The Renegade Mama

Today on the show I have a follow up episode from season one with my good friend Karis Harlon. After a conscious conception of her baby Wren - Karis went on to have a wild pregnancy and freebirth. Expecting her second birth to be a much faster birth than her first - Karis was left surprised when it wasn’t. We talk in detail about the emergence of Wren’s head; which took a while and also how Wren t...

Today on the show I have the beautiful and sunny Taylor Bland. Taylor is a Mum to two, co-founder of H.E.R.B.A.L birth training as well as a birth attendant herself. Wow - where to start with this one. Taylor’s story is epic - I totally wasn’t prepared for it. We chat about a lot - her homebirth transfer with her first, her surrogate journey where she carried twins, miscarriage and then also the h...

Today on the show I speak to my good friend Ashley Hewitt. Ashley is an ex emergency nurse and mother of 2. Amaya her first, was born at home in a beautiful homebirth. And even though she was really happy with her experience, after being introduced to freebirth she knew she could be even better! For Arlo her second born she had a wonderful wild pregnancy and planned freebirth. During her pregnancy...

Today on the show I speak with doula and mother of two - Amber Kevill. Amber had her first baby in the birth centre and went on plan a homebirth with a private midwife for her second. And although Amber never spoke the words aloud she managed to self manifest an accidental freebirth. I found it really interesting hearing Amber’s process and the fight inside her to decide what she really wanted. Am...

Welcome to Season 2 of the Renegade Mama. I very excited to have as my first guest of the season Midwife and Indie Birth founder Maryn Green. I love Maryn’s work and especially her birth videos to be extremely inspiring. Maryn has 10 kids (yes you heard me right) - and consequently a whole heap of first hand experience of birth, as well technical knowledge from her midwifery training. We managed (...

For my final episode of the season I have gotten up close and personal with my wonderful husband Oliver. I wanted to record this episode to give you an insight into a male's perspective on birth, but also to be a little bit vulnerable and share my story. We chat about our surprise conception of our first child Charlie, our homebirth transfer and the postpartum period. We also discussed the freebir...

Today on the show I speak to Jenny Blyth. Jenny is a birth worker and educator and author of The Down To Earth Birth Book. Jenny had her first child back in 1979 and it was really interesting to hear what her journey for pregnancy and birth was like back then. Her first birth a hospital birth and last two were freebirths at home. Her approach to doing something that was seemingly “radical” was jus...

Today on the show I speak with author and academic Dr Rachel Reed. Rachel is an ex-private homebirth midwife who gave up her practise for both political and personal reasons. Like all my interviews - we start with Rachel’s own birth and then chat about the births of her two children - her first when she was only 19. We then go onto her academic career and of course - the politics of birth! What I...

Today on the show I speak with Azure Rigney. Azure’s first daughter Mia was born at 37 weeks in hospital where she had a traumatic experience of her baby being taken away from her, despite her having an APGAR of 9. After this experience and finding out that homebirth was her preferred choice (an option she wasn’t even given or made aware of in her first pregnancy) - she went on to have 2 magical h...

Today on the show I speak to my brother Alex and sister in law Laura about their freebirth of their firstborn child Chloe. Alex and Laura aren’t your ‘typical’ freebirthers - if there is such a thing! Laura works in a hospital ED as a Physio and Alex works in the family business as a plumber. They aren’t hippy or particularly political about birth - (although I think this has changed a little afte...

Today on the show I speak to my friend and yoga teach Narelle Lullfitz. I am incredibly honoured that Narelle let me in on one of the most personal experiences of her life - the stillbirth of her baby boy Kuruna. Narelle had both her babies at home under a community midwifery program and she emphasis that she had a really beautiful experience with her midwife. The aftermath of what happened due to...

Today on the show I speak with former homebirth midwife and women’s mysteries teacher - Jane Hardwicke Collings. I was so excited to chat to Jane as her work totally resonates with me and the way I think. I love her Aussie, no bullshit approach! And I must admit I am a total fan girl of hers. We chat about her life to date and her journey from studying midwifery, becoming a homebirth midwife, then...

Today on the show I speak to German living in Australia Antonia Unger. Antonia’s first child was born in German at home with what she describes as a medwife. After this birth Antonia suffered a massive postpartum haemorrhage at home from what she believes was cord traction by the midwife. She felt uncared for and severely weak after this birth. For her second pregnancy she was in Australia and fou...

Today on the show I speak to Aboriginal Australian and Wiradjuri and Ngemba/Wayilwan woman Fleur Magick Dennis. Fleur is Mum to 4 children - 3 of whom she birthed on country - or as Fleur explains to me in our discussion the term she prefers is birthing as country. Her births sound amazing - almost idyllic and dream like. She talks about one birth and how she birthed outside by the river, in-betwe...

Today on the show I speak with Birthkeeper, educator and co- founder of H.E.R.B.A.L - Desirae Miller. Herbal is a Holistic Doula and Birthkeeper training and mainly focuses on Freebirth. Desirae really opened up my eyes to a whole new world of freebirth. We chat about the many varied reasons why women choose to freebirth and how important it is to respect a women’s autonomy regardless of their cho...

Today on the show I speak with my good friend Karis Harlon. Karis is currently 9 weeks pregnant and is having a wild pregnancy and freebirth. The theme of the podcast is conscious conception and fertility (or infertility depending on the way you look at it!). We talk in detail about her journey to conception this time (which took about 7 months) and the differences of the conception journey with h...

Today on the show I speak with Canadian teacher and homeschooler Jessica Wallace. Jessica part time homeschools her own children as well as tutoring other homeschooled children. She chats about prioritising the joy of learning and how we can view learning as exciting and inspiring rather than a task. We also chat about the Finnish system where transversal life skills are prioritised over a strict...

Today on the show I speak with postpartum doula and author of the book Nourishing Newborn Mothers - Julia Jones. Julia’s passion is about making sure newborn mothers are just as well looked after as newborn babies. Julia talks about her first and second postpartum period and how she needed for something more. By her third she got it right and had what she calls her ten thousand dollar postpartum....

Today on the show I speak to Dr Clare Davison. Clare is a privately practising midwife who attends births at home as well as in hospital. She is also an academic who holds a PhD and she is a lecturer in midwifery at Edith Cowan University here in Perth, Western Australia. Clare and I chat all things birth and feminism. We start by chatting about her own births - always my favourite way to start an...

Today on the show I speak with Billie Harrigan who has worked in the birth world for over 35 years. This is the interview that has it all! Having 7 children of her own - she has experienced a lot first hand herself as well as with other families she has helped. We chat everything from hospital birth to homebirth, doulaing to being a birth companion, breastfeeding, homeschooling and I learn about t...

Today on the show I speak with American Yoga teacher and Freebirther Erica Davis. Erica free birthed her first baby a little over a year ago, here in Perth, Western Australia. We chat right from the pre-conception phase and her experience of having an IUD removed to her long but beautiful birth. We end talking about the postpartum period and how important it is for us to take responsibility in ask...

Today on the show I speak with Free Birth Society’s Emilee Saldaya. We chat about Emilee's journey to now, her 13 years of doula work and how she got to where she is today with her Radical Birth Keeper School. We also chat about her epic 52 hour birth, feminism and birth, the backlash she has received and how she deals with it. We end talking about walking your talk, having integrity and the hope...

Today on the show I speak with Finnish architect, philosopher and creator of The Free To Heal method Maria Nordin. Maria’s journey is an interesting one. Born with two uteruses she had two highly medicalised pregnancies including one c-section. In her journey to health and realising her own power Maria’s 3rd pregnancy was completely different and she had a beautiful homebirth. Something she never...

Today on the show I speak with Dr Rixa Freeze. Rixa's PhD is all about Freebirth in America and she herself has also had a combination of free births and midwife attended births at home. We chat through her 4 births - including one birth where she preformed resuscitation on her baby girl. We also chat about Rixa’s non for profit organisation - Breech with out Borders and how vaginal breech birth i...

Today on the show I speak with Anita Katherine better know as The Midwitch. Anita describes herself as a womens circle facilitator, birth activist and run her own podcast - The Midwitch. We start off speaking about women’s circles and how they were a catalyst for her stepping into her own power. We then talk about her first birth - which was a homebirth with the community midwifery program. She sa...