Healing Birth

Eva was working in a maternity home, a residential program that provides housing, prenatal care, and support for pregnant women in need, when she became pregnant with her first baby. Clear in her vision for birth, she chose midwifery care and planned a physiological, unmedicated birth at a midwife-run birth center. Her labor was smooth, relatively quick, and deeply supported. But the weeks that followed were far more difficult than she expected. Reflecting now, Eva realizes that while she prepared carefully for birth, she had not prepared for postpartum, that tender, life-changing time when your body is still shared ground. Today, Eva is a birth and postpartum doula. Her passion for supporting new families was born from her own experience navigating the beautiful and challenging transition into motherhood Find Eva on Instagram @lunanataldoulacare And at www.lunanataldoulacare.com If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

At the end of her first pregnancy, Celine's plans for the birth unraveled. Her baby was breech, and the natural birth she had envisioned was replaced with a scheduled cesarean. Though the surgery itself wasn't traumatic, it shook her confidence. She was left wrestling with painful questions: Why didn't my baby turn? Is my body broken? Her healing began in the presence of women who believed deeply in birth and in her. Their unwavering faith helped her reclaim her own. When she became pregnant again, Celine chose a different path. She planned a home birth, supported by a midwife and doula, and consciously turned away from the fear that so often surrounds VBAC. When labor came, it came swiftly. Before the midwife could arrive, Celine birthed her baby in the quiet of her own bathroom, immersed in warm water, guided by instinct alone. The experience was powerful, psychedelic, and profoundly redemptive. She did not just give birth that day. She reclaimed herself. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

This is part two of Natalie's story. Be sure to listen to Part One if you haven't already. After the devastating second-trimester loss of her second baby, Natalie entered her third pregnancy carrying a lot of fear. Labeled as high risk, she once again had to navigate frequent interactions with the medical system, the same one that had dismissed her concerns so many times in her previous pregnancy. Her beautiful, much-longed-for son was born healthy. But in the process, Natalie once again came close to losing her life. Through the ups and downs, the tears and fears, the pain and the joy, Natalie shares that it was God's faithfulness that carried her through. She named her son Noah, a forever reminder of that faithfulness. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Content note: This episode includes the story of infant loss. If you are not in a space to hear about this topic, I trust you know what to do.  From the very beginning of Natalie's second pregnancy, she felt that something was wrong. As early as the first trimester, she experienced breathing issues, swelling, and eventually severe headaches. When she brought these symptoms to her care providers, they were dismissed as simply "pregnancy." In her second trimester, she was finally diagnosed with HELLP syndrome. To save her life, she had to deliver her baby via emergency cesarean at just 23 weeks and 6 days gestation. Her daughter, Serena Joy, survived in the NICU for five days.  In the midst of such unimaginable shock and tragedy, Natalie found peace and healing through her faith. In that hospital room, she felt the presence and peace of God, as well as deep compassion and love for others who were walking through difficult seasons. This is only part one of Natalie's story. Tune in next week to hear part two. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Emily's first pregnancy at twenty came in the midst of heroin addiction and an abusive relationship — and became her path to sobriety. She had an unmedicated hospital birth that, while fast, came with the usual interventions: coached pushing, an unnecessary episiotomy, and IV fluids that made breastfeeding a struggle.  Years later, after a stint as an L&D nurse left her disillusioned with the system she'd once hoped to change, Emily chose a home birth midwife for her second baby. When labor came, something quiet and deep told her she wanted to be alone. She never called the midwife. Her son was born ten minutes after she woke her husband, and the midwife later told her, "You could probably just do this on your own next time." She took it to heart. Her third baby was a fully wild pregnancy — no scans, no appointments — and a surprise breech free birth that she navigated with calm and confidence.  Her fourth, after gaining perspective from years as a postpartum nurse, led her back to minimal prenatal care and a free birth complicated by a face presentation. That experience shifted something in her. She still advocates fiercely for women trusting their intuition, but she's let go of any dogma, and says if another baby comes, she'll likely invite a trusted midwife to be with her. Find Emily on Substack @theworkofwomen And on Instagram @tend.her.heart If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Lindsee's first birth was a fairly typical hospital experience—and it left her feeling there had to be a better way to bring life into the world. When it came time to choose where her second baby would be born, she opted for a midwife-run birth center, and the difference was profound. The experience was respectful, empowering, and deeply positive. Like so many after a redeeming birth, Lindsee became fascinated by all things birth and eventually went on to become a doula herself. Pregnant with her third, she eagerly began planning a home birth. Tragically, that pregnancy ended in a devastating second-trimester loss due to a rare genetic anomaly. Much of how the hospital handled both the birth and death was deeply disappointing, with the exception of one compassionate nurse who stood out during an otherwise excruciating experience. Lindsee longed for another baby, but it was a long road before she finally saw a positive pregnancy test again. This time, she was able to welcome her baby at home, experiencing the birth she had always hoped for. Find Lindsee @wildflower_birthservices If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto      

Carly's husband, a medical doctor, shared that there were two things he didn't feel comfortable with as they approached the birth of their own children: waterbirth and homebirth. One fateful day, while celebrating her mom's birthday at her home, Carly went into labor - thinking she had much more time than she actually did. Her husband was suddenly there to witness a birth that would force him to confront his fears. Carly's enthusiasm for how beautiful birth can be is absolutely infectious, and you can explore her courses at birthmademindful.com. Use coupon code "hello10" for a discount! Find her on Instagram @made.mindful If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Gloria found out she was pregnant at just sixteen years old. Her pregnancy and hospital birth were fairly uneventful, but navigating postpartum life and caring for a newborn—all while still in high school—was extremely challenging. Ten years later, Gloria welcomed her second baby. This time, she was married and working in the medical field herself. She was able to truly enjoy the pregnancy without the weight of being a teenager, and she intentionally planned the kind of birth she wanted rather than passively agreeing to whatever the doctor recommended, as she had at sixteen. With a lot of advocating for herself, Gloria had an unmedicated hospital birth, which she credits with contributing to an easeful and joyful recovery. Connect with Gloria @thehospitaldoula  If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

All of Maddison's births were peaceful, easeful homebirths. Even her third birth—an early loss of twins—unfolded gently at home and left her feeling at peace. Her postpartum experiences, however, were extremely challenging. Freshly out of an abusive relationship and pregnant for the fourth time, Maddison shares how she completely rewrote her postpartum story. With the right nourishment and support, postpartum can be pure bliss! If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Welcome to Season 7 of the podcast! When today's guest, Jordan, reached out to me to explore what it looks like to move forward when birth isn't healing—when it feels unresolved or leaves lingering questions—and how to find your own healing by integrating your lived experience, I knew I had to have her on the show. Jordan shares her journey through three very different births: a long, challenging first home birth; an easy, almost freebirth during a snowstorm; and a third and final home birth that became an emergency and left her with lasting injuries. Instead of the glorious final birth she had envisioned, this last experience shook her physically and emotionally, forcing her to deeply question her beliefs around healing and recovery. It wasn't until she processed her new normal, stepped out of a "diagnosis" mindset, and viewed the birth through the eyes of her oldest daughter—her seven-year-old birth witness—that she was able to feel her third birth truly completed her as both a woman and a human being. Find Jordan on her website jordanmusser.com  and on Instagram @jordanmusscle If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphotoJordan 

Brigid is a mother of five who began her motherhood journey knowing little about birth and fully handing her experiences over to medical professionals. By the time she was pregnant with her fourth child, she knew she needed something different. She had done a great deal of internal work, finally educated herself, and was ready for change. Brigid chose a home birth with that baby, and it was a truly transformative experience. Since then, Brigid has been on a mission to help women understand the importance of physiological birth—not only for the immediate postpartum period, but for how it affects both mother and baby throughout their entire lives. Some resources mentioned in this episode include: Billie Harriagan's Course  Rachel Reed'a Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage  Find Brigid on Instagram @brigid.tebaldi Brigid's website and course: https://www.loretowellness.com/ If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

By most standards, Keelee had a straightforward first birth experience with a midwife at her birth center. But something about it troubled her enough that she wanted to debrief the birth afterward—and when she did, the midwife said something shocking. This sparked a deep dive into the world of freebirth, which she soon came to believe was the only "right" way to give birth. She even enrolled in a radical birthkeeper school, convinced she wanted to support women outside the medical system. But the first birth she attended was a humbling experience that ended in a transfer and a cesarean section. This prompted Keelee to step back and reconsider, realizing her belief in freebirth had become too dogmatic.  Find Keelee on Instagram @radicalflowhealthcare  If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

This is part two of Kristin's story. I highly recommend  listening to part one first if you haven't already! After a long and difficult preconception journey with her first child, Kristin was elated when she conceived her second with ease. This time she hired a midwife and planned the home birth she had always wanted while also receiving co-care from her medical doctor. Her doctor did not approve of home birth and often spoke to her from a place of fear, yet Kristin stayed committed to her plan. Eventually, she chose to stop seeing the doctor altogether. With the support of her husband and doula, Kristin welcomed her daughter into her arms after a labor so fast that the midwife did not arrive in time. She describes her home birth as exactly what she needed to heal the trauma of her previous experience. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Kristin was never sure she wanted to become a mom until she attended a friend's birth, which catalyzed something deep within her. But getting pregnant didn't come easily, a struggle she partially attributes to her long-term use of birth control. She experienced several miscarriages before turning to IVF. Her fertility doctors told her she had less than a 5% chance of conceiving on her own. When IVF failed to result in a healthy pregnancy, Kristin took six months off from treatment to focus on holistic lifestyle and nutritional changes. At the end of those six months, she became pregnant with her son—naturally. Kristin's birth was a relatively straightforward hospital delivery, but she later suffered a devastating hospital-acquired MRSA infection in the postpartum period. This is only part one of Kristin's story. Tune in next week to hear part two! If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

After two home births with midwives, which were beautiful but still full of compromises she didn't want to make, such as repeated ultrasounds and intense pressure to induce, Lauren chose to birth her third baby without hiring any outside medical management. This pregnancy and birth pushed her to the brink. She confronted a profound fear of death, her baby remained breech until the very end, and the birth itself was wild, painful, and difficult, completely unlike her first two. She emerged from this underworld experience having met herself in a deeper way, fully grounded in her intuition, and more confident than ever in her choices as a mother, especially her medical ones. Find Lauren on instagram @laurenmclean_ and @iam_becomingmama If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

At the end of Jenna's pregnancy, she chose to be induced. The process lasted several days and was grueling, ultimately ending in a traumatic cesarean and a NICU stay for her baby.  Both Jenna and her husband left the hospital with PTSD, and in the early days of postpartum, Jenna wasn't even sure their marriage would survive. Healing began when Jenna reconnected with one of her passions: photography. She became a birth photographer and doula to support other families in ways that had been missing from her own experience. Jenna says that capturing images of birth helps people visually process the experience, and she brings a deep sense of empathy to the families she serves, shaped by her own traumatic birth. I often share redemptive birth stories on this podcast, but what I love so much about Jenna's story is that it beautifully illustrates that there's more than one way to heal a traumatic birth.  Connect with Jenna on Instagram @doulatognj If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto    

Before becoming pregnant herself, Alicia, a medical professional working in obstetrics, had the opportunity to witness birth working in a freestanding birth center. Seeing families welcome their babies in that calm, home-like environment opened her eyes to a different side of birth, one centered on trust, autonomy, and the natural process itself. So when it came time for her own pregnancy, Alicia drew on that experience and chose a home birth with confidence, stepping away from the conventional hospital setting she knew so well. Find Alicia on Instagram @wildflowerbirtheducation If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

For her first birth, Paige planned a natural delivery at a local birth center. But when the day came, her labor was long, and the pushing phase even longer. Eventually, the midwives decided to transfer her to the hospital. As is often the case with transfers, the birth ended in a cesarean, which left Paige heartbroken. It took some time for Paige to conceive again, but when she did, she felt confident planning a homebirth, where she felt safest even after a surgical birth. This labor turned out to be completely different from her first. Her baby arrived so quickly that Paige caught him herself on her bathroom floor. It was wild, intense, and exactly the experience she needed. Find Paige on her website gbdoulaservices.com and on Instagram @gentlebeginnings_doula  If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Jessica was a career-driven woman who never thought she wanted children, until a dream job fell through and an experience at a spiritual retreat awakened her desire to become a mother. After joyfully conceiving, she miscarried at twelve weeks, enduring not only heartbreak but also a traumatic experience with the medical care she received. Over the following year, Jessica focused on healing, and when she became pregnant again, she was amazed to discover her second baby shared the same due date as her first! With no midwives available nearby, Jessica decided to take her care into her own hands. Supported only by her husband and a close friend, she prepared for birth by immersing herself in empowering birth stories. Her baby's arrival was a beautiful, transformative experience that left her in awe of her own strength. Recorded just eight weeks postpartum, Jessica reflects on her journey through loss, healing, birth, and the early challenges of postpartum life and breastfeeding. *Please note that this episode contains a graphic description of medical trauma at around the 22 minute mark. If you're not in the space to hear that, skip ahead five minutes.  If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

Hannah grew up as the daughter of a doula and, as a child, had the unique experience of attending the births her mother supported. So when she became pregnant herself, she had a deep trust in the birth process and planned a freebirth. Although there was nothing wrong with her or the baby, Hannah ultimately chose to transfer to the hospital during labor, where she had to strongly advocate for herself. She shares that, while the birth didn't unfold exactly as she had envisioned, it helped her find her voice and initiated her into the kind of mother her child needed. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto