Healing Birth

After an unplanned pregnancy very newly into her marriage, Melissa planned a home birth, but was transferred out of midwifery care due to a pre-eclampisa diagnosis. She was given no other option than an induction in the hospital. Overall, she was grateful to have not ended up with a cesarean, but there was so much that happened during that birth that was violating and unnecessary. After her baby w...

At just 21 years old, Trae's experience giving birth to her first baby was a truly life threatening one. Although she is still processing the events of that day, Trae is very passionate about advocating for other mothers who experience traumatic births. She shares the whole story with us today, including ways she has found healing in the aftermath.  Please note that this episode contains a descrip...

After a failed induction, a very long bout of prodromal labor, and getting ultimately kicked out of her birthing center, Ita's first baby was born surgically, under general anesthesia, in Bali. After this birth experience, Ita had a hard time bonding with her daughter, and they struggled with their breastfeeding relationship. After that first tough year, and a move to the US, Ita became pregnant w...

In honor of #internationalhomebirthday (June 6th), I'm sharing this beautiful home birth story. Samantha, a twin who was born at 33 weeks, wisely dealt with the trauma of her own birth before becoming pregnant herself. She says that the day she gave birth was truly the best day of her life, but that she worked really hard for it. The most remarkable part of her story for me was the dreams she desc...

Before having children, and doing the work that I do now, I spent ten years working within the health insurance industry. I sat in on a lot meetings that (accidentally) shared what I believe to be the truth about our healthcare system - namely, that it doesn't really create health. Above all, it's a really big business. I focus this episode mainly on the myth of preventive care, because it's of pa...

Gena McCarthy is an educator, nurse, and perinatal psychotherapist. Her work is to support you to build bridges   between your heart and your womb, between your birth imprints and your present life, between your spiritual, parenting and professional paths. During our conversation she shares the story of her own birth 70 years ago, with her mother under twilight sleep, and the home birth of her son...

After two pretty straightforward births, Amy's third birth resulted in a traumatic, unplanned cesarean, where she experienced obstetric violence, PTSD, and postpartum depression and anxiety. Amy had a lot a trauma from childhood come up for her after this birth. She says that the experience made her second guess everything she believed about the medical system, and even her beliefs about God. Afte...

After a conscious conception, Ally went into labor at almost 43 weeks. Her epic, three day long birth process included many things that could be considered a "problem" or otherwise pathologized, but with the right support, and unwavering trust in herself and her body, this birth initiated Ally into a more powerful, sovereign version of herself. You can follow Ally on instagram @ally_aura JOIN OUR...

This is part two of a series exploring, through personal stories, how the experience of prior sexual assault can show up when we give birth. Rebecca shares the incredible story of the birth of her fourth child, born at just 32 weeks, in a teaching hospital. This is one of the most emotionally intense stories I have ever recorded, both in its beauty and pain. (Please note that while we do discuss s...

This is part one of a two part series exploring, through personal stories, how the experience of prior sexual assault can show up when we give birth. (Please note that this conversation does *not* contain any description of sexual assault). You can follow Gemma @wyldbirth and www.wyldbirth.com JOIN OUR ONLINE MEMBERSHIP HERE! https://www.healingbirth.net/membership If you love the show, please con...

What if breech birth is not the inherent emergency we are conventionally told, but rather, an expression of intelligent, deeply empathic, communication between mother and baby? Jess shares her three birth stories with us   - actually four, as we begin with her own -   all of which carry the through line of breech presenting babies and maternal communication. This is another one of those stories wh...

In this solocast I explain why. Let me know what you think! HMU @healingbirth or www.healingbirth.net JOIN OUR ONLINE MEMBERSHIP HERE! https://www.healingbirth.net/membership If you love the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon/healingbirth

Ariana shares the story of her daughter's birth, a planned homebirth that ended in a cesarean. Recorded at only four months postpartum, she shares some of the insights she's already gained from this experience, and reminds us that's its okay to feel it all -   happy that you have a healthy baby, and perhaps, sadness or other complicated feelings about how the birth itself happened. This is exactly...

I love stories that illustrate how the births of our first babies (maybe every baby?) often prompt us to change and shift our lives, and this is definetly one of them. Christine shares the story of free birthing her son in Canada. There are so many juicy elements to this one - making love during labor, having a psychedelic, out of body experience, spirit baby communication, just to name a few! Chr...

Victoria's first birth was unmedicated, in a hospital, and although everything went "right" it left her feeling like something wasn't quite right. Her postpartum experience with that baby was very challenging, and she later connected the challenges postpartum with some of the disempowering things that happened during the birth. She shares the experience of miscarrying at home after that hospital b...

Jenna, a spiritual life coach for moms (and friend of mine!), shares her two birth stories. One, midwife assisted at a birth center, and the second, a very consciously chosen free birth. Guiding her through her pregnancies and birth experiences was Jenna's strong intuition and willingness to trust herself. She also shares much about the always unfolding lessons of motherhood, and has a special mes...

In a heart wrenching and raw interview, Ashley shares the story of the unnecessary cesarean birth of her first child. From showing up in labor and being misidentified as a different patient, to having her doctor rush her labor process due to his golf tournament, her whole story is infuriating and deeply sad, most of all, because it's simply so common. Many times during this conversation, I had to...

Margeaux, a therapist who works in maternal mental health, went into her first pregnancy having heard first hand the many ways that a birth experience can leave us traumatized. Unfortunately all that knowledge was not enough to prevent her from being coerced into an induction that left her in the kind of pain she counsels her clients through. After the first year postpartum, a series of beautiful,...

Elizabeth shares two very different home birth stories with us today. This first, included almost every traumatic thing I can think of that can transpire at home, including a postpartum hospital transfer for blood loss. After that experience, she says she never wanted to give birth again. But when she had healed enough from that experience to become pregnant and birth again, that birth was so powe...

Charlotte shares her three birth stories with us - one cesarean (the reason for which is definetly the most unique one I have ever heard!), and two home birth VBACs. Her entire journey is so beautiful, she has so much wisdom to share, and now has stepped into working with other women who want to birth in sovereignty. You can follow her @the_vbac_coach JOIN OUR NEW ONLINE MEMBERSHIP HERE! https://w...

Andrea's first birth experience is a perfect example of what it can look like when your midwives work for the state, not you. After a traumatic cesarean birth, she was determined to birth her second baby at home. Unfortunately (or maybe, fortunately?) no one in her province you could offer her the kind of support she needed, so she birthed that baby with just her partner as support. That birth was...

Hint: It has to do with finding grace for yourself.  This is a bonus solocast.  JOIN OUR NEW ONLINE MEMBERSHIP HERE! https://www.healingbirth.net/membership If you love the show, please consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon/healingbirth

Kristen shares her two pregnancy and birth stories, one, a home birth with a midwife, and the second, a planned free birth. Throughout her pregnancies, Kristen was in direct communication with the spirits of her babies on the other side, waiting to come through. In fact, it was they who guided her to make the decision to free birth the second time. Kristen also shares how she resolved the retained...

Esme vividly describes her first birth experience as a descent into the underworld. Ultimately, that birth process was interrupted by an overly cautious midwife, which had long term physical and emotional ramifications for both her and her son. After a lot of healing work, her second child was born, in an experience she describes as blissful. Esme's entire story is nothing short of pure magic! I l...

Nelia was assaulted during her first birth experience at her local hospital. Immediately understanding that what happened to her was wrong, she fought to get justice and to heal. The second time she gave birth, she took back her power in a massive way. We mention @birthmonopoly as a great resource for anyone who has experienced obstetric violence. You can find the map of obstetric violence, read o...