Transformed by Birth

In this deeply personal episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by my goddaughter/bonus daughter and the mother of my grandchildren, Aleksa Mara Dalton, to talk about chosen family, birth, and the relationships that shape our lives. From our early days as neighbors in Topanga Canyon to the two very different home births I had the privilege of supporting, we reflect on how our relationship has...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by Nina Spears, founder of Baby Chick and author of The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy, to talk about preparing for birth, parenthood, and the many changes that come with both. Drawing on our years supporting families, we reflect on how birth preparation has evolved, why having more information doesn't always make decisions easier, and wh...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by doula, former labor and delivery nurse, mother of six, and modern mystic Joni Edelman to talk about agency, autonomy, and learning to trust yourself in birth. We explore why the voices around us can make our own wisdom harder to hear, how slowing down can create space for discernment, and what it means to make the next best decision when birth...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by nurse, educator, and founder of The Birth Nurse, Mandy Irby, for a conversation about the complicated role nurses hold inside the birth room. We talk about what it's like for nurses to advocate for patients while working within a hospital hierarchy, how their own experiences can follow them into the birth room, and what happens when they witne...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by writer, editor, advocate, and author Avital Norman Nathman to unpack the myth of the perfect birth and why the desire to control an inherently unpredictable experience can leave parents carrying responsibility that was never entirely theirs. We talk about agency, vulnerability, and the systems that shape maternity care. We also explore finding...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by midwife, educator, doula trainer, and founder of Mama Atoosa, Atoosa Benji, to talk about the nonlinear nature of birth, parenthood, grief, and transformation. Together, we discuss why change rarely unfolds according to our timelines, the grief woven into major life transitions, trauma-informed care, and why birth professionals are there to gu...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by pelvic health physical therapist and author Dr. Anietie "Tia" Ukpe-Wallace for a conversation about pelvic health, body literacy, and reconnecting with our bodies. Tia shares her journey through pelvic pain and pregnancy loss, the connection between pelvic health and the whole body, the role of touch in healing, and how curiosity can help us b...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by OB/GYN, perinatal coach, and author Dr. Jessica Vernon for a conversation about birth plans, birth trauma, postpartum mental health, and the pressure to get birth and new parenthood "right." Together, we explore how to prepare for birth while making room for the unexpected, why agency and feeling heard can profoundly shape our experience, and...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by midwife, herbalist, Yale-trained physician, author, and women's health advocate Dr. Aviva Romm for a conversation about what wellness really means during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond. We explore the divide between midwifery and medicine, the commercialization of wellness, birth trauma, autonomy, health inequities, and why wellness...

One year, fifty-five episodes, fifty-five guests, and countless conversations about birth, parenthood, and transformation. In this special anniversary episode, Britta looks back at the first year of Transformed by Birth, shares a glimpse behind the scenes, and reflects on the wisdom that has surfaced again and again. From trusting yourself and finding community to embracing the messiness of transf...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by licensed midwife, Partera Profesional Certificada, and founder of La Matriz Birth Services, Tema Mercado, for a conversation about the sacred nature of birth, relationship-based care, and why how we are treated during birth can leave lifelong imprints. Together, we explore what it means to protect the sacred in birth, the difference between tr...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by birth doula, doula mentor, and founder of Carriage House Birth, Domino Kirke-Badgley, for a conversation about community, caregiving, and the profound ways birth work transforms the people who practice it. Together, we explore the hidden costs of trying to do everything alone, why birth workers often struggle to ask for help themselves, and ho...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by licensed therapist, maternal mental health advocate, and author Erin Schlozman for a conversation about the cultural myths that shape modern motherhood and the impossible standards so many parents carry. Together, we explore the pressure to be the "perfect mom," how perfectionism affects mental health, birth, feeding, work, identity, and postp...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by grandparent educator and founder of More Than Grand, DeeDee Moore, for a conversation about the often-overlooked transformation that happens when a baby is born, not only for parents, but for grandparents as well. Together, we explore why grandparenthood is its own rite of passage, how birth reshapes the entire family, and how parents and gran...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by two very special guests: my sons, Kaden and Rumiah. Now in their mid-twenties and building lives of their own, they reflect on what it was like growing up in our family, from outdoor adventures and family rituals to conflict resolution, sibling relationships, and the values that shaped them. Together, we explore what children remember long aft...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by visual artist and mother Kallen Mikel for a conversation about creativity, transformation, nature, and the profound ways pregnancy, birth, and parenthood shape both the artist and the art. Together, we explore creativity as a process of opening, the symbolism of transformation, the relationship between motherhood and artistic expression, and w...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by Sarah Trott, creator and host of the Fourth Trimester Podcast, for a conversation about preparing for postpartum and why the support we receive after birth matters just as much as the preparation we do before it. Together, we explore the realities of the fourth trimester, the importance of redefining productivity, building meaningful support s...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by trauma-informed somatic educator, practitioner, and speaker Darshana Avila for a conversation about eroticism, intimacy, desire, and reconnecting with ourselves during the perinatal period and beyond. Together, we explore the difference between sex and erotic energy, the impact of pregnancy and parenthood on our relationship with pleasure, bod...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by fatherhood advocates Bobby Brown and Brandon Rennels for a conversation about the often-overlooked transformation men experience when they become fathers. Together, we explore identity shifts, healing childhood wounds, father-son relationships, mental health, birth preparation, advocacy, and the profound responsibility that can emerge when a n...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by elder, midwife, educator, and visionary Whapio Diane Bartlett for a conversation about birth as a journey of consciousness and transformation. Together, we explore what it means to move beyond a purely medical understanding of birth and into a multidimensional experience that includes emotional, relational, and spiritual layers. Whapio shares...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by full-spectrum doula, assistant midwife, and "baby whisperer" Sufi Ertur for a conversation about the inner emotional and spiritual world of pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. Together, we explore intuition, labor trance, conscious conception, nervous system sensitivity, symbolism during pregnancy, and the ways birth can open us to experie...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by human rights in childbirth advocate and Birth Monopoly founder Cristen Pascucci for a conversation about bodily autonomy, respectful maternity care, and what it means to navigate birth inside increasingly corporate healthcare systems. Together, we explore the growing monopolization of maternity care, why concepts like informed consent and trau...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by author, therapist, and creator of the Mother-Centered Approach, Jessica Tomich Sorci, for a conversation about the inner landscape of motherhood. Together, we explore why parenting has a unique way of activating the many voices inside our minds, from the inner critic to the parts that try to hold everything together, and the ones that step in...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I'm joined by award-winning journalist and author Lucy Jones for a conversation about matrescence and the profound metamorphosis of becoming a mother. Together, we explore how motherhood reshapes the brain, body, identity, relationships, and sense of self. Lucy shares insights from her book Matrescence, helping to name an experience that is often minimized...

In this episode of Transformed by Birth, I sit down with Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, Nurse-Midwife, Lactation Consultant, and Professor of Nursing, Sarah Shealy, to explore the often-overlooked connection between postpartum recovery and long-term health. We talk about how pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and perimenopause are not separate experiences, but deeply connected physiological...