The Birth Prep Podcast with Taylor Minaberry

Hey! Today, we’ve got a special guest joining us - Allison from raising.lions.not.sheep_ on Instagram. She’s a mom of three and a huge advocate for medical freedom, passionate about sharing the truth about the procedures and interventions that affect our babies. In this episode, we're diving into something super important and sometimes a bit controversial: newborn procedures in the hospital. We’ll chat about the hepatitis B vaccine, the vitamin K injection, and erythromycin eye ointment. Allison is going to share her journey of digging into vaccine research, all sparked by her own pregnancy and the drive to make the best decisions for her kids. She stresses how crucial it is to really understand these procedures so we can make informed choices instead of just going with the flow. This episode is loaded with valuable info and resources to help us parents navigate these choices and stand up for our newborns' health! Follow Allison on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raising.lions.not.sheep_/ Check out Allison's resources: https://msha.ke/raising.lions.not.sheep Visit Allison's shop, Awake Apparel: https://awakeapparel.square.site/ Back up instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raising.lions.not.sheep_2/ 

If you’ve ever wished your husband or birth partner would actually GET IT when it comes to birth prep, momma, this episode is for you. I’m chatting with Travis Stroud, aka Doula Dude, about why men need to stop treating birth as “her thing” and start learning how to actually show up for the woman and baby they’re responsible for protecting. We go DEEP into birth education, unlearning what we’ve been taught, protecting momma’s peace, taking ownership of your birth choices, and why preparing for birth is really preparing for parenthood. Inside this episode: ✨ Why Travis went from knowing basically nothing about birth to becoming completely obsessed with learning about it alongside his wife ✨ Why “just be supportive” isn’t enough for dads, and what it actually looks like for a man to take responsibility and protect his wife’s peace during pregnancy and birth ✨ The importance of learning what physiological birth actually looks like BEFORE you start making decisions about interventions, providers, birthplaces, and everything else ✨ Why birth stories, birth education, and a little bit of unlearning can completely change the way you see what’s possible ✨ Why your birth prep isn’t just about getting the birth you want, but about laying the foundation for your marriage, your family, and the way you step into parenthood togetherConnect with Travis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doula.dude/Connect with Samantha (Travis' wife): https://www.instagram.com/risingsoulsamantha Travis' Recommended Resources: linktr.ee/Doula.dude Husband-Coached Childbirth by Dr. Robert Bradley - Travis’s top recommendation for dads who want to start learning about birth from a male perspective. He specifically recommends starting here because it teaches husbands how to coach and support their wives through childbirth. Uncovering Birth Doula Training by Eyla Cuenca - The doula training Travis’s wife completed and the resource he credits with giving them the majority of the birth education that shaped their decisions. Ayla also offers postpartum doula training. And of course, if you're here because you want to prepare for an unmedicated hospital birth, don't forget that you don't have to choose free birth or home birth to take ownership of your experience! You just need to be willing to learn, prepare, and become the HGIC 💖

We've all heard it: "Well... as long as the baby is healthy." It sounds comforting, grateful - even reassuring. But what if that phrase is actually shutting down one of the most important conversations we need to be having about birth? 👀 In this episode, we're calling it what is: a healthy baby is the bare minimum - not the gold standard - and your experience matters just as much as the outcome. ✨ Why this phrase gets thrown around so easily - and why it shuts women down✨ How it can minimize and dismiss very real birth trauma✨ Why you can feel grateful for your baby and still be upset about your birth✨ What respectful, informed care should actually look like (hint: you’re part of the decision-making)✨ Why birth prep isn’t just about “getting through it” or avoiding pain If you've ever walked away from your birth feeling unseen, unheard, or like things happened to you instead of with you—this episode is for you. 🙌 Ready to prepare for the birth you actually want? Inside The Birth Prep Course, you'll learn how to walk into your hospital birth feeling informed, confident, and in control of your decisions - so you can advocate for yourself and feel good about your experience, no matter how it unfolds. 👉 Learn more here: https://www.thebirthprepcoach.com/tbpc-e 📲 Let's connect! Instagram: @thebirthprepcoach If this episode resonated with you, share it with another mom who needs the reminder that her experience matters, too! 💖

Choosing an unmedicated birth doesn't mean choosing to feel everything with no plan. It means building a different kind of plan - one that is more effective, more accessible, and more overlooked than anything a hospital can offer you. In this episode, I break down exactly why preparation is your most powerful pain management tool and what that preparation actually looks like in practice. In this episode:💖 Why the way our culture talks about labor pain is priming women to experience more of it💖 The science behind why preparation physically changes your experience of pain - not just mentally, but neurologically and hormonally💖 The marathon analogy that reframes everything about how we think about birth and pain tolerance💖 What real pain management preparation actually looks like: stage-by-stage education, breathing and relaxation practice, comfort measures, mindset work, and birth environment💖 Why knowing your tools and having practiced your tools are two completely different thingsReady to build your real pain management plan? The Birth Prep Course walks you through every single piece - the education, the skills, the mindset work, all of it - so you walk into your birth prepared, not just hopeful. There's more info here: https://www.thebirthprepcoach.com/tbpc-eand you can always DM me over on Instagram with any questions you have! https://www.instagram.com/thebirthprepcoach

One of the most common - and most consequential - mistakes women make when planning an unmedicated hospital birth has nothing to do with their provider, their birth plan, or their mindset. It's going to the hospital too early. In this episode:💖 What actually happens to your labor when you arrive at the hospital too early - and why your home is doing something for your oxytocin that the hospital simply cannot replicate💖 The most colorful analogy I have ever used on this podcast to explain why your birth environment matters (you'll never forget it, I promise 🤣)💖 Why the 5-1-1 rule is a generic guideline built for women without birth education - and why you deserve better than a generic guideline💖 How to actually know when it's time to leave: early vs. active labor, the emotional signpost, your personal factors, and trusting yourself💖 A real story from a momma (podcast listener) who showed up to the hospital at 10 centimeters and had the birth of her dreamsReady to actually understand your labor so you can make confident decisions in real time? That's exactly what we do inside The Birth Prep Course - the stages, the environment, the timeline, all of it.More info here: https://www.thebirthprepcoach.com/tbpc-e