When you work yourself up to have a homebirth, and then those plans change last minute, what do you do? This week, we're speaking with Therese Dansby. Therese Dansby is a wife, nurse, lactation consultant, and homeschooling mom of 3. She recently moved from a big city to a small town in Nebraska where she is thrilled to have found herself amongst plenty of homesteading, home schooling, home birthing friends. Motherhood has been nothing like she expected, but as she rises to the challenge, she le...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 194
What do we need to know about supporting and healing the pelvic floor? Is it super complex? This week, we're speaking with Christina, one of the creators and trainers of Tighten Your Tinkler. Christina and her business partner Jen are a physical therapist and exercise physiologist duo who are dedicated to helping mothers heal their pelvic floors in a way that keeps physiology in mind. Christina and Jen are guest experts inside of the Homebirth Collective, and I am thrilled to be able to share a ...
Sep 05, 2022•45 min•Ep. 193
When you choose an elective cesarean for your first birth, you're about as far from the homebirth experience as you can get-- there's no way you'd ever consider a homebirth later on, right? This week, we're speaking to Jordan Adams- a student and stay at home mother of 3. She lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband, three children- Emerson, Lennon & Auburn as well as two dogs, so it's never boring. Jordan's home birth was my first VBAC and she's been birth obsessed ever since! Speak...
Aug 29, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 192
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 ...
Aug 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 191
Raise your hand if your doula became a doula at 17 years old before having her own children and before coming an RN? No, just Ellie? And this week we're speaking to Ellie Mickle, birth doula turned RN turned homebirth mama. We'll be sharing her 3 beautiful stories, and I'm really putting an emphasis on 'beautiful.' This is a great pep talk episode and reminder that birth can go SO beautifully, and it does so often! Episode Roundup When it comes to birth, our lens is crucial to how we view the si...
Aug 15, 2022•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 190
This conversation is not directly homebirth, or even totally birth related, but this information is so applicable to every single one of us, whether we're struggling with chronic illness or not. There is so much we call pull from this discussion with Theresa and apply to our pregnancy, birth and motherhood. This week we're going to be speaking to Theresa Piela who is as a guest expert and leading an in-depth tapping session for our students inside Happy Homebirth Collective. Theresa, is such a g...
Aug 08, 2022•53 min•Ep. 189
How can we teach our body that it can trust us and rest, when we have previously had a difficult time allowing it to rest? This week we're going to be speaking to Jocelin North. Jocelin is a mother who has been through quite a bit of difficulty through her pregnancy and birth experiences. And I do want to share this up front because Jocelin does a really beautiful job of really sharing the details of her experience and I want you to keep that in mind. If you feel that you are at a place in your ...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 188
What is birth trauma, and how can we move through it? This week we're speaking to Christie Sheffer, a Certified Professional midwife who also created the Perinatal Trauma Center. Today we are going to be discussing birth trauma, what it is, how it oftentimes presents, and how it impacts us and our loved ones. Christy has recorded this interview, and she also recorded a follow up discussion for the Home birth collective. So she's one of our guest experts inside of the Home birth Collective, where...
Jul 25, 2022•38 min•Ep. 187
How can we set ourselves up for an empowered motherhood experience? Are there any specific values or ideals that we can practice and exercise in order to ready ourselves for the great task that motherhood is? This week we're speaking with Jessica Lorion. As an auto-immune disease fighter, Jessica's motherhood journey is postponed. While she navigates her health journey, she has decided to learn all about motherhood before she becomes one. As a Mama in Training herself, she decided to take that c...
Jul 18, 2022•50 min•Ep. 179
How do you go through with a home birth when you start your pregnancy terrified of home birth? This week we're speaking to Kati Gannom, a mama who agreed to a home birth during her second pregnancy, even though she really wasn't sold on it in the beginning. Episode Roundup: Kati is a perfect example that your cervix is not a crystal ball, and the fact that it's out of one during one exam means absolutely nothing about when your baby will be born. This reality really presented itself in both of h...
Jul 11, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 186
Childbirth education isn’t enough. How many homebirth mothers do you know who “did everything right” and yet still felt unfulfilled after their birth? Listen, when we don’t treat birth as sacred and prepare for it as such, how can we expect to feel like it was scared afterwards? In order to reap, we must first sow. Let’s sow the seeds of preparation with intentionality. Let’s prepare our hearts and our feminine intuition and wisdom before jumping straight into “how to cope with labor” Join me fo...
Jul 04, 2022•23 min•Ep. 185
4 Warning Signs that You Need to Re-Prioritize Your Homebirth Preparation So you want an empowered Homebirth. Are you preparing in a way that will provide you with empowerment? 1️⃣ If you think you’re going to just go with the flow ➡️ ✨reprioritize✨ 2️⃣ If you think that relaxation techniques alone give you empowerment ➡️ ✨reprioritize✨ 3️⃣ If you think that hiring a midwife guarantees success ➡️ ✨reprioritize ✨ 4️⃣ If you’re not preparing for this with the same dedication that you did when plan...
Jun 30, 2022•35 min•Ep. 184
Here’s a belief shift for you: Knowledge about birth is key and knowledge is enough ➡️Wisdom should be our emphasis. Takeaways from today’s chat: ✨We’ve been taught that the way to prepare is to acquire information (from social media, the stories of others, birth classes) BUT this isn’t reducing anxiety because none of that is directly applied to YOU. We need to to focus on your own internal wisdom and self knowledge before adding “science”. ✨If you want to feel peace, but you’re stressing about...
Jun 27, 2022•20 min•Ep. 183
You don’t have to wait until your baby is in your arms physically to begin attaching and bonding. In fact... how much closer can you get than being inside of someone?! Let’s emulate that close physical proximity with mental and emotional proximity, too! This weekend we’re running a challenge! #chorionicconnection We’re going to set aside a little bit of time each day for the next 3 days to intentionally connect with our babies. Day 1: spend time thinking about what it will be like to work with y...
Jun 23, 2022•22 min•Ep. 182
The 3 Reasons You’re Not Feeling Confident About Homebirth 1. You’re feeling isolated and misunderstood by your closest family and friends who consider what you’re doing to be dangerous 2. You’re looking in the traditionally right place for connection (family & friends), but unfortunately that’s not currently the place where you’ll find what you’re seeking 3. You’ve got to somewhat disengage or remove your energy from these toxic situations and reengage in a community where you will be built...
Jun 20, 2022•24 min•Ep. 181
You’ve been sold the idea that if you know the states of labor and the hormonal interplay and if you practice your relaxation techniques that you’ll be all set for an empowering birth experience. BUT... We need more than science; we need wisdom. We need more than head knowledge; we need heart knowledge. We need the right container so that we can appropriately integrate our experience. We need: ✔️ COMMUNITY ✔️ CEREMONY ✔️ CONNECTION Listen in to hear how we’re cultivating this inside of The Homeb...
Jun 16, 2022•27 min•Ep. 180
Birth serves a purpose, yes, but can it be more than just bring a baby from within to the outside? Could it actually be... intimate? This week we're speaking with Annalee Ford who is a a civil engineer/makeup artist in Denver, CO who, as she says, spends way too much time on Tiktok. Annalee and her husband actually work together (on the engineering side, not makeup!) and have been together for 10 blissful years. Together they have two beautiful daughters (Elliott and Collins), three crazy dogs, ...
Jun 13, 2022•44 min•Ep. 178
Do you desire to involve your children in your pregnancy, birthing and immediate postpartum experience, but feel a bit uncertain as to how to prepare them? This episode is full of wonderful, easily attainable ways to discuss birth and midwifery care with your children, no matter what age. Kelly will be giving us such wonderful examples of how to involve your children and bolster their self-confidence. Episode Roundup: One of the very best things we can do for our children is involve them in dail...
Jun 06, 2022•50 min•Ep. 176
What if you had the know-how to help your newborn baby relax and release all of the tension accumulated from growing in utero and from his or her birth experience? What if YOU were able to help regulate your baby's nervous system? Wouldn't it be incredible? Over the last year, I've heard more and more people discussing the Gillespie Approach and sharing how working with a trained practitioner truly changed their lives, as well as the lives of their little ones. I began looking into the program m...
May 30, 2022•55 min•Ep. 177
Is it too much to ask for a change of expectations when you’re pregnant with your seventh baby? I mean, is that even possible to shift the paradigm and take birth on from a new perspective? This week we’re speaking with Becky Zale of Approaching Home. Becky is a converted homebirther. It’s something she said she’d never do. But things have a way of changing and not only did she experience her first homebirth with her 7th baby but she also experienced her first free birth. It is now the highlight...
May 23, 2022•46 min•Ep. 174
When you have a child with special needs, does that mean you’re automatically risked out of homebirth care for your future pregnancies? Today we’ll be speaking with Bekah, a 30 years old mom of 3 living in upstate SC. Bekah is a licensed cosmetologist turned stay at home mom, whose oldest child was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome when she was 2.5. This has played a huge part in she and her husband’s journey as parents. Bekah lives for birth stories and she’s incredibly excited to be able to share m...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 173
Have you heard horror stories about The Ring of Fire? So what is "the ring of fire?" More accurately, it's the sensation of crowning: when the pressure of your baby's head, or crown, is applied fully to your perineum as his head begins to actually exit your body. We will: Take a few minutes to work through concerns related to the ring of fire and Give you a few practical tips, and ready ourselves with a more open and excited mindset. Resources https://www.cochrane.org/CD005123/PREG_antenatal-per...
May 09, 2022•18 min•Ep. 175
How do we go about decision-making in pregnancy and parenthood? Do we float along on the wave of current culture, or is there possibly another way? This week we’re speaking with Caitlyn Doerksen, a wife of almost seven years, a mom of 3 kids, who is passionate about all things surrounding the home. Home schooling, home birth, and a dream to one day soon home stead. She has such a beautiful way of looking at and interacting with her family, and I know you’re going to gain so much insight from thi...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 172
When you’re unable to have a homebirth in your area, what happens? Are you totally out of luck…. Or are there other ways to get creative? This week we’re speaking with my friend Shanies Pearcey- a stay at home mother to 8 children and minister’s wife in Northwest NJ. Shanise enjoys cooking, sewing, and spending time with her precious kids, and I can tell you right now you are going to gain SO MUCH from this interview, as we unpack her journey to a homebirth… across the country from her own home....
Apr 25, 2022•57 min•Ep. 170
When you’re pregnant and not feeling well, what’s your first line of defense? Have you ever felt the need to turn to pharmaceutical medications quickly, feeling like there aren’t any other good options? This week, we’re speaking with Jenna Dodge. Jenna Dodge is a Mother of four children ages 3-11. She lives in Bozeman, Montana with her children, husband, and two dogs. She owns a homeopathy practice serving clients anywhere in the world via Telehealth ( www.ProjectHomeopathy.com ) and teaches Hom...
Apr 18, 2022•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 171
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 mid...
Apr 11, 2022•59 min•Ep. 167
I want to give birth physiologically and at home… but what if it’s painful? Today we’re going to take a few minutes to discuss the very common, very understandable fear of pain when it comes to giving birth at home….without medication. We'll be discussing this from several perspectives today/using several guiding questions: 1. What makes you think it will be painful? 2. What can we do to mitigate the potential for pain? 3. So what? What if it is painful? And throughout we'll include a number of ...
Apr 04, 2022•18 min•Ep. 168
When you describe your labor and birth, what words come to mind? Difficult? Intense? Powerful? What about…. Euphoric? Today we’re going to be talking to my friend Rose, of Rose Uncharted – Rose is a wife and mother of 3 children born at home. She began cultivating an online presence on instagram by sharing her unconventional lifestyle choices and ideas, and by pushing back against the societal norms of how we should live and raise our babies in this modern age. Her signature message has been to ...
Mar 28, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 166
Midwives are great, but OB’s are definitely better when it comes to diagnostics and testing, right? This week we’re speaking to Hannah White, a sweet, sentimental mama who switched to midwifery care later on in her second pregnancy. And she was shocked to find out that her midwife was more thorough in keeping up with her health than even her obstetrician. Episode Roundup: I just love the historicity of Hannah’s story. She was able to give birth on family land, in the home that she grew up in, an...
Mar 21, 2022•31 min•Ep. 165
Let’s say you’ve decided that you want a homebirth…but….you’re feeling some uncertainty. Maybe you’ve heard stories from other moms who wanted the very same, but then their births took another direction, and they didn’t end up with the intimate birth at home that they’d envisioned. How do we come to terms with this possibility, yet not expect negative outcomes? Several weeks ago, one of our community members, Danielle, shared her story of planning a homebirth, but having to make the difficult de...
Mar 14, 2022•19 min•Ep. 164
