The Expat Birth Podcast

In this episode, Lauren shares two birth stories on two continents, in less than two years. In our time together, we discussed: -Navigating birth in your partner’s passport country  -Returning to your passport country for birth  -navigating perinatal care as a woman of color -Feeling at home in your new country  -Depending on the local and expat community  -Investing deeply in local community  -Fi...

In this episode, we talk about: An unexpected pregnancy after 10 years of infertility  Traveling for the birth The gift of having a local friend who was a doctor Navigating the burning season during pregnancy A rushed exit from their country due to pregnancy concerns Packing up the house while on bedrest Feeling pressure to complete work before the baby arrived Struggling through a 5-day induction...

In this episode, we talked about: ▪️cesarian section awareness month ▪️finding resources in a new city  ▪️pregnancy in the first year overseas  ▪️pregnancy after a miscarriage  ▪️threatened miscarriage  ▪️finding a provider who matches your risk tolerance level ▪️switching providers ▪️responding to cultural beliefs surrounding pregnancy   ▪️grandparents coming to visit  ▪️childcare for their toddl...

In this episode, Audrey joins us to talk about her high-risk pregnancy that resulted in an early relocation to Thailand to remain on bed rest until she gave birth. Audrey was able to have the birth she wanted, an unmedicated vaginal birth in a supportive environment, but she opens up about what it was like to navigate bed rest in a different country with a busy toddler in tow.  In this episode, we...

In this episode, Eden shares what it was like to work with a provider who had a very low tolerance for risk and how that impacted her mental health and eventually led to changing providers at 40 weeks.  Topics we discuss in this episode: Pregnancy Sickness Having a doula Not trusting the medical system Switching providers at 40 weeks Navigating a system of high-intervention births Cervical cerclag...

In this episode, Kierra shares the story of bringing together all the right pieces to have a redemptive hospital water birth in Pakistan. She shares how all her previous birth experiences motivated her to devote so much time and energy to creatively finding answers in her new city. In this episode, we talk about: Stillbirth Misciarrage Hospital Birth Epidurals Home Birth Home Birth Transfer Doula...

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. In honor of this month, we are launching an important new resource to better support families in our community navigating the grief of loss while serving cross-culturally. LaDonna joins us to share about the Perinatal Loss Debrief Packet and The Virtual Village CARE Facebook group. On October 15th we will be participating in the International W...

In this episode, we have the joy of experiencing a shortened version of a Birth Story Listening Session with Christine Rollings. Birth Story listening is not a well-known service, however, I think it is such a gift to our community as we process all the layers of birth abroad. Since this is a new service, we thought it would be helpful to do an episode to answer some common questions and provide a...

Adam and Lauren came on to share their 5 year journey navigating infertility both in the U.S and abroad and how this lead them to pursue fertility treatment options in Spain. They also share about what it was like to process how going to the nations could impact their journey to parenthood, how their faith shaped their journey, what it is like to find care in a new country, researching fertility t...

In this episode we discuss: The reality of home-birth abroad. Water-birth Pregnancy in the first year abroad. The energy it requires to track down care options. Host culture expectations in pregnancy Traveling frequently in pregnancy Relocating for birth Supportive expat community Nausea/Vomiting in labor Unplanned cesarean Processing and grieving unmet birth expectations. Planning for further VBA...

In this episode, Alex joins us to share her story of navigating pregnancy and birth in her first 13 months of living abroad. She shares about figuring out a new medical system, inducing labor, leaning on a newly formed community to care for her older son, being unable to get an epidural, and much more! She also shares about her Facebook community for parents of TCKs 0-5 years and her upcoming serv...

Isabell joins us to share her story. She shares about her experience beginning her pregnancy Togo, then going to the U.S. due to side effects of malaria prophylaxis, and ending her pregnancy in France. Through all of the change, she has a beautiful vaginal birth.

In this episode Denise, from It's Tea Time Somewhere podcast, joins us to share how her family's story of loss, stillbirth, and two high risk pregnancies before moving overseas impacted their three pregnancies between Indonesia and Malaysia. She shares the wisdom she has gleaned from navigating birth multiple times abroad and how she strives to support others. 

In this episode Jamie shares three birth stories from Belarus. We discuss: universal v private healthcare, c-sections, VBACs, moving internationally while pregnant, transverse position, leaning on the expat community, postpartum depression, and navigating testing after a prenatal marker for Down Syndrome.

Ansley joins us to share her birth story from Central Asia. In this episode we talk about: being RH negative, placental abruption, emergency c-section, the NICU, exclusively pumping, postpartum infection, postpartum depression, and God's faithfulness through it all. 

Join us as Jessica tells her birth story after the death of her little boy. She explains how her original hope for a home birth ended in a planned hospital birth in Panama City after multiple provider changes during pregnancy. She also shares how this pregnancy/birth intertwined with the grief of losing their son.

Iris joins us to share two home-birth stories. The first is a home-birth in Nigeria with visiting midwives and a subsequent medical evacuation to South Africa when their daughter was experiencing respiratory distress. The second birth is at the beginning of the pandemic in Canada with local midwives.

In this episode I discuss a recent online survey I conducted and where I hope to go from here.

Madelyn joins the podcast to share her story of an unplanned home-birth in Thailand. In this episode we discuss: relocating for birth, doula support, finding your team in a new city, depending on other expats for resources, being admitted to a public hospital, and navigating anxiety postpartum. 

In this episode, LaDonna shares her story of VBAC in Ghana. In this episode we discuss an surprise breech birth with her first, finding a provider, pressure to have another c-section, and navigating the birth culture in Ghana. 

In this episode we discuss: Navigating infertility while moving abroad, a pregnancy soon after arrival, depending on your new community, embracing birth in your new culture, mental shifts in pregnancy, not getting an epidural when you want one, and navigating Postpartum Anxiety 

Rachel joins us to discuss two very different cesarean experiences and planning a VBAC birth.

Elsie joins me to share her amazing water-birth in a hospital in Africa.

Just a quick episode to say thank you and to reflect on the first year of podcasting.

MaKenzie joins me to share her family’s story of infertility, late term loss, deep grief, faith, and pregnancy after loss.