Hot+Brave

Send us Fan Mail Should you offer sliding scale pricing in your doula business? This solo episode of Hot + Brave dives into the heart of that question with honesty, nuance, and strategy. We’re unpacking the roots of sliding scale, how race and gender shape expectations around care work, and what it actually takes to build an accessible and sustainable birth business. We’ll look at: The origins of...

Send us Fan Mail What does birth look like in Ghana today? In this powerful episode, Bianca sits down with Bobette, founder of Uzuri Birth, to explore how ancestral knowledge, global education, and personal experience collide in modern Ghanaian birthwork. From her early life in Congo to training in Europe and Canada, and finally returning home to Ghana, Bobette shares her journey of becoming a bir...

Send us Fan Mail In this tender and powerful episode of Hot + Brave , I’m joined by Jillian Marchand, founder of Exploring Embodiment, for a deep dive into breathwork, reproductive health, and the cultural disconnection so many of us carry in our womb space. We talk about how shame, trauma, and discomfort get stored in the body and how breath can be a gentle way home. Jillian shares accessible too...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hot + Brave , Bianca breaks down the essential (but often overlooked) topic of backup doulas: how to choose one, how to be one, and why this role is a vital part of building a sustainable, ethical doula practice. We’re covering: What makes a great backup doula How to prep your clients without fear Setting clear agreements, payment terms, and expectations Why hav...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hot + Brave , we’re joined by Anna Lundqvist of Sacred Birth International (www.sacredbirthinternational.com) to explore one of the most profound and often overlooked shifts in a woman’s life: the transition from maiden to mother. Anna shares how birth can be reclaimed as a sacred rite of passage, what gets lost in our over-medicalized systems, and how we can ho...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hot + Brave , Bianca Sprague is busting a huge myth in the birth world... the myth that you need a bag full of fancy tools to be an effective doula. Spoiler: the best doula tools are already within you . From your hands and your breath to a rolled-up hospital towel and a sturdy chair, Bianca shares the free, practical ways you can support laboring clients with w...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hot + Brave , Bianca Sprague breaks down common birth terms you’ve probably heard, like effacement, dilation, VBAC, golden hour, and more... but maybe never fully understood. Whether you’re brand new to doula training, pregnant and preparing for birth, or a birth nerd who loves decoding medical lingo, this episode is a calm, clear, and judgment-free guide to the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hot + Brave , Bianca Sprague breaks the silence around one of parenthood’s biggest taboos: not loving the newborn stage. From hormonal crashes to sleep deprivation, from identity loss to emotional overload, this episode explores why the early weeks of postpartum feel so overwhelming for so many, and how toxic messages like “soak up every moment” and Instagram-pe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Hot + Brave , Bianca Sprague breaks down why the birth world’s obsession with “natural vs. medicated” is a distraction, and how the real issue isn’t the epidural itself, but the lack of choice, support, and honest information surrounding it. We’re talking about in this episode: The myth of the “better” birth What epidurals really do (and what they don’t) What’s...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Hot + Brave, Bianca Sprague unpacks the damaging myth of the “perfect” birth...and why it’s time to let it go. From unmedicated water births to curated Instagram stories, the fantasy of a flawless birth experience is leaving too many people feeling like they failed. Bianca breaks down where this narrative came from, who it leaves out, and how it fuels s...

Send us Fan Mail What if I told you most due dates are based on a formula from the 1800s?  Or that you’re still being told not to eat during labor because of a study from 1946 ? Or that the system profits when you’re too scared to ask questions? In the latest episode of The Hot + Brave Podcast , I’m breaking down the top birth myths...and the actual truth behind them. 👉🏽 Epidurals 👉🏽 Big babie...

Send us Fan Mail Giving birth in a foreign country comes with surprises, challenges, and a whole lot of translation errors. Maternity mentor and expat mama Hannah Preil shares what it’s really like to navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum abroad. Plus, how to build a support system when family is an ocean away. Find our more about Hannah here: www.hannahlouisematernitymentor.com ⭐️  We have s...

Send us Fan Mail We are talking all about mental health and talking about it in a way that is not happening in other places. This will shake you up and give you ideas to find joy.  Want to find Nikki? Check her our here:  https://www.thescottishsoulsister.com/ Here is her course: www.thescottishsoulsister.com/online-course ⭐️  We have some links for you which are mentioned in the episode!! ⭐️ Gr...

Send us Fan Mail Building a referral program is a great way to have an awesome marketing machine made up of your community members! We will walk you through how to do this and we have done all the work for you with the free referral building kit. Get the FREE kit that goes with this episode by going here and commenting BOOST Want to be in the secret squad for Black Friday - you will get the inside...

Send us Fan Mail Content Note: We discuss loss, so please make sure you take care of yourself and step away if needed. Find out more about the 911 Kit go here: www.bebomia.com/911kit To find out about Vallen's Loss Certification go here: www.evelynjamesandco.com/pregnancylosseducationcourse ⭐️  We have some links for you which are mentioned in the episode!! ⭐️ Grab your doula training spot...

Send us Fan Mail Content Note: We discuss loss, so please make sure you take care of yourself and step away if needed. Find out more about Rachell and her incredible work at:  www.alightafternine.org www.instagram.com/alightafternine ⭐️  We have some links for you which are mentioned in the episode!! ⭐️ Grab your doula training spot here (heyyy there's payment plans) 📚 USE THE CODE BIRTHBI...

Send us Fan Mail This week I had the pleasure of chatting with my gal pal Kaely Harrod and she is a flippin’ gem. She cracks me up and we wanted to go through some critical scaffolding for doulas to have success in their business. We cover everything from contracts to systems at home… you are not going to want to miss this. As promised here are Kaely's links: Her podcast Doula Tips & Tits...

Send us Fan Mail What would it be like to be a relaxed woman? Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert, Bianca looks at this almost impossible but wildly sexy concept of a relaxed and calm state rather than the state of fight and exhaustion we stay in. What would you need to accomplish this? Community Building Tool ONLY $10 - www.bebomia.com/community-building ⭐️  We have some links for you which are mentio...

Send us Fan Mail There is a study called the ARRIVE Trial that boasts that 39 week inductions lower operative birth rates in nulliparous birthing people. Well, join Nurse Midwife Sara Holt and Bianca Sprague as they highlight the deep flaws with the study and lack of care in the medical system for birthing people. Want to get to know Sara? www.byenvenibaby.com www.instagram.com/ByenveniBaby Commun...

Send us Fan Mail After last weeks episode about the gender inequity at home (and every where), I wanted a feel good episode about friendship as the antidote. My heart is bursting with joy after a wonderful long weekend, and I share some nerd facts about friendship... evidence based for the win. 😘  Community Building Tool ONLY $10 - www.bebomia.com/community-building ⭐️  We have some links for yo...

Send us Fan Mail This episode talks about the inequity at home for women and mothers and business owners. This stuff is infuriating and what are we going to do about it? Content note, y’all: I am going to keep this convo pretty gendered so that I can capture the stats that are based on a cis-het dynamic. Yes, us queers do have our own shit before we feel all smug, and I do really want to focus on...

Send us Fan Mail Ok, we could talk to Brad for hours... literally. I almost panicked when I had to get down to just 1 topic for the interview. Soooo, we jammed a few hot topics into 1 -  and it mostly fit. I really just wanted you to hear how incredible he is and then you can go over to his pod and bask in his content! Enjoy every minute of this then click the link to explore his content.👇🏽 Chec...

Send us Fan Mail Join Bianca as she chats with Jack and Catherine, lawyers fighting for working women at all stages of their reproductive life cycle, from pregnancy through menopause. Jack's practice focuses on combating sexual harassment, pregnancy discrimination, illegal gender pay disparity, sex discrimination, maternity leave matters, unlawful retaliation, and wrongful termination. Cather...

Send us Fan Mail September is my birthday month and I am ALL about community. So I thought that having a 'how to build community co-op' chat would be the perfect episode to be released on my big day.   I reached out to one of my favorite community builders, Emily Barney of the Doula Co-op in Nevada, to fill us in on the step by step for a state-wide Doula Co-op. (https://www.doulacoop.or...

Send us Fan Mail September is suicide prevention month and today is suicide prevention day. I am sharing my personal experience with suicide ideation and loss to expand the conversation and to shift the narrative - which is the theme for 2024's Suicide Prevention. Content Note: There is discussion of domestic violence, suicide loss, suicide ideation and PMADs.  ⭐️  We have some links for you...