Holy Wild Birth

Cindy vulnerably shares birth and battle history in this episode. Both her literal births of her children and battle with postpartum depression, and also her birth into becoming -- and recently UN-becoming -- a CPM. You will hear her how she let the Lord defend her after a fierce attack came her way after a tragic birth outcome. Cindy is a dear friend to both Lauren and Brooke, and we're excited f...

Yes, we know you don't know what a hearthmother is. But let your curiosity about it hook you in to give this episode a listen.  The concept of hearthmother is a very personal one for Lauren, one which the Lord has been fleshing out over the years and has grown to include a model of sorts for finding your way into wholeness and health in virtually any area of life, but for our purposes here, in...

Brittany has five babies before the one whose story she tells in this episode, but this 6th baby was her first home birth.  And it also included some rather unusual elements. You'll love hearing about how she and her team navigated the unusual sorts of curve balls that occurred in this labor and the role that prayer played in it.  This story was recorded in the context of  Virtual S...

Cervical dilation, the 5-1-1 rule, stages of labor. We've become rather obsessed with finding ways to describe the "pattern" of "normal" labor and assessing its progress. But what if the methods listed above are lacking and possibly even misleading us into conclusions (and interventions) that do us a great disservice? In this episode -- which piggy-backs off Sharon's birth story in episode 9 -- we...

When you are choosing birth that’s outside of the mainstream, it’s common to wonder to yourself, “Can I really have a smooth home birth for my first baby?”Yes! “Surely, not two in a row?” Yes! “For my third, it must be my time for that metaphorical shoe to drop?” Then what if it's so far from being a "textbook" labor that you're pretty thrown off and have to mentally re-adjust over and over? Such...

Ok, if you're a Christian planning a natural birth, you've probably heard the descriptor of "pain-free" tacked to the front of the word birth. Sounds good, right? Who wouldn't want that? Lauren and Brooke have both had what could be called pain-free births and yet they don't really care that much. Why? Because God's purposes for His daughters in childbirth so greatly surpass the physical sensation...

Meet Sarah - mama of two, holistic dietician, and amateur crocheter -- as she shares with us her birth stories on today's episode.  She shares how her primary birth goals shifted from Safety&Survival to Peace&Power and what a difference that shift made. What struck me most about my conversation with Sarah is how eloquently she weaves deep truths and profound insights into her telling...

Type "Natural induction methods" into the Google search bar and you'll find loads of information about DIY things to try at home to make labor start. Ask your midwife and she'll probably have a few more tricks up her sleeve to offer up should you so desire/need.  But... Can an induction ever be natural? What reasons are given for seeking to induce "naturally" outside of the hospital? What mak...

Lauren and I got to sit down and hear our mutual friend, Angee (a traditional birth attendant and mama to 6) share a deep dive retelling of the birth of her son Killian. It was a quick birth full of happy surprises and loads of redemption. If you're curious about how a traditional birth attendant navigates her OWN birth, this one will be a fun one for you.  She also shares meaningful insights...

When it comes to making birth plans, safety is often a top-of-mind concern. This leads into the concept of understanding and weighing risks, real or perceived, and looking around for strategies, protocols and practitioners who we feel will minimize risk and ensure saftey. But what if, like my flock of chickens locked up too long in a small chicken run, the parameters we put into place to protect o...

After years of infertility, Jalina was led through healing and went on to have 4 sons, though not without significant losses in between. While her first 3 sons were all born in hospitals (albeit barely, in the case of #3!), she always felt she was missing out on something, and that the thing she really needed had nothing to do with the hospital. When she found herself pregnant with her 4th, it did...

Lauren and Brooke have each had free births and are supportive of them. But we're also supportive of midwifery (I mean, Lauren IS one!)... But what does the word "midwife" mean anymore? Doesn't it seem like that word gets applied to lots of very different sorts of birth attendants?  What do the letters after her name mean? What if she doesn't have any letters? How much do those letters (or la...

Nikita's first two babies were born in hospital, even though she dreamed of a home birth both times. It was for her third birth that her dream came true. Following the direct leading of the Lord, she and her husband stepped into a peaceful unassisted pregnancy and a joyful unassisted birth. Please note: the personal choices and beliefs of the mothers sharing their stories are as individual as the...

What is autonomy and how does it relate to radical responsibility? We'll unpack the meaning of these concepts and their application to pregnancy, birth (and beyond)! Grab practical tips for walking joyfully in your responsibility as a pregnant woman, and consider the big picture theology behind this invitation, too.  We welcome your thoughts and reflections on this subject, too. Shoot us an e...

In this episode, we'll introduce ourselves - Lauren Hall (Rooted in Eden) and Brooke Collier (Sister Birth) and let you in on the winding path that led us into birth work, to one another, and then to the creation of this podcast. You'll see the fingerprints of God all over this origin story! You'll also hear more about what to expect in this space moving forward.  Lauren on IG Brooke on IG