Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Pod...
Doing It At Home - The Home Birth Podcast is a weekly podcast about home birth and our decision to go from a traditional hospital birth with an OBGYN to a natural birth at home with midwives. This is a raw and honest show that explores homebirth from every angle. We talk about the fears and judgements thrown at you when you choose home birth. We share resources that we found tremendously helpful for understanding our birthing options. We confess the magic and craziness in preparing for pregnancy, home birth, motherhood and fatherhood. We talk about having sex while pregnant and maintaining your connection and intimacy as a couple. We reveal how to stay centered and not lose yourself through pregnancy, and tons more! This show is all about adding an empowered conversation to the topic of home birth and natural birth, while keeping it real, grounded and fun. So strap in and join us as we’re doing it at home!
276
297: HOME BIRTH STORY - Mama (and Papa!) Natura...
What’s the recipe for a magical birth experience? It likely looks different for all of us. However, we might incorporate similar mindsets, approaches, preparation and resources. Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Genevieve and Michael Howland of Mama Natural, the #1 parenting brand online and a source of education and empowerment for natural pregnancy and birth.
44 min
277
296: How to Know Whether You're in a Relationsh...
How is the state of your relationship? How about your partnership? In today's special episode I invite my amazing wife Sarah in on this conversation, and together we talk about the difference between relationship and partnership, how ours has evolved over the years, and how we navigate breakdowns in each area.
62 min
278
295: HOME BIRTH STORY - Euphoric En Caul with a...
Can birth be euphoric? Answer: yes. Absolutely yes. Welcome our guest Luca S to the podcast. Luca had some birth work experience as a doula before becoming pregnant herself.
79 min
279
294: HOME BIRTH STORY - A Kitchen Birth Plus Wh...
What do you look for in a doula? How do you know what doula is right for you? Our guest Samantha McClellan is a birth doula and a mom. In addition to sharing some great tips and questions for families to ask when it comes to finding a doula and that gaps that a doula helps fill in terms of care, Samantha shares the details of her home birth story.
47 min
280
293: A Vulnerable and Transparent Conversation ...
How long was your conception journey(s)? Asking for a friend. But no, not really though. I’m asking for me. For us. We’re sharing in the spirit of vulnerability and transparency - we’ve been “open to conceive” for 6 months now. And it has had its ups and downs. Breakdowns and breakthroughs.
46 min
281
292: BIRTH STORY - A Complete Breech at a Birth...
What does it mean when baby is breech? It depends. There are different kinds, and it can unfold in various ways. However, any breech position is a variation of normal. This is important to note for today’s episode. We’re chatting with Vanessa Young as she shares the birth story of her son Leo.
52 min
282
291: Our Home Birth Baby and the Podcast Turn 4!
Did we ever imagine ourselves hosting a home birth podcast for 4 years? Answer: no. We didn’t even know what home birth really was when we first got pregnant. And yet now here we find ourselves: almost 300 episodes in. The podcast and our daughter Maya are 4 years old!
36 min
283
290: HOME BIRTH STORY - Switching from Hospital...
What’s your priority when it comes to your birth plan? The answer to that will help guide you in circumstances when there are big changes going on. Like COVID-19 for example. We’ve heard a number of situations where families shifted their birth plan from a hospital to home in light of the hospital conditions and policies. Our guest today is Julie Sawaya, mother to her 7-week-old daughter Leni. She and her husband Joe were planning for a hospital birth, but COVID-19 gave them an opportunity to reevaluate their options and decide what mattered most. Julie desired Joe and her doula to be present. This wouldn’t be possible in the hospital.
67 min
284
289: Sex After Baby and Creating Better Sex and...
Do you believe pleasure is your birthright? If you don’t - what if you did? And if you do - how can you magnify that? Today’s episode is a conversation with our friend Debra Pascali-Bonaro, creator of the famous documentary “Orgasmic Birth.”
42 min
285
288: Some of Our Biggest Breakthroughs in Sex a...
What is the difference between sex and intimacy? How does this play out in your relationship and how you feel about your own sex and intimacy both before and after kids?
68 min
286
287: HOME BIRTH STORY - Being Very Intentional ...
How do you create the pregnancy and birth experience you desire? Our guests today are Erica James-Strayhorn and Anthony Strayhorn. We’ve known Erica and Anthony for over 7 years now and in that time they’ve become family to us. Our conversation covers a lot, from from moving through a miscarriage earlier in the year to advocating how Erica would like to be communicated with regarding her care (asking to not be referred to ask “geriatric” or “high-risk” because she’s 36) to finding the midwife that resonated with them to envisioning birthing time, we cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.
60 min
287
286: HOME BIRTH STORY - A “Wild Pregnancy” and ...
Do you like to be left alone during birth? Or if you haven’t given birth yet, have you thought about whether or not you might want people around you, or prefer to be undisturbed? For our guest today Jillian Anderson, she was by herself for the majority of both of her birth experiences. Her partner Aaron was always close by in case he was needed. But Jillian knew what worked for her.
57 min
288
285: HOME BIRTH STORY - When Birth Has Raw, Rea...
How can an experience like birth have such a mix of thoughts and emotions around it? It’s so complex and yet so simple. There’s such a vastness to it and the unique quality of each experience can make it difficult to summarize. This is why each story is so important and why we love sharing as many as we can with you. Today we’re speaking with Ashley McGuirk, and she tells us the birth story of her son Keegan.
53 min
289
284: HOME BIRTH STORY - First-time Mom and Doul...
What is intuitive birthing? It can look different for each of us. But the general philosophy of allowing for the process to be what it is for you in your own unique way is a beautiful concept that comes up in our interview today. Katherine Ward shares her home birth story of her daughter Remi with us. Katherine started her doula training at 18-years-old. Through this experience she determined that when the time came for her to give birth, she wanted something different from what she witnessed in the hospital.
54 min
290
283: HOME BIRTH STORY - A Second Generation Bir...
What’s one of the biggest challenges of choosing a home birth? A common response to this is feeling like you have to explain and justify your choice to others, whether that be friends, family, loved ones or total strangers. This pops up in our interview with Sera Billings, mama to Addy. For Sera, home birth was always a completely normal thing. She herself was born at home. Her mother, in fact, had 6 home births. So home birth was an obvious choice for her when she became pregnant. And her husband Kade was on board and ready, because they had many conversations around birth before even becoming pregnant (we are big fans of this!).
47 min
291
282: HOME BIRTH STORY - The Magic of Eggplant P...
“What’s going to happen if…?” This is a question many of us ask as we prepare for birth. And what if instead of ignoring whatever combination of thoughts and feelings that fill in that blank after the “if,” we get them out there and allow ourselves to process? In today’s interview with Mekensie Gonzalez, she shares her journey to home birth with her daughter Eden. From sitting on an airplane and on an off chance listening to a podcast about home birth with these two crazy people from Georgia (hint hint!), to going forward with plans to have her own home birth, Mekensie’s story is full of topics and themes that every home birthing family can learn from.
46 min
292
281: How to Get Your Partner on Board for a Hom...
What if you want a home birth, but your partner doesn’t? In this episode we’re sharing 5 steps to take in the process of sharing your desires and creating the space for powerful, loving and authentic conversations around the birth plan. Plus we have a brand new, free resource for you and your partner - “A Guide for Home Birth Partners: Real-life Lessons and Advice from Other Partners’ Experiences.” Check out the link below to download!
37 min
293
280: HOME BIRTH STORY - When the Road to Home B...
How do you navigate a bunch of challenges that can throw off your birthing plans? Our guests Jocelyne and Eddie Zaldivar share their experience with us. It includes some of the top things we’ve heard from other home birth families when it comes to hiccups in the process. For one, tough conversations with their OB when they started out planning a hospital birth. Followed up by shifting to a birthing center, only to have it close unexpectedly as they entered their third trimester. And also, fear and resistance from family members around their birthing plans.
61 min
294
279: HOME BIRTH STORY - 2 Unassisted Home Birth...
What do you do when you were born at home yourself, over 30 of your cousins have been born at home and you have over 40 chiropractors in your extended family? It’s a safe assumption that you’d have your babies at home too! For our guest Jani Barnes, having babies at home was all she knew. So having both of her children at home, unassisted, was a no brainer.
45 min
295
278: Episode Swap with Birth Story Podcast: Int...
Don’t you love the birth world? We’ve been able to connect with so many amazing people in this space. For today’s episode we’re sharing the #birthjunkie love and bringing you an episode from our friend Heidi and her podcast, Birth Story Podcast. We had Heidi on the DIAH podcast in episode 256 and we genuinely find her wonderful. So why not share some more of that with you?!
62 min
296
277: Helping Dads to Feel Confident, Peaceful a...
What role is the father-to-be (or parent-to-be) supposed to play in birth? How can that father/parent-to-be show up better in that role? In today's conversation, Matthew and Sarah dig in on this topic, focusing on the future fathers/parents who don't always get to be in the spotlight.
32 min
297
276: HOME BIRTH STORY - From an Unplanned Cesar...
Can birth be redemptive? We often hear on the show how different birth experiences bring the opportunity to heal and take back your power. This is an element of our conversation with Sarah Leahy. Sarah shares the varying aspects of her two birth experiences. Her first, an unplanned cesarean with multiple interventions, left her feeling like her body was broken and it had failed. Following her birth, Sarah experienced PTSD, anxiety, guilt and depression. She knew she wanted to have another baby and wanted to create a different result the next time around.
45 min
298
275: HOME BIRTH STORY - Birth As A Healing Proc...
How can we approach birth as a healing process? This is a great theme that comes up in today’s interview. We had our friends Dr. Vanessa Gale and Dr. Dave Bell come to our home to record their birth story in person! Their daughter Rosalie and our daughter Maya are friends and schoolmates. We’ve had the joy of getting to know them better and now we get to talk about babies and home birth!
61 min
299
274: HOME BIRTH STORY - Plan for the Success of...
What are you focusing on the most when it comes to your birth? Today’s guest, Angela Potts-Mang’andah, walks us through her home birth journey from first starting with hospital care, then shifting care providers two more times (with some twists and turns in there as well in terms of how financial costs would be covered and where the birth would actually take place). Also dealing with the label of “geriatric pregnancy” while pregnant expecting your first child at 38.
52 min
300
273: HOME BIRTH STORY - Getting Baby in the Pro...
How active can labor and birth be? Sometimes you hear about mothers moving around a lot during their births. Other women prefer to stay still. Gotta love the variations of normal. For today’s guest, Nicola Poole, she shares the story of her 36-hour labor home birth with her daughter Gabrielle. During those 36 hours, Nicola did a lot of “body work” to help move baby into optimal position (her head was off-center). This included walking around, rebozo work and Spinning Babies techniques.
40 min