Holy Wild Birth

Nicola's two birth stories include several abnormal and/or frightening elements. Her first was an ultimately uneventful breech birth (but a surprise breech!). Her second, however, included placental abruption, emergency cesarean, neonatal resuscitation, a helicopter lift, and a NICU stay. Through it all, Nicola points out the ways she saw God's hand at work, protecting them, providing for them, an...

In this episode, Brooke and Lauren tackle the dilemma of needing (or feeling the tug!) to switch to a new midwife. They discuss... What to do if you feel the inkling that you need to change midwives How to discern what your next right step is when you are out of alignment with your midwife Questions to ask yourself about your relationship with your current (& prospective) midwife Making a deci...

Oh, Due dates! How much hinges on them! What psychological impact they can have! How grossly inaccurate they are!! In this episode we're talking all things estimated due date. Like: - how often the word "estimated" gets removed from the entire concept - various ways of calculating when a baby might be born (you might have 5 different EDDs) - the argument for adjusting our language and expectations...

In this month’s chat over a cup of tea (or lemon water?!), one of us has a surprising update for our listeners. The other one is doing a lot of “middling.” We’ll let you guess which is from which. You’ll also hear us reflect on the fruit of a mission trip to Brazil, unexpectedly stepping in to use one’s hands in a birth, facilitating women’s groups in our churches, and the ministry of songs! Thank...

- Sensitive Content Disclaimer - This episode includes discussion of pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and second trimester loss. Listener discretion is advised, especially for those who may be walking through grief or processing similar experiences. ----- In this deeply moving conversation, we sit down with a mother whose journey through loss, faith, pregnancy, and birth challenged nearly every mainst...

You may have many people in your life who are very excited to meet and love on your baby, or who want to support you after your birth. This is a great problem to have, right? But maybe you feel overwhelmed, crowded, or smothered by it. Maybe some of the people who are eager to get into your postpartum space bring up feelings of discomfort or resistance: having them there just doesn't feel good in...

What do you do when the people you love don’t support your decision to have a homebirth? In this episode, we’re talking through one of the most common and emotionally loaded questions we hear from families: “How do I handle the disapproval?” Whether it’s a parent, friend, pastor, sibling, or someone from your community, navigating outside opinions during pregnancy can bring up fear, people-pleasin...

Pregnancy has a way of stripping everything down to what’s real. In this episode, we sit with a Tesia's story of radical dependence on the Lord through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. From shopping for a midwife before conception to receiving unexpected prophetic words, navigating housing chaos while heavily pregnant, and wrestling with the physical cost of carrying and birthing a baby, this con...

This week feels a little like sitting around the table with friends. We’re catching up on what’s unfolding behind the scenes, reflecting on the beauty of April births, and talking honestly about seasons of waiting that don’t look the way we thought they would. In this episode, we talk about the beginning of HMU through two very different lenses: Lauren stepping into it from the teacher side, and B...

In this episode, we sit down and talk through what it actually looks like to have kids present at a home birth. We share honestly about the nerves, the beauty, and all the unknowns that can come with it. From how we can prepare our children ahead of time, to having the right support in place during labor, this conversation really leans into being both intentional and flexible. We talk about how ki...

In our first Q&A episode , we’re talking about the powerful, grounding role dads can play during a home birth. From emotional support to practical help, husbands aren’t just “in the room”. We cover: How dads can prepare ahead of time Simple but meaningful ways to support mom during labor What to expect when things get intense or unpredictable The emotional impact this moment can have on partne...

Welcome to our new mini series — think of this like voice texts you’d send your best friend. Short, honest, and unfiltered… these episodes are where we answer your questions in real time, share what’s actually going on behind the scenes, and talk through things the way we would if we were sitting on the couch together. Just real conversations about birth, motherhood, faith, and everything in betwe...

This is one of those topics that can feel a little uncomfortable, but also really important to think through. consuming the placenta after birth has become pretty normalized in natural birth spaces. It’s often framed as instinctual, nourishing, even necessary for recovery. We’ve both had our own journeys with this. Asking, “Is this actually how the body was designed to function?” A lot of the argu...

This episode is a deeply personal conversation with Gemma, who shares her journey through birth work, loss, faith, and what it has meant for her to be transformed along the way. Gemma has spent over eight years in the birth world, moving between the medical system, traditional midwifery, and unassisted birth, while building a homesteading life in rural British Columbia. Her story opens with profou...

In this episode of This Cup of Tea , we share what’s been unfolding behind the scenes in our lives and work lately — the questions that keep coming up, the slower-than-expected growth of Hearthmother Journey, and the sacred moments reminding us why we’re doing this work. From an 8-year marriage misunderstanding that finally came into clarity, to Brooke’s confirmation, to witnessing a breathtaking...

The Way of the Hearthmother episode In this special roundtable conversation, we gather students and graduates of the Hearthmother Journey to reflect on how The Way of the Hearthmother has shaped not only their birth work, but their inner lives, families, and daily rhythms. From first impressions to unexpected transformation, this conversation is honest, grounded, and deeply encouraging for anyone...

We recorded this conversation on the anniversary of her sixth birth story — a sacred full-circle moment that set the tone for everything we shared. In this deeply vulnerable episode, Brandy opens her heart about the way God gently positioned her marriage and family to be ready to welcome new life. What looked ordinary at the time was actually divine preparation. During this pregnancy, she said yes...

In this episode, we’re debriefing our recent Skills Workshop — It was everything birth education should be. We’re talking about: • Why we believe in failing fast to fail forward • The “ahh” moments when the pelvis finally clicks • The creative simulators we built to actually understand physiology • Trauma responses and how embodied practice changes everything • Why how you practice is how you show...

With travel on the calendar and meaningful work unfolding, we talk about what it looks like to tend the hearth when life is moving fast—and how the systems, relationships, and small comforts we build really do matter. Brooke is heading to Arkansas for an upcoming skills workshop, while also preparing for an interview with a reporter from WORLD Magazine . We reflect on what it means to steward both...

Birth is one of the most intimate, vulnerable, and powerful experiences a family will ever walk through. To invite someone into that space—especially someone holding a camera—requires trust, presence, and a deep understanding of birth itself. In this episode, we’re talking about birth photography : what it really means to witness birth from behind a lens, how this work is different from any other...

Birth is good. And birth is not tame. Birth is holy and wild. It is powerful, unpredictable, and not something we can fully control or make “safe” in the way modern culture often promises. When we forget that, we can be left confused or unprepared for how deeply a birth experience might impact us—even when everything looks fine from the outside. In this episode, we’re talking about the difference...

In a world where birth is often defined by medical intervention and fear-based decision-making, Cody and Carly Fletcher’s story offers a powerful return to trust—trust in God, in the body, and in the natural design of birth. In this episode, Brooke Collier sits down with Cody and Carly as they share their journey from hospital births to home birth , and the unexpected path that led them there—incl...

In this episode, we’re settling into the slower, more reflective rhythm of the Christmas season and pushing back on the cultural pressure to rush ahead into “new year” mode before it’s time. We talk through the Christmas traditions and observances in our own families and churches, and why honoring the full liturgical season matters—especially in a world that’s always eager to move on too quickly....

We have double feature Holiday Bonus for you! We’re pressing pause for the month of December to rest, reset, and spend intentional time with our families — but don’t go anywhere. We’ll be back in January with a full lineup of brand-new episodes, deep-dive conversations, and the same honest, faith-filled encouragement you’re used to. Until then check out this oldie but goodie! Make sure you’re subs...

We have a special double feature Holiday Replay for you today! A birth story first from mom's perspective and then later today you can hear the lessons Lauren gleaned as the midwife at the birth. We’re pressing pause for the month of December to rest, reset, and spend intentional time with our families — but don’t go anywhere. We’ll be back in January with a full lineup of brand-new episodes,...