, then bringing that life forth one way or another, what do you do?  Do you give your body the same type of attention and care that one does when recovering from any other strenuous/difficult event?    I sure as heck hope so, but I sure as heck worry that it isn’t happening enough, especially when considering our western culture’s nonchalant attitude regarding postpartum recovery.    Today’s episode is all about Adilah’s personal experiences with postpartum recovery.  As the daughter of a mother with a Malay background, she was truly required to rest and recover after giving birth.  Her mother made her broths, soups and warming stews, and saw to it that she was given traditional healing treatments: postpartum massages, belly pastes to warm her body and increase circulation, herbal baths, body scrubs, belly binds, hair treatments and feminine washes.  All of this combined with rest taught Adilah the true benefits of taking the postpartum period seriously.    Now, with her in-depth understanding of these treatments, Adilah is providing many of these same kits to interested mothers through her website, www.ibudoula.com   With all of this attentive care, it’s no wonder that Malaysia ranks the lowest in the number of women with postpartum depression.  Perhaps if we adopt some of these principles, the western struggle with postpartum depression and anxiety would decrease as well.   This podcast is full of beauty and fascinating cultural information.  Listen in to hear how Adilah’s grandfather understood so deeply the importance of this postpartum support that when her mother gave birth to Adliah, he came and stayed with her and cared for her just as Adilahs mother did for her (her grandmother had passed away before Adilah was born).  This example so clearly demonstrates the depth of understanding this culture has in regards to the importance of postpartum healing and bonding.    Connect with Adilah: www.ibudoula.com www.instagram.com/ibudoula www.marleymoomaternity.com   www.instagram.com/marleyandmoo       Other resources mentioned in this episode:   Click here to get your postpartum workout program.  Use the promo code homebirth15 for a $15 discount!   Sponsorship: Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle:  www.hatchedathome.comhttps://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/  864-907-6363  Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out!  

Motherhood: What does this word mean to you?  What comes to mind?  I know that personally, I think of my own experience- raising my daughter, and now starting again with raising our second girl.   Sydney's experience, however, is quite different.  She has experienced motherhood from several different aspects: as a biological mother who placed her child for adoption, as a mother raising her second child with her husband, and as a surrogate.   This episode details Sydney's experiences in all of these areas, providing us all with a fresh perspective on the word 'Motherhood'.   Show Notes: Sydney found out she was pregnant directly after college- she was not expecting or planning on this pregnancy.  She felt sure that she was not ready to be a parent, she did not want to parent alone, and she knew she had to figure out quickly what she needed to do.  Her family assumed she would get an abortion, but she felt that because she wanted to be a mother one day, she could not allow herself to end this pregnancy with abortion. Once she chose the family to adopt her child, she wanted them to be as involved with the pregnancy as possible.  They got along very well.  Sydney struggled with her familial relationships in terms of deciding to keep the pregnancy, and in fact did not speak to her father for the entirety of the pregnancy.  Their relationship was quickly reestablished afterwards, when he acknowledged that he had handled the situation incorrectly.  He now continues a relationship with the child by sending presents, birthday cards, etc. For the first year, all seemed to go well.  Sydney felt rejuvenated to be able to spend time with her friends without being pregnant… she felt like her old self.  However, at the 1 year birthday party of the baby, she became very emotional and realized she had not taken the time she needed for herself to heal after the birth.  She decided to take a job with Teach for America and travel.  She moved to Memphis and met her husband.  Within a year, they were pregnant and married! Her second birth was a homebirth in Las Vegas.  Her husband was able to catch her son and passed the baby to Sydney under her legs.  Both she and the baby were crying!  She discusses the difference of feeling between having her first baby with her second- knowing that this baby was hers to keep.   Her third pregnancy was as a gestational surrogate.  The beginning of her pregnancy was incredibly easy- she had no morning sickness, which was very different from her two previous pregnancies.  During the 20-week anatomy scan, a heart defect was found in the baby.  The parents of the baby had to decide whether or not to terminate the pregnancy.  Right before Christmas, they’d decided to terminate.  However, the day after Christmas, they changed their minds and said they would keep the baby no matter what!  The rest of the pregnancy went okay for Sydney, though she did feel stressed trying to make sure she was doing everything she could to help the baby be healthy.  She was induced at 39+2.  The labor was long, but once she finally was pushing, she pushed for only 3 minutes.  The baby was born screaming- so she could breathe!  And she didn’t need oxygen.  She was also strong enough to have her heart surgery on day 2 as opposed to day 5. Sydney was able to breastfeed the baby while she was in town, and then she was able to donate over 3,000 ounces of milk to other babies.    Sponsorship: Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home- Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.comhttps://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/  864-907-6363    Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week– you’ll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We’ll add you to ours and give you a shout out!  

  Show Notes: Happy Homebirth hit 10,000 downloads!  It's time to celebrate.  What do you want to see?  A Facebook group?  Merchandise?  Send an e-mail to katelyn@myhappyhomebirth.com with your suggestions. Imagine your ideal birth.  Where are you?  Who is with you?  In what position are you laboring?  Listen in to hear Katelyn's most recent birth.  Her experience was "magical," as she was surrounded with exactly the right people in exactly the right time.  Katelyn set up her birthing space very intentionally and set her mind to the exact kind of labor she wanted to experience. She and Thomas share their labor story, as well as a hilarious postpartum experience that occurred.   Katelyn's labor march:   Katelyn's birth video:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2DSJQYpxCc8MHVyeWxfa0xhb3FiVVhkT3ctenZpQmhiWm8w/view?usp=sharing   Sponsorship: Deepest Thank You to Our Sponsor! Hatched at Home-Midwife Carrie LaChapelle: www.hatchedathome.comhttps://www.facebook.com/MidwifeCarrieLachapelleLMCPM/ 864-907-6363  Help out the show: Leave a review on iTunes for a chance to be the reviewer of the week-- you'll be sent a Happy Homebirth sticker if selected! Take a screenshot listening to this episode and add it to your Instagram stories tagging @happyhomebirthpodcast.  We'll add you to ours and give you a shout out!    

Don’t all moms ultimately want what’s best for their children? This is a question that Katelyn Fusco addressed in her work as a certified health coach for pregnant mothers. This question and the answers to it evolved and applied to the world of pregnancy and birth as well when Katelyn shifted to become a student midwife. As a cesarean baby herself, Katelyn and her husband Thomas decided for a home birth when they became pregnant with their first child. Katelyn is currently pregnant with her second and planning for another home birth. She has birthed another project over the past year, The Happy Homebirth Podcast - a community for stories and sharing that launched in January 2019. So we are in great company with a fellow podcaster and birth enthusiast! And Katelyn interviewed Sarah for The Happy Homebirth Podcast, which you can listen to via the link below! In our conversation on DIAH, we cover Katelyn’s background and history, the birth story of her daughter Janie, planning for baby number 2 and her future plans for her podcast and community. Links:Our website: https://www.diahpodcast.com/DIAH Shop: https://www.bonfire.com/store/diahpodcast/Parents on Demand Network: https://parentsondemand.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diahpodcast/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/diahpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1904721379788084/?ref=bookmarksSarah’s interview on The Happy Homebirth Podcast: https://podcast.myhappyhomebirth.com/e/ep-27-doing-it-at-home-with-sarah-bivens/The Happy Homebirth Podcast: https://www.myhappyhomebirth.com/Happy Homebirth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyhomebirthpodcast/Spinning Babies: https://spinningbabies.com/about/gail-tully/Sarah’s Orgasmic Mama subscription: www.sarahbivens.com/om

Show Notes:  Mia and her fiancé have been together for 7 years and have two precious sons together. She comes for a naturally minded family- some of her aunts had had homebirths. However, she was not very educated on the subject.  She planned for a hospital birth and had a pretty good experience.  She later experienced a friend’s homebirth (about 8 months after her own hospital birth) and realized that’s what she would want to do with any subsequent children. Mia found out that she was pregnant with her second son right after her first son turned one. When she found out she was pregnant, she knew she wanted her friend’s midwife to act as her own midwife. Interestingly enough, both Mia and the midwife did not make it in time for the actual birth of Mia’s friend’s child! However, Mia loved how the midwife interacted with her during the home visit and immediately postpartum enough to know that homebirth was the way she wanted to go.  “It made me more aware that homebirth isn’t a scary thing.” Mia admits that she procrastinated a bit with her prenatal care- she began going to prenatals at 20 weeks. One way that Mia educated herself was by joining several homebirth and natural birth Facebook groups. Every afternoon when she would scroll through her feed, she would gain more insight into the choice she was making.  With her first birth, her water broke before labor began. Once she went in, Mia mentions how many steps there were before she was actually able to focus on her labor: She had to get checked in through labor, assigned a room, they had to bring a birthing tub in in pieces, her water line was broken in her room so she had to wait for maintenance—Because of this the hours seemed to pass by like minutes.  “Looking back at it now, the hours passed by like minutes.” After laboring for 3-4 hours in the tub, Mia was checked and found to be 9 ½ centimeters. After a few more contractions, she was ready to push. Mia says that pushing was the time that things became more uncomfortable. She was on her back, bright lights shining directly on her, nurses and doctors hustling and bustling, etc.  Mia felt that the discomfort of the situation slowed her labor dramatically.  She ended up pushing for 3 hours, and when her baby finally came, he was tangled up in his cord.  Mia wishes she had been able to push in a better position, thinking that could have helped her situation dramatically. With her second child, Mia had been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks. She woke up at 3 am one morning with contractions that were different from what she’d been experiencing.  Her fiancé works nights, so unfortunately this was right when he was coming to bed.  She remembers having to tell him, “Hey, you can’t go to sleep- I’m having contractions!” They decided to wake up and straighten up the house a little bit. After, Mia decided that it might be a good idea to eat a little something and begin timing her contractions.  She was contracting every 5 minutes and they were lasting about 30 seconds.  However, because they were consistent for an hour, she decided to call her midwife and let her know what was going on.  Her midwife agreed that she was in labor, but recommended that she try to go to sleep for a bit. Mia took her advice and after about an hour of trying, she was able to fall asleep and stay asleep for 4 hours. She woke up and had a normal day. Mia was even able to get a small nap in when her son did later.  Once she awoke, she decided it would be best to head to the grocery store to get a big haul of groceries so she wouldn’t have to leave her house any time soon! She remembers her son running away from her in the store. As she chased him, she began having a contraction and though people must think she was crazy! “I think that I was so busy trying to relax that day that I didn’t nourish my body the way that I should” Mia stayed in touch with her midwife throughout the day. At 7:30 pm, Mia’s mother arrived at her house.  Around that time, Mia called her midwife and asked her to begin heading her way.  Her midwife said, “Well, you’re still talking through your contractions.  I’ll call you back in about half an hour to reevaluate.”  About 15 minutes later her midwife received another call—this time from Mia’s mom—telling her she couldn’t talk through contractions anymore! Mia says that she had a perfect birth team. Her aunt, who has had homebirths, and her mom, played a huge role in her first labor, so she knew they would be important in her second birth, too.  Her two cousins came, and even Mia’s little sister, who is 6 wanted to be a part of the special day.  Mia had a photographer, and of course her midwife, as well as a second midwife and an assistant.  Her fiancé was there taking care of her, too!  Everyone was at her house by 9pm. “And really what helped me most through contractions this time was listening to worship music and just trying to sing through them, which I loved.”  Mia’s midwife kept asking her to go pee, but Mia was unable to each time. Her midwife finally said that she felt like Mia was a bit overstimulated with having everyone around her.  She asked her to go lie down in her bed with her fiancé, promising that they would come in and check on her.  Mia laid in her room for the next 2 hours, her midwife coming in to check on her every 30 minutes or so. At one point, her midwife said again, “Listen, you need to go pee, or I’m going to catheter you.  If you’d like, I can check and see how dilated you are.” Mia decided to be checked, and when checked, her midwife let her know that she was fully dilated. She notes that she had been feeling the desire to push, but was thinking it couldn’t possibly the right time. She though she needed to let the pain do its job, and if she had pushed, it would be counter to what she needed.  Mia says she thinks her midwife came in right at the perfect time, because she probably would have had the baby alone in her bed had she come in any later! “Get in the water and push your baby out!” About 5 pushes later, Mia had her baby! Mia describes how with her first baby, even though they didn’t find out the gender, she knew she was having a boy. With this baby, she was completely convinced it was a girl.  However, once baby was born…. She reached down and found a surprise! “I was so convinced I was having a girl this time….I reached down and I felt balls!” After having the placenta, Mia got out of the tub and realized that she was hemorrhaging. Her midwife began doing all of the common interventions for too much bleeding.  She began by giving Mia hem-halt, which is an herbal supplement to help stop the bleeding.  Her midwife then gave her a catheter since she knew that Mia hadn’t been able to pee for quite a long time.  Neither treatment worked, so her midwife examined her internally to see if there was any clear reason as to why she was bleeding. Upon examination, nothing could be found.  The bleeding continued, so her midwife gave her a shot of Pitocin and 3 Cytotec (another drug used to contract the uterus) rectally. After all of these interventions, Mia was still bleeding. Her midwife made the decision to have someone call 911 and transport her to the hospital, as the bleeding was not stopping.  As the ambulance was on its way, Mia’s midwife recommended that she put together a hospital bag, should she have to stay for any reason. She also told her that her baby’s car seat needed to be installed so that he could come to the hospital.  At this point, Mia refused. Her baby had only been on her chest so far, and she was not going to put him in a car seat so quickly.  Her midwife told her that when EMS arrived, they would tell her that she couldn’t take him with her in the ambulance.  Mia said, “Well I’ll just throw a fit, because he’s not going away from me.” Once the ambulance arrived, Mia did as she said she would and advocated for herself. She told the EMS team that the baby would be riding on her chest- that she would take responsibility.  They conceded and Mia was able to take the baby with her. Once they arrived at the hospital, they had to wait for the OB to come down from the maternity floor. While waiting, Mia’s midwife April checked her again and told her that her bleeding was much better.  She said they would probably just check her out and send her home.  Before being sent home, the OB wanted to physically feel inside of Mia to see if she could figure out why she had been bleeding. She felt internally as deep as she could, and Mia describes this as the worst pain she can remember experiencing.  After receiving IV fluids and stitching, Mia was able to return home. “It doesn’t always have to be 100% perfect at a homebirth. Your midwife knows what’s going on and is going to send you in when you need to be sent in.” (Katelyn) Mia mentions how she didn’t feel any panic during the hemorrhage because she knew her midwife was on top of the situation.   Episode Roundup:   The body works so much better when given space to work! During her hospital birth, Mia ended up pushing for 3 hours lying on her back.  With her second birth, she was in a pool of water on her knees.  Her baby was out within just a few pushes.  Position makes such a difference! Always, always, always advocate for yourself or have someone present who will. When Mia had to be transported for bleeding, she made sure that her baby was able to stay with her the entire time (clearly, she knows the importance of postpartum skin to skin!).  She stood up for herself and her baby and kept him with her at all times, even when it was considered unconventional.  Having a “Happy Homebirth” does not mean everything has to go perfectly. It’s not always going to be butterflies and rainbows.  Sometimes things go awry.  The Happy Homebirth experience is being supported and surrounded by care providers that you trust to keep your health and safety (not only physical, but mental and emotional) as the top priority.  Sometimes this includes hospital transports.  This can also include hospital births! 

Has your journey been turned out exactly how you planned?Didn't think so. But that's okay because our journeys haven't gone quite as planned either.Today's guest, Katelyn Fusco - producer of the Happy Homebirth Podcast, dives into how she got started and why homebirths are such a passion for her. We discuss everything from childbirth, the roles the Dad's play in the homebirth process, and how following your passion can lead to some of the most fulfilling moments of your life.To learn more about Katelyn, visit her site myhappyhomebirth.com.But you know you REALLY want to go listen to her amazing podcast here:Happy Homebirth.Launch YOUR Podcast in 30 days! The toolkit I wish I had when I started podcasting. "The Ultimate Podcast Launch Toolkit" https://toolkit.krystalproffitt.com/

Is a homebirth a viable option for mothers-to-be? Is it safe? What happens if complications arise?Katelyn Fusco answers these questions and more on today’s show. Katelyn is the host and creator of the “Happy Homebirth” podcast. She studied as a student midwife and is a home birth mother herself. She explains how home births have been historically, a wise tradition. She talks about the shift to hospital births and what’s been lost in the process. She offers insights on C-section statistics, the risks and benefits of giving birth at home, the training midwives receive, and even how to manage a more “natural” birth at a hospital. Katelyn showcases giving birth at home as a beautiful and safe option for low-risk pregnancy moms. For more from Katelyn, visit her website myhappyhomebirth.com. Check out our sponsors: Heal Your Gut Guy and Ancestral Supplements. Donate to the Weston A. Price Foundation here. Take our listener survey here. For the full show notes from today's episode and additional resources, visit our website: westonaprice.org.

Finally, finally, finally!   Several months in the making, the pilot episode (don't get too excited, it's just an introduction) is up and running!   Happy Homebirth launches on January 1, 2019 with several episodes in the arsenal waiting to be released.  Today's episode will let you, the listeners, know exactly who I am and what my vision is for this podcast.  Support.  Encouragement.  Education.   This is a community dedicated to homebirth mothers (or others who are naturally-minded) to come together, celebrate their victories and encourage one another in the process.