Doulas Unhinged

Lacey and Alex meet with Danielle Kepics, Board Certified Physician Assistant, fertility educator, nutrition coach and former mental health therapist, personal trainer and FEM educator. Danielle shares some of her wisdom and experience with helping women through the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause. We also venture down the trail of parenthood a bit towards the end.  linkedin.com/in...

This week we share a conversation with Ginger, an L&D nurse who blew Alex and Lacey away with her compassionate, patient centered care. They wanted to learn why she is the way she is, get tips on how patients can have the best experience possible and what patients should know before going to the hospital. 

Join us this week to hear Vivi's self-declared "Unhinged" birth stories. From her first unmedicated birth in a hospital, to her three unassisted home births and an unassisted miscarriage, she shares how she followed the path less traveled by current motherhood trends. She shared some of her concerns with the modern medical model which led her to choose a "wild" birth.  Ref...

Alex and Lacey attended a breech birth conference in April 2026 at Thomas Jefferson University. Join us this week to hear the nuggets of wisdom they learned while at that conference.  In this episode, they discuss: Clients using moxibustion which has lead to much faster labors The impact of the Term Breech Trial which has been disproven, but still had a lasting impact on choice in labor.  We are b...

Kathleen Summers joins Alex and Lacey to discuss how music can be healing, comforting and therapeutic. If you want to learn more about Kathleen or work with her for treatment you can find out more about her here.  https://www.bpmmusictherapy.com/

In this episode, Alex and Lacey answer some questions that came in from the episode about sex before diving into information about the risks of infection when your water breaks followed by what you should look for when it breaks. Be prepared to talk to your provider by grabbing your COAT- color, odor, amount, time. 

Join us as we learn about Rosa's birth story. Told from her perspective as a mother who chose homebirth for her first baby. 

In this episode Alex and Lacey discuss sex during pregnancy. Yes, it is usually safe! 

In this week's episode Alex and Lacey pull back the curtain on how doula work impacts the individuals in the work. They offer insight and wisdom to new doulas entering the field. They openly discuss the implications to health, family, commitments and overall lifestyle while also sharing how much they truly love this work. It is both the hardest and most beautiful job. 

In this week's episode we learn how Alex and Lacey found themselves in the world of doula work. Two very different paths, leading to one dynamic team supporting women in their journeys into motherhood. 

This week on Doulas Unhinged, Lacey and Alex dive into a powerful topic- Empowerment or Trauma surrounding birth. This is one of the biggest differentiators in how someone remembers their birth for the rest of their life. The same situation can feel empowering or traumatic depending on how care is delivered. Tune in to hear and explore our thoughts! How Providers Can Empower a Birth Experience 1....

All midwives are not created equal. In this brief episode, Alex and Lacey were inspired to discuss things families might want to look out for when vetting a homebirth midwife to help you find the right person to support you. Questions about training, experience, equipment and how they handle the unexpected or most serious situations are all discussed. 

Prioritizing your relationship in the early days of the postpartum period can make or break your future relationship. In this Episode, Alex and Lacey discuss many of the common pitfalls of the postpartum period and offer many tips for easy tweaks, adjustments and simple mindset shifts which can be implemented immediately. If no one gives you a play book, how can you know. Now that you have the tip...

In this episode of Doulas Unhinged, Lacey and Alex get real about one of the most routine—and rarely questioned—parts of modern birth: cervical checks. Are they actually necessary? What information do they really give? And why do so many women walk away from them feeling uncomfortable, discouraged, or even violated? We’re breaking down: •What cervical exams are meant to assess (and their limitatio...

In this episode of Doulas Unhinged, Lacey and Alex sit down with a powerful VBAC mama who shares her journey of choosing to birth again after a cesarean—and doing it unmedicated. She opens up about the fears, the pressure, and the moments where she had to deeply trust her body despite everything she’d previously experienced. From navigating provider conversations to staying grounded through intens...

In this episode Alex and Lacey explore a New York Times article's report of the negative impact of constant fetal monitoring. Constant fetal monitoring is used in almost every U.S. hospital labor and delivery unit. Most people in labor are attached to belts that track the baby's heart rate continuously. This particular tool became widespread in the 1970's, replacing intermittent mon...

In this episode Alex and Lacey discuss a new hospital policy that may impact patients at their local hospital- though these types of policies exist all over. They go through the document pulling apart the ways it could be used against the doulas to prevent families from having the support they choose to have in the room. They leave you with a call to action. As the consumer, your money talks. Tell...

In this warm, honest, and deeply supportive episode of Doulas Unhinged, hosts Alex Shaw and Lacey Morgan speak directly to new families navigating the tender postpartum period — a time when protecting your energy, space, and recovery is essential. Alex and Lacey unpack the art of setting boundaries with visitors, from deciding when people can come over to how long they stay. They explore the impor...

Emmalee opens up about the birth of her second child whom she chose to invite into the world via induction at 39 weeks. She shares how her long, protracted process was joyful, encouraging, surprising, and ultimately successful with some creative doula tricks which helped her step out of the standard approach and into her own storyline. 

Induction of labor is one of the most common interventions in modern birth—but it’s also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we break down why inductions are offered, what the process typically looks like, and how to navigate the conversation with your provider from an informed and empowered place. We discuss both the medical and non-medical reasons inductions may be recommended, inclu...

At around 36–37 weeks, almost everyone is offered a Group B Strep (GBS) test — and for many parents, that’s the first time they’ve ever heard of it. Suddenly there’s talk of “positive results,” IV antibiotics, hospital policies, and fear-based statistics… without a lot of context. So what is GBS really? How risky is it actually? And what choices do you have? In this episode, we break it all down w...

Labor isn’t just something that happens to you—it’s a dynamic process influenced by your body, your baby, your environment, and your mindset. In this episode, we break down how labor actually progresses and why it looks so different from one person to the next. We explore the often-overlooked factors that can either support or stall labor, starting with mindset and the messages we carry into birth...

Today we hear from Chelsea Barbine, founder of Postpartum Better, a postpartum coaching program, host of the Postpartum Better Podcast and co-host of the Postpartum Better Expo. Hear her share about the difference between her typical first-time labor and her second birth in which her son arrived at 33 weeks. Jump in to hear how the unexpected can still be well supported and empowering. 

In this episode, we unpack a client’s distressing induction experience that occurred at a local hospital—and use it as a springboard to discuss broader patterns of medical mismanagement we’ve repeatedly witnessed at this facility. We walk listeners through what went wrong, why it matters, and how these experiences are not isolated incidents , but part of a larger systemic problem rooted in routine...