When we've experienced tragedy, how do we heal and maintain a positive outlook? This week, we're speaking to Jacy, a teacher-turned-homeschooling mom of four living children and a daughter in Heaven. After four very different hospital births (including a stillbirth), Jacy unexpectedly became a homebirth convert. Her fifth baby was born healthy at home in August, which was an incredibly healing experience for her. As you can tell, this birth story is going to cover some extremely sensitive conten...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 224
When you get pregnant on your wedding night and thrown into prenatal decision-making a little sooner than expected, what kinds of decisions do you make? And this week we're speaking with my friend and student, Kelly Benner. We'll learn about how Kelly and her husband Ian were thrown straight out of wedding prep and straight into baby prep. It was such a joy and an honor to work with Kelly inside of The HBC-- where we dig so much deeper into preparation than simply looking for coping techniques. ...
Mar 20, 2023•46 min•Ep. 223
What is matrescence and how do we prepare for it? This week, we're speaking with Anisha Patel, published author, speaker, postpartum coach and founder of MasalaMommy.com . Anisha has a heart for supporting women in their transition into motherhood, and she's going to be sharing her understanding of Matrescence and Ayurveda with us today. I've got a free gift for you-- The Achieve Your Empowered Homebirth Mini Course. This course helps break down where we're having breakdowns in terms of preparat...
Mar 13, 2023•33 min•Ep. 222
When your first birth leaves you feeling the victim, and when that feeling pervades into your experience of motherhood-- is that it for you? How do you recover? This week, we're speaking with my incredible friend Aimee Rowden. Aimee is the wife of Ben and mother of Benjamin & Ivy. She and Ben are working towards a more sustainable future for their family. Aimee enjoys time with her family, a strong cup of coffee, and living life unconventionally. Aimee took part in The Homebirth Collective, ...
Mar 06, 2023•55 min•Ep. 221
This week I'm sharing all of the updates! From pregnancy to family to business... I want to give you a peek of what's going on in my world. ⚡FLASH SALE⚡ This week only- 40% Savings on The Homebirth Collective & Happy Homebirth Academy: Join The Homebirth Collective Join Happy Homebirth Academy
Feb 27, 2023•58 min•Ep. 220
When you found out you were pregnant, what emotions ran through your brain? Excitement? Thrill? Joy? Or did you experience fear, shame, or a resurgence of old traumas? This week, we're speaking to Amanda Lopez. A mama to 3 children, two of whom were born to her while Amanda was still a teenager. We'll be discussing Amanda's experiences as a teen mother, and how her most recent homebirth brought incredible healing to her previous perceptions of pregnancy and birth. I have a free gift for you! The...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 219
Two births: One at home and one in the hospital-- the exact same situation arises in both scenarios-- do you think they'll be handled the same or differently? This week, we're speaking with Michelle, owner of Alma Aesthetics, wife and mother of two precious children. Michelle and her husband experienced both hospital and homebirth, and we'll hear how similar some events were in both births. We'll also hear how they were handled in each setting. I have a free gift for you! The Achieve Your Empowe...
Feb 13, 2023•35 min•Ep. 218
Do you know-- that you were made for this birth? This week, we're speaking to my friend and birth colleague Mary Haseltine. Mary is a doula, author, and birth educator for 10 years; She has had seven full term babies - 5 born at home, 2 in the hospital and one home miscarriage; Her births include had 2 precipitous births, 1 vaginal breech, 4 babies in water, 1 unintentionally unassisted, 1 home birth with a doctor and 3 different midwives for the others. She has experienced it ALL. Before we jum...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 217
Which birth story was your birth like? Did you hear an experience that was similar to yours as you prepared, or was your experience totally different from anything you'd imagined? This week, we're speaking to Miriam. Miriam is a first time mama to a 9 month old baby girl, Noah Ivy, a social impact consultant and Brooklyn transplant turned aspiring homesteader. Once she decided on homebirth, she prepared thoroughly, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, reading stories... and yet... we'll hear ho...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 216
Is Gestational Diabetes a birth-ruiner, or is there more to the picture than just a label? This week, we're speaking to Cassidy Lilly, a mother to 3 babies, born 3 very different ways. Today we'll hear Cassidy's story of cesarean, then medicated vbac, and finally an incredible homebirth. We'll learn about how she was diagnosed with GD in her third pregnancy, and how she chose to manage that experience. As you'll hear in Cassidy's story, the way that we enter motherhood can truly play a role in h...
Jan 23, 2023•47 min•Ep. 215
Change can be tough. How do we integrate the arrival of our new baby? Moreover, how do we integrate the arrival of our new baby mere weeks after the arrival of our foster child and a move into a new home? This week, we're speaking to Alexis. A foster-turning adoptive mother to a 7-year-old daughter, and homebirth bio mom to a 1 year old baby boy. Alexis and her family experienced so. much. change. during her pregnancy, and leading up to her birth, and yet you will love the attitude and perspecti...
Jan 16, 2023•47 min•Ep. 214
What was it like-- finding out that you and your spouse were pregnant with your first child? Were you thrilled, shocked... utterly horrified? This week, we're speaking to Blythe, and incredible mother to two precious boys. We're going to hear how Blythe's entrance into motherhood- beginning at the knowledge of her pregnancy was tumultuous and difficult, and yet she experienced so much healing.... and then was able to go on to have an absolutely joyous second pregnancy. I do want to share that Bl...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 213
What does it mean to have a ‘good’ homebirth? What does it look like, and how does it feel? This week, we are speaking with Courtney Paba. I’m so honored to be interviewing Courtney, who was the very first of my students in The Homebirth Collective. Since then, we’ve had many more, including one just yesterday to ring in the New Year! I am overjoyed to be able to make such deep connections and watch the members of these cohorts form such lasting relationships. Episode Roundup: let’s start where ...
Jan 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 212
What do you consider a normal pregnancy and birth? And how does your idea of normal stand up to the routine birth procedures we find in the industrial-medical complex? Same? Different? And today we're speaking with Jamie Murphy. Jamie is a fertility awareness educator with a passion for body literacy and menstrual activism. Through her work, Jamie teaches others to understand their menstrual cycle and use this knowledge to either avoid or achieve pregnancy. Following a medically managed first pr...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 211
𝗜 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿… 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱! So often we get lured into this trap of an idea: you can prepare for Birth, but you can’t really prepare for motherhood. It just happens. ‼️SPOILER ALERT‼️ They’re intimately linked. The problem? Traditional childbirth classes: ➡️ focus on simply avoiding pain. So… if we experience pain… what? Did we fail? ➡️ ignore the fact that childbirth is a rite of passage, and it’s sacred. T...
Dec 19, 2022•30 min•Ep. 210
“𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹?” - 𝟯 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 We’ve got to: 1. Stop letting fear drive the bus (he doesn’t even have his license) 2. Determine who you’re willing to gain your information from. 3. Realize that failure has far led to do with outcomes than it does mindset and surroundings. Are you the hero or the victim? Listen in to hear a thorough breakdown! And if you decide that you’re the kind of woman who is ready to kick fear t...
Dec 12, 2022•30 min•Ep. 209
What was life like for you before you became pregnant? Were you pretty much the same person then as you are now, or have you changed drastically? Today we'll be speaking with Gabrielle, and precious mother who has truly been pulled from death to life. From addiction to heavy narcotics and homelessness to being pulled out and called into life through Jesus. This story is unbelievably powerful, and I'm so thrilled that Gabrielle's heart desires to share how she has been forever reborn. Outro: God ...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 208
What do we do if we notice that we have some negative patterns of thinking? Or maybe we find ourselves repeating the same mistakes over and over…feeling totally blocked. How can we become unblocked? How can we view the world from a positive lens. I’m so thrilled to have my guest today, Greta Zukoff. Greta is my own personal tapping coach, and I’ve worked with her to heal some of the consistent patterns that were showing up over and over in my life. Today we’ll be diving into what causes these pa...
Nov 28, 2022•56 min•Ep. 207
Are you ready to have all of your EMF questions answered? This week we're speaking to Courtney Taylor. Courtney is a freebirth mom to two children, and she works as a researcher and customer support provider for BluShield USA. In this episode, we'll hear Courtney's two birth stories, and then we'll spend the remainder of the show answering the listener questions submitted regarding EMFSs. Courtney does such an incredible job of breaking this information down in a way that's both understandable a...
Nov 21, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 206
What you can't see can't hurt you, right? This week, we're speaking with the incredible Natalie Amalani. Natalie is an accomplished woman who strikes a delicate balance between her personal and professional life. She has a bachelor's degree in art with an emphasis in painting, she is an entrepreneur who owns and operates two businesses, which we'll be discussing today, all while making time for her husband and 2 young daughters. Natalie had two successful, all natural home births, and lovingly r...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 205
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 Horm...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 204
What does it mean to fully embrace motherhood? To fully embrace the God-given responsibility of caring for your children? This week, we're speaking to Courtney Valdez, a 26-year old mom of two beautiful girls + a business owner/hairstylist, with a love of homemaking and holistic wellness. Courtney's experience of pregnancy and birth has changed the way her family lives in every way for the better, as we are going to hear in this powerful journey of growth and strength. And not to give a huge spo...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 203
How do you navigate a situation in which your birth plans must be modified? This week we're speaking to Jocelyn, mama to 3 with 3 very different birth stories. Today we'll hear about Jocelyn's experience in the birth center, in the hospital, and finally at home. Episode Roundup: I'm struck by Jocelyn's ability to keep positive and to advocate for herself when her birth plans changed after a diagnosis of hydrocephaly with her second son. She could have been bullied out of her plans, but she remai...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 202
What makes for a birth that encourages immediate connection with your baby? Was "surprise car birth" the first thought that came to mind? No? Maybe it will be after this story! This week, we're speaking with Shelby and Jenna. Two sisters who have supported each other throughout their pregnancies. We'll be talking about Shelby's stories specifically today and how Jenna was a part of her very unusual experience. Episode Roundup: Sometimes the situations that unfold can impact us in ways that we we...
Oct 17, 2022•54 min•Ep. 201
How can we enter pregnancy and labor with excitement and anticipation after a previous birth that ended in Cesarean? This week, we're speaking to LaDaiju, a mama who decided she was not accepting the same birthing situation as before as she prepared for her most recent birth. HBAC stories are some of the most requested on the podcast, and I know you're going to love the perspective that LaDaiju brings to this discussion. Episode Roundup: LaDaiju walked into her second birth with the confidence a...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 200
𝟯 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗨𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗺 Don’t be fooled into believing that birth and postpartum are two separate, disconnected events and experiences! The way we experience birth can embolden us in our postpartum experience and motherhood! If you’re ready to prepare thoroughly for both, make sure you get your application in for The Homebirth Collective. This cohort runs from Oct 10-Dec 31st. Applications clo...
Oct 03, 2022•31 min•Ep. 199
Our birth is NOT something we just have to power through. It’s not something we must “endure” to meet our baby. No, no. There is so much joy in the transformation into motherhood, and it begins NOW! We can soak up every birth of nectar from this joyous preparation and experience. If enjoying your pregnancy and homebirth and transformation into motherhood is your desire, make sure you apply for The Homebirth Collective today. Applications are open through next week, then we’ll be closing our coho...
Sep 28, 2022•27 min•Ep. 198
Is the goal of your Homebirth to have pretty images, or is it to seize the experience of motherhood and revel in all of its glory? Depending on your goal, you’ll want to consider how you prepare. If you merely want to “get through labor”, then a course focused on coping techniques may be just fine… But if you’re looking to enjoy the full blueberry pie, not just the outer edge of the crust… If you’re looking to experience childbirth as the honorable, noble right of passage that it was always mean...
Sep 26, 2022•25 min•Ep. 197
When you experience a truly empowered birthing experience, certainly it affects your motherhood journey. But what else can it potentially impact? And this week we're speaking to Tanya Grazione, a mama whose birth experience propelled her into a totally new career and desire to serve other women. Tanya is a homebirth mama, doula and childbirth educator, and she has so much wonderful insight to share with us today. She help first-time homebirth mothers achieve the empowering birthing experience of...
Sep 19, 2022•55 min•Ep. 196
Question for you, dads: If you knew you were preparing for something intense and life-changing… let’s say battle… how would you want to prepare? Would you prefer to read a book or two and hope for the best? Would you want to watch a general self-study course and try to implement on your own? Or would you prefer 1:1 preparation with a skilled instructor who has actually experienced what you’re preparing for? Wouldn’t you want to have access to other peers who were preparing for the same event to ...
Sep 16, 2022•30 min•Ep. 195
