Birth Education Center Podcast

Brandi is here for today's show with her Doula Heather Taylor to share her transformative birth experience. Brandi took Hypnobirthing and all the other birth related classes to feel as prepared as possible. She and her husband asked a ton of questions and were on the same page about their plans for a smooth birth experience. They worked HARD to organize their education information and create backu...

Hey everyone! We actually have three of these special episodes in our show's lineup! Education is so key for parents but equally as needed for new doulas. As doulas take childbirth education from different instructors, learning different methods - they're ability to meet more needs with the families they serve is undeniable. Every family has such different perspectives and there's not one perfect...

In this episode, Care welcomes back Kyle and introduces Becca as they recount their unique and emotional birth story. Becca called me for classes when she was only two months along and we started her birth prep with that phone call. Her friend Kaitlyn is a doula and prompted her to call early so we could get a handle on her initial anxieties in early pregnancy. Coming from a small town in Nevada t...

It's a dad show! Kyle wanted his own chance to talk about his journey into fatherhood and next week Becca comes in to share their birth story!  In this episode, I get to introduce you to Kyle, a new father and military veteran. When Kyle came into Hypnobirthing, he was initially hesitant and skeptical and it was evident from his face lol! But something switched as classes went on and Kyle shares h...

This bonus episode concludes our three-part series as we share the full written version of Angel and Joe's home birth story, as originally published on Substack. In Angel's own words, you'll experience the emotional, physical, and spiritual journey of pregnancy, birth, and the early days of parenthood. This piece beautifully filled in the bits of their video version in episode 079. I so appreciate...

In this special episode, we continue our three-part series on birth and parenthood. Today, I read from Angel's deeply personal Substack article, which explores the emotional and spiritual journey through pregnancy, identity, and the transition into parenthood. This piece offers a raw and honest look at grief, transformation, and the ancestral threads woven into new life. I am very honored they let...

In today's episode, I welcome Angel and Joe, first time parents who are sharing their homebirth story. They took all the notes from Hypnobirthing and adapted those tools for their birth. For those of you who haven't considered a homebirth, notice how this process was all about supporting the couple - whatever they needed, their team was on it. The preparation for a homebirth is just as important a...

Today we have one of my Hypnobirthing students, Dr. Mac Toohey, sharing her birth story and so much more! Dr. Mac is a naturopath, an integrative functional medicine provider, and a preconception expert. Her birth story started over a year before she became pregnant. It even includes, what I will always consider a huge miracle and a nutrient rich placenta as a major character in her birth story. O...

We're back with Jamilah for the final chapter of her surrogacy journey! In this episode, Jamilah shares the emotional and physical experience of delivering her surrogate baby. From the anticipation and pressure of reaching 40 weeks for herself and the Intended Parents, to advocating for herself in the hospital, to the powerful moment of birth.  And there's an unexpected plot twist here that wasn't...

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the second episode of our chat with Jamilah. Last week, we heard both of her birth stories and now we're moving into her incredible journey towards surrogacy. Her own births led Jamilah birth photography, putting her want for being a doula on the backburner for a whole other profession. It was at a networking event that the surrogacy opportunity presented itself and t...

We are excited to introduce you to Jamilah in today's show. Ashley and I just had our headshots taken by Jamilah and her story is just too good not to share! Jamilah is almost due with her surrogate baby and we are discussing the backstory as to why she moved towards surrogacy. In this show, Jamilah shares the inspiring stories of her two birth experiences and how her mindset of fearlessness, inst...

The video for YouTube and Spotify will be up shortly! For now, please enjoy our audio version. In this episode, we have a birth story featuring Zach and Kasondra, a couple who recently welcomed their newborn into the world. In Hypnobirthing class we learned about their love of surfing and always being in the water. Kasondra is also an opera singer so she came into class with expectations on how he...

In this episode, Ashley and I are talking about the sacred aspects of being a doula and how the ultimate role is to 'hold space' for birthing families. What IS holding space? Since it's different for everyone - we want you to define it for yourself and how it works for each family you serve. We have found over the years that it's incredibly hard to hold space if we find ourselves needing or wantin...

This episode is a workshop-style conversation designed to help you tackle your fears and equip yourself with the tools and mindset needed for a positive birth experience. I'm not gonna lie - this conversation got juicy with ideas and information to reshape your thoughts about pain and  gathering the courage to use your abilities to become what you have not. Ashley was on fire in this conversation!...

In today's show, I interview with Hannah and Cooper, former Hypnobirthing students, to talk about their incredible birth story. From navigating fears of low pain tolerance and the unknowns of labor, Hannah shares her powerful experience of surrendering to the birth process. Low pain tolerance comes up A LOT when women talk about wanting to have a natural birth. In fact, tune in next week because w...

I begin with a mini disclaimer about the audio and video quality due to the last day of Mercury retrograde. Despite the production challenges, we have an important and heartfelt conversation for you today.  I want you to meet Nikki, who is joining my Hypnobirthing series, and this is our first face-to-face talk. Nikki shares her deeply personal and emotional fertility journey, which includes unexp...

In this episode, I welcome April to share her labor denial birth story and the journey of overcoming fears related to pregnancy. April opens up about her past struggles with an eating disorder and how it impacted her initial fears of weight gain during pregnancy. This is an issue that many women face in pregnancy and isn't talked about enough in my opinion.  April emphasizes the importance of ment...

I can't wait for you to hear Courtney's incredible birth story. From her experiences with pregnancy, labor, and postpartum, to raising her seven-year-old, Courtney's journey is filled with resilience and practical life skills.  Courtney shares her initial vision of a natural birth with a midwife, through her unexpected medical diagnoses of gestational diabetes, cholestasis, and preeclampsia, and t...

In this episode, we have an incredible birth story for you. This is a story where Hannah's natural birth was quickly overshadowed by an extensive NICU stay with their son. Hannah and Greg took my Hypnobirthing class early in her pregnancy and did extensive preparation. What started as a planned birth center birth became a hospital transfer due to the baby's early gestation. Hannah had become the "...

I'm excited today as we have Sierra to share her incredible birth story with us. If you are watching on YouTube you can see her adorable little one. Sierra took my Hypnobirthing class from her work location and her partner joined from home. A definite advantage of attending an online childbirth series! In this episode, Sierra dives into the nitty-gritty of her unexpected pregnancy journey, her fea...

In this episode, we dive into the topic of birth plans, or as we prefer to call them, 'birth preferences.' This is a more energetic view of how to create an plan that fits your family and what's important to you. The internet is filled with templated plans - but how to you keep it specific without overwhelming yourself and the staff? We emphasize the importance of informed consent and how it allow...

In this latest episode in our Birth Educator series, we dive into the power of autonomy in childbirth with Maggie, a birth educator who transitioned from student to educator. We find out what the birth world is like in her area and Maggie tells us about an amazing birthing place that left me wanting! Maggie took every set of classes we offered before the birth of her first son. She studied birth e...

In this episode, Ashley and I are talking about pushing and why we encourage you to advocate for freedom of movement during the pushing phase of labor. You do not have to be on your back and you are "allowed" to move and push in any way that your body is instinctively telling you to push.  In Hypnobirthing we have multiple discussions on how to communicate your needs effectively with your birth te...

In our final February love fest episode, I chat with Alenna, who shares her personal Hypnobirthing birth story. From how she and her husband accidentally found Hypnobirthing to what happened on delivery day, Alenna and her husband were on the same page about not using medication and did a lot of proactive practice ahead of time. You may hear about the peanut ball and its magic for the first time i...

In this February episode, we welcome back Jeanne Marie Paynel, a seasoned Montessori mentor and host of 'The Art of Parenting' podcast. We are so excited for Jeanne Marie to share with you insights on how Montessori principles can transform your home into a nurturing environment for your children. You'll also get a sneak peak into what goes on in a Montessorri classroom and how it supports your ch...